I'm on the fence about pulling the trigger for a '32 model b roadster. I was wondering how much work it will be to put a flathead in it with juice breaks? I want to use as many orig Henry ford parts as I can. I am also curious what price range running & driving model b roadsters should be in? I plan on leaving the banger and driving it until I collect all the parts to install a flathead v8.
Not much work to change from banger to flathead. Everything fits if you have the proper parts. The challenge is in collecting all the right pieces. '32 stuff is not cheap.
Thanks for the reply, yeah I know parts are like gold. The cars aren't cheap either ! I was assuming the conversion would be straight forward. Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!
A good question might be what are you trying to end up with? Are you doing a restoration (you should be posting on fordbarn.com or earlyfordv8.org) or a semi street rod? Do you want to drive across town or across country? A correct B will bring about as much attention as a correct V8. Drive the banger for a while and you might grow to like it. My guess (without seeing a photo) would be that driving running B roadster would be about $50K and the same car with the correct V8 would be about $8K more. It is interesting that the addition value is probably about the cost of putting a correct V8 into the car. I am going through this decision right now. I have a restored looking '32 roadster with a 181 inch Mercruiser marine engine. A also have a correct B engine and a correct V8 engine with most of the parts to make the change. I can't decide which way to go. I made up a list of what needs to be changed and will post it in a couple of days when my computer (where the information is stored) comes back from the shop. Charlie Stephens
I am trying to end up with a driveable period correct hot rod. I just may leave the b motor in it but I love the looks and sound of a flathead V8 I appreciate the feedback and definately appreciate the list you have when you have a chance. Thanks -Mike
4 or 8 any original running 1932 roadster is gonna cost $25k to $75k. 32-34 4 bangers cost the same as 32-36 V8, those are the better 4 bangers & cheaper 21 stud FHV8s
TRUTH!!....................sadly It's just a matter of supply and demand. The supply is low and the demand is high. Frank
If you do lots of hunting you can locate a real roadster for less than $50K. I have run across several in the $25-30 range during the past few months. They are not perfect but would make great hot rods. (Hot rods were never perfect until street rods came along.) If you can live with a Brookville and a stock frame you will see them advertised for $15K or less. Several examples were at the LARS this year. In any case, stick with your plan and build the flathead powered roadster of your dreams.
Take your time to find the right one and be careful. There was a nice roadster about six months ago on eBay.Owner claimed it to be original when the buyer had it delivered to California he learned it was a Brookville. There is also a lot of them that are half and half. There's nothing wrong with that, but it needs to be proportional to what you pay.
The Genie real deal Henry's continuously escalate in price and finding a candidate to build a true period piece is gonna be expensive. Good luck,,hope you find what your looking for. HRP
So Triumph, how about some info ... Have you seen it? What's he asking? Got photos? Oh forget it, just give me the seller's phone number.
I may have lost it..... You know how it goes; you snooze, you loose. The car is on eBay & local to me. Buy it now was 28k and owner changed it. He accepted an offer of 30k to end the auction early. I was going to see it yesterday & buy it for 28k if it checked out. Oh we'll, story of my life....... A day late & a dollar short every fuc%ing time. Wasn't meant to be I guess. Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!
Yup just confirmed, it's sold. I should have acted sooner. Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!
if the first buyer does not back out, then yes, there is a reason you did not get it. Could mean that a better one is in your near future, or that the first one was not as good as you wanted. That's the way I live.
Triump1, if this was the black roadster with red interior, original frame and running gear, 4 banger, original firewall with battery on left side of the firewall it is the one we were watching previously, the seller listed it about 10 PM and within minutes it had the first bid of $5K, my friend sent the seller an inquiry if this was a Henry body and within minutes someone did the buy it now for $28K. Seller did respond after the auction ended that this was a Brookville body so we thought no great loss. Next day seller relisted the car and only new statement in the ad was to contact him with any questions before you bid or buy it now. Evidently the first purchaser found out it wasn't a Henry body and was able to get out of his buy it now bid. Some of these listings are getting out of hand by not disclosing all the pertinent information about the car being sold. In many of the ads you have to really dig through the entire listing just to find out if you are looking at a fiberglass car, reproduction steel car, or original manufacturer body. Many are very misleading when they say original frame, steel body, etc and don't disclose it's a reproduction body any where in the listing. This is true of listings any more, whether they be on the HAMB, e-bay or any of a number of selling venues or auction sites. Just wish the sellers would be up front and state fiberglass, brookville, Henry original, etc in the header or opening of the ad and not waste the searcher's time looking at an ad for an item they really have no interest in. Heck, you can read though some of these ads and still not know what the seller has listed. It will be interesting to see if your "dream car" appears on e-bay once again due to the seller not disclosing all the pertinent information on the car. In addition I didn't understand your statment with regard to the seller changing his $28K buy it now and accepting an offer of $30K to end it now. Wouldn't the $28K buy it now have ended the auction?
Yes that was the car. I contacted the owner and talked to him. He told me it was a henry body. when I asked about seeing the car in person he was shady, stateing it was burried in storage and would be tough to get a good look at. At this time he told me that he was changing the auction adding a buy it now for 28k, the next day the buy it now was gone and the bidding was back up to 25k. I called him again to schedule a viewing and he said he had someone who offered him 30k to end the auction early and he was waiting for the wire transfer. He said to call him last night to see if it went throu, I did and he sait it was sold for 30k. After hearing from some honest people on here that it was indeed a brookville, I'm glad I didn't buy it for 28k
I also asked the owner questions about the body. He didn't lie and say it was real, but didn't say it was a Brookville either. With his lack of description and some of the body features I assumed it was after market, or parts of. If it had a flathead in it I would have concidered it an OK buy, not great, but OK for a Brookville body. Take your time, it will happen. I do want to say I had a very good experience, when I purchased mine off of eBay. Remember if it's to good to be true, it probably is.
I thought the same as Old Tin; how do you buy the car on a 'buy it now' for 28k, but pay 30k? Also, with the initial 5k bid, doesn't the bidding cancel the 'buy it now'? Sounds like once he received the 30k payment, he may have cancelled the ebay ad and sold it on the side? Seller sounds a bit shady whatwith not listing it up front as a Brookville. He'd probably have a "because you didn't ask" defense if someone asked why he didn't disclose it was a Brookville.
What's wrong with a Brookville? From what I understand, they are nearly perfect repros, very little ,if any bodywork to do NO RUST REPAIR, and if they were put together right to begin with, you got a good car. I understand the gratification you feel to be able to say it's original tin, but you are going to pay dearly for that. And even $30k doesn't sound like a bad price on the car. Next one you see, GO FOR IT. If it ain't lo enough to be impractical, it ain't lo enough
Nothing wrong with a brookville body or glass car as long as you know what your buying. Both real and aftermarket are fun as hell and beautiful to look at. It just comes down to taste and preference. I look it as music , you got country gospel punk rock and roll or opera it what you like thats it! and nothing wrong with the others.Good luck with your search and if you have patience you will f8nd one to you likings.
No bad things here!---If you want a genuine all steel FOMOCO 1932 Ford roadster COMPLETE, this is your chance! I bought this roadster in pieces in 1962, it took me 6 years to make it a running car. PM me if you are intrested----Its my avatar pix----Don
The following changes need to be made when replacing a Model B with a V8 (21 stud, others will require a few more things): Of course engine, motor mounts Muffler and exhaust system before muffler (same after) Radiator Radiator support rods Engine steady rods Hubcaps Starter switch (if it is early B with pull starter) Transmission (gears interchange but cases are different) Choke (B is a cable, V8 is a rod) Accelerator linkage Engine splash pans Gas line needs to be routed from right on Model B to right on V8 The B will have a few extra holes in the firewall pad from mounting the 4 cyl engine snubber Need to add emblem to headlight bar Need to accept the fact that the serial number (VIN) is for a 4 cylinder Interesting to note the increase in value for the car is about the same as the cost of making the change Charlie Stephens
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