1932 Ford hot rod

Don Tognotti's 32 Ford Coupe "Avenger" Debuted at the Oakland Roadster Show in 1961 where it won its class. Don owned and managed the Oakland Roadster Show and the Sacramento Autorama for years until he sold them in 1999. He died a year later in a very sad murder-suicide involving his wife who was ill.

This 1932 Ford highboy roadster has a traditional look but few rods of the good old days were finished to this level. A custom interior, a strong-running small block V8, and an unusual yet period-correct paint job make this a roadster that will stand out without trying too hard.



This build was finished a few years ago but never saw much use, so it still looks fresh and with this look, it'll never go out of style. The body is fiberglass with a steel 3-piece hood, but until you rap your knuckles against it, you'd never know for sure. The yellow paint is high-impact and definitely makes this car look bold, but the tan two-tone for the top surfaces gives it a whole new look that's straight out of the '50s when such combinations were building the foundations of hot rodding. The paint looks quite good and aside from some minor signs of use, the finish is holding up beautifully. It's got that awesome minimalist look that strips the '32 down to the barest of minimums, with a pair of headlights perched on the frame but precious little else to slow it down. A stainless grille insert and chrome spreader bar up front give some contrast, while out back there are a pair of smoked '39 Ford taillights and a color-matched gas tank to make it look authentic.



Back in the 1950s, very, very few rods had interiors that looked as good as the tan threads inside this one. Pleated seats with intricate designs, matching door panels, and a cool two-tone effect all give it a polished look that's also as sophisticated as the paint job. The contrast in styles is very appealing, and with details like the banjo-style steering wheel and white-faced gauges clustered in the center of the dash, it looks suitably vintage. The strip of wood running under the dash warms it up a bit and provides a neat place to hang the AM/FM/CD stereo head unit, and the speakers are tucked neatly under the dash. It's fully carpeted, something that few roadsters enjoyed back in the day, and the shifter and E-brake both have neatly tailored boots that match the upholstery. And with this roadster, you also get a nicely finished trunk with a trick battery box and plenty of room for gear.



For power, it uses a stout 350 cubic inch Chevy V8, nothing radical, just an awesome power-to-weight ratio that makes it a blast to drive. There's enough chrome under the louvered hood to make it interesting and the hardware is reliable: an Edelbrock intake and 4-barrel carburetor, a Mallory ignition system, and a set of block-hugging headers feeding a pair of glasspack-style mufflers for a period sound. The transmission is a TH350 3-speed automatic feeding a Ford rear end, which hangs on a set of chrome coil-over shocks and a 4-link setup. The front suspension is a traditional dropped axle on a transverse leaf spring, and everything under the car has been painted to match the bodywork for an ultra-clean look. There's no need for power steering on a car this light, but it does have power front disc brakes for impressive stopping power. Classic steel wheels with Ford hubcaps and trim rings carry 195/65/15 front and 235/60/15 rear wide whitewall radials for an old-school look with modern tire technology.

1932 TITLED STEEL & FIBERGLASS BODIED 'TONY NANCY 22JR TRIBUTE' & "STREETRODDER MAGAZINE FEATURED" HIGHBODY ROADSTER WITH ROLLBAR, DIAMOND SEATS, STOCK-STYLE DEUCE RAILS BOXED & PAIRED WITH COMBINATION OF MODEL A & TUBULAR CROSSMEMBERS, V-8/60 AXLE, CHEVY 400 V8 WITH DUAL QUADS & WITH ONLY SOME 5K MILES SINCE REBUILD!!

West Coast Classics are proud to present an absolutely stunning 1932 'Deuce' Ford Model 'B' Highboy Roadster Hot Rod which is titled as a 1932 Ford with only 5,400 miles on the build and which represents an outstanding example of a traditional Hot Rod conversion!

While retaining the basic external looks and characteristics of this eighty year old classic car, this highly desirable deuce '32 Roadster looks just as if it were fabricated way back in the fifties and early sixties. This particular '32 Roadster is an original recreation and tribute of the original Model 'B' Roadster raced by the legendary Tony Nancy. The original Tony Nancy Ford Roadster is now on permanent display at the NHRA Museum in Pomona. Like all the race cars belonging to that famous southern California resident, it wore the legendary #22JR, just as this replica does.

As depicted on the many large pixel photos posted below, this Hot Rod was custom fabricated by Steve and his renown gang at 'Limeworks' in Whittier, California using only the finest modern components whilst at the same time staying true to the original template and being completely devoid of all unnecessary luxuries. The caliber of all the work performed on this vehicle is of the highest quality with the entire vehicle being highly detailed and well finished. Appraised in 2007 for $68,500 by Jeff Hyman of the renown 'Classic Auto Appraiser's' here is as featured in Street Rodder Magazine - the 'Tony Nancy 22JR Tribute' - a stunning recreation that "couldn't be any better" of this 32 High Boy Roadster Hot Rod. As noted by both the appraiser and Street Rodder Magazine, the caliber of the work if of the highest quality and we could'nt agree more!

Equipment build includes:

Moon aluminum tank
Chrome spreader bar
Chrome grille
Custom painted grille shell
Chrome headlights
Chrome aluminum radiator
Custom fabricated radiator support
Stainless steel flex fan
Balanced and blueprinted 400 c.i. small block V8 motor set back 4"
Painted heads and block
Painted water pump
Twin Edelbrock carburetors
Ceramic coated aluminum intake manifold
Moon temperature gauge
Chrome pulleys
Polished Edelbrock valve covers
Taylor plug wires
Twin chrome air cleaners
Chrome GM alternator
Chrome brackets
Custom fabricated motor mounts
Painted steering box
Borgesen chrome steering linkage
HEI magneto
Ceramic coated 'Zoomie' headers
Mini hi-torque starter
Polished line fittings
Chrome oil pan
Chrome tubular drop axle
Chrome spindles
Chrome MG 'knee' shocks
Chrome front four link
Custom painted Deuce frame
Polished stainless steel bolts and fasteners
Vented front disc brakes
Polished Wilwood calipers
Smoothed and filled '32 Ford firewall with mirrored trim
Turbo 350 transmission
Cowl vent
Frame mounted brake booster
Chopped windshield
Custom chopped chrome windshield surround
Dash mounted rear view mirror
Chrome side mirror
Smoothed & filled fiberglass body
Shaved doors
Chromed hinges
Custom wiring system
Smoothed dash
Stewart Warner gauges
Column mounted Stewart Warner tachometer
Chrome Limeworks steering column
Custom black vinyl diamond pleat upholstered seats
Custom 'Tony Nancy' embroidery
Custom black vinyl diamond pleat upholstered door panels
Custom billet inner door hardware
Custom black vinyl diamond pleat upholstered side and kick panels
Custom black vinyl upholstered diamond pleat rear panel
Custom black wool carpets
Lap harness
Custom pedals
Hurst shifter
Custom chrome roll bar
Custom driveshaft
Chrome rear four-link
Chrome rear coil overs
Chrome Ford 9" rear end
Steel gas tank
Custom black vinyl diamond pleat upholstered tank
Custom black wool carpeted trunk
Trunk mounted battery
Chrome battery box
Pontiac rear lights
Chrome louvered steel deck lid
Chrome rear spreader bar
Show Quality Custom Orange exterior paint

As said best by Streetrodder "Imitation may be the sincerest form of flattery but emulation is the noblest. Not all cloned hot rods are created equal. Take this orange Deuce for example."Although all of Tony Nancy's four competition roadsters were red Model A's and powered by either Flatheads or Nailheads, differences aside there's something eerily familiar about this orange car, if only aesthetically. Its because Steve Dennish (from Limehouse) didn't copy one of Tony's cars but from the obvious influence of Tony's style and what began as a 60's style 'drag and show car' he ended up producing not a clone but an original tribute to the man. Built out of a combination of original parts with no 'Limeworks' fabricated parts apart from the Moon tank brackets, a few speed parts and the rest built by hand, Steve built a car just like Tony did in his day. The chassis is standard fare; a pair of stock style Deuce rails that have been boxed and paired with a combination of Model A and tubular crossmembers. The engine a 400 Chevy with dual quads and a set of weed burner pipes with its location emblematic of '60's drag racing and set back rearward. Every part of the cockpit is 1960's appropriate. The car was painted at the renown 'Bob's Autobody' also of Whittier, California and the trim ironically enough at 'Tony's Auto Upholstery' also of Whittier, California and the cars graphics and lettering were actually finished by a pin-striper who coincidentally had lettered the last two or three of Tony Nancy's cars.

Tony Nancy was pretty much in a league of his own in an era when precedence in drag racing had yet to be fully established. Tony's attention to detail made him legendary and no drag racer concious of a 'rails appearance considered a car finished until Tony pleated it in his hallmark 'diamond pattern'. Dubbed 'The Loner' by his fans for his ability to field a successful race by himself and he himself dubbed every one of those race cars with the number he acquired as a roadster racer: 22JR.

This rod drives on the freeway like a rocket and as straight as an arrow. Please note that the slick tires and E.T. wheels have been replaced (see photos below) by more street friendly tires and the original 'In Memory of Tony Nancy' graphics have been removed by the rods most recent owner and the steering wheel has been replaced. We understand that this rod was originally purchased from Limehouse for approximately $89K and since its purchase it has only driven some very easy 5,100 miles! The rod has been further upgraded since then with vintage brakes with steel lines, a new steering wheel, seat belts, progressive linkage, proportional valves and transmission cover! Purchased recently by West Coast Classics from its most recent southern California collector/owner with original Jeff Hyman appraisal and StreetRodder magazine article available. The rod was again recently serviced (4/2013) at Limeworks where the front rims and all brake components were removed and the inner and outer wheel bearings re-greased and reinstalled; the carbs adjusted and the headers removed and re-fitted. The engine was tuned and the timing adjusted.



Only some 5,400 miles since the build and obviously always garaged, covered and with no accidents since the build, owned and driven since then by only obviously very careful and meticulous owners - never ever abused - babied all the way! The 'Custom Orange' color paint and '22 JR' graphics are in absolutely beautiful and flawless condition and the car still looks like it just left 'Limehouse'. The black diamond pleated seats and interior are also in absolutely beautiful condition throughout with no signs of wear and the dashboard, carpets and headliner are also all in as new condition! This Hot Rod drives exactly like a newly built low mileage rod should, the engine is extremely strong with no oil leaks and the temperature always remains cool.



You will look long and hard to find a finer example of this genuine 1932 Ford and as we all know, only a deuce is a deuce! The 1932 Ford is regarded as being the definitive hot rod and has been since the birth of hot rodding as we know it back in the thirties. The Deuces popularity is easy to understand as in 1932 the Ford engineers developed a worthy successor to the obsolete Model A, a masterful new design with more power and more elegant lines and the timeless grille of the Deuce meant that no other car was as sought after for hot rodding into the forties and they remain as popular today as they were then! Stock '32 frames provide substantially greater torsional rigidity than the previous 1928-31 models and since 1932 was the first year of production for Ford's V8, installing a later V8 was easier than before. Also the Deuce was the only car Ford ever made that had the sides of the frame rails exposed.



This particular 1932 Ford Highboy Roadster is as well known and documented a custom Deuce as you can hope to find and as such it is like no other vehicle on the road and a pure statement of individuality! It will undoubtedly continue to prove to be a very worthwhile investment for the Hot Rod or Deuce enthusiast or simply easily prove to be the most fun you ever had in a car!

Christen on Charlie Durans 32

Jerry's 32
Saints CC

Jerry's Nailhead Powered 32
Saints CC

This is a cool old 1932 Ford pickup that you can cruise today. It's a real Henry Ford 32, not a fiberglass kit car. It is a steel cab, steel bed, steel doors, glass fenders, still has the cowl vent. This truck is fast and fun. Drop axle, Ford 9 inch. It is a built, gear driven 383 c.i. small block Chevy with an Edelbrock Performer package that includes Edelbrock aluminum heads, aluminum intake, and Edelbrock carburetor. The smoke stack exhaust is functional and sounds awesome! It has Cragars and 4 wheel disc brakes. Pro Car bucket seats, Lokar shifter, vintage CB radio. It looks good and runs better, but it is not a perfect show car and is not priced like one. It is a fast, fun, killer truck that is ready to have a good time today.

1932 Ford Pickup Steel bodied Hot Rod truck. 348 ci TH350 automatic. Chromed drop axle, springs and trailing arms. New interior, Nice wood bed with chrome strips. Chrome reverse wheels with baby moons and new wide white radials. Steel body, Glass fenders.