32 Ford Kits

[bryanthomas]

Hey guys, I have been doing some research on '32 Ford roadster kits. I have always loved the simplistic look of these car since I was a child. I even remember my dad buying me some Rat Fink models as a kid and me thinking how bad ass they looked. So I've been rooting around on the net looking up different places to buy a rolling chassis and even turn key cars. It looks to me like you could build a really cherry '32 roadster minus the fenders for about $35K if you were on a tight budget. Or you could buy an extrmely clean show car for upwards of $80K. As with any project in the automotive world it's all about how much you want to spend. With this thread I'm basically trying to generate some discussion on the topics of price and rolling chassis distributors. You guys seen any good sites? Do you know what company's make these fiber glass bodies(no way I can afford a steel one)?

Let me rant really quick though: Ya know, every time I'm at a car show and I inquire about a guys '32 Ford I find that the owner is so rude to me. I'll ask something like "How many inches is your roof chopped?" and they just look at me like I'm an idiot or give me a snide answer. I have seriously found the '32 Ford community to be a snotty bunch of hot rodders. :P And do not dare ask how much some one has spent on their 3 window coupe or '32 roadster; I get the cold shoulder or infamous "old man grunt." I personally do not think such a question is rude when some one is seriously considering building or buying one. Maybe it's because I am so young? :confused: "Who's this punk kid asking about 'rat rods'? What does he know about a hi-boy...? Why ask kid, you can't afford it..." What's up with all the '32 Ford owners being rude and acting as if they don't have the time to discuss their bad ass cars? When some one asks me about my Merc I tell them all... and I am not reluctant to tell them I paid 23 and some change for it or that a blower kit will cost you 6 grand. All I'm saying is let's be real here folks: I may be young, but I am well aware of what a money pit a car can be; so if you spent 75 large on your hi-boy just come out and say it. I can only assume if you loved it so much to spend that kind of dough on it then you probably would've paid even more for it.

[AzMarauder]

Hit up RocknRod.. he is a member here and he has a three window!

He might be able to answer a lot of questions.

Before you contact him.. just to be safe.. change your profile to show your age something around 50 or so.... !:rolleyes:

[bryanthomas]

Before you contact him.. just to be safe.. change your profile to show your age something around 50 or so.... !:rolleyes:


:P LOL.

You'd think some of these old timers would like to see a guy in his early 20's taking an interest in old skool rods instead of imports! :D

[1 Bad Merc]

Bryan,

I know what you are going through. I picked up this old 32 reo coupe and went to one of there REO conventions. I am 39 years old and was treated like I was a puppy by all of the old-timers! I think they forget that they were once young too!

I know a couple of guys here in Chicago that own some 32 Fords and they all tell me to go with a metal one if you can afford it. The fiberglass ones have a tendency to flex and crack especially if you have a decent sized motor in it. I think Brookville Roadsters is the company that makes the steel repro bodies. I know their not cheap but might save you alot of time/money in the bodywork and paint department. Alot of the guys go with the standard 32 ford chassis and boxem'. Then they add the Mustang II front suspension and keep going from their. Their was a guy that bought a custom made frame from Fatman Customs who I believe is in the South East somewhere. You can usually find them advertised in HOT RODDER magazine. The guy claimed that the money he spent was not bad and he has a brand new frame compared to one that is 80 years old. All of the guys that I talked to tell me the frame/suspension set-up is the most important part of the car and will really effect your ride quality on such a short wheelbased car. That's about all I know on this subject. Good luck on this project!

[bryanthomas]

Thanks for the reply man! Yeah I am debating if I should just wait and then buy a steel body. I am going to get my Marauder supercharged first so this project is a 12-18 months from getting off the ground, but I like to research the hell out of something before I start in on it. My ideal set up for this rod would be a '32 roadster; a bare essentials hot rod if there ever was one. I do not plan to have power steering or ac or anything like that. I'm choosing to go that route for two reasons: cost and I like the idea of a bare essentials hot rod. This will strictly be a sunny weekend car to blast down the 1/4 mile or cruise out to the beach so I also don't have plans to add a retractable top. Just a motor, four wheels, and a seat belt. :burnout:
Engine choice for a project like this is still open for discussion... I've seen mostly small blocks in roadsters, but I remember once seeing a 454 in a '32 Ford. That was a sick car but I will probably use a something more along the lines of a 351w. Any suggestion from my fellow Marauderers?

[rocknrod]

Hit up RocknRod.. he is a member here and he has a three window! He might be able to answer a lot of questions.
Before you contact him.. just to be safe.. change your profile to show your age something around 50 or so.... !:rolleyes:

Then he'd be older than me! :D
Most of the guys your talking to, Dont have a CLUE what the answer is.
They had someone else build it.
Your just embarasing them
No S$*T.

Thats funny, all my life I have been "Too Young".

[Dragcity]

I have a 1976 Ford 400 out back. All the fixin's for 550 HP NA. Strap it to a C-6 and hold onto the frame.

Chevy engines are easy and cheap to build, but the distributor belong in the front on those babys...

A 302 Boss would be good, a 351 Cleveland SCJ would be even better; But the best of all would be a 427 of 429.

Hey, why not try for one of our 4.6 L COP engines. Modern Retro...

[mclemore102]

My dad has a 32 chevrolet that he bought. His body is a outlaw fiberglass body very sterdy? really thick fiberglass and it's one of the better bodies you can by. They also sell frames but if you do alot of it your self it's alot cheaper as far as putting everything together. So if your looking for places that sell bodies and frames here are the ones off the top of my head. Outlaw, Rat's glass, Alloway's hot rod shop, and american sports car design but i have never seen one of their bodies in person.

If you have any other questions just ask me and i will ask my dad he has alot of buddies who are into those type of cars.

[RCSignals]

Bryan, do a lot of research. There are quite few '32 roadster body options out there, and despite what the "all steel" people say, there is nothing wrong with a good fiberglass body. Wescott makes very good and strong fibreglas bodies....you get what you pay for remember.
If you want steel, look at some of the new body options...using an original roadster body these days is for snobs.
You mention 32 hotrod snobs? I suspect many of them are like that, and can't really answer questions, because they "built" their cars with their cheque book only.