Well, things always seem to change with me, and I'm not sure how much of that is my doing or simply life taking its course.
Not too long ago, I mentioned the possibility of building another hot rod-more specifically, a 'glass-bodied car. Well, things always seem to change with me, and I'm not sure how much of that is my doing or simply life taking its course. However, in this case, the only real thing that's changed is the "what" not the "if".
Originally, I'd toyed with the idea of doing a not-so-popular body style (i.e. not a Deuce roadster), like a '33-34 five-window coupe. It wasn't long before my unordinary plans were derailed, and as you probably already sensed, they were re-routed to the more common fodder: a Deuce roadster. I was all geared up, both mentally and-thanks to the recent sale of my '53-somewhat financially ready to proceed with the '32, which would be based on a fiberglass body and a repro chassis until ... things changed.
For whatever reasons, the project focus stepped back a few years-to 1929, as it were-and instead of a 'glass Deuce, the decision was made to pursue a steel-bodied Model A roadster, but still using the '32 platform. Having already done an A-V8, which just happened to be my last pre-fat fendered car-and my last Ford, no less-I was a bit eager to one-up that build, if that were possible to begin with (Nailhead-powered, Hallock-windshielded, the only thing I'd fallen short of accomplishing on my first '29, other than emulate Keith Weesner's car in a most flattering way, was to create a working soft top for it-that would be my way to better this second attempt!)
Phase three-or does that make four? Either way, the '29 A project all but became a distant memory on Father's Day.
While doing everything in my power to escape the evil powers of the swap meet at the L.A. Roadster Show, I decided to make a detour by the Kennedy brothers' spot-what harm could that cause, right? Wrong. Unbeknownst to me, Jay, the younger of my two former roommates, had thrown together a '32 Fordor using the chassis that once sat beneath his Vicky and had it up for sale. A bit out of my price range, he persuaded me to take it for a testdrive around the swap, which I did (along with my sidekick, Aaron K.). Ever since I saw Chuck DeHarras' chopped Deuce more-door sedan, I've always thought it would be cool to do one similar-small-block Chevy powered (of course), highboy, etc. But the always escalating price of any and everything '32 Ford just pushed that idea further out of mind ... until now.
Fortunately, someone else beat me to the punch before I dropped my life savings-and then some-just to acquire the Fordor. But just as quickly as that disappeared, I got an email from an old friend, Darryl Mayabb. In that message was information relating to a car that another acquaintance, Bob Owens, had just put on the market: a '33 Tudor. SOLD! Guess five's my lucky number?!