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The annual Rocky Mountain Auto Show brings with it some of the country’s most premiere customs, both bikes and hot rods, to ever hit the show circuit. Frankly, it lives up to its “Crème de la Chrome” nickname so well that cars, from Ridler Award winners to SEMA Show cars, can all be found on the floor of this annual show. But, you don’t have to take our word for it. Just check out 10 of the amazing cars and trucks we found at this year’s show below!
The Rocky Mountain Auto Show, or Crème de la Chrome, presented by O’Reilly Auto Parts is always held the weekend right after Thanksgiving, attracting just as many out-of-towners as locals to the Denver, Colorado area. Because of its strategic scheduling and long-time reputation of being one of the best, the show attracts some of the industry’s top builders and their creations.
One of the top builders at this year’s show was Dave Kindig from Kindig-It Design, and the handful of builds he brought along were far beyond impressive.
1. Kindig-It Design’s 1934 Dodge Brothers Four-Door Sedan
Debuted at the Goodguys Colorado Nationals earlier this year, this 1934 Dodge Brothers four-door sedan was an instant winner at the show in our book. Not surprisingly, the car also took home the coveted Crème de la Chrome Award, naming it the best custom at this year’s event.
Setting off the custom PPG Dark Desert Sage paint scheme on the car are hand-painted wood grain details and a custom Glacier Leather interior from J.S. Custom Interiors, which features a hidden air conditioning system and a full audio system.
2. 1950 Chevy Phantom Fleetside
Another amazing creation done by Kindig-It Design found at the show was this 1950 Chevrolet “Phantom Fleetside”.
Built from a Chevy Suburban, this custom truck features custom running boards, Kindig-It smooth door handles, shaved rain gutters, Frenched headlights, custom taillights, shortened quarter glass and a one-piece hood among dozens of body modifications.
The unique truck is topped off in a PPG Salsa Red and Chrysler Beige paint scheme.
Inside, the truck features a JS Custom Interiors-designed Beige and Taupe leather interior with hand-tooled leather inserts.
Powering the unconventional Chevy is a GM Performance LS3 topped off with a Magnuson supercharger. The engine is backed by a T56 six-speed transmission.
Under the truck is an Art Morrison chassis with a custom independent front suspension and a four-link rear suspension with a 9-inch Ford rearend.
Planting the truck to the ground are 19-inch front and 20-inch rear Billet Specialties Legacy II G wheels wrapped in Michelin Pilot Super Sport tires.
3. 1929 Ford Model A Coupe
Owned by Don and Carol Marostica of Loveland, Colorado, this impressive 1929 Ford Model A Coupe was built by Colorado’s own Ron Jones Garage.
Powering this vintage hot rod is a rare 1954 270 ci Super Red Ram HEMI four-barrel engine backed by a Ford four-speed transmission.
Set atop a pinched 1932 Ford frame, the car is equipped with a quick-change rearend with a four-link suspension setup out back and a Magnum axle up front with a four-inch drop and So Cal hairpin batwings up front.
Under the coupe, you’ll find Halibrand Sprint wheels wrapped in Firestone rubber with stopping power compliments of Buick drums in the front and 1957 Ford police brakes out back.
Giving the build its unique aesthetics is a three and a half-inch chop in the front and a three-inch chop in the rear, done by Pinkee’s Rod Shop. The Model A also features vintage 682-C headlights and taillights off of a 1950s boat trailer.
Inside, the coupe features a Rodriguez Upholstery designed interior with glide seats, complimented by Stewart Warner gauges, a 1932 Ford Banjo steering wheel, and a 1939 Ford steering column from Lime Works.
Topping the build off is a 2007 Cadillac Quicksilver paint scheme off of a 2007 Cadillac Escalade.
4. 1927 “Mr. T” Ford Model T Roadster
Owned by Bob and Julie Brown of Aurora, Colorado, this all-steel 1927 Model T roadster is about as unconventional as you can get. After all, it’s fitted with a Chevy LT-1 engine, among other things. But here at Rod Authority, we have a special place in our hearts for unique and unconventional rides.
Like we said, the Model T features a fuel-injected Chevy LT-1 engine out of a Corvette. This is backed by a 4L60E automatic transmission, which is controlled with steering column-mounted paddle shifters.
Under the roadster is a Pete & Jake’s uni-steer front end and a Jaguar independent rear suspension with a Posi-traction rearend and 3.54 gears.
Electric power disc brakes from Wilwood take care of all of the roadster’s slowing needs, while 17×7 and 18×8-inch wheels wrapped in BFG G-Force rubber plant the powerful T to the pavement.
5. 1964 Volkswagen Micro Bus
If you’ve ever owned a Volkswagen, you know that there’s no love quite like that for VW. Unfortunately, Colorado doesn’t see too many stellar VWs on the show circuit, so when we ran across this one owned by Vincent di Pasquale, we just couldn’t resist but to put it in our Top 10.
The Micro Bus is powered by a 2276 cc (139 ci) Volkswagen engine with dual Weber 44 IDF carburetors, a Scat C45 Type 1 camshaft, CB Performance 044 big valve dual port cylinder head and a Facet electric fuel pump.
Backing the engine is a 12v swing axle transaxle with Super Beetle first and second gears, and welded third and fourth gears. There’s also a Super differential in the mix.
Under the bus, you’ll find a Porsche 944 disc brake conversion on all four corners, a Wagenwest four-inch narrowed and adjustable front beam, front flipped three and a half-inch drop spindles, and Fuch-style chrome wheels.
The interior features a Gene Berg shifter, Flat4 Banjo steering wheel, and a custom gauge cluster with an Autometer tach, oil pressure, and oil temperature gauge. The bus also features a Fireboy-Xintex automatic fire suppressor.
Tying off the build nicely is a Deep Black and Guards Red paint scheme with a Standox base coat and clear coat.
The paint and body work on the bus was taken care of by Emmels Enamels in Denver, Colorado.
6. 1955 Chevy Gasser
Now, no Top 10 would be complete without at least one vintage dragster. Lucky for us, we found quite the gem at the Rocky Mountain Auto Show in the form of this ’55 Gasser owned by Dave Hildebrand of Broomfield, Colorado.
Built by Jim Stoltman of Ventura, California, this ’55 Gasser features a 650 hp 383 ci SBC engine with forged internals, Pro-1 aluminum heads, and a pair of Holley 750 carburetors.
Topping off the engine is a Hampton-prepped 6-71 supercharger and modified Hilborn air scoop, as well as fender well headers, built by LPC Automotive, also out of Ventura.
Tied to the powerful engine is a Richmond five-speed transmission with a Lakewood scatter shield and clutch. The shifting of gears is controlled from the car’s cockpit by a classic Hurst shifter.
Planting the car to the pavement are real 15×4-inch Fish Enterprises front wheels and true Halibrand Magnesium wheels in the rear wrapped in Towel City rubber, with “Pie Crust” slicks on the rear, naturally. Wilwood brakes take car of all of the Chevy’s stopping needs.
Aesthetically, the car is truly 60s/70s racing-era correct with the PPG black paint scheme laid by T&S Autobody. The interior follows suit with a two-toned leather design by JB Customs, complete with vintage Stewart Warner gauges, and a NOS Sun tach. The final defining feature of the car is the era-correct red tinted glass used all the way around the car.
7. 1947 Dodge WC 100 Pickup
Owned by Mark Wimston and presented at the show by Custom Wood Interiors, this 1947 Dodge WC 100 pickup is truly one-of-a-kind.
Featuring a 361 ci engine tied to a NV4500 transmission, the truck is estimated to have 400 hp on hand. But that’s not all. Out back, the truck features a Ford 9-inch rearend with a triangulated four-link suspension system, while the front end is a Mustang II unit with adjustable coilovers.
While these performance components certainly make the truck that much more appealing, it’s the Dodge’s aesthetics that truly make it one-of-a-kind.
First off, the front fenders were extended, as well as the rear fenders, which were extended by two-inches. The truck also had the parking lights shaved, a custom roll pan installed, custom mirrors designed, and bed extensions fitted. Having been presented by Custom Wood Interiors, the truck also features a custom checkerboard truck bed. The build is topped off with a super clean black on brown paint scheme laid by Paint by Krusty.
8. 1953 Cadillac Custom
One of the cars pulling the most attention at the Rocky Mountain Auto Show was this unique 1953 Cadillac Custom. Originally built in Australia in the mid to late 90s as a commercial and movie car (though no one’s quite sure for what movie), the car was brought over to the States when its current owner, Dan Chrisholm, purchased the car off of eBay.
Once the car arrived, it was in a bit worse shape than expected, so Chrisholm entrusted the car to Jack Farland and his crew at Classic Restoration in Englewood, Colorado for some repairs and a bit of sprucing up.
After about a year and a half, the build made its car show debut at the Rocky Mountain Auto Show.
The 1953 Cadi started out as a two-door coupe, but was made into a roadster prior to leaving Australia. It features a traditional Cadillac suspension system modified with a Ridetech air ride system, as well as Dayton wire wheels wrapped in Michelin rubber. Standard front disc brakes and rear drum brakes still put a stop to the Cadi everywhere it goes.
Powering the car is a 383 ci stroker engine good for 450 hp and tied to a GM three-speed automatic with a push button shifter.
Truly a work of art, the interior was completely redone by Classic Restoration to match the exterior of the car.
The textured leather used in the upholstery, which is the same leather used in Louis Vuitton purses, was perfectly matched to the exterior color of the car. The wood floor was specially crafted for the interior of the car because there was a consensus that there had to be wood floors in a car as big as a boat. The interior also features a custom stereo system.
Topped off in a custom Dupont Hot Hues Tequila Sunrise color scheme, this Cadillac was a real attention grabber at the show and even walked away with the Outstanding Full Radical Handbuilt award from the November event.
9. 1959 Buick
Starting out as a 1959 four-door Buick Invicta, this awesome salmon-colored ride, owned by Duane Deck, has seen plenty of change in its lifetime. Built by Joe Qualls and his crew at Color On Wheels in Denver, Colorado, the modified Invicta is now a two-door car with tons of modern components.
Starting underneath the car, the Buick features a full Art Morrison chassis and suspension setup. Working off of that are 18×8-inch front and 20×10-inch rear Billet Specialties wheels wrapped in Goodyear RSA rubber. Taking care of the car’s braking needs are six-piston Wilwood brakes with 14-inch rotors.
Under the hood, you’ll find a GM 502 ci Ram Jet crate engine powering this boat of a classic, which is tied to a TCI six-speed transmission.
Inside the Buick, the interior features upgraded bucket seats, a hand-built center console and new floors. Topping the build off is a factory-correct PPG “Canyon Cedar” paint scheme.
10. 1936 Ford 5-Window Coupe
Built atop a five-inch channeled frame, the Kevin Sillenberg’s ’36 Ford 5-window coupe’s slammed stance is even more exaggerated than most thanks to additional metal added to the fenders so with the car all the way laid out, every inch of the under body makes contact with the ground. Allowing this to happen are a number of unique components like a fuel tank out of a mini van that fits up under the trunk and a custom mandril-bent exhaust system that exits right behind the rear wheels.
This stunning stance is brand new for the car and was created by Weld County Kustomz.
Now, you can’t go about driving a car around that’s this low 24/7, so the car is bagged with Firestone bags on all four corners, which are run off of dual compressors tied in by solid lines. In addition to the air ride system, the car is equipped with a custom four-link rear suspension and a Mustang II independent front suspension with drop spindles.
Powering the street rod is a freshly-built 396 ci stroker engine with a roller camshaft, tunnel ram intake manifold, and aluminum heads. This potent engine was built by Jeff Brown and produces around 500 hp. Pushing the engine’s power to the ground is a Turbo 350 transmission tied to a narrowed Posi-traction Ford 9-inch rearend with 4.11 gears.
Planting the coupe to the pavement are 15×8-inch rear and 15×6-inch front Supreme wheels, which spin 235/60R15 “Gangster White Walls” and 195/60R15 Remingtons respectively. Providing the coupe with stopping power are disc brakes in the front and drums in the back.
Body modifications on the car include shaved door handles, tons of sheet metal replacement for rust remediation, a filled in roof, and hours of welding on the front grille to fill in all the original screw holes. Other interesting features include ’32 Ford headlights for a more sleek look, Frenched ’39 Ford taillights, smoked glass, door poppers and a push-button, automatic trunk release and lift.
The coupe is finished off in Dupont Hot Hues Hot Rod Black by Creative Visions and then topped off with custom pinstriping done by Striper Stan and lettering done by Rick Losh. The checkerboard finishing touch on the firewall is a vinyl wrap put on by the car’s owner.
Truly an amazing collection of vehicles, we couldn’t have asked for more from the top cars from the Rocky Mountain Auto Show. Be sure to mark your calendars now for next year so you too can experience the gorgeous vehicles of the Crème de la Chrome event and check out more photos from this year’s show in the Rod Authority Gallery below the jump!
