Event Coverage From The 2023 Pittsburgh World Of Wheels

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania is known as the “Steel City” and it lived up to that name when the MAXmotive World of Wheels presented by NAPA came to town. The David Lawrence Convention Center in downtown Pittsburgh was ground zero for the show, and it featured an astonishing amount of well-built regional rides.

Rebel With A Cause

Gerry Kerna’s 1930 Model A sedan known as “Rebel A” grabbed our attention right away. Creative Rod & Kustom really went all-out on this build for Kerna. Rebel is the kind of build you could spend hours looking at and picking out all the modifications that have been made across the vehicle.

Kerna was very hands-on in the design of Rebel and Creative Rod & Kustom executed her vision to perfection. The Roadster Shop custom chassis, bodywork by Creative Rod & Kustom, interior from BUX Customs, and Cadillac engine built by “Fast Eddie” Eckenrode all work together perfectly.

The restomod scene continues to grow and flourish across the country. Gil Berry brought out his immaculate 1960 Corvette to the World of Wheels and it had its fair share of fans. Berry’s Corvette really hits on all cylinders thanks to a super clean look. The car’s paint is on the money, the LS3 engine looks perfectly at home under the Corvette’s hood, and the interior is tastefully done. It’s really cool to see so many modern touches folded into a classic without taking away from the car’s iconic looks.

A Fine Ford F-100

The Ford F-100 was one of the first trucks that hot rodders tore into when they started customizing anything with a bed. Chris and Kristina Cossell’s 1955 Ford F-100 is a classic-looking build with a mean streak. The truck is powered by a 347 cubic-inch Ford Racing engine that feeds on 110-octane racing fuel. Civit Collison placed the F-100’s body on a Fat Man Fabrications chassis that features a 4-link rear suspension, coil over shocks, and narrowed 9-inch rearend. The F-100 is covered in a nice shade of 1955 Ford Waterfall Blue to give it that perfect vintage look.

Zingers On Display

Dennis Johnson created the Zingers in 1970 as model cars that used one scale for the body, and a larger one for the engine to give them a wild look. The MPC model car company saw potential in Johnson’s Zingers and wanted to create model car kits based on them. MPC also wanted full-size versions of the Zingers built, so Chuck Miller and Steve Tansy were selected to generate the larger versions. The Zingers model cars and their full-size counterparts were a massive hit and went on to be a big part of 1970s car culture.

Every World of Wheels show has some cool opportunities to meet actors, musicians, racers, and other celebrities.

The Barn Find

Chris Cossell may have drug his 1972 Chevelle out of a barn when he first got it, but after some hard work, it looks better than new. The Chevelle appears fairly stock on the surface, but when you start peeling back its layers, you’ll find all kinds of goodies. Under the hood is a 406 cubic-inch small block Chevy that’s being fed a lot of air courtesy of an F-1A ProCharger supercharger. The chassis has been outfitted with QA1 shocks and Baer brakes. Cossell brought the Chevelle back to life with parts from AMD Sheetmetal and Original Parts Group.

Feisty Firebird

Larry Boyd bought his Firebird new in 1968 and has been the only owner. The Pontiac has evolved past its stock form and now sports a rowdy 548 horsepower 406 cubic-inch mill that was built by Dargy Racing Engines. Superior Finishes made sure Boyd’s Firebird would have immaculate bodywork. Lyon’s Custom Trim revitalized the interior of the Firebird to make it look better than ever. Boyd’s Machine & Metal Finishing took care of the chrome, polishing, and intricately machined parts.

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Killer COPO

If you knew what boxes to check in 1969, you could order one of the most iconic muscle cars ever, the COPO Camaro. This COPO example was originally sold at Frost Motors in Mechanicsburg, Ohio sporting a 427 cubic-inch big block that cranked out 425 horsepower. Jeff and Tammi Spradlin are the current owners of this Camaro that still has its original drivetrain, interior, and paint.

Sho Bird: The 2022 Ridler Winner

Winning the Ridler Award is a big deal, and when you take a look at Rick and Patty Bird’s 1931 Chevrolet Independence coupe you can see why it was bestowed with the trophy. The first thing you notice is all of the exposed turbo plumbing that connects the 72mm turbos to the 509 cubic-inch big block Chevy engine. Bird spent a lot of time massaging the Chevy’s body to create a unique look that’s covered in a mixture of PPG Vibrance Wineberry and Orange Glow paint. The Sho Bird is outfitted with enough chrome to make any truck driver jealous.

About the author

Brian Wagner

Spending his childhood at different race tracks around Ohio with his family’s 1967 Nova, Brian developed a true love for drag racing. Brian enjoys anything loud, fast, and fun.
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