I'm with you brother! The only positive thing to come about from having this big wheel be named the AMBR winner.
Absolutely...That was a real Car. One of my 3 Favorite Hot Rods. That other stuff means nothing to me....
TOTALLY Agree with you. I felt the same way as a youngster- but I too could see the HOT ROD beyond the front suspension, grille insert and sunroof I personally didn't like. It had a stance- and as I was reminded this weekend, his friend Fat Jack's saying was "If the stance is right, nothing else fucking matters". Words to live by.
I like the jack stands. Everything thing else I wouldn't spend more time looking at than it takes to shake my head and walk away. And that goes for the stupid roulette wheel display, too. -Brad
I like car's simple, clean and some what understated.. This car is too busy for me...i'm boring and don't like it... I like 32's that still look like 32's.. see, i said i was boring...
After more than 20 years of full time effort as a Hot Rod and Custom Car Builder and some sense of pride in my own workmanship and creative ability, I am simply apalled. I can see the application here of a `points` system in it`s most dire form.No matter how much time, effort, money or whatever went into this car....America`s Most Beautiful Roadster it cannot be. Perhaps it is time to retire the idea of beauty......after all the old adage would have it in the eye of the Beholder.....and if that still is true in this case, I am sadly going blind.....It is almost time to close the Shop doors if this is to become our benchmark.....Sorry Everyone..Just my gloomy conclusions.......
Oh Paul, just go back to the pre teen days of your youth and maybee you can build an abortion this tast less. But then again, your style has allways been on mark, so this build is out of your league.
Where did I leave my bottle of Pepto, Jimmy.....I can`t make it back to the Time machine without that, my soaped up mohawk and my `70`s short red shorts.....
I myself feel that this kinda car has totally ruined the Roadster show. Within the last few years a lot of builders have spoke up about the quality of this show falling, and this is just the shove it needed to bring the AMBR down to the status of "joke". i myself do not claim to have the talent to pull off a contender, but I would much rather build a car that would be remembered for its style than a turd that won a big useless trophy. I would much rather get a ride in the newest creation from plowboy, or a trip down the strip in Littlemans truck than a cruize in that thing.
I won't visit nor Participate at another GNRS in my Lifetime. I have reached the limit of contining to donate my dollars at an event that is based on the structure of big Business that we as Hot Rodders formed yet we take a slap in the face with pure shit like this. A plastic car comes in a box and is built to scale and has a purpose in a youngsters life. This plastic spastic piece of crap has no sole or even close to a purpose in the hobby that I support. I pray and look forward to Blackies show in Fresno and pray to The Hot Rod Gods that Mr. Buck and the Big Business crew that is judging these cars will gather some common brains and understand that the roots of the GNRS were based on the guts and sweat in a single car garage and the front yards of War Heros in search of a new found purpose in Life after the war. Somewhere in all of this the Glory of winning the Grand has turned out not to be Grand at all and a Pure and Unjust Mockery of what we stand for in the true Traditional Hot Rod World that built the GNRS in the first place. It sure would be ashame to hold this party again and have the true Traditional Hot Rodders schedule their "True Grand" the same weekend. Mr. Buck grow some nads and do whats right and just and quit being a sell out to the masses. You can see shit cars pushed out of trailes all day long that are mirror images of this car at most National Street Rod events and every Good Guys monthly magazine, so honestly what makes this car so special that it should hold the same and like title as say Blackies car or the Ala Kart? In my opinon it hasn't proved any of the creative criteria for a GNRS Champion even on basic design and should have been left outside at best freeing up space for some individual who worked 2 jobs to save enough to build his own car and provided the work to finish it among a group of close friends or club members as what the Original and true intent of the Grand was Based on. Enough said as this POS has well exceeded what time should be allowed here on the HAMB.
Personally, I think the Riley Special with it's complete nut/bolt restoration and super rare Riley OHV flathead, Kinmont brakes, etc etc--it should have won. I'm really surprised that not many people paid attention to this pure traditional- restored Hot Rod. It was an AMBR contender, but most likely will win at Pebble Beach.
Disgusted and short on words. When did the daycare down the street get to choose the winners? My two children have greater taste in proportion and style than this. Some crafty things can become from a pile of dung, but when alone..still a shit pile to some. I guess you really can polish a toid(turd).
The definition of "traditional" involves inherited, established, or customary patterns, according to Mr. Webster. If there is any really subjective basis for AMBR point-gathering over the years, it seems to involve some measure of innovation, something to make the roadster stand out. This is why I was a little surprised that so many on this board were so excited about this show when it was upcoming, I figured not much on the show circuit would appeal to this group. But as previously mentioned, there actually was a good number of cool cars shown, and I enjoyed myself, tho I kept going back to the Suede Palace. And I overheard one of the guys at H&H Flatheads mention that one of their motors was in the "Best Engine" winner. Funny thing, tho. I went back to the Ala Kart a couple of times, and I vaguely remember something Vegas or gambling related near it, and I think remember a slab-sided rod with wheels that belonged on the side of a mill there, but seeing the pics of the winner, I don't remember it. Which shows you how much it grabbed me. At least most everything was indoors, it rained a bunch Sunday when I went.
I don't know Shiite about show cars and such. I thought the hood was the worst, till someone posted a side view of the top- GAAAACKKKK!
Same shit, different year. These things all look the same to me. Generic street rods. Slicker than owl shit, but shit just the same.
To be honest I didn't even notice it or the roulette table when I walked right by it.. I looked at the pictures and know I walked right by it but can't even remember the car. When I started reading this thread I thought what can I add and all I thought about was.. Cars like this one are like one hit wonders.. Yeah they go down in history but they don't leave a legacy.. That car is very dated .. Think about Gary Howard's builds, Cole Foster's builds.. These guys build some cars that 20 years ago would be cool, and 20 years from now they'll still be cool.. What he said too late(early) got to go to bed -Juan
Not my kinda ride, but I didn't pay for it so. Probably irrelevant, but in So Cal Car Culture's pic (the one Ryan Posted) is that one of those 'dummies' books on the roulette wheel in the lower right? Probably a phone book, but it's not what I thought of when I saw it first. I have read through the whole thread. Does anyone have a straight on, full frontal shot of the grill? If one has been posted I have missed it. I figure I should get a good look at it as it is the one piece of the car anyone seems to have anything nice to say about.
Phone book. I live 5 min. from the Fairplex, and I recognize it as the local version. Your first thought was really more relevant, tho.
I didn't much care for the car that won, even thought looking around, I knew it would be one of the front runners...for the roadsters there I also liked the one all black above, but whenever I see that Spencer 2 car, it makes my pants fit funny, was it in the contention? The car that won it this year, I had dealt with at the beginning of it, and seen the stuff that they were doing in bare steel, at one time it was bad ass...but they didn't know when to stop for style and taste...went too far...I was also supposed to paint that car...I am glad I didn't... I still think if the Dave Lane built for Poteet 32 delivery was a roadster it should have won...did anyone else spend time looking at it? man was it wicked!! Zane Cullen picked it for his award and he knows whats up... I see many sides to the high dollar side...mostly cause I make my living building stuff for customers...and am currently building a project for one of the past winners, pictured above, this one not a roadster though, and to build a car for someone like that opens your creativity and lets you do things that may have not been done without them...it still comes down to taste, and style to what you think looks good, and not making changes just for the sake of change and forgetting style...for the owner of this years winner, he loves it...if we all loved the same thing....we would all be married to the same women...and man wouldn't she be tired...LOL! Take Barris and Elvis...have you ever seen a list of albums or songs Elvis did? Man, he did a ton, a lot were crap but, when he got it right, it was awesome...same for Barris, they did so much stuff, I think about 70% were nasty, but those 30% when all the planets aligned...man those were the best ever seen... Take the cars Troy T builds, I know they are not for everyone on this board...but I have loved just about every car he has done except one or two, he gets some of the best clients in the world, and they listen to him, and look at the majic that comes out of there...the 36 he had at the GNRS, and past Ridler winner, it just amazing, but its not a car that looks like they just threw money at it like some cars there this year, its thought out, a theme carried though, and one of the best crafted, designed rods I have ever seen hands donw...does everyone love it, no...its a style and taste and idea car, and to me the planets aligned on that one... Also you have to take into account, the customer. They don't always listen to the builder and take their input...I have worked with a ton of customers over the last 17 years I have been doing this full time, 90% of them have their minds made up with what they thing looks good...sometimes it works other times it don't. I think the best cars are ones, that the owner and the builder...and artist also, work together with everyones input...luckily I am doing one right now that has that mesh going....and in the 17 years...this is the first time this has happened like this...so I guess what I am saying is this will bring out the best project by far that has ever came out of my shop...will everyone love it...no, not a chance...are we building it for some major hardware...yes, do we care if everyone loves it...no....but I do promise it will not be an ugly abortion like the GNRS winner....style and taste....style and taste... enough of my rant...I going back to work...
Who cares? Seriously. The award isn't "America's Most Beautiful Nostalgic Roadster" or any other variation. It's so ridiculous to see how so many people get so worked up over something so insignificant. Would you go to the NHRA Winternationals in 2008 and expect to see a true slingshot compete, and win? Awards are for kooks--and only kooks enter a car show with just winning an award as their goal. I was fortunate last year to be invited to enter my Chevy in the Suede Palace...even more fortunate to come home with a cool trophy. But the trophy wasn't the true gratification--it was hearing compliments from others. That's the best award anybody could expect for. Last year was also the one and only time I'd stuck around for the Sunday evening awards ceremony...it will also be my last. Just watching/hearing the reactions from those who honestly expected to win something--esp AMBR--was embarassing. It really opened my eyes to the reality of the true show car world.
The Jalopy Journal
