- Offered from the collection of Jack Dunning
- Professional build by Glenn & Randy Hatcher
- Brookville steel body and chassis
- 1939 Ford driveline with desirable speed equipment
Jack Dunning has, in his words, "never been much for hot rods," but
his longtime friends and restorers Glenn and Randy Hatcher are�and
they eventually convinced Mr. Dunning to build the sort of hot rod
that would appeal even to a devotee of "dead-stock" automobiles.
The idea was to construct a 'hi-boy' roadster exactly as it would
have been seen in California in the 1950s, with no modern tricks or
folderol.
The basis of the project was a high-quality correct chassis and
accurate '32 steel roadster body, both from Brookville,
immaculately painted to concours standards and fitted with a
roll-and-pleat interior facing Stewart-Warner gauges. Underneath
was fitted the driveline from a 1939 Ford, with the V-8 dressed up
with the best reproduction speed equipment, including Offenhauser
heads and intake manifold, three Stromberg 97 carburetors, Fenton
headers, and Smitty mufflers. Since Mr. Dunning only uses the hot
rod for cruising around town, two of the carburetors are blocked
off, though he notes that they could easily be made functional for
a true high-performance experience. The car uses the original
Ford's brakes and steering box; as with his stock restorations, Mr.
Dunning believes they were well-engineered and still work
beautifully when properly sorted. Turn signals were carefully
fitted for modern traffic.
Accompanied by a properly fitted top, this has been a fun vehicle
for local drives for Mr. Dunning, and he hopes that it will be
equally enjoyed by the new owner. It provides much the same
experience as running an exciting period hot rod would have back in
the 1950s and is ready for any number of local shows and cruise
nights.To view this car and others currently consigned to this
auction, please visit the RM website at
rmsothebys.com/en/auctions/hf19.
