I just picked this up today and the owner said the body was bought in the late 60's to early 70's. Are there any characteristics that can identify the maker of the body? I just got it home after dark but I have a few pics from earlier in the day. It has a cowl vent and exposed hinges. The cowl top bolts to the cowl sides. Also it has a rumble seat. Thanks for any help.
How did you arrive at "early" in your description? Steve Archer was an early glass body builder but I can't say how to identify his bodies.
Another interesting thread. Here: https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum...er-fiberglass-1932-ford-roadster-body.506829/
He did mention it might be a Gibbon, but he was just guessing. Any idea when Gibbon started producing bodies?
I visited John Brown at his farm in Marengo, IL with a couple of friends and I think that might have been in 1972 or so. Brown beat Steve Archer with the first commercially available glass ‘32 Roadster but his had no inner structure, the pieces shown in the photos had to be glassed together and you were on your own with that if you bought the body in pieces. I imagine Brown used wood for his inner structure if you bought an assembled body from him. At that time it was common for guys building a T to ‘glass in wooden supports but for sure the Deuce would be more complex.
Back in the early 70's I bought a 32 roadster body kit from Speedway, The doors and deck lid came in 2 pieces and had to be glassed together, the floor was loose from the body shell and there were no reproduction hinges or latches. I used some T latches and hinges off a 30 Durant. It was a nightmare but after spending the better part of one winter, learning woodworking and fiber glassing I got it assembled and fitting good. Car went on to have a feature in Popular Hot Rodding. I was so dumb I took on the job of doing the same thing for a friend who had bought a Brown body. We've came a long way with today's glass bodies.
The grille shell and glass gas tank have a reddish brown tint to the gelcoat but they could be from another company. Maybe the firewall can give a clue.
I would guess it' a Westcott body, I have had a couple of Gibbon's body''s and they didn't have cowl vent, the brown's body my pal Gary bought in the early 70's didn't have one ether. also the browns & Gibbons bodys had a flat firewall. HRP
Danny I tend to use the firewall as an I.D. point on these cars but Wescott offers/offered them in "stock appearing" and stock/recessed, and as far as I know they have always been built with a steel inner structure. Wescott 32 roadster bodies are available without a cowl vent as well as hidden door hinges, these were generally called their "California Special" option, this is how I ordered mine, I also requested the trunk divider which was made from a Phaeton seat back, they were not commonly known about, as I've heard, Dee who installed them did not like doing them but they really fit nice and take a lot of the work out of installing a trunk divider. Many mfgs also took the easy way out as far as recessed firewalls go and didn't even try for an original look, those flat recessed firewalls look like s#/t to me. Another good read. Here: https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/how-to-i-d-a-wescott-body.1090620/
There was a place out of Florida called the little car company that made glass bodys that had cowl vents. HRP
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