everal years ago, this ’32 Ford roadster belonging to Tom Firth of Canada and built by Stoker’s Hot Rod Factory was in contention for the 2020 America’s Most Beautiful Roadster—and no wonder as the look and craftsmanship are outstanding. Frequently you can tell if a hot rod truly has the right look by how it stands the test of time. Do the rodders of today like it as much as the rodders of the day? This Deuce roadster is a long way from being an “old build.” Now, having seen it again for the first time in several years I believe it can be said that this car will be a favorite for many years to come. Affectionately called the “Brownstone Roadster” (the GM color sprayed on), it was the name given to it during the AMBR competition. It’s the type of hot rod that you look at once, walk away, and then find yourself going back multiple times. You want to make sure you didn’t miss some detail, as in my case, for I went back multiple times and quickly realized how much I had missed in my previous visits.
Next up was a phone call between Tom and his friend Vincent Mayeda in California who recommended that Tom take the project to Terry and David Stoker at Stoker’s Hot Rod Factory. It wasn’t long before Tom felt that the partnership between himself and the Stokers would be ideal. David took possession of the roadster back in October of 2018 and within the next two weeks had finalized what the look of the roadster should be with the help, and expert eye, of Eric Black through his artistry. The e.Black Design Co. originally called for the roadster to be gray but David felt that the car needed to be another color–hence the Brownstone metallic was chosen. There were other touches that were set aside, such as the use of side molding and ’36 headlights mounted without a traditional headlight bar—ideas that weren’t used.
The chassis is based on a Pete & Jakes Hot Rod Parts frame with boxed front horns, a Super Bell 4-inch drilled and plated drop axle fitted with power-operated Wilwood disc brakes with finned covers and operated by a P&J brake pedal assembly. Accompanying the axle are plated hairpins and spindles and a pair of P&J chrome tube shocks, while the steering comes by way of a Vega box operated through a ’40 Ford column. The rear suspension is housed around an 11-inch drum brake equipped and painted Ford 9-inch rearend with plated ladder bars and transverse spring, while, again, a pair of plated P&J tube shocks are used. The roadster sits on a set of Real Rodders polished magnesium wheels measuring 15×5 in front and 18×7 in back and wrapped in Excelsior/Coker rubber measuring 5.50×16 and 8.10×18 rubber.
At first glance the interior appears subtle but upon closer examination you realize within its simplicity lies its beauty. We aren’t sure what the first design element to grab your attention is but the steering wheel or gauge treatment are most likely the focal point. However, it’s safe to say it could be the ’50 Olds with accessory clock steering wheel cut down to 16 inches by Steering Wheels by Kris or the Pierce-Arrow designed panel that’s a recreation by Hot Rod Alchemy with the one-off designed gauges by David and Eric Black then hand built by Classic Instruments; for sure it lies somewhere in-between. The dash itself is factory ’32 Ford with the custom Classic Instruments instrumentation that’s neatly trimmed by Stoker’s Hot Rod Factory molding around the panel and running the width of the dash itself. The ’50 Olds steering wheel rests on top of the ’40 Ford steering column that retains its once-original shifter that controls the C4 trans. The bench seat is custom and wrapped in a combination of leather and fabric while the flooring and trunk is trimmed in leather and carpet all by Mark Lopez of Elegance Auto Interiors. The top is another Elegance effort and finishes off the interior/exterior appearance.
We should also point out that the ’32 Ford roadster, while not taking home the AMBR, did garner three significant awards: AMBR Outstanding Interior, Outstanding Engine, and Outstanding Undercarriage. See, there are lots to see on this Deuce and you will find yourself coming back several times to see all that there is to see.