Detroit Autorama Kicks Off The Show Season With Its Amazing Great 8

Over the weekend, dozens of amazing, never-before-seen hot rods descended on the COBO Center in Detroit, Michigan for the one and only Detroit Autorama; among them the Ridler Award winner and plenty of notable contenders. When it came to the best of the best, eight shone through, making the ranks of the Pirelli Tires Great 8. Check them out below, compliments of Classic Car News:

detroit_autorama_great8_17Al & Jean Seese’s 1933 Ford Delivery Sedan

With over 200 body modifications that worked to transition this ’33 Ford Sedan into a custom Sedan Delivery, the Seese’s ’33 is truly one of a kind. Setting it apart, first off, is the two-tone black and blue House of Kolor paint job, which was the only two-tone presentation to make it into the Great 8.

Underneath that glossy exterior are custom body panels, a complete 2005 Corvette suspension and transaxle, Budnik wheels, and an LS2 engine.

Inside, the car features a fully custom Blue and Taupe interior, complete with Cerullo seats, Dakota Digital gauges, an ISIS Intelligent Multiplex wiring system, and Vintage Air climate control system.

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Steve Tornari’s 1967 Chevy Nova

detroit_autorama_great8_12Designed and built by Miranda Built of Palm City, Florida, Tornari’s ’67 Nova is a fresh build if we ever saw one. Having just been finished on Tuesday March 4th (the show ran from March 7th through 8th), the car features a sleeked-down design evident of plenty of body modifications, as well as an amazing paint job laid by Charley Hutton- contributor of last year’s Ridler Award winner (as well as many others).

Under the hood, you’ll find a Hendrick-prepared, fuel-injected 355ci LS2 with custom manifolds and two Precision turbos. This setup is supported by a Ride Tech ShockWave-equipped suspension system, pushing 850hp to the Nova’s rear wheels.

Inside, the car features an Eric Brockmeyer-designed interior produced by Extreme Performance, complete with center console iPad-driven electronic controls.

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Rocky Boler’s 1933 Ford 5-window Coupe

Shaved down to emulate European lines mixed with American hot rod style, Boler’s coupe is chopped four inches and channelled by three. Up front, the car features a fully custom grille with integrated radiator cover while the rear of the Ford was completely reworked for the custom affair. Also scratch done, are the wheel wells, which were completely relocated to get the proper stance and body flow. This car is truly a new creation, from the frame to the body to the interior, making it a no-brainer for the Great 8.

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J.F. Launier’s 1964 Buick Riviera

Owned and built by Launier, this ’64 Riviera is virtually all hand-formed. Unlike many Ridler contenders that are built specifically as show queens, Rivision, as Launier calls his car, was actually built to eventually be a road racer. Still, with the expertly massaged body panels and sleek yellow paint scheme, it’s evident why this Buick made it into one of the top Ridler contending positions.

But this car is more than great looks. Because there are ulterior motives brewing behind its wheel, the car is equipped with a unique 6.2L LS/ twin trunk-mounted turbocharger setup good for 850hp. Can anyone say unconventional Ridler contender?

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Don & Carolyn Smith’s 1932 Ford Fordor Sedan

This pillarless ’32 is of unique note among the Great 8, as it was designed and assembled using the classic 50s and 60s hot rod styling cues. That means that most of the parts put on this beauty by Texas-based Hot Rods by JSK are period correct.

But this isn’t just a modified ride meant to look like a new 50s or 60s-built hot rod. Rather it’s a completely new body fabricated to look like builds from the period it’s meant to emulate.detroit_autorama_great8_23

The result is this Thunderbird 312ci-V8 powered custom, complete with rare Hilborn injection (converted to digital), T-5 Chevy 5-speed transmission, chrome Winters quick change rearend, and redesigned 1939 Lincoln brakes.

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Brian & Gianna Ganos’ 1969 RS/SS Camaro

Not your grandfather’s first-gen Camaro, this cherry Chevy is another Great 8 car painted by Charley Hutton. The custom pro-touring design of the Camaro can be credited to Larry Williams, the build to Jim Hubbell, and the interior to M&M Hot Rods. Other well-known contributors to this 427ci-wielding, Tremec T56 slamming, Baer 6S brake-bearing ride are Greening Auto Company and Advanced Plating.detroit_autorama_great8_7

Truly built by some of the greatest in the industry, this pro-touring Camaro not only made its name at the Detroit Autorama as a Great 8, it also upped the ante in the pro-touring community ten-fold.

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Dan Duffy’s 1956 Chevy 210

Another non-show queen in the Great 8, this ’56 Chevy 210 was built to drive, but it’s far from a derelict with metal work done by Tom Manner and its vibrant paint job laid by Thunder Valley Customs. Under the hood you’ll find an LS3 capable of producing 480hp.

Inside, the M&M Hot Rods interior provides plenty of style while still keeping things simple. Not a bad way to spend several grand! And to think, in the near future, you could actually see this thing driving around to your local car shows.

detroit_autorama_great8_13John & Phyllis Sadler’s 1957 Chevy Bel Air Hardtop

Last but certainly not least in the Great 8 is this ’57 Bel Air Hardtop. Starting off with the car’s body, every panel was massaged in some way, including the 1 1/2-inch chopped roof, custom hood, custom front valance, and one-piece front bumper. Powering this beast is a Chevy LS7 engine tied to a 4L60E automatic transmission and Heidts IRS.

With a custom leather interior fabricated by Chuck Rowland, this classic Tri-Five is well worth a second look.

Now these are just the Great 8, so if you’d like to see who actually won the 2014 Ridler Award, you’ll have to jump over to our announcement HERE! Happy browsing (and drooling)!

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About the author

Lindsey Fisher

Lindsey is a freelance writer and lover of anything with a rumble. Hot rods, muscle cars, motorcycles - she's owned and driven it all. When she's not busy writing about them, she's out in her garage wrenching away. Who doesn't love a tech-savy gal that knows her way around a garage?
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