Hot Rods 2013 AMBR Contenders are up on Hot Rod Magazine blog

I like the tire booties.

 

I'll have to admit that when I first saw the photos of the AMBR contenders on this thread, I was not impressed. I went to the show yesterday and saw the cars with my own eyes, and I came away with a different opinion.

To me, it came down to the Bittersweet '33 Roadster and the Kelly Brown Track T, with the Track T taking the honors. That car is absolutely stunning. The style, the fit/finish, and the color are absolutely perfect.

Oh yeah, the goofy phaeton is actually worse in person. Yeah......really.

 

I was thinking more if cars could produce of springs this is what would happen if the Munsters Coach & the Monkey Mobile hooked up! HRP

 

Noticed when I saw the car in person yesterday, that there were no markings on the tires - no DOT, brand, anything... Special order? shaved? Can you get something like these or custom made? If they were expensive, I guess they need some booties!

 

I have to bite my tongue- he's a friend & neighbor, Ira Horowitz. I think his entry number is 913. He's in the show is because his car was spotted in the upholstery shop & he was a last minute invite.
And yes- everyone has noticed the panel color differences. Truck is definately not my cup of tea but all his cars look like that. Smooth, big wheel 90's look. He knows my opinion- I bust his balls all the time. Nice guy but I'm not a fan of his build taste. He likes it so that's all that counts.

 

Here's another vote for the '27.

The Roman architect Marcus Vitruvius Pollio famously explained the importance of tailoring one's design to the uniqueness of one's client by noting that one would design a house differently for a rich man as for a man with good taste.

The great pity of that '32 Phaeton is the wasted chances. It would have been no harder to get it right than to get it wrong. Wheels better proportioned to the wheelbase (i.e. taller), pulling the grille back over the front axle, and losing the injector-hat-looking thing would have transformed this car. It could so easily have been something to take seriously.

 

most likely shaved and buffed by someone who really knew what he was doing.

The wheels really appeal to me for some reason.

 

You know it takes a lot of talent to make something look simple.
I saw this car on Friday and fell in love with it.... Hope it wins.

 

Outstanding photos Dave, great work. Thank you

Dale
Cleveland OH

 

If you put the same price on the hours invested by some highly skilled and dedicated guys that the owners of some of the name shop built cars have the price of the Woodward car would be the same or higher. Where another build may have had pieces sent out to "the" chrome shop for perfect chrome many hours were spent getting the pieces ready for paint.

I think a lot of it will be lost on most people simply because an all black car never photographs well, especially in a building with lighting that isn't conducive to taking the best photos without a high end camera, the right filters and a hell of a lot of skill.

 

Is the Riddler award named after a Batman character or something else?

 

Huy Caramba! A batman character? It is after Don Ridler a car show promoter. Off topic for this thread though..

 

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=1849623&d=1359304707

I like the wheel. I would assume it is an EVOD one-off. I don't care for the red reflector in the middle though...

 

Caramba

Please explain your statement. Half an answer is no answer and I am not a mind reader. Why is it off topic?

 

Completely different car show is what I believe he is saying.

The Riddler is as he said named for Don Riddler and is given at Detroit and most cars competing are built specifically to compete for that award and can be any style of car. They don't have to be a roadster, roadster pickup or touring with no provisions for roll up windows as the AMBR award is picked from.

 

The Ridler Award is for the best of the Great Eight at the Detroit Autorama, honoring Don Ridler. Any link between that and Batman (the tv show) is as silly as the Phaeton competing for the AMBR, which is what this thread is about.

 

Again....THANKS Dave for all the great photos.

 

Tire booties are nothing new to the GNRS. I 1st saw them...must be almost 20 years ago...when it was still in Oakland at the Coliseum.

 

The Mumford car is my vote, however there are a couple other great contenders and for many of the right reasons - but - we've been 'surprised' by the outcome before, right? At least we can be pretty confident the MonkeeMobile/Phaeton/thing won't....

 

" Any link between that and Batman (the tv show) is as silly as the Phaeton competing for the AMBR, which is what this thread is about."
Agreed.

 

I thought the Mumford roadster was great until I read on the internet that he has a curator for his hot rod collection. I know I shouldn't feel that way but I'm really rooting for the Woodward Roadster just because it seems that there might be hope for the little guy, like it was at the begining.
Ron

 

Who cares if the owner owns a museum full of cars? How does that change the car? I thought this contest was about the most beautiful car, nothing to do with who/how/why/what it cost to build. But maybe I'm not up to speed on the rules.

 

This "It's not Fair" bullshit has to stop! The cars, not the owners are what we're looking at. Bob

 

Not bragging or name dropping or anything here but...
I known John for going on 24 years (1st did a sign for him for the B&M/Brizio 'Sclamed' coupe he owned) and you will probably never meet a more unassuming man. Absolutely no ego. If you know Roy at all then you know that he's pretty much the same way. The 'curator' John is claimed to have is in reality Dave Cattalini (Roy's counter/parts man) who sidelines a couple of evenings a week helping John maintain his cars. The 'curator' moniker came about because some guy who got a tour of John's place by Dave slapped it on him in his description of his online photos. And that's not the worst thing Dave's ever been called...especially by me. If I (or even you) had as many cars as John has I know I'd probably like some help as well. And John's cars are all drivers. He likes to be able to get into any one of them at any given time and drive away. That means that every single one is licensed. Insured. Has gas, oil and the battery is charged.

As VoodooTwin pointed out...it's all about the car. If every car that competed for the AMBR (or even the Riddler) was a 'blind' test...meaning that no one knew anything about the owner(s) and/or builder(s) none of this he-has-too-much-money-and-too-many-cars nonsense would even factor in. The cars would have to stand solely on their own. And that is as it should be.

And if it indeed was all about the money...I've heard rumors that the Mariani roadster's bill was near 500k. John's is less than that. And I think the Mariani's have 3 cars at the GNRS (the AMBR contender, a Sedan Delivery Brizio just finished for them & a Mercury). I'm sure that they maintain them all themselves without any outside help, don't you?

 

Mumford's T is almost perfect with regard to restraint and quality. All the other cars look like they pretend to represent an era or a theme when compared to the '27.

Sometimes Subtlety is everything, and this is one of those times. A beautiful, inspiring build.

 

So what time do we find the winner?

 

If I ever meet Mumford or Brizio they will receive a great "THANK YOU!" for showing the world that fine car; because it respects the past and the present; it gives the younger set a peak at the past, helping them realize it's still possible to build a traditional car. Frankly, with planning and special attention the Mumford T could be built on a budget. You have to want it.

Maybe someday I'll have a car contending for that trophy, and I hope you don't know who I am or what my shop looks like; that way you won't think you'r better than I am because my shop sucks, or envy the blessings that allow me to enjoy the hobby to excess.

 

Any idea who won?


Posted from the TJJ App for iPhone & iPad

 

Probably won't know for another 3 hours.

 

Lew; Do you know anything about Bill Niekamp and his car ? Do a little research on the man and his car and you will find out that this show didn't start out as what it has morphed into. The average Joe built the best he could in his garage with the help of his friends and maybe hired some talent to do what he couldn't just as the Woodward Roadster boys did. If you really think you can build a serious contender then you better have deeper pockets than most. Good Luck with that ! Too bad you missed the point and I really don't think that I said I was better than you or that I envy anyone.
Ron