"New" 1932 Ford coupe

[paddlenbike]

My dad is fulfilling a life-long dream of his to build a brand new classic car. When I was growing up my dad always had a project car in the garage and he built somewhere just under a dozen cars in his lifetime. As he put it, he was always "dragging junk out of junkyards" and trying to turn it into something nice. Now that he is retired and has the means, he is building something truly nice and 100% new, from the crate motor down to every single bolt that holds it all together.

I apologize all of the pics are crappy, I only seem to have my cel phone when I'm there, but I thought I would show some of the work anyway.

Here is a photo from Christmas of 2011 when it consisted of a frame and an engine.
https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-rpnlaLES_J8/UNCaeTOHu8I/AAAAAAAAHs4/Gc-kznVkMc8/s800/%255BUNSET%255D.jpg

The chassis has an all-independent suspension, which is a little more advanced that the leaf springs and solid axles it had from the factory.

The rear-end is a Ford 9" with LSD, inboard Wilwood disc brakes with 4 piston calipers in the rear and six piston in the front (to replace 4-wheel drum brakes in the original 1932 Ford). Exhaust is 304 stainless.
https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-F9fAuB3v1zU/UNCaawBl9MI/AAAAAAAAHso/TXTAOn_tXuI/s800/%255BUNSET%255D.jpg

The engine is a 2012 Corvette LS3 e-rod engine, which means it has catalytic converters, OBD-II and meets 50-state emissions. It is rated at 430 hp.
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-7bDDUgZWWbI/UNCaO1Vw-XI/AAAAAAAAHsQ/pLAsj4AHGD8/s800/%255BUNSET%255D.jpg

And here is the replica body:
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-yii8JPEVsIs/UNCafzRLOjI/AAAAAAAAHtA/qM_M0VbzuTM/s800/%255BUNSET%255D.jpg

By April of 2012 it was starting to look like a car.
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/--omsmsVzw7I/UNCbRS914GI/AAAAAAAAHtI/4f0KRm3Iu4s/s800/%255BUNSET%255D.jpg

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-DAWfMkZjyRE/UNCbckBNvWI/AAAAAAAAHtQ/4yaK572RPnw/s800/%255BUNSET%255D.jpg

[paddlenbike]

Now this is where it starts to get exciting. As of today it is a few days from being started for the first time.
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Qwj069ZO_7M/UPI5w1ghexI/AAAAAAAAJQc/HNgwBcIOD68/s800/%255BUNSET%255D.jpg

He had it painted maroon with black fenders, and no metallic in the paint, just like the cars from that era.
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-M3Og2sG8qkU/UPI5x-jIHwI/AAAAAAAAJQk/28PLlZ9VIoU/s800/%255BUNSET%255D.jpg

LED tail lights:
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-AwdJcvW7w6I/UPI5yz5xd1I/AAAAAAAAJQs/6-YX08Wa9Zs/s800/%255BUNSET%255D.jpg

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-cT3Re2gfwhU/UPI50wD7BnI/AAAAAAAAJQ8/RSDQqGnuUYw/s800/%255BUNSET%255D.jpg

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-eImspVkmzfA/UPI57XcY0tI/AAAAAAAAJRw/hUs3hlxZvT8/s800/%255BUNSET%255D.jpg

But to any motorhead, this is the key picture.
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-sw7n-HkrBw4/UPI5-Rm4rkI/AAAAAAAAJSI/wyV3f5MPA84/s800/%255BUNSET%255D.jpg

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Pnjd16Bh-5s/UPI6B5V95HI/AAAAAAAAJSg/wWXhS7WuNvA/s800/%255BUNSET%255D.jpg

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-2lI7HfsCRjA/UPI6DgsSSQI/AAAAAAAAJSw/ByiM53BIBvg/s800/%255BUNSET%255D.jpg

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-R-wUYwcz1vE/UPI6EtAMDsI/AAAAAAAAJS4/irllu7Kw098/s800/%255BUNSET%255D.jpg

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Z0LwWq8iTqk/UPI6G4zlkII/AAAAAAAAJTQ/nic8CA1q8_A/s800/%255BUNSET%255D.jpg

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-GGNCuWB488E/UPI6ISuR_tI/AAAAAAAAJTg/mnrLgsLH4TE/s800/%255BUNSET%255D.jpg

It has been really fun to watch this car come along, but it's really neat to see my father near completion on something he has wanted to do his entire life. :thumbup:

[Seanz0rz]

I love the IRS! I would like to do this sorta thing with a Model A pickup for my dad. wonder if they have the "new" model A's.

[paddlenbike]

You can buy kits to do just about anything you want. You can order a frame for the above car with solid axles front and rear, or upgrade to IFS in the front, or go with IFS/IRS. Try a google search for a Model A kit car.

[4x4mike]

Man that thing is coming along.

[DHC6twinotter]

That is awesome! I would love to tackle a project car like this sometime.

[paddlenbike]

He is certainly having fun with it. He has commented several times that not having to scrape rust off each part before he works on it is the best part.

[corax]

Sweet! That looks like it'll be a fun ride

[YotaFun]

Thats awesome!
Can't wait to see it completed and on the road,
that will be a fun head turner for sure!

[paddlenbike]

It is more likely that I drive one of the retired space shuttles than this car. I'm thinking he will keep it under close wraps.

[Crinale]

looks like a fun little toy

[Robinhood4x4]

Is he piecing this together from a kit or is he designing and fabricating all the parts?

That exhaust clamp appears to be the same type we use in the aerospace industry. If he were to buy that straight from the manufacturer, it could cost as much as $1000 each.

[4x4mike]

Ken's Dad is legit. He probably has a box of extra $1000 clamps in case the ones installed get dirty.

I think his next build might need some more power

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-rf_HYu3lt3o/USead5W8o-I/AAAAAAAA1wk/nceGXUUOcWI/s800/BB2_zps9e02f572.jpg

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-hZ8tYUByCB0/USeadr_FRRI/AAAAAAAA1wY/D-C9Bafjgn0/s800/BB1_zps1bb536fe.jpg

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-GBerhjKq8yo/USeahGZtsCI/AAAAAAAA1yA/K4ZSnPS-qAc/s800/photo7_zps8cf5c4ab.jpg

[Robinhood4x4]

Ken's Dad is legit. He probably has a box of extra $1000 clamps in case the ones installed get dirty.


If the nice motorhome in the background is any indication, I can believe it.

[4x4mike]

Legit, I tell ya. Did you see how the shop walls match the motorhome?

[Obi..]

All you guys replying in this thread would completely hate the fact I work right next to Bascom Trim and Upholstery, Sid Chalver, Keeling Engine, and ExcelFab. Beautiful rig there, post up more of this sort of thing! :D

[paddlenbike]

I wish we had things like that when I was living under their roof. When I was five or six years old, my mom would literally make pants for me from my dad's worn out jeans. After all of those years of hard work with little to show for it, it is nice to see him finally be able to live-out his dreams.

That hot rod engine is ridiculous. Although he could have stepped it up a bit with the addition of a supercharger between those two turbos. :)