Atta BoyThe Hot Rod Industry Alliance inducted rodding's pioneer disc jockey, Wings Kalahan, into the Hot Rod Hall of Fame at the 2005 SEMA Show in Las Vegas. The prestigious award was a total surprise to Wings, who upon acceptance was speechless for perhaps the first time in his life.
Wings began his announcing relationship with The National Street Rod Association in 1977, and he announced his first custom car show for the International Show Car Association in 1982. And we're sure you'll be happy to know that he'll be back spinnin' discs with both organizations in 2006.
Polynesian Rides AgainBack in the November 2005 issue we told you about the long-overdue restoration of the original Polynesian, the sectioned '50 Olds masterpiece produced by Valley Custom back in the 1950s. We're happy to report that the restoration was completed in time for the historic custom to grace the greens at the Glenmoor Gathering of Significant Automotibles, a Concours d'Elegance event in Canton, Ohio, this past September. The car's current caretaker and primary force behind the restoration, Gene Blackford, tells us it was quite an affair, one in which the Polynesian shared space with another historic custom, the Hirohata Merc, plus several additional vintage customs. The Polynesian's original owner, Jack Stewart, was even on hand to help celebrate the car's rebirth.
Since Glenmoor, the car has been to another concours event in South Carolina, and was undergoing further detailing and minor repairs in preparation for the Detroit Autorama. We've been working with Gene to get the car photographed for a full feature, so stay tuned to these pages for more details.
By the time you read this, the 2006 Detroit Autorama will be just around the corner, if not already happening. If you're going, you'll definitely want to check out this Riviera, dubbed Gold Top, which is slated to make its debut on the Cobo Hall floor.
Built by John Kouw (a familiar name to longtime Custom Rodder readers) of Cruisin' Customs in Holland, Michigan, the Riviera should stand apart from the sea of mild-custom Rivs by virtue of countless subtle body mods. These include a minor top chop, de-peaked hood, oval-tube grille, one-off dichrome taillight lenses, and gold paint that John promises will be outta sight. The interior is slated to get classic guitar-oriented touches. Jeff Allison's rendering should give you a good idea of what to expect, and we hope to show you the finished car in an upcoming issue.
"Our goal," Kouw says, "was not to build a 'take-off/theme' car, but to offer a tribute of sorts, one that works well with Bill Mitchell's original Riviera design."
The car's owner and co-builder, Kevin Anderson, echoes Kouw's thoughts. "A beautiful custom, when designed and built correctly, includes alterations that can become almost indistinguishable," he says. "With Cruisin' Customs' expertise, the Gold Top will become just that."