LUCKY 7 DEUCE – JASON PERRY 1932 FORD 3W COUPE
When Jason Perry started to collect the pieces to fulfil his dream of owing a little deuce coupe, he acquired more parts then he needed. But that’s not a bad thing right?
“I started collecting bits and pieces for the ’32 and ended up acquiring a ‘33 five window coupe and a ‘32 pickup,” he confesses. Jason chased down the required parts for about three or four years until he had enough pieces, including motors, diffs and gearboxes, to build all three, but it was this coupe that started it all. As this was Jason’s first attempt at building a hot rod, he chose wisely and selected a Deuce Customs ’32 three window reproduction body to cut his teeth on. To achieve a perfect body to frame fit, Ken Brownlee asked Jason to supply a chassis that he would be using for the project. Our lucky owner located a genuine Henry Ford original under a roadster and snapped it up as a complete four banger roller.
It was searching for project parts that led Jason to the ’33 coupe and on first inspection, he passed it up due to the amount of rust. On the way home he dropped into TCR and priced replacement patch panels and the deal started to sound more achievable, so he backtracked and bought the coupe for daughter Renee. The pickup is keeping it company for now.
With the help of Lilow Auto Tech, the stock frame was boxed, stepped 2 ½ inches in the rear and strengthened with tubular cross members. Up front Jason added a Rod Tech I beam on four bars with accompanying springs and shocks. Out back a Currie 9” is suspended via triangulated four bars with QA1 springs and shocks. Jason says that the QA setup is dead easy to perfect the ride height and cushion control. Just as the chassis was getting sorted Jason decided that the motor of choice was now going to have a blower so the chassis was reworked to accommodate.
“I wanted the comfort and power of a modern car without sacrificing traditional good looks… and a blower,” he said. What that equated to be was not having the blower stuck through the bonnet and retain the sweet lines of the ‘32. “I used to tell people that I wanted to build a car with a blower under the bonnet and I kept getting told that they don’t fit! You can’t do it! I like a challenge,” he smirks. “The more people say that I can’t do something the more I want to do it.”
Making all the power for the coupe is 400 Chevy block with a SCAT crank, AFR 220 heads, Crow cam and Ross slugs. Jason went to great lengths to fit the Weiand 6/71 huffer with twin Holley’s under hood by lowering and moving the front cross member rearward, machining the manifold and air cleaners, and notching the sump. Once he had it all in place the Brookville grill shell was widened, lengthened and filled with a Dan Fink insert. “We widened it 30mm to get a thermo fan in front and raised the shell 30mm to get the blower under,’ he said. “We had to cut and add metal spears to fill out the Rootlieb bonnet to make it match up.”
If you look closely at the coupes profile the bonnet runs almost parallel without a slant like the original, but most people never notice thanks to Jason’s attention to fit and finish.
“Rodney Harlow helped me out immensely throughout the build. At the time he was working for Ford Performance Racing and would stop by on his way home from work and do a couple of hours on the coupe and I would take it from there. I did the metal fab, like panels and the exhaust and Rodney would weld it together. We just hit it off and we made a good team. After a bit of coaxing he eventually opened his own shop called Rodders.”
Jason says that he likes to be a bit different and be individual, hence the black blower casing which makes it that little more unusual than most. Just like the exterior, that started out completely different to the images before you. “I went to a lot of shows and found what I liked. I aimed for something that wouldn’t date,” he says.
The original aim was to have the coupe on full rego but he had to adhere to the third wiper rule. “When I dummied it up on the body it just looked stupid. You can’t build an old school car with three wipers, so I dropped that and went for Street Rod rego.”
The car was going to be HOK Lemon Yellow but after Jason attended the Geelong ASRF Nationals he left with a completely new plan. “It seemed like every second car was lemon yellow and I said to myself, I’m not having that!”
Jason settled on a colour called raspberry and had it sprayed over a few different base coats by Nick at Razz Art to achieve the desired combination. Happy with his final decision it was all smiles until they went to order enough to cover the entire body. “We were told that they don’t make it anymore. I just turned to Nick and said you just do what you want, I don’t care anymore!” Nick came through with flying colours by blending a mix of cinder red base with a topcoat of candy apple brandy wine and rainbow flake. And that’s how Jason left it, flameless, knowing full well that he would re-début the deuce at a later date after enjoying it in the current guise for 12 months. Unfortunately foul play in the engine department left more than just a bitter taste in his mouth and a lighter wallet.
“After a bad experience with the first engine builder I was lucky enough to get help from Lakeside Automotive who were absolutely grouse. I think by the amount of the final bill they must have felt a bit sorry for me, as I think they did a lot more than what I paid for!”
The coupe was always going to be torched with fire in the artistic sense, but having family friend Matt Egan wielding the flamethrower was really just good timing. “When the coupe was pulled down to rectify the engine issues, Matt just happened to be home from America and we got talking one day. He said he would come over and have a look at it. Once he had eyeballed the body he said bring it over next week and I’ll do it! I took the coupe over to Carmine’s at CAD Custom where Matt works when in Oz, and it all just fell into place,” he beamed.
Listening to Carmine’s advice the year old exterior was treated to a cut and clean before Matt laid down the superb fireworks and the completed coupe was reshot in clear. Its finished result distinguishes this killer coupe as Jason’s, and will never be mistaken for anyone else’s. The funny thing is Jason gave Matt a concise vision of how he wanted the flames executed, including colours and layout. To which Matt responded ‘nope, I’ll do it my way!’
“In the end he’s done enough all around the world to know what he’s doing and you can’t argue with knowledge. There are no regrets”, Jason confesses.
Complementing the exterior artwork is an interior that harnesses time honoured stitching skills and the pursuit for individualism. The timeless tuck and roll pleats were expertly crafted by Michael Galjan, who perfected his skills on concourse vehicles before creating the Car-Bra many years ago. Lucky for Jason, Michael is an old friend that was only too happy to pickup the needle and thread and complete the inside confinements using Chesterfield Old Saddle leather with a cream leather headliner. Jason was told that having leather above your noggin couldn’t be done! So guess what, look up and learn people!
Jason added his own stamp on the classic cockpit by designing his own gauge facia and had it CNC machined from his favourite timber, red gum. Thrilled with the results Jason drew on all of his building experience and hand crafted the matching red gum garnish moulds just because. He also finessed the aftermarket window cranks and handles with red gum inserts for a complete one off and tasteful interior. While the wood working tools were out, wife Rachel and Jason completed the boot space by crafting clever compartments from spotted gum parquetry that combines harmoniously with the rich Old Saddle trim.
Capping off the fiery Ford Jason chose 15”x6” and 15”x8” steelies from Vintique and wrapped them with BFG Silvertown tyres for drivability and grip when he feels a little lead footed. Bringing the hidden and huffed mouse mill back to a steady pace a quartet of Falcon discs are brought into play by a Corvette master cylinder and Nova booster.
Stress relief is Jason’s reason for taking on the project, but believes that having the hot rod is also a great family hobby. Fulfilling his desire to eventually own a Deuce Coupe Jason is quick to point out that the true owner of this sweet ’32 is his daughter Maddison, but at only seven years of age Dad’s quite happy to keep it maintained for her for a few years yet. Now it’s onto Renee’s ’33 coupe so there’s no fighting over who gets the shotgun seat.
BY DALE HABERFIELD, PHOTOS MILLBROOK STUDIO, FULL FEATURE CRUZIN #167.
