1934 Ford Roadster: Survivor 1950′s Sports Custom
1934 Ford ‘Roeder Sports Custom’ Roadster a true Vintage survivor radical East Coast stunner.
This reminds me of a car I own called the Ghost !
Find this 1934 Custom FOR SALE HERE
Seller states:
1934 Ford ‘Roeder Sports Custom’ Roadster a true Vintage survivor
YES… it’s a 1934 Ford! An award winning survivor period custom roadster styled and built 60 years ago!
The ‘Roeder Sports Custom’ roadster was built by Robert Roeder (pronounced ‘Raider’) of Emmaus, Pennsylvania while he worked for the nearby Mack Truck company. The skills he learned while at Mack were used to build a new style ‘Sports Custom’ roadster, starting in 1948 and taking the next 5 years to complete. The result is superb early example of this style that rivals the more well known customs by the likes of Coachcraft, Frank Kurtis, or even Edsel Ford. After being hidden away from the limelight for generations, the roadster attracts attention everywhere it’s seen and is again gaining the recognition that it deserves from the public and the media.
Starting with his daily driver 1934 Ford cabriolet that he had purchased in 1938, his work on the car evolved throughout the 1950′s.
Dorney Park Autorama 1959
All the body modifications done in steel, welded and leaded in the traditional style of the true Custom era.
To ensure the solid foundation to his custom stayed that way, Roeder painted the entire underbody and frame with Aluminum roofing paint. This remarkable protection, and the car’s sheltered life, has given us a truly SOLID body and chassis.
(left) Roeder was asked in the summer of 1959 by the Saints Car Club of Allentown to display his custom at their ‘Autorama’, held at the Dorney Park skating rink.
Body and Chassis modifications include
Body is channeled 6″ over the original frame and sectioned 4” behind the doors
Front fenders are 1940 Mercury parts, welded and leaded to the body
Rear fenders are sectioned 1940 Ford parts, welded and leaded to the body
Modified ’40 Mercury front inner fenders and headlight doors
Custom steel nose panel and stainless mesh grill
1940 Lincoln Continental front bumper
Louvered rear opening aluminum hood
Rear valance panel is a modified period part with dual exhaust exits and spare tire well
Original cabriolet doors modified with scooped-down tops and no side glass
Original cabriolet cowl was shaved smooth and the vent filled
Studebaker dash combined with Ford dash, mounting Studebaker and SW gauges
1940’s vintage red leather bucket seats highlight a custom white vinyl interior
1938 Lincoln Zephyr steering wheel and column
1937 Packard Roadster windshield frame and glass that’s narrowed and shortened to fit the Ford
1950 Pontiac tail lights mounted in steel tube extensions
Trunk mounted Hudson fuel tank with dual filler caps
Lift-off steel hardtop is included, fabricated from a 1948 Plymouth roof section
Engine is a stock 1955 Chevrolet 265 installed in 1958, running a Edelbrock – Rochestor tripower and Corvette valve covers
Original Ford 3 speed transmission fitted with a Lincoln Zephyr 26 tooth gear set
Hydraulic brakes from a 1940 Ford and ‘aircraft’ tube shocks
1940 Ford 16″ wheels and aftermarket “Ripple” hubcaps and fender skirts
The first engine fitted was a built Mercury flathead V8. This lasted until 1958 when Roeder installed a nearly new 1955 Chevy 265 OHV with a Crager adaptor to the Ford toploader trans. This same engine still powers the car today. A rare Edelbrock C355 tripower intake and 3 rebuilt Rochester 2G / Olds J2 carbs motivate the roadster nicely. Handmade dual exhaust with ‘Hollywood’ mufflers exit through the rear valance panel.
The Roeder family kept the car until 1998, preserved in his early vision including the 1950 Pontiac taillights he later installed that were inspired by the 1953 Corvette. His widow ended 60 years of one family ownership and sold the car in 1998 to a man who remembered seeing it in Roeder’s garage during the original build up.
Select updates and maintenance were sympathetically done within the last 13 years so that this classic would be a reliable driver when the need arose. The entire body was stripped and repainted in 2010 at Orchard Auto Restoration (Redford, MI) and treated to a fresh urethane repaint and new interior upholstery panels. The carbs and cylinder heads were rebuilt in 2011, allowing the roadster to easily cruise at highway speeds! Other updates include:
- New brake master cylinder, brake tubes, brake hoses, wheel cylinders, and shoes
- New wiring harness, fuse block, and rebuilt Delco generator
- Coker Commander 6.00 x 16 wide white tires
Recent showings of the custom include the 2011 Billetproof Michigan event (1st Place for custom modifications) and a by-invitation only showing at the 2011 ‘Eyes on Design’ event at the Edsel and Eleanor Ford Estate in Grosse Point, Michigan. Plans are in place to display the custom at the 2012 Detroit Autorama.