Hot Rods Original hot rodder - video, photo's and story

Ron built his first hot rod in 1952 and still has it, I'm 71 but was 2 years old when he built this coupe.

I also added some photo's and Ron's story to this thread.

 

I love Ron's story. Thanks HRP for bringing it to your HAMB buds.

 

Cool - Thanks for sharing

 

TIME CAPSULE – RON STETTER’S 1932 FORD STREET SURVIVOR
Ron Stetter’s 1932 Ford street survivor might make you might think the chopped, channeled, primered, flathead-powered three-window coupe is a recent interpretation of an iconic Fifties ride. With today’s fascination of traditional hot rods, it would be logical to assume it’s a fresh ride made to look old.

But you’d be wrong. Sixty-five years wrong.







The hot rod you see today in Ron’s Orlando, FL, garage is virtually the same ride he built in 1952 in Altoona, PA. And so is the ’40 Ford pickup that he acquired that same year. The tires and 12-volt electrical system aren’t vintage 1952, but almost everything else is.


A four-year stint in the Navy gave Ron plenty of time to daydream about building the ’32. Back home in Altoona, PA, Ron and long-time friend Ray Zeak jumped into action: the coupe for Ron and a ‘32 roadster for Ray.



Ray’s family garage provided the space and a steady dose of junkyard engineering procured the components.



Ron’s day job required travel through parts of Pennsylvania, Ohio, Maryland and West Virginia, giving him the opportunity to find a suitable ’32. While in Marietta, OH, he heard about a ’32 three-window coupe that was being turned into a dirt-track racer. Ron talked the owners into selling him the coupe for a couple of hundred dollars and he flat-towed it back to Altoona.

“They were hard to find in those days,” Ron said. “It was all torn apart. The body was OK; that’s all I wanted.”



That’s when Ron and Ray got busy. The three-inch chop and other welding chores were accomplished with acetylene made from carbide, with stick welding powered by a Model A engine turning a generator. The builds took about a year.

“We were single and we worked on the cars all the time,” Ron said. “We built our own torches, too.”

The top was chopped three inches and channeled over the frame. The radiator cowl leaded smooth, cowl vent eliminated and the roof insert filled.

The fenders (they were required in Pennsylvania then) required a dose of hot rodder ingenuity. The fronts were made from spare tire rings on ‘30s era up-scale cars. The backs were not so easy.

Ron discovered an NOS pair of Model A fenders, but the radius was wrong for the coupe, so Ray adapted them to fit the roadster.

The back ones, however, are a different story.



“In those days old Deuce fenders were usually crushed and I wanted to get it inspected,” Ron said. “We built a pair from cold-rolled steel but the state would not pass the inspection because of the sharp edges.

“As luck would have it, in a junkyard owner’s front yard was a work truck that had been destroyed by a falling tree.”

The fenders looked like they would fit. Ron cut them free from the rusted hulk and took them home. They weren’t wide enough, but Ron solved the problem by cutting off the rounded edges and grafting them onto the cold-rolled steel fenders. Problem solved.



Next, the dash from a junked ’40 Ford was massaged to fit the ’32. It houses Stewart Warner gauges. Tuck and roll upholstery, vintage Ford steering wheel and a column-shifter complete the interior.



A 59L Ford flathead bored .0125 over and a four-inch Mercury crankshaft resulted in a 276-cubic-inch powerplant that pushes approximately 200 horsepower through a ’40 Ford three-speed transmission with 26-tooth Zephyr gears.
Three Holley 94 carbs and a Mallory ignition top off the power plant. A set of vintage aluminum Edlebrock heads were added later.



Ron’s Duece has won numerous awards, from local shows, Goodguys events to the invitation-only, prestigious Amelia Island Councours d’Elegance in 2015.



The ’40 pickup is a similar story, but with an interesting twist. Driven for years with the original flathead V8, the truck went through a frame-off restoration about 10 years ago in Ron’s two-car garage. That work included a new driveline that had been in Ron’s storage shed for decades.



Here’s the story: In the ‘70s Ron worked for Chrysler and through his job he knew the railroad people who transported new Mopar vehicles around the country. In 1975 a train carrying new Chryslers to California derailed, damaging many cars and making them unsellable.

Through his railroad contact, Ron was able to buy a damaged 1975 Chrysler Cordoba (remember Corinthian leather?) and salvage a 360 V8, transmission and rear end – with less than one miles on them. The Mopar drive train now powers the truck around the Orlando area.

Credit where credit is due - this article was published by Dave Doucette
Hope you guys enjoy the photo's & the story. HRP

 

That is a GREAT great story HRP !
I really enjoyed it !


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

 

Excellent story HRP.
Good to see you East Coast guys getting some coverage and recognition.
The Cali guys think it only happened there LOL

 

Great looking rod,I enjoy it, Ya,I'd still paint it shiny!

 

I'm 88,-Korean vet, USN 1951-1952, married for 62 years, took 6 years to build my '32 roadster, put 300,000 miles on since 1968 all over the USA, now gave it to my son so he can enjoy it as I did for so many years.----Don

 

Thanks for posting the pictures are great as is the story.

 

East Coast Hot Rod for sure. Thanks HRP

 

A great story...and one of the few coupes that got saved from those asshat '40s, '50s and '60s stock car guys here in the Northeast.

 

Wow I bet I have posted most of those old photos on the HAMB at one time or another as I found them. Never knew who he was, great story.

 

"Older" guys rule! Great story and the reason to hold on to your hot rod forever.

 

Great Story and pictures! Thanks for sharing HRP!

 

This is a Great story!

 

Love the history of these cars...

Thanks for sharing....

MikeC

 

So on the train story where the drive train came for his 40 pick up. My parents had ordered a new barracuda to be sent to Albuquerque NM. It never showed up because it was on that train.

 

Great story! Reminds me a lot of Roy Drapal’s story and survivor Model A hot rod.

 

Is Ron still living?

 

Really great to read stories like this! The 32 coupe wouldn't be around today if he didn't purchase it. Just curious why there are two sets of front signal lights on the 32? The signals on top of the Guide headlights and the aftermarket ones down by the frame rails. Thanks for posting, I know it took time and effort to do so.

 

Thanks for that great story and video and photos.

 

Ron is an inspiration. Well done Ron.

 

Very cool!!!! What a story !

 

John, I honestly don't know, if he is he would have to be in his 90's. HRP

 

Just a guess on my part but he may use the bottom amber lens as fog lights. HRP

 

The coupe was shown in 2015 at the Amelia Island Concours d'Elegance. HRP

 

Cool, thanks for sharing !

 

Brilliant thank you

Sent from my KOB-L09 using The H.A.M.B. mobile app

 

HRP, don't know how I missed this but what a great story. Thanks for sharing

 

Dear Mr. Ron Stetter,
Thanks so much for preserving the history of your hot rod
and sharing it with us. I'm 78 too and really appreciate
what you have done including your service to the good old USA.