In front, the frame horns were clipped, and their edges were rounded to match a plated straight spreader bar. Foster also fabricated a unique front decorative plate with his name on it in chromed letters, flanked by NHRA and SCCA (Sports Car Club of America) badges. Further lowering was accomplished via a plated, dropped and filled front axle—purchased via mail from Ray Brown—along with a transverse leaf spring with reversed eyes. Tall tubular shocks from a ‘48 Pontiac were attached to homemade and plated brackets, and the rear shocks were adapted from a Henry J. compact. Cadillac sombrero hubcaps were later replaced by smooth accessory items. They still look right today. Rounding off the frontal aspect, the ‘32 grille shell was filled, but not sectioned—a popular East Coast practice. Foster made his own headlight stands, chromed them and ran the wires through the brackets for a clean appearance. That’s typical of the attention to detail that is prevalent throughout this milestone roadster. The windshield was never chopped. Its stanchions and posts were plated, and new glass, without the top frame edge fitted, further enhanced the car’s streamlined look. The cowl was filled, and curiously, the radio antenna was center-mounted on the top edge, just behind the firewall. That setup was removed sometime later, though you can see it in early photos of the car. Inside, in keeping with the practice of the day, ivory and blue tuck-and-roll Naugahyde was highlighted by a big ivory Ford Crestliner steering wheel. The satin-finish dash panel was a slick Stewart-Warner eight-gauge accessory item, as sold by Bell Auto Parts and So-Cal Speed Shop for a then-pricy $89.65. Foster originally ordered his from So-Cal’s founder, Alex Xydias. These panels are highly coveted now. In 1952, Foster procured a new 331 CI Cadillac V-8 from Jerome Cadillac that predated today’s crate-motor practice, but you’d have to consider it the same thing. He also purchased a Detroit Racing dual-quad intake and topped it with a brand-new set of Carter 4-barrels, a $92.50 expenditure. A pair of handsome Stelling & Hellings air cleaners topped the dual quads. Foster fabricated his own transmission adapter from sheet steel and kept the doughty ’39 Ford box. He ground off the Cadillac’s exhaust manifolds and porcelainized them for a smooth, finished appearance. Again, a trip to the platers saw the Cadillac’s valve covers, wire looms, fuel lines and many other items receiving the chrome treatment. That practice was very popular 50 years ago; Hot Rodders were proud of their engines, and a “sanitary” engine bay was proof positive a guy knew his stuff. About this time, Foster fabricated a pair of front fenders from a Mercury station wagon tire cover. Buick wheels were reversed with Ford centers for the rear and fitted with popular 8.20x15 wide whitewall tires. The current rear tires are from Coker in Nashville, Tennessee. The fronts are 5.50x16’s on Ford steel wheels—the same vintage double whitewall motorcycle tires that Tommy installed back in the 1950s. Those hydraulic brakes, with chromed backing plates, came from a ’41 Mercury. Despite the rubber difference, this well- proportioned roadster always sat comparatively level. Foster eschewed the “California rake, down in front” attitude that was more popular on the West Coast than back East. “This was one of the earliest high-end, street- and show- cars from the Midwest that got national attention,” Hot Rod historian Pat Ganahl noted. It received local acclaim as well. At the 1953 Detroit Autorama, Foster’s baby blue deuce was judged “the Most Outstanding Car.” Fifty years later, the roadster—and Foster—were back at the Autorama where they were recognized and honored. But that’s getting ahead of the story. Foster retired from the Pontiac Division of General Motors in 1978, after 39 years of service, at which time he sold his roadster. That buyer kept the car a short time, then sold it to another man who disassembled the car, which then sat in pieces for nearly 10 years. Fortunately, Pat Sleven found Foster’s car and carefully restored and refurbished it, preserving as much as he could of Foster’s efforts. Sleven sought out Foster, who was delighted to help with the project. Miraculously, although much of the roadster was in pieces—literally stored in cardboard boxes—all that was missing was the key drive for the tachometer. After keeping the car a few years, Pat Sleven sold the roadster to Kirk F. White, who had it on display at the Hershey AACA National Fall Meet in 1995. “When I saw it there in Kirk’s display tent, I really felt as though I was seeing an old friend,” automotive journalist Ken Gross said. “The Tommy Foster ‘32 roadster had been one of my favorite magazine feature cars when I was a kid, and there it was, replete with well-worn chrome, old but carefully polished paint and the same perky ‘attitude’ I’d remembered from a clip of the car that I’d displayed on my bulletin board. The special details had all been neatly preserved. I recall the asking price was in the $50,000 range: a good deal then, and a bargain now.” Not surprisingly, White soon sold the ex-Foster ’32 roadster to Harry Levy of Pennsylvania, who kept the car a short time
