At first glance, this 1941 Chevrolet pick-up looked like a job well done. The stance was right, the steel body carried itself with confidence, and the proportions hinted at careful planning. Sitting on a custom-built chassis with Chevrolet 4100 suspension, a beautifully fabricated steel load bed, and a lightly chopped cab, the truck had presence. In many ways, the effort already invested was clearly worth it.
But as is often the case with custom builds, the real story only reveals itself once the vehicle is driven.
The pick-up arrived at Allers Rods and Customs with a list of complaints that pointed to deeper issues. The rear suspension felt excessively hard and unsettled, the handling was loose, and there were signs of an engine oil leak. On paper, the rear setup should have worked. The Chevrolet 4100 rear end uses a four-link coil suspension that is well proven when applied correctly, especially in heavier vehicles.
The issue wasn’t the design — it was the execution.
Closer inspection showed that the standard Chevrolet coil springs had been removed and replaced with stiff competition springs. Worse still, these springs had been relocated far back on the trailing arms, close to the rear of the wing arms. This robbed the suspension of its mechanical leverage and effectively over-sprung an already light pick-up. The result was harsh ride quality and unpredictable handling — a classic case of good parts installed in the wrong way.
The fix required understanding suspension geometry rather than simply swapping components. The racing coils were removed, and new mounts were fabricated to reposition Jaguar coil-overs back to the original Chevrolet coil locations. The coils were also angled slightly more to increase leverage, allowing the suspension to work properly. The change transformed the behaviour of the rear end, restoring compliance and stability without compromising the truck’s stance.
While addressing the suspension, attention turned to the engine bay. What initially appeared to be a simple oil sender unit leak quickly revealed itself as something more concerning. Further inspection pointed to a cylinder head issue on the existing 327 small block Chevrolet. That phone call to the owner is one no builder enjoys making.
Fortunately, it ended better than expected.
The owner already had a freshly rebuilt, cammed 400 cubic-inch Chevrolet small block waiting in the wings. The decision was made immediately. The 327 was removed, and work paused briefly while preparations were made for the new engine.
When the owner arrived at the shop, the pick-up was standing without its engine, radiator, or grille — stripped back and exposed. And that’s when another long-standing issue came into sharp focus. The owner had never been happy with the front end. It looked heavy and awkward, with a Toyota steering rack protruding too far forward, visually cluttering the nose and compromising both appearance and steering geometry.
Rather than working around the problem, the decision was made to re-engineer the front of the truck properly.
The rebuild began by positioning the new 400 small block as far back in the chassis as physically possible. This single change freed up crucial space and allowed the now-narrowed Toyota steering rack to be moved rearward, tucked neatly between the front wheels where it belonged. With the geometry corrected, a new steering arm was fabricated and the exhaust manifolds modified to suit the revised layout.
Visually, the transformation was just as important. The bulky ’39 Chevrolet grille was discarded in favour of a smaller ’32-style grille, which was moved back by 210mm and tucked in behind the large chrome headlights. The result was a far more compact, purposeful front end that finally matched the rest of the truck’s character.
With everything reassembled, the final details were attended to. Fluids were topped up, small assembly gremlins eliminated, and the moment of truth arrived. The 400 fired first time and settled into that unmistakable cammed small block Chevrolet idle. On the road, the improvements were immediately evident. The rear suspension was still firm, but controlled and predictable, while the relocated steering rack completely resolved the loose road manners that had plagued the truck before.
Final wheel alignment was carried out, followed by a last road test. After passing through the hands of more than one rod shop, this 1941 Chevrolet pick-up had finally reached a point where the engineering matched the ambition behind the build.
It’s always satisfying when a project comes together properly. Even more so when the solution isn’t about adding more parts, but about understanding how everything should work together. This pick-up is now ready to be driven as intended — and will no doubt put a smile on plenty of faces when it appears at events like the Kimberley Street Rod Nationals.
