History 32 3 window coupe, looking for any historical info

Hey guys, I’m heading home to Denver with this coupe I just bought from Scott Younker here on the hamb. My buddy is driving so I have just been researching stuff. I think this car is the Charles Kraft car from the May 1958 rod and custom feature. I also found a picture of it on a Fotki photo archive of 32 fords. There are some inconsistencies in the correlations though. Look at these pics and let us know your thoughts. I feel like the Kraft version is the 1st, then the “1957” version is the 2nd, then it gets murky. During a gas stop, I found evidence of the 1st version taillights in the valence being filled and covered to make way for the decklid lights. Note the cowl cuts for the exhaust on the Kraft version. Also note the nubbed off frame and wishbone mounts on the Kraft version. The dimensional similarities on the chop as well as the unfilled roof are pretty uncanny. I feel like maybe the Kraft version got wrecked in the front and the result was the ugly mess on it now, which is present on the “1957” version. Here’s some pics.
Cheers fellas

 

I watched that car in the classifieds since last September and was this close to calling the seller many times. Congrats.

 

Thanks Jeff.. I bought it without engine/trans or wheels. Never thought I would have a 32. Sweat equity is the only way.

 

Glad this stayed in the HAMB. Seemed like a really good buy, especially now if it has some history.

 

Hey Matt. Congrats. You can never have too much stuff

 

Congratulations! I should look at cars for sale.

Bob

 

I have a 32 3 window languishing in my shed as well. I have no history regarding the body. It is Notchopped
with the roof filled and finished in lead. I "rescued" this coupe from the wilds of the Honey Island swamp basin here in South Louisiana. more than 20 years ago.

 

Thanks Steve! should be a fun project for next winter-ish.

 

It will be fun to see what history you come up with and how you revive the car.

 

Yeah man, for sure.. I have some ideas for it that i’m stoked on. Cant do much with it until the fall probably though.. I will do a thread on it when i get going. Cheers buddy.

 

How cool!! Congrats broseph!

 

Thanks Mikey!!!

 

This thing is basically in storage at a friends garage at the moment, however a fiend of mine and I ended up buying a pretty large hoard of parts and a couple cars. In that hoard was this 32 B chassis. This thing is crazy, it's like someone just plucked a body off it and forgot about it. complete from radiator to gas tank, it runs and drives after a little elbow grease. I did not have anywhere to keep it, and I had no intentions of using the chassis under the 3 window as its all crooked and fucked up. I offered the rails to @h.i. if he helped me with some trailer stuff and some cut the car up stuff. Here is a little photo record of that day. I wish I could post a video of it running but I dont know how. @cactus1 told me how once but I wasnt listening. sorry MIkey.

 

Here is a few more from that day

 

I had a 32 front axle laying around for a while and my buddy Manny (with that crazy old custom style roadster I posted about earlier) was getting a couple axles dropped, so I sent mine along for the ride. I also found some wheels/tires n caps on instagram that Josh Carillo was selling. I paid him and my pal Willy picked them up out at rpm nationals this past September as I could not go ( I blew up my achilles tendon, so I am out for a while) . The wheels are 15" Merc, with national bottle caps and early accesory trim rings behind the caps that show a hint of wheel. This is the same setup that was/is on the Lloyd Bakan coupe. I must say that I am pretty effin stoked at how things are coming together for this on.

 

The other night when we were dropping the wheels off in the storage garage, Manny and were sitting inside the coupe and peeling back the headliner looking at certain details for reference (he just found a 3 window that is pretty rough) . I pealed back the headliner and aside from spilling mouse shit in my beer and cutting my exposed cast leg toe on ragged sheetmetal , I was pretty stoked to see all the original wood,chicken wire and tack strip bits in the header and the roof area. I actually ordered stock full length subrails from brookville, no idea when they will show up. My plan is to channel it 3-4" , pretty hot flathead, 37 lasalle trans and a mike moore quick change. Othe rdetails will be a 40 dash, shoebox steering wheel and real lincoln brakes. Still building it in my head every other night. I will use this thread as the build thread moving forward, although there will not be much movement again for a while as it is not at the top of the list.
Thanks for listening to me bend your ear.
Cheers friends.
Matt

 

Holy crap! How did I miss this. Super stoked for you! Can’t wait to see it in person. Take care of that achilles.

 

Hi Fess! You are welcome to check it out anytime, it's just down the street from my place. It's neato, the last thing I need is another hot rod, but I could not pass it up.

 

I traded for a three window in 2001 and reading this string I can tell that our cars were built in the same timeframe and with similar inspiration. What we like to think of how it was done in the old days is different than most of the hot rods were built back then. At least in the mid-west, guys were reading the hot rod magazines for ideas, but there was usually a shortage of money, talent, engineering and tools or all of the above. They built what the dreamed of with what they had on hand or could scrounge up from the neighborhood.
It's good to see another three window go to a good home. HAMB home that is..

 

BTW, you'll get extra points to sand/buff off those flames as soon as possible!

 

Thanks for the reply buddy.. It's kind of funny because my friends are constantly ribbing me about those stupid flames.. It's gotten to the point where I just want to leave them as long as I can until one them sacks up and just does the work for me... I like to huckleberry when I can! The end goal is a white or ivory firewall and metallic green paint, think valley custom cars stuff, pretty dark. White tuck n roll, loop pile carpet...

 

probably put the body on a newly built street rod chassis with efi and air conditioning and all the other things frowned upon here.
Seems to happen quite a bit.
Although not everyone dumps the chassis, one guy stuck his original chassis on his wall as an ornament.
At least yours is now being used…………

That is one cool hot rod that you are putting together !

 

Hard to say, the hoard that this chassis came from was a couple of brothers that had been doing hot rod stuff for a very long time.. Definitely not street rodders, but I am still baffled by this chassis.. The guys have dementia so they are no help really.. I’m quite lucky on all fronts to be able to sort this car out with mostly original bits.

 

You have to upload to YouTube first and then use that little filmstrip icon to embed the link! I think? Fuck I dunno? I forgot my YouTube password!

 

I will figure it out if I ever do anything more interesting than drink beer.. Thanks Mike! luv ya brutha.

 

Backat’cha vato!

 

I can't believe we did all that shit in one day. Or was it 2?

 

It was one. crazy fucks.

 

Gonna have to hit that SUBscribe button up there..So i canget mine goin .... but always workin on somebody elses....jeez.....gonma be a sweet ride

 

Congrats @PINEAPPLE...that's a nice one...