Alfred A. Berton's 1932 Ford

1932 Ford Cabriolet owned and restyled by Alfred A. Berton of Hamden, Connecticut. Alfred's roadster was powered by a 1948 Mercury 286 cid engine equipped with a Harman & Collins ignition, Bellond headers, a Weiand 3-carb manifold and heads that worked out to a compression ratio of 10:1. The hopped up engine was good for more than 200 horsepower. In order to get the right stance, the frame was Z'ed and fit with a 4" Dago front axle with aircraft shocks. The car was also equipped with Kinmont disc brakes, a very unusual feature at that time. The top and side panels of the hood were louvered, the windshield was chopped 4 inches and fit with a Carson Top by Glen Houser of Carson Top Shop. 20 coats of metallic bronze paint finished off the build. In 1955 Alfred's car was exhibited at the fifth annual Hartford Autorama; according to The Fifth Annual National Hartford Autorama Souvenir Pictorial the car was valued at $3,000 with its full complement of Stewart-Warner instruments.