History Cool '32 Ford roadster pickup.

A few more pics of the Hetland Deuce .

 

this cowl appears to be too long for a rpu or commercial cowl.
I suspect that it is homemade (or maybe comes off something else).

I thought that I read somewhere that there were twice as many commercial cowls made versus actual rpu’s.
In NZ we seem to have got a proportionately high number of cowl only versions, which were coach built into work trucks or whatever was needed. - probably due to shipping costs as all our American vehicles came from Canada ( does that still make them American ? )
I have never seen a rpu here and doubt that any were imported.
I do have an absolutely mint cowl though - for what I don’t know, - maybe a paddock car in time……..

 

This one came up for sale some years ago on trade me.
Appears to be completely factory made, (and I saw pictures of the inside at the time). Never seen another like it.

 

And here is a typical end result, colonial cab. A ‘34 version beside it, - just noticed that the cowl appears filled, or nonexistent.

 

I agree about that school bus cowl @clem , but I could not identify it other than to think the belt line reveal resembles the typical ‘32 closed car but it continues across the top. That bus has other things that don’t look right too. There’s a P***enger grille and the fenders have a different look, the fronts have been trimmed.
Still, the big question is where did that cowl come from?

 

Mr. Hetland’s ‘32’s were all stunningly restored and his parts collection was unbelievable too but this photo made me think of something-

The Commercial radiator cap might be almost as hard to find as a ‘32 RPU. That cap is a one year only and I don’t think it has been reproduced.

 

When I built my last 32 pickup I couldn't find an original radiator cap and I remember what the late **** Spadaro had told he did after someone stole his original cap off his truck in Kalamazoo. He said about the closest cap to an original was a 31 Model A gas cap so that what he adapted to his truck. I did the same and it was really close to the picture above.

 

My little bro, who has the makins of a 32 RPU, has been searching for a commercial cap for years.

 

I'm not familiar with that cap, but it looks like it could be machined up from stainless and polished.
Of course with typical machining charge out rates, it would cost a pretty penny.

 

had a buddy who owned a 32 5 window for a good 20 years. I mentioned a real 32 sedan delivery that was at a show we were at and he got angry at me when I told him it was the most rare 32. he insisted it was the B-400 and just wasn't hearing any of it. kinda funny knowing he was double wrong as I had not thought of the roadster pickup at the time.

I've only seen one. looked like original paint and everything .

 

Looking at all the photos and I have to ask, Is there a "Commercial" headlight bar for 1932 without the stainless center?

Bob

 

Yes there is a commercial headlight bar without the stainless

 

Bob, the 4 cylinder cars & trucks had a headlight bar minus the hole for the V8 emblem and the center of the bad between the headlights was painted black. HRP

 

There were 2 radiator caps produced in 1932, a p***enger car cap B-8100-A
was chrome plated zinc die cast, the detachable hardware was made of br***.

The other cap was for the commercial vehicles B-8100-B,,it was made of br*** with a skin of stainless steel with a smooth top and knurled edge, the inside hardware is riveted.

There was however a second version for the inside of the p***enger car cap to prevent it from being installed backward, this came along in the late summer of 1932. HRP

 

That is a closed cab cowl that's had the windshield posts cut off of it.

 

I thought that it was most likely handmade, - just copied and enlarged.

thank you, -
But then this morning as I walked the dog I stopped and looked at the vintage fire engine in town, - a ‘32 commercial with just cowl, dash, hood grille as per normal and from cowl back is hand made.
The cowl was the same, except posts were full height. So maybe a version with fixed windscreen posts was an option ?

 

That is also a closed cab cowl with the header above the windshield cut off. They're just cut at a higher point than the grey cowl in post #33 (at top of windshield rather than bottom).

The cowls show in post #34 are both the "drive away" cowls, which are essentially the same as the open cab sans some holes and hinges.

The cowl of the school bus in post #24 is likely that from a Tudor, 5W Coupe, Sport Coupe, or Cabriolet that's had its windshield posts and surrounding area removed and then filled. I would suspect it's someone's later re-creation given by the lack of matching patina on the cowl, hood, grille shell, fenders, and running boards. The original body likely either had the "drive away" cowl or perhaps wasn't even on a Ford ch***is.

 

Thanks for clearing that up, that’s what I thought after looking again at the fire engine.
So now I am wondering, (not that it matters), if maybe we had cowls imported with the windshield posts, effectively being a closed cab pickup cowl without the roof. Which were turned in fire engines and other commercial vehicles once down here. I find this all quite interesting. Thanks!

^^^^which is what I also have in my shed. Seems to be a few down here.

 

Mr Hetlands roadster pickup is amazing . I had the privilege to see a collection with 6 or more 32 rpu and love to have one some day. I have a drive away cowl that I call a rpu and make the doors if I can get some dimensions or more info. I know when I was at the one collection I was overwhelmed and took little measurements.
How many drive away cowls did they make? As I see a few at the LA roadster show but all were snapped up asap.

 

I have seen original style reproduction bodies of the 1932 Ford Roadster pickup at the LA Roadster

 

That fire truck has some interesting details. The hood has the raised reveal around the louvers like the pre- production ‘32 hood that wound up on the European Fords, the grille and headlight bar were chromed and the original Commercial radiator cap is still there. Were the skirted fenders on NZ ‘32’s, or does that LC 1934 on the license plate possibly signify the year of the truck?
But the most unique thing is the badge on the grille, it looks like it says Fordson.

 

You might be right on the Fordson emblem.Heres one I found here a few yrs ago.It fit right in a '32 bezel.When I researched it I found that Its British and used on the small panel trucks in the early 1950's.

 

Were those 6 up near the San Francisco Bay Area?

 

it is registered as a 1934 Fordson.
Sometimes the vehicles back then were registered as the year of first registration, not date of manufacture.
The firemen that look after it and restored it, believe it to be a 1934 Fordson, and won’t be told otherwise.
The only ‘34 parts on it are the guards and bumpers from what I could see.
The mish-mash of parts could be to do with supply issues (think Great Depression) or incorrect restoration issues, remembering that it was a community project by not necessarily car people.
Dash is standard 1932, firewall ‘32, as is grille.
Raised hood is European deuce. Lights look like sealed beam in a TK Bedford surround, - what we had to do over here when parts were scarce and 6 volt bulbs didn’t make the grade.
Speculating that Fordson emblem maybe due to what the people restoring it, thought it should have.
I didn’t think that we had any European fords here until 1935, but I may be wrong.
Fire engine above is mainly 1932 parts and I believe that by the time it was custom built and first registered that some time had p***ed and it was then first registered in 1934.
Parts had to be shipped out from Canada, then ***embled, then sent to coach builders …..all takes time…..

 

@uncle buck the collection is in northern IL and the guy told me in the 1970s he made some reproduction parts for the trucks. He made posts, under windshield panel and a few other parts. I was asking if I could sandcast or plaster the post so I can make a set or two. This is what I have to start with

 

John, for some reason I had thought you sold that cowl a while back

 

Hey, John;
Don't know if this'll help on getting molds from the guy you mentioned(sounds like in distant past?), but if he's reluctant to let you make molds from his stuff, a non-damaging material to use is from Smooth-On products. It mixes like a urethane-type rubber(Different hardnesses available). Pour it into a small enclosure(maybe multiple-piece), let it set, & a perfect(if you've done it correctly) 3d mirror-image occurs. (warts, hairline cracks, etc, n all... ). Lets you then cast a perfect replica of the original object. Getting some male-molds can be "interesting", like say, intake/exh ports, but that's due to the shape & possible "fun" removing the set-Smooth-On. But it won't harm the original thing you want to replicate, unless you get heavy-handed w/removal techniques which could.
Marcus...

 

@uncle buck I had a few guys wanting it but shipping was a issue for them. A cowl is a good size not muck weight but big box or crate.
@nrgwizard great info and never tried that stuff . That technology is before my time as we used sand . I like the idea of the stuff and will look into it. Thank you

I have used rubber mold to make some knobs, lens (crystal clear) and other plastic parts. It’s a silicon rubber that when cured you peel out the part and pour in your resins.

 

Thommo down in Melbourne Australia has this awesome roadster pickup for sale right now.

 

Actually, your buddy is "technically correct" ... there were just 41 1932 Ford Model B (4-banger powered) Convertible Sedans (also known as a "B400") produced ... and 842 1932 Ford Model 18 (V8 flathead powered) Convertible Sedans (sometimes referred to as a "400-B" or a "B400"):

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That all stated, you are most certainly correct that Ford produced more MY32 vehicles with the Convertible Sedan body (a total of 883) then they did with the Sedan Delivery body (a total of 402) or with the Open Cab Pickup body (a total of 593).

I'm sure curious who this "clueless buddy of yours" is?