History
I found Henrietta on a property in 1990 in a very dilapidated state having had her engine robbed for a Blitz timber truck and two bush fires burning out her body work. I spent nearly 12 years restoring her and was able to save nearly all her original panel work. She is a model 18 which was the first Ford ever to carry a V8 engine that had taken 70 Ford engineers most of 1931 to design. The 1932 Ford roadster was certainly the lightest and most powerful car available then and so when these cars found their way into young Americam mens hands at the end of world war 2 then hot rodding was born with the 1932 Ford being still the most desirable. Henrietta still retains the essence of those early hot rodding days as I built her out of easy to find components as did the early hot rodders. I didn't know it at the time but I produced a nostalgia rod which now is so popular. The car appeals to all ages as it is admired my vintage purists for the use of early components in the drive train etc. but also by hot rodding purists as it is not fitted with whizz bang off the shelf modern parts but has power and handling to match modern roads.It is a perfect example of how real early hot rodding was done.I styled her as a hot rod of the forties and would be something you may have seen on a Hollywood movie set and she still turns lots of heads!
Modifications
Henrietta has a Ford Flathead V8 fitted with a crab distributor with a brand new Stromberg 97 Carb. The engine runs a high volume oil pump, a set of Johnson Brother adjustable lifter and a 25/65 Iskenderen cam supplied by Mike Davidson Australasian flathead land speed record holder. It has the standard 1932 gearbox but is fitted with a 1936 helical gear set and shifter forks to cut transmission noise. It has an enclosed tail shaft fitted to a 1940 Ford Pilot rear end with a Richmond gear set of 3.54 to 1 to make some speed. Brakes were swapped from pullrod mechanical to 1940 Ford Pilot which is the same as early Fairlane units with a 1"lockheed Wagner master cyl fitted with a VH 44 power booster from a Valiant Charger. She runs a set of original Ford wire centre wheels respoked to 15"drop centre rims, 7"wide up front and 8"on the rear. She still has transverse springs but with a Rock valley lowered unit up front and the original unit on the rear with the spring eyes reversed. She carries a five core radiator for cooling with a four blade 1938 sedan fan which works very well. I have fitted an Pertronix ignition ignitor which is much better than the twin point set up. A set of chromed Gabriel shock absorbers are up front and a set of TE Gemini shocks are fitted on the tail. She is fitted with a set of home made Fenton headers and the twin exhaust system is my own manufacture and ceramic coated. the steering is by original Gemler unit. Lighting is 12 volt Halogen fitted to the original Ford Duo lamps.This car starts, drives and handles not like a vintage car but a truly nice cruiser that I never want to put back in the garage whenever I take her out.
