One of my best '32 frames looked nearly identical to that, same thing, 'Hay Wagon'. Steering bracket nearly same, but arc welded to the '32 'heavy'. (cleaned up with some work) Drove by it a hundred times, on Santa Clara-Alviso Rd., outside the town of Agnew. On the local map? Where Marriot's Great America sat later. I got the frame in '76, towed it to my new shop with my mild Kustom '53 Vicky. Farmer aired up the tires, and gave me the original '32 pink slip! $50.00. Cash.
Sweet find. Every time I spy a home-made farm wagon I find myself looking to see what wheels and what frame were utilized. Treasures are where you find 'em.
Used to find lots of early Ford frames under old trailers with a Monkey Ward conversion (John Bradley?) to make them a trailer--could get them for hauling them off. They were under old maybe 2 bale cotton trailers. This was in the early 60's in the central valley around Merced. Chowchilla, Madera and Fresno
Nice save. I’ve scavenged both front & rear 30’s Ford axles & wishbones from out of trailers/wagons. And the box on my Model A PU was a farm trailer set on a partial T frame. But I’ve never found a full 30’s Ford frame.
There was another one in Santa Clara, a '32. My friend Jim looked at it, then bought it some time later. The seller said, "In the time it took you to decide, I also decided to sell the body I was gonna put on there..." So, Jim got a rolling Deuce frame and a '32 Fordor body to put on it! Think the frame was $40, and the body $10. Man, that body was cherry. But everybody scoffed at it 'cuz it was a Fordor. Jim sold the body to Dave Zorich (Model A Parts House) and sold the frame to his neighbor, Dave. '30 roadster body went on the frame, got sold to this rent-a-cop we knew...never finished.
My bud Larry (Early Auto, next door to Sid Shavers) went to a MoPar 'dismantler', his pal bought some Hemis, 331s. They were in the front office, completing paperwork, Larry spotted something behind the door...an axle. "Is this for sale?" The MoPar guy said, "Yeah...Ten bucks." Larry paid him, and carried the axle outside to the truck. It was a '32 'heavy'... An old guy outside the fence to Turlock, my son and I were leaving. This guy has a car trailer FULL of early Ford axles, most with brakes/drums/wishbones. I asked, "How much for...that one?" He said, "Same as all of 'em, $15.00." #1 son and I pulled out a NICE '37 Ford V860 tube axle, mechanical brakes, original spring. The price was right.
Never bought a deuce but bought a nice 33 which I built into a ch***is and dozens of model A rolling ch***is over the years at farm sales for 10-20 bucks. I remember one time I bought 4 of them at the same sale, they all had Dutton-Lainson trailer conversion tongues with a hitch welded to the rear end housing. I aired up the tires and left the sale with all four in tow. Luckily the sale was only about 5 miles from my shop. I always cut out the front and rear crossmenbers and sold the rest for s****.
I can remember looking under a number of home made farm trailers in Texas looking for that elusive 32 frame under a hay/cotton trailer. I'd save that trailer tongue kit as it may have some value to someone in the antique farm equipment hobby. I tried to buy a 23/32 Chevy frame that was made into a similar trailer about 15 miles from home that had wheels and tires on it but the guys daughter quoted me a price twice what I had heard he was wanting for it and p***ed rather than holding out the cash I had in my pocket to buy it out in front of her and making an offer.
Ha! '29 Chevy frame front made into a 2 wheel trailer! $15! Seller even helped me remove the front axle... I have a friend here in town, he had a '31 Chevy he was stripping (he wanted the running gear, I traded him a 3.00 9 inch 3rd member for it. Cherry frame, but rusted at the steering box. (the early Chevy frame front grafts right in there, nice.) Not many are aware of the desireability of Chevy frames...they fit Model A bodies real nice, plus they have that pretty kick-up in back! Nice side rails, too.
I had an uncle (we werent all that tight), I visited him in the late 70's as I had recalled him saying his welder was built from a 32 (V8), don't recall much more than that but I remember seeing a hood in the rafters on prior visits, never did see a grill shell, don't even recall what sort of frame the engine was mounted on. I was looking at a 2 door sedan body (only) that was for sale locally so thought I'd see what my uncle might have, the possibility of it having a grill shell was the main attraction though, ended up getting the three piece hood from him (it was mint) but was really let down about him not having the grill shell.
The Jalopy Journal
