There are any number of "firsts" that can be attributed to the street rod industry. The word "crate," as it applies to engines, trannies, rearends, etc., is rooted in the rodding lexicon. Hence the crate (or turnkey) rod came about as the result of parts accessibility allowing rodders to save time and money. At the forefront of the crate street rod phenomenon is Speedy Bill Smith, owner and founder of Speedway Motors. He delivers a crate street rod (Speedway Signature Series '32) to your garage that allows you to be on the road after a mere week's worth of effort.
This is the first part of a series we will run in SRM, beginning with the STREET RODDER staff (Jim Rizzo, Ryan Manson, "Installation Jason" Scudellari of the STREET RODDER Tech Center, and yours truly) taking delivery of an SS '32 and bolting it together. We added a MAS Performance engine and a TCI Automotive tranny to the mix, and we were able to go from crate to highway in less than 30 hours. The first step was to get the powertrain, wiring, and shifter in position. The second step was to build the exhaust system, plumb the plumbing, fill the fluids, and take it for a testdrive. Follow along over the next several months and see for yourself the "speedy" transformation of our '32.
Speedy Bill is a longtime hot rodder, having built his 56-year-old company from a counter front selling snow chains into an industry icon with a name known in every rodder's garage. Founded in 1952, Speedway Motors is the self proclaimed "America's Oldest Speedshop" and the world's largest manufacturer, distributor, and retailer of high-performance specialty automotive products for the racing and street rod markets. Starting in '52 with a 400-square-foot building, Speedway currently operates from a 42-acre site that houses two corporate buildings comprised of 520,000 square feet on the west side of downtown Lincoln, Nebraska. The high-tech, fully automated complex is home to offices, warehouses, and manufacturing facilities, in addition to The Smith Collection Museum of American Speed.
First things first, you will...
First things first, you will need to strip off the hood, grille shell, and a core support that is used for shipping purposes before starting the actual assembly process.
Signature Series '32
Speedy Bill introduced the Speedway Signature Series '32 several years back, selling for $49,874 (FOB Lincoln, NE). While 50-grand will cause any rodder to take a deep breath, there's a great deal of value given for the money received. If there is such a thing as a bargain in our hobby, the SS '32 is on the list.
As the hobby grows, new rodders bring varying degrees of building talents. These talent levels run the gamut from the "build-anything" kind of guy to the "bolt-together" kind of guy. The Signature Series '32 is well suited for the newbie whose skill levels are still developing, but the use of handtools, basic mechanics skills, and enthusiasm will allow our budding builder to own and drive a modern-day street rod.
The SS '32 is a 1932 Ford highboy roadster that comes one way: red sheetmetal and tan interior, set up for a small-block Chevy and Turbo 350, 9-inch Ford rearend. In this manner, there are economies that allow Speedy Bill to pass savings along to the new owner. The build style is timeless with its traditional highboy lines and presentation. The fit and finish of the SS '32 is guaranteed via 20-plus quality-control engineers who oversee the assembly process in the 850-employee assembly plant.
You will notice a bundle of...
You will notice a bundle of wires just inside the hood. This is the necessary wiring leads for the motor and headlights. You will later cut to fit.
To make your SS '32 a driving reality, you will need a running Chevy small-block, an exhaust system, a Turbo 350 transmission and converter, a driveshaft, battery and cables, fluids, hoses, shifter, e-brake and cables, and other miscellaneous items to go from rolling hot rod to driving hot rod. The car itself comes with a painted and upholstered steel body, and a functioning chassis with brakes installed, bled and ready to operate once you adjust the proportioning valve. Wheels and tires are also part of the package. The operating doors (with safety straps) feature original-style hinges fabricated from polished 304 stainless steel that will not rust or corrode. Other included items are an operating decklid, a grille shell, insert, aluminum radiator, and operating hood, as well as a chopped windshield with glass.
The steel body is made from 19-gauge CR 210 zinc-coated steel; German automakers have found this to be a workable metal and resistant to rust. The steel highboy comes in one color, POSIES Red, which is a custom mix from PPG. Stand-mounted headlights and '50 Pontiac taillights are incorporated into the body, and did we mention that the wiring is complete and ready for you to cut to fit and crimp the ends to the starter, an alternator, distributor, the battery, and headlights? There are also dash, insert with gauges and senders, steering column, '40 Ford-styled steering wheel, and ignition and headlight switches. The dash is fully wired with an ignition key in the slot ready to twist. Other appointments include a traditional '32 gas tank and the initial fuel line.
Look closely inside the grille...
Look closely inside the grille shell and you will see a support that is used for shipping purposes-it needs to be removed.
A complete rolling chassis is based on the Speedway Motors Boxed Truss design (patent pending). According to Speedway Motors, this is the most rigid frame on the market, featuring 11-gauge framerails manufactured from CR 210 zinc-coated steel. Note that the X-member is made from rectangular steel tubing, adding to the frame's rigidity. The stepped boxing method is used. The frame is pampered, as is the body, and it too is painted in PPG POSIES Red.
At the corners you will find 15-inch Wheel Vintiques steel wheels with baby Moon-style caps, and trim rings. BFGoodrich received the nod for the wide whites measuring 165R15 in front and 255/70R15 in back.
The suspension is based on the venerable Ford 9-inch rearend with 3.50 posi gears and drum brakes in back and a chromed 4-inch dropped I-beam axle with Curtis-style hairpin radius rods and outfitted with Wilwood disc brakes in front. One front spring, two front shocks, and two rear coilover shock/spring assemblies are already installed. Included are brake lines, master cylinder, proportioning valve, residual check valve, filled with brake fluid, bled and ready to go-well, more like stop!
The front end is stripped...
The front end is stripped down and ready to accept the engine and trans. Yes, the headlights and all front suspension and braking come assembled and ready to use.
The interior is another fully finished appointment with its focal point being a painted carbon-fiber 1940 Ford dash with a polished aluminum insert outfitted with vintage-appearing Stewart Warner gauges. The bench seat is based on a fully adjustable steel frame with real steel springs. The carpeting is 100 percent wool carpet taken from Audi inventory. Hiding underneath the carpeting and in the body panels is a bitumen-based "sheet manufactured" material by Acoustex; bitumen is the material used in the manufacturing of German automobiles. The upholstery leather was selected by Speedy Bill for texture and grain and then custom dyed. Mario Levi, who handles all the leather for the Fiat Group, supplied the materials. The trunk is fully carpeted and the polyurethane battery box eliminates rust.
Assembly
The assembly is straightforward and there isn't anything required that the average car guy shouldn't be able to handle-a toolbox filled with common handtools, some automotive wiring tools, engine hoist, and the comfort of your own garage and you are well on your way. As with any follow-by-numbers project, there are some understood items, but, just in case, Speedway provides a list of all the components attached to the car, the appropriate torque spec (where required), and complete wiring instructions that work very well-so read the instructions and follow along. We have also printed a list (provided by Speedway) to finish the highboy, down to the last nut and bolt. These are obviously recommendations, and you select the required assembly components from the source of your choice.
You will need to position the roadster in a place where you can have it up on jackstands or the equivalent that will allow you to go from underneath to up top quickly. Find yourself a nice roll-around creeper or a soft blanket.
 Speedway supplies the transmission...  Speedway supplies the transmission crossmember and a mount for a Turbo 350. |  You will need to prep the...  You will need to prep the engine to accept the trans; the engine/trans combo can be installed as one unit. |  Our MAS engine needed a water...  Our MAS engine needed a water pump, so out came the Speedway catalog (PN 910-15545, and PN 913-03804 for bolts) |
 The upper water pump pulley...  The upper water pump pulley is PN 910-15421 while the lower water pump pulley is PN 910-15422. |  Speedway offers the Tru-Ram...  Speedway offers the Tru-Ram exhaust manifold in cast iron (PN 930-0300), polished stainless steel (PN 930-0302), and natural stainless steel (PN 930-0301), and it can be installed before or after the engine is in place. |  We used motor mounts PN 910-18012....  We used motor mounts PN 910-18012. You will want these on before attempting to slide the engine/trans combo into position. |
 We used PN 910-15730 for a...  We used PN 910-15730 for a 2 1/2-inch fan spacer and PN 359-315 for a 15-inch mechanical fan. |  We used PN 916-67899 for the...  We used PN 916-67899 for the alternator and PN 916-67905 for the alternator bracket. This can be installed before or after the engine is installed. |  We prepped our TCI Automotive...  We prepped our TCI Automotive 350 tranny by filling its converter with oil before installing the engine/trans combo in the car. |