Projects Building a Traditional 32 Roadster Beater

Cool, watching!

 

Good info here. I was told I might need to trim the mounts. Is the timing pointer really needed.... how did they time it without the pointer?

The car came with the original 32 ****** with SN that matched the frame. The clutch arm was an easy swap.

 

Pretty much what @FalconMan said. I have would have a hard time cutting such nice parts when the bolt together solution is sitting right there.... Maybe that rebuilt flatty has a merc crank anyways? It just seems right.

 

"Beaters are neater". Stroker McGurk?

 

Well - the truth is, they really didn't - at least by the means that we think of as normal. There were various timing fixtures that were used to setup the distributor and vacuum brake. Also, lots of manual methods based on when the engine would 'ping' under load, etc.. I'm sure many of these methods worked just time - just not the way I like to work.

None of the engines from 32 - 48 had timing light provisions (at least that I know of). Due to this, I always create my own timing pointers and marks on the front pulley. I like to know exactly what my timing is - and then work up/down from there. If you pull the p***enger side head, then it is pretty easy to fabricate/setup a timing pointer. It you don't have a degree wheel, then I can tell you the approximate distance for every 10 degrees.

 

Thanks for the info. Something to consider. The plan was to use the Pertronix replacement for the points and just time it by ear. I have heard good things about Pertronix... I just need to always carry a spare.

 

Making some slow progress through the holidays.....

I did get the 36 generator rebuilt for 12V, Modified the stock motor mounts for belt clearance, Found a belt at NAPA, modified the new water pumps, and installed the plug wires. I found a NOS set of the old cloth wires last summer at a swap for $5. I need to install the electronic ignition and fire it up again soon.

I will do something with that ugly cut-out relay (really a diode). I can get a regulator in the round can or perhaps put a diode in a round original can and manage the current so I don't boil the water out of the battery.

 

The pictures are weird again.

 

I'm bummed....

 

Sorry I screwed that up again ... I thought I knew what I was doing

 

Looks ok to me?

 

Looks great from here, just like walking back to 1953, when Al M****line replaced his blown up '47 Merc 274. I was 11, Al was a 22 year old hero with a black '32 Highboy.
"Mikey, tighten those bolts around the bell housing...then check the clutch play, one inch. "While you're under there..."
Yep. I got broken in on a REAL hot rod. '32 roadster. 5/16 X 1/4 Merc, Sharp heads and 2-jugger intake.
'Boof' (Al's nickname) said he had a Potvin Eliminator cam, but next time he blew it up (he did that like clockwork!) I got to pull the Harman & Collins distributer off, then the timing cover...POTVIN, all right...(but not the "Eliminator", just POTVIN and some numbers. Non radiused tappets, too. Johnson adjustables, flat bottoms. He had me check with a 6" rule for convex before we ***embled it next time...His secret was safe with me.
But there was something else...the intake ports were squared and radiused, same with the matched intake. (nothing like the other guys', I saw their engines with intakes off, ports just slightly enlarged, some didn't touch the 'valuable manifolds'!
Only time I saw Boof get beat was at the top of low gear...'Boom! Loud backfire, then ****tered popping, clutch in, engine spun to a halt.
Broke the H & C rotor, Boof said he had a box full at the garage...Cliff Ambrose pulled us home with a rope, behind his '32 5 window, 296" flattie, 4 jugs, Evans heads...Fast car...(Boof had him all the way thru low, then broke the rotor)
They raced again, on De La Cruz Blvd. Boof shut him off like a bad habit.

Whew! Sorry for the story, but with black paint, pots & heads, this just echos Boof's car. Again!
He just sold it, had it since '52. Re-styled in '60, then fendered in '80, finally sold in 2013.

Excellent work on the '32 mounts, water pumps, ignition system...wires are just cl***ic! Glad you have the pedals AND the ****** arm. I looked for a couple of years for that arm...Turlock swap, there was a nice older Mexican gentleman with a slew of early Ford parts...including a '35 transmission, nicely painted Ford green...with a long '32 lever on it! I asked to buy the lever, any price. He said the ****** came out of his son's '32, son was changing it to a 'Street Rod!
He insisted I take the whole ******, $25!
Meet some awful nice fellers in this here hobby...

 

No problemo here.

 

Yep. Fixed my photo issues. I use Google to host my photos and forgot to use the 'share' feature correctly again.

Great Story from the past ... I enjoyed it

 

falcon man, really enjoy seeing the progress on your car and glad to see that you are using original engine mounts. that is one thing that ruins a lot of `32`s as far as i`m concerned, when they use side mounts.
a****er mike, enjoyed your reminiscing too.
tom

 

I'm glad to see this...this was originally my roadster project. I bought the body at the Knoxville NSRA show in 2014. The ch***is was supposedly originally restored for a museum years ago, and came with a bunch of '32 stuff I bought from a street rod builder that was street rodding a cabriolet. I didn't get real far with it...ended up trading it for a steel '32 3 window.
I was building a traditional early roadster, with a 21 stud engine, mechanical brakes, high stance, 4" chopped windshield and wire wheels. I was just wondering about this car over the weekend...really glad to see it being built...
Sam

 

@thequietwon
And the 150.........?

 

You got me, I'm in on the ride. Did Larry ever make it out of the John?

 

Wow ... glad to see some history on this project. I didn't realize the body was only 2 years old... I ***umed it was a bit more. I was happy it came with a bunch of gennie items ... but somehow I never got the gennie grill shell and grill shown in your photos, but am fortunate to get the Brookville shell / insert and the Gennie V8 radiator

Why was the body partially in primer ? That one has me puzzled. This frame originally had a Cabriolet on it in a museum ? I am looking forward to having this car on the road my spring..... stay tuned ......

 

Subscribed, looking forward to more updates!

 

Looks good, looking forward to seeing it this spring. I like the term driver versus beater. Your cars look good not overdone. I too drive a black roadster and live on a gravel road. In storage now probably with falls bugs still attached.

 

That belongs to his lovely wife!!

 

Lucky Lady!

 

HA!!
He's the lucky one.

 

I had just started epoxy priming the body one panel at a time when I came across the 3w I traded it for on the Hamb cl***ifieds. This isn't the ch***is that was under the cabriolet...when I bought the ch***is from the cabriolet, I bought all of the original Deuce parts that the original owner had owned and your ch***is was part of the lot. I was told that it had been restored for a museum, but a body never materialized so they sold it. When I got it, it had a rebuilt LB 21 stud engine that had been dressed with all '32 stuff to make it look original. When I traded the project off, I kept the wheels & tires, gennie shell, the engine, and the windshield.
I really hated to let it go. That is a nice ch***is, and has one of the nicest firewalls I've ever seen. Everything on it was nice, and like you I wasn't going to paint it either...I was going to bodywork the body and seal it in epoxy and drive the wheels off of it. I have attached some pics of the ch***is as I received it, and one of the 3w in case you are curious.
I apologize if I have hijacked your thread...thought you might want to know where it came from. I really am excited to see that it is being built...good luck!
Sam

 

Bill...no doubt about it...I am the lucky one. However...she is starting to catch the dreaded Deuce fever as well and I fear that she is about to claim one of my other Roadster projects...
Sam

 

Lookin' good!
Not to worry. You certainly have enough to share. lol

 

I like the way this car is going.
Don't see why you'd be a poser. If I wouldn't be building a 28 roadster with original body it would be a 32 roadster and for sure with a Brookville body. Although I like em very much Originals are to scarce and expensive I think and I'd leave them to the restorers..
keep on the good work!

@A****er Mike: I'd buy you off the shift stick or if you insist the whole ****** for $50
that is the DOUBLE of what you paid for it.. now wouldn't that be a great deal for you..

 

Beater IS neater....keep em comin !

 

Lookn really good!