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Bob Schaeneman's 1932 Roadster

Chassis No.: 91A791338

REQUeST A printable PDF document with Photos

Featured in Hot Rod Milestones by Ken Gross and Robert Genat, Bob Schaeneman’s Roadster is considered to be one of the finest dual purpose roadsters built in the day. Currently restored to period correct perfection right down to the original record setting engine, this is one of the best know and coolest Hot Rods ever built.

This High Boy dates back to the beginnings of the Hot Rod movement. Built in Stockton California by John Erracalde around 1939 and sold after the war to Gordon Ingram who raced it up to 1951. Ingram ran an impressive 122.86 MPH to win the C Roadster class at a Valley Timing Association meet at El Mirage in late 1950. Ingram then sold the car to Bob Schaeneman also of Stockton.

Schaeneman eventually set a record in it, turning 128.57 MPH at El Mirage in 1952 and also exhibited the car at the Oakland Roadster show in 1954. At a VTA drag racing event at Kingdon airstrip Schaeneman won “Best Constructed Street Roadster” of the meet. Late in the 1950s, Schaeneman sold the roadster to Bob Cress. The roadster was put into storage and dropped out of sight until 1977. Bob Magane purchased the car and took it back east to Massachusetts. Cress pulled the original Flathead and installed a Chevy V8.

Kirk F. White purchased the car and the original engine and sent it to Lowreys for a full period correct restoration.
This ’32 is a great example of a dual-purpose street and racing rod, and it remains very true to the period in which it was built. Basically a stock-bodied roadster on ’32 rails, the car rides on a dropped axle in front under a Model A crossmember with a stock, un-split Ford wishbone and tubular shocks. The rear end was taken from a ’40 Ford; the steering from a ’49 Ford. Front spindles are ’40 Ford, with 15-inch ’48 Mercury rims running big-and little 6.00x15 and 8.20x15-inch blackwall tires.

The car’s two most distinctive features are its Schaeneman built ’29 Chrysler split windshield, which was sectioned and chopped to fit the ’32 cowl, and low chromed roll bar. This is the only ’32 with a Chrysler windshield. The cowl is filled; filled and peaked the grille shell, shaved the door handles, and fabricated the front and rear fenders and rear bumper.

Inside the dash was modified extensively. It contains 10 early Stewart-Warner gauges, including an Auburn panel insert, a Valley Timing Association timing tag, and the 1954 Oakland Roadster Show commemorative plaque.

The engine is a Canadian “59L” Flathead of 1946-1948 vintage. Displacing 291 cid with Jahns pistons, Edelbrock “block letter” high-compression heads, Winfield full race SU-1A, three Stromberg 97s on an Edelbrock intake. The engine is paired with a ’39 toploader with a Lincoln-Zephyr 26 tooth first and second cluster.