Ex–Al Eshenbaugh, 425 Nailhead-Powered ’32 Ford Roadster w/Tri-Power Intake

This 1932 Ford roadster is a Brookville-bodied hot rod built by Al Eshenbaugh as his personal car and completed in 2010. The reproduction steel body is mounted on American Stamping Corporation (ASC) frame rails and finished in green over tan vinyl upholstery, and power comes from a 425ci Buick Nailhead V8 equipped with triple Rochester carburetors, an Offenhauser intake manifold, finned-aluminum valve covers, custom headers, and a hood scoop gifted to Eshenbaugh by Red Greth of Speed Sport Roadster fame. Additional build details include a TH400 three-speed automatic transmission, a Ford 9″ rear end, Buick finned drum brakes, a drilled front drop axle, hairpin radius arms, a Panhard bar, a removable soft top, 15″ and 16″ steel wheels, Mercury hubcaps, a Gennie shifter with a crystal doorknob shift knob, a Packard-sourced dashboard and gauges, and a 1940 Ford steering wheel.

Eshenbaugh began drag racing in the late 1950s, campaigned Top Fuel dragsters in the 1960s, competed in motocross and desert racing, set land-speed records with a nitro-burning roadster and a lakester at Bonneville, and later built blown nitro Chrysler Hemi engines and served as crew chief for the Bass Kustoms Roadster.

The reproduction steel roadster bodywork is finished in green with a removable canvas soft top, front and rear chrome spreader bars, side nerf bars, and vintage Guide-style headlamps with domed glass lenses and modern bulbs.

The 15″ and 16″ steel wheels wear Mercury hubcaps and are mounted with Michelin radial tires measuring 165/80R15 up front and 245/75R16 at the rear. The front suspension incorporates a drilled drop axle and hairpins, while additional chassis equipment includes a Panhard bar with a steering stabilizer and ladder bars out back. Braking is provided by four-wheel drums with Buick finned drums and Lincoln-style brake components.

The cabin features bench seating trimmed in tan vinyl along with latch-and-link belts and a Gennie shifter. The shift knob is a crystal doorknob reportedly sourced from an old home in Phoenix, Arizona, that was being demolished.