1932 Ford Roadster
When it comes to hot rods, the 32 Ford is about as iconic as it gets. With the simple clean lines and seemingly limitless aftermarket, it’s easy to see why these cars have been so popular for the last 85 years. Building one of these cars though can be a challenge. How do you balance making a unique and exciting car that’s been done thousands of times while keeping the design both tasteful, and also giving a nod to the hot-rodders that made the car so special?
Our customer and friend Tom, has been building his own hot rods for decades and is no stranger to 32 Fords. His collection of 1932's includes a couple of five-windows, a three-window, as well as an original steel 32 Roadster. This time around though, he looked to make something that would really stand out, even in his own garage. For this project, Tom contacted Gizmos in Cedar, Minnesota to handle the build.
The steel ’32 body is mounted on top of a very modified frame. Between the frame rails sits an original 392 Hemi, topped with a nostalgic drag boat intake. The SIX-two barrel carburetors are made to fire as one synchronized unit by hand-made linkages. To let this engine breathe, a pair of hand-built stainless headers dumps into two Porter Mufflers, and exits side by side at the rear. The whole system is polished, as is the driveshaft and quick-change rear end. Behind the engine sits a fully polished push-button transmission, Chrysler 3-speed. The unit, originally from a Dodge Dart, took quite a bit of work to retrofit inside the tight quarters of the '32 frame but after some ingenuity, it works smoothly as it did from the factory.
The body was primarily uncut, but many subtle touches were added. One custom trick on this 32 Ford is the lock mechanism that latches the hood. Using a set of old Ford truck locks, Gizmos fabricated and machined the pieces to unlatch the hood sides, instead of the usual straps or stationary rods to keep things in place. The gas cap and license plate are frenched into the body, letting nothing stick out from the sleek original Ford design. Upfront, a third fog light was added to the grille, a long and tedious stainless steel fabricating process.
Once the fabrication was complete, the car was stripped down and sent to Vescios Paint. After hours of block sanding and priming, the laser straight body and frame were shot with layers of dark metallic green, named ‘Loaded Green.’ Depending on the light, the car goes from a rich black, to almost a candy gold-green shade. After much debate, icicle scallops were airbrushed down the car. To complete the vision Tom had in his head, a polished stainless steel firewall was made and carefully set in place behind the massive Hemi.
When the paintwork was finally complete, the interiors was next on the build. The bench seat was stitched in deep red leather, with custom inlay designs. Door panels were treated to the same material and broken up by a chrome trim. Set against the black carpet and matching convertible blacktop, the look is pure elegance within a functional usable Hot Rod.
Within Tom's '32 Brookville bodied Ford, there are so many little details all working towards the overall design and feel of the car. While building a 32 Ford that stands out from the rest is a difficult order, this one manages to do just that. While staying tasteful and progressing Gizmos build another award-winning Hot Rod that will stand the test of time.
