DEUCE d’ELEGANCE – DAVID SUTHERLAND 1932 FORD 5W COUPE
If you’ve been rumbling around hot rodding for more years than you care to mention, you would have definitely heard stories told by our greying peers of the elusive 1932 Ford coupe, squirrelled away by its original owner who has long lost interest in the antiquated auto. For the owner of this delightful deuce, David Sutherland, his tale begins like many hot rodders who dream of unearthing an unmolested and honest rare gem.
Picture living in the birthplace of hot rodding, Southern California, in a modest suburb like Hemet as an adolescent gear head who thrives on tinkering with old cars, gasoline guzzling vintage V8s and grease-stained hands.
You get wind of a Chinese whisper of an old ‘32 Ford spotted languishing in a carport of an elderly lady’s home… only a couple of blocks away. As an aspiring young hot rodder, you wouldn’t be worth your lug nuts if you didn’t check out if the rumour was true, and you dress in your least offensive attire for the anticipated inspection.
As you round the last corner of the vaguely translated address, you’re gobsmacked with the sight of a five-window coupe deteriorating in a partially concealed lean-to. Justifying that you’ve got nothing to lose, you knock on the door with sweaty palms and nervously wait for a response. As the door creaks open, revealing a weathered woman’s face, you stammer something about the old car and sigh in relief at the sight of her warming smile.
Exhibiting passion for the out-of-date daily driver, you quickly learn that it’s been in the one family from new and has only 41,000 original miles on the clock. On closer inspection, there is no evidence of rust or patches, and you’re optimistic that the chalky paint will come up a treat with polish and elbow grease.
Brandishing an Honest Charley smile and a promise of utmost care for the family Ford, you somehow talk her into selling you the ‘32 and seal the deal of a lifetime. Fearing leaving the property without your prize, you phone a friend for help with transportation and bid farewell with a Cheshire grin.
After you manage to get the banger-powered Deuce running and driving, you quickly decide that an original car is not the Holy Grail you thought it would be and begin to gather parts to transform the flat-four Ford into a V8-powered hellcat hot rod.
While the actual accounts above may be more fairy tale than fact, this was the basis for David’s rejuvenation of his unmodified four-banger deuce coupe when it came to Australia.
“I built it like it was 1959,” he explains, “although there are a few concessions to allow it to be driven regularly without problems.”
A nice original I-beam axle that’s been dropped is first on the refinement list, followed by a 1948-era flathead V8 hopped up with a Merc crank and bored to 3 5/16 for 276 cubic inches. A pair of famous Edelbrock heads, Thickstun highrise intake, custom grind cam, improved ignition and headers complete the engine upgrade.
Backing up the healthy sidevalve, a 1939 gearbox is fitted with ‘48 gears for the better syncros and features modified shift rails and detent springs. Out back, David equipped the stock banjo rear with 3.54 gears and deemed that the driveline was ready.
With superior power now separating the original rails, improved stopping ability was achieved by swapping the elementary ‘32 mechanical offerings with Lincoln binders in the rear. Teamed with F2 Ford truck backing plates and Buick drums up front, it’s a great vintage combo for worry-free deceleration.
A Hudson steering box replaces the original non-centred box, improving the drivability while retaining factory appearance, as they are made by Gemmer, who also supplied Henry’s fleet.
No early Ford hot rod would be true to its moniker without a rubber rake and lowered suspension. David’s answer was a full complement of 40s era solid rims measuring just 16×4 inches up front and 16 x 4½ out back shod with 550 and 700 Firestone black wall hoops. Dressed with NOS 1956 F100 caps and beauty rings, they are as timeless as the entire ensemble. Reversed eye springs and tube shocks help the old girl stay on the road with ease while enhancing additional eye appeal.
David relays that the coupe was selectively taken apart during the revamp, but the desirable body was never separated from its original chassis. After six months of long nights, the ‘32 was back on the road as a traditional hot rod just as you see it here.
“It has been driven from Melbourne to the Gold Coast!” David boasts proudly. “I was asked where I had driven from, and when I asked what they meant, pointing to the plates… they asked if it came on a trailer. No, this is a real hot rod, driven anywhere!
“I would like to thank flathead and old Ford guru, Ivan Frost, for his wisdom, and help from the HAMB traditional hot rod forum for their archives that aided me to build what really is hot rod 101.”
