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2007 Grand National Roadster Show - Sunday CoverageSunday Coverage From the February, 2009 issue of Rod & Custom By The Rod & Custom Staff
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Sunday morning and the car builders and owners who are up for the AMBR Award are hard at work getting in some last-minute polishing before the crowds hit the Fariplex show floors. Tension is starting to mount as we are just hours away from tonight's awards ceremony. Only one car will receive the honor winning the 2007 Americas Most Beautiful Roadster Award, and by the looks of the competition there appears to be no clear-cut winner. Keep checking back as we'll be providing more images of the show throughout the day. And don't forget, we'll be posting the winner of the AMBR just as soon as it's announced.  The Winnemucca Propane Special,...  The Winnemucca Propane Special, built by Woody Eriksen, was a Roadster class dragster in the '50s. Jim watson and his students at Independence High School in Elko, Nevada, recreated the car, powered by a 144mph Chrysler.  In 1959, Ray Farhner (who...  In 1959, Ray Farhner (who also built the Boothill Express show rod) built Eclipse, this roadster pickup custom that attracted all kinds of trophies and magazine coverage. The bodywork was finished with lead, and the bed box was made from '59 Chevy quarter panels.  A DeSoto Fire Dome running...  A DeSoto Fire Dome running three 2Vs fits perfectly in the engine compartment of Steve Welsh's gold fenderless '32 five-window coupe, down from Folsom, California.  Another great looking engine...  Another great looking engine is the dual-quad 409 in Ray and Nancy Thompson's Brookville-bodied Deuce roadster.  And another killer mill is...  And another killer mill is the flathead with Ardun heads and a period S.Co.T supercharger. The body and frame are original. The rear is an original Halibrand Culver City quickchange. The wheels are original Halibrand first design mags. Owners are Sissy and Roger Morrison.  Frank and & Karen Pittenger,...  Frank and & Karen Pittenger, from Phoenix, have owned their '32 roadster since 1954, when they paid $4 for the Deuce, plus $12 for a Tudor parts car. Frank drove the car in high school, and drives it and shows it to this day. That's a '56 Hemi sitting under the hood.  Chuck Crawford continues to...  Chuck Crawford continues to show the '65 Riviera owned by his son Philip, who passed away two years ago.  Since last year, the Mercedes...  Since last year, the Mercedes Platinum Blue resto custom has been treated to some nice pinstriping on the nose and decklid.  Rick Love's gold five-window...  Rick Love's gold five-window coupe makes the rounds, from the cover of Rod & Custom to the Grand National Roadster Show to the street.  Metallica's James Hetfield...  Metallica's James Hetfield was on hand enjoying the show. He's not just a casual enthusiast, but his beautiful custom 1953 Buick Skylark is competing in the radical custom class.  You can catch hot rod enthusiast...  You can catch hot rod enthusiast and book author Robert Genat in the So-Cal Speed Shop booth selling and signing his latest offering, "Deuce 75 Years of the '32 Ford."  Roy and Andy Brizzio having...  Roy and Andy Brizzio having fun at the show. Among his many cars on display at the show, Roy also brought out his latest creation; beautiful 1955 Chevy. Look for a complete feature of the car in an upcoming issue of Rod & Custom magazine.  The Frank Currie Roadster...  The Frank Currie Roadster was built from a new steel body created by Marcel Delay, and packed with an electronic fuel injected 705ci Boss 429. The doors were stretched two inches, the hood three. In addition to Bonneville, the 200mph roadster covered ground on Americruise and appeared in Rod & Custom's March '88 issue.  The tradtional rodders of...  The tradtional rodders of today are on ground already covered by Pete Eastwood and Rick Barakat 25 years ago. The Eastwood Barakat tudor was built from a $300 body, painted with red oxide, and powered by a Chevy small-block with a 4-barrel Holley. It ran 11.50 on the strip and showed up on the cover of Hot Rod in 1982.  The famous Doyle Gammell coupe,...  The famous Doyle Gammell coupe, which you saw in R&C in 1963, is now part of the Bruce Meyer collection. It was chopped when Gammell bought the car in 1963. It received a Cordovan brown paint, and eventually, some Ed Roth pinstriping. After Gammell sold it, it went through some design changes, appearing in R&C again with purple paint and flames. It has been restored to it's early '60s condition.  The Boyce Asquith roadster...  The Boyce Asquith roadster was a challenger in nostalgia drag racing and was also regularly driven on the street. Race car components include a tubular Pro Stock rear chassis and cage, and time slips boasting e.t.s in the low 8. Engines included a 460 big-block and later, a blown 495ci Ray Zeller motor. Current owners Dave and Linda Allen brought it to Pomona.  Bob Tindle got this sedan...  Bob Tindle got this sedan in 1959, chopped the top, and molded the rear fenders. The flip-up body opens opposite the hood and grille, and retains functional doors. Rolling on a tubular frame, the car ended up with a 417ci Olds with a Potvin blower and Hilborn injector. In addition to success at the drags, the Orange Crate enjoyed success at car shows, and has been owned by Ted Gord for several decades.  It was a five-window coupe...  It was a five-window coupe before it was the Jerry Kugel roadster, a common sight at the lakes and drag strips as well as on the salt at Bonneville, running faster than 200 mph with a 427 Ford engine with Hilborn injection. Eventually the roadster was sold, and now belongs to Phil Duarte, who raced it before storing it for many years.  With a Z'ed frame and chopped...  With a Z'ed frame and chopped and channeled coupe body, the Andy Kassa three-window sits close to the ground. The New Jersey-based rod was well-known in the '50s and is identified with the look of East Coast coupes of the period. It ran a Merc flattie with four carbs. One West Coast addition was the custom grille, added by George Barris in California. It came out of storage more than a decade ago, and is now the property of Gary Mekita.  Fred Steele's channeled purple,...  Fred Steele's channeled purple, roadster is another classic East Coast hot rod. Fred was a member of the TyRods club and the owner of a large corral of hot rods, including the flathead-powered ragtop that looks the same today as it did in the 50s. The car is now owned by 3 Dog Garage.  Custom legend George Barris...  Custom legend George Barris had his famous Batmobile and Monkeemobile on display in the main building, and still enjoyed talking to exhibitors and spectators.  Pinstriper Dennis Ricklefs,...  Pinstriper Dennis Ricklefs, designer Steve Stanford, and 'striper Ron Myers hang out at the Grand National Roadster Show to discuss cutting edge automotive design. Here they are figuring out who's paying for lunch.
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