Goodguys Names Todd Samson’s Deuce Roadster their 2026 Tanks, Inc. Hot Rod of the Year
Some classic combinations are just hard to beat. And at the inaugural BASF Legends of Hot Rodding event this past weekend, the timeless appeal of a beautifully executed and detailed Deuce highboy roadster with a supercharged Ardun-head Flathead V8 proved to be a winning combination, as Todd Samson’s stunning ’32 Ford claimed the 2026 Tanks, Inc. Hot Rod of the Year crown.
The beginnings of this winning roadster took root three years ago. That’s when builder Dave Gray of Gray’s Garage finished his personal ’32 Ford roadster just in time to make a 700-mile shakedown run to the Goodguys 2023 BASF Nashville Nationals, where the car became a Top Five finalist for Hot Rod of the Year and captured the attention of many enthusiasts. This included Todd Samson, a Chicago-area rodder who was looking for a shop to finish his traditional-style, Ardun-powered ’32 Ford roadster. “I saw Dave’s finished car and knew he was my builder,” Todd says.
Todd is a second-generation enthusiast who is no stranger to early hot rods. “I’ve owned a number of early-’30s Fords, but never a ’32,” he says. “I remember going to Goodguys shows with my dad as a kid and being obsessed with a ’32 Ford roadster with an Ardun, I decided that one day, somehow, I would have one. It took a while.
“Fast forward 30 years and the first part of the car I found was the motor,” Todd continues. “It sat in my garage for a while as I gathered other parts. I have built other Fords myself, but this one was special and needed the right pro builder. It was most important to me that I get a car that not only had ‘the look,’ but was built with craftsmanship and drivability. This was not built to be a show car.”
To that end, Dave and his team at Gray’s Garage began by assembling a sturdy traditional chassis based on a Deuce frame built by fellow Michigan-based craftsman Brooks Craft. The boxed frame was fitted with a dropped, drilled, and chrome-plated front axle located by split wishbones. A Model A rear spring and ladder bars situate the Winters quick-change rearend, while drum brakes from Wilson Welding are used all around. Divco 18-inch rear wheels were paired with matching custom-machined 16-inch fronts from Curtis Speed, with appropriate big-and-little 7.00-18 and 4.50-16 Firestone tires from Coker.
The centerpiece of the chassis and the car is that magnificent supercharged Ardun-head Ford Flathead built by early Ford V8 guru Don Ferguson. Besides those massive Ardun overhead-valve heads, the engine benefits by being force fed air and fuel by a polished SCoT supercharger topped by dual Stromberg carbs and a custom air cleaner. A Ronco magneto lights the fire, while custom headers send fumes through a custom straight-pipe exhaust system. A McLeod clutch connects the engine to a Tremec TKX five-speed transmission.
The Brookville steel body has been smoothed, gapped, and refined, while retaining all the original Ford character that hot rodders love. Four rows of louvers ventilate the hood tops, while classic Guide headlights lead the way up front. Vintage VW Bus taillights deliver a slightly different but still classic look in the rear. The body is finished in a distinctive PPG hue dubbed Muddy Green, accented with black on the frame, firewall, and beltline.
Inside, Colton Leigeb was turned loose to stitch a classic-style seat and side panels in brown Relicate leather, along with custom square-weave carpet. The trunk was upholstered to match. Vintage Stewart-Warner gauges fill the ’32 Ford dash, while a ’36 Ford steering column is topped with a banjo-style wheel from a vintage MG that features a Ford V8 medallion from the 1934 Chicago World’s Fair. Custom pedals help complete the cabin, along with a modified original Ford shifter handle.
The roadster was finished early this year and debuted at the Grand National Roadster Show, where it competed for America’s Most Beautiful Roadster and impressed a lot of rodders with its clean, traditional style. “My natural inclination is to try to overdo things,” Todd says. “It was invaluable to have Dave there providing a bit of advice and restraint and reminding me that the motor is the star and less is sometimes more.”
That restraint – along with first-rate craftsmanship, attention to detail, roadworthiness, and a willingness to drive the car hard – proved to be the right combination in Nashville. Congratulations to Todd, Dave, the Gray’s Garage team, and everyone else involved in this just-right Deuce roadster, the Goodguys 2026 Tanks, Inc. Hot Rod of the Year!
