Old is gold, but sometimes, it's hard to resist the allure of new tech. Air conditioning, driver assist features, independent suspension, torque vectoring, and heated massage seats are much better than nostalgia. But that doesn't mean we can't enjoy the best of both worlds in the form of a re-engineered classic, a.k.a a restomod.
Jay Leno featured Joe Kugel of Kugel Komponents, California, and his iconic 1932 Ford Roadster "MyWay" on his channel's 'Street Grab' series.
Kugel's Ford Roadster isn't just a cool-looking 1932 Hot Rod; it's also a Grand National Roadster Show award winner. If you know anything about the event, it's one of the longest-running indoor car shows globally (currently in its 73rd year) and features over 500 entries from all over the world.
"The thing I like about it is just the posture of this car. It sits right, it looks right, it looks like a 1932 Ford, and it looks like, maybe, it has a flat head with three Strombergs on it," Leno said about his first impression of the Kugel Komponents build.
According to Joe Kugel, his company specializes in building chassis for street, hot rods, and trucks. They also do suspension. The 1932 Ford Roadster, a.k.a 'MyWay,' was a six-year build.
This 1932 Ford Roadster didn't win the Grand National Roadster awards for having overly decent looks but for 'Outstanding Engineering.' Kugel said his company incorporated power steering, brakes, air conditioning, and heat.
For power, it's running a 427 cubic-inch Ford Clevor engine built by Michael LeFevers. According to Kugel, the Clever is a Boss 302 with a Windsor block and Edelbrock Cleveland heads. Other mods include Scat crank and rods, CP pistons, Isky camshaft, and Borla 8 stack intakes. This setup is good for 575 hp (583 ps).
Getting the Windsor intake manifold to mate with the Cleveland heads was challenging. Therefore, they had to use Price Motorsports adapter plates to connect the two.
All this power is channeled to a Ford 9-inch independent rear end (everything else is built in-house, including the housing, axles, and arms) via a McLeod 5-speed transmission.
The interior has a Vermillion red (BMW M Series design leather seats), a custom Curtis Speed steering wheel, a chrome-styled dash, and gauges reminiscent of a 356 Porsche.
Jay Leno confessed the only thing he hates about Kugel's 1932 Ford Roadster is its cut-down windshield. According to Kugel, the Roadster still needs a top. He plans on installing a soft top later.
Kugel always had the idea to build this 91-year-old Roadster. He wanted it to have a contemporary vibe (colors and dark wheels) on an old car.
"Drives very nice, very comfortable, It's no different from a Corvette convertible or something, you know," Leno admitted cruising down the road.
Are you curious how this meticulous 1932 Ford Roadster, a.k.a 'MyWay,' runs? We recommend catching the walkaround and driving action in the video below.
Humphrey is a car enthusiast whose love and passion for automobiles extended into collecting, writing, driving, and working on cars. He got his passion for cars from his Dad, who spent thousands of hours working on his old junky 1970 E20 Toyota Corolla. Years later, he would end up doing the same with a series of lemons he’s owned throughout his adult life. Full profile
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