The 67th Annual Meguiar’s Detroit Autorama Presented by O’Reilly Auto Parts was, as always, a fantastic site for the Painless Performance/STREET RODDER Top 100 award program. The quality of cars at this event is as excellent as any show on earth, thanks to the high standards of the show’s most prestigious prize: the Ridler Award.
As the show judges examined the cars in Cobo Center, clipboards in one hand, flashlights in the other, searching for the details that would distinguish one vehicle as this year’s Ridler, we hiked the main floor and basement armed only with our cameras, our impeccable subjective taste, and a pocket full of window stickers to present to ten Top 100 winners. Here they are. Do you agree with our picks?
1931 Ford Model A Coupe
David Weinberg
Royal Oak, MI
Brothers Custom Automotive always brings something great to the Autorama Extreme portion of the event. Bill Jagenow and Autumn Riggle of Brothers said that David wanted “something bad ass.” The result is a chopped and channeled Model A coupe powered by an 8BA Flathead with Harrell heads, Navarro manifold, dual 97 carbs, and Lucky Speed Equipment air cleaners, ignited via a Roto Faze distributor. More details include E&J headlights, vintage brake backing plates, a late ’31 firewall, roll-down rear window, and green stained top wood matching the interior knobs. A ’39 Ford 3-speed toploader, torque tube, and Halibrand quick-change rear continue the traditional drivetrain. A ’36 Ford dash, leather bench, and boat steering wheel add to the interior.
1956 Pontiac Star Chief
Frank Howard
Venetia, PA
The Pontiac was a perfectly restored original car when Frank bought it, red and white and rust-free. Frank had a custom in mind and considered a taildragger, a sled, and some other variations. Working with Tim Kilkeary at Customs By Kilkeary in Eighty Four, Pennsylvania, the owner and builder came up with a version that features many upgrades, but retains much of the original character. Mild body mods include custom headlamps, tucked bumpers, and a slight 7/8-inch chop. Evod wheels add modern flavor. The Roadster Shop equipped the car with a Fast Track chassis. Power comes from a Don Hardy-built LS engine with a Whipple supercharger, all painted with a satin finish to match the convertible top. Inside is a full-leather custom interior.
1936 Ford Roadster
George Poteet
Collierville, TN
Winning the America’s Most Beautiful Roadster award in January made George Poteet’s ’36 roadster, built by Pinkees Rod Shop in Windsor, Colorado, ineligible for Ridler consideration, but not for a Top 100 pick. Eric Perratt and the Pinkees team modified the body from front to back, stretching the wheelbase, chopping the top, and fabricating a new hood, doors, and decklid (for starters). The one-off dash houses custom designed gauges with Classic Instruments workings. Eight-stack EFI feeds the 351 Windsor engine, dressed up with machined air boxes and valve covers. A TKO five-speed and Winters quick-change move power to the rear wheels, created by Mike Curtis. Look for Poteet’s amazing roadster on the cover of STREET RODDER later this year.
1963 Buick Riviera
Ray Rezner
Estero, FL
After finding the bone stock 98 percent rust-free raw material for the top-shelf custom Riviera project he wanted, Ray contacted Justin Nichols at Nichols Paint & Fab in Watseka, Illinois (featured on the television show “Wrench’d”). Justin got busy transforming the Buick from stocker to show stopper. The 1 1/2 –inch chop, front air dam and rear spoiler, and 20- and 22-inch Boze wheels add an aggressive appearance. The rear window was re-angled for a fastback look. The redone interior features a ’58 Thunderbird dash and seats. Leather extends into the engine compartment, covering the Borla air horns, radiator hose, and hood. The LS3 engine is paired with a pushbutton-shifted 4L70 transmission.
1933 Ford Speedster
Tim Irwin
Coopersville, MI
Mike Boerema of Gas Axe Garage impressed us with Tim Irwin’s “Lamont Special” speedster, an authentic ’30s style hot rod. The handbuilt body was extensively punched with louvers and fitted with an early Dodge truck grille. Nick Hardie added the lettering. The suspension is all 1933 Ford on a Model A frame. Vintage-style Firestone tires from Coker are mounted on 21-inch Model A wire wheels, stopped with mechanical brakes. The 1933 21-stud Flathead with a single Holley 94 is backed by a ’33 Ford 3-speed. A pleated leather-covered bench, F-1 steering wheel, and Stewart-Warner gauges fill the cockpit. The speedster was built as “something quick and fun to rip around in.” Tim participates in hill climbs and reliability run and is planning to attend The Race Of Gentlemen.
1956 Ford Fairlane Victoria
Tony Confalone
Massillon, OH
Tony has owned the Victoria since 1966, and Willard Adkins restored it more than 30 years ago. For the recent rebuild, Tony took it to Willard’s son, Wes Adkins at Wild Wes Paintworks & Hot Rod Factory. This time, the build included a custom frame with a rear 4-link and Ford 9-inch plus Detroit Speed X-Gen 535 frontend. Fat Mickey Tompson tires wrap around 18-inch Schott wheels. Dual TorqStorm superchargers with Holley Sniper EFI are added to the Ford Y-block, with custom valve covers and a fabricated oil bath style air cleaner to provide some old-school style. The interior is filled with custom Thunderbird-style seats, upholstered by Jeff Elwood. The ’56 Ford made an appearance at the 2018 SEMA Show prior to its trip to Detroit.
1932 Ford Phaeton
Roy & Donna Richardson
New Castle, DE
Brookville produced 32 two-door phaeton bodies, designed by Chip Foose. Gary Corkell of One Off Rod & Custom built number 3. After receiving a top chop, re-arched rear fenders, custom running boards, ’37 Cadillac headlights, and other exterior mods, the Hot Fudge and Easy Green body was dropped onto a Johnson’s Hot Rod Shop radius rod suspension with Posies leaf springs and RideTech shocks. Piecrust Coker tires wrap Wheelsmith spoke wheels. Paul Atkins upholstered the interior. Gary added a burl maple dash and floor mats. A knockout DeSoto Hemi is capped with six deuces with copper plated air horns. Roy and Donna are the new owners of the car, which debuted at the Grand National Roadster Show as a contender for America’s Most Beautiful Roadster.
1940 Willys Coupe
Buck Creek Ranch
Condon, MT
American Gasser Hot Rod Shop came to Detroit with two of it’s handcrafted steel-reinforced fiberglass Willys and one 1947 Thames. Blue Creek Ranch commissioned this LS3-powered Willys. The stunning black rod rides on a Heidts frontend with a triangulated 4-link locating the 9-inch rear, rolling on Schott wheels. Pro Auto Interior upholstered the custom leather interior, equipped with Recaro seats, a Nardi steering wheel on an ididit column, Vintage Air A/C, Classic Instruments gauges, and a Pioneer stereo. The engine is as well-dressed as the rest of the car, and is tied to a Tremec T56 transmission.Looking both elegant and ominous, the BCR Willys was built as a timeless classic that will be a driver as well as a family heirloom.
1927 Hupmobile
Bob Mermuys
Fenton, MI
Bob is a former vintage drag racer who wanted something different. A friend sold him the stock Hubmobile for a dollar and Pat Weiss in Holly, Michigan, built it as a street rod. The body is channeled over scratchbuilt one-inch tube framerails, and extends downward in back for the exhaust outlets and license plate cove. Roof wood was beautifully redone. The suicide frontend includes a ’34 Ford dropped axle and split wishbones. A 4-link rear locates a Ford 9-inch. E-T Wheels drag-style 15-inch wheels (Gassers in front and Five-Widows in the rear) continue the ’60s hot rod look. The race theme carries into the full custom interior from with custom seats. A Chrysler 354 Hemi is fed with a six-pack carb set-up. The Hupmobile was painted at Austin’s Body Shop in Holly.
1938 Lincoln Zephyr
Dave Jolly
Norval, ON, Canada
The Zephyr started life as a coupe. Making it a convertible is one of many modifications Dave made to the original steel body. Other mods include extended fenders, vertical grille bars, ’39 Zephyr headlights, ’37 running boards, chopped windshield, and a driver’s side suicide door. The paint colors are HOK black and Cypress Pearl. A custom tube frame stretches the wheelbase two inches; the IFS and 4-bar rear utilize ShockWave suspension parts. The Lincoln 460 engine runs Super Cobra Jet heads. The Demon carb is topped with a ’38 Zephyr hubcap air cleaner cover. The 16-inch custom wheels with ’37 hubcaps are wrapped in wide white Diamond Backs. Interior attractions include ’89 T-Bird seats covered in Scottish leather and a custom extended Zephyr console.
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