Thread: '32 Help

Tweet

Originally Posted by iceburgh

Everyone will give you their opinion..... Mine is I have seen them all up close. I think N&N are the best I have found.
1-800- hotrod....well if you say so but I am not a fan of what Henry sold.

Not to stat a POO storm ... but do you own a N&N body ?



This is a Wescott 3W ... look at the roof and the steel and wood ...




This is a N&N body ...
I know which one I would rather have ... and it is not the N&N body.

Disclaimer ...

Everyone has their own preferrences and tastes. I owned a 32 Ford ( no repros back then ) before Iceberg was born ... so my age and experiences will differ from younger folks with different outlooks and experiences.

I like my 32 Fords to look like a 32 Ford ...
Others may like the smoothed off, changed around ... look.

That's their right ...
Hot Rodding is about doing what YOU want ... NOT what someone else thinks is right for you.

Originally Posted by iceburgh

....well if you say so but I am not a fan of what Henry sold.

Then why did you want a 32 Ford 3W coupe ... Chevrolet and others made cars back then and a lot of folks make fiberglass bodies to resemble them ... ??

This the way original 3W coupes are done ( photos from Brookville Roadster site )

There is a lot of wood and steel in them ...







A lot of them has survived 75 years ...

Deuce is right--to each his own. He likes his one way and I like mine another. The old arguments about steel vs. glass, original vs. repop are silly. A hot rod is your own personal vision of what a hot rod should be. Period.

Originally Posted by rumrumm

Deuce is right--to each his own. He likes his one way and I like mine another. The old arguments about steel vs. glass, original vs. repop are silly. A hot rod is your own personal vision of what a hot rod should be. Period.

I lifted this quote from another thread ... but it SO APPLIES here ...

Originally Posted by joeybsyc

... I'm relatively new to rodding, but came over from the restoration world of musclecars...where there's either "correct", or "wrong", with virtually no room for personal expression or style. Its so refreshing to have the freedom to do whatever you want, and to SEE so many variations,styles, and ideas of the same concept...Of the zillion 32 fords out there, every single one is different, which is cool in my book.

I could not have said any better myself ... so I copied and pasted it here ...

Originally Posted by muncie

Looking to purchase a glass '32 Ford 3w cp. Who makes a good one?
Thanks for any help.

Just noticed you are in Florida ...

This guy is in Florida ... and builds 32 3W bodies. I do not know him or his work ... but he may be close enough for you to go visit and see for yourself.



http://www.dkrods.com/?page=shop/ind...a43e05ade20fb6

Thanks again for all the help. I'll be asking more questions if that's ok.

I would want my 32 to look like a 32 as well.... Wescott's or Brookville would be my only options.

I think Brookville and Wescott would be my first choice,...... but I got to tell you that I am Very impressed with the construction and strength of the "Redneck Bodies. the bodies are built like Corvette bodies,.. they don't have wood or steel reinforcement just laminated opposing fiberglass panels and Steel capture plates where the hardware mounts, the strength is just unparalleled. check out there sight,.......

http://www.redneckstreetrods.com/

There strength demonstrations are insane,... and they offer any chop you want,
straight chop or canted "A" pillars if you want. Again I have been working on a N&N bodied 3 window (picture of it in my last post),... nice body but still not near my first choice (IMHO)

Originally Posted by Deuce

Not to stat a POO storm ... but do you own a N&N body ?

Yep, he does.

http://www.clubhotrod.com/photopost/...0&ppuser=11176

Originally Posted by Henry Rifle

Yep, he does.

http://www.clubhotrod.com/photopost/...0&ppuser=11176

Here's a thought. When you ask folks for an opinion, you might want to reconsider jumping on them when they give one you don't like.

Muncie is the one who asked for opinions and options ... And he has not jumped on anyone ...

IF I was Muncie, I believe I would look into the Redneck body ... looks good from the stuff highboy 32 posted.

Everyone has their idea of what a 32 3W should look like ...



This is the almost perfect 32 3W .. for me ...
There are two things I would change ... NO cowls lights and I would put my name on the title ...

It has all the cool stuff that I like ...
Working chrome windshield frame
Unfilled cowl vent
Unfilled roof
Stock headlights
fenders and bumpers ... running boards too
door handles and door hinges



Hopefully, my 3W will look a LOT like this one ( but no cowl lights )

My son and I are working on 32 coupe from BeBops in Athens Tn. I am pleased with the body. For pics

www.guillconstruction.com/garagebuilt.htm

Yes everyone has there opinions but the fact is I didnt have a million dollars to buy a 32 . But what I did get was a very very well made fiberglass body from N&N for a great price . Yes Wescott makes a great product and Brookville and Outlaw. But it would have taken me a few more years to get one.Dont forget these cars are hot rods you put them together any way you can so that you can get out there and drive them not trailer them around
like some museum piece. I have to give it up for the guys at N&N for having pride in what they do and giving me a quality body in this day and age where everything is made in china and is made like crap becuase they dont give a crap about quality , its all about quantity. Nothing beats the smile on a little boys face when he gets a new toy.
Angelo

Enough blather has gone on here to warrant some of my own "insight" based on having "been there".

First, to put it in context, we live today in a time of relative riches for the glass body shopper. There are way many more sellers/manufacturers of comparatively good quality bodies than in years past. This is not a negative comment on any of the suppliers named here, just a general commentary that may help the more thoughtful potential buyers see their decision in a slightly different light. And there is a component of "best available choice at whatever point in time".

I think there's a false economy in becoming fixated on the mere price difference of the body. Taking the broader, long view of what you're doing will show that saving a couple thousand now could cost you several thousand later. Say you have a choice between body A for $6000, and body B for $9000. That's a 50% swing, seems like a lot. But let's look at the rest of the project outcome. The rest of what's involved in the build you will do pretty much the same, whichever body you choose. You'll spend about the same amounts for the chassis, it's components, the wheels, tires, electrical, glass, paint, upholstery and on and on, all dependant on what level of fit, finish, and style you choose. All told you'll spend, let's say $20k for all those components (ex-body). You're going to hire or do (perhaps a combination) the same amount of labor to finish all that stuff, so that cost will be the same. So, adding in the body you'll spend either $26k or $29k (ex-labor).

There are essentially two challenges for you. Pay me now, pay me later to borrow a phrase. Odds are the cheaper body is cheaper for a reason. Could be that attention to detail in the shape of body lines, gaps at panel openings, quality of hinges, amount and style of bracing and the materials it's made from, and so on is lacking. Now, if you don't know enough to appreciate the differences between a good, and a better body as these matters are considered, then you won't value them highly enough to pay the extra in either time or money. That's fine. But if you know yourself to be "particular" about these things, you may find out that, having bought the "cheaper" body, you end up spending as much, and more likely more, "fixing" the cheaper body to make it as good as the seemingly more expensive one.

The second challenge is one that gets argued to death because perception gets in the way. There will come a time when you (or maybe your survivors) are going to have to part company with the car. If you have a noted, high quality body, it's very likely you can realize a pricing premium because much of the informed market is willing to pay extra for that perceived quality advantage. Unless you're willing to prove that denial is more than a river in Egypt, the market for glass '32 roadsters, for instance, values a Wescott bodied car over all others. That's why many sellers lie (or suffer from wishful thinking) and say they have a Wescott when they really have no idea who built the body. The premium may not necessarily be in a higher dollar as the hot rod market changes, it may be in the willingness of buyers to buy perceived good quality over not so much. Which is to say, you'll be able to sell it rather than being stuck with it. For a non car example of this look at today's housing market in some areas of the country.

As a personal example, in 1990 I bought a Gibbon body for the car pictured below (for which I can't take credit for paint and interior). At that time the Gibbon was probably the best quality on the market. Well, there was the Outlaw which really was much better, but they built their body without the reveal around the windshield opening which made it look more like a '33-4, which I didn't care for. I looked at Downs, but a good buddy was in the middle of a '33 3 window of theirs and had to fix a BUNCH of stuff. As it turns out my body was built at a time when George Packard had left Gibbon and was replaced by Kyle Bond (the owner's son). Kyle's concern for quality has been well documented elsewhere on here, so let's just say that I had a lot of work in rehabbing the body. If I had to guess I'd say 200-250 hrs (perhaps more), but that was still less than what my buddy had in his Downs. And these were the two BEST regarded body builders for '32 3 windows at the time. That's why I say that today is much better, market demand has upped the ante. From the looks of many of these bodies mentioned here a buyer could get by on much less "rehab". But the basics still apply, pay me now, or pay me later. Or one of Severson's favorites; If you can't afford it now, how can you afford more later?

damn you added a lot in for the price of frame and body. I will have around 3k in my frame and rolling. Said and done I think I will have in the 10k area on my car, but I would do everything my self and no billet. This is a 32 5w coupe. Body was free though, but I still have to buy a few pieces for it.

Originally Posted by Bob Parmenter

Enough blather has gone on here to warrant some of my own "insight" based on having "been there".
There are essentially two challenges for you. Pay me now, pay me later to borrow a phrase.
As a personal example, in 1990 I bought a Gibbon body

Well stated ... and very true ...

The older Gibbon 3W coupes were very good bodies. I have a few friends who still have theirs and have a LOT of miles on them. They are holding up good.

Go here ... to a internet Hotrod classifieds site ... and see which cars are bringing the $$$ ... Lots of the low priced body cars for sale ... for the lower prices. Plenty of them ... The Wescott, older Gibbons and Outlaw cars bring MORE $$$. No brag ... just the fact.




http://www.hotrodhotline.com/classif...=174&page=1&c=