Congratulations Vic, Mark, and the entire build team on your 3rd place finish in Radical Truck with the Kopper Kart at Autorama in Detroit. The truck turned out amazing and to compete with today's show trucks and place is truly a huge accomplishment. Great job. I can't wait to see it in person the next time I make it to ***man's.
3RD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! They were ROBBED seriously I know first hand the blood sweat and tears and how close Vic came to a near death experience during the build. My hat is off to these guys I call my friends for having the drive to stick with this project and get it there. Vic told me the day after the Kart arrived that they we're going to "Detroit 08" and damded if they didn't make it. Great job guys
I got a few good shots of it yeaterday and will try to post them later. It was an amazing build. Like looking at history first hand. Tom
I agree it looked great! Congrats on the award. Too bad they got jammed in behind that huge post, it should have been closer to the front! Flatman
It did look great. I was really disappointed as well when it was called for third. Great truck, great group of guys!
Should have been first, should have been in front, I didn't see anything else that could come close to touching it. That said, that truck doesn't need any awards, it's one on it's own....
made the ****y 12 hour ride (half in the friggin snow) from ct well worth. i thought i died and went to hot rod heaven when i got to see winfields customs in person, but when i saw the kopper kart tucked in the back, my jaw hit the ground! this thing is just unbelievable, and the dudes that built it were great to talk to, they told us the story of the build, and all the b.s. that went with it. they deseved better than a 3rd place for this awesome recreation. thanks for bringing this long gone piece of rodder history back to us!
Easy there guys, my MOM is on the HAMB too! But as you continue to rib me for the name ***man!, remember that it used to be The Fudpucker but I changed it!
The whole Kart Krew were terriffic. The car and the outfits were a moment in time. Great meeting you guys. The Kart was a stunner!
THIRD PLACE! They waz robbed!. Well theres probably politics involved here but Mark ,Vic & the build team deserved better. WOW that hurts.
Definetly robbed! The Kart was great. Can't imagine what could beat it. The work was so completely spot on, most folks thought that it WAS the Kart. The truck looked great. An amazing team of guys too.
Don't go there unless you were here and saw the compe***ion. While the truck was stunning and everyone loved it, the truck cl***es are very popular, with lots of compe***ion. I'm not sure of the years cut off for the cl***es BUT there was a truck in the Ridler compe***ion that might have been in the same cl***, not sure cuz I wasn't paying attention after they called the Kopper Kart guys names cuz I made a dash for the stage to snap their photo with Holly, the trophy girl. After the awards, if you went to the judging office, each owner is given his judging sheet so they can see what and where they received high marks and what wasn't so good. Kinda hard to get "political" with the hard facts in front of you for review. In any event the truck was awesome and the guys should be proud.
I agree Denise. It's definitely an honor for Mark, Vic and all involved to take home any awards a**** such company. The caliber of vehicles at the show was truly mind-blowing. For those who have never been to a major indoor show like this, the build level is hard to fathom. I'd also like to add that when Mark and Vic set out to build the Kopper Kart clone, the purpose of the build was to be correct. Therefore the truck was purposely less spectacular than it easily could have been. It would have been nothing to paint the ch***is the spectacular candy copper that was on the body, copper plate all the suspension, etc., but that wasn't what the original had so that's not how it was built. To be distinguished a**** other amazing vehicles who's some purpose was to have as much bling as possible is a honor
In a couple of days. Lots of photos to go thru and a long 5 days weekend post to write. Trust me, it will be well worth it....... just ask "squirrel catcher Joe" VERY well said Squirrel Catcher.
it did turn out really nice - im sure the pictures i saw of it in the internet didnt do it the justice it really is in real life....
You guys I make a post on another thread, but I'll say it again here, it's worth repeating. Congratulations is an understatement!!! I hope you all walk on Cloud 9 for a very long time, as it is well deserved. I may not have made it to Detroit, but I was with you in thought every step of the way while I was in Daytona covering Bike Week. I look forward to my visit with you all soon. I am looking so forward to seeing a piece of history ... thanks to you guys that I otherwise never would get to see, since I missed seeing the original in person. Thank you for bringing a piece of history back for the next generation!! Hats off to you all on this amazing project from Still Runnin Magazine!!! See you all soon Lea@stillrunnin.com
If you can make it to Hot Rods and Harleys in Rahway, NJ in May we will be there. Vic is DRIVING the truck to the show this time (we kind of HAD to trailer to Detroit). We are also planning for the Gettysburg, PA show this year...... a**** others.
I remember the long slow progress and the amount of work my oldest brother (John Maurice) put into the truck. I remember the stages before he chopped it, after, and when he had to actually "unchop it" with help from a friend and add in a section to the pillars since there was some misinformation. It was quite the project!
Did you ever get the chance to sit in the cab? It's an awesome clone, but wouldn't be very comfortable on a roadtrip.
Well I actually never rode in it. If it ever goes to Lead East again, and it wouldnt be a h***le I would love to ride in the truck; I could introduce myself although I think Vic knows me as his youngest brother. I did sit in it though when the cab was just chopped and I was maybe 11 years old or so (I was 9 when he got it for Christmas), and it was all in bare metal sitting in the garage in the middle of winter! I remember him saying "feast your eyes on this bare cab and rusty metal." lol I was sitting on a piece of wood at the time. Would love to ride in it though, it sounded REAL good with the straight six and set of pipes at Lead East going around the lot. It was very cool indeed.
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