#no but no speedo magneto was a TRIP

[carrinth]

"Speedo Magneto isn't real! He cAN't hUrt you!!!"

We all wish for Magneto's unashamed body confidence. Man flew across the planet and was simply "Look upon my physique and despair"

[itsworn]

Barn Find 1932 Ford Roadster Becomes a 1940s Hot Rod with Perfect Patina

Dreamer. Ever since it appeared as a bimonthly magazine in 2008, HOT ROD Deluxe has strived to keep the past alive. Barn finds understandably play an essential role in this scheme due to their historical importance, but the pool of dusty 1930s relics being stashed away continues to thin as time passes. Meaning: Good luck finding one. Dave York was one of those dreamers who resigned himself to the idea of never being able to come across such a find. However, the instincts of the Surrey, British Columbia, resident proved wrong, as his inspiring story will confirm.

Before digging further into our tale, let’s introduce a second Canadian largely responsible for its outcome: Cam Grant. Regular HOT ROD readers might remember his name, thanks to an extensive article devoted to him in the June 2012 issue. He incidentally launched a line of hot rod windshields in the style of the DuVall model, though he eventually sold all the patterns to his good friend Dave York. Cam has been a longtime hot rodder, having amassed an impressive assortment of vehicles and parts over the years, including a pair of ’32 Ford roadster bodies.

Their story goes something like this: According to legend, a Deuce had been sitting in a barn loft a few hundred miles outside of Vancouver, BC. “I was skeptical that it would be a ’32, let alone a roadster,” Dave says. “I was in Cam’s garage one night in 2010, and he told me two of his friends had taken a truck and trailer to search for the car. We joked, commenting that it might turn out to be a Chevy coach or something like that.” A week later, Dave returned to his buddy’s house for another bench-racing session. Cam showed him a picture on his computer of a Deuce roadster, in what looked like the inside of an old barn. Yep, the legend proved to be true. “Look closer,” Cam indicated; and as Dave zoomed in, he could discern a second ’32 roadster behind it. He was speechless. One of the two gentlemen who had found the Deuces truly scored, paying 1970s prices for the pair, which had been stored in the barn for three decades. However, they were not what he wanted, so he called Cam, who didn’t think twice about it and purchased them on the spot.

Along with many others, Dave informed Cam that if one of these shells came up for sale, he would be the man. Mister Grant decided to resuscitate the white body first and hung the blue one in his rafters. A couple of years passed, and Dave received a phone call with a familiar voice at the other end simply asking: “Do you want the blue roadster?” As soon as he hung up, he was on his way to Cam’s place with a car trailer in tow. Sure, reviving the old Ford tin might translate into challenges, from a bent dash to smashed door tops. “But I had a vision in my head, so these issues didn’t really matter. It was pure cool.”

Having a deep appreciation for historical hot rods, Dave insisted on preserving as much of the patina as possible, gingerly fixing one issue at a time. He started by cutting off the upper part of the inner doorskins, thus gaining access to the door tops, which needed to be hammered and dollied into shape. He never intended to metal-finish them. Then the cut-out areas were simply welded back in before tackling the next major job: the “twist” of the body, handled thanks to a Porto-Power ram, heat, hammers, and a dolly. You’ll be surprised how well the doors open and close now. Dave additionally managed to locate hood sides and tops with matching patina, along with a grille shell, altered eons ago by removing/filling the bezel and radiator cap.

Extracted from a ’39 Ford, the flathead V8 was originally from a ’41 Mercury, the perfect foundation for a ’40s-style hopped-up motor. It looks great, too. You can’t miss the Navarro heads and dual Stromberg carbs; however, the block hides a number of other popular hi-po goodies from the same era: Iskenderian 400 Jr. cam, Johnson adjustable lifters, together with Lincoln Zephyr springs and stainless valves. The burned air/fuel mixture travels through Red’s headers and 1-3/4-inch exhaust lines sans muffler. Since our photo session, Dave has also replaced the Mallory dual-point distributor with an H&C magneto fully rebuilt by Tom Cirello. Power makes its way to the rear wheels via a ’39 Ford gearbox; opening its top divulged a set of desirable (and stronger) Lincoln Zephyr gears, a rather unexpected but welcomed surprise.

The puzzle began to take shape, yet still missed a few components, such as the complete roadster top. “One of my friends, Keith Warren, fortunately had the irons and original wood that he had squirreled away since 1963,” Dave recalls enthusiastically. After chopping the stanchions and windshield frame by 4 inches, he went to work to cut the irons accordingly, achieving an esthetically pleasant chopped top. “Many thanks to my father, John, who handled the woodwork. The ends of the rear bow had to be extensively modified in particular so that the top wasn’t so wide in that area.”

One of the most difficult challenges was yet to come: What material could he use to cover the reworked top mechanism? New and fresh-looking canvas was obviously out of the question, but another friend, Paul Reichlin, had the perfect solution. The owner of Cedardale Upholstery in Mt. Vernon, Washington, Paul has a ton of experience with traditional hot rods, in addition to Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance winners. He had saved a complete but aging soft top from an older restoration, based on a phaeton almost a century old. Worn out and stained, the material was ideal for what York had in mind. It matches to perfection the old leather that covers the bench seat, as well as the original wood floorboards.

With Frank Burns handling the wiring and a few other friends helping along the way, Dave managed to build a ’32 Deluxe roadster that truly catches the spirit of the 1940s. He and the car have entered a number of events in recent times, including Southern California’s 2014 Grand National Roadster Show (a 2,600-mile round trip from Vancouver), where he parked within the renowned Suede Palace. A proud addition to the Torchmen Rod & Kustom Club out of Langley, BC, the derelict Ford still continues evolving, though, with the latest addition being a genuine Halibrand Culver City quick-change.

They say a hot rod is never finished, a gearhead’s motto already in 1946, and still applicable in 2017, as Dave York will confirm.

From the outset, Dave York’s plan for his barn-find roadster was to preserve the car’s patina, although the body still required a bit of TLC due to the body and dash being damaged. Dave did not use a speck of body filler during the restoration process.

These three pictures tell the tale of this fantastic find. The first photo divulges the vehicle, still a roller, during the 1970s. Next, you can see its shell in the company of a second ’32. “That white roadster had been channeled a long time ago,” Dave explains, “but the floor and subrails were gone. On the other hand, my blue roadster had great rails and floor, yet the areas along the cowl and a quarter-panel hadn’t fared well. When stored, the car had been rolled over on its top side with a bulldozer or some piece of equipment. Both door tops sustained damage, and the body was twisted. After years of collecting trapped water, the cowl and quarter-panel became pin-holed in a few areas.” The third photo shows the body and frame being moved out of the barn.

How cool is this chopped top? The material was salvaged from a late-teens phaeton, once in the hands of the Harrah’s Collection. It had sustained water damage while in storage. “That stained fabric was a little weak and tore easily, so I had it double-laminated with modern Stay Fast canvas,” Dave says.

The engine and three-speed gearbox came from a ’39 Ford cabriolet, as its owner wanted to swap it for a more up-to-date V8. Dave thought he had purchased a stock 221ci engine, but after removing the stock iron heads, he soon discovered it was originally from a ’41 Mercury and thereby displaced 239 ci.

As you would expect, the motor has that “1940s hot rod appearance,” thanks to a pair of Navarro heads (bought by one of Dave’s friends from Barney Navarro before he passed away in 2007) and dual vintage Stromberg 97s with SP tops, bolted to an equally old Edelbrock Slingshot 2×2 manifold.

Much in the spirit of 1940s hot rods, Dave’s roadster relies on a stock, non-dropped axle. However, the use of ’40 Ford juice brakes in lieu of cable-activated drums was a fairly common practice. The car also retains its factory lever shocks, front and aft. Notice the nice overall finish of the chassis and components, painted satin black.

“My father John located an old brown love seat at a secondhand store,” Dave remembers. “I stripped it of its patina’d leather hide, and Bob Campbell whipped up a great pleated seat for me.” Bomber-style belts have been a hot rodder favorite since the early days of the hobby.

A ’37 Lincoln Zephyr supplied the steering wheel, while the column support came from another Lincoln, of ’32 vintage. For ease of mind, a couple of old Sun gauges (oil temp and fuel level) were discretely positioned under the dash. We dig the Yankee accessory turn signal switch as well.

Dave elected to reuse the factory 90-mph ’32 speedo, while two additional Eelco instruments keep him informed of the oil pressure and battery charge. The original bronze SCTA badge to the right of the cluster came from friend Pat Swanson.

A bunch of hot rods built back in the ’40s ran their headlights fairly high, and this one is no exception. To achieve the feat, Dave modified/straightened two ’32 Ford fender braces, which now serve as individual stands for the Corcoran Brown headlights.

Period-correct Ford ’39 taillights look perfect on each side of the stock gas tank. Check out the rebuilt Houdaille lever shock, above the springs.

The roadster rolls on a set of 16×4 ’35 Ford rims, though you can’t see the wires anymore, ad they are being hidden behind a set of desirable Lyons wheel covers. Moderate rake relies on Firestone rubber measuring 6.00-16 and 7.50-16.

Here is a bonus picture recently snapped by Dave, showing the roadster now equipped with side curtains, a neat addition.

Tribute

A keeper of the “traditionalist” flame in British Columbia, Dave has also been known for his fantastic ’49 Ford cleverly built as a tribute to the mid-1950s custom cars. Its story begins 15 years ago when he purchased the shell of a Tudor sedan, primered and already chopped 3 inches by the previous owner. While managing to get his ride on the road fairly quickly, he was never satisfied with the top chop; so in 2009, he decided to completely revamp the vehicle. The roof lost another 3-inch slice, and the body received several alterations, such as moving the headlights forward 4 inches and installing ’51 Olds 98 taillights. The green color came from the 2007 Jeep paint chart. Under that hood lurks a more-than-able 327ci Chevy engine.

After Dave worked until 3 in the morning with friends, his maiden voyage behind the wheel was to Santa Maria’s 2010 Cruisin’ Nationals. It captured the imagination of many enthusiasts, so much so that the duo was invited to the 2011 Grand National Roadster Show. That year, the event offered a special exhibit called “Customs: Then and Now,” featuring no less than 75 “members of the custom car royalty,” with the oldest models built in the 1940s. Being a part of that exhibit certainly was a highlight in Dave’s years of involvement in the hot rod and custom scene, accompanied by his wonderful better half, Belinda.

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