Slide 1

Wow—big whitewalls, a matte-white paint job, and a checkerboard motif on the firewall! Dave Madej’s 1932 Deuce Coupe delivers a serious vintage vibe, but he built it from the ground up using a collection of modern components. “I had to build it in my head,” says Dave. “These things don’t come with instructions, you know.”  

Slide 2

“I used to carry moonshine in the front fuel tank, but now I fill it with race gas,” explains Dave. A frame-mounted valve lets Dave feed the engine pump gas from the rear tank on the highway, and then switch to race fuel when he hits the dragstrip. “Race gas is expensive and this way I only have to buy a few gallons at a time,” adds Dave.

Slide 3

Nothing says hot rod like a trio of Rochester 2G carburetors. Dave got the carbs from a friend and topped them with chrome air cleaners he found at a swap meet.

Slide 4

“Most guys run air conditioning on a car like this. But I think Henry Ford had a better idea,” says Dave. He ditched the A/C in favor of the period-correct climate control system. “Fresh air enters the cabin through the scoop and exits out of the crank-down rear window,” explains Dave.

Slide 5

The Deuce Coupe’s small block Chevy creates quite an impression when Dave uncovers the exhaust cutouts! “I’m always finding fingerprints on the burn marks. I guess people want to know if they’re real or fake,” says Dave.

Slide 6

That’s right—the little Deuce Coupe is approved by the legendary “Big Daddy” Don Garlits and Gene Winfield.

Slide 7

“I had bias-ply cheater slicks on the back, but the car got a little sideways on a damp exit ramp and that was that,” says Dave. Now the Coupe rolls safely down the highway on a set of modern radials with a retro look.