HEMI DEARBORN DEUCE

PAUL MCLAUGHLAN’S ’32ROADSTER RULES...

Paul McLaughlan found his way to hot rodding once deciding to step away from the rally car scene after spending years involved in the sport. He was looking for a new hobby and his mate, Chris who has a few cool cars, encouraged Paul to get in on the fun. After a little searching, Paul found this Deuce roadster for sale and purchased the car upon first inspection. The roadster looked noticeably different when he first bought it, but a short time later it was involved in a minor accident, and the car was partially rebuilt.

Many of the roadster's characteristics, such as the paint, suspension, brakes, steering components, instruments and engine remain from the original build, but other aspects of this Deuce were completely changed. This car appeared on the cover of ASR 206, featuring as part of our “75th Anniversary Tribute to the Deuce” edition. Steve Russell, who piloted the Sidchrome dragster for just on sixteen years, put this rod together over a twelve-month period back in the mid-2000s after a seven-month wait for delivery of the Dearborn Deuce body. Once in Australia, the body was mounted on a Kevin Lewis chassis before Graham and Chris at Martin Smash Repairs in Bendigo glossed the all-steel Deuce up in a specially mixed black hue that was applied from top to bottom. The chassis remains almost as originally built, except for the rear horns and diff. The frame was fitted with a stainless steel hairpin front end, Superbell aluminium drop axle, stainless steel four-bar rear, a nine-inch differential that carried a 3:55:1 ratio and 31 spline axles, Rod-Tech coil-overs, a HQ steering box and Hot Cargo Buick style finned covers from Al Fountain to hide the front disc brakes.