Throwback: 1932 Ford Gets Practical Transformation
Why would anyone build something that Ford already did? Well, there are plenty of good reasons behind this '32 Ford roadster pickup build.
Crazy Idea?
As you probably already know, Ford built a roadster pickup in 1932. But this particular ride, which was recently featured at Hot Rod, isn't one of those factory-built originals. So why, you ask, would anyone go to the extreme trouble of building something like this when they could just buy an existing one? Well, the owner certainly has his reasons for going to these great and seemingly non-sensible lengths.
Photos: Hot Rod
Making Sense
For starters, original 1932 Ford roadster pickups are rare - as in, less than 1,000 were built. Today, they're extremely hard to find, and if you can locate one, they're going to be quite expensive. On the other hand, building one from scratch is actually fairly easy thanks to aftermarket support.
Two Into One
The owner of this particular conversion, Danny Shaffer, was able to build his own hot rod roadster pickup after teaming up with a company called American Speed Co. They offer a series of reproduction bodies for the '32 Ford, and this one took two to build - the Dearborn Deuce, which offers a concealed top, and the Brookville Roadster with its traditional truck bed.
Old and New
If it seems like a lot of trouble to combine two different bodies into one, well, that's because it is. But Shaffer really liked the look of the concealed top, so it was worth the effort for him. The next step on this build was to locate a suitable chassis, and he found one at Precision Hot Rods that was traditional in scope but features a host of modern components.
Keeping It Old School
The stretched chassis holds goodies like a Super Bell drop axle with SO-CAL hairpins, a Kugel IRS, Viking shocks, Borgeson cross-steer, and Wilwood disc brakes. The whole thing rides on staggered 15/16" American Rebel Manufacturing Sprint wheels wrapped in Coker radials for a proper old school appearance.
No Hack Job
American Speed chopped off the rear section of the roadster body and fitted it with the pickup bed, but you'd be hard pressed to tell this was a hack job. With a custom fabbed rear cab section, this hidden-top roadster pickup looks like it came this way from the factory.
Big Power, Great Looks
Powering this hybrid classic is a big Ford Performance crate engine with eight stacks up top and acres of chrome covering the whole thing. It's backed up by a Gearstar 4R70W transmission featuring overdrive for easy cruising.
Unique Choices
A unique build like this also calls for a unique color choice, and this '32 certainly offers that with several coats of PPG's Deltron metallic moss green shade. The interior perfectly complements the exterior thanks to a unique paprika-colored distressed leather covering a custom bench seat and much of the rest of the cabin.
