Restoring a Rare '32 Nash

Certain types of resto projects have become so common that aftermarket companies now make specific replacement parts for them. The '32 Ford, '57 Chevy, and early Camaros and Mustangs are obvious examples. So many companies offer reproduction components for these cars that finding period-correct parts has become almost as easy as ordering a pizza.

1062 Coupe
On the other hand, certain vehicles are so rare that it doesn't make financial sense for a company to invest in the tooling to make replacement parts for them. For instance, when was the last time you saw a '32 Nash? Or could even describe one to somebody? This lack of recognition is exactly what Richard Deluchi encounters every time he heads out on the highway in his model 1062 Coupe.


Apparently, not many people are familiar with the car. Deluchi and his wife Leslie are constantly being asked, "What kind of car is that—". He's heard that just a handful of Nash coupes are still even in existence, and not much information is available on them. According to the Nash Car Club of America, and research compiled by American Motors in 1963, the original 1062 coupe sold for $777 in 1932, and came equipped with a six-cylinder engine.


The lack of information on the Nash coupe is both good and bad. While Deluchi drives an utterly distinctive ride, the hope is that he'll never need to find parts for it, having already been down that bumpy, muddy road. How he completed the car is a story of persistence and ingenuity, one we'll cover in several installments, so others can benefit from his experience for their own projects, rare or otherwise.

Walking the Planks
Deluchi's obscure street rod resto project actually started out as just a pile of components he came across just of couple doors away. The neighbor, frustrated by his lack of progress with the project, finally agreed to let Deluchi take this basket case off his hands.