'41 Chevy Pickup

[Guest Davkin]

This is my current project, a Revell '41 Chevy Pickup done as a street rod with a bit of a custom touch. The headlights are in the process of getting frenched and the roof has been chopped. Right now I have two versions I'm considering. This one allows me to keep a wood floor bed and will keep the hood and will be powered by a Revell Parts Pack Cadillac engine;

The version is a bit more wild. Due to the aggressive lowering job a flat bed floor cannot be used if the stock bed sides are used, so it would have a sheet metal floor with a hump in the middle to clear the suspension, I'd mount an aluminum Moon style tank behind the cab. This one would lose the hood and the blown tri-carb six banger would be exposed;

I'm leaning towards the first version, I want to have a wood bed and since I have a '66 Olds front clip in it mounting the Caddy V8 will be easier. Oh, did I forget to mention the chassis mods? The front and rear section are from the AMT '66 Olds 4-4-2 kit, the middle is from the '41.

David

[mikelo]

Why not combine the front of the second photo with the bed of the first? Keep us posted on your progress.

[Mr. Metallic]

If you really wanna use the stock bed sides and a wood floor why not try this? Build the hump out of "metal" as you described, but make the flat bed parts out of wood? Just an idea. I like both of your mock-ups so far.

[Guest Davkin]

Why not combine the front of the second photo with the bed of the first?

Interesting idea, I hadn't thought of that. I was going to do a mockup of that but decided I'd really rather just use the Caddy engine so I'll stick with the version on the first photo.

I considered just closing up the hood, using the stock bed and going curbside so I didn't have to worry about the mechanics of the lowered suspension interfering with the bed floor but I decided I really want to go full detail on this build.

Build the hump out of "metal" as you described, but make the flat bed parts out of wood?

I did think of that but half the bed would be that metal hump, it just wouldn't look good.

As soon as I make any significant progress I'll post some more photos.

David

[lowandphatg]

i like them both so witch ever one you chose will be cool nice scrach building

[Guest Davkin]

I finally got back to this project. As you can see I decided to ditch the stake bed idea. I'm gonna live with just having a sheet metal bed floor bent up to clear the chassis. If you look closely you can see done quite a bit of customization as well. This project is now more custom than street rod.

David

[SoCalCarCulture]

You could also make a false floor for the bed which is raised to clear the suspension/rear end like these...

...that last one is hinged so you can lift it to store stuff under the false floor.

[Guest Davkin]

Ya, I thought about that but a false bed is just so obvious because the bed ends up being so shallow. I didn't like it.

David

[41CHEVY]

Nice job so far. One thought, with a false floor you could raise the bed so the top is even with the cab character line. leave the fenders down where they belong , with a filler between the bed bottom and the chassis. Just a thought. Paul

[Guest Davkin]

Yes, I thought of that one too, even mocked it up but that just made the bed look too bulky IMO. You'd think it would make sense to make the top of the bed match the belt line but apparently the Chevy designers new what they were doing on that one.

David

[41CHEVY]

Yeah they did! I have a 41 Chevy rag top , I think the 41 to 48 GM's had the combo right. I photo shopped the bed ...you're right kills the look. Paul

[Guest Davkin]

I finally have an update;

David

[Matt T.]

I LIKE it! The hollowed-out grille really adds to it also. I If I may, I'd suggest smoothing that door hinge. Keep up the great custom work!

[Mr. Metallic]

I finally have an update;

David

I agree with Matt, that grille looks great. Speaking from experience that is very tedious work, especially if you are trying to maintain the chrome. Nice job!

[Guest Davkin]

I'd suggest smoothing that door hinge

Ya, I thought about that after I looked at the pic. After smoothing everything else out it stands out like a sore thumb so it's got to go!

I agree with Matt, that grille looks great.

Actually, in person it's all messed up. This is one fragile grille when you remove all the plastic behind it. I now know what to do to have a better chance of success and since the kit has been reissued I can afford to take another shot at it.

David

[The Red Ranger]

I know its probably too late, And i like either way its coming along, But had i come to the site sooner, my opinion would have been to combine both ideas, i really liked the look of the stake bed, cause i love real wood on old trucks, but i loved the engine on the second idea.... but either way as i said im going to look foward to whatever comes out of this.

[Taxdude]

How about a completley different idea for the bed. Smoothside?

[Guest Davkin]

i love real wood on old trucks

I do to, but the stake bed wasn't doing it for me. I think I will add a wood tonneau cover though. Also, that blown 6 banger engine was more street rod and I was already starting to lean custom with this build, now with the mods I've done since the mockups it's a full on custom, the exposed 6 banger just wouldn't fit that theme.

Smoothside?

I'm not sure what you mean by that. Get rid of the lip at the top? Get rid of the fenders? Widen the bed to eliminate the separate fenders? (That would look awful!)

David

[Moon Pie]

I really like the way you filled in the gap at the radiator cowl and the hood. I may use that idea on my '37 Chev convertible! Great work, keep us updated.

[BigBlockLyle]

Hey Davkin, great job on those headlights, don't think I could've done it. BTW, I know a guy that had one of these in 1:1, but apparently somebody had switched the engine with a Blue Flame Six from a junkyard Vette. Looks great.

[Jairus]

Yeaaahhhhh that's pretty cool the way it is going. But, you'll be cutting it up again when you see the NEXT sketchpad....

[Taxdude]

I'm not sure what you mean by that. Get rid of the lip at the top? Get rid of the fenders? Widen the bed to eliminate the separate fenders? (That would look awful!)

David

[Guest Davkin]

But, you'll be cutting it up again when you see the NEXT sketchpad

Will that be in issue #125? I just picked up #124, (great job BTW.) and there's no '41 Chev pickup in the Sketchpad. This one better be done at least as a curbside before #125 comes out! So, I'm quite certain I won't be hacking it up again.

No just bring out the bed sides to match up with the cab sides.

Interesting idea, however it's too late now. I spent a lot of time making that bed floor and "molding" it into the sides, no way I'm cutting it apart again!

Also I would raise the bedside to match the character line on the cab

I had already had that idea and mocked up it, it just didn't look right, and this was before the stacked headlights. Maybe without the chopped top it would work.

David

[Guest Davkin]

I've got another update....finally! It may not look it by the photos but there are probably close to 8 hours of work doing further customizing since the last update on this project. The main thing I did was smooth the running boards then mold the cab and bed into the floor boards and fenders making it all a one piece body except for the hood of course. On the bed I decided to remove the front wall and instead use the cab as the front wall of the bed and I extended the angled lips at the top of the bed sides into the cab. Everywhere there was a seam between body panels I filled in and radiused with epoxy putty. After all this I discovered that the roof angled down towards the rear slightly. To remedy this I cut about 1/16" more material out of the A pillars and angled the roof down. Of course the A pillar didn't line up after the cuts. I didn't want to widen the roof more so I angled the lower section of the A pillars back, C clamped the roof down until the pillars lined up and glued it all together again. Now the roof has a slight downward slant towards the front. I'll need to do a lot of work to the A pillars to get them back in shape

David

[oldstyle]

Hi

For ME...the Style on the First Pic looks Best.

Nice Work

i love Old pick up,s

regards

Uwe