By Brian Brennan – Photography By Marc Gewertz
If the 1932 Ford highboy roadster looks a bit familiar, it should. Modern Rodding readers who have been around since the early days may remember that MR featured the 1932 roadster with a construction story in the Sept./Oct. ’20 issue. Ken and Tina Thurm of SoCal, and members of the California Roadsters, have built and owned many fantastic Deuce hot rods. It should also be noted that this roadster was in competition for the America’s Most Beautiful Roadster award in 2024. (Watch the 2024 Grand National Roaster Show video via the QR code within this story. I had a great conversation with Ken on the building of his 1932 Ford highboy roadster.)
The powerplant of this highboy roadster is an aluminum block 2002 Ford Coyote 5.0L. At first glance, the distinctive valve covers may mislead one as to what the V-8 is, along with the rare stack injection. The injection is based on what was designed for the Gurney-Weslake 1965 Indy race car program. What was once a mechanical fuel injection is now a modernized EFI through Kenny’s engineering process designed with electronic controls, incorporating a Bosch fuel pump, LS7 injectors, Holley ECU, MSD coil, Taylor wires, an Optima battery (mounted under cowl behind the dash), a Comp camshaft, MSD belt drive, and an electronic crank trigger. The exhaust system is another beauty from the artful hands of builder Rod Sexton, utilizing 1-1/2-inch stainless steel headers and custom mufflers.
Additional engine accessories feature a Meziere electric water pump hidden under the bench seat, electric fans from FanMan, and a Powermaster starter. Ken repurposed an 85-amp Toyota forklift alternator, meticulously fitting it with custom brackets. The attention to detail is evident, with unnecessary brackets and metal ground off the block for a cleaner look.
Working with the Coyote V-8, moving the horsepower and torque rearward is a Richmond six-speed transmission complemented by Ken’s handmade custom shift lever with a McLeod twin-disc clutch and flywheel package linked to a Driveline Specialties driveshaft. In the rear is a Winters quick-change rearend with a limited-slip differential and 5:13 gears. Braking and suspension are based on Wilwood Dynalite calipers with drilled-and-slotted rotors, air shocks, and a Deuce Factory Panhard bar. Talk about stoplight acceleration! Together, this configuration produces a formidable horsepower output approaching 500! More corner appointments include the Rebel Spindle mounts measuring 15×5 and Mike Curtis 18×10 wheels with Mickey Thompson rubber 24×5.00 in front and 285/60R18 in back.
The front axle also features more of Ken’s handiwork. He used a narrowed, drilled, and chromed Magnum axle and a 46-inch-wide I-beam modified for a 5-inch drop. Chromed Bilstein tube shocks, UniSteer rack-and-pinion steering, and Ken’s handiwork in the machined front sway bar complete the frontend. Additional frontend goodies include spindle-mount wheels, eliminating the need for hubs, thus yielding an even more compact appearance. The Moon tank up front is the fill point for the gas tank, located in the trunk just behind the bench seat.
Based on American Stamping Corporation framerails, the chassis showcases Ken’s handiwork and craftsmanship. He raised the front subframe by 3 inches and the rear by 4 inches. Next, he shortened the wheelbase to 103 inches, down from the factory 106 inches. There was 1-1/2 inches taken from both the cowl area and the rear. Why? It allowed the Coyote V-8 to fit “reasonably” effortlessly within the Deuce engine compartment.
The Brookville Roadster body also reflects more imaginative efforts. The Brookville hood was shortened by an inch, matching the chassis mods, while the rear wheelwells were raised by 2 inches and the floor was elevated by 4 inches. If you are a louver fan, then this roadster has plenty of them (190 should you not wish to count) covering the hood and decklid. The rear panel features the always-popular 1939 Ford taillights (“teardrop” style) frenched into place along with the license plate holder. From this point, Jeff and Robyn Sherman handled the bodywork and painted the Deuce in a DeBeer’s waterborne base and mid-coat with Matrix AG-40LV Euro clear over the Mazda Red.
The interior shows off a Brookville three-window coupe dashboard that now houses Stewart-Warner “winged” gauges resting in a chromed panel. One of Ken’s homemade steering columns and drop now house the column-mounted tach and a drilled four-spoke Sprint Car–style wheel. A Centech fuse panel and battery-kill switch are used with Ken’s handiwork in wiring. A Glide bench is utilized with a heater mounted below the seat. Mercedes off-white leather is used on the bench, door, kick panels, firewall, and trans tunnel; all showcase the use of leather. The carpeting is light-colored, complementing the leather, while Kugel Komponents received the nod for the pedal and master cylinder mount assembly.
There is no question that SoCal is the land of roadsters—and highboys are especially at home—cruising the thousands of miles of roads and highways with many scenic spots to view and places to grab a meal. The roadster does have a top for those infrequent, moist days, just in case. We expect this hot rod sans top on those early morning cruises most of the time.
Check out this story in our digital edition here.
