Projects ‘32 I’ve Been Working On

Never noticed how close they look in a photo. Looks like they’re touching already! With the ladder bars mounted, before installing the rear crossmember, I raised the differential with a floor jack until it bottomed out on the frame rails. “Full stuff” as the 4WD gang would say. To check clearance, bind and pinion angle change.

Ladder bars clear that tube, but you’re right, it’s realllllll close. Hard to say in a photo, but ladder bar angle looks a little different on your setup. What rear axle brackets are you running? Have a pic of the setup?

 

Yay it’s set up different but in my defense the ch***is was done that way before I got my hands on it. I would have rather redone it all like yours but my girlfriend (her’s before getting together) was all ready having a fit because I was cutting up the frame. I left the cross member mounting point because she paid for that work. You know, keeping the peace over reality. Anyway’s here’s the forward ladder bar mounting system. Not ideal, but who ever tig welded it did a nice job welding.

 

Nice work!!!!

 

Nothing I don’t like here……move it along.

 

Dan, I like the tank in the stock location. Good looking build. I am a fan of your work.

 

Awesome project and great progress!

 

The Project looks good keep going!!
Do you know who made the body?

 

I’m not sure. But it’s one of the nicer ones I’ve seen overall. Nice thick gl***, reinforcing mats. Everything fits real well, trimmed nicely, etc. The guy I got it from, got it from a buddy of his, who got it from his dad. His guess was it’s probably 20 years old.

 

Flatlander bodies were from Virginia, very high quality.

 

Made a shroud for the electric fan. Another reason to have an hood on it haha. Got the radiator and grill shell in place. Then fit the hood and fabbed up some mounts for the hood latches. Can’t believe how well that steel hood fit the fibergl*** body!



















Then made up some quickie seat mounts for the bucket seats I got from my buddy @sidevalve8ba awhile back. Thanks again Ted!

 

Never heard of them, will have to look it up. Thanks!

 

Alan Thornton, @the flatlander on the HAMB, had a hot rod shop in Norfolk where he built high-quality turnkey fibergl*** '32s; mostly roadsters & 5-windows I think. He retired & moved to NC a few years ago and p***ed away earlier this year.

I caravanned with him on the 1997 R&C Americruise from Norfolk to Springfield IL and back.

 

I’d drive it

 

Okay, build plan, check, front axle, check, rear axle, check, engine, pending, exhaust, pending, mufflers, pending, paint, what paint? , badges? You don’ need no stinking badges, wheels, check, tires, check, interior, pending. Carry on.

 

I (think) it was New Age Motorsports that took over making Flatlander bodies, though I only see 5W's on their website.

 

I didn’t know you went on that cruise with him - I first knew him in the early 90s when I interviewed him for an article on his Norfolk shop when I wrote for an upstart northeast magazine I was with. It kinda put him on the map sort-to-speak. I have caught up with him at various times through the years and enjoyed catching up with him - some pieces on my avatar came rrom him and his shop. So sorry to hear he p***ed ……

 

I was wondering when you were going to get around to using those buckets. They look right at home there in that coupe. I am real happy to see them "in action"!

 

I was @ Flatlanders shop in early 90's
One of my uncle's was H -Rodder that
Pawed around with Alan in Norfolk
My uncle had a 80 Ford van custom
Bbf , 67 merc sequential tail lights , side pipes other custom features ,whellchair
Lift He was paralyzed around 1950 ,
After my uncles p***ing van ended up @ Dennis Anderson " Grave Digger"
N.C
@ F -L's Alan also sold A -G merchandise

 

With the ch***is rolling, time to take care of the steering. I saved a ‘40 steering wheel, steering shaft and column tube someone pulled out for a street rod build.

Column drop up first. Starting with the clamp. Couple pieces of tube, little welding, little cutting…











Then the drop…





It looked a little incomplete to me at that point. So I added a piece around the outside…



The smaller hole will be for the turn signal switch wires to go through…





As you might have noticed, also got the pedal ***embly mounted up. Gas pedal modified and installed. Under dash A/C unit installed. And started on the gauge setup. There was already gauge holes in the dash when I got it. So working on an aluminum accent piece for it.





The ‘40 steering shaft is round and I’m not a huge fan of welding u joints on. So I whacked the shaft short of the end and welded on a section of DD shaft. My eyeball level is pretty good. But checked runout with a dial gauge anyways.







Slipped a bearing in the end of the column tube and a couple tack welds hold it in place. Steering done!



Bent up some round rod for a shifter. Thinking the knob will get painted body color. I had the shift boot on the shelf so put it on there. But I’d say it’s gonna get replaced when interior is done.



Simple park brake handle on the floor. Tried to hide it as best I could…

 

WOW! Great work, Dan.

 

I put a Corvette E-brake lever between the bucket seats in my roadster, modified a B&M shifter cover to hide the mechanism.



Also put one in my Nova, made my own cover.

 

Doing my best to use up whatever parts I already have. Pair of headlights off the shelf and swiped the headlight bar from my Model A Coupe parts.



Chopped the ends off at the headlight cup. And used those as the mounts.







I’ve always liked the look of an amber p***ing light on a hot rod. But I had a pair of these neat looking ones so I mounted both.





I’m still undecided for sure. But don’t think I like them. Looks too busy and almost gaudy to me. What say you all? I welded the mounts to the spreader bar so figure it’s easy enough to take them off.



I’ve got a pile of F1 shock mounts so may as well put them to use. Woooooo boy did that turn into a job! Way more hours to get those bent snd cut into shape than I would have guessed. But sure do like the way they came out.

 

Also on the list of “woooooo boy did that take longer than I thought it would”. Taillight mounts. I had a couple nice pairs of taillights that I could have just drilled a few holes and slapped them on the back of the body. Then stumbled across these at a swap meet. They’re cast, really heavy. Guy said he pulled them off an ambulance.

And in the back of my mind, I’m hoping to run across a steel body I can just swap onto this ch***is at some point. So tags and taillight on the ch***is will make that a weekend job…right?

Started out cutting a plate for the taillight portion and drilling the mounting and wire holes. Then had to put the compound curve in it…







Frame side plate is same at the spreader bar mounting plate. Had some hex stock on the shelf that rarely gets used.





I thought about using a hollow tube and running the wire inside of it. But it’s a hot rod, not a street rod. So a simple frame hole and grommet with asphalt loom.




You may notice that in the photo above. That the thick square edge on the taillight bracket looks like…****. So I tapered the edges and rounded them off…







I’ll probably get these chromed. But if not, I’ll hit them with the needle gun before paint so they look like a cast piece.



And that catches it up to date! Did all this last winter. With the intention of having it ready to blow apart for paint before spring time. I got life’d though and it hit the back burner. Hoping to have it apart and painted this winter. Still a bit to do yet…

I’m adding original style outside door handles to it. So have to rework all the latches and make all the mounting stuff for that. Same for the trunk handle. Need to come up with some window regulators and get all the gl*** cut. And I think I’m gonna make all the interior panels and fit the garnish mouldings before paint so I don’t tear it up or miss an area that needs color on it.

I’ll change my mind 10 times. But I’m thinking it’s gonna get the same color as the ‘29 Roadster I finished up earlier this year. And either a simple belt line pinstripe or engine turned silver leaf belt line.

 

Looking good, Dan! As for what I call “fog lights” I do not like the look if two of them - too cluttered IMHO. A friend of mine started using just one on the p***enger side and more to the outside - I went with the idea on my 32 coupe and I like that much better. There will be one on my 40 pickup in the same location as well ….



Just a thought …..

 

Yep, that’s the look I like! Seeing that, I think a lot of what I don’t like about mine, they aren’t round. Clash with the headlights.

P***enger side makes practical sense. See the roads edge. I’ve read they used to run them on the driver side and turn on for p***ing on a two lane road so oncoming traffic could see you p***ing.

 

@ClutchDumpinDan Thank You for showing us how to.
This is a super job you've done.
Good when you get encouragement from DDDenney

Thanks @TomT for endorsing the fog light on the right.
The purpose, to find the edge of the road. If, ever one drives in 'real fog'.