Steve Brotherton's 1941 Chevy 1.5-Ton Master

"Jessie"

10 January 2007
# 1778

From Steve :

           My first car was a 1941 Chevy Sedan that my Dad gave me for my 14th birthday. Since I remember much about the good old 216, I thought I would go for an old Chevy truck when I decided to buy a toy.

           This truck, which I dubbed “Jessie,” was only a few hundred miles away in northern Ohio. So I rented a trailer and drove to just west of Toledo to check her out. It was love at first sight. So cash changed hands and on the trailer she went.

           The seller acquired her from the son of the original owner. Jessie is a ‘41 Master with a GVW of 11,500 lbs. She spent most of her life on a farm about a quarter mile from the co-op/grain elevator. The Ohio title shows less than 4,000 miles and is marked “mileage actual.”

           She has almost no body rust, just where the fenders meet the running boards. All the glass is good. The windows and crank out windshield work smoothly and all the lights work. The driver's-side windshield wiper works like new. The bed is homemade by the original owner, including the hardware. While it shows age, it is solid and adds a lot of personality.

           Looking up from under the truck is more like looking at a near-new truck with a clean and rust-free frame and running gear. I probably could have driven her home if it were not for the tires.

           Now I’m leaning toward factory colors, trim and interior most of the time. If I do anything beyond that, it will be just a newer 235, 261 or 292 six with later (read synchro) four speed. A better rear end ratio than the current 6.17:1 would be nice but my choices are limited. Maybe 50 is fast enough anyway.

           I have her in the garage and am just tinkering so far. She is too much fun to drive to tear down too far! I am keeping the usual journal of parts and dollars and will try to post updated photos from time to time.

           The Stovebolt Page is a remarkable resource!

Steve Brotherton
"Poppa Bear"
Bolter # 13113
Kansas City, Missouri area