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itsworn · 8 years ago

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Car Craft’s Top 40 Hits at Detroit Autorama 2017

Without fail, the middle of winter in the frigid Midwest creates a hunger in car crafters that cannot be satisfied by reruns of Overhaulin’. The Detroit Autorama at the expansive Cobo Hall is a welcome feast for the Midwest’s winter car show famine. For 2017, a strong smorgasbord of modern muscle, street machines, race cars, customs, and hot rods came together to feed the hungry.

Basking in a sea of subjectivity, attendees formulated their favorites and their also-rans. From this author’s perspective, the Autorama was highlighted by the “UFO” 1965 Plymouth Belvedere A990 A/FX owned by Clark and Collene Rand. The “real deal” A990 altered wheelbase car was restored by Adam Engelhart’s AAA Restorations in Rushford, Minnesota. This 1965 Plymouth A990 Super Stock Hemi is 1 of 102 built in 1965. The car retains original body panels and original wheels and tires from its racing career.

Documented by the Chrysler IBM card, the UFO is only one of two cars built for Chrysler Engineering delivered to an individual in 1965. That individual was Chrysler Race Group engineer Tom Tignanelli of Roseville, Michigan, then co-owner of Shadowoods Auto Center in Roseville, Michigan. With help from family and friends, the UFO was created. Tom piloted the Mopar as the UFO enjoyed a successful drag racing career, achieving the titles of 1966-1967 National Champion and 1967 World Champion. The car remained in storage in Canada from 1970 until 2014, ended up in Clark Rand’s hands, who then had AAA Restorations restore it. It is pheneomenal.

Similar stories swarmed among the crowds at the Detroit Autorama 2017. It was a great time to drink in the traditions and trends of hot rodding. The quality of new cars being built continues to rise, while the restorations of historically significant vehicles maintain the rich heritage of automotive legends.

Highlighting this premiere event is the assembling of the “Great 8”- the 8 finalists in competition for the prestigious presentation of the Ridler Award. The elite car builders around the world vie for this coveted accolade, which last year was given to Billy Thomas and his 1939 Oldsmobile Convertible “Olds Cool”, built by Andice Hot Rods and Customs in Andice, Texas.

This year Ridler was awarded to the “Renaissance Roadster”, owned by Nancy and Buddy Jordan. The car was designed by Chris Ito and Steve Frisbie, and hand-built by Steve’s Auto Restorations. Craftsmanship on the car was over the top. The show certainly offered other eye candy as well. Check out Car Craft’s Top 40 Detroit Autorama hits of 2017, a mix of pro builds, street machines, race cars, a few hot rods, and a van thrown in for good measure.

The 1965 Plymouth A990 A/FX “UFO” was acquired and built by Tom Tignanelli, along with significant help from the Tignanelli brothers and their father Robert Tignanelli Jr. The brand new Hemi car was immediately converted from Super Stock status to run in the Experimental Stock, “X/S” class, commonly referred to as the “Funny Car” category. The rear axle was moved forward 18″, and the front suspension was ditched in favor of a Logghe straight front axle moved 12″ forward of the stock location. Plexiglass, fiberglass fenders and hood, aluminum floor and dashboard, and grille-mounted fuel tank completed the transformation. Displayed next to the car is the original nosecone used at some events during its career.

Owner George Messner handled all fabrication, mechanical, interior, and paint work on his 1972 Pro Street 1970 Camaro. Dubbed “Lazarus”, presumably risen from the dead, the Camaro is powered by a 404 cubic inch engine with Scat rods, Brodix heads, a Comp cam, and Edelbrock intake and carburetors. SlamAir front and rear air suspension and custom four-link rear setup, contribute to Lazarus’ killer stance. Though the 14-point roll cage sacrifices some interior room, the Vintage Air and an IDIDIT tilt column provide a measure of comfort for sustained Pro Street cruising.

Easily one of the finest Fords on main floor of Cobo Hall was the “’61 Bossliner” owned by Danny and Diane Shaffer from Bakersfield, California. American Speed Company in Plymouth, Michigan performed the build. The 1961 Starliner is powered by a Jon Kasse Racing “Boss 429″ 598 cubic inch engine producing 815 horsepower. A Roadster Shop chassis hosts a Corvette ZO6 front suspension and a Strange Ford 9” rear with 3.90 gears suspended by a four-link suspension. A Tremec TKO 600 five-speed transmission raises the fun quotient on this spectacular car.

Shannon Poole from Street Outlaws New Orleans brought his newly-completed 1965 Corvette to Detroit Autorama. The car was owned by his father for the past twenty years, but now newly updated by Shannon. Shannon built the 632 cubic inch engine using a Brodix block with cylinder heads by RFD. Power production from the 632 is expected to be about 1350 horsepower on the motor, with about 1,000 more on nitrous.

Bold yellow paint with blue graphics highlight Tony Valenti’s 1969 Camaro RS. The Pro Street build comes complete with yellow interior and full roll cage. Holeshot Holestar wheels with beadlock rears mount Hoosier tires to create proper Pro Street audacity at its finest.

Feast your eyes on Casey Hornik’s 1970 ‘Cuda “Killer Instinct”. ZRODZ and Customs performed the fabrication work and modifications on the Killer Instinct. Colors include Viper White, Graphite Gray, and Hemi Orange. Power comes from a 572 Hemi built by Moran Racing Engines that registered 850 horsepower and 780 lb-ft of torque on the dyno. Bowler Transmission built the 4L80E automatic. An Art Morrison “Max G” chassis with Multilink Independent Rear Suspension and Wilwood Brakes with 14″ rotors makes for rock solid handling. Nutek wheels, 19×10 fronts and 20×12 rears, round out an awesome build by the crew at ZRODZ.

The “Gone Mad 55″ Chevrolet Nomad is up to the minute with its Krazy Kiwi and Truffle Butter Gold BASF Glasurit Paint. The car sits on a Roadster Shop Revo Chassis with four-link rear suspension and adjustable coilovers. Power comes from an all-aluminum Shafiroff Racing 509 cubic inch W-Series motor that pumps out 625 horsepower. A Bowler 4L80E transmission and Ford 9” rear round out the powertrain. Billet Specialties SLG 15 wheels in Truffle Butter Gold hue, 18×8 fronts and 20×12 rears, set this ’55 apart at any Tri-Five convention.

Andy Leach and his team at CAL Automotive Creations in Omaha, Nebraska created “After Thought”, a 1930 Model A coupe owned by Ted and Colleen Hubbard. Inspired by a finned exhaust manifold, Andy brilliantly carried the finned theme throughout the car for a strong, traditional, and artsy theme. The judges gave the coupe a “Great 8” Ridler Award Finalist. It is stunning.

The 2017 Ridler Award was won by Nancy and Buddy Jordan’s “Renaissance Roadster”. Steve’s Auto Restorations (SAR) built the car from scratch. The car is a craftsmanship wonderland. The body and panels were handcrafted from 0.064-inch 3003 aluminum. The frame was also handbuilt from 3/16″ steel plate and 1 ½-inch diameter chromoly tubing. The front suspension includes an SAR independent split tube axle, remote shocks with custom machined ends, CNC-machined aluminum bobby pins, and rack and pinion steering. The rear suspension consists of SAR-built A-arms, uprights and halfshafts, and remote shocks. Powertrain is made up of a smoothed and customized Anniversary Edition Chevrolet Performance 427 cubic inch engine and 4L60 transmission. Congrats to the Jordans and Steve’s Auto Restorations!

“Paint by Chevrolet and Mother Nature” properly introduces one to Gordon Rojewski’s original-paint 1967 Camaro that spent its life in the dry California and Texas climate. Originally equipped with a 250 six cylinder and a Powerglide transmission, Gordon’s car is now running a Thomson Automotive 442 cubic inch LS7 with a D&D-built Tremec T56 six-speed manual transmission. Detroit Speed front and rear suspension with mini-tubs and subframe connectors properly addresses chassis needs. Stopping power comes from Brembo GT brakes, 6 piston 365 mm fronts and 4 piston 345 mm rears. Wheels are Formula 43 RAD 10 18×10 fronts and 19×12 rears with Michelin Pilot Sport rubber. Gordon’s Camaro is a smart and bold blend of preservation and innovation.

Bob Adel’s 3M Raspberry Blue wrapped 1993 Mustang is “Fueled by CPRacing”. The 25.2 chassis was built by Zartech Race Cars. Bad Habitz Fabrication did the carbon fiber work, tubs, and interior fabrication. A Holbrook Racing Engines 540 Chevy employs twin 94mm Garrett turbos, Jared Thompsen billet manifold, and Dart heads. SSP built the turbo kit, front clip, doors, and dashboard. Lots of horsepower is sent through a Powerglide transmission to the fabricated Ford 9-inch with Strange Engineering 40-spline axles and Ultra center, with 4.11 gears. Bob will be spending a lot of time at Milan Dragway in 2017 shooting for 4.0’s in the eighth mile. It’s already fast, with a best run so far of 4.30 at 181 mph.

The original “Border Bandit” 1971 Mercury Comet was on display at Autorama by present owner Ivan Landry. The Comet was campaigned by Sandy Elliot in NHRA Pro Stock racing and featured one of the memorable race car paint schemes of all time. A 429 Cobra Jet engine is connected to a Toploader four-speed transmission and a Dana 60 rear with 5.38:1 gears.

GM’s G Body platform, makes for a great street machine, as evidenced by Will Johnson’s 1980 Malibu. A stout and clean small block, two tone paint, and Billet Specialties wheels blend together for performance and strong visual appeal. A custom interior with custom console and B&M shifter make for comfortable cruising.

All of us who lived through the Pro Street Vega craze of the ‘80s will always be drawn to a slick contemporary example like Kevin Bibwell’s 1976 Vega drag car. Cates Custom Painting brought the body to perfection. BobO’s Motorsports is painted proudly on the wing. Weld V Series wheels with beadlocks round out the package of this stellar Vega.

Dennis Mariani’s 1929 Model A Sedan, built by Rad Rides by Troy, was on display in bare metal to stop spectators dead in their tracks, highlighting the phenomenal work by Troy Trepanier, Adam Banks, and the Rad Rides crew. Check out the custom visor, hand built and shaped grille shell, chopped top, formed metal insert, and removable rear tail panel. These are only a fraction of the custom work performed on this car. Bob Panella Motorsports built the 377 cubic inch Chevy engine that is fed by an Offenhauser intake manifold mounting three Auto Trend EFI throttle bodies.

Nicholas Perry called on Brian Moat and All Speed Customs (ASC) to build the wildest 1971 Cuda on the planet. They succeeded. The stated theme for “Medusa” called for a blending of contemporary Viper styling with the “Cuda’s iconic looks. A race-spec Viper V10 engine with Kinsler injection and a six-speed automatic transmission powers Medusa. The Roadster Shop custom chassis incoepoeates Corvette C6 front suspension elements with their four-link rear suspension. A Strange Engineering 9-inch rear spins the Forgeline Custom color-accented wheels, 20×10 front and 20×12 rears. Body modifications include extended rear quarter panels, a custom front air dam and rear valence, Aston Martin door handles, and flush-mounted glass. The Viper-style custom hood includes custom vents and center air induction. The bold, modern interior is decorated with Recaro seats, a hand-crafted console with center mounted iPad, and custom gauges.

The Bourikas Bros. 1955 Belair was looking strong in its Brandywine paint and bad boy stance. The foundation for this build is a Pro Mod Chrome Moly Chassis built by Tube Chassis Designz in Hanson, Massachusetts. Power comes from a Kinsler Fuel Injected 540 big block Chevy built by Camco Racing Engines in Weymouth, MA. Interior was stitched up by Fred Carello, while the paint and body work was performed by George Bourikas at Perfection Auto in Quincy, MA. Peter Bourikas at Hot Rod Services in Hull, MA handled assembly and shakedown duties resulting in a dramatic impact in Detroit.

The NHRA-legal FS/D COPO Camaro owned by Rich Rinke was on display. NHRA’s Stock Eliminator ranks have undergone a major upgrade with the advent of the Factory Stock race cars like this COPO. Rich won class with this car at the 2016 “Big GO” U.S. Nationals at Indy. Right now, the COPO cars are the class of field in Factory Stock, and can be had from Chevrolet Performance for just a tick over six figures.

MPR Race Cars is the headquarters for chassis guru Mike Pustelny. As a matter of note, MPR Race Cars designed the rear suspension of the COPO Camaros for Chevrolet Performance, and Mike was on hand with his FS/E 2014 Mustang Cobra Jet dressed in silver and blue.

ABC Performance had this 1970 Chevrolet Chevelle owned by Tony Grzelakowski on display. ABC Performance offers high-end chassis parts for the muscle car owner serious about building an all-around performance machine, including tubular control arms, tall spindles, coilover conversions and splined sway bars. Tony’s car is motivated by a 380 cubic inch Chevrolet built with a Dart SHP PRO block, 12.0:1 compression, Callies Crank, Edelbrock Victor Jr heads, Dart intake, and a Holley 4150 carburetor. American Racing headers routes the exhaust through an ABC Performance three-inch exhaust system. The Chevelle is dressed in 3M Garnet Matte Metallic body wrap. Tires and wheels are satin black Forgeline 18″ hoops with monster BF Goodrich G-Force Rival 315/30 tires front and rear.

An early 1940/1941 Willys is indisputably the perfect gasser. Bill Kellog’s 1940 Willys looks like it just rolled out of a barn after a long hibernation. It is powered by a blown 392 Hemi with an Isky Roller Cam, which is mated to a TH400 transmission. Power is sent back to the spool-equipped Ford 9-inch rear with 4.56 gears. The requisite straight front axle gets the nose up just right, while the rear suspension is track-ready with Ladder Bars and drag shocks.

“The All American” ’57 Chevy gasser was built at Woody’s Hot Rodz in Bright, Indiana. It is the giveaway car for the 2017 Danchuk Tri-Five Nationals in Bowling Green, Kentucky on August 11-12, 2017. The gasser features a No Limit Engineering chassis, Speedway straight axle, fiberglass front clip, Viking double-adjustable front shocks and rear coilovers, and 48-inch ladder bar and Panhard bar rear suspension. The engine is a Chevrolet Performance 502 big block, with Hilborn Injection and fenderwell headers. A GearStar Level IV 4L80E transmission allows for reliability on street and strip, spinning power to the John’s Industries Ford 9-inch rear with 4.56 gears. Coker skinny bias ply tires and rear cheater slicks are mounted on Keystone Klassics. Win it!

The lower level “Extreme” show at the Detroit Autorama transfers attendees to an exciting world of traditional hot rods, rat rods, gassers, and freaks. Jarvis High Performance had their 1969 Chevy shorty van featuring a 90-inch wheelbase and straight axle for a wild, gasser stance. Zoomies out the side, Rocket Wheels fronts on M/T front runners, and rear aluminum slots with Hoosier tires set off the satin black paint. The monster behind the wheel and creepy red headlights complete this tribute to Rat Fink.

“The Instigator” 1962 Mercury Comet gasser was built by Glenn Botting and won the 2015 “Best Gasser” Award at the Detroit Autorama Extreme show. The new owner had the car on hand, and it was looking fresh and bold as ever. The engine is a 355 cubic inch Chevy with a cross ram intake with dual Holley 600 cfm carburetors. Bold vintage scoops and white fenderwell headers are period perfect. The tilt front end, Moon tank, wide whites, and awesome lace paint with variegated gold leaf lettering set this car apart in a sea of wild vehicles at the Extreme show.

Probably my all-time favorite gasser, Jim Oddy’s AA/GS 1948 Austin with blown Hemi power was the highlight of the Extreme show. This is the “REAL DEAL” car that was raced in the 60’s by Jim Oddy. An impeccable restoration had the car looking great, with its Cragars, chopped top, blower, blue paint with perfect lettering. Jim Oddy and present owner John Cassiol were on hand to visit with attendees. The car was awarded “Best Overall Comp Car” at the show.

Ralph and Linda Miller from Columbus, Ohio are the proud owners of this newly-completed 1930 Model A Ford Tudor. The car was built at Hilton Hot Rods. Power comes from a blown 392 Hemi built at Ross Racing Engines. The interior was created by Mike Lippincott. The period perfect panel paint job was applied at Bucky’s Ltd. Auto Body by Travis “Tuki” Hess. Smoothies and skinny bias ply tires make for a period perfect ‘60s-era hot rod.

The later second generation Camaros can make great street machines, as evidenced by Tom Joysey’s 1977 Pro Street Z28. The car is powered by a Bill Joysey Racing Engines big block Chevy with a Demon carburetor, MSD ignition, and a big nitrous kit. Big meats with classic Weld Draglites make that Camaro look proper. Pro Street is alive and well.

Picked as a Great 8 finalist for the Ridler award, this true widebody 1967 Corvette received an extra 6 3/8 inches down the center, was channeled, had the rear windshield opening moved, a curved firewall, dropped floor, restyled grille, and custom bumpers. A 636 horsepower LS9 supercharged 6.2-liter engine hides under the custom Stinger hood, while a Tremec T56 is the only acceptable choice for this canyon carver. OEM style sidepipes and EVOD wheels designed to mimic the original Corvette knockoff wheels serve as a tip of the hat to the car’s rich heritage.

Del Rau owns this 1970 1/2 Camaro RS. Premium parts include Detroit Speed’s front subframe, QUADRALink rear suspension, and coilovers at all corners. The engine is a 497 cubic inch big block running on E85 backed by a TH400 transmission. Restoration duties were handled by Showtime, with paint performed by Lakeside Collision and interior from JuJu Sewing. Wilwood brakes provides halting, while American Racing wheels put the power and the g-forces to the ground.

My Mopar tracking senses dragged me over to David Smith’s 1964 Dodge 440 hardtop. Dave tells us that this car is a restoration of the car he drove to Norton High School in 1966 and raced at Dragway 42. The big B-body is powered by a 572 Hemi with a crossram intake and Holley carburetors. A Tremec T56 transmission sends power to a Dana 60 rear with 35 spline axles, Sure Grip, and 4.10 gears held up by a four-link suspension.

The Roger Lindamood “Color Me Gone” 1977 Monza funny car was there as a rolling work of art and chronicle of drag racing days of yesteryear. The car is owned by Jim and Julie Matusak from Caro, Michigan. The car debuted at the 1977 Winternationals, and was runner-up at the 1977 Gatornationals. The best e.t. for the car was a 6.20, with a best recorded top speed of 240 mph. Why can’t today’s funny cars look this cool?

On the subject of great looking funny cars, check out the Poncho Rendon sponsored “Detroit Tiger” 1977 Monza funny car that was driven by Tom Prock. The car debuted at the 1977 Detroit Autorama and won its class. It won its first drag race at the season opening event at Napierville Dragway in Quebec, set a low e.t. of 6.26 at the Detroit Funny Car meet in September 1977, and won “Best Appearing Car” at the 1977 World Finals. Today, the Detroit Tiger is owned by Tom and Stephen Timoszyk from Belleville, Michigan.

Christopher Rose owns this 1962 Plymouth Belvedere with a 413 Max Wedge ] and what looked to be original paint with serious case of checking. All things being equal, this is the car I would have driven home from the show. Virgil Exner got it right.

In 1974, Pontiac snuck the GTO name over to their Nova clone, the Ventura, and created a downsized GTO. This particular example received the full Pro Street treatment, but stayed with Pontiac power via a 428 HO engine that churns out 500 horsepower. A TH400 trans is equipped with a manual valve body with a 3,500 stall converter. The 4.10 rear makes for a nice dual-duty street/strip car.

Less is more with this 1962 Corvette owned by Jim Dillon of Highland, Michigan. A common sight at nostalgia events, this black Corvette sports perfect stance with period-correct vintage Cragar SS wheels. Jim rows his own with small block power and four-speed stick with Hurst shifter. The center-mounted fire extinguisher adds an extra measure of safety during occasional quarter mile runs.

The “Extreme” collection of hot rods included this great primer red Pro Street Dart. The front suspension includes tubular control arms, disc brakes, coilovers, and rack and pinion steering. Tasteful pinstriping and wide steelies painted white looked perfect on a car that looked to have some serious race heritage. Power is all Mopar with a 340 small block with Holley carburetor, MSD, and rat skeleton under the hood. Way kool.

It remains a mystery that so few 1964 Buick Rivieras are seen as proper street machine fodder. Ken Becker Jr. from Mokena, Illinois owns this Riviera he calls “Deception”. Ken Sr. helped install the 425 cubic inch Buick Nailhead with TH400 transmission. Body modifications include shaved door handles, frenched Cadillac tail lights, a billet grill, and smoothed firewall. The five spoke wheels are American Racing VN805 18’s mounting Nitto tires. The car is lowered 4 inches all around, and looks sharp with its two-tone House of Kolor paint.

New rule: Every car show from this time forward must have a psychedelic Henry J gasser in attendance. Daniel Nelson had this spectacular, incredibly detailed “Henry Jaded” on display. The car was built by Dave Shuten of Galpin Auto Sports. A 599 cubic inch big block Chevy is installed in the full tube chassis for quarter mile recreation, while the trailer hitch makes Henry Jaded ready for Drag Week. Wilwood brakes are installed for braking power. The paint design is awesome, using House of Kolor products to create a mix of panels, shading, bubbles, rows, and gold leaf. Billet Specialties wheels host the Moroso front tires that are way too small, and rear MT tires that are way too big… in other words, they are perfect. The car was unabashedly sending the crowd back to the early ‘70s, and it is easily the nicest Henry J this author has ever seen.

A rotating display showed off this gorgeous 1955 Chevrolet Bel Air from every angle. Dale Frasca from Bloomfield, New York owns this car. Rod Tech performed the chassis and fabrication, body work, and paint. Interior chores were turned over to JMB. Glistening Cragar SS wheels never looked better than they do on this 1955 Chevy. The car won 1st place in “Conservative Hardtop 1955-1958” class. In my fantasy world, this ’55 Chevy would be towed to my house behind my ’62 Max Wedge Plymouth. Can someone make that happen?

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