Barrett-Jackson Media
AIMING HIGH: A 1932 Hi-Boy Roadster that takes its inspiration from the original
Written by independent automotive journalist Steve Statham
It’s
hard to overstate the influence of the early West Coast hot-rodders on
America’s car culture. They bent sheet metal into shapes in the 1940s
that still resonate today. Perhaps the most instantly recognizable
silhouette is that of the 1932 Ford “Hi-Boy,” the archetype for all hot
rods to follow.
The
1932 Ford was the perfect raw material for hot-rodding. Besides great
looks, the ’32 was the vehicle that introduced Ford’s new flathead V8 to
the world. It wasn’t the first V8 on the market, but it was the first
affordable car to offer a mass-market V8 that the average person could
easily obtain. In the postwar years, the 1932-34 Fords became the
vehicles of choice for speed-minded youth. Among the pioneers was Bob
McGee. Following his WWII service, McGee was a student at the University
of Southern California when he built his gorgeous red ’32 Ford Hi-Boy
Roadster in 1947.
The car broke ground in several ways. McGee’s ’32 was noteworthy for its decluttered look, with hidden door hinges, a three-piece hood, chopped windshield, filled cowl vent, and filled and peaked spreader bar. The custom hood was louvered along the top and sides. The stance was unique as well, low but only slightly raked, with the fenderless body mounted atop the frame (thus the Hi-Boy nomenclature).
McGee’s
Hi-Boy roadster caused a sensation when it was featured on the cover of
the October 1948 issue of Hot Rod magazine, influencing a generation of
hot-rodders. The 1932 Ford Hi-Boy Roadster (Lot #3010) shown
here, offered for sale at No Reserve at the 2016 Scottsdale Auction, is
a tribute to that groundbreaking roadster. It was built by passionate
expert volunteers in collaboration with L.A. Roadsters, along with
students at the Alex Xydias Center for Automotive Arts.
Alex Xydias, of course, was one of the founders of the hot-rodding industry. Following WWII service in the Army Air Corps, he opened the So-Cal Speed Shop, which grew into a mainstay of California hot rod culture. Xydias later teamed with auto enthusiast and author Dean Batchelor to construct a purpose-built streamliner that he drove to 210 mph in 1950, the first of many such land-speed achievements. The Alex Xydias Center for Automotive Arts, named for this automotive pioneer, is a two-year program that gives students the hands-on training they need to enter the automotive industry. All proceeds from the sale of this car will benefit the Alex Xydias Center for Automotive Arts at The Learning Centers at Fairplex in Pomona.
This tribute car evokes the feeling of the original with modern upgrades. It is built around a Brookville Roadsters body and C-notched frame. Underneath is a Winter’s banjo rear end, So-Cal ladder bars and shocks, Speedway Motors split wishbone, Vega cross steering box and 1940 Ford brakes.
The
engine takes the flathead V8 further than Henry Ford ever dreamed. It’s
a 24-stud 1940 motor fitted with Navarro heads, for an 8.0 compression
ratio. It’s topped with a Weiand 2×2 high-rise manifold with two
Stromberg 97 carburetors and Stellings air cleaners. The headers and
exhaust are custom-built. Cooling is handled by a SPAL fan and Mattson
radiator, while a Powermaster alternator takes care of charging duties.
Behind the engine is a T5 transmission with floor-mounted shifter and
Cornhusker Rod & Custom clutch.
The body incorporates features that McGee combined into his roadster to powerful effect, such as the hidden hinge, three-piece hood, a filled and peaked grille, and louvers on the top and sides. King Bee headlights, 1950 Pontiac taillights and Wheelsmith wheels look period-perfect. A Sid Chavers Bop Top with two-inch chop lowers the roof. The paint is PPG Flame Red, applied at LGE-CTS Motorsports by AXC Program Leader Theresa Contreras.
The
interior received the same detailed attention. The extended dash was
custom built by Chris Comacho, housing five Classic Instruments gauges
and Painless wiring. Like McGee’s original, the dash was painted in a
maroon hue. The steering wheel is from a 1940 Ford, attached to a
LimeWorks column. The driver settles into movable Glide Engineering
bench seat covered in leather by Ron Mangus. The interior appearance is
as simple and clean as the exterior.
The buyer of this car will purchase a true piece of hot rod Americana, while at the same time helping to fund the training for the next generation of automotive talent. The spirit of Bob McGee lives on.
– Written by independent automotive journalist Steve Statham
For up-to-date information on this vehicle, click HERE.
end quote from:
http://www.barrett-jackson.com/Media/Home/Reader/aiming-high-a-1932-hi-boy-roadster-that-takes-its-inspiration-from-the-original/?utm_source=dynamic&utm_medium=native&utm_campaign=Scottsdale_2016
This 1932 Ford Hi-Boy Roadster (Lot #3010) is a tribute to the groundbreaking roadster Bob McGee built back in 1947.
The
1932 Ford was the perfect raw material for hot-rodding. Besides great
looks, the ’32 was the vehicle that introduced Ford’s new flathead V8 to
the world. It wasn’t the first V8 on the market, but it was the first
affordable car to offer a mass-market V8 that the average person could
easily obtain. In the postwar years, the 1932-34 Fords became the
vehicles of choice for speed-minded youth. Among the pioneers was Bob
McGee. Following his WWII service, McGee was a student at the University
of Southern California when he built his gorgeous red ’32 Ford Hi-Boy
Roadster in 1947.The car broke ground in several ways. McGee’s ’32 was noteworthy for its decluttered look, with hidden door hinges, a three-piece hood, chopped windshield, filled cowl vent, and filled and peaked spreader bar. The custom hood was louvered along the top and sides. The stance was unique as well, low but only slightly raked, with the fenderless body mounted atop the frame (thus the Hi-Boy nomenclature).
McGee’s
Hi-Boy roadster caused a sensation when it was featured on the cover of
the October 1948 issue of Hot Rod magazine, influencing a generation of
hot-rodders. The 1932 Ford Hi-Boy Roadster (Lot #3010) shown
here, offered for sale at No Reserve at the 2016 Scottsdale Auction, is
a tribute to that groundbreaking roadster. It was built by passionate
expert volunteers in collaboration with L.A. Roadsters, along with
students at the Alex Xydias Center for Automotive Arts.Alex Xydias, of course, was one of the founders of the hot-rodding industry. Following WWII service in the Army Air Corps, he opened the So-Cal Speed Shop, which grew into a mainstay of California hot rod culture. Xydias later teamed with auto enthusiast and author Dean Batchelor to construct a purpose-built streamliner that he drove to 210 mph in 1950, the first of many such land-speed achievements. The Alex Xydias Center for Automotive Arts, named for this automotive pioneer, is a two-year program that gives students the hands-on training they need to enter the automotive industry. All proceeds from the sale of this car will benefit the Alex Xydias Center for Automotive Arts at The Learning Centers at Fairplex in Pomona.
This tribute car evokes the feeling of the original with modern upgrades. It is built around a Brookville Roadsters body and C-notched frame. Underneath is a Winter’s banjo rear end, So-Cal ladder bars and shocks, Speedway Motors split wishbone, Vega cross steering box and 1940 Ford brakes.
The
engine takes the flathead V8 further than Henry Ford ever dreamed. It’s
a 24-stud 1940 motor fitted with Navarro heads, for an 8.0 compression
ratio. It’s topped with a Weiand 2×2 high-rise manifold with two
Stromberg 97 carburetors and Stellings air cleaners. The headers and
exhaust are custom-built. Cooling is handled by a SPAL fan and Mattson
radiator, while a Powermaster alternator takes care of charging duties.
Behind the engine is a T5 transmission with floor-mounted shifter and
Cornhusker Rod & Custom clutch.The body incorporates features that McGee combined into his roadster to powerful effect, such as the hidden hinge, three-piece hood, a filled and peaked grille, and louvers on the top and sides. King Bee headlights, 1950 Pontiac taillights and Wheelsmith wheels look period-perfect. A Sid Chavers Bop Top with two-inch chop lowers the roof. The paint is PPG Flame Red, applied at LGE-CTS Motorsports by AXC Program Leader Theresa Contreras.
The
interior received the same detailed attention. The extended dash was
custom built by Chris Comacho, housing five Classic Instruments gauges
and Painless wiring. Like McGee’s original, the dash was painted in a
maroon hue. The steering wheel is from a 1940 Ford, attached to a
LimeWorks column. The driver settles into movable Glide Engineering
bench seat covered in leather by Ron Mangus. The interior appearance is
as simple and clean as the exterior.The buyer of this car will purchase a true piece of hot rod Americana, while at the same time helping to fund the training for the next generation of automotive talent. The spirit of Bob McGee lives on.
– Written by independent automotive journalist Steve Statham
For up-to-date information on this vehicle, click HERE.
end quote from:
http://www.barrett-jackson.com/Media/Home/Reader/aiming-high-a-1932-hi-boy-roadster-that-takes-its-inspiration-from-the-original/?utm_source=dynamic&utm_medium=native&utm_campaign=Scottsdale_2016
No comments:
Post a Comment