I am still gathering info and sources for building a '32 tudor. I posted a while back if anyone knew of manufactures of these bodies and followed the advice and here is what I found out. Down's (pics below) sent me info on theirs but it is stock height (was hoping for a 2"ish chop). I have heard good things about their quality but attached the pics to see what you guys think. This is the first rod for me so I am trying to get as much info and help as i can. Do you think the wood/steel inner structure is ok? <table style="width:194px;"><tr><td align="center" style="height:194px;background:url(http://picasaweb.google.com/f/img/transparent_album_background.gif) no-repeat left"></td></tr><tr><td style="text-align:center;font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:11px">New Album 4/4/08 3:49 PM</td></tr></table> Gibbon (and the molds) are nowhere to be found, but everyone said quality suffered in their later years. Deuce Customs seems to be in business but i called Kiwi Connection and they are no longer a dealer. Same goes for GMB(?) in Huntington Beach. I heard something here about having to fax at a certain time of day while patting your head, rubbing your tummy, chewing gum and standing on one foot to get hold of them. I love the height of this body and from what I have read it is built very stout with all steel inner structure (something having to do with stringent AU requirements). The only thing I dont like about this one is they don't appear to have a stock hinge option. No biggie, there will always be concessions. I just recently found another manufactuer in AU called Rod Bods Down Under by Elvis. I emailed and he says that their tudor should be ready for production by August. I emailed him back about chop, hinges, etc. and have not heard back yet. He said Kiwi and Limeworks are dealers (both close to me) but I have not contacted them yet. I guess what I am asking is which body would you go with? Thanks, Mike
Downs sold out to Legend Motors Worldwide. No chopped Deuce sedan, but they do a 2" and a 3 1/2" chopped Vicky that looks very nice. http://www.downsmfg.com/
In response to willysguy and robert gilbert, I've had a hell of a time tracking down a repro '32 tudor, do you think it would be easier or harder to find a "real" one (you mean fibergl*** is imaginary?). I am open to it but have not been able to find one. Thanks, Mike
Theres a lot of them and how much is a fibergl*** one . I guessing but 5000 ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,am i right . But if your going to spend that money i think your crazy and im not making fun or anything . Ive seen running cars for 7000 to 10000 not bad ones .and bodies from 500 to 4500 just depeans on what shap there in . I just looked on the net and found a few but cant get the link on for some resone. this guy had three tudors rufusranch@hotmail.com e mail him and see what he has hes on the hamb. I cant get his link up . His site is the same google it , he has a nice modle a for a deal I want it
There are lot's of real Henry Fords still around. Try posting a want add on the HAMB cl***ifieds or Fordbarn. You may not have one by tomorrow, but keep looking. There are also plenty of swap meets in So-Cal.
32 tudor bodys are some what common on ebay.... Usually at least 1 a month I would bet is the average.
Generally speaking, Deuce Tudors or anything 32 for that matter seem to be BIG ticket items. It always comes down to what ya want and price range. This stuff is out there, but the last time I was looking, an orig Budd-type roadster w/fenders, hood,grille w/ch***is was bare min $26K+, a 4dr was somewhere around $11K+ and Coupes (Body only) were $27k for even one that needed much work. All recent listings on eBay and even one here on the HAMB. Maybe M S is simply looking for advice as well as perhaps a lead on any bod? I see he only has a few posts, so go easy on him. lets see what we can help him with?
To contact Ken Brownlee of Deuce Customs send him a fax with your phone number and your preferred time for him to call you. He doesn't have a computer at work and his phone line is pretty busy so he prefers to do it this way. SoCal Las Vegas is a dealer but he will deal direct with you and as he says it saves you the shipping cost from dealer to you. He wont do stock hinges as he did some for a body for SoCal and ran into probs so doesn't do it anymore. Bodies have no wood and have Engineering certification and intrusion bars built into the doors. I think there's like 30 pages in the engineering certs. swifty
Limeworks are indeed a dealer for Rod Bods by Elvis, when I was there (last June) they had several bodies in stock. Why not call them and if they have any there go and inspect the build quality, even if they aren't Tudors.
My free advice (for what it's worth), Corvettes and boats are supposed to be fibergl***, hot rods are supposed to be steel.
Someone bought the gibbon molds.. At one time they had a web site and were talking about future production.. If the molds are anything like the roadster body that i have you wouldnt want one anyway.. I think mine was one of the last ones while the kid was running **** up his nose.. A lot of work and its still not perfect. It looks good but i always want it better Dave
Thanks for all the input and info ('gl*** bashing and all). The Down's and Deuce Customs are about $10k (have not found out about shipping from AU yet). I have been checking Ebay, cl***ifieds here, hemmings and just about any other source I can find for about 2 mos. now and have seen tons of 30-31's but no '32's. I am in the early phases of doing this so it's not a problem to wait a while and see if a steel one pops up, but let me give my reason for wanting gl***. My 'bird is a daily driver and I can't tell you how many times I have come out of a store and found someone leaning on it, banging a door into it, even setting groceries on it once while they got in their car. A gl*** body with gelcoat is very resilient to this (this deuce will be a daily driver). This is also why I want the car to be a hiboy (no fender edges for paint chips). I have had boats and buggies so repairing gl*** and gel coat are not a problem. I don't plan on painting the thing (unless I get Deuce's body and they insist on grey gel), so durability/care will be a snap for a daily driver. The main reason for this post was to ask about the inner structure on the Down's (pics above) body. After hearing about the inner structure on the AU bods the wood and round tubing just did not look that substantial to me. Thanks for the help, Mike
I have a friend that built a Downs body vicky,,,,I kown that IF you are going to build a gl*** car,,,the Downs bodys wood and steel structure is first cl***. A lotta guys here don't like gl*** and wouldn't own one,,,,some are extremely opinionated,,,, From past experinece I know how hard it is to find a nice steel 32 body at a reasonable price,,,oh yeah,,there are a lot of rusty junk that will take many hours and hundreds of hours to make a nice car. If you want the car,,,get it ,,life is short,,you are the one that's gonning to drive it!. HRP
The Rod Bods by Elvis bodies are nice. I've looked over the the roadster, 3 & 5 window coupes and the construction is very good. Duane at Kiwi will probably have one as soon as they come out. That place looks like a tupperware party sometimes.
There's a guy named "Shooter" that bought most of Gibbon's molds and website. I've looked at a couple of his bodies and they look good to me. Go to www.gibbonfibergl***.com and you will be on what used to be Gibbon's site, now Shooter's. He lists '32 tudor as one of the bodies he builds. I've talked to him on phone several times and met him in Atlanta while he was meeting up with a guy from Birmingham, AL to sell him a '33 tudor body. I took a good look at that body and it looked good to me. I was going to buy one myself till I ran into a deal on a 30/31 Brookville roadster partially finished. These guys can squawk about fibergl*** all they want, but you do what you gotta do. I was going gl*** till I found the B'ville, because I'm 70 years old and want to be able to finish this damn car and ride in it before I die! And I ain't got 5 or 6 years to spend patching a rusted out body if I'm gonna finish the car! Probably should have bought a finished car, but I'd never be happy with it, Hell I'm redoing stuff already done on the B'ville! I say it's by God your car and your money, if you want gl***, go for it! Dave Dave
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