Surely the cover of this magazine caught your attention with the pair of George Poteet's latest pickups, and this feature gives the lowdown on the '32 half of that equation. It's a well-known fact that George has long been a fan of commercial models, but this latest duo marks his personal pinnacle of pickup perfection. So rampant is George's attraction to hot rods with a cargo area on the back that this author has happened to be in the vicinity of not one, but two of his on-the-spot purchases of tricked out trucks. Coincidence? Maybe it's just a little more proof of his addiction.
The inspiration for George's latest Deuce (he has a constantly revolving stable that includes many '32 Fords) came when he caught wind of Brookville Roadster's idea to add a rear panel to a few of their '32 roadster pieces to make a phantom roadster pickup cab. This idea of a stylish rpu that you could actually fit into (many of the original models left much to be desired in the comfort area) was both very attractive and familiar to George as he had actually convinced Brookville Roadster to produce an extended cab '30/31 Model A roadster pickup with an additional 6 inches of cab length for added comfort. George received the very first Brookville extended Model A cab and it has gone on to be one of their most popular bodies produced. After George confirmed that they would indeed be producing the '32 version, he kept up with them until he ultimately took ownership of the very first '32 roadster pickup cab to roll off the Brookville assembly line.
With the body secured, George's next step would be to figure out who would build it. With Poteet projects buzzing at home and also at a number of shops across the country, George was happy to slip into a spot at Roy Brizio's South San Francisco shop. Putting their heads together, George and Roy came up with a plan for the build that would be pure hot rod with a fair amount of spit and polish thrown in as well.
Since Roy's shop is pretty much a factory for well-built '32 Fords, the chassis is one of his patented units, this time with a 2-inch stretch to compensate for the additional length of the cab. Bolted up to the front of the frame are pieces from Magnum, Pete & Jake's, Durant, and Wilwood. Under the rear you will find additional pieces from Pete & Jake's and Wilwood, as well as POSIES, to mount a 9-inch Ford rearend.
Powering the pickup is a mighty 402ci Roush-built mill that packs a whopping 515 hp! The Roush aluminum-headed engine breathes in through an Edelbrock manifold and a Holley 770-cfm carb and exhales through a pair of Pertronix headers and a custom Brizio exhaust system. Backing up the pumped-up Blue Oval is a Tremec five-speed trans that's operator-controlled by a Hurst stick. The rolling stock matches the performance theme with a set of pure magnesium rims custom cast by Ron Blondell to perfectly match a set of super rare Halibrand hoops used on mid-'60s Watson Indy roadsters. The rims are coated in the same Dow 7 coating used to preserve the original rims, and that's what gives them that classic greenish gold tint.
Back to the body that started the whole project, it was fitted by Jack Hagemann with a custom aluminum hood and then mated to a modified Model A bed before Vintage Color Studio massaged all the tin and shot it with a deep black finish coat. Brizio's house 'striper, Rory, laid the lines and Sid Chavers finished the project with one of his renowned leather stitch jobs.
With enough toys in the stable to last him a while, George plans on sending this around to various shows for a year after which he plans on fully enjoying the '32 out on the open road as he's know and appreciated for. If Brookville makes plans to produce any more "new" models, you know who might be a good guess to be driving the first one.
George Poteet Memphis, Tennessee 1932 Ford PickupDrivetrainWith a Ford in a Ford being a big favorite of the Brizio shop, George's pickup sports one of the most potent packages currently available with his Roush-built 402ci/515hp mill mated to a Tremec five-speed box. An Edelbrock intake straddles a pair of aluminum Roush heads and spark is supplied by MSD.
ChassisThe platform for the roadster pickup started with a pair of 'rails stretched 2 inches by Brizio and supported up front by a Magnum 5-inch dropped axle teamed up with a Durant mono leaf spring and Pete & Jake's shocks. In the rear, a POSIES spring and Pete & Jake's shocks attach a 9-inch Ford rearend. Steering is controlled by a Vega box and stopping is handled by Wilwood discs on all four corners activated by a Corvette master cylinder.
Wheels & TiresSince George has a deep spot in his hot rod heart for early Indy cars, he jumped at the chance to bolt up a set of Ron Blondell's magnesium reproductions of mid-'60s Watson roadster rollers in 16x6 and 18x6 sizes. Matching vintage race rubber is from Dunlop Racing in 5.50x16 and 7.00x18 sizes.
Body & PaintWhen Brookville Roadster introduced their phantom '32 Ford roadster pickup cab, George could not sleep at night until he had the very first one. He wasted no time shipping it off to Roy Brizio for him to add everything else. Roy kept it simple, adding just the pieces necessary to make it a hot rod-like the BLC headlights ('40s and '50s accessory sealed beam units) and matching shaped '37 Ford taillights, a Jack Hagemann aluminum hood, and a 3-inch-chopped windshield. Once the fabrication phase was finished, all the pieces requiring shiny black paint were shipped to Vintage Color Studio (Concord, CA), while Sherm's Custom Plating handled the nickel and chrome finishes. Once all the pieces were back together, Rory added a set of classic Tommy the Greek style 'stripes.
Interior Inside was kept purely business as well with a Knecht gauge panel filled with Classic Instruments, a Budnik wheel on a Limeworks column, and absolutely no frills to confuse this car with some prissy street rod. Sid Chavers stitched up the tan cowhides over a seat he custom built and provided some protection for highway hero George by fitting one of his Bop Tops.