1932 Ford Coupe - The Intact Tack

So often we hear the sentence, "I've been in it since birth," said by those in car culture that it might make outsiders think it's a clichf phrase. It's usually paired with, "My dad had a..." and punctuated with a, "I've always loved the..."

But few are those who truly inherit the sickness-as glorious, or ill, as it may be. In Bob Garibay's case, he really did inherit the car thing from his dad. Furthermore, he inherited the very shop his dad started in the early-'60s, not to mention his bent for hot rods and customs. So, when Bob decided to build a Deuce (incidentally, he's always loved 'em-sound familiar?), you know it wasn't going to be run-of-the-mill.

What he ended up finding was one of Jerry Magnuson's (of MagnaCharger fame) five-window coupes-a car he'd owned since 1957. Garibay offed the stock frame, 'glass fenders, and rearend, and began collecting parts. Through the grapevine and Mike Shapiro's connections, he found three sets of stock fenders to choose from and had Shapiro chemical strip the coupe body. After some more hoarding, Garibay dropped off the package at what eventually became SO-CAL Speed Shop.

SO-CAL stepped up with one of their trademark step-boxed chassis set up for transverse leafs and C-notched for clearance. Out back a pair of Pete & Jake's ladder bars mount a contemporary Halibrand quick-change, while up front SO-CAL hairpins and batwings mount a dropped I-beam with their shrouded disc brakes at each end.

JMS Racing engines worked over a '67-vintage 327 with TRW slugs, Crane L79-grind cam, and cleaned-up camel-hump heads. Feeding the mill are three Rochester 2G carbs on an Offy manifold-a traditional combination flanked by equally classic Moon valve covers. A B&M-prepped TH350 transmits the power to the Hallie rearend.

In the meantime, SO-CAL entrusted the near-cherry body to metalman Bill Stewart for some deft finesse. As hot rods go, this one sits as near as Henry intended it, with the only mods being the bump in the floor for the quick-change and the recess in the nearly-perfect firewall for the Chevy. Even the door handles, hood handles, grille shell, and top height look just as they did some 70 years ago-only better. Once finished with the bodywork, Tim Beard shot the package in Henry's favorite: basic black, but in a Modern PPG mix. Dennis Rickleffs enhanced the character lines with some thin-lined pinstriping.

To cinch the package together, Gabe Lopez trimmed the original seat frames (which now ride on Glide seat rails) and door panels in maroon leather to Garibay's specific design. The near-stock dash houses a SO-CAL panel with a black-anodized insert and Moon gauges. A Custom Auto Sound Secret Audio head unit tucks nicely away behind the dash, as do the vents for a Vintage Air A/C unit.

Since completion, we've heard Garibay's made off with his new-built treasure to his coastal Carpinteria home where he and his gal Virginia shake up the sleepy streets. We can't blame 'em, either; a glorious sickness like ours takes a lot of time to work out of the system.

Facts & FiguresBob & Virginia GaribayCarpinteria, California 1932 Ford coupe