1932 Ford Deluxe 3W, Murray Body # informal registry, how many are still around?

[davidgrant]

Randy,

This is a great idea. I have owned two '32 3 windows, actually the first was just the body with no other parts, not even the wood or door jamb tin. It was missing the doors and had a gutted deck lid. I believe it was a trunk car. I paid $150 in 1974 and sold it in 1975 for $350.00. It was a beautiful body with the floor intact , no rust and unchopped. I do not remember it having a body tag. My second '32 window I purchased in 1993 for $2,500 and it was an ex-race car. No floor, so no body tag either, gutted doors and no deck lid. My old boss from 1973 found it in the early '80s and he traded off for bodywork on another project to an old body man. As a matter of fact, I worked with this same body man when I was in high school in the mid '70s. I worked with him again at a different shop in the late '80s. That is when I learned the body man had the 3 window body sitting in his backyard and the recent history. Everyone in the shop tried to buy the body, but in 1993 I prevailed and brought it home. It has a trunk and it is now sitting on a Pete Eastwood chassis in my garage. If I can figure out how to post photos I will send some over in the next day or so. I have found a right door to repair mine. I still need an original left door inner panel to repair the other door. I could also use some original garnish moldings. These '32 Fords are very cool and we sure had a lot of them at Deuce Week at the Petersen Museum March 3rd.

[FlatheadTed]

David do you have any photos of Deuce week .

[davidgrant]

Flathead Ted,

I was on the planning committee for 17 months. It was a great event. We could have used more '32 Fords and more people. Send me your email address and I will send some photos. [email protected]

David Grant

[Randy]

Our count is growing, if only ever so slowly!

Thanks to all who contributed to this post. To date, we've identified 25 Deuce 3Ws with body tags, several more with missing tags. Here is the list of the body #s identified from Fordbarn, the H.A.M.B., and DeucesLimited.com:

239
267
352
441
483
694
1636
1701
3103
4749
4988
5429
5576
5652
5956
7538
7622
7993
8214
8612
8830
9424
10293
11746
12660

[mr323window]

My car is very likely Canadian built but every obvious sign is gone. There were no tags and the car had been channeled. I didn't think to check the frame numbers before I painted it. I haven't even been able to find out who owned mine before the owner before me had it. Is there anything on the body it's self. My car was not drilled out for the cowl lights.

[kiphartzell]

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One more to add... B520B-2095 --- Original rumble, once poorly converted to a trunk, now back to a rumble. The obvious thing, this plate has B520B crudely stamped, where others posted in this thread look like the four digit body type was screened like the rest of the plate and only the unique number was stamped. Thoughts?

[Randy]

Thanks for posting. Not sure, this is the first one I've seen like this.

[Randy]

Just added this one from ebay, #5628:



Thanks to all who contributed to this and other posts we've identified 36 Deuce 3Ws with body tags, several more with missing tags. Here is the list of the body #s identified from Fordbarn, the H.A.M.B., and DeucesLimited.com:

239
250
267
352
441
483
694
1636
1701
2095
2643
3103
4054
4749
4945
4988
5429
5576
5628
5652
5956
7538
7622
7993
8214
8295
8612
8830
9020
9424
9548
9744
10293
11333
11746
12660

[lowride]

Here's another for you; B520B-2643 Rumble seat, 84xxx, July of 32, Murray Body

[Randy]

Originally Posted by lowride

Here's another for you; B520B-2643 Rumble seat, 84xxx, July of 32, Murray Body

Thanks! Added yours and #250 from the h.a.m.b. and we're up to 29!

[F1 MIKE]

B520A-8295 i sold 1n 1974 to buy B520A-9020 i still have it today and B520A 4945 belongs to a friend. and prob 5 to 6 more in Marin and sonoma county.

[DavidG]

Randy,

Given the relatively modest magnitude of the individual body numbers reported to date (with 12,660 being the highest) relative to the total body build, I am beginning to suspect that the two types (A-trunk and B-rumble) may have been numbered separately and not consecutively without regard to the type. In other words, perhaps two sets of numbers were used on the U.S.-built bodies which were additive in order to know the total number of bodies built.

[DavidG]

Judging from BoxCar Tom's body and engine numbers, it would seem my theory about two separate sets of numbers has some merit. Further given the grand total, more A-suffix bodies were evidently built than B-suffix bodies.

[Randy]

Originally Posted by F1 MIKE

B520A-8295 i sold 1n 1974 to buy B520A-9020 i still have it today and B520A 4945 belongs to a friend. and prob 5 to 6 more in Marin and sonoma county.

Thanks, that brings us to the magic number of 32!

Originally Posted by DavidG

Judging from BoxCar Tom's body and engine numbers, it would seem my theory about two separate sets of numbers has some merit. Further given the grand total, more A-suffix bodies were evidently built than B-suffix bodies.

Interesting theory and that makes since, since we don't have any numbers in the teens and twenties! I guess we'll know for sure if we get a duplicate number on A vs. B. That is curious about the # of trunk models vs. rumble. I guess Ford would have had some sales history to look back on illustrating the popularity of the rumble seat, maybe someone knows the percentage of Model A coupes that were sold with rumble seats?

[DavidG]

Ford's '32 production records only distinguish between engine type (four or V-8) by model. There is no further breakdown of optional (at extra cost) equipment such as a rumble seat on a deluxe coupe (or standard coupe or standard roadster).

[F1 MIKE]

Originally Posted by Randy

Thanks, that brings us to the magic number of 32!



Interesting theory! At this rate of response I don't think we're in danger of getting a duplicate number on A vs. B, but it would be interesting to find out. That is curious about the # of trunk models vs. rumble. I guess Ford would have had some sales history to look back on illustrating the popularity of the rumble seat, maybe someone knows the percentage of Model A coupes that were sold with rumble seats?

All 3 are trunk models. now that i hit the magic number do i get a CHICKEN DINNER

[Randy]

Originally Posted by DavidG

Ford's '32 production records only distinguish between engine type (four or V-8) by model. There is no further breakdown of optional (at extra cost) equipment such as a rumble seat on a deluxe coupe (or standard coupe or standard roadster).

I see what you mean, but they would know how many rumble cushions and other parts they made and sold, to help determine anticipated demand by 1932?

[DavidG]

At the time, of course, but those sorts of data tend to get purged from the files after a couple of years, unlike the vehicle production statistics, which Ford took pains to save.

[Randy]

I know you're right, but I was more thinking along the lines of them using the production and sales data of the Model A's to predict how many B520B rumbleseat bodies to build.

I always thought the rumbleseat bodies were more common, but I know alot of people that restored their cars in the '60s, '70s, and '80s, converted many of them to rumbleseats, kind of a trend back then. From the data that has been contributed, the factory built rumbleseat bodies would appear to be fewer in number (as of what we've found for now). The factory rumbleseat body has the unique feature of no external rumble handle on the top or bottom of the lid, among the other '32 3Ws.

[Randy]

Just added another to bring us to 33, B520A 9744 in Australia.