Building Some 1932'S - Come Along for the Ride

[glennpm]

Good looking parts! This is going to be fun to watch!

[DavidG]

Nice frame. Be sure and follow 'deuce roadster's advice about checking the frame's side rails to the top of the kick up for the rear axle, It is a relatively common occurrence with all but late '32 frames and it may be more severe on one side than the other. It is quite fixable should your frame be so afflicted.

Judging from the weld and the shape of the flange on the end compared to your unpainted one, your chrome-plated front cross bar is a reproduction.

Your firewall appears to be a nice one and free of extra holes judging from your photo (or perhaps they have already been filled). Rare is the unrestored '32 firewall that is extra-hole-free. My firewall record is 27 extra holes.

Good luck with your project. It looks like you have a lot of very good parts to work with.

[Ian1932]

Originally Posted by DavidG

Nice frame. Be sure and follow 'deuce roadster's advice about checking the frame's side rails to the top of the kick up for the rear axle, It is a relatively common occurrence with all but late '32 frames and it may be more severe on one side than the other. It is quite fixable should your frame be so afflicted.

Judging from the weld and the shape of the flange on the end compared to your unpainted one, your chrome-plated front cross bar is a reproduction.

Your firewall appears to be a nice one and free of extra holes judging from your photo (or perhaps they have already been filled). Rare is the unrestored '32 firewall that is extra-hole-free. My firewall record is 27 extra holes.

Good luck with your project. It looks like you have a lot of very good parts to work with.

Thanks! Im not sure if i understand the parts about the frame??? What am i looking for?

[deuce_roadster]

If you look at the outside of the frame where it goes over the rear end, that metal should be flat without any outward bumps. Often bumps are about the size of an egg if it has been hit on the rear bumper and would be right below where it changes from going up to going down toward the back tip of the frame rail before the holes for the gas tank. You might see the rubber bumper for the rear end on the bottom of the lower flange near this area.

[Ian1932]

Originally Posted by deuce_roadster

If you look at the outside of the frame where it goes over the rear end, that metal should be flat without any outward bumps. Often bumps are about the size of an egg if it has been hit on the rear bumper and would be right below where it changes from going up to going down toward the back tip of the frame rail before the holes for the gas tank. You might see the rubber bumper for the rear end on the bottom of the lower flange near this area.

Thanks. I should get it back tomorrow. Ill take some pictures and maybe you can look at them for me. My dad said this frame was perfect other than some pitting. I guess i havent witness to many frames without bodies to know what it should look like. Hopefully its good...

[DavidG]

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Look at the highest point of the frame immediately above where the rear axle housing would be if the rear axle was in place. Run a straight edge on the vertical side of the frame rail on either side of that high point and across the area on the side at the high point. It should be perfectly flat all the way across the surface from front to back without any outward deformation at the high point. Only in extreme cases is it noticeable just by looking at the side of the frame rail.

P.S. Unless it is extreme, it won't show up in a photograph. Try the straight edge test.

[Mart]

The frame, indeed all the parts, look really nice from where I'm sitting.

Mart.

[1952henry]

Originally Posted by Ian1932

As i tackle this job its so far been really fun. Even more fun is talking to my dad and asking him questions about how things came to be.

This grille, he bought from a swap meet, he doesnt remember how long ago. He said the guy wanted $50 dollars and he kept offering $30, the guy just wouldnt budge...He walked around for 2 days @ the meet, then, finally went back and paid the $50. He said on the way home he was sick and he was sorry he bought it! I cant imagine what the tag would be on one of these a swap meet today that is this nice.

The hood. When he was leaving for the army he was stationed somewhere in Illinois. He saw and add in a magazine about a guy in Chicago that lovered hoods. He wrapped them in paper and took them with him on the bus. When they had free time he went to the city and dropped them off. When he went back to pick them up, he met my mother that same night for the first time.

He also told me he traded a complete set of fenders to his buddy for 2 used new tires & this gas tank long ago.

Some things i ask, he doesnt remember. Some parts he says "i dont know where that came from, i didnt even know a had that".

Good price. This past summer an auction was held for an uncle's estate. Amongst other things, he had a cache of EV8 sheet metal. Some of it was NOS from the long ago closed local Ford garage. A really nice used 32 grill and shell went for $1400.

[Ian1932]

Originally Posted by glennpm

Good looking parts! This is going to be fun to watch!

Stay tuned! A lot is going to happen in a short period of time! If the weather allows...

[Ian1932]

Originally Posted by 1952henry

Good price. This past summer an auction was held for an uncle's estate. Amongst other things, he had a cache of EV8 sheet metal. Some of it was NOS from the long ago closed local Ford garage. A really nice used 32 grill and shell went for $1400.

Im guessing these swap meets were in the 60' or 70's maybe? 1955 is when the hood had the lovers added.

I saw a front fender for a 32' about ten years ago a swap meet. It was so paper thin and smashed and cracked. I know people can work wonders, even i have reshaped some twisted metal that was garbage. The tag was $500 dollars! I thought"no one is going to buy that, its not even usable" While i was standing there someone bought it for $475...

[Ian1932]

It looks rusty but its not, its the shadows...Frame is sand blasted. Rained when i was 3 miles from home. Dried it with towels and fans. Hit it with flapper wheel and a wire brush. It has some really rough spots. The side facing up is the better side. All said, its nice and straight and doesnt have any repairs. Its in the basement drying for a few days and then will get some epoxy, then 30 mins later 2 coats of lightly reduced 2K. 320 scuff, then some dolphin glaze. Then some more 2K and a final 500 scuff. Then 3 light but wet coats on single stage urethane. Found serial number !!!

[deuce_roadster]

Etch it before you put epoxy primer sealer on it. Otherwise, the rust will come back.

[RalphM]

Wow! Nice parts to start a project!
At ten times that amount that grille would be a bargain. And if the gas tank is as clean inside as out it is a really nice piece. I have spent hours bringing rusty/ crusty parts back to life and these parts look like real time savers.

[Ian1932]

Originally Posted by deuce_roadster

Etch it before you put epoxy primer sealer on it. Otherwise, the rust will come back.

Could you point me to a product to use? Thanks!

[jim1932]

By the way, DavidG wrote the 2 volume 1932 book that you can get through the early ford v8 club, Invaluable reference. Also there is a book of the ford service bulletins that is helpful.

Be careful using Internet photos for reference as many cars that look perfectly restored are either intentionally or by error, incorrect. I have a ton of photos of my car on my smugmug page in my signature. Not swearing it is all perfectly correct, but useful for seeing how parts go together.

[jimTN]

While you are on that frame, note that the sides are also considered body finish because they are exposed between the body and running boards.

[Ian1932]

Originally Posted by jimTN

While you are on that frame, note that the sides are also considered body finish because they are exposed between the body and running boards.

Yep, i have a 5w coupe sitting on a really nice frame that i can reference what will be visible. Thanks!

[Ian1932]

Originally Posted by jim1932

By the way, DavidG wrote the 2 volume 1932 book that you can get through the early ford v8 club, Invaluable reference. Also there is a book of the ford service bulletins that is helpful.

Be careful using Internet photos for reference as many cars that look perfectly restored are either intentionally or by error, incorrect. I have a ton of photos of my car on my smugmug page in my signature. Not swearing it is all perfectly correct, but useful for seeing how parts go together.

Thanks. I am going to buy some books soon...

[Ian1932]

My buddy has a thermo forming oven so we baked this frame @ 275 for 2 hours. Pulled it out until it was warm to the touch and shot 2 medium coats of duragloss epoxy. I waited about 30 mins and sprayed one light but wet coat of 2K. Now its in a hot box to dry for a week before i use some icing on the pits...

[Mart]

Chassis looks really nice. You seem to be taking the parts directly to a finished state. Not criticising, but many people (myself included) will dry build the car first, where any fitting and mismatch of parts problems can be identified and rectified, then tear it down for the finishing of all the parts and the final buildup.

It would be unfortunate to have to modify or alter parts that have already been finished to a high degree, and your prep of the frame seems to be going above and beyond what I would call normal amateur prep.

Keep it up, though, you are doing good work and demonstrating excellent techniques.

Mart.