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The 51st Detroit AutoramaFrom the February, 2009 issue of Street Rodder By Eric Geisert Illustrators: Eric Geisert
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For the past year the general consensus has been that the 50th Detroit AutoRama, held last year in downtown Detroit, Michigan's massive Cobo Hall complex, was possibly the best indoor car show ever. As car shows age (there are a handful approaching the 50-year mark--only two have surpassed it), you would think that they'd get better as they go along. However, that isn't always the case and, when different promoters or organizations come along to put their stamp on a particular event, it sometimes adversely affects the show. The Michigan Hot Rod Association, formed in 1951, is the group that came up with the idea of putting on a car show to help finance a local dragstrip. They've now owned the Detroit AutoRama since it's inception in 1953. They're also the ones who, in 1956, asked local college coach and promoter, Don Ridler, to help organize their efforts. Ridler put the event on the map, or at least on the Michigan map. In 1961, Ridler turned the promotion job over to Bob Larivee, this just two years before he [Don] passed away. Over the next four decades, Larivee's mission was to work with the MHRA and to make the Detroit show a national concern. In order to gain national awareness he wanted to create an award that would really mean something to the people competing for it. The Don Ridler Memorial Award was first handed out in 1964 and has become an award that not only symbolizes perfection in the art of rod building but also rewards creativity. According to Butch Patrico, MHRA's president and head of the Ridler award's judging committee, the show's top honor is decided by a combination of fit and finish, degree of difficulty, as well as the aesthetic appeal of the car (something that is very hard to "judge"). The Don Ridler Memorial Award now attracts builders from all over the United States, as well as from Canada. The competition for the Ridler award is open to any first-time-shown vehicle, which means that spectators are able to see cars that have never appeared anywhere else. The show opens on Friday afternoon and, later that same night, the field of would-be Ridler contenders is narrowed to eight cars (or the "Great Eight" as they have come to be known). All sorts of cars have won the Ridler award in the past, from all-out Detroit dream cars from the "golden age" of car shows (such as Mike Alexander's Deora, made from a '66 Dodge pickup) to 1995, when a '92 Mercedes Pro Modified race car won. This year seven of the Great Eight were street rods, with the eighth being a custom. And though everyone agreed that last year's Ridler winner, Bob and Wes Rydell's Grand Master Chevy sedan built by Chip Foose and his team of craftsmen, was a nearly impossible car to measure up to, this year's Great Eight pulled out the stops to capture the top honor. (The Grand Master was back at this year's show, but it couldn't compete for the Ridler due to its previous showing. However, it did take home a first place award for its class). This year, winning first in its class, as well as the Don Ridler Memorial Award, was another Foose Design creation: a bronze-colored '34 Ford coupe owned by Arizona's Ron Whiteside. And even if you weren't a Ridler contender, just having your car accepted to the show should be enough praise for any owner or builder. Held in the middle of winter, the Detroit AutoRama has become a "must attend" for both local spectators as well as for rod builders from around the country. Travel was a little harder this year, though, due to some impressive snowfall amounts around the country the week before the show. One of the celebrities scheduled to appear at this year's show, Vern Troyer (Mini Me from the Austin Powers movies), was stranded in route to the show and wasn't able to make it (perhaps he was lost under a snowflake?), but the thousands of others who braved the weather got to experience another great AutoRama. Cobo Hall is a 600,000-square-foot building that can accommodate roughly 700 vehicles (it's the same location where automakers debut their latest creations at the prestigious Detroit Auto Show each January). In the past, each long aisle would be filled with customs, rods, musclecars, boats, off-road trucks, and even a few imports. But more and more rodders are applying for an invitation to the show so the AutoRama's aisles are filling up with street rods and customs (and that's a good thing!). And if you want to see more than just cars, the AutoRama will fill those needs. There is also a major display from Chevrolet each year, as well as from Ford and Chrysler. And, besides the largest toy show we've ever seen at an indoor event, there were also specialty attractions. This year George Barris was honored for his contributions to the hobby and several of the cars he's been associated with were there, too (from an Aston Martin DB4 from a James Bond film to one of the Batmobiles). George was there all day long signing autographs and selling shirts and books. Every year there is a lot to see and do at the Detroit AutoRama, which is why the show has continued for the past 50 years and why it's fast becoming the indoor show to attend. An OPINION FROM A RODDING ENTHUSIAST COMPETING FOR THE TROPHIES Editorial by Eric Geisert Each year there are seemingly hundreds of events, rod runs, car shows, and happenings that hot rodders can attend if they so choose. Some owners like to compete for trophies while others are happy just to have their car on display. But because you have to have winners and losers in a car show arena, there will always be people who don't like what the judges have decided. It was true at this year's Detroit AutoRama, but it also happens at other shows around the country. If you believe that no car is perfect, then it's the hard job of the judges to catch what's wrong. Judges will use white gloves to wipe the tops of transmissions for dust. They'll also use hand-held mirrors to see edges of air cleaners that can't be seen when they're standing over or lying under an engine. But when you compete at the stratospheric level of those contending for a Ridler or AMBR, even the timing of screws (so all of the heads line up the same way) can make a difference. So when after an awards presentation you hear someone say that they won't ever come back to the show because they didn't like the outcome, it's a shame. The shame is that they didn't build a car that could outshine anything else on the floor. It's like a pro football team complaining about losing the Super Bowl by one point when they had four 15-minute quarters to win! STREET RODDER Editor Brian Brennan says, "Car shows are where our hobby becomes a sport," and he's right. A car show has rules while a hobby certainly doesn't. But some folks don't like car shows because of the trophy race they inspire. Some think show cars are unrealistic and that judges can't possibly see everything that is done to their car. But many of the styling cues and parts found on this year's show cars will become next year's trends. It's a forum where innovation happens. And, to their credit, the AutoRama's judges (a nine person group comprised of Michigan Hot Rod Association members) give each Great Eight vehicle owner 15 minutes to personally plead their case during the show and to point out what is important on their car. This is so that the judges don't miss it when they come through at night to look the cars over. Every show should use this system. But rather than see the mistakes they made to their own cars, some participants choose to bad-mouth the show, the judges, and sometimes, even the winner. Does this type of rodder need to show up again when there are others who would have loved to have the chance to showcase their ride at one of the country's top indoor shows? No. Some rodders may elect not to return to a show they didn't like (that's their choice), but what if they returned with a better car next year? One that they can't make excuses for. It should be the type of car that not only pushes the design envelope to the limits of imagination but that is also carried out with precision and an exemplary attention to detail. That's the kind of car I want to see at an indoor car show. If you have any thoughts on this editorial, we'd like to hear them. Please e-mail your response to eric.geisert@sorc.com, and be sure to add "Detroit AutoRama" in the subject line.  2003 Don Ridler Memorial Award...  2003 Don Ridler Memorial Award Winner Though Ron Whiteside has owned his three-window since he was 15 and has rebuilt it a few times in the past 40 years, it's never looked this good! That's because the talented crew at Foose Design (Huntington Beach, CA) went through the car from stem to stern and created a whole new look for the coupe, which they call a '34 Mercury (maybe if Mercury was around in 1934, they would have made a coupe like this).  The Cowtown Cruisers always...  The Cowtown Cruisers always have a great display at the AutoRama. This year club member George Arning showed off his flattie-powered B'ville racer alongside Mike Reed's '34 Ford truck, which is stuffed with a '69 Chrysler 340 Hemi.  Over in the STREET RODDER...  Over in the STREET RODDER magazine display, the green 'n' flamed Deuce coupe was being shown by Sue and Art Thibault. Rudy Ruedisueli built the coupe and Josh Shaw applied the flames.  The paint on Wayne Bishop's...  The paint on Wayne Bishop's '34 Chevy coupe just glowed. In from Findlay, OH, Wayne's Bow Tie was built at Foster Auto Body using an Outlaw chassis and body combo.  Using an LS1 and 4L60 engine...  Using an LS1 and 4L60 engine and trans combination, Craig Studaker's '32 was finished in a cool gray on gray theme.  See the blue glass used in...  See the blue glass used in Don Roos, Jr.'s five-window Deuce? White pleats, roof, and firewall all lend a nostalgia theme to his sharp '32.  There can't be too many tall...  There can't be too many tall T coupes out there that look as good as Rick Vosburgh's '27. Though equipped with triple twos for a vintage look, the engine is a ZZ3 350 and a Vette IRS has been installed between the Deuce rails.  Nothing says hot rod like...  Nothing says hot rod like a fenderless roadster pickup. Another looker in the STREET RODDER display, this '28 Ford roadster "pick 'em up" belongs to Chris Sheulin.  Nick Tarquino's steel '36...  Nick Tarquino's steel '36 Ford roadster was about as slick as you could get! Pittsburgh, PA, is Nick's home base, and his stylish drop-top utilizes a 2-inch chop, a TCI chassis, and upholstery from Portage Trim.  Can you hear me now? Chip...  Can you hear me now? Chip Foose (left) and Christopher Titus talk with their respective agents about working on another car project (Foose built a '56 Chevy speedster for Titus last year). It was the first time to the Detroit show for Titus.  Kevin Wilcox calls his '28...  Kevin Wilcox calls his '28 Ford sedan "Hollowpoint." The chopped A was built at Legens Hot Rod Shop and is set up with 17- and 20-inch American rollers.  Mike and Larry Alexander (far...  Mike and Larry Alexander (far left and far right) present the Alexander Brothers Selection--an award given to a car by the A. Bros. that represents the type of car they feel they would have built--to the Speers, whose "Storm" '33 was a Ridler finalist.  Jim "Bones" Noteboom had his...  Jim "Bones" Noteboom had his latest ride on display; a '39 Lincoln Zephyr phantom wagon. Built at Ken Ginnings shop in Hemet, CA, with woodwork by Eric Peratt, the low-slung sled won the Yosemite Sam Radoff Award for design.  Four people were inducted...  Four people were inducted into the show's Circle of Champions--a type of Hall of Fame for the AutoRama. They are (from left) Keith Crain, Dick Skoglund, and last year's Ridler winners, Bob and Wes Rydell.  Automotive artist Ken Eberts...  Automotive artist Ken Eberts was on hand with his latest artwork: a depiction of the famous L'il Deuce Coupe rolling out of the driveway of George Barris' shop. Ken was selling unframed posters, signed by both him and George Barris.  Ohio rodder Jeff Corl had...  Ohio rodder Jeff Corl had his ultra-black '40 sedan at the show. Upholstered by Portage Trim, the super-straight '40 uses a 454/400 engine and trans combo for power and American Racing wheels for the right look.  After checking out the paint...  After checking out the paint on Ron Schmitt's '39 convertible, you know why he called it "Gold Rush." Jeff Musgrave applied the golden hues while Bob Fender stitched up the interior.  Andy DiDia was on hand at...  Andy DiDia was on hand at this year's show along with the Bobby Darin Dream Car, which was last shown in Detroit in 1963.  Built by Ron Clark and Bob...  Built by Ron Clark and Bob Kaiser for DiDia in 1961, Darin drove the car to the 1962 Academy Awards. This year it won the AutoRama's Preservation Award.  John Olay did a ton of subtle,...  John Olay did a ton of subtle, but hard, work (such as widening the rear quarter-panels) to get his A roadster to look like this. Set up on a Lobeck Deuce chassis, the rod was painted by Larry Woods.  Rich Guasco tooled in from...  Rich Guasco tooled in from his home in CA with his 3-inch-chopped '40 Ford, which gets its go from a 4.6L DOHC motor.  There were many customs to...  There were many customs to check out, including John Koleau's stunner that was built in 1992 by Cruisin' Customs' John and Rob Kouw. The Kouws started with a '51 Vicky two-door hardtop, removed the roof, added a ragtop, sectioned the body, and massaged it to perfection.  Remember the L'il Redd Wrecker?...  Remember the L'il Redd Wrecker? Originally built in 1973 as the Turnpike Hauler, its name was changed by George Barris after he reworked it for comedian Redd Foxx when Foxx was filming the Sanford & Son TV show. THE GREAT EIGHT Minus this year's Don Ridler Memorial Award winner here are the other contenders for the AutoRama's top honor, which rewards creativity and excellence in design.  Charlie Lambetecchio, from...  Charlie Lambetecchio, from Fresno, CA, is one of few rodders that traveled cross-country to participate at the AutoRama. Larry Ruth went all out when building Charlie's '36 roadster, which is equipped with Kugel independent suspension front and rear and powered by a 406 Donovan motor.  Vahan Kaloustian, from Farmington,...  Vahan Kaloustian, from Farmington, MI, went the "different" route by choosing to make a '34 Dodge into a contender. Dave Auten, Jr., from Dave's Custom Rods in Mt. Morris, MI, was tapped for his rod building expertise to complete the project, which featured an interior from Paul Atkins.  Larry Griffey built A.L. Clark's...  Larry Griffey built A.L. Clark's '40 Ford pickup at his shop in Powell, TN. Chopped 3 1/2 inches, the truck features a scratchbuilt bed, highly modified truck fenders, a Vette IRS, copper pearl paint, and an interior from Bobby Griffey.  Sam Mangarino, a hot rodder...  Sam Mangarino, a hot rodder from Sparta, NJ, should be justifiably proud of his entry. Lobeck's V-8 Shop in Cleveland, OH, started with an illustration from Thom Taylor and built Sam one of the finest '37 cabriolets anybody has ever seen.  Lenny Spallone from Lynnfield,...  Lenny Spallone from Lynnfield, MA, turned to Dave Ellis for help in creating a Ridler contender out of a '37 Minotti three-window. The dash and interior came from Hot Rod Garage in Denton, MD, but the motor is pure Detroit: a 502 Chevy equipped with an NOS system.  Ray VonUhlit lives in Fremont,...  Ray VonUhlit lives in Fremont, CA, and took his '51 Plymouth wagon to Mickey Galloway for some of the metalman's magic. For power, Ray chose a '57 392 Hemi topped with Hilborn injection. Art Himsl took care of the paint and graphics (including the flames on the underside of the body!).  Fran Speer invaded Detroit...  Fran Speer invaded Detroit from his home north of the U.S. border in Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada. His steel '33 Ford coupe, nicknamed "Storm," sported a chassis from Billy's Rod Shop (which is outfitted with an LS6 engine and a T56 six-speed trans) and exemplary bodywork from Cahill Auto Body.
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Detroit Autorama
For those of you locked up at home and can't get out and see firsthand this year's Detroit AutoRama...
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