Customs 1941 Chevy Coupe Build Thread

After 2 years, I am finally going to start making some head way on this 1941 Chevy Coupe project. I'm going with a donor Camaro '02 LS1 engine/tranny package. The goal is to make a nice cruiser out of it, with all the modern amenities. I'd decided to stay with the stock frame, as I have read too many forum comments about frame swaps just not looking right (because it is all about the look)!

I'm just about finished with the planning stage of my build, however, I would like to get some input of what others recommend or their experiences. I am am going to upgrade the suspension, expecially the front end. There are several MII setup's out there:

Chassis Engineering - MII
Heidts - std MII, Superride 2 MII
Fatman - MII Stage 3
Helix - MII, CornerKiler

What type did you use? Do you like it? Any comments/recommendations/shared experiences would be appreciated.

 

I have a heidts on my 48. I bought the unfinished/raw steel and painted my self. Still building the car. The reason I went with them is my uncle had one in his 39. Car handled awesome, braked good, which made it fun to drive.

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Chassis Engineering is easiest to install, because it bolts in and is of good quality. Fatman uses the thickest material for the cross member and is my favorite of those you named. Heidt's is adequate, but my friend's '51 Chevy pickup with Heidt's front end has cracked the cross member in two places. The truck is not abused. Helix is an unworthy supplier...do a search for the horror stories.

All of the above is just my opinion, of course. Others may differ.

 

I second the Chassis Engineering bolt in. Crazy simple, great group to work with. Also have the rear end kit. Again, super simple.

My '41 in the pic has both installed, front springs are "adjusted" as low as they will go.

 

Glad to hear about your approach. MII much easier and straight forward than sub-frames and frame swaps. I've had a Heidt's in my 1940 sedan for almost 20 years. Can't beat the disk brakes, R&P, etc. I've heard CE bolt-in's are the way to go if you don't weld, or able to use a weld-in. Speedway Motors also offers MII kits/components. If your budget allows, I'd suggest going with tubular A-frames, eliminate the need for strut rods. Regardless of which supplier you choose, you'll want to buy a radiator support bracket from Chassis Engineering. More affordable/less work unless you want to build one yourself. Once you drop out the stock '41 crossmember/suspension, you'll need a radiator support.

 

Thanks for the all feedback! Great information.

I do have a nagging question before I jump into purchasing some suspension; I have looked at several pictures on the net of frames (and here too), and mine does not look the same as others. I purchased the car (dirt cheap) 2 years ago, because I wanted to have a vintage rod, and wasn't too concerned about the frame at that time... Now I'm thinking that this '41 unfortunately has a donor frame under it, and have a bigger project that I realize. The attached pics are of my '41 (not very good), and I will post better ones tomorrow. Do you agree it is not stock?

My frame looks similar to this frame I've seen on this website: http://www.purplewave.com/zoom/120822/B6852/6

 

Sorry, but that's not a stock frame. Not even of the same vintage, but of different GM makes. Looks like a later-model frame.

 

Your car would have come from the factory with the "top hat" style frame. I'm not at a computer so it's a bit hard for me to see what you have.

Add another vote for the Chassis Engineering suspension. Bolt in is stronger on the top hat frames because it captures both layers. That's what I plan to use on my 39.

 

What Voh said, ^^^^^^. Looks like someone put a later model GM frame under your car. Hard to tell from the pictures what it is, but those brackets/body mounts at the firewall appear that it's too wide for your '41 body. If they did a full frame swap, does the rear end use coil springs, or parallel leafs? Might help narrow down what year/make of the frame.

 

Is it a full frame or just a clip? How is the rear end set up, trailing arm or leaf springs, same wheel bolt pattern? I see pendulum pedals and late model column.

 

Looks clipped, and might not be a very good job, from what I can see. Would need more pics concentrating on the area directly under the firewall, inside and out.

 

I put it in the air last night (have it stored elsewhere), and all I can say about the frame is FUBAR. I think it is clipped at both ends? It looks like they used part of the original center rails in the construction; as they seem triangular under the body, with strange floor mounts. Looks like a 10 bolt rearend (maybe a 12), probably a drag car in it's past... I guess I know why it was a super good deal, this frame is a basket case; and I feel I need to rethink the whole approach. My pocket book just let out a sigh...

 

That looks like a A-body frame. that rear end is very similar to that (suspension wise) that my axle was from, and that was a 1965 Lemans.

 

Or a G body frame. Looks like they used the whole chassis, but probably shortened it at the rear kick in.
Actually, if the welds look good close up, I'd leave it as is. It will ride, handle, steer and stop better than any old car chassis. But be diligent in inspecting the quality of the chassis splice!!!!!
Mounts under the firewall looked awkward so I assumed it was clipped. It could have been done better, but isn't bad, just ugly!

 

Thanks for you input, at least I have an idea of what I got to work with...

On the front cross member on the bottom is stamped "8 340" in the center. The front frame rail front ends are look like they've been cut a welded. The trunk floor appears to be raised to accommodate the cross-member support for the axle. I found some frame drawings of both styles of frames, where could I tell the differences between an A-body and G-body frame? The look really similar.

 

actually this was done a lot in the 80s and 90s . use a chevelle from the 60s/70s cut the frame at the font and back and use heavy wall 2x3 tubing to make whatever wheelbase you needed. a buddy of mine done this with a 39 olds 4door and used everything out of his wifes rusted out73 cutlass 4door and had ahelluva nice driving family streetrod tom

 

Not an expert on differentiating the frames, but if you take the numbers off the front brake calipers, it might narrow the type and year ranges down considerably. Run them at your local part supply. They probably changed more from year to year, and body style more than anything.

 

Good idea on the brakes. I've concluded (with everyones input) I'm going to stick with the frame. Just working on trying to narrow down what it originally was under, so I know what to order for suspension parts, when needed. Going to get into my buddy's shop in the next few weeks to pick the body off, check the frame over, and start the project.

 

This was the steering wheel/column that came with the car, does anyone recognize the car make symbol/badge on the horn?

 

1980 or so Monte Carlo.

 

Thank you! I think your right on, malibu/monte carlo.

Body should be off next week, so I can start checking welds

 

My 81 malibu had that exact steering wheel.

 

The body divorced the frame this week. Was a lot of work to separate, appears that the frame is a 5th Gen 78-87 El Camino frame, wheelbase 117.1". The body was bolted to the frame, then the rails were boxed for strength unfortunately covering bottom nuts. Had to be torched off... The rear trunk floor is a section of the El Camino pickup bed floor (waffled shape). Trunk floor was raised to deal with the higher frame rail portion in front of the rear wheels, and gas tank; explains why the trunk lid was hacked off, and license plate frenched in...

 

Got lucky and was able to use a bridge crane to lift the body off, made it easy!
Loaded back on to the trailer, and headed to be dipped next week.

 

Clean car after dipped!


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Progress this week. Decided to stay with the G-Body frame, located a clean one at a semi-local yard for a decent price. I felt that I needed to get the wheelbase close, so I cut the factory welds in the rear, and took out 1", reducing the wheel base from 117" top 116". Next step will be to sand blast the frame and transfer the suspension from the old hacked up frame to the new frame.

Muscle Rods http://www.brphotrods.com makes bolt in motor mounts, cross member, and modified oil pan to fit on this frame. Once those arrive, I will mount the LS1 engine/tranny, then set the body on the new frame to determine where to make the new body mount perches and box the frame. I also will be adding other structural bracing, since the G-body frames have a lot of twist and flex to them. The frame rail ends will also need to be cut off, as the frame is longer than needed...

 

Body work progress also. Cut off the right rear fender that was poorly welded on. Will re-weld it back on in the correct place, since it was out of position when welded originally.

 

Project 41 I also have this same vehicle and had thought about using an El Camino frame which is how I found you. I do have some question to ask if you have time. 1) Does the car sit at a good lower height or is it sitting high. 2) when cutting the rear horns will this make the trunk stay intact or will the trunk have to be cut? Wes, @[email protected] Thanks

 

Wes, I've be on hiatus from the project but getting back into the swing of things now that spring is here.

The only gauge for car height is from my pictures when I bought it. They are posted in my photo album, unfortunately I didn't take any with a yard stick in them. The body was sitting on the original El Camino frame bushings which were appox 1" - 2" thick. So it was up a little higher than it probably should as it was a poor attempt to put the two together. Also the car has no engine or trans and full size 15" tires in the pictures, so its higher because of that as well.

I intend on either building perches for the factory mount points and setting to body down on the frame. Or welding in a set of rails in the same location the original frame rails would of been, to mount the body on. The 5th generation El Camino frame is wider in the middle, and it needs to be boxed and reinforced; so I thought I could incorporate the mount points at the same time. I found some stock repo rubber strips that goes in between the body and the original frame on eBay last year, so I am leaning towards my second idea. I will post a drawing of my reinforced frame design in the next day or two.

The rear rails and horns in the rear on the El Camino frame are higher than stock. On my car, they literally removed the entire 1941 floor, and welded in the El Camino bed floor which raised the floor a good 2". This is why they chopped the trunk lid and got creatively custom on the back end with the frenched in license plate. My rear tail light pockets were frenched in too, and I've finally tracked down a matching pair of tail light patch panels. So I'm going to cut out all of that. I will cut off the frame horns, but not going to lower the actual frame rails in the rear. I am going to build the trunk around the rails and the plate above the El Camino rear axle. So the rails are going to probably stick up some in the trunk.

One thing that I am still working on is the front frame horns. On my car, they took a pretty good size chunk out of the lower front chin pan so that there was room for the steering gear. I have will have to cross this bridge once I get the body on the frame, and see if it helped any by taking the 1" out of the frame. I might have to consider other steering gear options if it didn't make much of a difference.

Hope this helps.

 

Here is the new shortened frame sand blasted and primed that I did get done this spring.