After building for everyone else, notable builder Roger Brinkley finally makes a special for himself

I’m sure you remember the story of the cobbler’s kids who had no shoes. Well, this is kind of a variation of that story. Roger Brinkley, owner of Brinkley Manufacturing, has been building hot rods for customers for a long time. Every time he would start a hot rod for himself, someone would come along and buy it, usually before it was even finished. His specialty, and one might add, his labor of love, is Henry’s Deuce, made famous by the likes of Ricky Nelson and the Beach Boys.

“Well, yes, that is true. I really do like the ’32 Fords, but only after I have modified them,” Brinkley says. “Our version is much more fun than what came off the assembly line some 82 years ago.”

About 15 years ago, Brinkley bought the tooling and started producing the now-famous Zipper Roadster. That was followed by the Brinkley Phaeton, which was also met with great success. And over the last decade, Brinkley Manufacturing has built some of the finest Deuce roadsters around.

So when we heard that Brinkley had actually finished a new ’32 Roadster Pickup for himself, we just had to visit the shop and have a look.

“Well, I’ve been thinking about this car for years,” Brinkley says. “Like everything, it started out as a concept in my mind, then it became a drawing. From there, chalk lines on the concrete floor. Over a 3-year period, we actually built the vehicle.”

Yup, this is his personal project and the first roadster pickup ever produced in his shop.

The project started with a high-quality 106-in., 1932 Ford reproduction frame that was built in Brinkley’s shop. The frame has been boxed, with custom crossmembers, narrowed in the front and bobbed front and rear. It also has been shortened to accommodate the custom-built pickup box.

The front end features Heidts Superide independent front suspension. This comes with upper and lower stainless-steel control arms, Alden aluminum coilover shock absorbers, and rack and pinion steering. Next up on the front were Wilwood disc brakes with aluminum hubs.

The rear suspension is a 4-bar triangulated setup, with Alden coilover shocks supplied by Heidts. One of the reasons that the triangulated 4-link suspension was used is because it does not require a Panhard rod. Also, the bars are fully adjustable 1¼-in. by .156 tube with ¾-in. stainless adjusters and urethane bushings. The suspension kit also came with the angled and straight chassis brackets, tabs and hardware.

“The rear end is a Winters Grand National quick change,” Brinkley says. “I have a box full of different ratios, depending if you want to go cruising or run at the Saturday night drag races.”

The center section of the quick change rear end was ceramic coated by Finish Line Coatings. The narrowed axles are from Dutchman and the rear brakes are Wilwood discs.

Wheels and tires are by Cragar and Nitto. The car runs 195/50/R15 tires on 15 x 8-in. front wheels and 275/50/R17 tires on 17 x 10-in. wheels in the back.

The body design is well-thought-out, and the transition from roadster body to pickup bed is smooth and looks great. Building this rod actually involved cutting off the tail section of a 1932 roadster and grafting on the tail section of a Phaeton, minus the top of course. It incorporates the curved windshield, no-cowl design that has become Brinkley’s trademark. This trick no-cowl design and custom hood replaces the stock cowl and windshield frame to produce a smooth transition between the body and the glass.

Needless to say, the body has been modified extensively. In fact, the grille itself is the only original ’32 Ford part on the car. The grille shell has been sectioned and thinned out. The headlights are from SoCal and were made for a ’32 Ford Highboy. The hood has been stretched and the raising point features a 2-point alligator hinge. This was required so the hood would fit around the custom windshield.

The engine side panels have been stretched back to the doors. The original cowl has been removed to make room for the new custom curved windshield that goes partway down the front of the firewall for additional support and strength. The doors are 10 in. longer than stock, which brings them forward to the hood, eliminating the original vertical line, making it easier to get in and out of the vehicle. With the vertical line gone, the entire body has a sleek look to it, making the whole package appear longer than it actually is.

The liftoff top is all hand-formed and blends well with the overall design of the roadster pickup. It even has flames painted on the underside of the top as well as the hood. The cover for the bed is fiberglass covered with bedliner. The custom 20-gal. fuel tank is located in the bed. The chrome brake lights are 1939 Chevrolet, frenched into the sides of the bed. Underneath the bed are two rows of LED lights.

The interior compartment is several inches longer than stock to accommodate the longer doors. This results in plenty of interior room for a comfortable ride. The luxurious interior is black tuck and roll, highlighted by a banjo steering wheel handcrafted by Roger Adams of The Wheel Shop. The interior door panels are molded into the doors, so they don’t require any upholstery.

Another detail worth mentioning is the sculpted and lowered seating platform. The whole thing is laid-back so you can drive down the freeway at speed and not lose your cap. (And it looks cool!) Also, this uniquely designed seat offers full back support for a comfortable ride.

It’s hard to believe this body started out as a 1932 roadster, and over a period of three years, it was modified into a one-of-a-kind hot-rod pickup with a removable hardtop. The bed was hand-formed and designed to follow the lines of the body.

The design and quality of the workmanship are readily visible when you look at the basic parts. The fiberglass is excellent. The bodies are steel-reinforced, starting with the full cowl hoop and extending through the doors and completely around the rear of the cockpit. Even before being bolted to the custom frame, this is a solid unit. Safety has always been an issue with Brinkley, so the doors have bear claw latches, and the lap and shoulder belt anchors are welded into the frame.

“Originally, this car was designed to have a full set of fenders, and they were installed,” Brinkley says.

“The way I designed this,” he says, “it’s possible to go from a sleek full-fendered roadster pickup to a simple fender-less lakes modified. But after looking at it, I decided to go without the fenders, which is why the car does not have oversized rear tires.”

The paint, scallops and pinstriping were all done in-house. The paint is PPG Creamsicle candy orange with metallic diamond dust.

The engine is a warmed over 383-cu.-in. small-block Chevrolet with roller rockers, Competition Specialties roller cam and a 4-bbl. Edelbrock Performer intake that has been chromed. The carburetor is an Edelbrock 650 cfm. Engine brackets are by Billet Specialties. The water pump is chromed with polished aluminum pulleys. The transmission is a GM turbo 350 automatic.

The radiator is custom-made aluminum and features a chromed overflow tube. Brinkley also fitted an electric fan for additional cooling.

The exhaust headers are Sanderson headers, with Flowmaster mufflers and a crossover pipe and turned down exhaust tips, as was common in the 1960s. The entire exhaust system has been coated with Cermachrome. This is a thermal barrier coating that is applied to keep the pipes cooler, provide better flow, and prevent rust and corrosion.

This Roadster Pickup has not been taken on the show circuit yet, so it has yet to win awards. But there’s little doubt that this work of art will receive the recognition it deserves. Clearly Brinkley has put a lot of thought, time and years of experience into developing this cool variation on the classic Deuce theme, and it shows. If early interest is any indicator, this Roadster Pickup is destined to join the legendary ranks of the Zipper Roadster and the Brinkley Phaeton.

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