Mac Schutt's 1932 Ford

The roadster as it appeared in 1949, after Mac Shutt had completed the build.

Mac's roadster was entry number 201 at the National Roadster Show in Oakland. At the show he was voted number one for a high school built roadster. Mac's name was wrongfully listed "Malcom Schutt" in the souvenir program from the show.

Schutt's roadster was featured in Hot Rod October 1950. Photo courtesy of Hot Rod Magazine.

Around 1951 Mac sold the roadster to Bert Mouron. Bert tore the car down and rebuilt it. Bert's version was completed in 1953. These photos were used in Car Craft December 1953. Photo by Felix Zelenka.

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Photo by Felix Zelenka.

Photo by Felix Zelenka.

Photo by Felix Zelenka.

Bert and his sister Judy in the roadster. This photo was printed on the inside cover of Trend Book 110 Hot Rod 1954 Annual. Photo by Felix Zelenka.

Photo by Felix Zelenka.

Photo by Felix Zelenka.

Photo by Felix Zelenka.

Photo by Felix Zelenka.

Photo by Felix Zelenka.

Photo by Felix Zelenka.

October 26th to November 1st, 1953 Bert's modified roadster was shown at the 1953 Motorama. In the souvenir program from the show it is listed as "Dick Mouron's '32 Ford."

Bert's roadster at the 1953 Motorama.

A photo of Bert's version of the roadster from the 1956 Big Bear High Yearbook. At the time, the car was owned by Bill Ledger.

Richard Noble with the roadster in 2009.

Richard with his son Gerald next to the roadster.

Photo by Richard Noble.

Photo by Richard Noble.

During the summer of 2012 Richard blew the engine in the roadster. Photo by Richard Noble.

Riachard with a temporary engine he installed in the roadster while the old one was being rebuilt. Photo by Richard Noble.

In 2012 the 1940 Ford steering wheel that Bert had installed in the roadster was so cracked that Richard had to replace it. He then installed a steering wheel from a 1948 Ford in the car. The same kind of steering wheel that Mac Schutt installed when he first built it in 1949. Photo by Richard Noble.

After the engine blew in the roadster, Richard bought the Evans manifold that Joe Nitti ran in his 1932 Ford Roadster at El Mirage in June of 1949. The steering arm is a Tornado item from Lee's Speed Shop. That is the same steering arm that the car had back in the day. Photo by Richard Noble.

By March of 2013 Richard had rebuilt and installed the old engine that he blew up. In this photo the engine has been fit with the Evans 3x2 manifold from Joe Nitti's 1932 Ford roadster, 1950 N.O.S. spark plug wires, and 3 Stromberg 97 carburetors, just like Ray Brown installed for Bert Mouron. Richard is looking for a nice set of Evans heads for the car, so if you have a set for sale, please mail us at mail@kustomrama.com so we can set you in touch with Richard. Photo by Richard Noble.

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1932 Ford Roadster originally owned and built by Glendale Stokers member Malcolm "Mac" Schutt of Bel Air, Los Angeles, California. The build took 2 years and $4000 to complete. Mac gave the car a forward rake by channeling the body 5 inches at the front and 6 inches at the rear. The lower body panel was extended down and rolled under the frame rails before twin 1939 Ford taillights were installed. For a cleaner appearance, the door handles were removed and the grille shell was chopped and filled. The front axle was dropped, and the front crossmember was altered. The car sported a "full house" Weiand-equipped 1942 Mercury mill that was fit with special heads and twin carburetors. The engine was painted in white enamel, and the body was painted Maroon. In September of 2021, Mac's son, Cameron, told later owner Richard Noble that his grandfather was an architect that built the Bel-Air Hotel that opened in 1946. According to Cameron, his grandfather puts a load of money in the car for his father, and they upholstered the car with leather they were using in the Hotel building. According to Trend Book 102 Hot Rods, the interior was upholstered in matching natural-tone plastic leather. The seat was set back for maximum riding comfort, and the windshield was chopped. A one-piece dash construction was formed from sheet metal and fit with seven various gauges. The steering wheel was from a 1948 Ford. Mac completed the build in 1949, and a photo showing the dash of the car can be seen in Hot Rod March 1949.

The following year, Mac attended the 1950 National Roadster Show in Oakland with the car. At the show, he was voted number one for a high school-built roadster. According to the souvenir program from the show, Mac had also installed an electric lift for the deck lid. Mac also raced the car on the dry lakes, and according to Cameron, Mac talked about the car and the Lakes being the best time in his life. "Mac said the car would do 100 MPH in low."

Sold to Bert Mouron

Around 1951, Mac sold the roadster to Bert Mouron of San Marino, California. When Bert bought Mac's award winning roadster, he set out to improve the car after his own likings. He confronted his father with his intensions before he started the build. Bert's dad supported the build one hundred per cent as long as he followed the laws governing street roadsters, and as long as he could turn it in to one of the sharpest looking jobs around town. Bert's dad owned a large machining plant, so the roadster was taken to the plant to have the engine removed. The engine was delivered to Ray Brown's Speed Shop in Los Angeles for a complete rebuild. Back at the plant, Bert's roadster attracted a lot of attention from the employees, and it didn't take long time before a team of skilled guys volunteered to help build the roadster. In addition to Bert and his dad, the team did now consist of experienced machinists and metal men. After pooling ideas, it was decided to retain the original body lines, but to blend the rear fenders and other components to the body making a compact and well contoured design. The channeled body was removed and refitted, and the frame's front cross member was moved slightly to the rear for more rigidity. A solid piece of sheet metal was welded from one side of the frame to the other for more strength. In the rear, dual exhaust pipe tips were also routed through the rolled pan. Rear fenders were hand-formed from sheet-metal, and designed to blend with the rear trunk design. The fenders were frenched and molded to the body. Up front, Harley-Davidson army model fenders were installed. The motorcycle fenders were mounted on a set of chromed backing plates. Mac had already shaved the car for its door handles, so Bert went even further and reversed the door hinges. A louvered hood was fabricated from sheet metal in three separate pieces. Two small, but legal, headlights were mounted on a custom-built bracket that was attached to the front frame rails. Front suspension components such as the spring, axle, wishbone and shocks were chromed. Once the bodywork was done, the body was painted pastoral blue. The old Mercury engine that Schutt had installed was replaced by a fully built Ray Brown 1946 Mercury engine. The engine was bored 3 3/8" and stroked 4 1/4". Jahns aluminum 3 ring balanced pistons were installed along with a Harman Collins super "P" cam, a reworked Harman Collins "Zephyr" ignition, an extra light flywheel, Evans heads, Evans triple intake manifold, 3 chromed Stromberg 97 carburetors, 3 chromed Hellings air cleaners, a Stewart Warner electric fuel pump and chromed Belond exhaust headers. The complete restyling took two-years and 3 200 dollars to complete.

Motorama and Car Craft Magazine

October 26th to November 1st, 1953 Bert's modified roadster was shown at the 1953 Motorama. In the souvenir program from the show it is listed as "Dick Mouron's '32 Ford." A month later it appeared later as the "Bert Mouron Roadster" in Car Craft December 1953. When the car was featured in Car Craft magazine it sported a 1948 Ford rear end, a 1948 Ford transmission with 1942 Lincoln Zephyr gears, a chromed 1948 Ford column shift, 1948 Ford hydraulic brakes, 1952 Ford emergency brake, 50/50 chromed Gabriel tubular shocks and 1948 Ford 16 inch wheels. The car rolled on 550 x 16 tires in the rear, and 650 x 16 tires up front. Bert did also replace the 1948 Ford steering wheel with a 1940 Ford steering wheel.

Bill Ledger

A photo of Bert's version of the roadster can be found in the 1956 Big Bear High Yearbook. At the time the car was owned by Bill Ledger. According to the captions under the photo it featured a body by Barris and an interior by Gaylord. It ran a 1948 Mercury engine by Ray Brown, and it went 142.8 mph of Flying Mile. The captions did also state that the car had won a 1st place award at an Northern California Hot Rod Show and 3rd at the GM Motorama.

David Bennett

In 1957 the car was sold to David Bennett. It came without an engine, so David installed a stock flathead.

Ron Cardwell

Around 1963 the car went on to Ron Cardwell who dropped a 327 Chevy engine in it. Ron raced the roadster at the Lions Drag Strip.

Chris Davis and Richard Noble

In 1968, Chris Davis bought the car and installed a 1947 Mercury flathead in it. The engine Chris installed was pretty bad, and it didn't work out for him, so Chris' restoration-business partner Richard Noble of Springville, California installed an ENPACO 1947 Mercury motor he had lying around in the car. The engine Richard installed was built around 1955. Chris kept the car for 20 years, before succumbing to cancer in 1988. Chris then gave the car to Richard Noble. In 2012 Richard blew up the old flathead in the car. A temporary engine was then installed while Richard rebuilt the old one. By March of 2013 Richard had rebuilt and installed the old engine in the car again. The rebuilt engine featured the same Evans manifold that Joe Nitti ran in his 1932 Ford Roadster at El Mirage in June of 1949. This manifold came with the Joe Nitti Roadster when David Zivot bought it. Riachard bought the manifold from David.

Magazine Features

Hot Rod March 1949
Hot Rod Magazine October 1950
Trend Book 102 Hot Rods
Car Craft December 1953
Hot Rod Magazine January 1954
Trend Book 110 Hot Rod 1954 Annual
Trend Book 122 Custom Cars 1956 Annual