32 Ford Hot Rod: Vintage Pictures from 1954

Original picture of the 1932 Ford 5W Coupe from 1954

I absolutely love old pictures of cars that were taken "back in the day." You could imagine my surprise when these pictures where found after I purchased the '32 coupe.

These show the car with 1954 Virginia license plates, so I assume that they were taken shortly after my dad's buddy purchased the car. Studying the pictures, the car is in virtually the identical configuration as it was when we pulled it out of the barn...65 years later.

It is interesting to note that the car was originally a "Model B" meaning it was originally equipped with a 4 cylinder engine. That was determined by the VIN. You will note in the pictures from 1954, it has a Flathead V8 engine. It appears that my dad's friend purchased it this way. In other words, it had already been "hot rodded." The color was changed from the original Washington Blue to a blue/gray color, the interior was reupholstered in red, Guide headlights were added, the grill shell was filled, the cowl was filled, a heater was added, a radio antenna was installed, Chevy taillights were added, different bumpers (not 100% sure from what) were installed, etc.

It's crazy to think that it was still in this same configuration 65 years later. The 1954 license plates were even still on the bumpers!