I'm sure it wasn't an easy...
I'm sure it wasn't an easy job, but when the judges were done doing what judges do, the Don Ridler Memorial Award went to Doug Cooper and his Alan Johnson-built '32 Ford B400. When the crew at Johnson's Hot Rods was done with the Deucenberg, there wasn't a stock line that hadn't been reworked. If you want a good look at some of the body mods and a list of just what they did, check out issue #43 of The Rodder's Journal.
Generally when someone suggests a trip to Detroit, especially before Spring, there had better be a pretty good reason to book a ticket. I can't think of anything much better to get me out of SoCal during this time than the Detroit Autorama. For over 40 years the big prize at the Autorama has been the Don Ridler Memorial Award and over the last few decades, this award has grown to be one of the most coveted prizes a builder or owner can receive. In hopes of fame (and maybe fortune), some of the country's best bring their best to Detroit to compete against their peers to make their mark in hot rod and custom history.
Over the last few years, the promoters have realized that the hobby is bigger than just shiny show cars and they started opening up the basement and called it Autorama Extreme, thus providing a place for guys and gals with less showy and more gowy rides to feel comfortable showing off their own kind of handiwork. The fit and finish might not always be the same as the cars upstairs but some of the engineering can be.
As in years past, several pinstripers have gathered to show their talents and auction off pieces of their work with the benefits going to a worthy charity. I could go on and on, but I know if you're anything like me you really just want to see some cars.
It's not always easy picking...
It's not always easy picking just one car out of the crowd to give the Rod & Custom Award to, but when the dust settled and the ballot was in, it was John Favaloro's '36 Ford roadster that hauled the trophy home. It looks like a mild resto-rod, but under the hood is a 354ci Hemi backed with a Chrysler 727 trans. The chassis was brought up to par with an IFS and a 4-link rear suspension. Custom side glass has been fitted to maintain comfortable cruising when the weather turns chilly.
They don't call it the Motor...
They don't call it the Motor City for nothing, and John Denski's straight axle '63 Nova gasser would look right at home cruisin' Woodward Avenue. I dug the Moon tank, stance, and cast-finish five-spokes. The fuel-injected 427 big-block didn't hurt either.
Darryl Starbird was the featured...
Darryl Starbird was the featured builder at this year's Autorama and was on hand to sign autographs and shake hands.
Just in case some of those...
Just in case some of those in attendance weren't quite sure how much impact Starbird has had on the custom car scene over the last 50-plus years, he brought out some of his more famous customs including the recently restored Li'l Coffin (stay tuned we'll be bringing you a full feature on it soon).