I have been working on this car off and on for the past four years. I fully admit this project shouldn't have taken this long but life happens. I haven't started a build thread until now because I didn't want to drag it out forever without updates. The car is really close to being on the road so I have decided to start a build thread. I'm hopeful that some of the car events this summer won't be canceled. This is my first build and I think it's turned out well. The information on HAMB has proven invaluable to me. Guys like Dennis Lacy, NealinCA and Bass have been huge influences on me throughout this project. With that being said, this is my 1932 Ford sedan. The sedan came from my neighbor's farm a half mile from where I grew up. I remember riding the bus and seeing the grill of the car sitting in the machine shed. I have history on the car from mid-1950s. The sedan was, at some point, purchased by a farmer in western ND and driven back to eastern ND. Eventually, the farmer decided that it was no longer needed as a car. So the decision was made to turn the car into a spray coupe. His intentions were to cut the back of the body off and mount a sprayer. After inspecting the frame he decided it wasn't heavy enough for this and the car was parked in the barn. Dennis bought the sedan from the farmer around 1957. He graduated from Nome ND in 1959, I think. He's the one that added the pink (now faded white) paint on the outside of the car. He also added the pink interior. He told me that the girls really liked it! There is a large picture of the car with a few girls standing on the running boards pulling away from the school in the 1959 year book. He also told me he sent a picture to the Ford Times magazine. He said it was published in the back of the magazine in the late 50s. (I have never tried to find this pic) Dennis kept the car until I bought it in 2001. He wanted to fix the car up but never got very far with it.
The front crossmember was badly broken. I built a jig from good 32 crossmember to rebuild my original. I added a model A center while I was at it. I also changed the rear crossmember to a Model A. If I ever want to run a quick change in the future. The rear crossmember was also widened to the frame rail width and riveted. The rear kick up was boxed and C-notched. I also made a removable plates that tie into the boxing plates and the K-member legs.
The original plan for the car was to be flathead powered. Unfortunately with the flathead I didn't have enough clearance from the oil pan to the ground. So I will be running a 1958 283 with 10.5 pistons, ported X heads, 300hp 327 cam, tri power and early Hedman Hedders. I know I'll never be able to use all of it with the 39 trans and the Columbia but it should still be fun.
32 Ford V8 motor mounts modified to work on an SBC. Rear shock mounts made from some left over wishbone. Steering arms dropped and a 1937 Hudson steering box that was rebuilt by NealinCa.
Modified headlight bar and F1 shock mounts. I had to cut up the floor in back for clearance. So this is what I came with. I tried to keep as much of the original floor as I could. I also modified the original trans cover to work with the 39 trans.
I've never done any kind of exhaust work before making the collector for the Hedman Headders was challenging. I also started making the exhaust system at the same time.
The brakes are MT backing plates and drums. I mounted the master cylinder below the K-member. I guess I didn't take any pictures of how I modified the pedals. Made up the brake lines.
I know absolutely nothing about fake patina. I didn't think I would be able to pull it off on the frame since I had areas of bare metal. So I had a good friend of mine paint it for me. The body will be painted at some point but I'll be running the body as is for now. At this point I was rushing to try and finish the car by Memorial day 2019 for a friends wedding. Chassis assembly and my take on a modified Ford E-brake system.
I’ve been working on the car everyday for the last four weeks rebuilding carbs, bleeding brakes and doing all of the little stuff. We put the body on for the last time on Tuesday. That’s where I’m at currently.
Very nice. Great build thread....keep us posted..... Sent from my XT1710-02 using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
Love the build, It's a great reflection on those that influenced the build. you've taken their builds, and blended their finer points into your build. now what ever happened to that banger???
The banger was sold to a friend of mine that has another 32 tudor sedan he wants to restore. I probably should have kept it but I was never going to use it.
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