These straight-axle monsters certainly caught the eye of many young hot rod enthusiasts dreaming of someday owning one of these rides. One of those confident, youthful hot rodders was Brandon Good from Harleysville, Pennsylvania. Raised with a wrench in hand and a need for speed in his blood, Brandon has lived the hot rod lifestyle, owning a collection of self-built, high-horsepower classics that he regularly shows off “loud and fast” to both the media and the crowds. Today, Brandon runs Thunder Alley Hot Rods, a fabrication and restoration shop where he builds over-the-top hot rods and customs for a select clientele. When he has free time, he also manages to put together a mean, pumped-up classic or two for himself to enjoy.

For Brandon, his vivid memory of growing up in a hot-rod-embedded family helped lay the foundation for his latest personal build. “When I was a kid, my dad owned a 1932 Ford coupe. When we took it out, I would either be in the passenger seat or the rumble seat, which is an experience I’ll never forget in my lifetime. Seeing my dad’s love for that car made me appreciate the car as well. That’s where my infatuation for Deuce coupes came from.”

As he got older, Brandon’s interests changed and he developed a love for classic ’60s and ’70s drag cars. One car that caught his eye like a tightened pipe wrench was the Stone, Woods and Cook 1941 Willys. “I don’t know exactly what drew me to that particular car, but it definitely got my attention in a big way. Not sure if it was the stance, the vibrant color, or just the kind of car it was. The whole thing just resonated with me from the start,” Brandon states.

It was pure luck that Brandon stumbled upon a car that allowed him to merge his influences and helped him build the vehicle he felt he needed in his life. “A few years ago, I was going down the rabbit hole on a Web-based marketplace and came across a 1932 Ford Gasser that had been extensively used on the track and was now just a roller. Unfortunately, it was located about 12 hours west of me in Michigan, but it had “the look” of everything I love about those ’60s racers. So, I decided to head out and buy the car so I could build it the way I’d always dreamed.”

It didn’t take long for the new owner to launch his full-frontal attack on his new Ford. Brandon’s straight-axle approach was straightforward. He planned to enhance the 1932 by drawing inspiration from those legendary racers of the past, taking styling cues from his favorite quarter-mile warriors and then infusing those traits into his new ride. To top it off, he added a bit of “show car” attitude to ensure it grabs people’s attention. “So, I brought the car into Thunder Alley and that’s where I started the transformation into what I envisioned the perfect car to be.”

The build started with Brandon handling all the bodywork on the coupe. Over its nearly hundred-year history, the 1932’s original Henry Ford steel body was never chopped or modified in any way, and the owner wanted to keep it that way. The Ford was in good condition but had previously been a race car, so it now needed some metalwork to meet the owner’s specifications. Although he tried to save as much of the original steel as possible, Brandon ended up adding a pair of quarter-panels in the back. Overall, the Deuce looks almost exactly like it did when it left the factory, with the full roofline and without filling or welding up the cowl vent or roof.

Once he finished the bodywork, he coated the car with BASF Glasurit paint in a custom shade of Metallic Blue that captured a vintage “show car vibe” from that era. “It took a lot of experimenting to get that exact look I wanted. I went through several formulations to get it right, balancing the metallics and pearls in the perfect blue hue. It was definitely challenging, but the effort was worth it.”

Next up on the hit list was the cockpit of this ride. “I reached out to a friend of mine, Jon Mehrman, owner of Wheels and Waves Upholstery, to take on the task of the interior. First, I sourced a pair of original fiberglass race seats, then found a set of Stewart-Warner gauges, a Hurst shifter, and a Superior steering wheel to keep with the period correctness of the build. Since I like collecting old vintage speed parts, I was able to source many of these items from my garage,” Brandon states. Then Jon covered and wrapped everything under the roof in diamond-pleated Blue Zodiac vinyl. That work included the seats, door panels, dash, steering wheel, and headliner. For a final, classic Ford touch, 1936 Ford window cranks and handles finish off the look Brandon was after.

The suspension idea was inspired by the classic Ford race cars of the ’60s. First, the Deuce was equipped with a JW Rod Garage boxed frame already installed, providing Brandon with an excellent starting point for his updated chassis. The axle is a stock 1936 part that the owner restored for his new ride. He then split and drilled the wishbones to achieve the desired look and added chrome SO-CAL Speed Shop shocks up front. A Vega steering box helps keep this ride on track.

Out back, a Ford 9-inch rearend, built with a Detroit locker and 4:10 gears, handles the duty of putting the power to the pavement through a pair of 35-spline axles. A set of custom ladder bars helps keep the back end planted and looks great doing it. QA1 coilovers positioned out back give Brandon the ride and stance he was after, and for stopping power, Wilwood discs were installed up front, which work with the rear Ford 10.5-inch drums to bring this ride to a stop. For some bling, Radir 18-inch spindle mount wheels with Firestone 4.0-18 skinnies command attention up front. To get needed traction, Ansen 15×10 slot rims are the perfect addition to this hot rod recipe and are shod in Firestone Dragster 10.00×15 slicks for maximum ground contact.

When it came to choosing the motivation for his Deuce, Brandon pretty much knew exactly what he wanted. “I went with a 327ci small-block Chevy for the basis of the powertrain. The main reason was that it’s the perfect hot rod motor, and period correct for this era,” Brandon says. From there, he built the mill up with an Eagle-forged rotating assembly, a Comp Cams solid-lifter flat-tap camshaft, and Pro Max aluminum cylinder heads, achieving a comfortable 9.5:1 compression. That would lay the groundwork for the “crowning glory” of this powerplant. “I finished off the build with a Weiand intake and a 1966 GMC 6-71 blower, topped with a pair of 650-cfm Holleys and a classic Hilborn scoop.”

The period-perfect valve covers are from Cal Customs, and a classic Vertex magneto supplies the spark. To get it through the gears, Brandon added a modern TREMEC TKO 600 built to handle the power curve with a McLeod dual-disc clutch. Spent gases pass through a set of Hooker Block Hugger headers and into a custom 3-inch exhaust, leading to a pair of Black Widow mufflers. The entire system has been Jet Hot coated.

Once Brandon had his new 1932 on the road, it didn’t take long before people started to notice. “After about a year of work, I was asked to unveil the car at the Coastal Virginia Auto Show in their Trident Elite class. It was a huge honor for me. Now I just enjoy displaying the car and driving it as much as I can.”

For the owner, driving the car is almost as fun as building it. “I love driving my car because it takes me back to a time I didn’t get to live. I love it when people ask me what the paint code is for the color. No better feeling than saying there’s no code; I formulated it myself to match the car’s look.”