Hot Rod Kool Comes in All Shapes
Brian Paul's Model A sedan is all hot rod.
Brian Paul of New Baltimore, Michigan brought out his fenderless '29 Model A sedan to compete in the Altered Street Sedan Pre-'35 class.
Packed with a Desoto Hemi (topped with a single four-barrel and Caddy air cleaner) this rod is a load full complete with a five-speed, real 45-fin Buick brake drums, and folding roof that allows a birds eye view into the interior. The twin bomber-style bucket seats made out of aluminum are all business. While there is plenty of traditional hot rod goodies like a drilled I-beam front axle and split wishbones you get a hint something is up with the underslung frame and the inboard mounted Indy-style coilover shock absorbers.
The red painted Artillery style wheels feature trim rings, chromed lug nuts and a bullet center cap. Of course, the cheater slicks in back and bias-ply in front provide plenty of vintage appearance.
Plenty of bodywork such as the chopped roof line and the sectioning require other modifications such as the taillights mounted into the body three-quarters of the way up the rear sheetmetal.
2011 Detroit Autorama Builder of the Year Bobby Alloway is Hot Roddings Man in Black Bobby Alloway of Alloway's Hot Rod Shop in Louisville, Tennessee was on hand with 15 of his finest cars from his storied career. Starting with his personal ride a '33 Ford coupe to his latest creation a '63 Corvette coupe (affectionately known as a "split-window").
Bobby is also know for painting his cars in black and outfitted with big-block power, usually a Chevy. (He is known as hot roddings "man in black.) He would flame his builds for those owners who wanted something other than black. The split-window is outfitted with a 502 big-block Chevy that appears to be running a big-box Rochester mechanical fuel injection unit. Which it is but neatly hidden are all of the required electronics to turn this once mechanical injector into a modern electronic EFI.
Bobby is also known for the SpeedStar body-style of hot rods. Reminiscent of the '33 Ford the SpeedStar came in a roadster, coupe, sedan, and phaeton models. For the first time in the cars history one of each body-style is present at this years Detroit Autorama.