Hot Rods 32 cabriolet that was in same Spokane family 75 years now DRIVING with 425 GS Buick engine!!

^Nailed It^

 

^^That is funny!!

 

In an effort to save on maintenance in the future, I completely polished my already polished air cleaner from O'Brien Truckers with Mothers. Mothers holds up for a long time. I also decided I no longer needed the long radiator bypass hose I ran under the intake manifold as I will not be using a hot water heater. I shortened the hose considerably and might tweak it more in the future but for now it works.
Now I need to use more Mothers on the valve covers. I'd like to get them to approach the shine on the air cleaner one day. They have already come a long way.

 

After all the sales pitches on the Rivieras, I'm pleased to report that a fellow in Michigan is buying the clone with all the parts but leaving me the Gran Sport parts car.

 

I’m pleased to report the guy buying the Riviera clone changed his mind early this morning...
he wanted both cars!
He wired the money and shipper coming tomorrow!
Things moving and shaking!


Sent from my iPhone using H.A.M.B.

 

Love it when a plan comes together.

 

As documented in another thread about two deals in one week...
the Rivieras are gone!


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^^^That is a lot of trailer!!!^^^

 

I took the 32 out for a quick spin today.


It is hard to believe that it was exactly 2 years ago that I first DROVE the car out of the garage after completing the installation of the big Buick engine with a video sharing the experience.
TWO years!
Time flies... and the little 32 runs sweet!!
Thanks once again for all the interest and encouragement on the project.
I enjoyed sharing the experience, particularly the "how I did it" part, with y'all.
Note that I said it was the "how I did it" and not "how to!!!"
You will note that the engine has been detailed just a bit more in an effort to keep everything that shows either black or silver or shiney!

 

Did you stop at the ice cream shop?

 

No... but I thought about it!!
Apparently somebody didn't get the message about which parking spot was mine!
"Tomorrow is another day!" ... and great for ice cream!!

 

As a former owner of a cabriolet love your car and miss mine. see avatar

 

Thanks for the kind words. I like the look of the exposed engine but keep wondering if the lines would look better with the hood on it?
What do y'all think? I believe we discussed it a few years ago and I was a bit biased toward letting the result of all that recent hard work show at the time... and I think I still am!! I'm sure they are out there but I haven't seen any 32 cabriolets with big Buick engines but I have seen many with really great engines that look better and are far more special than mine. Still, I'm very pleased with mine and the overall look.
It will probably be July before we can do it but I'm planning to install new carpet to replace that was removed and also revamp the trunk area as I removed the rumble seat, and whatever might have been living in it!, when I first got the car. I'm gonna refresh the whole interior and trunk but plan to maintain some way to show off the roll bar stubs attached to the frame from it's racing days in the early 50s(maybe earlier!) but normally hidden by the upholstery.


Opportunities!!

 

Personally, I like 'em buttoned up (with hood). I always felt that it gave them a cleaner profile and made folks wonder just what was under that hood. You know, that stealth kind of thing....Still, it would be a shame to hide that lovely Nailhead and I completely understand the logic behind your no-hood look, Al. Like you mentioned, you don't see a combination like that very often if at all...........Don.

 

I like your style, hoods are highly over rated. Show off that Nailhead!

 

Love it! I’m more of a hood on guy. Just the top tho. Sides open is cool. I just think that the eye follows the line from the cowl to radiator more naturally.jmho. Snowman

 

I just love your Cabriolet so with the hood on or off it’s beautiful. Do you have a picture of the cab with the hood on? Maybe just the hood tops ?

 

I like the hood closed look, but my friends above have good opinions too.

 

Hood on... at a familiar location!
Note the ice cream on the toneau.

 

My 32 cabriolet has a vin of F18xxxx. I was told the F means rt hand drive. 18 means v8 so it has a low 4 digit body number. I checked dash and it has 2 holes on pass side for steering column and no holes on drivers side so I assumes the rt hand dash confirms rt hand drive using the F as the first number after the initial star. Flathead Ford powered that has run 80 in the 1/8 mile b4 upholstery and side glass and top. I have 58 years associated with hot rod and stocker flat motors.

 

The hood 'on' photo confirms it. I like the hood. I like ice cream too.

 

I wonder if anybody has ever had a full hood on one side and none on the other?!
Best of both worlds... but maybe not!
Anybody can run just the top.
BTW, I did look at it with just the top half but the engine install was so fresh I just couldn't bring myself to cover up any of the engine... the O'Brien air cleaner I got a little later seemed to seal the open hood look at the time.

 

Actually, I like it Any way!

 

X2. Snowman

 

I feel strongly both ways...

 

I love this car. Hood on IMHO.

 

Boy did I get an early birthday present yesterday! The daughter of the original builder called me yesterday and included her whole family in the call!! Her Mom, Ann, was there, too!!
Talk about priceless!! I also got to speak to a second daughter who also contributed to the history of the little 32.
The is the great man and builder, Doug Turnwall, and his lovely wife, Ann!
I think the whole family is now on the hunt for pictures of the car.
Ann, his wife, solved the mystery of when the body was switched to a cabriolet. She said Doug found the body in a wrecking yard in 1950. He fixed it up and swapped the bodies. I forgot to ask about the dash but I'm on the trail.
BTW, I used facetime on my phone to show them all the car and various aspects of it and the changes I've made. The daughters both remembered the rumble seat so I'm gonna have it spruced up a bit and ship it to them!
Natalie's husband, Gil, is the son-in-law that flame cut the brackets for the rear disc brakes so long ago and I'm sure had a hand in helping Doug with some other fixes or enhancements to the little Ford. Gil is an engineer so I've hinted to Natalie that Gil should be able to come up with something to convert the old rumble seat cushions into some kind of wide chair or bench.
It was great to talk with them!
More later,
Very Happy Al

 

Forgot to report that the picture was taken in New York in 1945 before they were married in 1946. I suspect our little Ford was parked right outside when this picture was taken.

 

Great stuff, Al!

 

According to a number of his friends, Doug was a very good flathead engine builder in the late 40s and on into the 1950s. Most likely the car had a flathead of one kind or another up until Doug installed the Y block Ford engine that was in it in 1961 when the guy that actually sold me the car met him.
In talking with the family Sunday, I asked about what engine was in the car when and the family said they were not sure but they did know that the engine he had the most fun with was the 289 he took out of a 1967 Comet. The second daughter, Marie, told me that Comet was something to behold! She said it was purple with lace paint on hood and trunk. She also said the car was quite rusty but ran well. She said her Dad took the 289 out of the Comet and put it in the cabriolet but she wasn't sure what he replaced the engine with---she thinks it might have been the engine he took out of the cabriolet. We don't know (yet!) but we do know that Marie's husband used the Comet for many years as his go to work car and often carried a coworker with him. She said the coworker often complained about the smell of gas and also being able to see the road through the floorboard in places!
I'm gonna guess he installed the 289 by 1970 or so and ran that until he decided to switch to the 4 banger that was in it when I got it. The family said about 1989 he decided to go back to a four banger because he thought the uniqueness of the car might increase it's value. I believe he got the adaptor at the Portland Swap Meet that connected the four banger to the 5 speed transmission that the family said came out of a Ford courier pickup. Apparently attending the yearly Portland Swap Meet was an annual event if they could make it.
So now we have more details on the car and I'm beginning to suspect that the little Ford never had a 283 Chevy as was rumored by someone. But, we can't be sure... until I talk with the family again!
I know y'all are all disappointed, like me, that a picture of that Comet doesn't survive!
Stay tuned.