A simple blanket-wrapped bench...
A simple blanket-wrapped bench seat and textured rubber floor mats keep function while vintage Stewart-Warner gauges and a weathered ’40 Ford steering wheel linked to a Schroeder steering box seals the deal.
Falling under the hot rod spell happened for Jorge when he was 12 years old while hanging around the local magazine stand scouring publications to dig all the latest soup-jobs. His first attempt to purchase a ’33 Ford at age 17 was foiled by his dad when the family mechanic warned it wouldn’t be reliable since it was comprised of too many different car parts. He later purchased a ’69 Firebird, which he heavily drag raced for a number of years till he married and started a family. It wasn’t till the early ’80s that his ability to get back into the hobby first led him to start collecting rare Pontiac T/As and other muscle cars.
Images of Tom McMullen’s iconic ’32 Ford highboy roadster on the cover of the April ’63 issue of Hot Rod still burned in the back of his mind however. He set out to locate the car for his collection and with the help of Roy Brizio he was able to purchase it along with the Jack Calori’s ’36 Ford coupe, both of which Roy Brizio Street Rods restored to perfection. There was always an attraction though to the rawness of post-war–styled hot rods with a well-aged look and a story to tell that still captivated him.
A simple blanket-wrapped bench...
A simple blanket-wrapped bench seat and textured rubber floor mats keep function while vintage Stewart-Warner gauges and a weathered ’40 Ford steering wheel linked to a Schroeder steering box seals the deal.
Once the decision was made to build a hammered Deuce, the team at Rolling Bones got busy laying out a rock-solid spine to act as a base. Starting with an original ’32 Ford frame, its wheelbase was first stretched to 109-1/2 inches, followed by the front and rear framehorns being bobbed. Model A front and rear crossmembers were then added along with the front framerails being pinched, rear ’rails being C-notched, and the frame being fully boxed for added strength. To keep it traditional, a Rodsville quick-change rearend with ’40 Ford axles packed with 3.64:1 cogs by the Hot Rod Works was hung in place with Rolling Bones ladder bars while bumps get scattered through inboard-mounted Houdaille shocks and a Model T rear spring. Meanwhile up front a ’32 Ford axle was drilled and laid in place with ’39 Ford spindles, and split ’32 Ford ’bones. To soak up the bumps, inboard-mounted friction shocks and a Posies leaf spring even it all out while a Schroeder steering box keeps everything on course. When the party needs to come to a halt, a ’40 Ford master relays fluid to ’40 Ford brakes at each corner. A set of original Ford 16-inch big ’n’ littles set the stance, wrapped in Coker/Excelsior rubber with caps and rings for a bit of dazzle.
A Rodsville quick-change is...
A Rodsville quick-change is all business harnessing power to spin vintage steelies wrapped in Coker/Excelsior rubber.
Nothing says go like a supercharged Flathead packed with all the right goods, so Jorge had Jim Fleming assemble a bullet-proof V-8 to handle the long haul. The ’49 Ford 8BA block was tweaked to 284 ci and packed with a 4-inch stroked Scat crank, Scat H-rods, Ross forged pistons, and an Isky cam. Sealing the deal, a pair of Navarro heads matched with an original S.Co.T. supercharger suck air through a pair of Stromberg 97s, brought to life by a Vertex magneto. A pair of Rolling Bones headers dumps spent gases through straight pipes while a Chevy S-10 five-speed pushes the power through a custom driveshaft.
One call to Brookville Roadster secured a freshly struck steel ’32 Ford three-window coupe body, which the Rolling Bones team wasted no time cutting up. To give it plenty of attitude, its lid was chopped 5 inches in front and 4-1/2 inches in back while also leaning back the windshield. The voodoo continued with a 2-inch stretched Rootlieb hood, rear roll pan, and removable Walden Speed Shop roof insert all vented by Louvers Unlimited.
With the body worked till it was razor-sharp, it was then doused in PPG black lacquer and rubbed out with an aged patina, giving it a 50-year-old luster. The crowning touch came from the brushes of well-known artist Jeff Norwell who laid out graphics cool enough to make the Gods of Speed proud. Inside the coupe, it’s no-nonsense with a simple blanket interior accented by a custom dash filled with vintage Stewart-Warner dials, while a “weathered” ’40 Ford steering wheel dictates the course. For Jorge, the Deuce fulfills a lifelong dream to have experienced hot rodding in its purest form, just like it was in the post-war era. These vintage Fords will continue to put down the miles, Rolling Bones-style, with plenty of raw power, no creature comforts, and only what you need in the trunk while heading to the salt, and to us that’s plain wicked!