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All things “cool” about cars converged on Cincinnati for the 51st time as the Cavalcade of Customs brought nearly 500 cars to the Duke Convention Center on the first weekend in January.
“I’ve been a show judge for over 30 years, and I’ve worked this show many times, and frankly, it’s one of the best shows in the country,” explained Larry Way, who is now the public relations director for Championship Auto Shows.
“We have a number of touring cars that travel our show circuit, which is over 30 shows each year, but over 90 percent of the cars here are from the tri-state area,” he said. “This part of the country has some of the best fabricators, designers, painters and customizers; these cars are truly remarkable. In terms of quality of cars, only our flagship show in Detroit is any better.”
There was literally something for every automotive taste, from restored classics, survivor rat rods, sports and racecars, dragsters, trucks, motorcycles, hot rods and of course, the full-blown customs sitting atop mirrored displays.
In the center of the show, there was the annual gathering of pin stripers who pinstripe items for charity auctions. Camden resident J. P. Cornett was having a great time, while applying pin stripes to a black helmet.
“This is always a fun weekend,” he said. “I’ve been pnstriping for about 10 years, and I’ll stripe anything,” he added.
Two of the more striking customs proved the point of local talent. Mickey Heflin of Hebron, Ky. bought out his 1933 Ford Speed Star; a bright yellow roadster that spun on a turntable so the crowd could all sides of the car and well as underneath. Finished in bright yellow with tons of chrome, Heflin’s masterpiece won the Outstanding Altered Rod Award as well as the prestigious Outstanding Display Award.
The showstopper however, was likely Alton Love’s 1956 Chevy 210 custom. Named the top custom car on the International Show Car Association circuit in 2010, the custom 2 door is picking up right where it left off. Love, of Elkhart, In., likely needed an extra trailer to haul home his hardware that included Best in Class, Best Hardtop, Best Custom Display, Best Custom Car and the KOI Auto Parts Best of Show.
The Chevy is a true classic custom, featuring an all steel body with a shimmering orange paint job. Underneath the body, the car sit on a hand-fabricated tube chassis; both the body and chassis were built by Bruns Race Cars of Janesville, Wisc.
Under the hood, Love dropped in a 582 cubic inch Brodix aluminum block engine that is estimated to produce over 1000 horsepower. The engine features aluminum cross ram intake and Weber carburetors. The interior is trimmed in real leather. Called the “Shades of Love” the car was a crowd favorite and started the 2011 ISCA campaign in fine style.