I’m sure we’ll get letters about this but we attend a wide variety of shows over the course of the year and speak to a great many people and there’s no denying that, for many, an early Ford hot rod is what they aspire to owning. In days gone by, this might only ever have amounted to a pipe dream, but things are quite different nowadays.

When I bought the body for my own ’32 project (more years ago than I care to mention, before you ask) the choices were limited. Back then, finding, let alone buying a steel body was virtually unheard of. Instead, glass fibre bodies were available, but suppliers were few and far between and buyers often had to join the end of a lengthy waiting list. So what’s changed in the last decade to enable rodders to have so many more options when buying a project car, whether that be a body or a ready-built car? Thanks to the internet, the global hot rod community has effectively become smaller. Tips and advice can be shared and assistance given in the tracking down of cars and parts. This has augmented the wide availability of potential components for projects through our own Free Ad pages and other similar classifieds listings in niche market publications. It’s never been easier to source the essential bits and pieces to complete your project.

Dave Biggadyke