Lost weekend at the Detroit Autorama...

We had this little thing in Motown this past weekend...a long-running indoor car show known as the Detroit Autorama. I made my way down there Friday evening after work to see the usual faces in a few new places and a host of cool cars, bikes and displays! It's overwhelming, really...and there's just NO WAY to see it all in a few hours, so I came back all day Saturday (and part of Sunday) as well.

Saturday was a blast! An all-day party filled with new and old friends, good times, great cars, fun, laughs and foggy memories clouded by "two or three" beers! (Honestly, I can only safely fit two beers in my jacket plus one in my hand...so I never had more than three beers on me at any given time!) I took a roll of film with me and remembered taking like THREE pictures, but found a few surprises on there when I got 'em developed! My jacket also weighed about 60 pounds when I got home and emptied out all the pockets the next morning...I sure collected a bunch of weird but cool stuff! Ha Ha MORE little surprises!!

Some folks were whining about there not being anything "cool" to look at down there this year, but even MY drunk *** managed to find some killer rides, so maybe the haters were lost in one of the surrounding parking garages or something?! Ha Ha...who knows, but the quality of the show as well as the cars and people there this year were Top Shelf...one of the best years ever as far as I'm concerned!

In the ba*****t, I managed to snap a few photos to illustrate my favorite cars there.

Lots of cool hot rods that could've easily claimed the Double Thumbs Up Hot Rod pick, but ultimately my personal favorite was what I lovingly call the "Starbucket"! Our own Starliner built this heap and had it there last year, but it looked even better this time with the new wheels and tires! This thing shows that a FIBERGL*** (so there!) T-bucket doesn't have to be some kooky-***ed kaleidascopic kontraption...it can be a simple but tough little homebuilt hot rod, too! I love the color on this car...and Chris painted it himself in his own garage! The photo doesn't do it justice...try to picture that yellowish zinc oxide primer, only glossy metallic pearl! It's simply BAD ***!!!

 

There didn't seem to be a whole lotta kustoms in the ba*****t this year, but this Fleetline had it goin' ON!! The rootbeer metallic paint was incredible, and exactly the RIGHT hue for this car! The Caddy tail lights...the striping....the grille...the interior....everything was just 100% "ON"!!! No idea who owns it or who built it...but it ****ing RULES!!

 

Nailheads are still the best looking of the vintage V8 motors in my book, and 62wagon's brother has come a long way in just one year's time with his bad little Model A sedan, and the fully dressed 364 just MAKES IT!! Sounded pretty killer, too!!!

(Of course, the rest of the car is right on the money as well...and I found this picture of some cute 'Mystery Girl' sitting in the car when I got my photos developed! No idea who she is or how this picture got taken, but obviously this heap was popular with everyone!!!)

 

Upstairs, it was just plain CRAZY on Saturday afternoon!!! I set out to snap some photos of all the Great 8 Ridler contenders, but never got that far!

I did shoot one picture of the two tone coupe that ended up wining the Award, though. It was a very nicely done car with lots of slick little details and probably the cleanest (least cluttered) undercarraige anywhere. Overall, I liked it a lot...but there were at least four other cars in the Great 8 that were equally as stellar in my opinion.

Here's the one that took Top Honors...

 

I personally LOVED this slick Deuce roadster from out of the Great 8 contenders! The only thing that struck me as just a little "off" was the windshield frame. It had a nice, rounded top to it...and would probably look perfect on some car...but it looked a little odd on a Deuce to me. It beats a Duvall style windshield, but still made an otherwise PERFECT car look just a tic off the mark, in my worthless opinion.

Still, I loved it! Kick *** car, clean execution, incredible color and damn near perfect!

 

There was a pretty cool 40 Ford roadster concept rod in the Great 8 field as well, and I liked that car a LOT...but couldn't get a clear shot of it with the crowds swirling by! Again, with that car, I liked it all except for the windshield. A Duvall style windshield that looked like it just fell outta the sky and landed on an otherwise flawless car! Sorry...wish I woulda got a picture that one for ya!!

 

Now, this little Willys was the one I think I dug the most out of the Great 8 field this year! The 33 Willys has been my favorite Willys body style since I built the old AMT model with the SOHC in it a couple decades ago! This car had it all...blazing paint, slick interior, neat wheels, cool engine and a perfect overall vibe to it!! I walked by it just to see it again and again everytime I wandered upstairs this weekend!!

 

Of course, I had a blast hanging out with a host of very cool people on Saturday was well! Ran into countless HAMBers and met a few for the very first time! Off the top of my head, I know I saw and talked to Tuck, DIRTYT, Fast Elvis, HotRodToHell, Kustombuilder, ****o, HoBoy56, Marcy, Dollar4Dollar, 62 wagon, Johnny Jean Jacket!, Littleman, Beatnik, BenD, ChevyGirlRox, Mr G***er, Duration, Roadstar, Autorama Bob, Starliner, Enjenjo, Bleed, and who knows HOW many others! It was a genuine pleasure to trade jabs, handshakes, "I Love ****" stickers (don't ask!!) and great times with every single one of ya! Can't wait to do it again NEXT year!!!

Here's Mr and Mrs Tuck with some drunken fool...

 

And of course there was Marcy! Too many cool things to see in her booth every year, but always great fun hangin' out with that short little gal from Texas!! Ha Ha...thanks for the laughs, Strohs patch, free beer and other goodies, Marcy! See ya in Dewey!

 

Arrrrgg!

 

Hey Greg, it was good seeing you man... sorry that I was on a mission every time you showed up, it was a pretty hectic weekend!

 

hack youre just mad johnny never closed the deal on the security gaurd for you

she had love in her eyes and you never went for it!!!

 

Dude, that's Cyclebilly's car. He painted it. Gorgeous paint, man. Congrats on Best Custom.

 

lol. lots of fun times there saturday. thanks for the beers hack. stop over for a few any time. did you find your car ok on saturday night? (wink)

 

...note to self...buy Hack a decent camera... ...or was the camera drunk too?...

 

He was using his "Beer Goggles" filter.

 

Uhhh...yeah, I think I found it okay. Do I even wanna KNOW where that little "gift" on the antenna came from??!!

(Tell me it wasn't Carlene's?!!!!!!)

 

Thanks alot Greg. So much for re painting it

 

Ha Ha Ha...I forgot all about HER!!!

That autographed beer cup with her picture drawn on it better not end up in a HAMB auction or anything!!! I'l deny everything!!!

(Y'all was just JEALOUS cuz she was shinin' on da HACK!!! )

 

Thanks..I didnt see you at all this weekend. I was over by your car a bunch of times. I would like to have stopped and said hello.

Bobby

 

it was her idea! lol! glad you liked it!