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Event Coverage America's Most Beautiful Roadster

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by Ryan, Feb 6, 2023.

  1. Ryan
    Joined: Jan 2, 1995
    Posts: 21,632

    Ryan
    ADMINISTRATOR
    Staff Member

    Ryan submitted a new blog post:

    America's Most Beautiful Roadster

    [​IMG]

    Continue reading the Original Blog Post
     
  2. Tim
    Joined: Mar 2, 2001
    Posts: 17,086

    Tim
    Member
    from KCMO

    Agreed on all accounts.
     
  3. Fordors
    Joined: Sep 22, 2016
    Posts: 5,372

    Fordors
    Member

    Ryan, I couldn’t agree more with your commentary on the Roadster Show. But on the other hand the Coby coupe sends a mixed message to me. Is it an early ‘50’s fendered fuel coupe that sports ‘60’s injector stacks and zoomies?
    The paint job is high quality but I’ll never get used to that color palette.
     
  4. Curt Six
    Joined: Sep 19, 2002
    Posts: 992

    Curt Six
    Member

    Jack rules. I can't help but look at that car and think of the Khougaz roadster. Completely different cars...Jack's roadster isn't even channeled...but something about the profile. Maybe it's all in the soul.

    And congrats to my good pal @Cody Walls for taking an East Coast custom out west and standing tall. The Buick he built for his wife is bitchin...with or without headlights.
     
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  5. Ryan
    Joined: Jan 2, 1995
    Posts: 21,632

    Ryan
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    Coby is an artist. Coby knows aesthetics and reactions to them better than just about anyone I know. He built that car knowing most folks wouldn't get it... didn't care, built it anyway.

    I know some highly respected builders that can't stand that car... and I know some that respect the shit out of Bill and Coby for doing it.

    I like the car... but, I LOVE that they did it.

    100% my first thought as well.
     
  6. That's a pretty great little roadster, I wouldn't kick it out of the garage even with the big wheels. The striped coupe stopped my scrolling in my tracks. Wow! Having an idea like that and then seeing it through to completion does take some serious cajones! I love it though. I'm gonna build a model car with a similar paint scheme now.
     
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  7. I love GNRS. But it seems that the winner of AMBR usually has the longest list of who's who in the rodding world. Did you go Ryan? The Swillco roadster was more in line with my sensibilities. GNRS would do well to let a group of average hotrod guys judge for a year. Let's see what wins in that case.
     
  8. Ryan
    Joined: Jan 2, 1995
    Posts: 21,632

    Ryan
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    I think that's only natural. I mean, to build a car of that quality and to that level of fit and finish takes a whole lot of experience and talent. And to be a who's who, you gotta have experience and talent... so... I dunno... I guess it makes sense... But at the same time, I have zero interest in judging or, at the very least, judging on whatever the criteria is that they use while the car sits stationary indoors.

    At the end of the day, it's just not my bag... But, like I said, I get it. It's important.... and I do not think the political pull to win is quite as magnetic as some people think it is.

    I haven' been to the roadster show in five years. I actually planned on flying in this past Friday for quick run through the show as I wanted to play with my camera a bit, but we got hit with crazy weather and my flight got canceled.
     
  9. At least it will be easy to model that car. Build the AMT roadster kit stock, kit-bash in a set of Halibrands, squirt it with a coat of Rustoleum gloss black and voila!, a show stopper!!
     
  10. A Boner
    Joined: Dec 25, 2004
    Posts: 7,419

    A Boner
    Member

    Who does the judging, and where are they from?
     
  11. Ryan
    Joined: Jan 2, 1995
    Posts: 21,632

    Ryan
    ADMINISTRATOR
    Staff Member

    Which... isn't all the different from how I'd build it. I'm all for breaking moulds and rules, but given the track record of the award... Well, I think they did pretty well this year.

    Guys from the industry mostly. I've known two in the past. One writes on The Jalopy Journal and the other was a builder with pretty damned great taste. I assume they still recruit from within.

    I don't think judges are a problem at all from what I know, but I don't know a ton either.
     
  12. This year's seven-man judging panel that will select the most beautiful of the bunch consists of builders Bobby Alloway, Pete Eastwood, Jeff Karls, and Don Lindfors, journalists Brian Brennan and Tom Vogele, and designer Larry Erickson

    Forgot to put this was from Motortrend.
     
    Last edited: Feb 6, 2023
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  13. Ryan
    Joined: Jan 2, 1995
    Posts: 21,632

    Ryan
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    Hard to argue with that group. All of those guys have a seat at the table for sure.

    Also, worth mentioning that the criteria was changed like ten years ago. I think the GNRS people were tired of fielding complaints about the winning car being built well, but looking ugly... so they added a "beauty" criteria or something along those lines. I think that helped immensely.
     
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  14. downlojoe33
    Joined: Jul 25, 2013
    Posts: 668

    downlojoe33
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    A top notch of guys that knows their shit.
     
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  15. Nacifan
    Joined: May 19, 2011
    Posts: 289

    Nacifan
    Member

    776 1.jpg Grand-National-Roadster-Show-023-170.jpg F0CD6F72-F15F-4C74-B07E-E35D5F1AB9E5a.jpeg
    Larry Erickson's roadster at this years GNRS...He designed/drew Cadzilla as well.
     
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  16. Malcolm
    Joined: Feb 9, 2006
    Posts: 8,032

    Malcolm
    Member
    from Nebraska

    Coby and South City didn't just push hot rod boundaries with his coupe, I think they blew right past them. I love it.
    I know he is respected for his artistic abilities, but I think Coby is under-appreciated. It's a really big deal to pull that car off the way he (they) did.
    On a side note, most people don't realize the depth of his design portfolio. I could almost guarantee we've all seen a movie poster that he designed... and that's just the tip of the iceberg.
     
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  17. Richard Head
    Joined: Feb 19, 2005
    Posts: 535

    Richard Head
    Member

    After following the build of that 5 window through Bill Ganahl's Instagram account, I found the paint scheme disappointing. If I didn't know about that car, I wouldn't cross a street to look at it. It screams "Look at me!!", which just makes me want to walk the other way. I feel that any one of those colors, by itself, on that car would have been just beautiful.
    Bill called it "The Barf Bag Coupe", comparing it to T.C.'s helicopter in Magnum P.I. I hope to one day be able to look past color schemes like that, but to this day I still can't look at Robert Williams roadster.
    I guess I really don't appreciate art.
     
  18. Ryan
    Joined: Jan 2, 1995
    Posts: 21,632

    Ryan
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    No dude... completely valid opinion. Seriously.
     
  19. Marty Strode
    Joined: Apr 28, 2011
    Posts: 8,796

    Marty Strode
    Member

    I think they should have painted it BLUE with a number like 555 on the door.
     
  20. I LOVE Coby's Coupe!!! He's one of those guys who has an idea and doesn't let anybody talk him out of his vision. Sure, he could have painted red, black, of the lastest trend GREY! But he chose to throw throw everything in the fire and watch it burn. It's been a LONG time since a car at the GNRS caused as big of a stir. I told him, like it or hate it...everybody was talking about it. The barf bag deal was funny as hell. I didn't get one, but I wanted one. Can't wait to see it making it's rounds.

    Also, I liked the pinstriped Roadster, but the one that one was well worthy of the award. Lots of hidden details.
     
    K13 likes this.
  21. pwschuh
    Joined: Oct 27, 2008
    Posts: 2,827

    pwschuh
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    I really like Coby's 34. The colors selected are all basically complimentary and the yellow stripes make it pop. If you're too scared to take a risk, you may end up building something someone else has already built. If that's what you want, fine. I'd drive that 34 and be proud of it.
     
    Jimmy B likes this.
  22. AmishMike
    Joined: Mar 27, 2014
    Posts: 968

    AmishMike
    Member

    Agree on your comments about the show. Was my third visit to see the art. Love, got to admire the low rider customs & paint work even if not drivable. Prefer rods that can be driven, love couple Bonneville roadsters, driven & driven hard. Last year picked both big award winners as favorites, not this year no obvious first choice for me but liked the 27 roadster. Another favorite at the show was Tom Pagano’s 1950 F100: looked shortened, chopped, channeled, pancake hood, & sectioned. Wow, would love to drive that one. Still enjoy the show, so much to see & admire
     
  23. 49ratfink
    Joined: Feb 8, 2004
    Posts: 18,828

    49ratfink
    Member
    from California

    I went to the Roadster Show every year on multiple days since 1975 or 76 until it moved away from the Bay Area. until recent years the AMBR really meant nothing to me with few exceptions. I think we should all be happy the contenders are heading back to Traditional style, even the least Traditional ones at this years show were a far better representation of things I like than the hideous look at me creations we used to see.

    I went for the tradtion of the show, usually had freiends with cars in it. "Show Cars" never really interested me.
     
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  24. GordonC
    Joined: Mar 6, 2006
    Posts: 3,140

    GordonC
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    I've never been to the show but it is on my list to do. I love the workmanship of the 34 but am one of the I don't get it ones as far as the paint job goes. If the intent was to do something so different that folks have a hard time deciding if they like it or not, then I guess that it was a success in some folks eyes?
     
    jim snow likes this.
  25. Coby's cars inspiration was from Drag Cars and Funny Cars. Nothing more look at me than those. I think he knocked it out of the park.
     
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  26. 49ratfink
    Joined: Feb 8, 2004
    Posts: 18,828

    49ratfink
    Member
    from California

    paint on the 34 makes me think of the 1965 LA Dart. there was a 1967 version as well

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    Capture.JPG
     
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  27. I've been looking at the Saint Christopher on and off for a number of days. Studying pictures online and walking up on it a number of times this last Friday and Saturday. Yes, it's shocking. But I'm starting to get it.

    You have that base of dark gold/bronze and then the series of stripes where the front and first stripe are the identical color and then the temperature increases front to rear. It's the natural progression on the color wheel. It's not arbitrary and the colors weren't picked out of a hat. The gold leaf outlines tie the different colors back to the base. The paint scheme as a whole has rhyme and reason.

    I think soon this will be considered a classic build and will stand the test of time. It just takes a while for people to come around and process the vision.
     
    Last edited: Feb 6, 2023
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  28. dana barlow
    Joined: May 30, 2006
    Posts: 5,115

    dana barlow
    Member
    from Miami Fla.
    1. Y-blocks

    Seems,now,every year gets longer away from what I knew as hot rods,when I started building rods in the 1950's. I like rod picked this time,not so much a few from passed years. All that is why they don't ask me! [​IMG] Ya,even a few tiny things I don't care much for,used on this good looking rod; Bucket seats always look less comfortible then beach too me,an a few Mega $ parts{ seems it's the thing to do fore [​IMG]}=Were I come from the rod idea of make best of what can be found! is gone.. Yup,I know none of these builds,have anything like a small piggy bank though. [​IMG][​IMG][​IMG] I still like it,nice clean work.
     
  29. sweetdick2
    Joined: Jul 15, 2011
    Posts: 501

    sweetdick2
    Member
    from new jersey

    Love the coupe, too big ones
     
  30. Fordors
    Joined: Sep 22, 2016
    Posts: 5,372

    Fordors
    Member

    The last AMBR winner that I remember as being largely home built was the Phil Cool Roadster, it think that was 1978. Have there been others in the more modern era?
    9B2C78AA-CFE8-4542-81C7-30C5FE3DDD2B.jpeg
    HRM did an article on the car and Phil handled the fabrication, welding, assembly, etc. but I think he farmed out the bodywork and paint. Could we ever see that happening again?
     
    Hotdoggin DaddyO and pprather like this.

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