Finally a 32 Roadster.....Help Wanted

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=491868&highlight=finally

lose the hair pins

 

Great project - looks like its half way ready to go!
I used '39 tail lights on mine. Picked up a stock A wishbone and split it. Built headlight bar from an A bar. Used S10 seat - had to narrow it about 8" and did wide pleats. Made a full dash panel from aluminum and machine turned it. I think it looks the part...

 

I was proven wrong on that ! They did . Oh , and if your going to really drive it , get a top with side curtains and a heater . I really love other peoples roadsters !

 

Thanks for the info and ideas. I guess i better find some wishbones quickly.

 

OK 39 tail lights but regular or blue dot? When were blue dots first used?

 

Go with the regular. It should be a less is more approach on on all the parts.

I guess you missed out on the $800 25 louver hood that just sold in minutes here in the cl***ifieds. Damn....ahhh I like the d shaped louver idea better anyways. Good luck!

 

Do you think I need to lower the rear about 3 or 4 inches? It seems really high to me. If so which spring would be best to do that or other method?

I need a gauge panel bad. I want a 31 cadillac or an Auburn but I can't find one to save my ***.

 

i would try to lower both front and back. how to do so all depends on how your frame is set up. on the front just reverse the eye or if needed go to a mono leaf. on the back if you have a model a crossmember switch to a model t spring which will lower you around 4-5 inches i belive. if its a flat spring crossmember then again reverese the eye or find a flatter profile spring. if it wont effect susepension quality then remove acouple leaves.. as for the dash....you have several choices of aftermarket. i wouldnt get into a big hurry on it, never know what deals swap meets and online sites will bring

http://www.knechtequipment.com/Our_Products.html
http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=441108

http://66.154.44.164/forum/showthread.php?t=219140

 

look at pictures

ask questions

use origional Ford parts wherever possible

then do what you want

 

well put BARDAHL1 Love the roadster!

 

heres a pic my old car with a toneau cover. and some interior work my wife did on it.

 

Are you turnin "Pansie" on us...?

Just carry a rain suit, Hat or Hoodie, and some gloves and you'll be fine!

 

Yes, ALL 1932 FORDS came with outside door handles!!!
However, if you didn't shave them off, along with cowl vent, & quarter panel side lights, your peers would rattle your cage until you did!
My '32 roadster body was already "DONE" when I bought it in 1962, & like the pix above at the lakes, my body had the "standard" '39 Ford tailights holes in the rear quarter panel & 4 holes for the license plates.
Also evident on the backside of each door shows the welding process used to fill in the outside door handles.------Does that clear it up??????????

 

So we have it worked out that no roadster ever came with a door handle outside...........
just kidding.
Thanks for all the input and your suggestions. I now have to find some parts to finish this thing. For one I will need to find a pair of wishbones and related hardware. I think I'm not going to use the light bar I have because its one of the straight ones and I will probably just use independent mounts that can pickup my upper shock mount also. I really need to make my mind up on dash treatment. Auburn or Crafty B or 31 Cadillac or 32 Studebaker.......too many to make my mind up.

What seat should I use? Glide? Anything cheaper that looks correct?

 

Another idiot. Thinks he's an expert. Thinks 32 roadsters don't have door handles because he hasn't seen them in Rat Rod Monthly.

 

What color interior should I go with people? I was thinking wide pleats with dark brown or dark oxblood. Maybe offwhite? I'm color blind so it doesn't really matter I don't guess.

 

Darker the better on the interior. So.... did '32 roadsters have outside door handles?













Just kidding.

 

Something to think about, dark interior's absorb heat. I know in the roadster p/u it gets hot as F'ck in the late summer with no top. I would go for the oxblood & keep an eye on ePay for "raw" leather. I watch it sell all the time for REAL good prices.

Chris

 

Great start, man - I wish I had been that lucky!

Just a few things I did to my "almost" roadster as it was a 5-window but the previous owner(s) cut the top off for whatever reason - here are some pics:

1 - Dodge Caravan 3rd seat - cut out 2" - upholstered in wide pleats
2 - 39 teardrop t-lights
3 - stock wishbone, open drive banjo w/3:54s, 5-speed for long distance driving
4 - F100 steering and front brakes, 40 juice out back

I also looked at tons of pics, especially Don Montgomery's books - I went for the early 50s style, something a young kid with limited means could have built "back in the day".

Most of all, have a blast building it and then drive the wheels off of it!

 

Doane had hairpins in the 40's so they are fine as long as they are home made! Stock steering works fine as long as the box has been reworked with needle bearings and 15 to 1 gears. 39 tail lights are always good but not blue dots.IMO. But most important make it yours.
John

 

Seat - I use a glide, one of the few late model parts on my car - because the seating height is right for a heavy chop and the flip up storage is very convienent.... the average Joe would never think the seat lifts. Nice if you occ***ionally park it somewhere crowded.

Steering - I use a stock box, I rebuilt it myself and regularly check the oil. I have driven one with an F100 box but I feel that there is really no driving advantage especially once you put Bias tyres on it. Mine runs strait as an arrow on good asphalt.

 

Sorry for the confusion on outside door handles,,I have owned several and none ever had them..didnt appear to be filled either...Now Mr saucerhead, from the looks of your avatar maybe its you the reads the RatRod magazines...
Mike,have you talked to Karl Kenecht on one of his gauge panels???He is right in your area in Arlington.

 

Yea I ordered a panel from Karl the other day and I can't wait to get it. I'm running a SW 120 mph 3 3/8 speedo with the other 4 gauges being 2 5/8". I think it will look good. I really wanted an original Auburn panel but I haven't knocked over a bank this week yet.

 

Making progress. I haven't got to do much work but I did get to buy alot of parts. Keeping period correct is not an easy task. I probably overlooked something. If you see anything in the picture that is not don't be shy let me know. (ha like that'd be a problem on this forum).
After ***embly the plan is to take it to the great Sean and get a genuine Fat Lucky's interior. I'm getting pretty excited..

Oh by the way I know those wheels are still red and they will be black soon.

I was going to give this car a cool name but I think *** Dumpster is already taken..........

 

You REALLY should mount your headlights below the cowl area.

 

My original with original cowl lights and original door handles. Mine came with no inside door handles. Of course it had hideous cheap **** carpeted door panels. I have collected the original inside handles but they are not installed yet. The roadster handles are different from the rest of the Deuces. I thought that they were Model Ts for a while.



I used original 50 Pont. tail lights because some long ago hotrodder had used them in my car. The brazed in patch panels were melted out and the original Pontiac's fell right in place.

 

The orange and black roadster in Post #15 has 39 PLYMOUTH taillamps rather than Fords. Giveaway is the flatter top, more outwardly rounded lens and the clear *** sticking out near the bottom of the lens. The clear ***s were an early form of sidemarker lights on Mopars, always innovative when it came to safety.

Correct spelling for snapped and zipped ****pit cover is "tonneau".

Outside door handles for 32 Open Cars were a carry-over from the 29-31 Model A Open Cars.

 

Well it is nearly done with paint and mechanicals. A few more things the next few days and then it is off to Sean at Fat Luckys for the interior. I'll post some better pics after it gets buffed and gets outside. Had to go with an electric freaking fan for right now until I find the fan I need to fit my setup. The one I have put the fan into the radiator. The electric drives me crazy but it'll get me by for a few weeks. I kept the hairpins after looking at 100's of pics from the late 40's. I kind of dig them now. I have some bones i may try later. Big thanks to Randy Boggs of Leonard for kicking *** and building this one out quick so i could have it for the Roundup. I wish I had his skill and speed. I know we are supposed to build our own cars but with the time I have between work and kids and little league and........ it would probably take like 8 years to build and I have a severe case of Automotive A.D.D.

Really stoked to get Sean to do the interior after seeing what he has done over the years and especially what he did to the Texas ******* car that B*** built for Ernst.

See you at the Roundup hopefully with the hood on so nobody sees my damn electric fan.....

 

By keeping the stock hairpins stock, it makes sense that ol' Henry knew what worked best back then---& even now, I've kept mine stock since 1962, works great, & not looking like everybody else's "hairpins"---Unless thats what you want!---Don

 

Looks good! Do you remember this post from Bobby Green on how to "tweak" an electric fan? Hmm....

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=162030&highlight=fan