A Brookville 1932 Ford roadster body was used, then fitted with rocker panel covers concealing the tube frame from the side view. Steve’s latest Roadchamp, #9 in the series, is in his garage and on the road, as he drives over 10,000 miles a year with his roadsters. While Steve’s builds have a distinct hot-rod style, they also possess a European sports-car look, possibly even race-inspired. Some might say they even have that feel, thanks to their sophisticated suspension systems, especially for a traditional-looking early hot rod. The aluminum four-piece (center hinge) hood features Moal metalwork, including a pair of louvered side panels. From here, several aluminum underpans cover the framerails and two rear roll pans, and, of course, they are louvered in traditional hot rod style. More sheetmetal work includes the rear roll pans, which hide the gas tank, custom grille, and the handmade curved windshield with custom windwings. The quarter-panels were shortened and the doors were lengthened for easier entry and egress. The custom-fabricated rear wheelwells and decklid are also made of aluminum with louvers present throughout. In addition to this metalwork, there is also a billet firewall. The blue color is from PPG and was sprayed on by the master, Darryl Hollenbeck of Vintage Color Studio.

The interior features a bench seat with a center divider that also surrounds the shifter, covered in red leather and equipped with aircraft-style seatbelts, all crafted by Sid Chavers of Sid Chavers Fine Auto Upholstery. The Moal-built dashboard includes two gloveboxes and custom instrumentation from Classic Instruments’ custom shop. The oil, water, gas, and volt gauges have a traditional hot-rod style (black face with white lettering), but the speedometer and tachometer stand out. (Where did Steve come up with this gauge layout? He was influenced by the 1930s vintage Auto Union Grand Prix race cars that had a similar-looking gauge face. These same cars influenced the custom grille with holes drilled into the vertical bars, hundreds of them, giving the roadster its unique forward appearance.) The speedometer (140 mph) and tachometer (8,000 rpm) rotate clockwise but note where the “0” mark is positioned (upper right, 1 o’clock)—it’s different from what we’re used to. Additionally, while tachometers typically have a “redline,” this one features an interesting transition from “green” to “yellow” and finally to “red.” Bringing the 1932 Ford roadster’s electrics to bear is a wiring system handled while at Moal’s shop. The Ididit steering column is topped with a custom Moal four-spoke wooden wheel—ala Sprint Car style.

The roadster is powered by a small-block Chevy ZZ430, featuring an iron-block 350ci producing 430 hp. It has aluminum heads and uses an aluminum Chevy intake manifold with an Edelbrock four-barrel carburetor and a Chevrolet Performance ZZ430 air cleaner and valve covers. The engine is the 87th of 430 limited-edition engines produced by Chevrolet Performance. Fuel is supplied by a rarely seen carbureted engine, an external electric Redline pump, along with a stainless tank from Rick’s Tanks. Steve added an MSD electronic ignition system, including an MSD distributor, an ignition coil, and Taylor plug wires. The headers, crafted in his shop, feature 1-3/4-inch primary tubes that open into 2-1/2-inch stainless steel pipes, which run rearward and dump into a pair of turbo-tone stainless steel mufflers. Other engine accessories include an aluminum water pump, a SPAL electric fan, a Powermaster Performance alternator, a Tilton starter, and an OPTIMA REDTOP battery. It also has a GM Type 2 power steering pump. Behind the potent V-8 is a TREMEC TKO 500 with a Chevy flywheel and clutch package. The shifter is a custom arm made by Steve’s son, David. The shift ball features a pit pass badge (#4051) from the 87th Running of the Indianapolis 500 (2003), which is very cool.

Steve has driven this roadster, and others, for many miles across the United States, Canada, and even Europe. He’s in the Hall of Fame of the Grand National Roadster Show, having also built and won the America’s Most Beautiful Roadster (2005, “Seduced,” owned by Paul and Eric Hansen, a 1932 Ford highboy roadster), and has been named Builder of the Year. (Seduced was co-built by Steve and Tom Walsh, who also built the engine.)

Additionally, he drives his Deuce highboy roadster over 10,000 miles each year. We don’t have room to list all the major builds from Moal Coachbuilders. Still, it’s fair to say that if you’re a dedicated hot rod magazine reader, you’ve seen many of his cars on the covers and inside feature stories of multiple national magazines. These cars have won awards from coast to coast and are admired and appreciated across the Atlantic. Can’t wait to see the next Roadchamp.