1932 potential buy

Thank you!!


Any other info I can grab to help verify? You guys are awesome and very helpful. Very appreciative!
You have had 4 (Or SO) of the what I would classify as "THE" most knowledge 32 Ford people walking the planet give you 3 major (well 6 BUT, 3 might involve disassy) clues and ALL but tell you its "suspect" as to original AND that the serial number isn't "original" Ford stamping. What "MORE" is there??? IF you have you already have a "Brookville" body.....My suggestion would be to go to Harbor Freight and get one of their plastic "shape" guide (Like $6 or so bucks) and press it against your body above the rear wheel arch, you should see the shape/profile as pretty "straight/flat". Take that shape with you to said car and "compare"........IF the same shape/profile exist, Wah La!!! IF it has a pronounced curve/bulge comparatively speaking THEN you know as well!!!!
 
I've had several of both original and Brookvilles and the one in your picture sure looks like a Brookville to me
The firewall has the half moon ident, which shows to be original, but not sure of the other parts. My brookville cars firewall looks different. I am throughly confused :)
 
You have had 4 (Or SO) of the what I would classify as "THE" most knowledge 32 Ford people walking the planet give you 3 major (well 6 BUT, 3 might involve disassy) clues and ALL but tell you its "suspect" as to original AND that the serial number isn't "original" Ford stamping. What "MORE" is there??? IF you have you already have a "Brookville" body.....My suggestion would be to go to Harbor Freight and get one of their plastic "shape" guide (Like $6 or so bucks) and press it against your body above the rear wheel arch, you should see the shape/profile as pretty "straight/flat". Take that shape with you to said car and "compare"........IF the same shape/profile exist, Wah La!!! IF it has a pronounced curve/bulge comparatively speaking THEN you know as well!!!!

Well it isn’t conclusive… here is what I think. Firewall, and doors are original. The body is aftermarket….I just wanted to triple check. I live in Georgia. Car is in Cali, not easy to verify shape :)
 
The firewall is not an integral part of the body on a '32, so it being original is not an indication that the rest of the body is original as well.
 
I agree with Krylon32, I have only owned the 1 original roadster I have, but that looks like a BV to me and trying to pass it off as original is not being honest. Perhaps they bought it as an original, but I don't think it is. I have seen at an EFV8 event a 32 roadster that was definitely not original someone went to a lot of work putting original doors and other parts and things like mats on a BV body trying to make it pass as original. It supposedly was from Hawaii and had an odd top over the rumble seat. Only an idiot would try to pass that off at a EFV8 national meet. David would not be fooled.
The car in question would probably be fun but don't pay an original price for a copy.
 
I don’t know. They claim it’s original. So I guess it’s a mute point and I need to find another car.

If anyone knows of an original roadster for sale please send my way. I have cash ready to go

Sad thing is, I would buy the car, price depends on originality….
 
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Anyone close to Morgan hills that could lay eyes on the car for me? I would compensate you for your time and gas (crazy prices)
 
What baffles me is why it makes a difference if the body on a heavily modified Hot Rod is original "Henry steel" or a well done reproduction? A restored car, for sure, but one that looks nothing like the original?

"Braggin Rights", I guess.
 
As I have advised KDAWG97M3 by p.m., the seller's additional photos included in his for sale ad reveal a couple of obscure details that suggest that body may well be an original, at least the left door and the left side of the cowl. Perhaps somewhere along the road someone wiped out the original configuration of the upper quarter panels wanting to eliminate the wood tack rail behind the seat back. By doing so, they doomed this car to be perpetually challenged as to the origin of the body once Brookville commenced offering its reproduction steel body.

The two details revealed in the additional photos (downloaded and enlarged) are: the L-shaped brackets at the front of the bottom edges of the cowl that along their accompanying 7/16-20 x 2 1/4" hex head bolts serve as semi-adjustable cowl-to-frame attachment points are riveted on the subject roadster body's cowl, whereas on a Brookville body's cowl they are spot welded and in the photo the left door, the fit of either an original or accurate reproduction of a '32 phaeton/roadster male door dovetail with its flat, lip-less base flush against the side of the door is only possible on an original door. The reason being that the embedded clinch nuts for the dovetail attachment screws are recessed on an original door and not on a Brookville door. You cannot mount either an original or accurate reproduction '32 phaeton/roadster male dovetail flush with the door side on a Brookville body. (To obtain a flush fit as intended, you must use the '33-'36 phaeton/roadster male dovetail with the lip around the perimeter of the base on a Brookville door.)
 
There's an ID tag in the driver's door jamb and the frame # does not appear to be original Ford stamping. If that's a California DMV ID tag with a DMV assigned number that tells me two things. Either the original ownership certificate (pink slip) was lost at one time or this car was assembled from parts and reregistered as a '32. If it was me I would pass on this car as there are too many things mentioned by others that do not point to an original body.
 
What baffles me is why it makes a difference if the body on a heavily modified Hot Rod is original "Henry steel" or a well done reproduction? A restored car, for sure, but one that looks nothing like the original?

"Braggin Rights", I guess.
TUBMAN
I was debating on whether to post or not that EXACT sentiment. IF he was looking to convert it back to "original" then I can understand the "NEED", obviously. BUT if the goal is in its "current" form.......THEN what does it matter?? Its "George Washington's Axe" (Almost) at this point.....The head was worn out twice and replaced and it had three broken handles BUT it's George Washington's Axe!!! PLUS the OP had to come here to get "expert" advice, clearly the low hanging fruit far out weight the PRIME picking of the market place. Even IF it was "original" steel Its been cut and modified to the point of "WHO CARES"!!! JMO




DavidG Is the two areas you're speaking of from the photo's in the link in post #28??? For study purposses
 
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What baffles me is why it makes a difference if the body on a heavily modified Hot Rod is original "Henry steel" or a well done reproduction? A restored car, for sure, but one that looks nothing like the original?

"Braggin Rights", I guess.

The difference is price….I own a brookville…much cheaper than original..if this roadster was 45-50k, I wouldn’t even have posted….but at 64k ( which I think is a great price for an original specieman) I need to know..
 
Robert,


Yes; the photo in the middle of the first column and the one at the bottom of the third column. You'll have to download the two photos and then enlarge them to see the necessary degree of detail.
 
The difference is price….I own a brookville…much cheaper than original..if this roadster was 45-50k, I wouldn’t even have posted….but at 64k ( which I think is a great price for an original specieman) I need to know..

I came here post this same thought. The difference is huge in terms of value, selling price point and potential resale down the road.

Things may change obviously, but there are fair share of people who will buck up for an original bodied roadster. A Brookville-bodied hot rod, while still nice, can be harder to sell since a lot of folks want an original body just like the OP.

I know there are some on this and other forums that have this doomsday view of collector cars, but hot rods are super hot right now and good cars are selling quickly once listed on Instagram, etc.
 
TimAyers


It's not a "doomsday" view........I still haven't got ANY "reasonable" response, In my mind, WHY at the point where the SAID roadster in this post, that has had some of the distinguishing features of an "ORIGINAL" car altered, removed OR replaced.....to the point that "possibly" half the interior of the car would have to be removed to tell "IF" it is "Real" or "NOT REAL". "IF" "ORIGINAL", AS a hot rod, is SO desirable THEN why would one want this car, even IF it is determined to be original.....AT SOME point you, me, DavidG will not be here to tell the OP otherwise SO without the "ORIGINAL" features, who will know???? SO at the point of where this car IS, What does original Ford steel matter???? OTHER than saying the words.......IT "Henry Ford Steel" to assign some "random" perceived value for it??? I know, for me and my mind, IF I were going to do a car like in this post......Brookville makes a whole hell of a lot of sense to me AS the amount of "potential" time and money saved on paint and body work on a car that.....IN reality, 95% of the interested people could care less about it being "real Henry Steel".......THEY just like "The LOOK"!!!!! AND In the end who knows the difference AS we have 2 pages of debate and pontifications about it!!!!!
 
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