How many 32 Fords is too much?
When it comes to collecting cars, there are usually three camps. Let me explain. The first camp are those car enthusiasts that have a bunch of different vehicles - one or two daily drivers and a couple more for weekend duties (you know, the fun cars). The second camp consists of the car enthusiasts have a collection of cars that are all from the same manufacturer - like having all Chevrolet or Ford vehicles in the collection. And lastly in third, there is a special breed of enthusiast that collects multiples of the same specific model. Dale Grau, a 79-year-old retired Walgreens district manager from Minnesota has a deep passion for the 32 Ford and definitely falls into the third camp that I just mentioned.
He has built eighteen 32 Fords, still has them in their possession, and is currently in the process of building #19.
Most car enthusiasts rarely ever obtain their dream car at an early age, but not Dale. Since he was a kid, he was in love with hot rods and by the time he was 16, he bought his very first car - a 32 Ford Coupe in 1961. For someone who currently owns nineteen 32 Fords, it comes to a surprise that Dale didn’t actually get his second Deuce until the spring of 2000 right after he retired from a long and successful career. From there, he never imagined he’s build and own so many 32s, but having such a massive collection was never in the plans. After he finished his second 32, he just looked for another one to build and restore and the same process has been happening until this very day.
Beyond his double digit collection, the most impressive thing about Dale is that he drives them. While most are stored in his awesome garage/warehouse AKA “Dale’s Deuce Garage”, he actually takes the time to drive them when the weather is nice out. And he doesn’t just drive locally either - every spring/summer, Dale goes on a tour around the country and drives his most current build to different states to attend various classic car/hot rod shows and even makes an annual trip to the west coast to attend the Los Angeles Roadster Show that usually happens on Father’s Day weekend.
Dale is currently building a Sport Coupe a variation of the 32 that he’s always wanted since he first saw one in 1960 - specifically the Jackman brothers 32 Sport Coupe. Apparently there were only about 2,100 Sport Coupes that were ever built, making them quite rare. Deuce owners know all too well how hard it is to find body panels in good condition and to make things easier for Dale, he opted for our front fenders and rear quarter panels. He absolutely loved how they were so easy to install and was impressed with the fit and finish of our sheet metal. While the vehicle is still under construction, he plans on completing the Sport Coupe in time to set out his annual show road trip to the west coast. And who knows, maybe he’ll pick up No. 20 in 2025?
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