PLAYING FAVORITES
July 6, 2023
THE AUTO BUILDER
Featured
PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT: Stainless Headers MFG’s Ceramic Coating Service Has You Covered
There are plenty of jobs you can tackle in your own garage. Professionally ceramic coating a set of headers probably shouldn’t be one of them. Sure, you can buy products that promise a ceramic-like finish at home, but getting the kind of results you’d expect on a professionally built car is another story. Proper ceramic coating requires serious surface preparation, specialized application equipment, controlled temperatures and proper curing. Get any part of that wrong and the finished product may not look—or perform—the way you expected.
CANADIAN R’EVOLUTION
If you don’t know the name J.F. Launier, you soon will, as this young craftsman has made a big impression on the hot rodding world in recent years, and from the looks of this, his latest project, he’ll be well represented in the decades to come.
PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT: Intellitronix Analog Gauge Panel for Squarebody GM Trucks (1973–1987)
Bring your Squarebody’s dash into the modern era with the Intellitronix Analog Replacement Gauge Panel (AP6004) — a killer upgrade that blends classic analog style with next-gen performance and precision.
Spotlighter
Beech Bend’s Best at the Tri-Five Nationals 2025
Our picks from the Top 25 and beyond that demanded a closer look
Author
Jamie Dent
Photography by Scott Killeen
A 70-Year Legacy Roars into Bowling Green
Bowling Green, Kentucky, shook with the sound of small-blocks, big-blocks, and boosted beasts as the 10th Annual Tri-Five Nationals rolled into Beech Bend Raceway Park—and this anniversary party didn’t just meet expectations, it blew the doors off. For three sun-soaked days, the grounds became a living museum of ’55, ’56, and ’57 Chevrolets, packed tighter than the Friday night cruise at your favorite burger stand.
This year marked 70 years since the 1955 Chevy hit the streets, kicking off a three-year run that forever changed the automotive landscape. And judging by the rows of spotless Bel Airs, hardtop sedans, wicked gassers, and full-tilt pro-touring machines, the legend is alive, well, and meaner than ever. Everywhere you turned, there was another masterpiece—whether it was a flawless restoration, a ground-shaking drag car, or a radical custom that pushed the envelope.
The Best of the Best
With so much iron on display, the judges had their work cut out for them, but the Top 25 list delivered the cream of the crop—cars that blend killer craftsmanship with that undeniable Tri-Five soul. We also spotted plenty of non-award builds that deserved a second (and third) look, proving that sometimes the best finds are off the trophy list.
Tri-Five of the Year Winner – 1955 Chevrolet Cameo
Owner: Curt Wittman
Builder: Curt Wittman & McLin Paint Works
Fresh off its June 5 completion, Curt Wittman’s 1955 Chevrolet Cameo “Fine Whine” rolled into the Tri-Five Nationals and drove away with Tri-Five of the Year honors. Built by Curt and McLin Paint Works, this pro-touring masterpiece rides on a full Bodie Stroud chassis with Ridetech coilovers, Wilwood brakes, and Schott wheels. Power comes from a Whipple-supercharged GM LS3 pushing 672 rwhp through a 4L80E, with custom stainless exhaust singing out back. Draped in Axalta Red Merlot trim coat, the Cameo features a full leather interior by Elegance Auto Interiors and an audiophile-grade system from The Art of Sound and LIS Audio. Stunning from every angle, it’s a showpiece that’s every bit as potent as it looks.
1955 Chevrolet 210
Top 25
1955 Chevrolet Bel Air
Top 25
Owners: Mike & Brenda Krampe
1955 Chevrolet Nomad
Top 25
Owner: George Michel II
1956 Chevrolet 210 Sport Coupe
Top 25 & Coolest Tri-Five- Presented by Matson’s Custom Radiator
Owner/Builder: Brent Lovern
1956 Chevrolet Nomad
Top 25
1957 Chevrolet Bel Air Convertible
Top 25
Owner/Restorer: Marv Duryee
Standouts Off the Scorecard
Killer builds that didn’t crack the Top 25—but still stole the show
1957 Chevrolet 3100 “Genesis”
Builder/Owner: Chris Stafford of Stafford’s Garage
Some trucks look tough. This one is tough. Odie Hughes’ 1957 Chevrolet 3100, built by Stafford’s Garage in the middle of a Mississippi cornfield, is what happens when you take a brand-new Premier Street Rods body, drop it on a fully detailed Roadster Shop RS4 chassis, and throw subtlety out the window. It’s lifted, loud, and dripping with the kind of details that make other builders quietly mutter “well, damn.” One-off Greening Auto Company wheels and taillights? Check. Molded drip rails, radiused doors, welded seams, and a fuel filler trick enough to make a machinist grin? All here. Under the hood, a 525-horse LS3 pretends to be a big-block thanks to custom valve covers and a slick air cleaner, while the engine bay is so clean you could eat off it—though the owner would probably tackle you before you tried.
Inside, it’s pure bespoke luxury, right down to the scratch-built interior and electric running boards that vanish when the doors shut. The bed’s stained wood floor wears automotive clear, the tailgate letters are hand-brushed like they were in ’57, and every inch of trim is Cerakoted to match those killer Greening wheels. This ’57 was a Goodguys Truck of the Year Early finalist, landed in the Top 3 in SEMA’s Battle of the Builders 4×4 class, and cracked the Top 12 overall. Sharp, capable, and dripping with craftsmanship, it easily earned its spot as one of our favorites at the show.
