Drag Car Details

Sometimes I think that today’s hot rods are over-the-top compared to the machines of yesteryear. It’s not that the old cars were subtle. It’s just that modern technology allows us to push things a little bit further. Nowadays, hot rods can be more radical—and more functional—than anyone could have dreamt of back in our hobby’s golden age.

In my time here at The Jalopy Journal, I’ve searched far and wide for history’s outliers. We’ve discussed altered wheelbase El Caminos, strip-scorching ’57 Chevys, and chopper-style exhaust that’s enough to make your ears ring. We’ve discussed weird superchargers, unconventional propulsion, and, more recently, cut-down roadster doors. But today, I wanted to shift our focus to a 1932 Ford that looks as if it could have been built in 2025.

The best part is that it wasn’t. Instead, the car was put together in the mid-’60s, complete with a supercharged Hemi, Hilborn injection, and 15-inch Americans with polished lips. I especially love the early-style zoomie headers with the molded fenders, complete with riveted aluminum heatshields. No radiator. No headlights. No problem.

Unfortunately, this snapshot from the internet is the only time I’ve ever seen this car. My gut tells me it’s a roadster, but I have no way of following up on that. Was it red-oxide primer? Candy Orange? Your guess is as good as mine.

Looking at the engine and the sheetmetal, I immediately thought back to the Thurmond Brothers’ steel-bodied Deuce Fuel Altered. Both were striking cars, which just goes to show you that a blown early Chrysler will always pair well with early Ford sheetmetal.

—Joey Ukrop

Bonus Material 

For those of you who’ve made it this far, I have one more photo that I managed to track down right before this post went live.  It answers lots of big questions, and also brings up some new ones too. My guess is that the Tebbutt and May team ditched the full fenders in favor of these swoopy aluminum examples. Either way, the car has plenty of attitude; it’s a true hot rod for the drag strip.