Thread: ’32 3W Coupe roller package advise/opinions wanted

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I used a N&N body and frame.... I looked at all of them and if they were not the best they are damn close and for the money you can not go wrong.
I have pictures of the complete build if it helps and I also kept every receipt and hours.
Hours in this car is 1810 hours and the cost was $52385.86 We did everything in house but paint ( $13K) it is fun to do but it is a ton of work more money than you would expect and you always need more tools.
This was 2.5 years ago so things might have went up
The good news is ( for one lucky person ) is I am selling this car for $45k if you want a turn key car you can contact me at jim.stafford@exel.com

Mike. It would be great if your son could build your chassis for you. I'm sure the car would mean much more to you and him also. It would add consider- able time to the build though. A full fendered car comes with an added cost in money and time. I chose to build a full fendered car and found that this required much more time in locating the front and rear suspension so that the wheel/tire would sit in the fender opening correctly for the right look. The body placement is very critical. "Deuce" gave a detailed sequence to do this correctly in a previous post. I think all this extra work is worth it though. I just like the full fendered look. Good luck with your build and I'm sure you will enjoy the project.

I remember a guy with the same name who didn't like spiders and snakes .

Originally Posted by Henry Rifle

I remember a guy with the same name who didn't like spiders and snakes .

That is not me.....but I dont like them either

iceburgh, I also have your project photos saved for future reference, lots of good info there to look at. You've got a great looking Deuce and the mini-Deuce is soooo cool too. In fact, I'd like to see more pics of the mini project if you have any. I've also seen your car for sale, good luck with the sale!! I decided early on that my car will be painted two-tone, I have several color combos that I'm considering, just haven't finalized it yet.

Mike

Originally Posted by iceburgh

I used a N&N body and frame....
I have pictures of the complete build if it helps and I also kept every receipt and hours.
Hours in this car is 1810 hours and the cost was $52385.86 .

Jim ...
How high did it get on eBay ... I think it was at 30 grand last I saw ... and it could not be built for that ...
____________________________________________

Mike52
If I wanted a fendered car ... I would build a fendered car. Never settle for something else. You will never be happy with a car you built to suit your friends or someone else. BUILD the coupe you want.

Most rodders use a 46 inch wide ( kingpin to kingpin ) axle under fenderd 32's ... but I used a 48 inch on my 32 roadster. You just have to be careful in the rim selection and backspace. Most rodders want a 56 inch wide rear end ... but I used a 58 inch rear ( wheel mounting flange to wheel mounting flange ) . Again, you have to pay attention to rim selection and back spacing.



Building a 32 without fenders and bumpers is considerably less expensive. Running boards are $500 a set ... the same for a pair of bumpers. Add in bumper braces, fender braces, frame horn covers and a splash apron and you can easily have a extra 2 grand not counting the 4 fenders.

There is a photo site with well over 750 photo images of 1932 Ford 3W coupes. Chopped/not chopped, Fendered and not fendered. I suggest you go there and look at all the different styles and builds and decide which style suits you the most.

http://www.carnut.com/photo/list/flist.html

The difference in this coupe ...



and this coupe ... is easily 3 to 5 grand in construction costs ( not counting paint ) ...



Both styles have their own fans and supporters. Just figure out what you want before you get started ... because changing your mind after the car is half done ... just adds to the cost and you can end up with a " confused " looking ride.

Deuce ...

"If I wanted a fendered car ... I would build a fendered car. Never settle for something else. You will never be happy with a car you built to suit your friends or someone else. BUILD the coupe you want."

Deuce, that's almost the same words my wife said to me. Thanks for the link to CarNut.

OK, more questions. What's the Pros & Cons of straight front axles vs IFS? At this point I'm leaning toward IFS. I know on a straight axle the caster is set by the proper placement of the front crossmember, but how is the camber adjusted? On my father's Peterbuilt and Kenworths the front axles had to be bent if I'm not mistaken, is this the case with the rods?

Thanks,
Mike

Originally Posted by Mike52

OK, more questions. What's the Pros & Cons of straight front axles vs IFS? At this point I'm leaning toward IFS. I know on a straight axle the caster is set by the proper placement of the front crossmember, but how is the camber adjusted? On my father's Peterbuilt and Kenworths the front axles had to be bent if I'm not mistaken, is this the case with the rods?

Thanks,
Mike

Yes ... you bend them ... but I have a chrome plated axle under my roadster and my 3W ... and neither one of them needed any bending. They were right ... from the factory.



IFS vs. Straight axles has been debated for a long time. It is mainly a choice or taste issue. I think they are ugly as POO with a IFS ... ( just me ... my taste ). I drove my 32 Roadster 521 miles on the Saturday before Memorial Day and drove it over 500 miles home from Louisville and I was not tired. My straight axle drives as good or better than any of the IFS 32's I have driven. ( I may be biased )



If you know anything about front suspensions ... you know that the upper A arm should be parallel to the lower A arm ... or camber is all over the place when the suspension moves.



The front fenders on a do not allow the upper A arm to be placed at the proper place for the A arms to be parallel. So they really limit the travel with a coil over shock ... and the ride suffers IMHO.

A few years ago I owned two 1940 Ford coupes. Both with SBC power. We built one for my brother and he wanted a IFS ... I had a straight axle under mine. I ended up with his 40 ... ( divorce for him and his wife ) ... so I had two. I sold the IFS one ... and kept the straight axle one. His had a Fatman IFS Mustang II under it and even he said mine rode better.

It also depends on the STYLE of 32 ... you want. If you are building a more traditional style ( like mine ) ... a IFS ... looks way out of place IMHO. If you are building a newer look, slick ... mutli colored coupe with everything smoothed off and big rims and O ring tires ... the IFS is more in step with the style of the build.

You would expect to see a IFS on a build like this ...



But not on this ...

It only went to $32...... no way I will let it go for that. Bad part is I am buidling a 53 Chevy truck and once it is built the 32 just wont get driven much. I would like to sell but the way the economy is I guess people are hanging on to the $$$ just a bit tighter

Originally Posted by iceburgh

It only went to $32...... no way I will let it go for that.

Unfortunately ... the eBay market and other sales avenues have a large supply of reproduction32 3W coupes for sale. I think there are 4 or 5 on eBay currently. I bet I saw 20 or more for sale @ Louisville a few weeks back. No way the average rodder can build a decent reproduction 32 3W for the price they are bringing.



The BLACK 32 3W on the T-shirt was owned by a friend of mine and he sold it recently for over 125 grand ... but he lost $$$ at that price. Very few guys could sell their 32's right now and break even or make money. I could on my 32 Roadster, because I have owned it for so long ( 30 years ) and do not have a ton of money in it. I am upside down $$$ wise in my 32 3W ... but that's OK cause I do not plan on selling it either. It can stay with the roadster until I die and then the wife can do with as she pleases.

GOOD LUCK with the sale of your coupe ...

Actually their are more than 10 ...
But here are 10 32 3W's on eBay ... Not counting the repo 5W coupes and roadsters.

35 grand BUY IT NOW



39 grand BUY IT NOW

65 grand Buy it now They are dreaming IMHO ... @ 65 grand



29 grand Buy it now







40 grand Buy it now

Tough market to sell in ... when basically they are are the same car with a little different twist or a different color. Some are detailed a little better ... but NONE will bring what has been spent on them ...

SAD ...

.....and people just keep on building deuces.... Go figure.

Originally Posted by Dave Severson

.....and people just keep on building deuces....
Go figure.

Folks keep buying lottery tickets too ...

I think that the fiberglass Deuce deal is a lot
like the new Harley rider deal. Lot of newbies wanted in
so they bought Harleys ... the new wore off ...
and now the Harley market is full of low mileage
barely ridden Harleys same goes for a lot of the 3W coupe
owners who bought/built fiberglass cars in the past 5 years.

This 76 year old 1932 3W just sold ... for 80 grand on eBay ...



It sat next to this 1932 3W for almost 50 years.



They have turned down MORE than 80 grand for the more original one ...
which does not have a engine.



But they are not making any more of the 76 year ones. A vast majority of the repro 32's for sale
on eBay and the other internet sites ... do not look like a 32 Ford to most folks. No cowl vents,
filled roofs, no door handles or door hinges ... glued in windshield and back windows that are not even close
to the shape Henry made them. Most do not even have the cutout in the lower rear panel for the fuel neck.

If you want a fiberglass 3W ... the supply is only limited by the amount of resin and chemicals you can buy.

Simple economics ... of supply and demand
The supply has far exceeded the demand ... on the fiberglass ones

I am GLAD ... they make 32 3W coupes in fiberglass
Because if they did not ... the 76 year old ones would be
even HIGHER and only the real the affluent could afford one.

I built my deuce for me, not for resale. I plan to keep it as long as I can drive so I built it the way I always wanted to build one--a very nice driver, no trailer queen--and I am pleased with the result. I did the majority of the work myself except for the short block, paint application and some of the interior (I don't sew but I can glue!). And I did it for the satisfaction of creating my personal vision of the ideal '32 3-window. Every car is a statement of the owner's taste, and I respect that a lot. But I could never buy a built car because I would always want to change it so it conformed to my own tastes. Call me picky . . . LOL!

[QUOTE=Deuce]

Ya know what??? I could almost take all that to mean your one of them there steel is real snobbery guys...... I've had steel one's and had glass one's.... They all lost their interest to me when they become soooooooo dang common everywhere ya go.... Takes a really outstanding deuce to even catch my interest now, something like Ken Thurm's that show's such superb worksmanship, quality, and originality. Guess I'm just suffering from deuce (original and 'glass) burnout......... Just so many other years, models, and makes that present themselves as a car that just needs hot roddin'!!!!