For Sale at Auction: 1932 Ford Hot Rod in Newport, Rhode Island

Chassis No. 513990066

As the economy began to recover following the Great Depression, new enthusiasm emerged for hot rodding, particularly in Southern California, where the favorable weather and wide-open dry lakes gave rise to new dual-purpose race/street cars. Among the myriad body styles being built from Ford Model As, Ts, and Bs at the time were so-called "High-Boys," a term which rose to define unmodified hot rod bodies that sat on top of the frame rails. Because "channeling" a body to be mounted lower on a chassis is a challenging and time-consuming process, many younger hot rodders opted to leave the body sitting high atop the frame, with mostly 1928, 1929, or 1932 Ford Roadster bodies being used in their construction.

The 1932 Ford Roadster presented here is a beautifully executed example of the traditional High-Boy formula, its steel body left proudly atop the frame rails in the manner of America's earliest hot rods. Assembled with evident care over a period of several years circa 2000-2004, the car is documented by an exceptional file of invoices, work orders, and receipts that chronicle its construction. Based on genuine 1932 Ford bodywork, it is underpinned by a Ford 9-inch rear axle, narrowed and jig-welded to 50 inches overall by Kustom Kit Kars of Lafayette, New Jersey, and fitted with Moser Engineering axles running a 3.50:1 final drive with limited-slip. Steering is handled by a polished stainless Borgeson column, with stainless tie-rod and drag-link stock supplied by R.S. Phillips Steel. In keeping with the finest traditional rods, many of the car's components-intake manifold, valve covers, bell housing, headers, pulleys, brackets, and an engine-turned dash panel among them-were hand-finished and polished by Outasite Metal Finishing, while the fasteners throughout were upgraded to polished stainless.

Power is provided by an overhead-valve Ford Performance small-block V8, built to 347-cubic-inch "stroker" specification and carrying a desirable complement of Ford Racing components including a GT-40 P "Hi-Flow" cast iron cylinder head and a hydraulic-roller tappet camshaft. The engine breathes through an Edelbrock Air-Gap intake manifold and a 600-cfm Edelbrock Performance Series carburetor, while a complete MSD ignition system provides the spark. Finished with polished valve covers and a bank of chromed headers, the engine is proudly displayed in the fenderless engine bay. Drive is transmitted through a classic Ford Toploader four-speed manual transmission to the narrowed 9-inch rear, making for an all-Ford driveline of exactly the sort a period builder would have coveted.

Presented in a deep and lustrous Candy Apple Red with color-matched steel wheels, chrome caps, and wide whitewall tires, the roadster is delicately finished with hand pin-striping to the deck lid, beltline, and valance. That striping is the work of Alan Johnson, among the most respected practitioners of the craft in America. His signature appears on the car alongside his work. The cockpit is trimmed in bright white leather with contrasting red carpet, fronted by an engine-turned dash carrying a full suite of Stewart-Warner instruments and crowned by a white banjo-style steering wheel and matching cue-ball shifter. A chrome windshield frame, dual chromed exhaust, 16-inch wheels wrapped in Coker tires, and full weather equipment including a folding top and snap-in side curtains complete a thoroughly usable and superbly turned-out car that is ready to be enjoyed on the road or displayed.