It has become almost a constant in the street rod industry. When a shop wants to make a splash with a new product or let the world know that they're the new dealer for a given item, one of the best ways to gain the recognition they're looking for is to include said product in a shop project. That's exactly what Jeremy Gerber and the rest of the Roadster Shop crew decided to do when they became the Midwest distributor for the new Dearborn Deuce convertible bodies. In order to sell as many bodies as they could, they decided the most logical way was to build a spectacular example to give their customers something to set their sights on.
Being a major player in the aftermarket chassis industry for years, it comes as no surprise that when it came time to build a chassis to go under the convertible body, they kept everything in-house. In order to get the pinched frontend and stretched wheelbase, Doug Leetzow modified a set of their '32 'rails in the pattern, allowing them to not only make a perfect set of 'rails, but also making it possible to reproduce the same setup for their customers, which is called the Roadster Shop Deuce Edition. The body holes on the stock 'rails were also modified to match the newly relocated fitment points to achieve a precise match to the Dearborn body. The four-wheel independent suspension setup came courtesy of Heidt's Hot Rod Shop with Aldan coilovers at all four corners, the front pair being inboard mounted. Wilwood disc brakes handle the stopping power, mounted behind the Billet Specialties polished wheels. Once the chassis was rolling, a 383ci small-block was picked up from GM's crate engine division, dressed up with Street & Performance products, and was slipped between the Deuce's 'rails. A Tremec five-speed manual trans sends the power back to the rearend via an aluminum driveshaft.
Once the chassis was finished, the crew's attention turned toward the body. A pair of custom hood sides was made, utilizing special wire mesh-filled reveals that follow the radius of the front tires and break up the flat hood side. A roll pan was also fabricated to house the molded taillights and finish off the rear of the body. These roll pans are another product that the Roadster Shop plans to produce for their product line. A custom headlight bar was created that mounts the large '34 Ford headlights nice and low on the frontend and follows the contour of the '32 grille. With all the fabrication and bodywork complete, Eric Brockmeyer was called in to design the paint scheme and molding, along with the interior. Eric chose a two-tone paint scheme with the final colors being mixed and applied by Tommy Gottschalk.
With the paint barely dry, it was time to get the upholstery stitched up. The stock roadster-style dash was improved with a recessed panel that houses three Classic Instruments gauges shrouded by wire mesh that hides the A/C vents. A center console was also made to house the Vintage Air climate controls, push-button starter, and custom shifter. From there, Chad Glasshagel slung a wiring harness in and the car was off to Durant, Indiana, where Steve Rolf stitched the gray-on-gray leather seat and side panels and square-weave carpet.
"Throughout the course of the build, the idea was to showcase our style and capabilities in an effort to gain customers on turnkey Dearborns and rolling packages," Jeremy said. "We wanted to use this car to show people who are interested in the Dearborn that the Roadster Shop is the place to go." There's been quite a few Dearborn Deuce convertibles built in the last few years, but we have to say that Jeremy Gerber and the crew at the Roadster Shop have done one excellent job in setting themselves at the forefront of the field.