2018 Grand National Roadster Show Top 100 Winners: Even More
By RK Motors
- Feb 02, 2018
There are 100 reasons why we look forward to the Grand National Roadster Show every January. One reason is that this is one of 10 events where STREET RODDER selects winners for our Painless Performance/STREET RODDER Top 100 program. You know how it works—every year we travel to 10 prominent rod shows and select 10 vehicles at each of them. Unless we miscount, we finish the season with our Top 100 roster. Car owners win an embroidered jacket and their vehicle is considered for the yearend Street Rod of the Year award.
By now, you’ve seen the first batch of five Top 100 winners selected on Friday. On Saturday, we selected five more cars, completing our ten car list of winners from the 69th annual O’Reilly Auto Parts Grand National Roadster Show.
What do you think of our choices?
1932 Ford Coupe
Bret Sukert
Montesano, WA
This ’32 three-window got our attention as soon as we entered the Suede Palace. Bret’s ‘60s-style hot rod is built from an unmodified original steel body bought from well-known rodder Dick Page. Foss’s Hot Rods handled body and paint chores; Mitch Kim did all that ’striping. The suspension includes a dropped axle and transverse leafs in front and quarter ellipticals in back. The Chevy small-block is topped with a Weiand manifold and ’65-’66 GTO air cleaner. Interior elements include Mopar van seats, an N.O.S. Grant wheel, a restored Ha-Dees Stewart Warner blue face gauges (it took 50 gauges to get eight that matched). The coupe left the Suede Palace with the Best of Show award.
1940 Ford Convertible
Tony Miller
San Pedro, CA
Tony says that ’40 Fords don’t need any styling help, but he made an exception with this one by guillotining a standard coupe and adding a post-War-style top with quarter windows. At Don Dillard’s Highway 99 Hot Rods the hood and quarters were sectioned, front wheels moved forward, body channeled, doors stretched, trunk shortened, and many other mods were made, including a handmade ’40 Merc grille, ’39 trim, ’41 Stude taillights, and ‘40 Merc rear bumper. A Plymouth speedo and ’40 Ford instruments fill the dash facing Sid Chavers’ red leather interior. A 4V 289 Ford is tied to an AOD trans. The only unmodified parts are the front bumper, running boards, and headlight rings.
1957 Ford Del Rio Ranch Wagon
Robert Florine
Ventura, CA
Growing up around wagons stirred Robert’s interest. He wanted a Ford because there is already an abundance of Chevys—plus he wanted a car he could put a shotgun motor in. Working with Steve Strope and crew at Pure Vision yielded this result. The profile was altered with a slanted B-pillar and 4 3/4-inch door stretch (with ’57 T-Bird handles) to improve proportions. An Art Morrison Enterprises chassis with C6 front suspension parts and Mike Meyer Racing rear torque arms, and JRI coilovers beef up the undercarriage. The engine is a Kaase Boss 9 with Borla 8-stack induction. The custom interior is matched in great taste by the Bridgewater Bronze and Avorio two-tone paint.
1929 Ford Roadster
James Bobowski
Orange, California
A historical influence was strong among the America’s Most Beautiful Roadster contenders, with James’ ’29 Model An as the most historical. The famous Eddie Dye roadster has been lost, found, parted out, and rotated through many owners and styles since the Ayala Brothers built it for Eddie almost 70 years ago. Jimmy White and his Circle City Hot Rods team restored the roadster, using many original parts, like the Whitey Clayton nose and hood, and reproducing others, like the belly pan and Crestliner wheel. The Evans Engineering Flathead, Cherry Orchid paint, Ford and Merc hubcaps, and Chris Plant’s recreated white pleated upholstery help bring 1952 into 2018.
1941 Buick
Clifford Mattis
Vacaville, CA
Clifford and builder Marcos Garcia from Lucky 7 Customs have teamed up on many vehicles, but never a true custom—until now. A chopped top, handmade flush skirts, and taillights are just a few of the custom mods covering the Buick. The chassis combines a Mustang II frontend and a four-link rear, with air bags to drop the car. Power comes from a carbed Chevy 350 and 700R4 trans. One-off EVOD wheels (with simulated Caddy caps) roll with Coker Firestones. The vintage style interior features a Dennis Crook wheel, New Vintage USA gauges, and patterned cloth inserts in the leather upholstery. It took 20 spray-outs to get the perfect dark olive paint color, but the final result is stunning.
SOURCE: STREET RODDER
AUTHOR: Tim Bernsau