Photos by Ray Wert / Jalopnik.com
Not included as part of Ford's SEMA preview was this amazing 1932 Ford Roadster pickup by Raybestos that showed up in the Blue Oval's huge display at the Las Vegas Convention Center. It's billed as the "ultimate parts hauler and shop truck" and it celebrates Raybestos’ brake and chassis product lines covering vehicles from the 1920s to 2010.
Inspiration for the RPU came from the Indy racecars of the 1950s and 1960s that ran with Raybestos brake pads at the Indianapolis 500. The low-slung hot rod is designed as if it were the Raybestos factory parts truck and show car in 1963, delivering brakes for the Indy racers up and down Gasoline Alley. Design cues are from the sprint cars of that era. But the RPU's crowning feature is the all-new Ford 5.0-liter "Coyote" V-8 engine that's been disguised by Troy Ladd and his crew at Hollywood Hot Rods to resemble Ford's iconic 1963 427-cubic-inch overhead cam V-8.
Vintage accessories added to the 5.0 include a custom stack fuel-injection setup from Hilborn, FAST engine management system, 427 single-overhead-cam-style valve covers with "Coyote" embossed on them and Lakes-style headers handmade by HHR, a Tremec five-speed manual gearbox and C&R Racing custom-built aluminum radiator.
The steel body and custom-made box is by Brookville Roadster. It features a smooth cowl top, handmade one-piece hood top with stainless-steel mesh intake vents. PPG supplied the paint. The Halibrand-style aluminum wheels were inspired by the lightweight magnesium racing wheels of the late 1950s and are shod with Firestone Indy-roadster-period-correct tires from Coker.
The traditional-style tuck-and-roll interior is by Elegance Auto Interiors, and it features a chrome steering column by HHR, four-spoke sprint-car-style steering wheel by Limeworks and a one-of-a-kind gauge cluster by AutoMeter.
The best part of all? The 1932 Ford RPU will be given away to a professional mechanic or DIY Raybestos customer as part of an upcoming sales promotion. The build-up will be chronicled in national television, magazines, and exclusive website content.
