Classic Style, Modern Control: Art Morrison’s GT Sport Chassis For Early Chevys

Despite being significantly overshadowed by their tri-five brethren, 1949-54 Chevrolets are considered dream builds by many enthusiasts. Afterall, these Stovebolt stalwarts represent a time when the Chevrolet division really started hitting its stride to full-on hot rod greatness. Prized as restomods, traditional hot rods, and kustom kulture icons, their desirability seems to grow by the year. That begs the question: what does a dedicated restorer do if they really want to unlock their early Chevy’s full potential? Well, they head over to Art Morrison Enterprises (AME) and spec out a GT Sport chassis.

Art Morrison’s obsession with 1949-54 Chevys began when he was gifted one as a high school graduation present. When he started Art Morrison Enterprises, the plan was to stick to racing components. However, a surge in the popularity of street rods shifted the focus of the business, eventually leading to the launch of a full GT Sport chassis for the legendary tri-five. Art Morrison Enterprises’ GT Sport treatment for the 1949-54 Chevy infuses all the virtues of the firm’s proven tri-five chassis into a ground-up solution for early Chevys.

The early Chevy GT Sport chassis includes the excellent driving characteristics typical of all Art Morrison upgrades. It pairs a great ride with little to no brake dive and cornering that’s devoid of sloppy leaning. In addition to frame rails that are made from mandrel-bent 2×4 steel, the chassis features strategic crossbracing. Ultimately, that means your car will drive less like an antique and more like a genuine, well-done restomod.

The front of the chassis comes standard with AME’s Sport Independent Front Suspension that combines tubular control arms and an adjustable anti-roll bar with Wilwood ProSpindles and adjustable Strange coilovers. At the rear of the chassis, buyers have two options. The first is a triangulated 4-bar that’s finished with adjustable Strange coilovers and a 9-inch Ford housing. The second is AME’s proprietary multi-link independent rear suspension, which also features adjustable Strange coilovers. Buyers can choose between standard or narrowed rear frame widths and, if they really want to amp up the style, an air suspension is available.

One of the best aspects of AME’s 1949-54 Chevy GT Sport chassis is its ability to accept a wide variety of engine and transmission combinations. Buyers can spec mounts for a variety of LS and LT engines as well as traditional big-block and small-block Chevys. The chassis accommodates up to 3-inch exhaust pipes through the frame rails, and there are also mounts available for most popular manual and automatic transmissions.

For builders who refuse to let their 1949-54 Chevrolet be defined by outdated road manners, Art Morrison Enterprises’ GT Sport chassis offers a transformative foundation. By blending modern suspension geometry, serious structural rigidity, and unmatched drivetrain flexibility, AME allows these early Chevys to deliver performance that rivals contemporary machines without sacrificing their unmistakable character.