What better way to kickoff one of hot roddings premiere events then featuring one of the all time famous hot rods.
Norm Grabowski's flamed T-bucket is arguably one of the most identifiable hot rods of all time. The fact the car was featured in two different television series and several movies didn't hurt. Possible the most famous television appearance of all was the very "kool" ride for TV star Edd Byrnes and the now famous "Kookie T."
There are many clones of this now famous TV hot rod but the "Car Craft" version (as it appeared on the cover of Car Craft) is on display for all to see at Cobo Hall. The Car Craft version features the exhaust running alongside the shortened bed. The 77 Sunset Strip version (and most well known) had the exhaust pointing skyward just behind Norm's (or Edd Byrnes as Kookie) head.
The owner of this latest version is Ron Kregoski of Brighton, Michigan and was built with the help of Reno Rod & Custom, Johnnie Overbay, Doug Burba, Gordon Burba, Chris Gutierrez, and Bill Norris.
The hot rod is based on a front half of a '23 T-Touring body, '29 Model A frame, '53 Caddy V-8 with new model Stromberg 97 carburetors resting on top of a Horme intake from Wilcap and Sharp Speed Equipment. The tranny is a '39 Ford transferring the power back to a '41 Ford rearend. The wheels are reversed '56 Buick rims with Ford centers and to this Coker tires are mounted. All the brightwork was handled by Advanced Plating while PPG '56 Dodge Royal Blue is the basic color over which flames and liberal amounts of pinstriping were applied. The interior is rolls and pleats in Naugahyde. LimeWorks Speed Shop got the nod for the steering column and wheel while Speedway Motors provided the gauges and miscellaneous parts.