Well, it’s not exactly a “Little Deuce Coupe,” but this 1932 Ford Five-Window coupe is pretty close. Claimed to have been parked in ’62, this dusty coupe appears to be all there, and it possesses some notable old-skool engine room touches. Discovered in Richmond, Wisconsin, by Zappenduster, this 94-year-old (hard to believe!) barn find hot rod is listed here on Facebook Marketplace for $49,000, OBO (Yikes!)
In Ford’s parlance, the famous ’32 three-window coupe was referred to as a “DeLuxe Coupe”, while the five-window variety, such as our subject, was simply known as the “Coupe”, though there were Standard and DeLuxe trim levels available for most models. The two-door sedan was known formally as, you guessed it, the “Tudor”, not to be confused with the “Fordor”. There were also cabriolets, four-door convertibles, roadsters, and phaetons in FoMoCo’s lineup that year. As for body count, assuming that I’ve interpreted the statistics correctly, our find is one of 32K assembled that year. As stated earlier, this one’s been sitting a while, its inspection certificate dates to ’61-’62, and it looks it. The accumulated garage mung makes an exterior assessment of this ’32 challenging, but it does appear to be complete and straight, and there’s no evidence of rust. The hinged-from-the-bottom rear deck lid and the pair of passenger-side steps tell me this is a rumble seat-equipped model, but unfortunately, there are no listing images of that rather tight rear passenger compartment.
New for ’32 was the 65 gross HP 221 CI flathead V8 engine, and in this case, it’s wearing Weiand heads and an Eddie Meyer racing intake manifold that accommodates a pair of carburetors, both topped with “Badger” air cleaners. Turn over, it does, but start it doesn’t. The three-speed manual transmission is a 1939 edition, and we’re told this coupe is equipped with “juice brakes,” which I take to mean a hydraulic system.
There’s not much to say about the interior. It’s a contained, cozy environment, but the seat is in deplorable condition, and I’m not sure what that seat cover once was – a Native American-themed blanket perhaps. The simple instrument panel is still in place, and there appear to be some additional gauges attached to the bottom edge of the dash. I wish I could assess the condition of the floor, but the two interior images aren’t very revealing.
OK, let’s talk about the elephant in the room – the price, $49,000! Sure, this one’s original and unmolested, and I suppose the engine mods are attractive, but that price seems way outta here. Tell me, please, am I wrong or is this what a five-window coupe in this condition trades for these days?
I’m not sure about price, but cars modified pre-WWII have been highly sought after by collectors for decades. Even those modified just after WWII that haven’t been updated with more modern parts have a strong following. I’d bet this gets a sympathetic “restoration”, that involves more detailing than painting.
Only a someone that really follows these cars can speak to its value, when it might have been modified and how it is likely to be handled by its next owner.
Steve R
Well, I like what I see so far. It looks fairly complete and that’s the best part of a restoration.
A ’39 transmission? It wouldn’t surprise me if the engine was the same year. Of course a 24 stud could come anywhere from a late ’38 model until ’48. If this came to my place I’d likely tone things down under the hood. I would try to find a 21 stud engine but I admit I’m not too fussy about an 18A going back in. I’d try for an LB from a mid ’36, or at least tone down the engine that’s already in there. A 24 stud with a 2bbl will take it anywhere you want to go.
Pricewise, I’m going to say that it’s hit the max for a 5-window coupe. A roadster or cabriolet could go for a bit more. I’d love a cabriolet; I wouldn’t turn a roadster down either…