26 juni 2012

Ford 1932 Roadster Windshield











A while ago I bought this sweet original 1932 roadster windshield for my project.
I came with the original stanchions and a super nice complete original 1932 grillshell.

More and more parts are comming together for my 32 roadster!

This windshiled has a very nice old patina I even have the history back to 1948!

Bill Bronson purchased this 32 Roadster in October of 1953. It was given away at the 1951 Indianapolis Auto Show at the Indiana State Fairgrounds. It was formally owned and raced by the late Dick Kraft.

Dick was friends with Ralph Potter. Ralph and his wife worked at Long Beach Douglas Aircraft during WWII. Later, they would own Potters Muffler shop on Pennsylvanie Ave in Indy.
Ralph was a big car show promoter in the Midwest in the early 1950's.
Potter contacted Kraft about locating a 'nice' car to give away to promote his 2nd annual Indianapolis Auto Show.
While the first annual show had gone well, he thought a give away car would be a way to bring more success to the event.

Kraft located this 32 Roadster in the LA times Antiquest and Classifieds section for sale and recognized it as one he had raced in 1948 with a Winfield Cam.
While Dick could not remember the owners name, he did recall that he worked for the then infant Hot Rod magazine.
Dick recalled that this was the last 32 he raced (he preferred 24 T's due to their lower weight).
A deal was struck for $2500 for the car and Mr. Potters son, Jr. Potter, drove the car back to Indiana.

The car was won by a gentleman in Kokomo, IN. Bill Bronson, who had been in attendance at the 1951 show as a spectator, pursued the car heavily and was able to purchase it in October of 1953.
He did very little to change the car until 1966 when the car was painted. then they changed the black painted windshild to a chromed one and had it hidden in the garage until my friend Claz bought it on ebay.

It is now im my collection of parts for my 1932 Henry roadster project with my Doane Spencers original engine turned dash!

You can see that Bill bronson was a member of the Mile Masters and it still has its original sticker and the friction proof sticker on the glas!
You can even see the same stickers on the black and white picture from august 1957!


The cool thing is that this car is still in the same family today, Bill Bronsons grandson drives it today!

I just love these old hotrod parts with a great history!

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