I'm one of the weirdos I guess. Count me in on a '32 3W. It's my favorite car of all time. Just LOOK at it. Heavy chop, moderate or NO channel. Fenderless. Or a completely stock-bodied car with fenders. Followed closely by a '32 Roadster. Other than that, I prefer Model A styling over '32, I love the vertical windshield and visor of the closed cars and actually prefer the grille of an A too (either one). Like I said, I'm weird. Deuce, the shovel-grille of the '33 is MUCH nicer than the '34, but that will be our little secret.
I'm partial to 3w's also.... ="http://i61.photobucket.com/albums...om/albums/h53/tinmann/August/August5th012.jpg
I think he ment that because of all the fiberglass and repro bodies out now. I'll have to say I grew up around the deuce. Thats all my old man ever played with. Really the only the car show growing up that we went to on an annual basis was "The Deuce Reunion" here in Texas. When you see that many Deuces at one time it grows on you ....lol No but seriously, I do like the Deuce but I'm a fan of many other cars as well. At 6'4" a model A has no room. I prefer others such as a '36 ford coupe. That will be next one if I hit the lottery.
Could have written this myself. I'd certainly have the deuce if I found one,but I love my Model A. Thing is, if I'd wanted a car that everyone else had,I'd buy a new Toyota. It's really hard to find a '32 today with anything different from anybody elses. Plus they are so costly, lots of their owners have money and consequently the cars are overdone IMHO. The same parts for an A are way cheaper and I like the way my A sits. Course it has a '32 grill shell (oh, that's different!). And I thought about how cool it would look with '32 bumpers,then saw 10 A's in a row at the York NRSA with '32 bumpers. Went with stock but stainless '31's. By the way, for about 4 months in '28,Ford made the center medallion for the front bumper in a round shape that said "Ford-Made in USA". Looks good and my '31 is the only rod I've ever seen it on. Be different-get a '32 Chevy.
Interesting. I remember reading in R&C (or was it SRM?) a few years back that the 32 was supposed to be better for bigger guys. I guess there is a difference between what we read and real hands-on measurements. .
[QUOTE='29MurrayTub]Interesting. I remember reading in R&C (or was it SRM?) a few years back that the 32 was supposed to be better for bigger guys. I guess there is a difference between what we read and real hands-on measurements. .[/QUOTE] The cowl extra room does make it a little easier for tall/big folks. 32's are also a little wider ... ( not much ) at the door post to door post width measurement . That gives a little more HIP room. The dash is also a little wider ... ( you have to trim down a 32 dash to install it into a Model A ... ) 33 and 34 Fords are even longer and wider ... evolution of the early Fords ...
Deuces were just good raw material back in the old days.....leave the coupe body at the dump and stick your "A bone" roadster body on the v8 deuce chassis...now ya got a REAL HOTROD!!!!
Here's a link to a page with some information about Deuces as well as a write-up about some of my all-time favorite '32 Ford hot rods, including the Brizio-built roadster pictured above. http://www.roadsters.com/deuce/ Dave http://www.roadsters.com/
I was just thinking how I preferred 5-Windows over 3-Windows, then see this - may just have changed my mind!
Wasn't it in 1932 that the Ford Motor co. had some union workers shot during a labor dispute?...........The only year a auto mfg. got away with shooting some of their employees...........All part of the stories "original tin" has to tell.
That's what I got '32 Chevy 2dr. Sedan, would not have it any other way!!!! (unless I could find a garaged '32 coupe)
I think for many of us, the 1950 movie, "Hot Rod" that featured 5-6 Deuce roadsters racing down Foothill Blvd in the San Fernando Valley and especially centered around two of them was a big reason that we felt 32's were it. Later on, early high school when a couple of 32's were running around town we fell in love all over again. And like most, I had a yearning for a Deuce roadster . . . one of those someday deals. Anyway, got one, I enjoy it a lot, but now that I've had it for a while I look at the styling a little closer. Mine would be improved by getting the rear end a couple inches lower. One of those someday projects, but it would improve the overall appearance a great deal. Right now I'm really liking how my 31 A roadster on 32 rails project is turning out. The style lines on it flow a little better than the 32 due to the downward flow of the trunk line. Sorta like a 27 T it is, but not quite as steep. It helps too that the rear of the 31 - measured at the center of the body at the extreme rear is 9" lower than the 32. Part of the 32's height is due to the lower body beltline sits a little higher due to the cutout for the fuel tank. Note that on the rear corners, the 32 body is raised to allow for the fuel tank. So that would make the rear height difference about 5" - 6". Regardless, it is noticeable. The front end of both cars is about the same height. The 31 sits closer to level since the height disparity between the big and littles isn't too extreme as it is on the 32. The 31 has 25" tall front tires and 28" tall rear tires. The 32 has 24" tall front tires and 30 1/2" tall rear tires. The Dago look is cool, but a touch less would be better. Where I screwed up on the 32 was not C'ing the frame. The 31 has been notched in the front and C'd in the rear. An additional bonus with the 31 is that it should ride better due to more travel available with the transverse rear spring as well as the rear axle can go a little higher up when it bottoms out. Features I like on the 32's are the nicely shaped, free of barbs dash. As well as the great looking windshield stanchions. The cowl vent ain't nothing to sneeze at either, it helps a lot. I plan to put one in the 31 once I locate a suitable donor. The sweep of the 32's cowl where it rolls into the door looks good as do the doors with both ends sitting flush with the body. A little extra trouble to get squared away gap-wise, but not that big a deal. One thing I don't like about the 32's is the taller and flatter trunk line. Part of what makes it the 32 and it does add a touch of room, but with a rumble seat car that's a moot point. Never again on the rumble seat, they are a pain in the ass for what you get out of them . . . which is they are seldom used for most. The 32's top is a little swoopier and better looking than the straight up and down Model A's and the 33-34 tops are swoopier yet. The rectangular tubing used in 32 windshield frames is better looking than the A's round tubing windshield frame. The 32 windshield posts are better looking as well and it's a very simple job (almost a bolt-on) to adapt them to the stock 31 A windshield stanchions. The 32 top irons are easily adapted to the 31. It makes for a much better looking top imo. Along with the - imo - better body flow at the trunk area, an A roadster on a 32 frame ends up with a longer hood, longer in fact than a 32, and that adds a lot to the flow of the body lines. Not to mention it makes a touch more room under the hood. As far as size and the 32 being set up for a bigger guy? I dunno. I measured the cockpits in both cars and the measurements are almost the same. Within a 1/4" in most dimensions if I remember right. The biggest difference is the 32 cockpit is 2" deeper than the 31 and that helps in the getting down out of the wind dept. Even so, the 31 with it's mid 90's Chryco soccer mom van two passenger seat - thanks to Rolf's lead with his cut down seat in his well done coupe - sits you down out of the wind fairly well if you make a nice low seat base. You're also not so low that your legs are too straight, but comfortably bent. With the ChryCo van seats (mine is the true middle seat, a two passenger one) excellent ergonomics it looks like the 31 is going to be a very comfortable car. I'm 6' tall with a 32" inseam fwiw. Leg room in the 31 is excellent even with a 4" firewall recess. The seat base I made has 7" of adjustment with holes 1" apart. You gotta removed four bolts for adjusting, but no big deal and I still have 2 more inches to go back if necessary. Leg room in the 32 with it's flat firewall isn't as good as it should be, but it's not bad. I made the seat back too thick. Regardless it's a comfortable car to spend the day in. Building the 31 on 32 rails roadster has been a learning process. As was building the 32. We always learn something on each car we build and the 31 & 32 cars were no exception. I made some simple mistakes in ergonomics and suspension travel availability in the 32 which were rectified in the 31 and once the 31 is running more than likely I'll go back and square some things away on the 32. Best thing about the 32 is that it's a fun car to drive and I drive it quite often. Simple errands around town, solo cruises out to a country store that's surrounded by old tin, the Saturday morning doughnut runs and the occasional car show. One car that encompasses the best of both worlds was built by a friend of mine. If you have access to the Starman movie, it's the little black roadster that's featured about 2/3 of the way in. It's a 31 on 32 rails car with 32 windshield stanchions adapted to the car - which took some doing because he copied the 32's cowl roll into the door etc. It has a 32 style top (white) which is not shown in the movie, but it looks good. Slot mags, Deuce grille shell and the rest is normal roadster stuff from the 60's. The car has the stance and look down pat and it simply screams "Hot Rod." It would be difficult to do it any better....
it amazes me that people can say "how common" 32 fords are. it is a low production single year body style. if there are lots of fiberglass copies out there, then there must be a reason. i don't think "haves and have nots" has anything to do with this thread. choose the car you like, work your ass off for 40 years, then buy the car you want. dan
True enough on saving up for the car you want. Ten years of socking away OT - when the bills or house didn't grab it - some work on the side and a little sideline bit of dealing in used lathes got me to the point where I could buy most of what I needed to build the 32 in a one year period. Except for running into a few hot rods headed for shows, runs, the Saturday morning doughnut doing's . . . in thirteen years of driving the 32 I've seen exactly four other roadsters on the road in Sunny California and two here in Arizona. One flat powered Deuce, one full fendered A and a pair of T-buckets in California and a pair of T-buckets in Arizona. So much for the world being littered with Deuces. Re-pops or not....
I think everyone remembers the first 1932 Ford they ever saw, I do. As a kid in 1961 reading Hot Rod and building AMT models I was educating myself as to what was what. Seeing this '32 Ford Cabriolet at the beach with a Hemi was very inpressive to a 10 year old. It wasn't until 15 years ago that I found a copy of the 1962 issue of How To Hop Up Your Engine with a three page feature on the car to see what the craftmanship realy looked like.
Got hooked when I was a kid (13 ) by winning a poster " Old Fords never die they just go faster" at the carnival .. It was what I thought was a 32 3w but just looked at it the other day and it's a 32 tudor.. It still hangs on my wall after all the years (30) but now it's in the garage not over my bed . I have to say 32 look great ! but model A's do too. I love them just about the same and have been lucky to find both cheap!!rum/attachment.php?attachmentid=123359&d=1127887527 31 on 32 frame = Best of both worlds...[/quote]
C9 ... you need a better group of friends ... these photos are from a little " Deuce's Run to the Rock " event I help put together ... every year. 32's are somewhat rare today ... even with all the newer reproduction Deuce stuff around. The statement that there are more 32's in California now than Henry Ford made is a prime example of " Urban myth " and needs to be addressed by the show " Myth Busters " At 230 thousand units made by Henry ... I doubt that there are less than 30 to 40 thousand left of his original cars and maybe twice that many reissues ... so that still falls way short of 230,000. Most of the 32's in the first and second photo ... came from Henry in 1932 ...
What is the headcount on ORIGINAL 1932 Ford Grill Shells & Incerts? I'd guess 75% survived. I've had one since 1961, but never got to install it on a '32 yet.
Other headcounts I'd like to see: How many sets of rails have been made recently? How many Brookvilles? I've got a #51...what serials are they stamping now?? How many glass '32 bodies? I'm sure all but #2 are unfindable...who's bought a Brookville recently??
Maybe . . . in a few places at least . . . course the rowdy ones ain't near as rowdy as they used to be. I've done a few Monday night roadster runs with 10-15 cars, but what I was referring to was just running around the countryside and in town as far as seeing other roadsters went. You just don't see too many hot rods of any kind when you're out and about running errands -- weekends or weekdays. Least I don't. I'm not counting the hot rod traffic stopping in for gas here in Kingman, AZ on the way to or from Pomona or the like. I will say that most of the hot rods, thin fender coupes, sedans and roadsters with a nice build and great paint coming through town headed for the fathers day show belonged to that elusive class of hot rodder some like to call Gold Chainers. Not too many primered hot rods for some reason. Not a knock on either group, but it goes to show that the so-called Gold Chainers are driving their cars longer distances than many think. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ My Wescott 32 body was purchased in 1985. Body #666. The Brookville 31 was bought near Christmas 2000. There are no numbers on it, at least none I've seen and the paperwork, bill of sale etc. from the manufacturer didn't have a body number indicated.
I think '32s are more popular now because they were more popular in the early days of hot rodding, and the '32 eventually became hot rodding icon. A few reasons why they might have been popular way back in the day: First V8 model chassis from Ford--a later Ford V8 would drop right in for more HP Lightweight body and chassis compared to later models Plentiful and cheap (not so much anymore) Easy to take the fenders off for weight reduction/aerodynamics, then put 'em back on to please law enforcement on the way home (more difficult to do with model A's) Pretty damn good looking I'm sure there were others...
Deuce Roadster answered it perfectly, and RoyalShifter asked the appropriate question: "If you're on this board, why are you asking these dumb-assed questions?"
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