’32 Ford Vintage Hot Rod Roadster

Historians have long considered the '32 as a true masterpiece of automotive design.

  • Known as "the Deuce"
  • In traditional 1960's hot rodded condition
  • It's amongst the rarest of the rare  

The '32 Ford was the trendsetter    

The 1932 Ford is known as "the Deuce" which represents the "2" in '32. To those who follows automotive history know that this iconic vehicle, especially in roadster form, has long been considered the quintessential hot rod. And the term hot rod is believed to have derived from the contraction of "hot roadster." In hot rodding history, the '32 Ford was the trendsetter vehicle.    

1932 Ford

Without question, the 1932 Ford roadster, as a production vehicle, was an exemplary new entry into the American automobile marketplace. It featured all-new body styling, revised grille housing, a lower stance and a brand-new, previously unavailable V-8 engine, as optional equipment. The standard 1932 Ford roadster had the traditional Ford inline four-cylinder engine, and was known as the "Model B" while the V-8 was the Model 18.

This new "flathead" V-8 powerplant with valve-in-block design, displaced 221 cubic inches and that came as a result of a 3.06-inch bore and 3.75-inch stroke, it produced 65 horsepower and took up about the same space under the hood as the four-cylinder engine from the old Model A.

A total of 12,597 1932 Ford roadsters were built, and were available in the following colors: Tunis Gray, Old Chester Gray, Winterleaf Brown Dark, Winterleaf Brown Light, Washington Blue, Brewster Green Medium, Brewster Green Light, and Medium Maroon.

1932 Ford
This '32 Ford roadster is an original "as Henry built" car, still retaining an original frame and original Dearborn-produced sheet metal body. It has survived all these years and today is in a traditional 1960s hot-rodded condition, complete with the lowered stance.
louvers
To give it a hot-rodded appearance, 78 louvers were artistically punched into the tops of the engine cover.  
The four-piece hood assembly incorporates a "butterfly" hinge design, providing full engine access.
Stock 1932 Ford roadsters came with rear-mounted spare tires, which on this car were removed to clean up the rear appearance.     
1939 Ford teardrop taillights were used on the car, these units were considered "de rigueur" back in the 1940s and '50s.
Rumble seat
Rumble seats were optional on standard roadsters and offered extra seating capacity, sacrificing cargo storage area.
B.F. Goodrich
5.5-inch wide classic wheels were used up front, wrapped with 5.90-15 Silvertown B.F. Goodrich rubber. The hubcaps and beauty rings are reproduction 1942 Ford items.  
Chevrolet 305-cid engine

A warmed-over small block Chevrolet 305-cid engine was chosen, incorporating a mild hydraulic camshaft, polished Offy aluminum intake and Edelbrock four-barrel. A set of Hedman #68400 block hugger headers and Cal Custom cast aluminum valve covers give it a nostalgic appearance. The distributor is now fitted with a Pertronix electronic ignition and the plug wires are Taylor Cable 8mm. The cooling system was enhanced by a modern Walker radiator and a 15-inch electric fan.

The windshield is a 2-inch drop unit fitted with aluminum stanchions that provide the ability for flipping forward from the bottom for air passage as well as to completely lay down on the cowl, which were features of stock '32 roadsters.  
The definition of the word "roadster" back in the day meant an open-top automobile with seating for two, and without roll-up side windows.    
Nice shot of the vinyl upholstery, carpet work, the Stewart Warner gauges, and an 8k SW tachometer on the steering column.  A Lokar shifter controls the TH700R4 automatic transmission.   

This classic '32 roadster is done up as a vintage hot rod that could have been constructed in the 1960s, and today it still sees street action in and around the San Diego area by its current caretaker. DMV records indicate that there are more cars registered in California today as 1932 Ford roadsters than when the entire run was originally built when new, and with this particular vehicle being one of the originals with a real 1932 frame and body it's amongst the rarest of the rare.  

In terms of both clean lines and overall pleasing aesthetics, historians have long considered the 1932 Ford roadster as a true masterpiece of automotive design.

’32 Ford Vintage Hot Rod Roadster

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