etalWorks Speed Shop has become known as one of the Pacific Northwest’s premier classic car restoration and speed shops. Likewise, Roadster Shop is a leading manufacturer of custom replacement chassis for a variety of cars and trucks. So, when they combined forces to build a 1972 four-wheel-drive Chevy pickup, the end result was bound to be spectacular.

As unlikely as it seems, this project began with a longbed, two-wheel-drive truck. Since the original frame and suspension were being replaced with an all-new Roadster Shop RS4 chassis, the truck’s original configuration wasn’t an issue.

Roadster Shop’s revolutionary RS4 four-wheel drive chassis is based on custom tubular framerails that measure 5×2-1/2 inches with 0.188-inch wall thickness. These custom ’rails are significantly stronger than the originals. An additional benefit is the frame has been widened forward of the firewall to ease header installation.

The RS4 suspension on both ends has been designed to provide a smooth ride and excellent handling qualities on the street while providing the long travel and articulation necessary negotiating off-road obstacles. Up front a Currie high-pinion Dana 44 is located by parallel four-links and a lateral locator, while in the rear a Currie high-pinion Dana 60 is held in place by triangulated four-bars. Suspension on both ends is by way of Fox Race Series coilovers tuned with Roadster Shop–specific valving, offering the best performance on and off road, and ride height has been optimized eliminating the need for body lifts. Splined front and rear sway bars with 7075 billet arms and Fox bumpstops are options that were included in this build.

To bring the body up to MetalWorks standards all the body components were acid dipped, followed by rust repair to the lower doors, rocker panels, and cab supports. The unnecessary holes in the firewall were filled, as were those on the underside of the hood, the fuel filler was shaved, and the longbed was cut down to shortbed dimensions. With all the bodywork done the bare sheetmetal was given four coats of epoxy primer followed by primer/surfacer applications that were block sanded until all the surfaces were laser straight. Finally the basecoat/clearcoat two-tone finish in the original blue and white hues was applied.

The tasteful appearance of the Chevy can be described as beautiful while subtle, and from a performance standpoint the term subtle applies to the truck as well, up to a point. The dry-sump, supercharged LS4 is docile enough to be driven every day, but when the throttle pedal is buried in the carpet the response from the 645hp V-8 makes this truck one fast 4×4.

Combining a Roadster Shop RS4 chassis with the craftsmanship and attention to detail MetalWorks is known for has transformed a two-wheel-drive pickup into a four-wheel-drive, show-caliber truck that’s equally at home on road and off. A follow-up full feature on this trans4mation will be coming in a future issue of Classic Truck Performance.