Projects 32 Five window coupe project

Hello, I am a new member and am looking for advice on a new project. I am finishing up my 1957 3100 truck build and was looking for a new project. I went to a car show and while looking at a 32 coupe, I met a guy who knew a guy... long story short I bought a an unfinished 1932 5 window coupe project. The goal of the was to build a Milner replica.

New Parts include:
-Chassis by Weedetr (triangulated 4 link, 3:73 limited slip ford 9 inch center, dropped solid front axle, Willwood brakes, brake lines run, vega steering box)

Body by County Line Rods (just a shell, with inner and outer door skins and deck lid, grill shell, dash)
327 destroked to 302 with 283 crank (fresh build)
Edelbrock 600 CFM carb
American Graffiti style headers
Richmond Super T10 transmission
Hydraulic T/O bearing
Hurst shifter
Denali bucket seats
power window set up
Door poppers
4x4 3/8 aluminum sheet for firewall
Cragar reverse chrome wheels
Mickey Thompson sportsman tires
multiple miscellaneous other parts

I have built a few cars to varying degrees, am comfortable with anything mechanical, electrical, can weld and work with wood. I am not a body man. I learned with my truck build that early decisions can have a lot to do with the quality and outcome of the build. I want to build a car that is fun to drive, safe, and turns heads not necessarily a show winner. I think my first tasks will be to verify the engine, fit up the drive train in the chassis and the body. Thinking my first decisions are:

Should I keep the body or sell it and buy one from some one like New Age Motorsports with the doors hung, some structure and glass. Where should I put the gas tank? How to install the pedal assembly.

Any advice from those who have been down this road before is greatly appreciated.
Thanks,
TBS

 

Welcome Eric.
Congratulations on the new project.
Just some simple advice.
Take some time to use the search feature for any questions you have, you can fine most answers to your questions there.
Post photos, we all like to see what you are working on.

 

If you are open to a 3W consider a Wescott body.

 

Thank you for the guidance. I will start searching and will post some pics. I am 6"4 and don't fit in well in the 3 windows I have sat in.

 

Are you saying that the body is in pieces, ie you have to assemble the inner and outer door skins etc? If you're not comfortable assembling those, try to find someone who can. At last you can start on the chassis and other stuff.

 

It really depends on the quality of the body and level of finish on the glass , it sounds like you have jumped in the deep end. Decades ago we did the same with a glass 34 pickup , as far as we got was glassing in the firewall and the more we looked we realise the body was very inferior and not strong or straight, but cheap. Sold it. Found 2 steel ones. It has had several owners still not finished.

 

@Eric Stiegmann ,Like others said , Welcome,
When It comes to Ts -32s
Truck's
Roadster's
Coupe's 5 w & 3w
Before a chop & a use of straight firewall can be a
Challenge ,
Being Tall , & possibly with a big shoe .
Lay out of seat location, pedals, etc.
Mock up critical in my opinion to fit to be some what comfortable ,

 

Yes the door skins and deck lid will need to be assembled. I just bought it and have not brought in home yet. I will examine it more closely when I get it home weekend after next. Other than the body, I am not too intimidated. But I agree, I feel like I jumped into the deep end there. I may keep it and attempt it myself, have someone do it for me, or sell it and start with something that wont require as much work.

Appreciate the response.

 

Thanks. That is great advice. It has been chopped already to mimic the Milner car. Definitely will mock everything up. I intend to drive it, so it will need to be comfortable. I sat in a steel body original car and fit OK. I think without the package tray I will fit fine but will mock up seating, steering etc. before I start anything.

Eric

 

Read through the thread by LM14, one of the better glass builds I’ve seen (online).
Cheers and best of luck with your build.

 

Thanks for the pointer to LM14, I will check it out.

 

Rather than building ANOTHER copy cat car why not do something a little more original? Its different for everyone but Id choose a steel Model A body over a glass 32 body - Ive owned both. I also prefer the looks of the Model A too.

 

I'm with Pete about the AG coupe, the whole Milner thing is a bit yesterday!

 

Sorry guys, should have been clearer. The original owner intended to build a Milner clone. That is not my goal. Not sure yet if I will go open wheel, full fender or somewhere in between. It won't be yellow for sure (no offense to anyone). If I decide to ditch the body then my options open up more.

 

If you already have the body, I suggest that you work with it to develop your fiberglass skills. If it turns out; great. If not, go to plan B.

 

Sounds like good advice. I have to start somewhere.
Thanks,
Eric

 

Finally got it home and into storage for now. Inventorying parts and making decisions on which way I want to go with the build. My son is relocating to Richmond Virginia in the next couple months and we plan to build a detached garage. That will take a bit so I will be limited to what I can do in the storage unit for now. The body still scares me. Thinking hard about whether it would be smarter to go with a more finished body like the New Age Motorsports body with the inner structure, doors hung, glass installed. Wondering if I can sell the County Line Rods body I have to a more experienced builder to offset the cost of a different one.

 

Yes, that body needs a whole lot of additional bracing and wood. Only fit for a very experienced fiberglass man.

 

Here is the build thread posted by the late @LM14. He used the New Age body after doing a bit of research in his other threads. This is a quality build.
https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/my-32-5-window-project-done-and-cruising.1104121/

 

if it scares you, there is your answer.
Start advertising it now, save on storage space and cost, then when sold get a better one more appropriate to your skill level.

 

New Age is a great fiberglass body.. Except for the filled roof is almost indistinguishable from a real one. I have one and am completely satisfied

 

Very nice! Thank you for the reply, good to hear about New Age. I really like the louvered hood and engine side covers. Thanks to everyone else for your responses, I appreciate all of your input. I have built a few cars, (Camaros, Firebirds etc. and my 57 truck) but have never built one from the ground up.

 

You say you can handle the welding stuff OK so why not attempt the steeling out of this body? All fiberglass bodies here in Australia are fully steeled out with no wood used unlike a lot of the US bodies. Tube bending machines are readily available and would be necessary for the job. Deuce Customs here in Oz would be the most common supplier and may have pics of how it is done. I have a Deuce Customs body - 32-5W - but it's fully trimmed so most of the details are hidden now. I must admit that I didn't really investigate how it was steeled out as I bought it as a project from another rodder.

 

Swifty, That is interesting. I might give that a try if I had some type of diagrams to work from. I will look into Deuce customs and see if they have any pictures. My initial thought was a combination of wood and metal like folks like new age build. There are lots of aftermarket wood parts for the original bodies. Wondering if they could be modified to fit a chopped roof. They would still have to be attached to the body, as would the steel structure.

Appreciate the reply, thanks.

 

Steeled out. Interesting, how is the steel bonded to the fibreglass? As far as I understand wood can be bonded to fibreglass more easily and more permanently than steel can.
Just curious how the tubing structure is attached to the body.
Another advantage of wood could be attaching upholstery.

 

Look at for sale bodies that have pictures, to get an idea of what they have done. Here is a link with some ideas.
https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/1934-ford-fiberglass-doors.1309539/

 

I looked at New Age Motorsports. Looks like a very nice product. Unfortunately they have an 18 month backlog. I can put a refundable $500 deposit to get in line. Been looking at several pictures of how folks have installed steel and wood as well as how to bond fiberglass to wood. Thinking I will put a deposit on a New age body since it is refundable and start working toward building this body out and see how it goes. Most of the wood parts can be purchased but will need to be modified for the chop. A lot of the steel part can also be purchased. I want to figure out how I will do everything before I start. Wood B pillars can be purchased but not A pillars. I have seen several pictures of fiberglass builds that appear to have wood A pillar supports. does anyone know how that is done? I have another question as well. I want to cut out the windshield part of the body so I have more light working inside the car. Referring to the picture, from the main body there is a step then the flat part that needs to be removed. Not sure how much of that flat part to leave, if any. Does the windshield frame seal against the step directly or is there a rubber seal that needs to be installed on a lip that I would need to leave. If so, does anyone know how tall the lip should be?

 

I highly recommend finding an original body to view before you begin. It will help a ton.

I also think you would save a mint by making your own wood, because the original stuff will not be a direct fit in the glass body. In fact, Ford didn’t even use wood in the A pillar.

 

Although I'm not a big fan of fiberglass cars I own a 34 3 window. I was in the same boat as you when I started. Long story short but my dad bought it just in a shell like your, then he passed and I decided to build and finish it. I figured out how to lay fiberglass, install the wood interior supports and build my own hinges to hang the inner door skins and deck lid. Like anything else its a learning experience. Don't be afraid of it. I built a steel fire wall and used a lord fusor bonding agent. Research on the HAMB, tons and tons of info. Maybe leave a little lip on windshield until you get your frame. That should five you enough light for now.