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Our friend in Sacramento is one of the biggest 1932 Ford enthusiasts we’ve ever met. In his personal toy room, you’ll find 13 Deuces of various body types. The number would be a lot larger if it included every 1932 Ford he’s bought and sold over the course of his life. And it would be a little bit larger if it included the cars currently being built or rebuilt—such as the white highboy roadster he built for the 1989 Grand National Roadster Show and rebuilt for the 2016 GNRS. You can see that car—and most of the others in Gary’s collection, in other posts on streetrodder.com.
Gary Matranga’s hot rod passion isn’t limited to 1932 Fords. He’s raced on dragstrips, circle tracks, and on the Bonneville Salt Flats. That toy room we were talking about also features antique Harleys, modern Ducatis (which he still rides regularly), a 1941 Willys street/strip car, and a 1956 American LaFrance fire truck. There are also four 1939 Fords. Deuces are his favorite cars, but 1939s follow closely.
This 1939 sedan delivery has belonged to Gary longer than any other car in his collection—or any car he’s ever had. He was 19 years old when he bought it, and has owned it for more than 58 years.
Like most sedan deliveries, this one started out as a workhorse, used as a service vehicle for a hotel. What Gary liked about it was that it was something different—and that it had the potential to be something special.
This one also started out as a 1940 model. Gary restyled it with 1939 elements, such as a grille and side trim. Over the decades the car has been rebuilt three times—most recently by Tim Lohrey at Tim’s Hot Rods in Rio Linda, California. The classic body proportions were left unchanged, but the sheetmetal was massaged to better-than-new perfection before being reshot in PPG black by Lohrey—with a burgundy pinstripe starting at the hood and circling the car just below the beltline trim. The Sherm’s Custom Plating logo was added to the side panels—a personal and professional touch since Gary is the owner and president of Sherm’s. Other outer details include a V-butt windshield, modified bumpers, and frenched rear door to accommodate the license plate.
(Photos from HotRod.com)
