1932 Ford Hot Rod Roadster

This 1932 Ford Roadster has a history that traces back to July 1946, when it was purchased by Jack Kukura of Bell, California for $385. Kukura races this car at Southern California Timing Association (S.C.T.A.) events on the dry lakes from 1947 through 1960. He also raced it at the Bonneville Salt Flats in the late 1950s.

In May of 1947, Kukura began racing the car at El Mirage where it ran 97.29 mph. By October of 1947, it had been fitted with a Mercury V-8 engine which gave it a top speed of 120-plus mph. It continued to be raced by Kukura with a flathead engine through 1956, the same year he received the Gear Grinders Die Hard Award (he was an early member of the club).

In 1957, Kukura fitted the car with a blown Chrysler 454 CID Hemi engine, giving the car even more speed, with several runs clocked between 145 and 190 mph. In 1960, Kukura and driver Jim Lindsley attempted to beat their record of 189.93 mph at Bonneville. The roadster spun out at 200 mph and after coming to a controlled stop, he declined to make the return run. The roadster was retired from racing after 1960, but he kept it until he passed away in 2005. The car made on last appearance at the 1986 L.A. Roadster Show in Pomona, California.

After Kukura's passing, the car has had only two private owners. The current owner entrusted the car to American Classics and Performance in Cotati who returned the roadster to running order while preserving its original condition.

This steel Ford body is finished in classic gray primer. It has 1939 Ford taillights and 1946 hubcaps. There are Bonneville push bars, Stewart Warner flat glass gauges, Moon 'big foot' pedal, and blue vinyl bench seat, sourced from a Los Angeles Metro bus. It has eight of its original timing tags as well as the custom side pipes and roll bar fabricated by Gear Grinder Bob Snook.

By Daniel Vaughan | May 2015