Technical 1932 Pickup Rebuild Thread UPDATED 1/11/16

In 1982 my Dad bought a 1932 Ford Pickup from an add in the Sunday news paper. The new owner of a chrome plating shop in Pomona, California acquired the truck with the business. He had no use for it, so up for sale it went. As it turned out, the seller was a guy my Dad had gone to High School with in the 60's. Small world!

Upon getting the truck home it became apparent that the drive train was DONE. According to my Dad, the motor had bad noises DEEP down inside it, the clutch chattered, the transmission worked poorly and the rear axle was noisy. Very shortly after buying it, my Dad tore it apart. The engine and trans were handed over to his long-time best friend and Ford 4 cylinder expert, Chris. Chris coordinated the necessary machine work and handled the assembly himself. He also rebuilt the transmission using all New Old Stock internals that my Dad provided. Upon tearing down the 4.11 geared rear axle my Dad found the ring and pinion set to be absolutely thrashed along with pretty much everything else. He had a second 3.78 geared '32 rear axle known to be good so it was cleaned, painted and substituted. The front axle, suspension and mechanical brakes were also gone through at this time. Once finished, the truck was in very good mechanical condition.

As my Dad bought the truck it was equipped with the original 18" wire wheels with badly worn and petrified tires. Not able to get new Firestone 5.50-18 tires at the time and not wanting BFG or Goodyear, he had a mint set of 16" Kelsey Hayes 40 spoke 30's accessory wheels beautifully painted in a pale yellow and put brand new Firestone 6.00-16 tires on them. The original 18" wheels had their rotten tires stripped and were stored away.

It was also in 1982 that my Dad gave the truck to me, all of 2 years old at the time! As the story goes, because the worn out 4 cylinder engine was loud and shaky I was afraid to be in the truck with it running. On one of these occasions my Dad told me not to be afraid because it was MY truck. He said that I instantly relaxed and never had a problem again. Over the years we drove around in the old truck regularly, putting around town and going to local swap meets.

In 1995 I was 15 and on the verge of getting my drivers license. By this time I had also settled in pretty firmly with a taste for traditional hot rods, particularly the 1940's era thanks to the Don Montgomery scrap books. I told my Dad that I wanted to make some basic changes to the truck to make it a little less stock and a little more cool. His stipulation was that whatever we did could do no harm to it. No cutting, drilling or welding. Just bolt-off and bolt-on modifications that could be reversed at any time.

Over the next year we added a Magnum 4" dropped I-beam axle, reversed spring eyes front and rear, '46-'48 Ford hydraulic brakes and '40 Ford brake drums. My Dad had also since had the original thrashed rear axle completely rebuilt with new 3.54 gears and all New Old Stock internals so it was installed. It was also during this time that he developed the 1932 master cylinder bracket kit that is the original product for our shop, Early V8 Garage. During 1995 the family office machine sales business my Dad was involved with since the 60's was in the process of dissolving (thanks to warehouse outlets like Staples and Office Depot) so he was looking for his next career. He had been renting a shop building since 1985 as a place to store and work on his cars. He officially opened for business in 1996 and his first product was the master cylinder bracket kit we designed and tested on my truck.

After completing the upgrades to my truck and turning 16, I would drive it regularly for many years to follow. I also made a few more changes in the coming years such as putting the larger 7.00-16 Firestone tires on the rear for a proper rubber rake and having Pete Eastwood drop a headlight bar to tuck the Mickey Mouse ears down closer to the fenders.

After completing my 1927 Roadster hot rod in June, 2007, it would become my primary old car and the truck spent most of the next five and a half years hibernating, only awoken once in a while to get it out and circulate the fluids. In February 2013 the Roadster was sold. Not an easy decision but one of my comforts was that I still had a bitchin' '32 Ford. Unfortunately, around this time a pretty healthy oil leak had developed around the rear main bearing area of the old 4-banger. The engine always ran fantastic but over the past two years the leak got frustrating enough that it has really limited my enthusiasm to use the truck.

Here is the most current pictures of the truck in it's most updated form:

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The oil leak is absolutely repairable and it's pretty fair that after being rebuilt 30+ years ago that the engine should require some servicing! The Roadster that I had built had a very good running flathead V8. A smooth engine with good power despite it's mildly modified state. It was the kind of hot rod a guy could jump in any time and go anywhere without hesitation. An hour and a half down the freeway at 65mph? No problem! The old truck with an anemic 50hp stock 4-banger? That's a different story. The original drive train in the truck has always limited it's use to local and driving it is non-stop work because of it's lack of power, tall axle gearing and tall rear tires further killing the gearing. It's never really possible to lean back, relax and enjoy a drive. So, here's the dilemma. In order to fix the oil leak the engine and trans needed to be removed. While fixing the oil leak would allow me to drive the truck regularly, I would still be stuck putting around town instead of being able to spend a day behind the wheel doing driving activities with my Hot Rod friends like I used to in the Roadster. I have been so disconnected from Hot Rodding since selling the Roadster two years ago that it's bumming me out. I need another Hot Rod and to get back out on the road regularly!

Sitting in our storage building for the past several years has been this neat little '66/'67 Chevy II 283 small block that my Dad bought from a friend of ours and it's a guaranteed to be good engine removed from a running Hot Rod. The car was a 50's built sports rod based on a '31 Model A Roadster body and has a documented racing history that qualifies it for historic racing events like the Monterey Historics. Our friend bought it and restored it several years ago and put it back to it's original 50's configuration which included a flathead. What's really great about the 283 that came out of the old racer is that it already has the correct adapter bell housing and flywheel to attach an early Ford 3-speed transmission and clutch. And, while internally stock, it's also equipped with an Edelbrock intake, 3x2 Rochestor carburetors and Cal Custom valve covers. My Dad bought it because he could but never had a plan for it, so it has sat. I got to thinking, that engine sure would solve the problem of my truck being stuck to put around town. With a healthy small block I could drive any time, anywhere I wanted just like the Roadster. It makes perfect sense!

The engine:

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My Dad is really stubborn so I knew he wasn't going to like the idea of putting a small block in my old truck but as I explained to him, I have to do what makes ME happy because, after all, it's MY truck. I also presented him with the conclusion that I had came to. What's a greater injustice: Leaving the truck an unmolested near-stocker that I'll barely use or making it a Hot Rod that I'll drive the wheels off of? He finally agreed to sell the engine to me but told me he needed to make $100 on it. Fine, done deal!

 

A couple of weekends back one of my best friends, Matt, spent a Saturday with me and lent and hand for step one: Remove the 4-banger and trans. With the only goal for the day being getting the engine & trans out we took our time and enjoyed the process. I hate working fast, it's too stressful. Everything came apart easily. After about 4 hours work and a lunch break, we were looking at this:

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After all these years, there's some serious clean up to do!

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If the building I'm working in doesn't look like much of a "shop", that's because it isn't. It's our storage building. Can't tie up shop space with personal work.

The stock 50hp Model B engine. After 30+ years of faithful service, it's time to retire!

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Now, there's gonna be a lot more to this project than just an engine replacement. The whole truck is going to be getting reconfigured. Most of you might question that and think that it was plenty awesome just as it was. And, I agree. It was a good looking old truck. But, one thing you all need to keep in mind is that this truck has looked the same to me for 33 of my 35 years, the only exception being getting a few inches closer to the ground back in '95. I'm ready for a fresh look and there's one '32 Pickup in particular out there that has become an incredibly strong influence in the next chapter of my old trucks life. The truck below was built a few years back by a very talented builder named Danny Bouroughs of Bruce's Rod Shop in Spring, Texas. The moment I saw it, I absolutely fell in love and started having those evil thoughts about my own. We have done business with Danny and his dad, Bruce many times over the years and they are incredibly great people. And, wouldn't you know it. Danny's truck has a small block, too! Also, of particular note is the use of the original '32 Ford 18" wire wheels with little and BIG tires. It is because of this feature that the proportions of a fenderless, unchopped and stock length bed '32 Pickup work. Now, if you recall from what I wrote earlier, the original 18" wheels from my truck have been safely stored away all of these years...

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Not only do I have the advantage of a fully functioning shop at my disposal, I also have the advantage of being able to wolf down my lunch in a couple of minutes and put the rest of my lunch hour to good use wrenching on my truck. Over the last couple of weeks I have chipped away at further dis-assembly. I've gotten a little further than this but here are the most recent pictures from a few days back. Looks more like a Hot Rod already!

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On the inside I have been dis-assembling the dash and cowl area. Unfortunately, one of the six 1/4" bolts that mount the instrument panel is stripped and wrenches won't get it apart. I'm going to have to run an air hose over from the main shop and carefully cut the offending bolt. The shiny engine turned panel is correct for passenger cars but trucks had a plain black panel. Back in '95 this is one of the things I changed because I thought shiny things were cool. I still have the original black painted panel and will be re-installing it. There's a few other "flashy" passenger car items on the truck that will also be replaced with the correct, plainer commercial versions. I'm also going to be replacing the original Amp and Fuel gauges with vintage Stewart Warner gauges to better monitor the incoming small block.

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Here is the front axle setup that has served for the past 20 years. It's a Magnum 4" dropped axle, reverse eye original spring, '42-'48 spindles, a bolt-on steering adapter arm, '46-'48 brakes and '40 drums. The tie rod and drag link are also the '35-'48 style with the sealed ball joint ends. The wishbone and lever shocks are original '32. This front end is going to be coming out and getting re-configured to reflect the way we build front ends now.

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Back in '95 when this front end was built we put it together from extra parts allowing the original front end to be removed and set aside as a complete unit. My last couple of lunch breaks were spent breaking the original front end down after its 20 year slumber. Thankfully, none of the fasteners fought me. Shown here are the original forged I-beam axle, mechanical brakes, tie rod, drag link and spindles. (The spring perches and wishbone are not pictured because I owed those to my Dad for the substitutes he furnished 20 years back.) Some of these parts will be getting put into service on the new front end that I am going to assemble. More on that as I get everything in place and get some more pictures.

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That's where I'm at as of now. More to come soon!

 

Awesome truck, you were one lucky 2 yr old. Looking forward to more updates.


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Oh man, I kind of felt a bit uneasy with the mention of the sbc,
but I really like the stuff you are going to do here.
Hard to beat the look of the trucks Danny builds,
they have been an influence on mine as well.
I'll be checking your progress frequently.

 

Great story, thanks for posting. I'll be watching your progress closely.

 

Very nice pickup. I'll be watching this thing take shape.

 

glad you finally came to your senses about the 283 ...yer gonna love that lil motor

The Rolling Bones have their own look...the Bouroughs have these trucks nailed down

 

Great story and nice truck

 

Nice truck! Stay the course and keep the pics coming.

 

Your Dad was a big help to me when I was putting my '32 pickup together.
All of the parts supplied by him for this truck simply feel into place and bolted in.
With an original stock '55 265 4bbl power pack 80 k engine in it with a refreshed '35 top loader bolted to the original torque tube and '32 stock rear end and your Dad's help with the modified hydraulic brake conversion, it is a real pleasure and fun truck to drive.
You are going to really enjoy the changes you are making!

 

Great read,what's not to love about a Deuce pickup seeing yet another chapter in your life. HRP

 

Super story, very nice pickup!

 

That's a good looking truck you have there. I like where you are going with the project.

 

Dennis, great story and knowing your father — I know that SBC was a hard sell. I love your plan for the truck and tell Richard that it can all be put back to stock when he buys it back from you. I am a big fan of your father and his expertise in early Fords. Remind him that he did a similar project with his roadster except for the SBC. As he knows, his roadster is one of my favorites.

 

Dennis, I participated in the last three PRCRR with my original '32 Roadster. When I bought it the original 4-banger and mechanical brakes were the first thing to be removed. The '57 283, '39 gear box and Columbia that I added made it a pleasure to drive. Your plan has a great direction and I'm sure your Dad will appreciate the reliability benefit of the small block. Good luck and keep us updated!!!

 

Thank you, everyone, for your supportive comments. I'm really excited about this project!

Glad to hear you liked our products and how well they worked for you! We have the brake systems down to a good science. I really like your truck. Can't go wrong with a green Deuce Pickup! How did you mount the front of the engine in your truck? I'm pretty sure at this point I'm going to use modified '32 V8 engine mounts.

Haha, yeah he still doesn't like it. I should point out to him that what I'm doing is essentially what we did to his '34, minus the SBC. What's funny is that his current project that I've been trying to find time for between customer work is a bitchin' '33 Panel Truck and it's getting a '57 283 Power Pack and was originally a 4-banger. He was on the fence about engine choice. I told him my truck is gutless enough, imagine a wimpy banger in that big panel loaded with a swap meet haul. It would be awful.

I remember your '32 Roadster well as I was a PRC member and the Chairman of those last 3 Reliability Runs. I'm pretty sure the first year you participated that the then President, Richard Loe, picked your car for the President's Choice award. I'm no longer a member because I sold my roadster but it would be nice to see the PRC bring that event back. And, I don't know about my Dad but I'm definitely going to appreciate the SBC. Not just the reliability but the DRIVABILITY.

 

I just used the old style flathead side mounts with the Cragar engine cradle mount.....worked perfect.
One of the easiest builds I have done.

 

Good decision about the Chevy engine so you can drive it anywhere. Love the truck.
Just glad you didn't ask for opinions about running it without fenders.(IMO goofy looking)

 

Very nice many pictures please! Roger

 

Dennis--
That was a great read for Easter(I'm not very religious), that is one peach of a truck.
You don't possibly have a Duntov cam laying around do you--just say'n.

 

Dennis, Yes Richard Loe did present me with the Presidents Choice Award at the 2008 Roadster Run. I can say on behalf of myself and my friends that we all looked forward to and enjoyed the Pasadena Club Run. We all hope that it will be resurrected, it truly was the best annual event for traditional Roadsters. Again best wishes on your '32 Pickup. Ron

 

I like trucks!

 

hushup, you.

 

Us old curmudgeons always have an opinion.....now get off my lawn....

 

One of our customers recently left one of his reproduction 18" high clearance wheels with us (complete with Firestone 7.00-18 tire mounted.) The centers on these new wheels are thicker requiring longer lug studs to run them safely. We asked him to bring a wheel so that we could measure and install the correct length studs in the new MT hubs and drums we are selling him. As luck would have it, this is the same size wheel and tire I will be putting on the back of my truck. With the old kelsey's permanently removed I took the opportunity to bolt it up and have a look. Diggin' it!!!

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Today also saw the removal of the '40 brake drums and '46-'48 brake assemblies. The drums will definitely be reused. The brakes I may replace with the MT reproduction Lincoln/Bendix self energizing assemblies because the difference between them and the old Lockheed are night and day.

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When the brakes came off so did the old Specialty Cars bolt-on steering arm, drag link and cross-over brake line. The arm and link are going into the For Sale pile.

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How it was left at the end of today's lunch break. Tomorrow the front axle assembly will be coming out along with the steering gear and muffler/head pipe.

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patiently waiting...

 

Good stuff.

 

The last couple of days I wasn't able to get any work done but today's lunch break was quite productive. Was able to remove the exhaust, front axle assembly, steering gear/column and pedal assembly. Here's how the truck now stands:

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Naked k-member. I always forget how cherry this frame is. Not a speck of rust or pitting, anywhere.

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There was also a new puddle under the truck today. Closer inspection shows that the 20 year old master cylinder decided to piss the floor. Excellent timing! I was going to install a new one, anyways.

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The out-going front axle assembly. The wishbone and spring will get reused. The Magnum axle, spindles and tie rod will be getting sold as an assembly.

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Steering gear and pedal assembly. The pedals will get new bushings and a new shaft just because it's easy and I might as well make them fresh along with everything else. Back in '95 when we did the dropped axle front end we tore apart the steering gear and did a "best as we could" rebuild on it. Problem was at the time new quality, correctly made worm and sector gears weren't available and my Dad didn't have anything less-worn on hand so we put it back together and adjusted it as best we could. Unfortunately it was still pretty sloppy. Thankfully, a couple of years ago good quality, correctly made replacement gears became available and I have done many steering gear overhauls using them with excellent results.

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Front spring clamp and front shock absorbers. Clamp will get reused, shocks will be replaced with tubes.

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Lastly, over the past weekend I won a couple of auctions on Ebay for some vintage mid-late 50's brass case Stewart Warner gauges. They came in the mail today. Very happy with them!

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Reminds me of the tudor we did a few years ago. Ours wasn't quite as nice but almost. It's a weird feeling being the first guy to hot rod an unmodified '32. We also did very similar to what you are doing, but kept a flathead in it. I only drilled 13 holes in the car, and did a little trimming of the front crossmember. We kept all the original parts, and I have another crossmember to go in the stock stuff pile. But I doubt those parts will ever get reassembled.

Keep up the good work. It's fun to watch!

 

Not a whole lot to update. Been trying to get all of the "fore sale" pile cleaned and photo'd so I can start posting ads.

I did drag the trucks original 18" wheels out of their 30 year storage, dusted 'em off and dropped them off at our powder coater for a fresh coat of glossy black! Was going to hold off until I got my Kelsey wheels and tires sold but the place offered to paint them for a stupid good price since we've brought them so much business over the years.

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A good friend came by the shop for lunch today and made me a great deal on this early Mallory SBC distributor. I didn't need it but I really like the cap design. Kind of a poor mans magneto.

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