Photos & Story
by Terry Denomme

Car shows are often the best used car lots you can ever visit.
Just ask Kelowna, BC’s Steve Foster. Three years ago while attending a show in his hometown, he came across this ratty cool 1941 Chevrolet pickup dubbed Rat Nest.  Though he was in the midst of building a glossy street rod 1954 GMC pickup Rat Nest made a big impression on him. “I was fascinated by it,” says Foster.  “I couldn’t get it out of my head.”

The following year at the same show, the Colville, WA built pickup was again in attendance. This time it had a “For Sale” sign on it. “I was in year three of what would be a five-year build on my GMC but I knew I wasn’t leaving the show without it.”  He soon found the owner and a deal was struck to keep the pickup in Canada.

While dubbed Rat Nest, this ’41 Chevy is more than just a rat rod. The most “ratty” aspect is the truck’s exterior, which Foster says is courtesy Mother Nature and more than 70 years of use and abuse.
While the paint may be 70 years old, the cab floor is custom aluminum and wood. The rear box was shortened and a custom rear roll pan and metal bed was fabricated. Exhaust exits a pair of Harley Davidson fishtail exhaust tips.

The stock frame remains, but it was boxed and C-notched in the back to get the truck closer to the ground. A Mustang II unit was installed with disc brakes up front and air bags provide suspension. Out back a Chevy 10-bolt (3:70 gears) hangs from a triangulated 4-link with stock drums and air bag suspension. Wheels are stock 6” units painted red and wrapped in Michelin radials (225/70/R15 all around) given the Portawall white wall insert treatment.

Rat Nest is motivated by a stock SBC out of a mid-1970s pickup with Edelbrock 600cfm carb.  A mid-1980s Chevy police cruiser donated the 700R4 transmission which now has a TCI constant pressure valve body to firm up the shifts and guard against  low line pressure situations caused by improper TV cable settings. A Lokar shifter rows the gears.

The truck’s stock bench seat remains though it is now tuck and roll upholstered in red leatherette. The stock dash retained the stock gauges and bezel, though two air pressure gauges were installed to monitor the air ride system. The stock column remains with a vintage Pontiac steering wheel topping it off. True to its rat rod inspirations, there are no electronic accessories.

While Foster’s 1954 GMC is now near complete, he still has a blast driving Rat Nest. “People are always asking me when I’m going to finish it,” says Foster. “Or they ask what colour are you going to paint it.”
The answer is always the same. “It’s done.”