No they do not want a finished car shown before the show opens....the cars has to seen by the public for the first time when the show opens...... Guys and Denise...let me tell you building a ridler car will drive you fucking nuts..I built a roadster for the 50th, we got on the front row of the show!!! when they put us there I was all giddy like a school girl, then Chip showed up with the Grand Master...Then Alloway ....I wanted to shoot myself in the head!!!! I polished every bolt nut and washer, ground the block smooth, indexed all the screws and bolts cut threads so there were only three threads showing, shaved tires so there were no marking on them indexed the tires, had custom wheels made, counted threads on the stitching on the interior so they were the same on both sides, ground the rear end smooth, chrome everything I could, and polished everything I could, painted everything I could, built a bitching display!!!! I was on cloud nine!!! when they were picking the Great Eight a judge walked up and look at the car grabbed my judges book said " OH ITS GOT AN AXLE IN THE FRONT" put the book down and walked away I asked what happened, one told me that a "CAR WITH AN AXLE WILL NEVER WIN"......till this year!!!! Then on Friday morning I overheard some respected people in the industry say they had the winner picked on Thursday night! Was it an experience YES! would I do it again NO!!!! It was was like taking a pair of nail clippers to a gun fight!!!
Actually this year is the first time the GRNS will have that rule, they have given the "big cheese award"(as Frank Mack use to call it) to several former Ridler winners in the past, the Ridler Award has always had this rule. Also I get to see the judging, it takes a very long time and it is precise,.... They never choose a winner early, every contender is looked at very carefully and considered, it is weeded out to the "Great 8". and the judging staff rejudges those cars holding a number of meetings and going back to several cars many times as they thin out the pack to the winner.
At this level of dollars, time and prestige how could there not be. The little guy has been out of this loop for quite some time. Frank
Well, yes and no. Harry Willett got a great 8 followed by winning the AMBR. This is a owner built car, under construction near 10 years.Watched him build it. Harry has a network of talented friends in the chicago area that helped somewhat.He's no stranger to show politics, been deep in the indoor car show thing for 30 years.Like some of the comments made, Im more impressed with how your car runs down the road than how nice the body gaps are, but I still admire the skill and craftsmanship wether its a pro builder or a guy in his garage.
that truck as long as the display is done is set to debut in Pomona. Its almost completely built in a two car garage in Indy, paint work and assembly being done at troys along with some billet pieces. One guy and his helper who also works for me built this truck over the last few years.
There is so much involved with getting a car to the level to even be competitive for the Ridler that most people aren't willing to put that much time into.It is ridiculous what HAS to be done to even qualify for the "Great 8",and once you get there its really just up to the judges as top which car gets the big trophy.I think the AMBR is doing the right thing by changing the rules to compete for this award.The roadster that won the AMBR a couple of years ago that was in the Great 8 in 2007,was IMO,a travesty to the overall significance to the AMBR.
I feel fortunate that I got to see at least one Detroit Autorama. I got to see first hand the Ridler contenders and it was truly jaw dropping. There is a place for this kind of competition. There are folks with unlimited money, there are people with out of this world skillsets. These combined make for some real amazing vehicles. Sometimes I sit back and say to myself " If I could build any car in the world, and skill and money were not a consideration , what would I build?" You can see a dozen personal answers to that question competing for the Ridler - Nothing wrong with that. In fact its amazing to see cars whose display alone has cost more than any car I've ever built. Hats off to all that compete!
i,ll be there with one a r.p.u. its a nice driver and by no meens a ridler or even close but its cool and fast and hey i can drive it anywhere and thats how i like them if you can,t drive it and enjoy it its not a car its a braging right i suppose see you in the basement.b.
The level of those vehicles is awe inspiring, and way way over the top. But to me, the Ridler Award is fantasy land. Personally, to put the Ridler Award winner car into perspective, with anything I have, or will ever own-would be like me trying to beat Tiger Woods in a golf match. (And that has nothing to do with his sexual prowess.) I tend to live in the real world that surrounds me.
There is one coming from the Seattle area, but dont think its more then a top 8 contender. I always thought that no pictures of the car can be posted if it is a contender...so its a full surprise.. hearing it can be in bare metal is news to me.
Harry is a very talented builder and is no stranger to building wild show cars. The fact that he is involved in the builds means a lot to me. The Ridler contenders used to be a pretty level playing field back in the 70's, 80's and even part of the 90's. The debut of the Grand Master seemed to take eveything to a new level. Completely out of the realm and talent of the above average car builder. I became an ISCA judge in the 70's. It taught me alot about the do's and don'ts In the 70's and early 80's I would attend Detroit and study the Ridler contenders for an entire day, yes, all friggin day long. Taking 100's of pictures. We took a car to Detroit in '08 and stayed in the basement the whole time. I never stopped and looked at any of the great eight the entire weekend. For what ever reason I have lost all interest in a vehicle that can't and/or won't ever be driven and enjoyed. (just my opinion so no need to comment). Merry Christmas to all and Happy New Year!!!!
Hey MercDeuceMan, what is your name? I "played" on the circuit from the late 70's thru the mid 80's building/assembling cars and touring them from city to city. Below is a car that I assembled & toured for Mike Atzenhoffer for several years back in the early 80's.
Let's see, The Godfather would have been on top of it's game right in the late 70's and early 80's. I'd have to get the Showstopper tearbooks to see exactly what years.... My name Brent is John Cooper. I was a judge in the Great Lakes Division from 77 thru 85. Spent 11 years 1975 to 1986 building a 32 Ford to compete in Detroit. Ran the circuit with a top 10 finish in the division. Back then few if any car owners had the cash or resources to have a car designed and built. The year I made the Top 5 (there was no "Great 8" back then) 4 of 5 were basically home built with some help from a professional shop. No ego trips, just cars built to the best of the car owners ability with extreme attention to functionality, creativity and detail ( and a points sheet). Back then, it certainly wasn't like it seems today.
So now the two biggest custom automotive pissing contests are having a pissing contest with each other to see who can attract previously unshown cars? And the point is????????
i remember seeing the Godfather at the WoW in Kansas City as a kid, I remember my dad pulling me away from it after just standing there staring at it, it sucked me in like a bug to a bug zapper, lol
Dead Pan, I think I brought the Godfather to KC twice. As I recall, we showed in Bartle Hall didn't we? I also toured a bike with me. I actually lived in a hotel for about 25 weeks a year traveling from town to town like a gypsy! I think KC was a 4A show, so we generally started setting up on Thursday morning and had to be ready to show by 4PM on Friday afternoon. Then after awards presentation on Sun evening, we started tearing down. I generally got the displays disassembled and the car & bike loaded into the trailer about the time the sun was coming up Mon morning. Then I would go back to the hotel and sleep until late check-out before rolling out for the next town. Hey John, I travelled the GL division quite a bit too, --and even won it for Mike in '82 or '83. I may be wrong but back then I think there were way more cars that were being pro-built for customers that toured them on the ISCA circuit than you may have known, ...but we just did not have the communications like we find with today's internet. For example, Jerry Pennington owned a shop in Michigan and not only built a couple of top winning cars for himself, but also built a car that won the Grande Champion in the late 70's for someone else. There was a purple '64 Corvette out of the St. Louis called Centurian that was pro built by a guy in IL. There was also a '48 Austin panel truck called MegaTron that toured in the early '80s which was owned by Steve Levis that was pro built for him. Larry & Judi Murray had Boyd C. build their '33 that they were showing back then. Daryl Peveto built a '67 Mustang called Wildfire for a couple from Texas that toured & competed with us on the circuit. There were actually several other cars too. While I was not a "pro" back then in my early 20s, I was actually put on Mike's payroll to disassemble his car, farm out what items I could not do myself, and then re-assemble the car. While he helped do some little things on the car (and big things like sign checks), most (95%) of it was done by me or others. For example, I did some of the bodywork and then hauled it to the painter. The late Dick Vale was was one of those, ...and we also had Vic Kitchens do the interior. I would bodywork and paint small items in kandy kolors, fab small items, and detail & prep parts to be plated. Then I would assemble the project. THEN, there were several of us guys (and Ermie even had a girl handler) that made our living hauling the show cars from town to town. Sometimes the owners would fly into a show but many times, we might only see them once every 4 - 6 weeks or so. My point is while things may appear to be totally different now, just like almost everything else in life, the bar has been raised from what it was a few short decades ago. In some ways, I feel things are still the same. It's just the goals that seem unobtainable to us back then were indeed obtained and now we have set the goal further out. One other point I would like to make is I have been fortunate to be around many "goldchainers" and 'bucks-up' people most of my adult life in the car hobby. Even today, my customers would be stereotyped as "well-healed financially" but ironically what I have noticed all through the years is the larger majority of these people who have cars built could do the majority of the work on their own vehicles themselves, ...yet choose to run their business making money and hire the work done. Believe it or not, the amount of satisfaction these type of car owners get is generally NOT one bit less the amount of satisfaction that car owners that do 100% of the work building their own car! Believe this or not, I really enjoy the building & execution of a car but don't really enjoy driving it afterwards. That is why owning a restoration & rod shop is more suited to my likes. Thus it is all about the goals, ...and being able to achieve them. To many here, it may be the ultimate goal to build 100% of the car themselves, --or to be able to set a budget of $15K and come in under the budget. To others is to have a vision (a goal) and enjoy a shop creating it just like a Japanese Steakhouse cooks a meal in front of you & I. And then, there are some who goal is to see a far-fetched dream turn into a vision where the owner partners with a team who can assemble it to meet the goal. To a few, that goal is to win AMBR, the Millwinder, or Ridler Award. I don't think any of us should look differently upon, --or feel like it is less of an accomplishment just because something has moved to a level which it is unlikely for us to compete in. Heck, with the resources I have in my shop right now, if I could go back in time some 20 years ago, I could likely field a competitive car in NHRA Pro Stock or Nascar. No way it could happen today though. (I would love to have the opportunity to shadow Chad Knaus or Alan Johnson for just one year. )
yea brent it was bartle hall in downtown k.c., I was able to go to the show a few times as a kid with my dad but my grandfather wouldnt take me or even go cause of daryl starbird, seems they had some kinda run in when they were kids in kansas in thier younger years, even thou my grandfather was heavy in custom and race cars, if he heard the name daryl starbird he would get all kinds of angry and basically tell my parents I shouldnt go to any event he or his cars were at. To this day I have no clue as to why and my grandfather took that grudge to the grave with him
I guess you will have to ask ISCA and the folks at GNRS, like I said sence it's inception in 1964 the Ridler was a special award for first time shown cars.
For whatever reason people choose to bash the competition, I still think it's pretty cool that there is enough passion that people want to compete. It's even cooler that there is enough talent to take to competition to the level it has achieved. As much hell as they catch, imagine this hobby without some of those "high rollers" & pro builders. They usually don't build my kinda car but I love seeing what Chip, Troy, Alloway & so many others crank out. I'll never build anything nearly as nice but seeing what is possible sure makes me want to be better. JH
It was no surprise to anyone once they glanced at all the cars that year that the Grand Master was going to run away with it. I'm no one in the industry, just an average Joe, yet during set up that year I'm sure I said, along with many others, that the winner was already picked out. Not meaning that the judges already had their minds set BUT because the Grand Master was so head and shoulders above the rest of the contenders and that doesn't mean the other contenders were not up to par but that the bar was once again set higher then it had ever been. On a side note, the Grand Master debuted at the Detroit Autorama that winter and in June I saw it blasting down the highway next to the Adams Mark Hotel in Indy. How cool is it to treat a car so awsome as that like a real car and not just a piece of art. Hats off to Bill Wydel for building and driveable such an incerdiable piece of machinery. I don't remember there being a paint booth at Troy's place. I thought he always sent out his paint work. Has that changed??
I RESPECT what goes into the building of those cars, but don't agree with it. I say it should be more like build the car and DRIVE it too the show. yea, my cars aren't perfect, and i'm the first to admit it, but I drive that shit! last year we drove 3 cars to detroit autorama, got a little mention, people freaked. this year i'm driving to gnrs. being show in the main hall, will be critisized and picked apart,will come home with my head between my legs. but, I will have 3 cars there that I have been part of , and that feels good.
Yup Wes drives the hell out of Grand Master...even in the Rain!!!! very cool!!! Hey Denise!!! I have your package ready to go, It will go out on Monday! John
right on!!! the 10 yr old in me loves your builds!!! that truck isn't eligible for the riddler if pics are on the net, if I understand the rules correctly
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