Last updated on September 29, 2022
Today car is a 1932 Ford Roadster with WWII P-32 fighter plane styling. I have never used black and white photos before for an article, but I thought that it gave this car a more sinister P-32 fighter plane look. It is owned and a personal project of Chip Foose. I saw this car at the San Marino Motor Classic in Pasadena, CA. This car started with a 1932 Ford with a Brookville steel body and a 1932 new frame produced by Deuce Factory. Both were highly modified to give the lower and longer stance that Chip wanted to achieve. The hood, nose piece and 1932 Ford grill were reshaped at Marcel’s Custom Metal Shaping adding a 1935 Chevy grille insert. The windshield center piece is glass, and then the sides and the two door pieces are Plexiglas. All stitch marks, hammer marks and welds were left untouched, just as they did when they made repairs to warplanes being serviced during WWII.
The body is basically finished in raw metal with a warbird graphic on the hood sides. The interior is finished in shade of military Green with B-17 seats covered in Black naugahyde and sun faded aircraft seatbelts. The dashboard and gages are from a 1938 Lincoln with a Lincoln Red Bakelite steering wheel and custom Red Bakelite gear shift knob. The car is powered by a 1939 Lincoln, 292 cu in, V12 flathead with 2 – Stromberg 97s carburetors mated to a 1938 Lincoln Zepher transmission with a side shifter and transferring that power to the rear wheels through a Halibrand QC w/ ’36 Ford axle housings. Slowing this P-32 fighter plane styled roadster down are 1939 Lincoln hydraulic drum brakes that were provided by Andy Wallin and using a 1932 Ford master cylinder. The front suspension is a 1932 Ford dropped solid axle with 1936 ford wishbones and shocks. The rear suspension is 1936 Ford wishbones and shocks. The steering is a custom set-up designed by Foose. The front and rear wheels are 1932 Ford. The fronts are shod with motorcycle tires and the rear are shod with Firestone’s built by Coker 700R18.
I like this car, I have to say I warmed up to it the more I looked at the individual details and the overall untouched warbird finish that makes up its overall unique appearance. The San Marino Motor Classic is where all the cars are highly finished and detailed this car stood out and held its own. Not because it is a Chip Foose car, which alone is enough, but because it is really cool. For those of you who know me, I am a shiny, polished, and highly detailed car guy, but boy would I love to pulling up at a car show or a Cars and Coffee event driving this. Makes you wonder doesn’t it? Thanks for riding along. Frank
