Hot Rods Deuce Repro Parts - Who makes the best?

It has been 20 years that the Deuce went bye-bye in the divorce. I thought I was over it but Rik Hoving posted these pics of the McGee car on Facebook and the 3:54 gear set in my mind started spinning again.
Of course I would love to find original but just in case that will be impossible who makes the most original looking reproduction parts these days?

I want a grille shell filled and peaked with a stock looking - stainless surround, silver painted bars - insert

The Firewall should be like Henry made it. Heavy with rivets and 1000 holes

Frame rails. Who is the hot ticket now?
And a K-Member does somebody make those?

Who makes a 32 heavy axle already dropped?
And does somebody make 32 wishbones?

I guess for bodies it is still Wescott and Brookville? Or is there a new maybe less expensive player in the game?
Anyway thank you for looking at my questions and I am sure somebody will set me straight.
Mike

 

You want steel only or considering fiberglass too?


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You failed to note one of the most distinctive parts of the car and that is the extended trunk lid, I have never seen another, I really wanted to have the same mod when I had my Wescott body built but got no indication of the possibility.
As to most authentic body recreations, the Wescott has always been considered at the top of the list. One thing you won't get with a Brookville body (and many others) is the recess behind the seat for the original style tack strip for the seat top roll.
As to cost, use caution when using that as a criteria for body choice, especially the lower cost fiberglass versions, many are lacking adequate reinforcement.

 

I am not opposed to fibreglass. Back then a friend had a steel firewall in a Gibbons body if I remember right.

 

Denny I forgot about the longer decklid. I remember Scritch pointing it out to me. He opened it and had a shoplight with steel safety cage around the bulb like a typical light from 50 years ago and turned it on. He tried to pull my leg telling me the car runs on 110 volts. I looked for an inverter and was puzzled. Didn't know that they made 12V bulbs that looked like a regular 110 bulb.

 

You can purchase all of the items you mentioned from SO-CAL Speed Shop in Pomona. If you want original parts and have the bucks, then try The Early Ford Store in San Dimas or the Kennedy Brothers in Pomona. I would forget the extended trunk lid but it is doable in steel. Wescott is still making bodies but they are the same price as a steel Brookville and have a 7 month waiting list. You can buy one done cheaper than you can build one today. Just my thoughts!

 

SoCal has a firewall for around $500 but other places have one for for $780. I assume two different manufacturers. Which one is better? Does anybody have any real knowledge about these parts?

 

Wasn't the extended trunk lid mod covered in Car Craft?

( I may be thinking of the installation of a quickchange., which at least showed the trunk as the floor was reworked)

 

There were 2 glass 32 roadsters at a show I went too in Costa Mesa last Friday night for sale in the mid 20's. Nice appearing cars. I didn't think they moved down that much but unless your at one of those goofy auctions there are some nice cars out there at good prices for the buyer.

 

My old roadster was a Westcott and it was a nice body with the correct look and working cowl vent,it was purchased prier to Brookvilles Deuce roadster body but I would build another if the price was less than Brookvilles offerings. HRP

 

I like my bebop body and they will put a steel firewall in them. I wish I would have had them put one in my body. I wasn't thinking when I ordered it.


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That looks very nice Dylan. I have not read any magazines or anything for 20 years so I will google Bebop and find out who they are.

 

swanwaco32 on here has been selling factory assembled Brookville bodies for 9500 for a couple years.

 

There are at least 3 reputable sources for reproduction 32 rails; American Stamping Corp (ASC), JW Garage, and Shadow Rods.

Vern Tardel offers a reproduction K member and originals pop up here and on eBay from time to time.

Before you commit to a center crossmember and trans mount firm up your choice of engine and transmission. The K member works best (without cutting) with an old Ford (32-39) top loader.

Gary Maxwell at Blackboard Hot Rods in Bakersfield turns out superior 32 frames at a very competitive price. He is a wealth of information as well.

SoCal Speed Shop and Chassis Engineering (Iowa) offer forged dropped axles that mimic the 32 heavy axle. Real 32 heavy axles sell for a premium and by the time you have one of the better "droppers" do their thing you can be pushing a ($) grand.

Original 1932 grille shells with the painted factory insert in good condition sell for $1,500 give or take. I recently bought a Brookville 32 shell and Vintique insert and the tab was close to $600. Vintique offers a shell and there is a lot of debate here as to who's is best.

If you want a accurate metal roadster Brookville is the only option. You can get a steel roadster with a hidden folding top, extended cab, and roll up side windows and if that is your thing plan on spending about twice what a Brookville would cost.

There are some very nice fiberglass bodies in the market place. If you are really anal about factory hinges, authentic appearing firewalls, cowl vents, etc. your choices are limited. Most fiberglass body builders have molds that date back to the time when hidden hinges were popular and have not updated. There are frequently little things, like the raised lip around the cowl that are missing on fiberglass bodies.

Finally I want to make a pitch for coupes. Brookville makes a very nice 32 three window and United Pacific Corp. offers a 32 5 window coupe, both in steel. The price of admission for both is in the ($) 25K range. In fiberglass coupes are rarely more than ($) 2K higher than roadster and by the time you buy a reproduction windshield and a functional top they are close to the same. I have discovered that as I age I am less and less interested in riding around with the sun beating down on me. I have not yet opted for AC in my rods but when you live in the hot and humid Mid-South like I do it is hard to be a totally die hard traditional hot rodder.

Hope this helps

 

Thank you so much Mr. Overalls. I really appreciate good advice from somebody who knows his parts.
I had not heard of JW Garage or Shadow rods for rails.
I had the Chassis Engineering axle in my '32. It was a different name but they sold to Chassis Eng. I think. Was a nice part.
Back then Vintique was not known for good reproductions. Maybe that has changed. I was amazed that SoCal has listed them as their go-to suppliers.
Brookville shell it is then with a Vintique insert.
I had a Pete Eastwood chassis made from original rails but Squeak Bell in Bakersfield build a nice frame back than. I heard that he sold out. Is Gary Maxwell his successor?
I also heard that Vern Tardel went out of business and had a giant liquidation sale. Am I wrong there?
Engine wise I have a sweet running near stock 354 Hemi with Quality Engineered Components adapter to a '60s Torqflite. Already has the Buick oil filter mod and BBC water pump. There is a 9" ford axle waiting.
I was hoping there would be an inexpensive repro K-member I could cut into to fit the trans and use Pete & Jakes ladder bars.
I do not want to build a copy of the McGee car but want to wind up with something that looks more like a stock '32 that somebody took the fenders off. Windshield Wiper, Cowl Vent, Side curtains etc.
And I hear you about about the sun and the wind. A/C, Sound insulation, Easy Listening on the radio.
Heck maybe all I need is a Crown Victoria

 

Thank you Krylon 32. I found SwanWaco32's ad for the Brookville bodies.

 

Gary, the long deal here at the swap meets is $7500 for a Brookville body. The LARS next week will have several bodies for sale that owners have abandoned. I see them each year. They just need one of your frames

 

Lynn, You need to buy that 7500 body for your new project.

 

At those prices it would be foolish to opt for the fiberglass body. Even if you only pay a few grand more for a steel body, you'll get the $$$ back out of it, if/when you sell. Plus, you'll have an easier time selling a finished steel car than fiberglass. When you factor in the total build investment, for example; you may have 20k in a fiberglass car vs. 23k for a steel car.

 

Gary Maxwell worked for Squeak Bell. When Squeak sold the Kiwi Connection Gary went out on his own.

As close as you are you should make a run up to Bakersfield and take a look. Pete Eastwood is here on the HAMB and he is signed up using his own name. Understand he still stitches up a frame frome time to time. If you are interested in having you build another one I understand he will be at the LA Roadster show. Send him a HAMB PM and see if you can set up a meeting.

 

The only pic I have of my Deuce when I peddled our Hop Up magazine reboot in 1993. This time I want to go older. 1940s style like the one in the pic below and the McGee car.

 

look for an abandoned/aborted project. If you can purchase it right, you might be able to save some $$ initially + sell off the unwanted bits for cash to do it your way.

 

Deals will be had on Friday and resold on Saturday is the way it works. Lots of deep pockets at the show who know the deals. Brookville bodies normally are in the back of a pickup box waiting in line. People walk the line and do their shopping. Cash deals, no wives approval needed or I need to check with my banker.!!

 

I know Pewsplace. We had a fuel altered and bought late Hemi race parts early in the morning out of pickup beds and resold them a couple hours later on our spot at the Long Beach Swap Meet. There was a swap meet called the "The Big Three" in San Diego that was even better than the Roadster swap .

 

Brookville makes the body mods so the tack strip will go down into the body I have a Brookville with that mod that I brought from brookville

 

Is that a fairly new option?
I've looked at a lot of B-villes over the years and never saw one.

 

Doesn't brookville also offer a stock roadster dashboard with thr oval,stamped in ?

 

Tons of great information to help find the right parts for your project.
Jimbo

 

I learned from other threads that Dale's is the place for Grill inserts and that they are retooling for an even better product. There is always hope to find an original though.

 

Some time ago I had an extra nice original insert that was extra. Customer stopped by one day and I made the mistake of showing it to him. He asked me about selling it and I tossed out a price of a grand and dam if he didn't step up. Turned out he had a mint shell and wanted an original insert. Lesson learned, never price a deuce part if you aren't ready to sell.