Larry Dove '32 3-Window Coupe

 

 

Larry Dove has had a lot of hot rods and ultra-high performance cars in his life, and in his opinion, a “proper” hot rod has to have two things – a severely chopped top, and a BIG motor. When he discussed his latest project with Randy Clark, those were the basic guidelines. The details would be worked out, but those two elements would form the basis of this traditionally styled hot rod.  1966 was the cutoff year for any visible element used on the car.

 

 Larry happened to have a big-inch Keith Black Chrysler Hemi stashed away for a special project. This is that project. Randy had the perfect body on hand at Hot Rods & Custom Stuff – a Brookville ’32 Ford 3-window coupe.  Fresh steel is great to work with – ask any metal worker.  The chassis is based on a Deuce Steel frame with its signature front frame rail upsweep which lowers the car an additional three inches and gives three more inches of length for the engine. This monster KB Hemi is going to need every bit of that room. Out back is a Winters Championship Series quick change rear axle suspended by Bilstein coil-over shocks. The front suspension is a departure from the ordinary. The traditional transverse front spring is hung from the split wishbone-style radius rods and not the I-beam axle as normally done. This gained much needed room for a proper-sized radiator necessary to cool the monster motor in this hot hotrod. 

 

The rear suspension includes hefty four bar linkage and a Panhard bar to suspend the Winters Championship quick change rear axle. Bilstein coilover shocks will provide superior ride control. A Tremec five-speed transmission will send the Mopar power back to the rear end to shred the tires.

 

The body, though crisp and tight as received from Brookville, needed a shave and a haircut to meet Larry’s expectations. Hot Rods and Custom Stuff’s crack metalworking team sliced and diced the top to take about 3 ½ inches out of the height, giving it the proper hot rod posture. A call to Bobby Walden’s Speed Shop sent a beautifully formed steel top insert our way, and in short order it eliminated the gaping hole in the top of the coupe.

 

This is going to be a trend setting car and will have jaws dropping on the street and the show floor. Complete details will be provided in the photo gallery here. Keep checking back