Name: Harry Orpwood
Vehicle: 1932 Ford 5 Window Coupe

Nice original ’32 Harry, how long have you had it?
I must have had it about 11 years I guess. The guy I bought it off owned four ’32s.

It looks as if it just drove out of a ’70s hot rod movie. Did you get it as is or have you played with it?
I think it had been built in the early ’70s, and it was a goldy bronze two-tone colour when I got it. I bought it without a motor or gearbox and it had a Vauxhall Victor front end in it.

So it’s undergone a few changes, then…
Yeah, I put a Holden front end and a 305 Chev in it. I got it running and took it to its first event, which was the pre-’49 Nationals. I drove it like that for a while and then pulled the motor out and put a 350 in it, which was a 400-buck crapper, but it lasted quite a while.

It didn’t sound like any old crapper when you started it up.
No; about 18 months ago, while I was in America, I bought a Model A coupe that had a brand new 350 in it which had never been run, so a couple of months ago I put it in the ’32 and it’s pretty lumpy. I think it’s a bit too good for this car, so I’ll probably pull it out and put a 305 I have in it.

It must go pretty good with the 350 in it though.
At the moment it’s pretty hairy. The old 305 was good, you could just get in and drive normally, but that thing just takes off, and then it’s a bit flat until it gets on the cam and then it’s hold on!

So you don’t just pop down to the dairy in it?
I used to use it all the time, it was pretty much my main transport for a while. I don’t use it as much now but I still use it often. (more…)