Great 8 winner

1936 Pontiac Sedan Great 8 Winner at 2018 Detroit Autorama

1936 Pontiac Sedan
Owned by Robert Anderson of Savannah, Georgia. Entered in the Radical Custom Rod Sedan category.

We had a chance to interview Steve Legens of Legens Hot Rod Shop in Martin, Tennessee. He and Eric Brockmeyer were inspired by a 1935 Pontiac advertising layout to do a globe type instrument cluster in this 1936 Pontiac Sedan. The interior is amazing. See the video interview here:

This one-off custom is like no other Pontiac ever. They stretched the body forward four inches, extending the grille line over the middle of the entire car. The engine is hidden but uses an LT4 Corvette motor. It runs the 4L80 automatic transmission with a Winters Quick Change independent rear end. The original car had only 17k original miles when they started on it. You’ll notice the original Indian hood mascot is displayed in the engine compartment.

We found a lot of interesting information at the Legens Hot Rod Shop Facebook page. It includes the feature ad that inspired the dash cluster. The wheels are gorgeous if you see them from the right angle.

Photos and video by Bob Boberg of eClassicAutos.com.

See all of this year’s 2018 Great 8 Award Winners featured on the Cars-On-Line.com blog page here.

1940 Ford Opera Coupe Great 8 Winner at 2018 Detroit Autorama

1940 Ford Opera Coupe
Owned by Reid Hotaling of Mooresville, North Carolina, the 1940 Ford Opera Coupe was in the shop for seven years under development. This is the first time it has been shown. Entered in the Full Custom Rod Coupe category, 1935-1948. Built by Farrell Creations & Restorations, it is beautifully hand fabricated from front to back.

Click the video window below for an interview with Tom Farrell of Farrell Creations & Restorations:

With over seven years in development, this 1940 Ford Opera Coupe was built at Farrell Creations & Restorations in Mooresville, North Carolina. The body laser straight shows perfectly under the intense lighting. The stack injected ZL1 Chevy motor is itself a work of art. Now it is a Great 8 Winner at the 2018 Detroit Autorama. With this high honor, you know it has some of the best custom fabrication in the world.

Although the body remains true to the original 1940 Ford Opera Coupe look, the headlights, the radiator and grille are custom fabricated to look “better” than factory original. There are no drip rails, the door jams are modified, widened rear fenders molded to the body, custom tail lights. It begins with an Art Morrison chassis. The hood has been cut five inches. A custom leather interior is exquisite, all done by Hot Rod Interiors by Chuck. The ’40 dashboard was stretched, all panels are covered in leather.

The owner, Reid Hotaling, has owned the car since he was 16. Now it has won a Great 8 Award for him in 2018.

Photos and video by Bob Boberg of eClassicAutos.com.

See all of this year’s 2018 Great 8 Award Winners featured on the Cars-On-Line.com blog page here.

1952 Mercedes-Benz 170S Great 8 winner

1952 Mercedes-Benz 170S wins Great 8 at 2016 Detroit Autorama — 1952 Mercedes-Benz 170S is owned by Mark Gooden of Marshall, Missouri. It has been chosen to the Great 8 in the Ridler Award competition.

A 1952 Mercedes-Benz 170S Great 8 winner is not only a rare classic, it is a rare and unusual car to see street rodded. And to be done to this extent and detail … well, let’s just say it is a one-off that you may never see attempted again.

Derick Gooden of Samson Designs was at the show display when they told him his father’s 1952 Mercedes-Benz 170S had been chosen for a Great 8 award to be considered for the Ridler Award. He nearly jumped out of his shoes when they gave him the envelope. Here are some detailed photos of the car:

1952 Mercedes-Benz 170S makes Great 8
Owner Mark Gooden of Marshall, Missouri
Entered in the Radical Hardtop class
Built by Samson Design
Custom billet wheels with one-off hubcaps to effect a classic look
Subtle two-toned paint scheme with handmade floor pans and firewall.
602 Liter all aluminum V8 with Tru Trac serpentine system
Custom Mocha leather upholstry

You can tell be the photos that the undercarriage on this car ranks it right up there with the best for show competition. Obviously the 1952 Mercedes-Benz 170S has been totally built ground up from scratch. Watch the video below to find out just how much time and love went into building this unusual street rod.

Just as Derick was being notified that he had won a Great 8 selection we did this Periscope video from Cobo Hall broadcast live on Twitter.

We ask our Facebook fans to vote for their favorite to win the Ridler Award out of the Great 8 contenders. All of the Great 8 contenders will be featured on our Facebook page during the weekend. Join the fun and vote for your favorites as you follow our coverage on the Cars On Line.com Facebook page.

1956 Chevy 210 Post for 2014 Ridler Award Great 8

A 1956 Chevy 210 Post was on display at the Cobo Center in Detroit on Friday morning. Owner Dan Duffy of Marietta, Georgia was attending to last minute detailing but was ready to talk with anyone who stopped by to comment on his car. He explained that he has built this car to drive. So it is no show queen. Yet it would be hard to find a flaw in the car. It is just that nice. Ted Thomas of T&T Customs in Canton, Georgia was with Dan. Ted has been in the Great 8 seven times and the car he built won the Ridler Award in 2010, a 1933 Ford Phaeton called the Gold Digger. He said his job is to keep Dan calm. He said the pressure on these builders who are competing to get into the Great 8 is intense.

The ’56 Chevy 210 Post has an LS3 small block tweeked to 480 hp. The paint was done by Thunder Valley Customs in White, Georgia; interior by M&M Hot Rods, Holly Pond, Alabama.

As it happened Dan’s car was selected to be in the Great 8. Let’s take a close look at it. Click on the thumbnail photos below for a larger image: