David Armstrong 1941 Chevy pickup, Speedway Motors Homebuilt Heaven winner

Home-Spun Fun – The 2022 Speedway Motors Homebuilt Heaven Winner

“You only show high-dollar pro-built cars and trucks in your magazine!”

That’s a common critique we hear at Goodguys, one that gets aimed at a lot of publications and automotive media sites. And while it’s true that we showcase a good share of high-end builds, Goodguys has never forgotten that this great hobby is fueled by the midnight oil burned by countless do-it-yourself enthusiasts pursuing their passion in home garages and workshops.

Speedway Motors, homebuilt heavenGoodguys and Speedway Motors celebrate the DIY ethos of hot rodding with the Homebuilt Heaven award. This award is chosen from the Speedway Motors Homebuilt Heaven area, which is one of the most popular Saturday Special Parking Areas at Goodguys National events. It’s a great way for do-it-yourselfers to show off their hard work and for Goodguys to reinforce the quality and creativity that comes out of home garages.

Congratulations David Armstrong for his 2022 Speedway Motors Homebuilt Heaven winning ride! David will receive a gift certificate, jacket, and more prize swag from Speedway Motors. Read more about his ride below.


David Armstrong has long had a soft spot for 1940s-era Chevy pickups. “I always liked those trucks because a friend of mine had one in high school,” David says. A few years ago, he found a rough-looking but solid ’41 in Oregon and decided it was time to scratch his itch to build a clean street rod example.

David Armstrong 1941 Chevy pickup, Speedway Motors Homebuilt Heaven winner

David knew it would take a ground-up rebuild to achieve what he wanted; fortunately, he had time on his side. “It was right around the time Covid started to happen,” David says. “I had just retired. There was nowhere to go. Me and my buddy Brian Bring just spent the next year and a half working on it.”

David Armstrong 1941 Chevy pickup, Speedway Motors Homebuilt Heaven winner

The truck’s body came off and the frame was partially boxed and rebuilt using a Mustang II-style independent front suspension, a four-link rear suspension with coil-over shocks and a Panhard bar, a 12-bolt rearend, and Wilwood disc brakes behind steel wheels and wide whitewalls.

David Armstrong 1941 Chevy pickup, Speedway Motors Homebuilt Heaven winner

David kept his eyes open for good used parts from friends and fellow rodders and the small-block Chevy was one of those deals – a low-mile dealership take-out that had been stored for more than 25 years. David cleaned it up and topped it off with an Edelbrock intake and carb. “I’ve had no problems with that motor,” he reports. “It runs great.” The 700R4 transmission came from the same guy and David had it rebuilt before installing the combo in the chassis.

David Armstrong 1941 Chevy pickup, Speedway Motors Homebuilt Heaven winner
David Armstrong 1941 Chevy pickup, Speedway Motors Homebuilt Heaven winner

David did some of the metal repair on the truck’s body and had a bodyman friend help with pieces requiring more expertise. David then sprayed the Nason paint himself using inexpensive Harbor Freight paint guns for the color, and a slightly pricier version for the clear. “I’m not really a body and paint guy, but I couldn’t really afford to pay somebody to do that stuff,” he says. “I ended up shooting about 10 different test shots before getting the colors I wanted.” The custom-mixed cream hue was topped with gold pearl before the clear, and the bronze came from the Nason color chart. “It turned out better than I expected,” David says.David Armstrong 1941 Chevy pickup, Speedway Motors Homebuilt Heaven winner

New wood was used to finish the bed floor, and David got clever and used a bed-mounted trunk to conceal the fuel tank. Inside, Cottonwood Upholstery stitched the seat and door panels in new brown leather, and Frank Johnston Upholstery took care of the carpet on the floor and firewall. AutoMeter gauges in an aluminum panel, an Ididit tilt column topped with an aluminum banjo-style steering wheel, and a Lokar shifter are a few of the details that help complete the cab.

David Armstrong 1941 Chevy pickup, Speedway Motors Homebuilt Heaven winner
David Armstrong 1941 Chevy pickup, Speedway Motors Homebuilt Heaven winner
David Armstrong 1941 Chevy pickup, Speedway Motors Homebuilt Heaven winner

Nicknamed “Wilma” by a friend, the clean Chevy pickup is a beautiful reminder that do-it-yourself rodding is alive and well and that you can still achieve pro-level results working in your home garage. “It was a fun project,” David says. “It kept us occupied and made the Covid thing kind of go by.”

David Armstrong 1941 Chevy pickup, Speedway Motors Homebuilt Heaven winner

Editor, Goodguys Gazette

Damon Lee began snapping photos at car shows when he was 10, tagging along with his father to events throughout the Midwest. He has combined his passion for cars and knack for writing and imagery into a 20-year career in the automotive aftermarket, writing for titles like Super Chevy and Rod & Custom and, more recently, working for respected industry leaders Speedway Motors and Goodguys Rod & Custom Association.