1932 Ford Custom Roadster
Each year in January, at the Grand National Roadster Show, a select group of recently-built cars are invited to compete for the title America’s Most Beautiful Roadster. The competition, just to win a spot as a contender, is fierce. In 2008 the judges’ choice for overall AMBR winner set off a firestorm of controversy. The design, fabrication, and display of the winning roadster were all so over-the-top – and so far removed from what enthusiasts consider to be a hot rod – that it swung the hot rod world’s styling pendulum back towards the traditional. Many of those in attendance that year felt the nine foot AMBR trophy should have gone to this magnificent cream and red roadster from Squeeg’s Kustoms in Arizona.
Like many gifted fabricators, Squeeg Jerger started building hot rods in high school in his home garage. A 1962 feature article in Hot Rod magazine on his “Little Red Wagon” Deuce coupe helped put Squeeg on the map and by the mid-60s he was running his own shop in Ohio. Several winter snowbird flights to Arizona led to a longing for a warmer climate and in 1974 he pulled up stakes and moved to Mesa.
Squeeg had always been known for his custom paintwork and the gift for top quality fit and finishes has been passed down to his son Doug, who now runs the shop. It’s evident in this roadster. Designed and expertly fabricated to an incredibly high standard, it features one-of-a-kind parts and superb craftsmanship throughout. The car took over two years and 6,000 man-hours to build. The work was so impressive, the judges at the Roadster Show presented the car with the Outstanding AMBR Detail award.
The foundation for this roadster is an original set of 1932 frame rails – still stamped with their 18 digit Ford VIN number. The front suspension, fully plated and polished, combines a traditional tube axle with Indy-style coil-overs hidden discretely behind the grille shell. You have to look twice to spot them. This design leads to an extremely clean, functional-looking front end – with exceptional handling.
The rear end is located by polished, triangulated four-bars and coilovers. The rear end itself is smoothed, painted and polished, and features a hand-fabricated, ribbed center cover. Disc brakes and polished rotors are at all four corners.
The roadster’s new Real Rodders “Trick” wheels have been added by Canepa Design: 15X5.5 up front, 16x10 out back.
The roadster’s steel Brookville body has been subtly modified. The cowl area was shaved to mount a DuVall windshield, which has been newly plated. The hood was lengthened and the original grille shell thinned to accommodate the engine and suspension. Out back is a full roll pan, with ports added for the tips of the polished exhaust system. Taillights are original ’49 Ford lenses, surrounded by simple, clean, handcast and chromed brass bezels.
The paint combines a creamy yellow with Candy Apple Red scallops, expertly outlined with twin black pinstripes. Paint, scallops, pinstriping and polish continue underneath the car in meticulous detail.
The cockpit features supple, red leather upholstery and Mercedes square-weave carpet, all color-keyed to compliment the car’s exterior. The controls and steering wheel were designed, machined and custom fabricated exclusively for this car. The wheel was wrapped in a red aerospace rubber, formulated specifically to match the roadster’s red leather. The gauges were also custom made, with pointers and lettering color-keyed to the roadster’s body.
Like other exotic vintage roadsters, this car features two tops: A hand-formed hardtop and, new from Canepa, a custom-framed fabric top built to perfectly compliment the roadster’s rakish windshield.
Under the scalloped hood you’ll find a 383 Chevy stroker motor, built to deliver 500HP at the rear wheels. As fastidiously detailed as the rest of the car, the block and heads are fully-polished, the valve covers and fuel injection hat are custom-machined from billet aluminum, and the modern electronics are discretely hidden from view. As with all cars at Canepa Design, many hours have been spent on the roadster’s mechanics to ensure the performance and handling match its looks. This is a rare opportunity to own a unique, celebrated, well-built, and incredibly well-detailed Deuce roadster.
