What does it take to win the Ridler? Besides 2.3 million dollars to a world leader in perfect custom car creation? A 1 of 99, 1959 Cadillac Brougham with a body by Pinninfarina, a Nomad rood, and a Nelson racing engine with 632 cubes and 1025 hp

Built by Super Rides by Jordan in Escondido, California, the starting point was a 1959 Cadillac Eldorado Brougham, a no-expense-spared luxury sedan with a body handcrafted by Pinin Farina in Italy.

 Just 99 examples were built for 1959, each priced at $13,074, at a time when other Cadillac Eldorado models – two-door hardtops or convertibles – listed for $7,401.

It was decked, chopped, sectioned, and lost the rear doors while the front doors were stretched. Then a Nomad roof was added.

In the finalists of the great 8, I don't see any Foose, Trepanier, Johnson, Pure Vision etc etc usual custom shops with an entry.



https://www.foxnews.com/auto/1959-cadillac-station-wagon-wins-ridler-award-for-best-hot-rod
https://www.hemmings.com/blog/2019/03/05/cadmad-perhaps-the-worlds-only-59-cadillac-eldorado-brougham-station-wagon-takes-the-2019-ridler-award

This won the Ridler Award. I can't figure that was a good choice... it's a 57 Chev that doesn't look as cool as a 57 Chev. That oughta be a crime

https://www.fuelcurve.com/ridler-great-8-finalists/

Yup, not my normal praise and admiration for something I post, this time, I'm just bitching about this atrocity

fastest way to get the names of the paint and body shops that do the best work? Look through the Great 8 Ridler Award competitors

Chris Ryan’s Rods and Kustom in South Carolina
Superior Auto Works in Deleware
Graham's Hot Rods in Tennessee
Alternative Automotive Design in Colorado

are the ones I could learn about. Which isn't as easy as it should be, as most websites don't list the painter. They talk about who paid for it all, and usually, what shop built the car.

Item of interest, 5 of the 8 were sprayed with PPG paint.

the PPG booth was still getting set up, but this is a great Happy Halloween post (better photos will get posted later)

the next day I went back and got these photos

the round screen displayed several images, and they were both stills and videos. The eyeball was looking around and blinking

the windows are actually flatscreen tvs, and showed ghosts wandering around inside the haunted house

winner of the 2017 Ridler Award

The body was hand-formed from aluminum by Steve's Auto Restorations; it sits on a custom steel plate and chrome moly tube frame. Power comes from a GM Anniversary Edition 427 crate motor.

Pete "Hot Dog" Finlan, is the one pinstriper and painter you probably haven't heard of, but should. His work was awarded a Ridler, and the Von Dutch Award (twice). No one else can claim that

2nd credit on the board folks.  Full gallery of this truck at
http://justacarguy.blogspot.com/2011/02/hinkles-gold-rush.html

He was the head painter at Monster Garage with Jesse James. And Jesse didn't work with anyone that wasn't tops.

http://www.hotdogkustoms.com/

Foose wins the Ridler award again, and the rest of the great eight coverage

next to it was a stock Impala exhibiting the changes that happened to win the Ridler Award

http://www.rodauthority.com/event-coverage/car-shows/detroit-autorama-great-8-interviews-plus-event-recap-and-gallery/ 

the Ridler winning 1964 Riviera named Rivision by JF Kustoms

and those photos are nice, and it looks good on the show room...

But it looks better at the track, in the morning sunlight, at the Optima Street Car Invitational!

at SEMA I didn't see the hood up, or even notice the leather straps... nice touch!