Beauty & POWER
January 2, 2025
THE AUTO BUILDER
Featured
Literally Lightning
From showstopper murals to Nitrous Express-fueled speed, Darren Pellechia’s 2002 Ford SVT Lightning lives up to its name in every way. Don’t be fooled by the lowered stance and sleek custom bodywork – this truck packs a punch under the hood with a 75hp nitrous system and tuned Eaton-supercharged engine. Inside, Von Otto murals and premium sound complete the package, making this Lightning a true masterpiece on wheels.
A TRIBUTE ROADSTER
It all started with my buddy Dave Collins, a flooring contractor who happened to own a ’55 DeSoto sedan, complete with terminal rust. I told him I would be interested in buying the engine,” says Jim Moore, owner of this roadster. “He replied that if I would buy the entire car, he would sell me new carpet for cost plus five percent; this enabled me to haul the DeSoto hulk home and part it out without any complaints from my wife as she gained new carpet in the deal.” And so it goes in the world of hot rodding!
MAINTAINING YOUR BATTERY
There is nothing more aggravating than having a dead battery, and it always occurs at the least opportune times. Our street rods are often stored or sit for periods of time. How many times have you decided the weather was perfect for an afternoon cruise and had a problem cranking the car?
Spotlighter
PANDEMONIUM IN POMONA
The 59th Annual Grand National Roadster Show Was Better Than Ever
When it comes to indoor car shows, the Grand National Roadster Show is, and always has been, one of the finest in the country. This show originated in the Bay Area, and for years it became known as the Oakland Roadster Show.
Author
Jeff Tann
Words & Photography
The Move from Oakland to Pomona
After losing its venue as a result of renovations at the Oakland Coliseum, the show moved to San Francisco, South San Francisco and San Mateo. All of the venues in the Bay Area, including the Oakland Coliseum, were small, and so the show was moved south and held at the spacious Pomona fairgrounds. The gamble paid off, because this show has been getting bigger and better every year. Fortunately, the move didn’t seem to make a difference to northern Californians, as they still attend the show in large numbers.
This Year’s Show: The Biggest Yet
As we said, this year’s show was the biggest yet and was expanded to eight huge fairgrounds buildings, with the space between them filled with vendors displaying everything from radiators to car lifts. John Buck, the owner/promoter, has done a fine job with this event, and it remains the show to attend, especially for roadster owners and builders.
America’s Most Beautiful Roadster Competition
The show’s main attraction is the America’s Most Beautiful Roadster (AMBR) award, and this year was no exception. As usual, there was a large field of cars competing for the title, and all were exceptional. Included in the field of cars was our personal favorite, the original and completely restored Ala Cart that was recently completed by Roy Brizio Street Rods. The show winner this year was a wild ’32 roadster that belongs to Rudy Necoechea from Sherman Oaks, California. This unbelievably detailed roadster takes high-tech to new levels and was a first-time AMBR win for the builder and owner.
Elegant Customs and Top Designers
Elegant customs also have been a big part of this show, and that certainly hasn’t changed. One of the buildings was filled with some of the finest customs in the country, including nice examples from master designers such as John D’Agostino and Richard Zocchi. Many other nice examples were seen at the show, and all of the cars were fantastic.
Primer Rods and Cultural Nostalgia
John Buck has also recognized younger rodders and their attraction to primer rods. He had one building filled with primer rods and quite a few nice nostalgic street rods. When we walked into that building, it was obvious this was more than a building filled with primer rods; for these folks, this is a cultural experience.
More Than Just a Street Rod Show
Many people think this is just a street rod show, but it’s much more than that. There were some nice street machines, muscle cars and classics in the show that were outstanding. In the past, this show also featured nice motorcycles, and there was a huge fairgrounds building with some of the finest motorcycles in the country. Some may consider this a local show, but we saw people from all over the world in attendance, including many celebrities. If you always wanted to attend this famous show, we recommend it, because it’s always fun and filled with some of the finest cars in the country.
George Barris built the Ala Cart and won the AMBR trophy with it in 1962. The pickup was eventually cast aside and even caught on fire at some time in the past, but it was always recognized as an icon. When John Mumford purchased the pickup, he took it to Roy Brizio, where it was faithfully restored. We never saw the car when it was new, but if it looked this good, it’s obvious why it won the AMBR trophy.
The AMBR winner this year is this wild gold ’32 roadster that belongs to Rudy Necoechea from Sherman Oaks, California. The extremely high-tech rod was built by Scott’s Hot Rods ’N Customs in Oxnard, California. The roadster is wild and beautifully detailed, but the metal seats don’t look too comfortable.
If you mate a ’32 Ford roadster with a ’40 Ford, this is what you will get. Sam Magarino from Sparta, New Jersey, created and designed the wild gold roadster. The car’s detailing and craftsmanship were exceptional.
Another contender for the AMBR trophy was this low-slung roadster, which is powered by a wild Hemi engine. Bill Williams from West Valley, Utah, is the owner and creator of this wild roadster.
The late Doan Spencer built one of the finest and most famous roadsters of all time, and this car is a tribute to that roadster. This beautiful black ’32 belongs to Dennis Higginbotham from Pomona.
Larry Kline from Vacaville, California, built this strong-running and hard-to-miss ’41 Willys coupe. The nice blue car is accented with a wild flame paint job and rolls on traditional Halibrand wheels.
One of our personal favorites at the show is this traditional ’32 roadster running a healthy Chrysler Hemi engine. George Prajin from Huntington Beach is the owner of this beautiful copper ragtop.
Sedan deliveries have always been popular with enthusiasts because they were fun at drive-in movies, and one of the most popular was the ’48 Chevy. This one features a super-low stance, an Olds grille and a nice candy-red paint job. James Connerley brought this car to the show from Carmichael, California.
One of our personal favorite cars in the show is this elegant blue ’35 Ford Touring car. The blue car looks great with the white top, white interior and whitewall tires. Roy Brizio Street Rods built the rare and elegant Touring car for Peter Prescott from South San Francisco, California.
This zoomie ’37 Chevy coupe incorporates a wide variety of custom tricks to look this wild. A few include a chopped top, a curved windshield, suicide doors and modified running boards. Mike Hess from Salt Lake City, Utah, owns this nice-looking Chevy.
Rad Rides by Troy built this wild ’36 Ford coupe, and you have to look closely to see all the ingenious craftsmanship. The elegant three-window belongs to Ross and Beth Myers.
This ’33 Ford roadster features a variety of body modifications and a sprint-car-style nose. The red-and-black roadster has a built Flathead engine that was outfitted with aluminum heads and a tri-power intake topped by three Stromberg carburetors. The car was designed and built by Dale Renner over a 12-year period.
Every year John D’Agostino builds a new custom, and this time he started with a ’61 Oldsmobile convertible. This car features a chopped top, candy-red paint and custom aluminum work on the side. It rolls on wire wheels wrapped with whitewall tires.
We saw a super-low ’41 Willys, and now we see one done in the old gasser style. This ’41 Willys might have been influenced by the late Big John Mazmanian’s gasser, because it’s candy red and has a healthy, blown big-block Chevy engine. Chris Dianda brought the car to the show from Reno, Nevada.
Many of the gas class racers switched from the ’41 Willys to the lighter ’33 Willys, and they are still popular today. This nice ’33 coupe features an injected small-block Chevy engine that is detailed to perfection. John Mai from Friendswood, Texas, owns this nice coupe.
Many of the gas class racers switched from the ’41 Willys to the lighter ’33 Willys, and they are still popular today. This nice ’33 coupe features an injected small-block Chevy engine that is detailed to perfection. John Mai from Friendswood, Texas, owns this nice coupe.
Richard Zocchi is a prolific custom builder, and he also started with a ’61 Oldsmobile hardtop. The Olds features a chopped top, fender skirts and a wild light lavender-pearl paint scheme.
Joe Moreno started with a ’41 Ford sedan and definitely made a wide variety of changes that turned it into an elegant custom. The top was chopped; it was turned into a hardtop; the fenders were extended alongside the body; the fenders feature stacked headlights; and the beautiful body was painted light green.
One building was filled with hot street machines, and one of the entries was this wild ’67 Nova that features an elegant two-tone paint scheme and a healthy Chevy engine. The car rolls on large-diameter wheels with low-profile tires. Maurie Hoover from Elk Creek, California, designed and built this wild Chevy.
This black-and-silver fastback is one hot pony. The ’65 Mustang fastback features a twin-turbocharged engine, large-diameter wheels and low-profile tires.
Super Stock racers loved the ’62 Chevy bubbletops and made them famous on the track. Today they are still a street machine favorite, and Dennis McClendon from Mesa, Arizona, turned this 409- powered ’62 Chevy into a wild one.
This has to be one of the wildest second-generation Camaros we’ve ever seen. The black beauty features an awesome set of wheels and tires, and an extremely strong-running and nicely detailed blown Arias engine is used for power.
This has to be one of the wildest second-generation Camaros we’ve ever seen. The black beauty features an awesome set of wheels and tires, and an extremely strong-running and nicely detailed blown Arias engine is used for power.
Christian Prusia from Portland, Oregon, decided to build a wild street machine out of a ’63 Chevy Impala, and it turned out great. The nice street machine features a silver body with a maroon top and interior. It rolls on large-diameter wheels with low-profile tires.
This light yellow ’57 Chevy was looking great with the low stance and large-diameter wheels with low-profile tires. James Jones brought the clean hardtop to the show from Ogden, Utah.
This nice ’32 Ford roadster features pearl-tangerine paint with flames, and it looks great from top to bottom. The nice roadster belongs to Jim Moore and calls Arlington, Texas, home.
There was no lack of nice pickups at the show, and this clean, white ’51 Chevy was a dazzler. Michael Neri from Roseville, California, is the owner and designer.
Some rodders have the need for speed, so Gabe Rodriguez from Harahan, Louisiana, built this wild, injected, Hemi- powered ’32 Ford roadster to satisfy his craving. The car stood out because it was covered with beautiful silver paint and displayed excellent craftsmanship.
If you want to know what a professional drag racer builds for kicks, check out this wild, blown, Hemi-powered Deuce roadster. Gary Beck’s roadster features traditional styling, and it’s definitely a ground-pounder that can accelerate almost as well as a Top Fueler.
This clean, green ’32 roadster looks just like another nice highboy, but it generates more interest when you see that it’s powered by a dual-quad 409 Chevy engine. Ray Thompson from Orange, California, owns this nice roadster.
If we could have any street rod in this show in our garage, this would be the one we would pick. This nice, traditionally styled ’32 three-window coupe is extremely straight and features a healthy Ardun Flathead engine for power. John Lawson from Fresno, California, owns the striking coupe.
A close look at this flamed ’39 sedan reveals some mighty big rear tires to handle the strong-running 454 Chevy engine. The wild sedan features a variety of custom body modifications and rolls on Budnik wheels. The nice car is owned and was built by Tim Jent with some help from Gary Ross.
This ’32 roadster has a long and illustrious history, having been featured in Hop Up magazine in 1952. Jack Stirnemann from St. Louis, Missouri, restored the car to perfection, and it looks like a time capsule from the past.
Highboys seem to be the hot ticket for many cars, and that even includes ’32 Ford coupes. This nice dark green ’32 features a steel body with a 2-5/8-inch chopped top. Robert Knight from Albuquerque, New Mexico, built the nice 283 Chevy-powered coupe.
Enthusiasts were falling in love with this traditionally styled ’39 Ford convertible. The nice Ford features a super-straight black body and a red interior that ties in with the red wheels that are wrapped with whitewall tires. Roy Brizio Street Rods built the convertible for J.J. Barnhardt.
All of GM’s bubbletop offerings in the early ’60s were great-looking cars. The ’61 Pontiac Ventura is one of our personal favorites, and Richard Long’s white Ventura is a fine example with eight-lug wheels.
We like the treatment on this ’54 Chevrolet 210. Clean and tasteful, this Chevrolet proves that great hot rods can be built with a pre-’55 sedan. The silver sedan hails from Claremont, California.
There seems to be no end in sight for America’s love affair with the Cobra. This Factory Five replica was nicely finished in orange and white. John Cameron of Gardena, California, is the resident snake handler.
Candy-red paint graces this gorgeous ’62 Corvette. Big billet five-spokes lend a contemporary flair to the car
Paul Powell brought his mild sports Corvette to the show. Finished in flawless red paint, the blue-flame six has been replaced by modern V-8 power. This Vette is a local cruiser that calls Pomona home.
When it comes to muscle cars, it’s just hard to beat the plain-and-simple treatment. A subtle color, dog-dish hubcaps and a healthy motor are all it takes to build a real muscle car. This Camaro is a fine example of the breed.
