1932 FORD ROADSTER – JON AND DEBBIE BRIDGE
Ever since Jon Bridge debuted his first hot rod, a ’33 Ford hiboy coupe, at the Valla Park rod run back in 2012, he’s become well known for his attention to detail and his commitment to quality workmanship.
The deep liquorice-coloured coupe commanded attention wherever it went, and that was everywhere as Jon and Deb attended just about every Southeast Queensland and Northern NSW event going: rod runs, car shows, coffee runs and national gatherings, just for the pure fun of driving their pride and joy and catching up with their new circle of friends.
But just as the creator of this enormously popular repro Ford was smitten with its existence, it found a new admirer, besotted with its basic, breathtaking beauty. It offered Jon something he couldn’t refuse.
“We were at Cooly Rocks On, and Jan approached me about selling the coupe. I wasn’t interested, but she was really adamant about purchasing it, and eventually I gave in. We were a little devastated because it was such a good car to drive, reliable and well received. I do still regret it, but the coin really helped in finishing a few things around the house, as well as a great start towards another project,” he confesses.
Keen to get his heinie into another hot rod, he sniffed out a good deal by procuring the 2015 ASRF Nationals entrants giveaway 1932 roadster body from a third-hand purchaser. The C&W Components deuce had already been blown apart and coated in hi-fill primer when Jon took delivery of the quality-constructed repop, giving him a big step toward his conceived project.
“I got the body in late September 2015; it had changed hands twice by then,” he explains. At the time, C&W had a seven-month wait (for a body), and this was a quick way to leapfrog the queue. It’s really Deb’s car as she wanted a roadster… but we just needed a car.”
Further momentum came from purchasing a Kiwi Konnection-constructed ’32 perimeter chassis via Steve Coade, who was also instrumental in setting up the front end.
“I learnt so much doing the coupe, and I had a firm plan for the chassis. I went to the USA in October with a shopping list to speed up the whole process, and I knew exactly what I was looking for. Steve set up the pedal box and front end using So-Cal Speed Shop components, and my brother Marvin did the rear C-notch, engine mounts, tail shaft loop, shock mounts, exhaust and most other fabricated pieces.”
Jon relays that what really kicked this project into high gear was a chat he had with the current owner of his old coupe.
“I spent time talking to Jan at the next Cooly Rocks, and I realised just how much I missed not having a hot rod to drive. The roadster was rolling, but that was about it. It was June, and Yamba Rod Run was in November, so I set my goal on that.”
At first, Jon and Deb were going to “throw-it-together” and drive the wheels off it, but by his own admission, he confesses they are just not that type of people. As I mentioned before, Jon is about attention to detail, and I believe a ratty rod would never exit his humble one-car home workshop.
With a swag of unboxed hot rod components and a deadline countdown, he was head down and bum up, ably assisted by Deb when she wasn’t flying around in her Virgin suit. Airline that is! As he pieced the traditional suspension together, he hung and positioned the vast array of reproduction goodies to complete the sano chassis before exploding it apart for a coat of carefree gloss black. This deuce was destined to be a highway hiboy, which meant highlighting the desirable dimple side of the frame in body colour. But we will get to that hot topic a little later.
Black wire wheels were always in the underpinning mix as Jon wanted to capture the essence of nostalgia rodding without the typical use of solid rims. Now it seems black wire wheels have made a fashion comeback, with many high-end American examples featuring them prominently. Another Bridge prerequisite was a throbbing FoMoCo heart for motivation, and he scored a stock short 302 Windsor mill to be massaged by brother Marvin at his engine business, Bridge Racing.
“Marvin is a genius with Ford motors,” Jon beams, “the 302 was my choice. If it were his, it would be a big block!”
All Jon conveyed to his brother during the rebuild was that it had to sound like a hot rod. Thanks to Jon’s dedicated research, Marvin’s skills and a Lunati ‘Bootlegger’ cam, the audible note is unashamedly hot rod. The tough Windsor is backed by a rebuilt C4 auto sporting a B&M 2800 stall converter and a bulletproof Currie nine-inch, also manipulated by Marvin to spin a limited-slip centre with a 3.00-1 ratio. Currie drums combine perfectly with the So-Cal binders up front at Deb’s dainty depress of the Falcon master cylinder and seven-inch booster.
With the chassis nearly complete, Jon entrusted the body to paint perfectionist Paul Elms at PE Customs to finish the ensemble. Jon explains that good friend Dion Wilcox, who painted the ’33 coupe under his Kustom Shop banner, couldn’t be tapped for this one due to the tight time frame, but Paul was keen to take on the task.
With mere weeks to complete all the final assembly and a thousand or so loose ends, the balmy breeze of November beaded sweat on his brow as the concluding thrash began in earnest.
Incidentally, the unusual colour chosen to complement all the black accents was gleaned from a vehicle previously painted at PE Customs. Although now a solid hue without its gold base or pearl overlay, one can see the close resemblance to the top half of Garry Moore’s cool ’55 Ford Courier (Cruzin #180). With a new mix coined Classique Cream, Paul spent many hours aligning all the body gaps to flow in harmony with the Rootleib 25 louvre hood and Vintique grill shell. Once blocked to laser-straight, the rich emulsion was feathered over every panel. Buffed and polished, it’s a delicious example of unassuming class.
Amongst all of this organised chaos, Jon managed to tear his meniscus in his right knee, resulting in surgery. Time off work allowed many items to be polished to perfection, but the downtime was almost as excruciating as the injury.
Soldering on, he managed to run and mount most of the Ezywire electrical kit for Stephen Soloman to connect and complete before the body was transported to John Davies at Bayside Trimming for a suitable interior. Crafting a seat from timber and webbing, John stitched up a tasteful covering using black Ultra-leather that extends to the door cards and boot area. Knowing Jon and Deb well, one has to ask about their height difference and seat adjustability. This was solved by locating dowels on the runners. Bentley black carpet underfoot complements the timeless tuck-and-roll perfectly. A three-inch chopped Red Fox Frames screen, modified to match BopTop from Sid Shavers, rounds out the cabin creature comforts.
On the home straight, Jon was also adamant the roadster would be driven to Yamba, not arrive any other way.
“I was never going to take it to Yamba on a trailer. It’s such an awesome run and the journey getting there is a major part of the appeal for us. I had no time to muck about when rego was to be attained and connected with the TAC and engineers such as Tim Bartrop throughout the build, so there were no nasty surprises at the end. I got the plates Friday before the run, spent the weekend finessing and gave it a test down the road on the Tuesday to fill the tank. I had all three gears…good! Back home to load the boot and head off for Yamba the next morning. The only teething issue that we had was that the diff breather hose came adrift and that was it.”
Elated with arriving at their favourite rod run on the calendar, Jon elevated his crook knee and chilled out with a couple of well-earned brews. Well, that was until the cruising started and then you couldn’t get them out of the freshly finished Ford. With all of his boxes ticked, the weekend only got better come trophy time as the deuce followed in the footsteps of his first creation.
“There were seven Rookies in the Top Ten this year, and yet we received Top Rookie and a Top Ten. When we had the black coupe, we were honoured to receive a Top Rookie the first year and a Top Ten the following, but to be bestowed both in the same year with the roadster was mind-blowing. I would also like to take this moment to thank all involved who helped us achieve our goal.”
After a massive 13 months of dedication, blood, sweat, and beers to fill a void in their hot rod hearts, Jon and Deb were overwhelmed once again by the response to their home-built roadster. As the ‘32 was always going to be a stopgap between cars, and Deb’s choice of body styles, he can now move on to what really stirs his hot rod soul: a 1940/41 Willys coupe gasser for the street.
With a little more time up his sleeve and skilled support from brother Marvin, you can betcha bottom dollar this will be one to watch. For now, Deb’s content with her delicious deuce, but she knows hubby will pull out all the stops on his next crusade. It’s a cause she’s also very comfortable pursuing.
