Just looking for input on and old school build. I have heard the ride will only get better and looks easier to build.
Been there done that. In fact my current 32 has them on it. What I've learned is to box the complete rear half of the frame and run a soft spring. The distance from last crossmember to end of rail is a long way and without boxing the rail brakes off at the last rivet hole. Be sure to box inside the crossmember at the rail. I used chassis eng. 33/34 Ford springs and built my own brackets to fit. Rides nice and Cheep by comparison to 4 bar or other stuff. Here are some photos of them on a 34 Chevy. Don't have any on the 32. The Wizzard
Posies makes an excellent conversion from "buggy" spring to semi elipictical rear springs kit, I did mine in 1996, what a BIG difference in road handling---Especially in mountain curves---Reduces the leaning as with buggy rear spring!!-----Don
FWIW, the Jim Busby coupe had paralel leaves on the rear and it's one of the more iconic '32 five-windows.
I used the Posies kit on my 32 truck. It's the most durable. it does have a somewhat choppy ride because the springs are short.
If you're gonna hang the rear with a set of parallel leaf springs, you're gonna' have to modify the sheet metal on the rear of that Model A Coupe so the deuce rails can hang out the back... It's been done many times but??? What about a deuce gas tank??? CEI also sells a parallel leaf kit...
My first hot rod was a full fendered 32 5window someone built in the 50s or 60s.It had parallel leaf springs in the rear and a 54 Ford rearend.It rode fine for an old car,wasn't really smooth but about like a Corvette I owned.I have no idea what the springs were off of. It takes so few modifications that I am putting a setup like that under a 34 truck I have.
Use the longest springs you can fit in in there. A friend runs short leaf spring's on the back of his glass 3 window and he's been changing/modifying them every winter trying to get a soft ride without bottoming out.
Helped a friend with the conversion on his '34. He couldn't be happier. Go for it. Be careful of spring rate. Most kits expect you will run full fenders, since most open wheel guys don't like the look. The rate used in a full fender car might be a tad stiff for an open wheel car.
Kinda off track... there is some racing history on this mod. Bill Wendt's street legal stock car replica has parallel leafts and he told me they were a popular mod at one time to get better handling. I wouldn't be surprised if some drag racers went that way, too. Bill's car is amazing... he's owned the 32 since high school (and he's been around) and this is his 4th build using the same body. Gary
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