32 ford roadster question

[cubdriver55]

Hi I was wondering if someone could tell me what I should expect to pay for a 32 ford roaster with a Henry steel body? A hot rod type car with no fenders or hood. Perhaps channeled. Also what is the best way to tell an original body from a new steel body? Thanks Steve

[Charlie Stephens]

Steve,

With the car as you describe why are you concerned if it is an original or a reproduction body as long as the paperwork is clean? Giving a price is impossible since so much is left undefined in your post. The responder has to build the car in his mind based on what he wants and where he is coming from. To me I would build a car in my mind that is worth about $50K but I don't want to own a channeled car (HiBoy is ok) since they are generally not very comfortable and at my age comfort is important. Your best bet might be to look at what things are going for on EBAY. Also this site is for restored cars, you might have better luck with a number on HAMB (http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/).

Charlie Stephens

[hardtimes]

Originally Posted by cubdriver55

Hi I was wondering if someone could tell me what I should expect to pay for a 32 ford roaster with a Henry steel body? A hot rod type car with no fenders or hood. Perhaps channeled. Also what is the best way to tell an original body from a new steel body? Thanks Steve

Steve,
I agree with Charlie totally. Might add that anyone that you ask this kind of question....will want to see picture to even start quessing a $ figure. You might keep this in mind if you go to the hamb especially, as they are a little...less gentle , then say the great bunch on this forum. Luck

[deuce_roadster]

2 years ago I turned down 100k for my original Henry bodied roadster. Please leave the original cars that have not been channeled already alone -and buy a Brookville to do that. In my opinion that is a lot of work to do to ruin something. The price of real old school channeled roadsters I am guessing would be out of your budget (just guessing), a new Brookville is very affordable.
The differences between the BV and original are subtle if you are not real familiar with the original. If a BV was parked next to an original a novice would have trouble telling the difference. The ends where the wood for the top connects behind the seat is a good place to compare to begin with.

[Conair007]

I agree leave them original.

[Fe26]

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Here we have the hoary argument or dilemma; someone takes an orginal car and turns it into the car of his dreams (or he just wants to copy everyone else) he ascribes a certain value to the car which he belives reflects the costs of materials and the car itself plus something for his labour, plus the wow! factor.
If he sells the car to someone who has also bought into the same social/economic value structure well and good, with the usual negotiations (horsetrading) he will just about break even if he's lucky. And the new owner drives around in his new dream machine.

However, a reality check is never far away. In economic terms this alone explains the difference between Hot Rodders/Customisers and Restorers/Original's afficionadoes. When our Hot Rodder/ Customiser offers up his 'creation' to this market bewilderment is the inevitable outcome.

Our seller thinks he has something unique for sale, and is surprised to find that in the eyes of the 'Classic' market he's gone backwards. Sometimes he's taken a car worth nothing and made it into something (value adding) but the classic market isn't interested, in short it shakes it head and walks away. Sometimes our boy has taken an orginal or restored car and worked his magic on it, sometimes he learns the hard way; the car he paid xxx dollars for is now worth xx dollars to the classic market. And the only other guys interested (hotrodders) are only going to Horsetrade for xx dollars as well.

A car is only worth the amount a buyer is prepared to invest in his dream. In the scheme of things (call that life if you will) a Hotrodder being a lively chap, quick witted, full of bravado, innovative and most likely an extrovert will often pay for the privilege of owning and driving a car which embodies and reflects who he his.

That same car holds no attractions for the quiet thoughtful man. The man who sees the original as a worthy representation of all that is right in his world. A car has been made; it is the embodiment of design and the technology of it's time. And time has designated this car a classic, for this marque stands out from the others, this marque stands for a completeness an epitamy, where all that a society strived for in it's heyday is made manifest in this marque, this car we hold dear, for it contains our dreams and our memories and our hope that the future would resemble the past. It stood for solidity, for industrial purpose, for the betterment of society, for; as Henry Ford put it: 'Where the man from the country could meet the man from the city'. Where a society could be liberated from the constraints of place and set forth (even for a day) on an adventure his grandparents could not have done. Ford et al began the American Dream, but others also dream...of another way.

Our sister site the HAMB dreams one way...
We dream another way...

[bluardun]

Your question regarding telling the difference between and original or new steel roadster body.
The original has 82 years of fatigue,dents,rust,rips, holes. Early or late model? $$$
The new steel has zero years of metal fatigue,dents,rust,etc. Late model only. $

Once you decide to restore to correct original condition everything must be exactly correct, if not, it's modified.

[TonyM]

Please don't butcher an original 1932 Ford Body.

[deuce_roadster]

My avatar roadster IS a hot rod (see public album with before and after pics). HOWEVER, someone could lift the body off the frame and repaint it, put it on a restored chassis with a full sized windshield and top if they wanted an original car. Nothing has been done to the original sheet metal body that would preclude it from going on the concourse. All I am saying, if you want to cut one up, do it to a repro. Every original one that gets cut up to make someone's dream car (for usually a short period of time) actually makes mine worth more but I would rather the few left stay the way Henry made them.

[Henry Hopper]

I bought an original 32 roadster with the intention of Hopping it up and dropping it a tad.....when it came down to it, I could not do it...the car had survived all those years and still had the original motor etc.I just felt it was wrong....boy, have I mellowed in age..lol.

I sold it, as it was horrible to drive in stock form.....the new owner had no qualms about tearing it apart and it's now a highboy with a blown French Flatty!

I'd agree with the other s on this and buy a Brooky body and put it on an original chassis....I don't know about the registration issues over there, but rebodying a car on an original rolling chassis still means it keeps it's original reg.over here...many cars were coach built in the past and it's the hardware that carries the reg, the body does not count.

A Brookville body with a FoMoCo firewall,FoMCo bonnet and grill shell ,plus a FoMoCo chassis pretty well gets you a complete car.......a lot of "original" bodies contain so much patch and replacement metal that they are on the way to repro anyhow.

Build your HotRod and enjoy it for what it is meant to be, a fun car...don't get too hung up about being able to stand next to it and worry about what others think.

[Digger]

My friend wants $89,500 for his all stock all factory metal 32 roadster, if that helps. See photo

[TonyM]

Originally Posted by Digger

My friend wants $89,500 for his all stock all factory metal 32 roadster, if that helps. See photo

Wow that is nice.

[tiger.1000]

Why does patch and replacement constitute repro ? Isn't there a vast difference between skilful conservation and restoration versus reproduction ?

In my view the art of restoration of an ancient motor-car, piece of furniture or an antique clock is to retain as much of the original fabric as possible. It is the genius
of the master craftsman who can blend old with new. He is vastly outnumbered by those who can fit replacement panels.

Panel beating accident damaged modern cars is become a dying art. It's cheaper and easier to replace a wing or a door skin than to effect a skilful repair.

It's the world we live in. REVOLT YOU BARNERS !

[cubdriver55]

Don't worry I have no intension of chopping up an original car. If I could afford an original 32 roadster I would just park it and leave it alone. I have a 32 3 window that has been channeled but it was that way when I bought it and the only reason I could afford it was because it was channeled. The price would have been much higher if it was not channeled. I found a 32 roadster that is channeled and I am thinking about buying it for an investment but I am not sure how bad that hurts the value. I am not sure if it was not Henry steel how much it would affect the value. Any car I buy no matter how much it has been modified I would at least want it to be an original body but perhaps that is just the way I think.

[redo32]

If the car has no history or famous owners I think the channel would knock it down 30-50%. Gas Monkey Garage found a nice channeled 3 window. Went all out with a new frame, paint, interior, but didn't un-channel the car. Took it to an auction. He lost his ass. I have no doubt had they rebuilt the floor & put fenders on it that it would have brought 15-20K more. You already have a 3W, so you must already have a fair idea of what '32's are worth to you. You don't need validation from us, if you can swing it, do it!

[Conair007]

Gas monkey offered 35k for my 3W coupe, which is all original. He told me it was worth probably 50 to 60k once it was done. Needless to say, I still own the car cause everyone knows its worth a lot more than that. I'm restoring it and have been offered more than that before I started to restore it. There just not a lot of 32 3W out there. So 3W channelled, chopped , lowered etc, at least you have one. Be proud........G-man

[carbuilder]

I like the monkeys.... Gas monkeys, but there's no reality in reality tv

[Richard]

Steve it is awesome to hear you are interested in a 1932 roadster. The 1932 roadster costs a lot if you piece it together, you best bet is to buy a car complete and close to your needs. If you want a car that is an original paint car, unmolested og and not channeled buy it. this is the car i am looking for. i can get you a highboy. give me a call at 562-338-4419 Richard

[jim1932]

If I was doing a hot rod, there is no way I would shell out original body prices just so I could brag "original Henry", If it wasn't built in the 50s or 60's it has no heritage anyway... build a hot rod today, use the bodies readily available.

[40 Deluxe]

Thinking about the desirability of "original Henry sheet metal" and the reality of how many times the fenders or doors were replaced, dents beat out, leaded in or Bondoed, patch panels welded in, frames and K members hacked and replaced, glass broken, etc., I would say that a lot of "original" cars are not that original-even the "barn finds"-(hate that term!)
Reminds me of the family that owned George Washington's hatchet for the last 200+ years. They used it regularly, as hatchets are meant to chop with. They were quite proud of the fact that it only had 15 new handles and the head had only been replaced 5 times! Question: How much would you pay for this hatchet??