I have Been looking for picks of Dick Smiths 32 ford roadster. I think the car is in the ford museum. I would love to see some close ups of the suspension and the interior.
I haven't seen a pic of this thing in decades, except for a recent pic of the current Ford President sitting in front of it, accompanying an article. But darned if I remember where the article was. I did see a pic of it in some event coverage in a 1970's Street Rodder, as I was sorting a huge stack last weekend. In case nobody knows what the car looks like, it's a black, old-style highboy with a hemi just poking through holes cut into the hood sides. But the scallopped holes follow the ins-and-outs of the valve covers. And it has a cool liftoff, Carsonny-style top, one of only a couple made down there in Arizona.
I think there was a full feature on this car in Rod Action years ago,.. ( I'm thinking early 80's ???) here you go,..
Dick Smith made the top as well. There is only one other . Dick is alive and well in Phoenix. The car is a masterpiece. He had it as his only transpertation for decades. It never had a fan. Phoenix traffic was different then! Shift is on the column and the lever is on the left. He was dating when he built it. Uses a 37-48 box to steer. 40 column and wheel. It is a long bell 331. Dick is far and away the most amazing person I ever met. I watched him make some headers. It took one whole day to prepare and weld one joint. He would bell the ends so the shrinkage would make the pipe straight . The next day he would peck and file the weld untill it could not be found. Did eight hemi head pipes this way. He built by hand every thing on that roadster. I have a 32 3W ash tray he built. I watched him do it. Almost no tooling and used old metal and some simple tools. Cuts his metal so he can fusion weld it without filler. He does not like to buy anything including filler wire. The patch pannels on my roadster are from him. He does not buy new steel. Old hoods thrown away by body shops are what he uses. Great guy. Always happy. A great joy to know him.
Found the article, its October 1988 American Rodder, with a red '37 Tudor Slantback on the cover. Sorry I don't have a scanner. Cheers, Stewart.
There's a feature on the other top, attached to a white highboy roadster, in an old Rod Action magazine. Pretty sure it's on the cover. Has marroon wheels and interior/top, and I think some interesting finned tube shocks up front. Always wanted to someday make a similar top for my roadster. I remember talking to a transplanted Arizonian that worked with Smith making tail panels for 32's. Said they would use junk car hoods and roofs that had the right curve, and then roll the beads into them. Makes sense.
Dick Smith is the man. He's had a huge influence on hot rodding here in Phoenix and around the country as well. For years he taught high school auto shop in Phoenix, he's the guy who taught Ermie Emerso (sp) how to make headers. Dick is a very talented and generous man, he's to this day always willing to share his knowledge an help out his fellow hot rodders. I feel blessed to know him. In case you haven't figured it out, his roadster sits in the Henry Ford Museum as their example of a hot rod. The museum folks offered him what at the time was silly money and he just couldn't refuse the offer. I was at a gift store in Old Town San Diego of all places where I found a book of postcards showing cars in the Henry Ford Museum. When I picked it up and looked through it, low and behold, I found Dick's roadster featured on one of the cards.
I am wanting to find some photos of the front shocks. I think that they have al. covers on them.....Thanks for all the help......my quest continues.
If they're anything like the white doppleganger's, you can find it's feature in a 70's Rod Action. I'll look this weekend in my collection.
I know this is an old post but I am Dick Smith’s nephew-in-law ( my wife is his niece). His roadster has been in the Henry Ford Museum since 1987 I think. I had a police officer friend that was allowed beyond the ropes to get some really detailed pics (with his evidence camera no less) that we used in making a photo album for for him for his surprise 80th birthday party that we threw for him. His first birthday party he had ever had by the way. If the original poster still needs pics, let me know. Tom
I have to amend the above comments about the lift off tops. There are THREE. One on Smith's museum roadster, one on the other Arizona roadster that was white in the 70's/80's and I think is now a silvery/gray, and the last top is on Harold Duffy's perennial Ardun/Kinmont/SW-equipped roadster project.
As I remember. they were some ancient shocks that had rubber boots protecting the shafts. He kept al. foil over the boots to protect them. He would put the foil back on right after driving.
I helped my bud Ross move to Havesu City in Ariz. 6 years ago. I stayed a week... Had I known about the alum. foil trick, I would have covered my SELF with it, right after helping Ross locate things...
There have been pics posted of the Dick Smith roadster. How about one of the man himself?? Here he is posing with my roadster. My roadster was also inspired by the Smith roadster.
A added tidbit. He made me patch panels for the Tweety Bird project. I am sure Rex Rods has no idea of the pedigree of those panels. My roadster also has his panels. I need to post pics of the 3W ash tray he made.
There are at least two more "Dick Smith" hard tops out there. They were made later using Dick Smith's mold. One is on Phoenix hot rodder and Deuce expert Frank Borowitz's high boy, now owned and driven here in Phoenix by the HAMB's own milesm . The other is on Ron Dihart's high boy that was crashed, then resurrected, and is now owned and driven by Phoenix hot rodder Nanette Benatti
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