Projects 1932 3W Coupe Lakes Racer-Thrash for TROG West

Guys,

I have spent 10 years looking for the identity of the '32 3 window body I bought back in 2006. The car was purchased out of Ramona, California collection near San Diego and it had a unique reverse lead chop, lead filled cowl vent and leaded in model rear bobbed fenders all done in '40-'50s, no bondo used so I knew it was built back in day and was a legit old hot rod.

I have poured over thousands of old black and white photos trying to find a picture on another '32 3W with a reverse chop. The only one I was able to find was this picture of the #36 car from Don Montgomery's " Hot Rods as they were book" on page 76. The picture was taken by Bernie Couch the famous dry lakes racer and Strokers club member.

I was able to track Bernie down and he is alive and well living in Orange County at 90 years young and still owns his '32 roadster he has had since '47. I got a phone number for Bernie and spoke with
him about this picture he took and got some details on the #36 car.

It was June 1941 ( pre-war) at a Russetta or Western timing meeting at El Mirage ( only ones that allowed coupes to compete prior to '47) and this car was very well built coupe, reverse chop, black lacquer paint, 16" Kelsey wires, '39 Banjo wheel, filled cowl vent, bobbed rear stock fenders, no running boards, but front fenders, with a BELLY PAN installed covering the frame rails, screen front hood sides. Bernie thought he remembered the car was owned by a LA dentist which explains the high level of detail and deep black lacquer paint.

I then sent him a picture on my car and he felt it was the same car and wanted to visit the car on next trip out to Arizona to see family.


Now, this car and my '32 body share these similarities:

1. same unique lead Reverse Chop as the #36 car, with three door hinges, sometimes the top or middle hinge was eliminated during the chop process.

2. Both cars came from Southern California area.

3. My car has a filled cowl vent (leaded in) and the #36 car has filled cowl vent.

4. My car was a factory trunk car and this #36 car is factory trunk car ( see the handle)

5. My car has the passenger side key lock hole, so does the #36 car

6. My car has model A bobbed rear fenders which could have been added at later date when California fender laws cam into affect in 1951. It also has a raked channel 2" in the front and 1" in the back done at a later time so it gives the illusion that the chop is a little different.

Since most chops are unique and for the most you can use some of the techniques used on facial recognition in forensic science by laying one picture over another. As you can see it is almost a perfect match for a very unique reverse chopped '32 3W coupe.

So many people left as do I these are one in the same car and the build style should change to a traditional late 1940's Lakes Coupe similar to how it originally looked only fender-less and how it would have looked in 1949 if the owner got more serious about lakes racing.

So my good friend and master metal man Nick owner of Hubcap Customs in Phoenix, AZ took on the transformation of repairing the quarters by removing the bobbed fenders and redoing the factory wheel wells and body bead
The we installed an original '32 shell and a 20 louver hood punched by our very own " Got Louvers" Chip that somehow was shorten before i bought it so Nick added back the missing 2 inches
Lakes coupes look so good with louvers so why not have Chip punch a couple of rows in the deck lid too.

Dropped and Chopped up a '32 headlight bar with real Guide 682-C lights
Add a dropped '34 axle by Anson, split '36 bones and '40 brakes

Flatten the '40 rear cross member and run a '40 rear spring on a '34 axle, and '36 wish bones and an open drive conversion gets the stance just right for 7.50 x 16 rear tire on black steelies.


Add a '49 Merc to the mix

Then a mad dash to get it ready last year for an indoor car show last June 2015.
So now Nick is back on it and we are trying to get it painted in semi-gloss black, number the doors 36 c , fix a few cracks still in the body, mount the column and install the speed parts on the '49 Merc Flathead, run brake lines and wiring by Sunday which is the deadline to send pictures in so we can submit our entry for The Race of Gentlemen Pismo and hope Bobby and Mel like the car enough to let an old race car run at the beach!
Today's Progress: Rust repair around the deck lid corners and build the push bar-spreader bar for the rear

 

Wow - sure hope that it gets accepted - great detective work & metal work

 

Cool. Al.

 

Great to see an update on that 3Window, really like the channel job. Bob

 

Pretty awesome.

 

Awesome hot rod. Good luck.

 

What a geeat build!!!
I like the idea with the 34 rearend!

I have a question, if you use a 40 spring with the 34 rear ,then the crossmember moves forward .Correct?
Will the crossmember still clear the rear end ?
Thanks michael

Ahhhh i read it again....you run 36 bones!
Can i see some detail pics of the setup, please?
Thanks

 

I would never have thought that I'd like a reverse chop, but that combined with the channel is too cool.

Ron

 

Loved this thing since the first time you posted about it!

 

Hell Yes. Hey! I'll buy that it's the same car! Or at minimum, someone back in the day loved the 36 car and copied it.

I think your stance choice is way better, more rake in the body line and the roof top more flat rather than sloping backwards. Looks mean!

I have a Mid-Late 50s San Bernardino 34 three window that was channeled and running around with a 32 grill shell that is a mystery car. I'd love to find old pics, but also, it's ok to give them some of your personality as well. A hotrod is a morphing piece of rolling art. I think your idea to build it as the 36 car, but adjust the attitude a little bit is spot on!

 

Thanks for the encouragement guys, some have said the chop looks goofy and I should change it but since it was done that way for reason and has character it definitely stays!

 

Micky, personally I like the narrower '34 rear axle compared to '40 because it hugs the body tighter. All I did was cut off the '34 mounts and mounted the '36 bones so the '40 spring would work in the flattened '40 cross member, easy set up using cast off early ford parts.

 

Nick is working away with the TIG welder to finish welding up a few cracks here and there, this damage was covered in in 10 pounds of lead and brazed together back in the day so he rolled out a new piece and Tigged it in place, the plan is pull the body off tomorrow and starting sealing the bottom side and chassis in black

 

DAM! This is so cool to see it being brought back to life. I also think it has a very good shot of being the 36 car and glad to see you keeping it as it was, just adding a little of your touch as we all have to do.

 

Thanks Mayor Dennis, I hope to have it at Bonneville 2017 and might even make your BBQ and run with the Circus for a few hundred miles on the way to the salt.

Nothing cooler than a pack of chopped '32 coupes running down the highway together.

 

Stopped by the shop today and Nick and Mike had all the cracks TIG welded up and were finishing up the hammer-dolly work on them, that is all that is left on the body so the plan is pull the body tonight, paint it in the morning.

I am thinking a aluminum roof insert would look racey with the satin black body.

What do you think?

 

Hell yes it's racey! But even more so with louvers. You don't want to be hot in there do ya?

 

Today's update: Body is getting prepped for paint
Chassis also getting ready for paint:

 

Wow -- very cool. I'll be following along!

 

Looks good, I'll have to make sure and look for it down there as I'll have plenty of time to look because my roadster is no way close to being ready. I reserved a room the first day I read about the event but progress on the car is nil.

 

Bitchen! Can you post a pic or two of how you mounted the T5 transmission and the front of the 1936/36 Ford rear bones?

 

Sure, I will have to shoot a picture in the morning when we get back on it.

We had to clearance the Chassis Engineering X member top plate a little to slide the engine far enough back to get the T-5 to mount up and then re drill the two lower mount holes . For the '36 Bones I re-purposed some used 4 bar ends welded to into the end of the '36 Bones because they have a nice rubber bushing in them then weld half round tabs to the bottom X-member plate. They are super strong and look like trialing arm ends so they actually look traditional.

 

You do know their rules don't allow for a T-5 trans. in their events.
From their website.
The Race of Gentlemen “Competition” Car Specs
All entrees must be pre-approved and must comply with the spirit of the event.

Year: Car body must be 1934 or older, American made only
Engine: 1948 or older, American made (1949-1953 Ford flatheads are acceptable) No stock 1949 Overhead Valves are excepted.
Fuel: Gas only, no Alcohol or Nitro
Running gear: 1953 and older. No modern transmissions, disc brakes, alternators, etc.
Additional requirements and restrictions: No headlights, no white wall tires, no Fenders on hot rods (some very early-teens racers and speedsters may be exempt but must be pre approved). Cars must have visible race numbers.
Paint- Period paint that emulates the time period. No late model graphics, No vinyl stickers or emblems, etc. Cars can be shiny or old paint.

I had thought about using the chassis for my 31 Vic with a roadster body on it but that won't fly because of the T-5 and later rear axle.

 

Yep. In fact one of the Oilers has not brought his flathead powered A truck to the past three because of the T-5...

 

very neat!!!

 

cool car, whats your plan for a fan on the 8cm

 

Elrod, the T-5 is out and we just put in a 8BA with a '46 3spd trans with open drive ( truck ) is going in just for this event, then the big 296 ci Merc Flathead and T-5 are going back in after the race. That is the nice thing about the bolt in center section of the X-member it is very versatile, in fact I can even run SBC with a hurst mount if I wanted too... we thrashed all week and she is almost ready for TROG

 

Good job man, the rake works perfect with that chop.

 

I'm in awe! Man! Like, like, like, like, like button.

 

HOTDAM!
I really like this.....36C is bad ass. You hit the nail right on the head with this......build.
By the way we would like to have this cool rod run with us to speed week.