Editor's Choice - Basement Excellence
For the fourth year in a row we at Street Rodder are lucky enough to be one of the presenters of an award for the Extreme Rods located in the "basement" of the Detroit Autorama. This area is dedicated to homebuilt hot rods with attitude. Some would call them Rat Rods but I like to think of them as "windows" into the past and what might have been built if the rodders from decades ago were around today.
The rodders who build these incredibly creative hot rods work with every type of tin one could image and nothing is off limits. The only boundaries are those that are self-imposed. Creative expression is what it is all about. Built it yourself is what it is all about. Have some fun with the car and your friends that's what it is all about.
This years' recipient of the Editor's Choice is the '29 Model A closed cab pickup belonging to Bruce and Glenda Elmer. The powertrain is a familiar 350/350 Chevy combination with a Ford 9-inch. Nothing we haven't seen before but when it is so well done you just can't afford to help but notice. Outside the pickup is the popular black satin finish but the interior is stitched in crme with red pleated inserts and the obligatory Classic black face gauges. The keynote focal point of the Model A are the wide whites and five-spoke American's, again something we have seen before but well done and, therefore, an attention getter. We also liked the forward nerf bars giving a distinctive front view.
Congrats to the Elmer's for taking home the Editor's Choice award.
Driven Award - Presented by Lokar Performance Products
Presented each year at the Detroit Autorama is the Lokar Performance Products award sponsored by Street Rodder magazine. The idea for this award is to reward a hot rodder who drives his car and then puts the extra effort into making it "show worthy." This is the four year in a row that Lokar has presented this award. Stay tuned to see just which lucky rodder will take home the coveted award.
Jason Grimes of The Garage Inc. built this Model A closed cab pickup for Wes Mallory of Cinthiana, Kentucky. Jason also accepted the Driven Award presented by Lokar Performance Products as owner Wes spent the weekend snowbound in Kentucky! Editor Brian Brennan presented the award on behalf of Lokar.
The '31 closed cab pickup is channeled 3 inches and chopped 2 giving it just the right appearance for a fenderless hot rod. Jason Grimes of The Garage Inc. came up with a color very close to Washington Blue (Ford's color in 1932) and flattened out the appearance taking the gloss away. However, all of the inherently positive characteristics of paint are retained. Primers will absorb road oils and grease whereas paints aren't as porous as primers and can be wiped and cleaned off easily.
Power comes from a 350/350 combo with a Ford 8-inch rearend. The front I-beam is a Super Bell with Speedway Motors front hairpin suspension. The front disc brake kit is another Super Bell item.
The interior is red Naugahyde stitched by Larry Sneed while the instrumentation is a complement of Auto Meter gauges.