Anyone with 2013 Detroit Autorama pics?

[intocarss]

Great stuff SKIPO Thanks

[fleetus macmullitz]

Originally Posted by WSSix

The my ride is me links gave more info about the cars and what not. Before I read that, I was going with the Red 40 Ford, I love the colors, or the vette because it flows so well. However, the Buick by Rad Rides has a lot more done to it that I realized. So I'm going with one of those three to win. I'm not really a street rod person so I look past those. Same with the trucks though they are cool. I know one thing is for certain and that is I'm glad I'm not in charge of making the decision.

Obviously a very tough decision, which is good IMO because some years have been lean on worthy contenders IMHO.

I'm not a fan of cars that don't get driven, but with Troy going for a gangster look perhaps 'Gangster Touring' cars might catch on.

[fleetus macmullitz]

Originally Posted by intocarss

Great stuff SKIPO Thanks

Yer welcome ...but what's with this giving someone a new nickname...'Skipo'?

Do you think that's right?

Jerry ...hello.

[Al Moreno]

Thanks Skip!

[fleetus macmullitz]

Originally Posted by Al Moreno

Thanks Skip!

You're welcome Al.

[GregWeld]

Very nice Skipo!

[RECOVERY ROOM]

The 40 should win they spent a million on it and had Thrash design it. Troys buick has a bedliner bottom so that might take him out. They built that car as a driver. A very nice driver

[fleetus macmullitz]

Originally Posted by GregWeld

Very nice Skipo!

Apparently Skipo is not a 'tipo'.Thanks, thanks a lot. You too Jerdawg.







And to feed my 'Nailed' fixation...

[fleetus macmullitz]

Here's Troy's write up on 'Nailed'.
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Just your basic six stage dry sump twin turbo nailhead

1956 Buick "Nailed"

The last thing I ever want to experience is to go somewhere with one of our cars, have someone check out that car for the very first time, but then hear them say that our car looks like scores of other hot rods that they have already seen many times at other shows. It's like going to a show to be entertained by a favorite comedian, only to hear the comedian do the same old material that's been used too many times. A show car with the same old look cheats the show attender who is looking for fresh inspiration for their particular project. Even when the car is done nice, if you've seen it, you've seen it. For that reason, our team at Rad Rides works hard to creatively stretch ourselves.

Building a variety of styles and themes into each project keeps things interesting, and ultimately gives the customer a unique and timeless automobile. We strive to break new ground so our cars will never look dated. If we have done our job to let the creative juices flow, to work with numerous renderings, to incorporate the latest technology, and to push ourselves for better craftsmanship every time we work, we will then have a better shot of producing a car that makes a statement. That formula makes for happy customers and a great sense of accomplishment.

A lot of time is spent talking with the customer to settle on a "look" for the car. The conclusions drawn from that discussion depends on the car itself. There is sense in which the car has to tell us what it wants. Some cars call for an elegant, refined theme with big power, like the late Hal Wing's G54 Buick. An old Ford hot rod might nudge us over to a traditional style build with a killer flathead and skinny tires, like Roger Ritzow's 1932 Ford Roadster. The car has to do some of the talking, and then we go in a certain direction on the construction of what we hope to be a high impact, memorable automobile.

So let me tell you about a car that talked to me, a big old '56 Buick. Mark Willman of Davenport Iowa, found his solid '56 Buick parked under an oak tree with fungus growing on the roof. He contacted Rad Rides to have us take on the project. When Mark and his wife Ellen showed up with their 1956 Buick post car sporting that bulbous front end styling and that equally bombastic rear end design with those huge tail lamp housings, I was confident this car could become something "special" (working the Buick jargon). This Buick seemed to be crying out for a new look with some new power.

We love to keep a car true to its heritage, so I was really glad Mark was committed to keeping his Buick "all Buick". With that criteria established, the Nailhead engine quickly rose to the top as the perfect engine of choice. I then took Mark for a ride in the Chicayne to demonstrate our twin turbo package, and he was quickly sold on building a twin turbo package for his Nailhead motor. We decided that the overall look of this '56 Buick would have to be something that wasn't going to be pretty. Instead, the car seemed to be begging for a sinister, gangster-style image. But just to mix it up a bit, Mark and I decided to blend in some subtle 50's custom tricks into the car. We quickly settled on the name "Nailed" for this car, got rid of the fungus on the roof, and started cutting it up.

The chassis for Nailed is from Art Morrison, and features C6 Corvette front suspension. Rear suspension is a triangulated 4 link system and a Ford 9 inch with a 3.50 Posi rear. Ridetech provides the 12 inch coilovers, which produce an outstanding ride quality and performance handling. Brakes are handled by our own Rad Rides by Wilwood front and rear calipers. The car is big, but it will go, stop, corner, and be a lot of fun to drive.

Most of you know that the name "Nailhead" came from the unconventional vertical positioning of the valves, calling for those valves to have long stems and small heads that made them look a lot like nails. Introduced in 1953, the Buick Nailhead motor was first offered in two sizes, a 264 and a 322 V8.A later version of the Nailhead was produced from 1957 to 1966 in 364, 401, and 425 cubic inch versions.

Buick had a strong presence in 50's and 60's with their "Nailhead" V8 motors in passenger cars. More importantly for our purposes, the Nailheads were very popular in race cars and hot rods. Drag racers like TV Tommy Ivo and engine builders like Max Balchowsky recognized the big torque numbers possible from the Nailhead. Ivo's famous four-engined monster dragster "Showboat" was powered by four Buick Nailhead motors. The engine had a great look, and still looks cool today. However, it is somewhat overlooked as a performance motor for a modern hot rod. So in order to give tribute to all those great Nailhead racers and hot rodders, we decided to build the "Nailed" motor, a 401 cubic inch version, with serious performance parts.

Every engine that goes into a Rad Rides car is absolutely critical to the build. For the '56 Nailed, the engine took on an especially huge part of what the car would become. Final displacement of the 401 turned out to be 413 cubic inches. Heavy duty race part selection for these old Buick motors is somewhat limited. In order to make the 413 Nailhead live with our Rad RidesDigital Injection Twin Turbo induction, we built a number of stronger engine parts here at our shop. For example, the main caps and the pan girdle were custom made by our own CNC guy, Lawrence Laughlin. The added bottom end strength we created was then enhanced by Carillo "I Beam" connecting rods. For improvement in crankshaft reliability, the Nailhead 12784563 firing order was changed to a better, but unconventional 15634278 firing order with the #1 cylinder on the passenger side bank. A six stage dry sump oiling system is installed to insure adequate lubrication. The oil pan was fabricated here at Rad Rides. Special one-off pistons and a custom ground billet steel camshaft were designed to work in concert with the twin turbos. The heads have been modified and fitted with modified LS valves and Beehive valve springs. Bob Sweeney and Ken Cryan of FX Engines in Mokena, Illinois, did their typically outstanding job of assembling the engine.

Turbo placement is dependent on the car's vibe. Sometimes we hide them, sometimes we show them off. Since we were going gangster sinister, the turbos are visible in the engine compartment. But in order to keep people guessing, we fabricated an OEM style fake oil bath air cleaner that incorporates the air inlet tube and essentially hides our forced induction package. The intake itself was based off an old intake that was modified to accept our fuel injection. Lawrence fabricated the cover, and made it all fit. Big Stuff 3 handled the engine management technology, as always. Lawrence also fabricated an adaptor for us to run the GM 4L80E transmission. A few other fabricated engine covers create the illusion of a somewhat stock Nailhead. It all works together for a great underhood look.

The headers and entire exhaust system were fabricated in-house. Routing the pipes and brackets for the turbos, intercoolers, and wastegates is always a challenge, but seeing it come together for the Nailhead motor was nothing short of exciting. The Nailhead features our own "Troy Trac" accessory drive system for made by again by Lawrence. The pulleys are cut smooth so they mimic a stamped steel pulley. We are also running a blade fan for that old, mid-fifties look. The complete engine package has a killer look to it.

The interior has a simple but serious look to it, with muted black leather. Adam Banks, our fabricator/interior/everything guy, did a great job on the seats. The stitching in the seats and panels is copper. All the gauges have copper needles. Satins and brushed finishes inside take away the from the boring Buick stereotype, and tie in well with the serious attitude of the car.

[fleetus macmullitz]

cont'd

The exterior of the '56 Buick is so much better than a '56 Chevy because the front roofline kicks down a bit. The Nailed rooflinesnarls somewhat, accenting that vicious, nasty aura. Adam Banks and Levi Green did the bulk of the exterior fabrication work. They fabricated the portholes, and even made them functional as air inlets. How's that for being hardcore Buick! The front bumper was shortened and sectioned to match the body lines. The front grille treatment was cleaned up, and the front turn signals were shaved, making for a less cluttered look. The rear bumper was also sucked in, and the tail light housings and trim were cleaned up.

Adam Krause, Ryan Marion, Ian Walton, and Tyler Krause handled the body work and applied the multiple finishes of Slate Grey paint. The combination of glossy and satin finishes brings forward that desired gangsterlook. Remember, we don't want pretty. Subtle copper pinstriping will accentuate some lines on the car, and tie in that 50's custom style necessary for overall impact of Nailed.

Alex Marion, Moose Ferguson, and Toffer Barta handled the assembly on this car. Air inlet screens are copper. The windows and the belt trim is a combination of brushed stainless and black nickel plating. The side trim, the bumpers, and the tail light trim are a two-tone brushed and shiny cobalt nickel from Advanced Plating. If you haven't seen that finish, make sure to take a look at it and see how it complements the entire package of the car.

The one-off wheels are Billet Specialties 19's and 20's. The stellar rims are shod with Michelin Pilot Super Sport whitewalls, combining for a bold and striking appearance that nicely finishes out that 50's custom/gangster look. The rear 20x12 rim and 14 inches of tire creates an overall stance that is pure malice.

Mark and Ellen's '56 Buick "Nailed" will debut at Detroit Autorama, March 8-10. When "Nailed" rolls into Cobo Hall, whether you like the car or not, I can guarantee you that it will be something you've never seen. I'm looking forward to meeting you at the show, and am especially anxious to hear from you Buick Nailhead guys. The Rad Rides team will be there, along with the George Poteet's newly completed "GPT Special" and Jim and Dorla Western's "58 Vette". Thanks for reading the blog.

Specifications:

Chassis: Art Morrison with Front C6 Corvette Suspension and Rear DSE Triangulated 4 Bar

Coilovers: Ridetech 12" All Around

Engine: 413 Cubic Inch Buick Nailhead FX

Induction: Rad Rides Digital Injection Twin Turbo Package

Accessory Drive: Rad Rides Serpentine Belt System

Oiling System: Dry Sump

Transmission: 4L80E with Rad Rides Adaptor Plate

Wheels: Billet Specialties 19s and 20s

Rear: 9 inch Ford