History Cool '32 Ford roadster pickup.

Today they are scarce & rarely seen but just how plentiful were they back in 1932? HRP

 

Not very plentiful. A lot of them were used in southern California on the fruit farms. Although there was 1 that parked on Union Street in the mid 1950's when I lived in San Francisco

 

were they cheaper than closed cab trucks? make you wonder why they even built them.

 

593 built in 1932 were all Model B’s.

 

The only thing rarer was the sedan delivery's with about 400 being made, it's kinda strange that I have actually seen a handful of real sedan delivery's in my life but have never seen a real 1932 Ford roadster pickup. HRP

 

Yeah, there were 334 four cylinder and 57 V8 Sedan Delivery’s built in 1932. Lorin Sorensen said in his book The Commercial Fords that 80-90% of the ‘32-‘34 open cab pickups were exported to the Caribbean and South America so that accounts for their scarcity here. As @nickthebandit mentioned they were popular for use in orchards in So Cal.

 

My friend Corky worked for Don Blair in the late 1940's, Raced on the dry lake's for him and in 1948 bought a 1932 Ford Roadster pickup form him for 28 dollars. he keep that car all his life. About 25 years ago he made it into a hot rod, he drove that car from Havasu to the LARS many times and i am sure many of you saw it. Corky has since passed

 

I think the guys at Bruce's Rod Shop have a couple?

 

I friend bought one unrestored, as I remember it nothing interchanged with the Roadster. Cowl, doors, windshield, and posts were all unique to the Roadster Pickup.

 

Other than the firewall and cowl vent,
You are correct as far as the cab goes.

 

Here is one in India

 

About 6 years ago 2 friends and I went to California, our first stop was Gene Scott's old place in Rosemead. Jim Gordon, the old shop manager gave us a tour of the place. In the back room was an honest to goodness original 1932 Ford roadster pickup. I told my friends to take pictures of the roadster pickup as you may never see another one, and they did take some pictures of it.

 

I was lucky to get to see/touch the Gene Hetland 32 RPU a few years ago. A few years before that I was lucky to see/touch the Roy Lewis 34 RPU. If you think a 32 is rare, a 34 is way rarer.

 

They made even fewer RPU in 33 and 34. Ive always wanted to have a 33 to build a matching twin to my 33 closed cab. I always liked the look of the real RPU due to the uniqueness of them over say the cab Brookville and others have made over the years.

 

I would guess the cowl and lower doors would be more closer to a pickup/truck set up over a roadster.

 

orig. 32 rpm mocked up for fit on chassis

 

Ok, Another question is the RPU cowl the same as a commercial chassis cowl? Ford sold chassis without bodies, just a cowl.

Bob

 

Fellow down the highway has one, pretty straight and pretty much as built in ‘32. Needs a full restoration, he has a few other ‘32s as well. Guy is in his early 80’s and doesn’t get around too well. I’ve offered to help him get one going, but I think he just enjoys looking at them now.
Gotta respect that though.

 

Good question, I know the school buses used a different cowl, it may have been a roadster or possibly roadster pick, Basicbob has a '32 bus but I can't find a photo of it for comparison, maybe he will drop in. HRP

 

The commercial cowl is the same minus the hole for the windsheild post.

 

There is a nice 34 RPU around here--stocker--haven't seen it for a while

 

The Burroughs family at Bruce's Rod Shop in Spring, TX has at least one, maybe two of them. I see them every now and then.

 

The RPU cowl was also used on the drive-away chassis that was available to commercial body builders. Some cowls did not have holes in the A pillar for hinges depending on the application.

 

1932 Ford school bus, it appears to be a cowl without provisions for a windshield. HRP

 

This guy has a lot of photo's of a project 1932 Ford school bus and the cowl does look like the roadster pickup without the area for the windshield post. HRP

CLICK HERE:

 

That is very, very rare being a 34. I think under 400ish were built in 34. They were the smallest run.

 

Yes, in 1933 there were 308 V8’s and 202 4 cylinder RPU’s, the ‘34 totals were only 99 V8’s and 248 4 cylinder RPU’s.



FWIW I’ve included a shot from Sorensen’s “The Commercial Fords” book that shows some details, particularly the simplicity of the upper cowl to door area.

 

The late Greg Morris had one. Everything about the cowl and doors is different from all the other models. I have not seen a commercial next to a rpu so I can't verify if the cowls are the same. The doors have wood in them.

 

Picks of the Gene Hetland RPU.

 

UncleBuck on here had a body for sale for a while. If you have a open car commercial cowl Andy's Restoration in St Libory NE. has built several bodies from the cowl back.