When you look up the term “Hot Rod” in the dictionary, this may be the car you see: a cherry 1932 3-window coupe. This particular example is done in a full-fendered style with lots of hot rod goodies. Located in California, this beauty can be bought for $80,000.
Very few cars permeate the car culture as much as a 1932 Ford does. My Uncle Kenny used to say there are more 1932 Fords on the roads now than Henry Ford ever manufactured because of all the ‘glass and reproduction cars in the market. I’m not sure if that is a true statement, but when walking around a hot rod show it certainly feels that way! That is a testament to how well-designed the ’32 is and its impact on the car community. From So-Cal to Pete and Jake’s to Speedway, anyone with a checkbook can order a variety of parts and build one in any style. From stock ‘bangers to Ridler-winning show cars, the ’32 is a perfect canvas to build the car of your desires.
According to the seller, the owner of this ’32 has gone the traditional route and built this blue gem in the pre-war style. I may disagree a bit with this description and say that this is more of an early ’50s-styled hot rod, but regardless, this car was built with a nod to the early days of hot rodding. Instead of the stock 21 stud flathead, this has the later 24 stud (1938-1948) outfitted with Offenhauser heads and what appears to be an Edelbrock slingshot dual carburetor manifold (and check out that beehive oil filter on the firewall). Oh, to hear this flattie purr! The steering wheel, column, and shifter appear to be from a 1940 Ford, but please let us know if this is from a different model. Rounding out the traditional look are the spoke wheels with chrome trim rings and hubcaps.
One intriguing aspect of this ad is that the car’s builder was said to be an “avid early V8 Ford enthusiast.” What drives the value of these cars is the aftermarket pieces and their provenance and originality. Are the heads and intake vintage or modern aftermarket? What about the dash? Are the gauges vintage Stewart Warner or something more contemporary? These types of details turn a car like this from a nice driver to a museum piece loaded with history. So, what neat vintage pieces did the builder use when he was building this hot rod? I would love to find out! Make sure to stop by The Spot in Carpinteria for a cheeseburger and chocolate chip shake if you go check out this ride, and thank you so much to TJ for providing this tip! Check out this car here on Craigslist.
What, no competition plus or 4 on the floor and no lake pipes that roar, have the Beach Boys been fooling us all these years? Yes, Ford did offer a column shift in 1932. I thought all were floor shift, and the most famous Deuce coupe ever? John Milners( Paul LeMat) in American Grafitti.
BTW, I thought for years the song said it’s got a “big slip daddy”, I thought some kind of clutch. It wasn’t until years later when “lyrics” came out, it was “pink slip, daddy”, meaning he won the cars title of the opponent.
They had Milner’s Deuce ( clone) as with all the others from the movie at the 50th anniversary of the movie at Iola, Wi in 2022.The 58 Edsel driven by Cindy Williams is at the far left (my “58) She was a blast to talk to- sadly died 6 months later..lots of good memories there..
I haven’t listened to pop music in about 50 years. Yet when I did, I had difficulty discerning the lyrics. For example, the line in the song “Bad Moon Rising,” “There’s a bad moon on the rise,” to me sounded like “There’s
a bathroom on the right”!
I don’t understand the words to any of the music today . . Back in the day I also had a problem with the lyrics . . Example . .back in the 50’s there was a song by Rosemary Clooney , I think . . . The words were . . “Shrimp Boats are coming ,their sails are in sight . . I thought it was . . “Kin Folks are coming , their Tails are in sight” . .
That’s a deuce coupe to sing about.
Nice! Amazing to think that I paid $500 for my 5 window and all I had to do was paint it and put in the interior as I had helped the previous owner put in the Mercury engine and the hydraulic brakes. Added the dual carbs and the 4 inch dropped axle and hit the road. Putting in the late ’30s transmissions was normal but have never seen the 3 on the tree.
Don’t forget She’ll walk Thunderbird like it’s standing still”
She’s ported and relieved, and she’s stroked and bored
She’ll do a hundred and forty with the top end floored
Is the rear tire location supposed to be so off center ?
Glad you noticed that too. Can someone more savvy than me comment?
No, someone just plain screwed up when setting up the chassis.
It is 1940 ford wheel, shifter, and column. Ford did not have column shift until 1940.
I like they kept the fenders on it I’m not a fan of the open wheels $80k is a bit out of what I can drop on A toy but I would love to have it. Guess I should check my lotto tickets.
gotta have the 4-speed.
Admittedly, I am not terribly familiar with the “old school” hot rod market, but even though this one is definitely cool, 80 large seems a bit overpriced. Neat car nonetheless.
Posting deleted by author. Left to guess but maybe some lucky spender had the required dineros to make it theirs. Neat car. I sure would like to have a cruise in it.
Guys with dough would rather have Henry Ford steel than a repop, can’t blame them, so would I.
Definitely a sweet deuce but IMHO I think you can buy a lot more hot rod than this for 80 grand
Dusty, it’s daja Vue all over again! I appreciate you interest in knowing exactly what this car is? I can tell you this about 80% of the comments are wrong! Not only wrong I can’t even imagine where they came from. I would expand on it but it is a lot and most people ,really aren’t that interested, and it would take a very long comment. I would be glad to explain it to anyone who would reach out to me
Joe,,,,you sound like a very frustrated individual. You’ve lashed out at me on several occasions, and while your apparent expertise is known, this site is for us regular schmoes, that like to tell a story their own way. It’s not a crime if it’s a bit inaccurate. It’s the actual stories that I enjoy, even if the specifics are a bit faded.
Have we determined if this is original ford steel?
Kind of curious why the builder used a 40 steering column. Three on the tree Hot Rod, never have seen that before. The 40 wheel, yep many times. Rest of the build looks great!
Cadmanls, The reason you haven’t seen it before is because it was very popular in the late 40’s and the fifties. You are wondering why? Because column shifts came out in the early 40’s and then after the war, that was the new cool thing ,all the cars had it. Why did Hot Rodders want it? Pretty simple, most were young guys in their late teens early twenties. What was the most important thing for them beside their car? Simple ,their girl friend! How do you get your arm around your girl friend when you have a floor shift. I know you aren’t old enough to know that. just by the comments on this car I know most of you aren’t, old enough and your comments ,prove it. An old saying is know your audience, before you think your the smartest one in the room.
Wow, those comments were a little strange, to say the least. Just how many folks that read this column do you think would have been worrying about a floor shift interfering with “date night”? I’m 75, and my first car was a 4 speed ’64 Nova. The last thing I wanted was a “3 on the tree”. I would think that your advice about “know your audience” applies here.
I cut the lever in half on the ’39 floor shifter to solve the room problem in the ’32. As a kid it was really cool to go between a girl’s legs to grab a gear.
And then accidently have your hand slip off the shifter when coming back into third gear
I am a boomer 52 vintage and have been around cars most of my life. Now how you think three on the tree is comfortable with your gal beside you is kind of amazing. That one to two shift, pull your arm down and swing it across to the top of the wheel, now third as you take the arm back down and from the two o clock back down to around 5 ish arm in front is so graceful. Come on, a 39 transmission has a curved long stick and plenty of space for your gal.
I hadn’t noticed that until you pointed it out. If I’m not mistaken, these things used a transverse rear spring. If that’s still the case with this one, then it would appear that something is amiss with the rear suspension.
If the column shift transmission is the one I think it is, it is the same dimensions as the ’39 floor shifters and would be hooked up to the driveshaft tube. No moving the tube so I’d bet on the camera angle causing the look. Also, the rear end looks like it’s higher than normal which when pivoting off the transmission would move it closer to the bottom of the fender. Who knows. It’s gone now.
I am 81 and I wasn’t referring to 1964. I was talking about after the War and the early 1950’s about 15 years before your Nova. I wasn’t old enough either but I had brothers and uncles that were and I was obsessed with the Hot Rods and what they did as the older cool guys. When I started driving we never called it 3 on the tree, it was just a 3 speed on the column, which was more modern than a floor shift. Then by the mid sixties it became cool to have a floor shift. All the tri-five Chevrolet’s had holes cut in the floor for a $29.95 J.C. Whitney floor shiftier. I am sorry maybe I don’t know my audience. I just know what I remember as a car crazy pre-teen in the mid fifties.
Joe, do you also remember Spark-O-Matic floor shifters? I had one in my 57 post in 1969.
Anyone have a suggestion as to how I might be able to find my 57. I have police officer friends that tried to locate it with the vin that I provided them with but to no avail. DMV was of no help either.
Arfeeto, that phrase got started when
country performers started covering that song in ’69 or ’70. There were many nights where I heard that song
being played and that phrase being
used as a way to make the audience
laugh before they’d play another tune.
Mostly, it was done at what was called a package show. These shows
were a conglomeration of many different acts that promoters would
use to fill the seats in county fairs and
other large venues in the Midwest and South in the late ’60s and early ’70s. For between $5.00 and $7.50,
a Ticket, Mr. and Mrs America and the
kiddies got to see all sorts of acts including magicians, jugglers, sword
swallowers, fire eaters, comedians,
and of course musicians. And as my
group and I waited to go on, you’d hear the young country performers
sing that phrase to get a laugh. Even
while you waited in the bullpen to take the stage, you might hear that
phrase a few times– even above the
controlled chaos of other performers
either tuning up or tweeking their acts
before their turn came to entertain
Mom, Dad, and the kids. Sometimes
my guys and I were the main band
that headlined some shows while other times, we were the warm up group for someone like Dave Dudley
or Tammy Wynette. If we had enough space, I could tell a whole raft of stories of what it was like to be in such a show. So now you know how
that phrase changed a classic rock
song forever.
Ok, I’m totally confused. What in the world does that strange word have to do with the subject at hand? I’m all ears.
Yeah really 🤣🤣
Ken: I suppose it’s possible that I heard the phrase “There’s a bathroom on the right” many decades ago. If so, I don’t recall it. Indeed, I’ve always assumed the mistaken lyrics were original with me, entirely the result of my mishearing them. So now I know I’m not special. Thanks a lot, fella! HARRUMPH!
me too!
Sorry Charles, just trying to clear things up for Arfeeto and the rest of the folks out there in the BF universe.
That phrase is now immortal among
musicians who without realizing it, sang that phrase when and wherever
they played. Hell, I’ve even done it over the years and it’s so easy to do.
As for the coupe, I like it a lot. It reminds me of the cars I saw at the
first Street Rod Nationals in Peoria
in 1970. The resto look was just starting then and the guys that were
building these cars were trying to copy this one. That’s why it needs to
be preserved. Just drive and enjoy it
the way it is. I’d love to find that Model A phaeton with a 389 Pontiac
mill and automatic transmissions. The thing that makes me want this car is the chassis which is equipped
With a ’55 Packard 4-wheel torsion bar suspension and the really classic
look those wire wheels lent to that
vehicle. What a great car that was too.
Ok, if you say so. Immortal huh.