My 1928 FORD AV8 Roadster

Posted on July 13, 2018January 30, 2020 by Steve Carpenter

13 Jul

Well, Hot Rods really are never finished, you just continue to wrench, change looks and idea’s etc and thats what I love about Hot Rodding, My 1928 Ford Roadster is no Show ride, it is no super high Dollar Performance machine, nor is it a trailer Queen either.

What it is, well- To me anyways, is a Nostalgic styled AV8 Hot Rod that you would of seen on the streets on Southern California back in the late 1940’s.

It is something I really have a passion for since I was a Teenager. lucky for me I had a Three Window Coupe in the UK but my Dream was a Roadster and to have one in California, so dreams do come true and wanted to share my little Model A machine with you.

This is a real Henry Ford Body and Chassis, and the stance I have as you see it here is right on the money, have a look at many Vintage pics and you may see a late 1940’s Roadster similar to mine, I wanted to keep the Side Aprons on, these are the step covers that your fenders bolt to. Below is Jack Mickleson’s Roadster in about 1942. I think it was the last dry lake run before World War 2 was underway, I believe Don Francisco owns it but have yet to see if this Roadster survived.

Back in the day, the Hot Rodders would drive to the Dry lakes such as Harpers, Muroc or the famous El Mirage and then strip the fenders and head lights off as well as the windshield and then see how fast they could run on them dried out lake beds.

This is how she is right now, still may change a few little things and then fine tune all the time, I am hoping to eventually Louvre the front hood and the rear Rumble Seat lid.

I used a Genuine 1932 Grill and Shell and fitted the Model A Hood to it with Old style belts, then used one of Limeworks Stainless Steel dropped headlight bars with stock Model A Lights.

Shorty shocks up the front soak up as much as possible, dropped I-Beam front axle sits this front end just how I want it , I then made a Spreader bar to complete the Nostalgia going.

Not as powerful as the locomotives behind me but eventually I shall build a Hopped up Flathead for this Jalopy, right now it has a 1939 24 stud mill with Edelbrock Heads.

I shall be shortening the exhaust pipes, I did have the original Bumpers on there when the exhaust set up was made, but shall cut them back and may make a Nerf Bar for the rear.

She is sat on a set of Kelsey Hayes wire Rims with Vintage style Firestone 16 inch tall tires and it is fun to drive, she tracks a little on the freeway but thats the feel I wanted.

I have a chopped Stainless Steel windshield, another common touch that was done in the day and of course sit lower now else my head would sit up too high. LOL

it is always fun to take out, this place isnt that far from me and wanted to try and take some decent pic’s, im no pro at this but I am really happy at how these came out.

She runs stock pistons but New and right now a stock cam, later I hop to build a little growler motor that has an Isky Cam, just to get me out of trouble if I need it.

Plenty of old freight train and shunting lines around where we live and whats great is to think about 70 Years ago, this was full of Dairies, fruit trees and Flathead Motors.

Sadly, more common than not, all you will see these days is Graffiti, personally not a fan of it at all, but as it was close to the color of the Roadster, I thought a photo Opportunity awaits.

One hauls freight and the other hauls Arse!!! LOL!

Sat patiently awaiting me to jump in and stamp the right pedal and head back home, so much Hot Rod History in and around where we live in La Mirada.

A great ride and more to do, I have a Columbia 2 speed rear end for it, but have to send it away to get Bullet Proofed, not cheap but that will give me a good overdrive.

Long way to go as I would like to have Oxblood Leather interior, but for now this old Naugahyde will suffice as leather is not cheap.

Hot Rods and Trains have always gone together like peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, Hot Rods use to try and race the train if there was a good straight away.

VHRA Vintage Hot Rod Association of which I joined in the 90’s back in the UK, huge part of my life to be honest and going so strong there today.

I shall always keep this Roadster, I drempt about one as a kid and here I am 5400 miles away and living that dream , totally amazes me sometimes and have to pinch myself.

I have always liked vintage stuff, be it Hot Rods, Motorcycles, Juke Boxes, Chris Craft Boats, Spitfires, Hurricanes, Thunderbolts to Dakota’s, Vintage is in my blood I guess.

Hope you like my little 1928 AV8 Roadster? I really have fun with this and enjoy the experience of feeling what a traditional Hot Rod feels like to drive and work on.

Maybe some of you can relate? As I have spoken to a few people that have Motorcycles and Hot Rods, it is a fun and to me, a therapeutic Hobby.

I will still be working on this for many years but enjoying what i do, some things work and then sometimes they dont but, mechanical parts are great to work on.

I shall be selling Hot Rod parts and Apparel so will be revamping the website a little, stay tuned to the site if you want to see what I do to this Model A Roadster of mine.

Thanks for reading my Blog today, I enjoy doing it and people often email me to say that they like looking at what I am up to out here in La Mirada.

Let me know if you have a cool ride, love to see what you are creating and of course having fun in these days, I always have a smile on my face driving the Roadster, sometimes bugs too.

Have a great weekend and enjoy life to its fullest.

Pete Henderson Ford Roadster 1932 for sale at Sotheby’s

Posted on September 13, 2017January 30, 2020 by Steve Carpenter

13 Sep

What a great piece of Hot Rodding and Drag Racing history up for grabs, sure wish I could own this Gem. I still love the timing tag. The only one I know of issued by Russetta during the war that still exists. One week after the Normandy invasion. It was done on galvanized roofing material.

Remember the Hot Rod racing the Horse back in 1944?

” First one to the finish line wins. Just before the U.S. entered World War II, Pete Henderson competed against a race horse in Pasadena, California for a $300 purse in the first documented example of drag racing (technically a street race) that I know of. Henderson’s ’32 Ford V-8 roadster took a wicked hole shot from the horse, but caught it (just barely) at the finish, “two telephone poles” away, according to hot rod pioneer Ak Miller. From this car versus horse pairing, drag racing evolved in two parallel lanes…”

Well now this Roadster of Pete Henderson is now up for Auction at Sotheby’s, sure hope a Hot Rodder buys this.

To be OFFERED AT AUCTION at RM Sotheby’s Hershey event, October 5-6, 2017.

Offered from the estate of Ralph Whitworth
The famous ’32 Ford roadster that beat a quarter horse in 1944
Russetta Timing Association: 120.9 mph at Harper Dry Lake, 1944
Star of several hot rod movies in the 1950s
Named as one of the most significant 1932 Fords of all time
Featured on the cover of Rodder’s Journal

Presented here is a 1932 Ford highboy roadster with remarkable history. Restored as it looked in the early ’40s, it will always be known as “the hot rod that beat the racehorse

As the story goes, back in 1944, a guy with a quick quarter horse won countless bets challenging hot cars to a race. This roadster, however, had a reputation as the quickest car in the San Fernando Valley. With Pete Henderson behind the wheel, in a specially staged race held in La Habra, and witnessed by a large crowd, including speed equipment gurus Vic Edelbrock Sr., Ed Winfield, and Phil Weiand, this deuce was the only car that ever won. Ernie McAfee took a famous grainy photo showing the roadster edging out the horse. Noted hot rod racer Ak Miller and writer Gray Baskerville always said they could trace the origins of ¼-mile drag racing to that famous contest.

A few months earlier, 18-year-old Pete Henderson had purchased the speedy ’32 from Don Casselman. It was equipped with a Don Blair-built, bored, and stroked 296-cu. in. Mercury flathead, running a hot cam from the legendary Pierre “Pete” Bertrand. Milled aluminum “Denver” heads, a Weiand high-rise dual intake manifold with twin Stromberg 97s, and a Spaulding dual-point, dual coil ignition rounded out the engine modifications. Typical of street roadsters in that era, it had a neatly chopped top, but it retained the original Ford ‘push and pray’ mechanical brakes and wire wheels. On the dash, a Russetta Timing Association timing tag attests to a 120.9-mph run at Harper Dry Lake in 1944. Pete Henderson sold the car in 1946 to L. K. Chappelow of Monrovia, California, who owned it for a year before selling it to Manny Ayulo. Surviving photos show the ex-Henderson roadster competing at many L.A.-area circle tracks, driven by the soon-to-be Indy 500 star Ayulo, and later by racing stalwart Jack McGrath.

Miraculously, this roadster survived all that rough-and-tumble bullring competition and became a noted street ’32 highboy, owned by George Rowland, who added bobbed rear fenders by Art Chrisman, baby moon caps, and wide whites. Ralph “Digger” Guldahl Jr. acquired it in 1955, installed a new 265 Chevy V-8 to replace the now-tired flathead, and the roadster appeared in a host of “B” movies, including Hot Rod Gang and The Spider. Steve Lydecker bought the much-traveled deuce in 1957 when Guldahl was drafted. In ensuing years, it was owned by Art Vitteraly, then channeled, powered by a Buick V-8, and it is not known what else transpired before Robert Takahashi bought the car, after which it was purchased by Chuck Longley in June 1977.

Longley ran a few advertisements hoping to learn more information on the roadster. His query about its identity was answered by none other than Pete Henderson, the former Pasadena ‘kid’ who first made this ’32 Ford famous. As they talked, when Chuck mentioned the car’s Auburn dash panel and several distinct filled holes, Pete said “ . . . it kinda sounded like my car.” Chuck asked if Pete still had the roadster’s serial number. He did. And it was the same car!

The historic deuce still retained its original body, frame, and chopped windshield when Chuck and his son Mike began the restoration in 1995. After perusing old photos of the car, they located a proper flathead V-8, a ’34 Auburn dash panel, that rare accessory rimless steering wheel, an early Cadillac fuel pressure pump, a pair of ’39 Ford teardrop taillights, and a host of other period parts. After its restoration, the Longleys brought the car to the L.A. Roadsters Father’s Day meet where it was a big hit, and then took it to the Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance, where it was awarded best historic hot rod.

Featured in Rodder’s Journal, issue number 32, as well as on the cover of issue number 47, it was also named as one of the top 75 ’32 Fords of all time, and honored at the Grand National Roadster show in 2007. Soon afterward it was sold to Ralph Whitworth, who planned to display it in his museum-to-be in Winnemucca, Nevada. Invited to Pebble Beach that year, the car suffered some damage while it was being transported, and was therefore not judged. Subsequently, the roadster underwent an extensive re-restoration by National Rod & Custom Hall of Fame honoree Tim Strange, owner of Strange Engineering in Lewisburg, Tennessee. “We stripped the car to bare metal, talked to Pete quite a bit, and did a full frame-off restoration. Jamie Rice did the upholstery. Using those conversations with Pete, and studying old photographs,” Strange says, “we restored the car as close to the way Pete had built it as we could.”

With a panoply of famous owners, Top 75 ’32 Ford honors, a sparkling and accurate restoration, and the understated good looks of a classic deuce highboy, the “Pete Henderson” roadster is ready for an appreciative new owner . . . and its next quarter-mile challenger!

To view this car and others currently consigned to this auction, please visit the RM website at rmsothebys.com/.

You can also Purchase it and Donate it to me, I will always cherish it.

Thanks for looking.

Hot Rods are part of my Life too !

Posted on March 4, 2016January 30, 2020 by Steve Carpenter

04 Mar

OK- many people think that I am only into Motorcycles, and I can understand that, as I have been building Cafe Racers here in California in the last 14 years, but- since I was a youngster, I had the Car bug big time.

I grew up near to many American Air force bases and that’s where I got my first influences from of cool old American cars, I loved everything about the cars, the country and the lifestyle as well as the passion for Hot Rods.

Then, I had my first Hot Rod, a 1932 Deuce Coupe, it was Chopped and channeled and was a Right Hand drive Model, this Deuce meant so much to me and I felt like I was living in the U.S.A. with that ride.

I wish I had kept it now, as we all do when we look back at things we have had.

This was my ONLY form of transport and I drive it in all weather, I didn’t have a floor in it for a year, the snow and rain used to blast up inside the Coupe, until I lost a couple of cassette tapes and then my keys jumped out of the ignition as I was driving back from work and that’s when I decided it was time for a floor.

This used to be so much fun blasting about Brighton and I traveled all over the UK in my 3 window and some super fun memories that’s for sure.

I was a lot thinner back then, maybe from pushing the damn thing when the battery dies or I ran out of gas as my gas meter did not work.

I drove up to Hemsby for the traditional Rock n Roll weekender and then visited some old school mates and friends in that area, it was such a blast to drive, loud old and bumpy but that’s an old traditional Hot Rod in the 1980’s in Britain for poor working class folk like me.

The I-Beam axle was a 4 inch drop and shorty shocks, made sure you didn’t fall asleep at the wheel when ever you drove this Coupe.

Watch ya head, this coupe was chopped and channeled and with a 4 inch windshield, not much vision, plus when it rained you couldn’t see anything, and- to get me through the yearly MOT test, you have to have a windshield wiper, so- I took a complete motor and wiper arm off a Volvo Headlight and fitted it indie the coupe, it was perfect.

Such fun times and glad I actually took some photographs, else they would just be my own views in my head.

We were all a close knit community and had so much fun at Rock N roll weekenders, especially on the beach etc.

How about this shot, many many moons ago with my First car, a 1961 Low line Ford Consul, with a 4 banger and a 3 on the tree, I drove the lug nuts off this machine.

Oh dear- what was I thinking? But this was my 1959 Ford Zephyr that I 2 door-ed and made some mad steel fins on the car, this had Candy Red and white tuck n Roll too, I was in a crazy zone when I did this.

This was me in 1997 when I moved to Australia, and I bought a 195 XP For Falcon, very similar the the American Ranchero, this was a cool ride, they call them Ute’s out there but it was a fun ride that I played about with and really liked that car.

I used to pain the old race style numbers on the doors of my rides back then, I still do on the bikes I build sometimes, this time I painted the car flat black in my mates driveway and then fitted pin line whites and then fitted a cool set of MOON discs.

But I get restless and have to keep trying things out on this machine.

I cant leave anything alone for too long, this time I scalloped the car and pin lined it, as well as fitting a steel sun-visor.

I fitted a Black Tarp on the back and later on I located some fender skirts for it too. Then I painted the Coop Devil on the back and added more scallops!

But I will always love tinkering with stuff, just the way my Brother and I was bought up, not really had a happy child hood but kept busy.

I started to get into this Roadster when I moved to Australia from the UK in 1997 and then continued over here in the states as I shipped the body over, the photo above is me in New South wales, I was patching the side of the Roadster body as it was completely shot with old bullet holes, but- I wanted the same thickness steel and the contour, so used a 1940 Ford truck door to use and it worked out so well.

Above, Anthony Castaneda of the Infamous Shifters gave me his old Dodge Dash Board and I spent the next few days cutting my old gas tank and fitting this set up, I was so stoked to have accomplished this and loved the way the dashboard flowed, similar to the 1936 Ford versions.

I used a Belgian Flat head in the end and this was a great motor, I love the sound of side valve motors, a very unique sound of their very own.

Jeez, this was a while ago, i was wearing a watch, who wears watches any more?

I chose a eggshell Blue and a Flat white firewall as it reminded me of the Al Sharp Coupe.

I also had My 1958 F150 short bed painted by Anthony Castaneda in his old shop (RIP mate) I stayed up and hand painted the logo and lettering getting ready for me to go with the shifters to Paso Robles back then.

I will have to look to see if I have any more photos of this 29 Roadster of mine, I loved that car but had to sell it when everyone moved out to go forward in their lives and I knew I would have another later on.

I had so much fun building this in the garage at home in Southern California and sure wished I still had this Roadster.

Days of old but soon I will be getting back into another 1929 Roadster that I located in Indiana and My Girlfriend Jennifer Bought for me,I am looking forward to driving it with her in the following months.

This was a fun build and now resides in the land of the rising sun, sure hope to see photos of it as I sold it to a very cool friend of mine Ken Sakata.

I now have this 29 Roadster at my shop, needs a ton of work but- I will get there eventually, once I have located all the parts I need.

I have a super amount of work to do to this little A-Bone but it will be worth it and cannot wait until I can get onto El Mirage and of course one day at Bonneville Salt Flats.

I am not sure what color it will be but I will be running a Flathead, not the 4 Banger that’s in it right now.

My plan is to locate a cool Vintage dash board, be it a 36 ford, Chrysler, Pontiac or Caddy etc and have a unique look to it with cool Gauges.

I will be running a 1932 Truck grille, so that will all change but will still use original chassis etc and Kelsey wire wheels of course.

I have an original Moredrop axle for the front but will need 1940 Ford Hydraulic brakes all around too. And below, I was so fortunate to locate this Original plaque that used to be on the guys Roadster back in the day, a nice bit of history right there.

I will be using old plates as well to capture the spirit of the style that I am into and hope that this will make people smile once completed.

This will be a cool build but maybe a year before I am halfway there I believe, hard to do on a low budget.

But stay tuned, as i will up date when I get more parts together etc.

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