Hot Rods Dreaming of a cheap 32 with a hemi...am I crazy?

Yes. I know...historically neither of these are cheap. But hear me out.



Recently I was out and about and stumbled on a 1955 331 hemi that was used to power a generator. It has 78 hours on it....I was able to get it running in about 20 minutes....more on that below...



The real kicker... I paid $900 dollars for this engine. Yes, I know. I suck.

So now I have a running Hemi, not only that. But a cheap one... And my wheels are turning.

I want something I can "beat on". I want a 32. I want to do something that will get people talking... so how about a "cheap, hemi powered 32"?

So now I have the idea. And I start brain storming. I have a rough and I mean rough 1932 frame. I paid $0 dollars for this frame. Perfect.

$200 dollar heavy axle? Check.
$50 dollar 32-34 split bones? Check.
Free ford 9 inch? Check
2 free lasalle side shift transmissions and a 37 top shift case drug out of a scrap pile. Check and check.

This is starting to get interesting.

Yesterday I grabbed a OG 32 grill off an old hot rod. With a nice chopped A windshield and a very nice 35 wire wheel. I'm thinking sell the windshield and wheel and deduct from the total cost of the grill shell lot. Which was $500 dollars. So it's possible I could have a $100-200 dollar 32 shell....which isn't that impressive considering I've paid $200 and $280(with og v8 rad) for others in the past. Yes...again.... I know I suck.



So that's about where I am at currently. I'm gonna start with rebuilding my frame. And hope I'll stumble upon a cheap 32 body... I want to document costs and progression of finding parts before i forget it all and I think it will be fun for you guys to follow along and see where this thing ends up.




^^^ this is not the free frame. But actually my friend and a fellow hambers I am storing for him and will use for measurements for my 32 frame. I wouldn't dream of cutting up a nice K member like this for a lasalle!

Let me know what you think!

Thanks Hitch

 

Crazy like a fox

I dig it!!!

I’m watching

 

Like it a lot. Hemi, 32, and budget are not usually used in the same sentence.

 

I'm Hooked...

 

That frame looks good from here! When you said rough, I thought you meant "Found in a river waded up in a ball" rough. I don't think you'll find quite as good deals on any '32 body.....but you've shown your resourcefulness so far.....

 

Kool, Good Luck !

 

You seem to be patient........and a little Lucky. You may get what you're asking for, keep us posted (if you find a cheap 32, you may get some Hate mail)!!

 

Do you have a bellhousing to hook the LeSalle transmission to the Hemi? I happen to know where a new old stock Trans-dapt bell for that application is.

 

That is awesome. I loved going through the steps with you in the video. Especially seeing the smile on your face after firing her up. How cool is that!!
You kitty is cool too!
Had one in the shop that had adapted to sparks and noise and never even winced.
Thanks for sharing

 

Couple of observations on the engine. I have never built a Phord so no comment on the car! Your engine is the early long bellhousing version so you have limited tranny options. The '51 through '53 331s had this feature. '54 and later ones have flat backs so tranny adaptors are available for most options. I just finished building a '54 331 engine and built fairly stock with new pistons, new valves and valve guides, new cam, good machining, aluminum intake, new Holley carb, electronic ignition, etc., I have about $4,600 invested. Does yours have adjustable rocker arms (bumps in the valve covers between sparkplug tubes)? Most Industrial and Marine engines did. VERY desirable. Passenger FirePower engines had them but very rare.

It looks like you do have the thermostat crossover with water ports in the head on the industrial engine so you are ahead there. Passenger car 331s have the thermostat in the intake manifold so you need a factory 4bbl manifold. I think they only made 4 or 5 of those, almost impossible to find!!!! Negative about the heads is they have small valves and ports, not good for performance but just fine for a Sonic Drive-In cruiser. Later 331/354 heads are interchangeable with yours and have bigger valves and ports.

Typical work-around for the tranny problem is to mill the bellhousing off the tranny case and bolt an adaptor to the tranny pump. Here is one offered by Hot Heads for a Chrysler 727 auto.

http://earlyhemi.com/transmission_adapters/chrysler_to_727.518.html

 

I’m going to watch this thread with interest. I have fresh 241 Red Ram, a fresh Dodge 46RE AND A Dodge 8.25 rearend. Unfortunately I don’t have a car to put the drivetrain in. I’ve looked for Dodges but they are far and few between. I’d like to do a For or Chevy bobber PU. Hard to find roller projects.

My junk

 

I too will be watching your progress I also have a Hemi 57 392 W/ a GM trans adapter plate that I’m planning on putting into a 32 Ford AA chassis and a 30 Ford sport coupe body, that I’m still collecting parts for

 

Is it April 1 already?

 

Been waiting for this thread

 

Good score for the money. Definitely not the extended bell block previously mentioned so many more transmission adapters are available. Valve covers will have the bumps for adjustable rockers but most likely will not have adj. rockers under them. Look on front of block below the drivers side cylinder head and you may find some additional ID numbers stamped in block. Pull valve cover to get cylinder head casting numbers. Refer to Hot Heads website for casting number ID. Also Gary, 73rr, is your go to guy for early HEMI info.
Eddie

 

Good point. I missed the bolts attaching the bellhousing extension to the block. I also misread your original post as a '53. Yous is a '55 with all the good stuff. Has the later big valve/big port heads too. Tranny options are wide open. All you really need are the bumped valve covers. That is the sexy part of the adjustable valves. I put the bumped valve covers on my 331.

See the bolts on the removeable long bell. Good thing.


Long bell block with 727 adaptor. You don't need this.


My new bumped valve covers.

 

My kind of build! I’ll be following along!

 

The OP's first post indicates a 1955 assembly and that date is supported by the head end ports as you already noted.

 

A CHEAP 1932 Ford with a Hemi?? It can be done!

With only a few exceptions, I waited for smokin' deals, traded, etc on most everything for the one I just built. "Cheap" may be relative, but I can say confidently that I am "in" it a little over half of what I think it's worth, just because I was patient and got good deals on the things I had to buy, including a brand new/rebuilt (and well-built) Baby Hemi.

Patience pays off for sure. I can't wait to see what you end up doing.

ironandsteele.com​

 

Here are shots of my '54 331 w/ 200R4, Chevy water pump, home made front brackets, HH intake, modified ebaY block hugger headers. Speedway P/S pump feeding 2003 -2006 Saab R&P steering gear. The Saab is close to the MII but sits behind the axle. This post will be taken down since I mentioned a MII so read quickly!

 

This is a buddies frame I am using for measurements. Mine isn't far off from "Found in a river waded up in a ball" rough. Haha

Definitely patient and lucky. I think the real question is...whats cheap?

I don't yet. But "new old stock" sounds more like hitchhiker can't afford that.

Genuine TV moment. I was not expecting it to fire! The cat is VERY cool. Biggest paws I've ever seen on a house cat!

 

Yep, definitely a short bell. Tag decoded as 1955 as well. Several guys have thought it was a long bell early motor. And I admit the industrial bellhousing is deceiving in pictures. It does have the "bump" valve covers as well. Though I have not confirmed the presence of adjustable rockers.

I hear that the industrial engines have sodium filled valves and weird stem diameters. So i know I'll be need to get into them. Likely do a cam change as well? My plan is tear it down and we'll measure and inspect things and go from there. I hope it will basically get a re-ring, hone, and gaskets. Along with the head stuff. 78 hours equals about 2200 miles. So I'm hopeful it's nice inside, though I'm prepared to rebuild it, if needed.

Does anyone know what kind of compression ratio this engine should have?

 

Pickup cabs aren't insane price-wise if you find a decent deal, there's quite a few salvageable ones perched atop heavy dually chassis yet. Or a sedan can be made into a coupe with a bunch of metalwork. It could be done. The running engine gets you half way there already. Fiberglass doesn't count though, just remember that!

 

Funny how?

Gonna be a slow one! Ha!

 

Dude. I love your hemi 3 window. And yes, you get it! Probably because you're a hustler such as myself. I'm gonna make it happen. Patience and hunting!

 

Yeah. Which isn't a bad plan... But I've got a couple trucks already. I'd slam it in my 34 pickup if I didn't just spend a shit ton of time on rebuilding the frame to stock for a flathead. Haha

It's definitely gotta be a roadster or coupe. Its not getting fiberglass...period. If it's a reproduction, it will be a Brookville....but I'd really like to find a Henry steel car and will exhaust my search first before going that route.

 

this may not be cheap enough for you, but the cheapest that I have seen recently……….

https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/32-five-window-all-henry.1310311/

 

Yeah. Ive seen that one. More car than i need, and Unfortunately it's way out of my budget. I've seen two 5 windows in the last month for 10k that I thought I could fix, which is more in my budget. I know I am gonna need to step up and spend some money. I have a late model ford truck that has appreciated significantly since I purchased it, that I hope to have on the market in the next month or so. I'll be spending the money from that on a 32 body, whenever it sells. Thanks for thinking of me though.

 

Just get a 31 coupe body and do a 32 windshield and header panel mod and be happy.

 

Looking forward to this build how about a cabriolet