1932 Ford Highboy Five Window Front Right

1932 Ford Highboy Five-Window - Wish List

Building your next hot rod project can be as complex or as simple as you wish

From the September, 2011 issue of Street Rodder

By Brian Brennan

Photography by Randy Lorentzen

Sometimes less is more. Bobby Alloway is no stranger to hot rodding or building award-winning cars. Oftentimes we hear others utter, “He has the eye.” A “gift” many of us think we have or at least wish we did but in reality we are “normal” and can come close on a good day.

Bobby is “right” more often than not, proving it time and time again when he rolls out the latest build from his shop—Alloway’s Hot Rods in Maryville, Tennessee. Truth be told, precious few of us build our cars from initial framerail to the last rub of the polish rag. That’s where the talent pool at Alloway’s filled in with their individual expertise, like Joe and Josh Bailey (father and son), Scott Emert, Scotty Troutman, Toby Caldwell, and Dustin Ford.

The Rat’s Glass ’32 Ford highboy five-window project initially was the result of a late-night dinner (local grab and drive) where Bobby and I had time, followed by an idea. In our conversations we acknowledged any hot rodder can have a good-looking traditional car while utilizing readily available parts. For the average rodder the key was precious little fabrication to make the project attractive to those of us who are talent challenged. The idea behind this coupe is to show off an entire build where you or I could substitute many of our own parts gathered from years of swap meet meandering, trading with fellow car club buddies, or purchased from our wish lists. We took the “what’s readily available” approach but it is expected most rodders will substitute their thoughts on accessories, powertrain, etc., and the means by which to come up with said parts and pieces. Of course, a liberal supply of sweat equity is required in any build. Bobby spent many a late night working on this project as the days were filled with, well, his day job. (Since I was involved, there was precious little help provided. Besides, I live far, far away—for which Bobby is thankful!).

The foundation of this hot rod was a pair of framerails from LRS Chassis utilizing Pete & Jakes crossmembers arriving at a stretched 109-inch wheelbase. Other components used in conjunction with the Deuce ’rails are a Currie 9-inch rearend, 3.70 gears, drum brakes, and Aldan coilover shocks all positioned by a P&J ladder and Panhard bar combo.

In front the chassis’ suspension is centered on a P&J drilled and plated 4-inch drop I-beam with accompanying P&J early Ford spindles, steering arms, kingpins, and their Super Stopper disc brake package, utilizing Wilwood calipers and finned and polished backing plates. The dual reservoir master cylinder replete with three-pedal assembly comes by way of P&J with Lokar pedals and e-brake assembly; the clutch is cable operated. Shocks are chromed monotube P&J with dust covers. Steering is based on a Borgeson Vega-style box with accompanying U-joints, supports, and steering shafts attached to an ididit steering column, topped with a Lecarra TransAm wheel.

Big ’n’ littles give the highboy its rubber rake, working the corners in the guise of BFGoodrich Long Trail T/As and ET-IIIs Dragmaster wheels. The rubber measures 155/80R15 and 275/60R17 with the 15x5 (4.5-inch back spacing) and 17x9.5 wheels (5-on-4.5-inch bolt pattern).

The hot rod music emanates from the Ford Racing headers, dumping into the Alloway-built exhaust system running through the Flowmaster Series 40 mufflers, but that’s not the root. The epicenter of this earthquake is the Ford Racing Boss 302 sporting a modern 347ci producing 450 hp and 400 lb-ft, giving this five-window a whopping 6 hp per pound. Getting the power to the rear falls to a Ford Tremec TKO five-speed with 17 percent overdrive (2.87, 1.89, 1.28, 1.00, 0.82 First through Fifth gear split) hustled along by a Hurst shifter. Turns out this is plenty of power to move a 2,730-pound hot rod at a retina detaching pace. (Weight bias is front 1,261 pounds; rear 1,469 pound.)

Other engine goodies include the Edelbrock 750-cfm four-barrel carb riding on top of an Edelbrock Victor Jr. single-plane intake manifold, resting between Ford Racing aluminum cylinder heads directing premium gas fired by an MSD ignition system and a Powermaster starter. What would a hot rod be if it couldn’t keep its cool inside the engine and the cab? A Steve Long Radiators brass and copper cooler is used to maintain engine temps while a Vintage Air Front Runner is brought into service to assist engine cooling (water pump) and keep “you and I” cool when cruising those hot summer days or warm us come the cool winter nights via the Vintage Air HVA/C system.

On the subject of interior appointments there’s a Rat’s Glass fiberglass dashboard fitted with a Billet Specialties ribbed and plated insert then equipped with a Classic Instruments six-pack (speedo, tach, fuel, oil, amp, temp) gauges; attached to the underside of the dash are the Vintage Air controls. The all-black leather interior is based on a custom-made bench seat by Steve Holcomb Interiors accessorized with Juliano’s seatbelts, a mini-center console that houses the Hurst shifter, control for the Sony Marine RM-X60M control panel for the radio/CD player/iPod, and, of course, the obligatory oversized cup holder. Pedals (hot rod triple play) are from Lokar, while the steering column is an ididit with a Lecarra wheel, Specialty Power windows, and a Vintique mirror. The electrics are based on a Painless fuse panel with the individual wiring strung by Bobby’s staff. The Rat’s Glass fiberglass body has the look of a traditional hot rod with its 2-1/2-inch top-chop, filled roof, and chromed windshield frame, accented neatly by Vintique ’33 Ford commercial headlights (embedded turn signals) and ’37 Ford taillights. The use of the stock-appearing external gas tank from Tanks and spreader bars continue the traditional theme. Alloway’s handled all of the build, including the body and paintwork, utilizing PPG Speedway Blue that’s reminiscent of ’09 Toyota Tundra color. Going from 106- to 109-inch wheelbase a Rootlieb hood with a Smooth Parts hood latch kit was lengthened to “fill-in” the gap above the frame. Finishing off the hood is a Brookville grille shell wrapped around a Jim Wrench insert. The accenting brightwork comes by way of Dan’s Polishing.

It has the look of a traditional hot rod; stance, aggressive tire combination, loads of power, the obligatory three-pedals, no fenders (no roof would be better), and it sounds like a hot rod. It’s all out there it is just up to each individual rodder on how to bring it together.