1932 Ford Coupe

In 1955, 15-year-old Clarence "Chili" Catallo paid $75 for a 1932 Ford coupe that became the Little Deuce Coupe -- his ¬ticket to the hot rodding scene he so loved. Scraping together pennies by working in his parents' market in Taylor, Michigan, Chili had Bill Wanderer build and install a 344-cid Olds V-8. Chili rounded out the driveline with Olds parts, including a Hydra-Matic transmission and a chromed 1955 rear end. Local customizers Mike and Larry Alexander did the bodywork. The "A Brothers" sectioned and channeled the body, added a quad-headlight fiberglass nose, made a special rolled rear pan, altered the frame, and covered the cobbled frame rails with polished-aluminum fins. Topped with a blue-lacquer paint job, Chili dubbed the hot rod Silver Sapphire.

Long gone are the days of plentiful steel body Fords littering the salvage yards of America and when one is found it's rather cost prohibitive to build an all steel rod from scratch. Enter the perfect opportunity for replica bodies. Whether it be a Downs, Outlaw, CMC, Street Beast, or Coast to Coast, the quality of the finished product is all in the capable hands of the builder. Now, presenting for consignment, a fiberglass Coast to Coast body 1932 Ford 3 window coupe that has been nicely done with a powerful V8, automatic transmission and a few modern upgrades thrown in for some extra spice.

Exterior
With body courtesy of Coast to Coast, we see a side panel-less hood over top of an exposed engine bay, chrome bezel headlights with a connecting bar, and that swooping sexy grille leading the way. A little chop for the top, shaved door handles, all that yellow, and 15-inch alloy Z racing wheels, it was enough to make me stop…and gaze into hot rod show trophy land. On the rear, the taillights have been shaved and are now integrated round lights melded into the rear fenders. Dual side exhaust with shiny tips exits just in front of the rear wheels. Any angle you view this car is just curvealicious eye candy with nary a bite out of any surfaces. One may say that the builder of this rod had a bit of Milner's coupe in mind when this was all coming together.

Interior
A pop of the suicide door, and we see nothing but cool custom brown leather and tan cloth fashioned in to the split bench seat. Doors are custom brown leather panels with the seat matching tan cloth has not only a simple actuator exit knob but also power window switches. Moving forward is the dash. We see a central dash panel which houses a centrally located speedometer and a bevy of instruments to monitor vital engine functions and an oil pressure gauge hanging down below. Wonderful heavy pile tan carpet covers the floors and in up high is a slightly sagging headliner and has an AM/FM/CD player mounted in a small cubby. A note to the trunk which is lined in a Berber style carpet and houses the battery in a plastic safety box.

Drivetrain
A 350ci V8 resides in the fenderless engine bay and has not only polished aluminum valve covers but also an Edelbrock 4-barrel carburetor and chrome air cleaner assembly. This is all backed by a Powerglide 2-speed automatic, and in the back is a Ford 9" axle with 3.08 gears.

Undercarriage
Also bathed in yellow are the floorpans and underpinnings, a clean black chassis, with a Speedway 4 bar and transverse leaf spring assembly is on the front while a 4 link with coil overs is on the rear. A manual rack and pinion steering assembly turns the front wheels which are equipped with power disc brakes, power drums provide the whoa for the rear wheels. Silver coated headers send spent gasses via glasspack style mufflers out the sides of the car.

Drivability
A joy to drive with plenty of ergonomically fashioned and comfy interior. The V8 provides endless acceleration and the brakes stop the car swiftly and bias free. Our only frown was that the passenger's power window was slow when going back up. A stiff ride, but a good cruiser.

Much like driving a rolling sculpture, with nary a straight line seen on this car, just sexy beautiful curves to feast your eyes on. An overall beautiful hot rod, and plenty of attention to detail during the build. Done right, buttoned up and road proven all at the fraction of the cost of a Henry's steel car. This Milner-esque coupe is eagerly awaiting you in the West Mallway of the Classic Auto Mall.

Classic Auto Mall is a 336,000-square foot classic and special interest automobile showroom, featuring over 600 vehicles for sale with showroom space for up to 1,000 vehicles. Also, a 400 vehicle barn find collection is on display.
This vehicle is located in our showroom in Morgantown, Pennsylvania, conveniently located just 1-hour west of Philadelphia on the I-76 Pennsylvania Turnpike. The website is www.classicautomall.com and our phone number is (888) 227-0914. Please contact us anytime for more information or to come see the vehicle in person.