Hot Rods and Resto-Mods: A Great Custom Continues at Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale 48
This January, and only at Barrett-Jackson, The World’s Greatest Collector Car Auctions®, will you find an “X-Box,” “Transitions,” a “Fierce Fifty-Five” and a ʼ63 “Split-Window” –– even a “Twisted Mistress.”
The 48th Annual Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale Auction, January 12–20, 2019, at WestWorld of Scottsdale, will feature a variety of high-quality and professionally built hot rods and Resto-Mods among a docket of more than 1,000 premium collectibles.
Superlative customs have become extremely popular with knowing collectors, says Craig Jackson, chairman and CEO of Scottsdale-based Barrett-Jackson, which also produces annual auctions in Palm Beach, Florida; Mohegan Sun in Connecticut; and Las Vegas, Nevada.
“Not only do these incredible machines offer the nostalgia of classic marques, but they feature the modern luxuries and technologies we’ve come to expect from cars today. In Scottsdale, we’ll have an incredible selection of cars and trucks from the ʼ30s to the ʼ70s that became the canvas for many of these custom builds. Any one of these vehicles would make an ideal addition to a collection.”
“X-Box” is a ’55 Chevrolet 210 Sedan synthesizing contemporary power and nostalgia. Part of the Bryan Frank Collection, the custom is on a Max-G Art Morrison chassis and required more than 6,000 hours to incorporate 100-plus modifications. Another Chevy on an Art Morrison chassis is a ’59 Corvette (Lot #1346), designed by Eric Brockmeyer.
Larry Griffey’s Hot Rods & Restorations crafted “Transitions” (#1354) beginning with a ’54 Corvette. This tribute celebrates the GM Concept Corvette displayed as one of the “Dream Cars” in the 1954 GM Motorama. Built over six years, this multi-award-winner debuted at the 2017 Detroit Autorama.
The following year’s super-popular ’55 Chevrolet Bel Air 2-Door Post became “Fierce Fifty-Five” (#1345), restored without concern for cost. And “Twisted Mistress” (#1290) is a ’31 Ford Model A Custom Coupe ’39 Mercury 99A convertible –– and much, much more.
Remember the high-performing Hudsons? A ’31 Essex Sedan carries a GM 350-cid/300-horse V-8 and has custom interior features. And, two Fords are a ’33 Ford Roadster (#1293) –– a multiple ISCA Show award-winner and a ’34 Ford 5-Window Coupe (#814.1), which has been finished in El Dorado Plum with a leather interior.
“Barrett-Jackson has been a pioneer in the hot rod and Resto-Mod market for over a decade,” says Steve Davis, president of Barrett-Jackson. “We did that, in part, by shining a light on the unbelievable craftsmanship and talent being invested in these customs and hot rods.”
A Spry, Sporty 56-Year-Old
A standout among many great vehicles at 2019 Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale is a 1963 Chevrolet Corvette Split-Window Custom Coupe (#1333), which looks just like a 56-year-old legend but performs as though it’s a pumped-up grandson.
With its signature rear window, which lasted just one year, it represents the first year for the great C2 design, which continued until 1967. This was the first Corvette with independent rear suspension and which offered optional air conditioning, leather upholstery, power steering, power brakes and a 36-gallon fuel tank.
Completed by Jeff Hayes and American Speed Shop in October, the stop-traffic Red on Saddle-colored Brazilian leather Resto-Mod is on an Art Morrison sport chassis and is propelled by a 540-horsepower Chevrolet LS3 engine linked with a five-speed automatic.
Other custom details include a stainless fuel tank and radiator cover, Vintage Air heat and air-conditioning, power steering, power hood, AM/FM Bluetooth stereo, backup camera and Detroit Speed multi-speed wipers and LED interior lighting. Outside are a custom hood grille and rear belly pan, Schott wheels with custom-made red line tires, and Borla side pipes provide extra power and rousing sound bites.
“All of the work has been performed to an exceptionally high standard of fit and finish. This is a no-excuses Corvette conceived and built with the quality to satisfy even the most demanding drivers and collectors,” says automotive journalist Tom Jensen of the No Reserve car. “Someone is going to come home with a legendary car that looks great, drives great and will be a joy to own.”
New Oldies and Goodies
“The golden era of ’60s and ’70s cars produced fantastic canvases for custom builds,” Jackson explains. “When these vehicles rolled off the assembly line 50 years ago, they were celebrated for their bold looks and engineering. Today, they’re being used by talented craftsman to bridge the design of the past with technology of today.”
Cars from that automotive golden era include a ’65 Ford Mustang Custom Fastback, “SN65 Mustang” (#1325), which integrates two unibody cars, and a ’67 Ford Mustang Kindig-It Fastback (#1367), with a Pro-charged 427-cid/700-horsepower engine.
Built ground up, also by Kindig-It Design, is a ’66 Chevrolet Nova II SS (#1366). Another stellar build is a ’70 Chevrolet Nova Custom (#990) by Dan LaBonte, with just 300 test miles.
A ’67 Chevelle (#1447), featured on the 10th season of Chop Cut Rebuild, has tucked and shaved bumpers, wheels with red line tires, Nu-Relic power windows, Vintage Air and Audio Shoppe sound system. And, a ’68 Chevrolet Camaro (#1386), also by Kindig-It Design, starred on the third season of Bitchin’ Rides.
Remember those elegant Oldsmobile Starfire ragtops? A custom ’61 from the Bryan Frank Collection, features lead bodywork, custom top, reupholstered white leather and chrome wire wheels.
Two other GM-based vehicles are a topless ’62 Cadillac roadster conversion (#1041), showcased at the 2017 SEMA Show; with a full shaved exterior, it has a 2014 Cadillac CTS-V interior upholstered in leather and Alcantara suede.
A Candy Root Beer-liveried custom ’65 Pontiac GTO convertible (#841) is powered by a Butler Performance 467-cid big-block and struts on Billet Specialties wheels and Mickey Thomson tires.
Three Plymouths are a ’66 Fury Coupe (#986), “Grandma’s Furyous,” which has a 500-cid aluminum big block making 600 horsepower; a ’70 Plymouth GTX Custom, a three-year, ground-up build; and a ’71 Plymouth Barracuda Custom (#1321), “Striker,” an award-winning ISCA car that required 9,500 build hours.
Says Jackson, “The custom vehicles consigned for our Scottsdale Auction are some of the very best examples built by top names to the high standards collectors expect from today’s custom vehicles.”
Trucks, Too!
Truck-based customs include a ’67 Chevrolet C10 (#787) –– the Goodguys 2018 pick for best truck. Custom-built top to bottom, this Resto-Mod packs a 383-cid stroker with roller cam and roller rockers connected to a Turbo 350 automatic and rides on Fox nitrogen shocks.
Discovery’s Diesel Brothers hand-built another custom C10 (#1309) on Season Three during three episodes. Shaved and molded, it’s powered by a twin-turbo Duramax diesel 6.6-liter race engine. “With an estimated 800 to 1,000 horsepower, this custom is as fast as it is beautiful,” Davis notes.
Additional truck-based Resto-Mods crossing the block in Scottsdale include two more Chevys: a ’48 Five-Window Pickup (#528), which represents a multi-year nut-and-bolt restoration and includes custom finishes, and a ’56 3100 Pickup (#754), with a laser-straight body and a complete custom interior.
A ’36 Ford Custom Pickup started as a three-window coupe and was transformed into a hot rod red truck, and two from ’48 are a Diamond T 509H Slider Tow Truck (#1008), with a 2000 International frame, and an International KB2 Pickup which has been driven less than 100 miles since its 6.5-year rebuild.
“Enormous amounts of time and finances are poured into these works of art by some of the most skilled builders of our time,” Davis says. “The resources available for automotive craftsman to create their ‘rolling art’ are unprecedented. When contemporary tech, parts and tools are combined with the unbelievable talent of these artisans, classic cars are transformed into timeless masterpieces.”
For more information about Barrett-Jackson, including the full Scottsdale docket, visit Barrett-Jackson.com or call 480.421.6694. Also, follow Barrett-Jackson on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and Twitter. Media partners MotorTrend (formerly Velocity) and the Discovery networks feature extensive live television coverage, including broadcasts in 150-plus countries internationally.
