1932 Ford Hemi Roadster
1932 Ford All Steel Ford Roadster
Custom built by the renowned So-Cal Speed Shop
Award winning and featured in Issue 32 of The Rodders Journal Cover car of Street Rodder Magazine
Numerous First Place Show Winner
Custom 392 Hemi V8 engine built by Ray Zeller
Hilborn Fuel Injection
Tremec 5-speed manual transmission
Ferrari Fly Yellow paint
Famously known as one of the first hot rod parts store in Southern California, So-Cal Speed Shop was founded by Alex Xydias who now is a motorsports legend in his own right. With a history of building amazing salt flat and drag race cars that pushed the limits of what was thought to be possible, So-Cal Speed Shop for many years only sold performance parts. In 1997, Pete Chapouris, a legendary hot rod builder revived the So-Cal name and began a partnership with Alex, creating and delivering turn key hot rod customs to clients around the world. With the speed shop’s instantly recognizable name and Pete Chapouris’ hot rod vision, the pair would become a tour de force in the hot rod world, producing cars that would grace countless covers of the best automotive magazines.
In 2005, after building several cars with Pete and the crew at So-Cal I came up with an idea to build a 1932 Roadster that would have to be done with amazing and creative craftsmanship, attention to detail, lots of power but ultimately reliable to use around town and on long road trips. The car would have to be built at the So-Cal Speed Shop in Pomona, California.
Building a car from the ground up everything starts with the chassis. We decided to use their own brand new stepped box 1932 chassis. Suspension consists of an I-beam axle with hairpins, and the rear suspension is a traditional Posies A-style rear cross member employing a transverse spring. In order to accommodate these new mechanicals in the rear, the trunk floor was raised. All the welding beads were done to look as though they were stock. Underneath the car the Vintique fuel tank was reshaped in order to clear the Winters Champ quick change rear end, with the front disc brakes and rear drum brakes covered by Buick-style polished finned aluminum covers. The chopped traditional style windshield was chrome plated for that classic look, with the Aero style headlights directly from the So-Cal Speed Shop. No award winning for rod would be complete without an amazing paint job, and Mick Jenkins and Paco Castell were employed for the work. The body work is laser straight, the reveals and edges on the car are perfect. It was ultimately sprayed in the PPG Ferrari Fly Yellow you see here. The result is nothing short of amazing.
With most of the suspension and chassis completed it was time to begin with the American V-8, the heart of the car that would supply the power. Introduced in 1957 I chose the 392 Hemi as the centerpiece of the build. I wanted a large displacement and powerful motor but something extremely drivable from day to day. I had the motor built by well known engine builder Ray Zeller. Ray has built several different motors for me over the years and he was the natural choice. The motor was balanced, blue printed and assembled along with the Hilborn Fuel Injection system that we converted to EFI. This was no easy task. The stock firewall was modified to fit the large engine and the vision was to run the car with open side panels to show off the gleaming Hemi. A Tremec 5-speed manual transmission was used along with a Weber clutch, ensuring an excellent shift every time the power was transferred to the rear wheels. I had master craftsman Rod Sexton fabricate the polished stainless steel headers that we decided to route through the 32 frame rails. Again, not an easy task to accomplish.
I keeping with the early to mid sixties theme of the car the interior is a subdued but refined work of art. Black leather perfectly compliments the yellow paint. The dash was fabricated to accept an Auburn dash insert and old school style Stewart -Warner gauges were installed. A Mullins steering column and a Budnick 15” Corvette style steering wheel were installed held in place with a custom column drop. The black leather and wool carpet along with a custom lift off top was all done by Gabe’s Street Rod Custom interiors, the finest interior shop in Southern California. Not only is the interior gorgeous but has proven to be totally comfortable for me both around town and on my long trips.
After about two years of work the car was now completed and ready for the show circuit and regular use. It was entered in the prestigious AMBR, America’s Most Beautiful Roadster Show where it was first runner up. The car was then featured on the cover of one of the Premier hot rod magazines, Street Rodder. It was entered in multiple high end car shows in California and took numerous first place trophy’s. The car was featured in Rodders Journal Issue #32 and beautifully photographed by the publisher Steve Coonan at El Mirage. This car was also driven on the prestigious Quail Rally and shown on the lawn at The Quail Event in Pebble Beach. As this car was built not only to show but ultimately to be driven that is exactly what I did. Break in and shakedown miles were accumulated mostly in hills of Malibu and Southern California. The car was driven up and down the California coast to the Bay Area and Pleasanton many times and attended the L.A. Roadsters Show Regularly. My longest trip was from Los Angeles to Victoria, British Columbia for the renowned Deuce Day event. All in I have covered covered 5600 miles in this car and it has run flawlessly. This is a testament to all of the talented builders involved in creating this beautiful but absolutely functional work of art.
The car has recently been completely mechanically gone through and several thousand dollars were spent just detailing every inch of the car from the exterior and interior to the motor and underneath the car. This is evidenced by the professional recently taken photographs done in preparation for the sale of the vehicle. Pictures don’t lie, please look them over carefully. The attention to detail and build quality are truly exceptional. Build cost was over $350,000. The car not only shows as new but drives and handles perfectly. The Hilborn Fuel Injection ensures that the car fires up immediately and the Hemi never runs higher than 190 degree’s even in So- Cal traffic. I have owned and driven many hot rods over the years and this one is by far the best driver I have possessed. The car is located in Texas and is ready to be shown or driven cross country. I am happy to answer any questions you may have.
