The 3rd annual Northeast Rod & Custom Nationals, a three-day beauty parade of hot rods, took place once again at the Philadelphia Expo. The show has more than 300 of the finest vehicles on display and wrapped up this weekend when the Northeast Cup was awarded to one of the Elite-6 picks that you see here (check back soon to see the winner).

In 2011 Full House Motorsports owner Brian and Jean Lutz decided to take a leap of faith. Their team made up of both friends and family started a show to bring together both local and regional builders and car nuts alike in the hopes of becoming the best show of its kind on the east coast. In three short years it has gained national status as one of the premiere hot rod events in the country and they are now enjoying the fruits of their labor – almost as much as we are!

In true Rod Authority fashion, we were there LIVE to capture the ELITE 6 and bring them to you first:

Phil and Deb Becker parked their original all-steel 1932 Ford 3-window coupe in Hall B and it instantly caught our eye. After a ¾-inch chop and laying back the rear glass this butterscotch colored ’32 was blessed with an extremely well sorted undercarriage holding a small-block Chevy sporting a Barry Grant Tri-Power setup backed by a 700R4 and Winter’s Quick-Change rearend. Inside the ’34 Plymouth gauge cluster with Classic Instruments help keep track this outstanding ’32 Ford vital signs.

One of several Great-8 finalists to show up for the show is Nick and Toni Pinto’s 1940 Ford 2-door sedan. Covered in a custom mixed 3-stage candy color from Glasurit this beautiful ’40 is not new to success. Modifications start with a chopped top, pancaked hood, suicide doors, custom dash and plenty of custom billet from end to end. Powered by a 383 stroker motor topped by a 750 Demon carburetor this mill will stay cool with help form the Griffin Aluminum radiator while the MSD ignition provides the spark to this proven winner.

Alan Woodall showed up with his 1965 Corvette dubbed the C2/SS fresh from its debut at this year’s Detroit Autorama hoping to build on the success of his Great-8 selection.

It’s extremely hard to describe the amount of custom coachwork that is wrapped into this mid-year as many of the subtle details go unnoticed to the unobserving eye. 

The interior is one of the greatest highlights to note. There isn’t a single piece of this dynamic build that’s not handmade and it shows as if it was from the hands of GM itself but with that special custom show car pizzazz. From the Glasurit Lamp Black paint to the combination of C5 and C6 suspension providing a place for the LS7 to distribute the power this fiberglass flyer is stunning not matter what angle you take.

In the world of big name builders and highline shops there are a list of names that any car nut will be able to rattle off. James Osenenko and Joey Wigley might not be two of them, but then again maybe they should be added to the list.

Starting with a dual tube chassis, this 1969 Camaro Z/28 is pinned with polished Kugel double coilover independent suspension both front and rear. Other features include Wilwood brakes and an extremely polished housing of the Tremec T56. Inside and out the details are both subtle and bold and so is the 582 cid pushing over 850 horsepower featuring Kinsler fuel injection and proving once again that the pool of gifted builders is growing every single day.

Dave and Joyce Emery might say that having a budget does not always mean having unlimited amounts of cash but in the case of their 1932 Ford they spared no expense. Starting with a custom chassis and Kugel Komponent custom independent suspension that frames the Currie nine-inch center filled with a 3:90 gear set makes the undercarriage a statement of chrome and polished aluminum that sets this ’32 apart from others.

Hand formed aluminum hood and side panels covered in DuPont ChromaIllusion are only upstaged by the outrageous Eric Brockmeyer designed interior that really steals the attention of anyone checking out this hard to miss hot rod.

Horsepower is always a favorite and with 1,015 of them churning out of a 632 cid big-block Chevy, Billy and Cammie’s 1962 Chevrolet is not lacking in any way. That mountain of horsepower is backed by a TKO600. All that power is harnessed by NASCAR inspired suspension that is bolted to a custom tube chassis complete with a full 8-point cage.

Speedway Blue PPG paint covers most of this beautiful ’62 Bel Air while gloss black completes the tuxedo. Beyond the custom touches and the big power – the simple fact that Billy plans to “drive it like a stolen rental unless someone wants to buy it” once it’s show life is expired instantly makes it one of our favorites.

Make sure to look for the complete galley of all of the cars, trucks and hot rods at this year’s Northeast Rod & Custom show and check back to see the Northeast Cup winner!