I think I just bought a 32 Ford. I know zero about 32 Fords other than I love them. I found this one in a garage where it had been parked for 45 years. I am not sure if I have a roadster or a cabriolet or in fact it is a 32 model. The car is equipped with a rumble seat, and has windows in the doors. It is an all steel body, and it does not appear that it has had the top removed to make it a roadster or cabriolet. I bought it in is a non****le state all I got was a bill of sale which describes the car as a 1932 Ford. The owner said the car belonged to his wifes first husband who died in 1970, and she passed last year. The car has an old Edelbrock Breadbox Tunnel Ram Intake, a Holley carb, a turbo 4oo, a Ford 9" that is either a locker or limited slip ( both wheels turn when I spin one of them), an early GM generator/power steering pump ( 55-57 Chevy?) a big block Chevrolet, not sure of the displacement yet. The engine turns over, and fired up when I went to look at it. Fuel was from a gravity feed can to the carb. The frame rails are boxed and relatively rust free, and the body just has surface rust on it. The floor of the trunk/rumble seat is solid and so are the floors of the cab. Finally it has a complete set of Halibrand wheels on it. Any help/input relative to exactly what I have is appreciated. Where are the ID numbers on it, if any? Thanks in advance.
Looks like a 5W coupe with the roof hacked off. Halibrand wheels? Haven't seen Vega tail lights in a long while. And considering the Vega started as a 71 model, the husband who died in 1970 must have been first at the dealership to buy those!
Yep, it is a Cabriolet, I dug out the plastic filler from a few holes that used to have the snaps or whatever that connected the canvas top to the body. Halibrand is stamped on the inside rims of all the wheels cannot quite read the model number, pretty dirty. The guy I bought the car from was in his 80's and still wrenching on cars, I think that is great. I guess I can cut him some slack on what year somebody died, that he never knew nearly 50 years ago. Thanks for the heads up on the Vega tail lights, every time I look at them I will think of Australia. I had a great time when I visited there in 1969. A welcome break from getting shot at in a pretty little country not far from there. Have a nice Memorial Day.
I thought the same, probably because a similar channelled car found in Hawaii some years back was posted on the Hamb.
1932 Ford Cabriolet is what you have. No swaging around rumble seat lid, '3 window' type swage around bottom rear lip, etc
Great find! Sure looks like a cabrio to me. Have fun and keep the pics coming so we can follow along.
Nice find. Looks like it drove right out of a 1971 issue of "1001 Custom and Rod Ideas" magazine! I tend to agree with Thirtytwo on the wheels. I've never known Halibrand to make chrome slot steel wheels. They were made most notably by Astro and also by Appliance, Superior, etc. What are your plans for it? Have you tried to start the engine? If you can't get that TR-2 intake to run street friendly, you can sell it to a collector and have plenty enough money to buy a single 4 b intake and double pumper.
I like it!....tons of potential sitting there for sure! I love these old builds that look to have a 'time-warp' appeal to them
The Jalopy Journal
