2021 Del Mar Nationals Builders Choice Top 10 by Charley Hutton
Charley Hutton might be the best-known name in custom automotive painting today, with his Idaho-based Color Studio being the go-to destination for some of the most elite, award-winning hot rod and custom car builds. Charley built his reputation working for luminaries like Boyd Coddington and Chip Foose and continues to demonstrate exceptional style and quality with each vehicle that emerges from his shop. Goodguys was happy to have Hutton presenting the Builder’s Choice Top 10 again in Del Mar, where there was an incredible group of vehicles from which to choose. Here are the ten that rose to the top.
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- Jeff Hess made another encore appearance with OLDSSLED in Del Mar, continuing to bask in the glow of its 2020 Goodguys Custom of the Year win. The incredible ’56 Olds built by Pro Design wears countless custom refinements, from the chopped Carson-style top, to the pancaked hood, frenched headlights, Corvette-style grille, and custom Packard-style taillights. It’s got a 354c.i. Chrysler Hemi with Autotrend stack-style EFI under the hood, rolls on 18-inch wheels modeled after Olds hubcaps, and incorporates many cool one-off details throughout the beige leather interior.
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- Bob Matranga’s “Brute Force” ’55 Chevy is a tour de force of custom fabrication and engineering. It’s built on a modified Art Morrison frame with custom-designed independent front and rear suspensions, one-off 18- and 20-inch wheels, and an incredible Mike LeFever-built 540c.i. Merlin engine topped with Arias Hemi cylinder heads and fed by twin Garrett turbochargers. The much-modified body has custom-built front fenders, reshaped bumpers, a custom grille, one-off trim and taillights, and a brilliant PPG hue by Mick’s Paint. Check out the March 2021 Gazette for more details.
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- A week after debuting in Texas (and becoming a 2021 Scott’s Hotrods Truck of the Year Early finalist), Ryan LeBlanc’s ’50 Chevy pickup was shining in the SoCal sun. Built by Streamline Custom Designs, the truck was built using a new steel cab from Premier Street Rods mounted on a TCI chassis with a Magnuson-supercharged LS3 and Schott 18- and 19-inch wheels. Modified Camaro bumpers bookend the smoothed, coffee-colored body, while Relicate leather was used for the custom upholstery inside.
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- Bill Raper secured yet another Builder’s Choice trophy in Del Mar with his gorgeous ’67 Galaxie. The big-bodied custom gets down low over Budnik wheels thanks to an updated suspension with air springs, and has plenty of power from a Coyote V8 to get up and moving quickly. The smoothed body panels glow under brilliant Crystal Red paint by Crazy Kenny, with tucked bumpers at both ends. The inside is equally appealing, with a ’60 Impala dash and custom upholstery by Armando’s.
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- Fred DeFalco’s ’54 Buick Century has had a great couple of years, earning a Goodguys Custom of the Year finalist spot in 2020 and becoming a Vintage Air Custom Rod of the Year finalist in 2021. The two-tone green beauty was built by Church Rods and Relics and rides on a modified chassis with RideTech air springs, 19- and 20-inch EVOD wheels, and Wilwood disc brakes. The beautifully detailed stroker small-block Chevy engine wears Nailhead-style valve covers and is fed by Inglese stack fuel injection.
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- Fred Bishop’s “El Diablo” ’71 F100 was about a week away from being named the 2021 LMC Truck of the Year Late when it hauled home another Builder’s Choice award at the beach. The red-hot Ford was irresistible in the SoCal sun thanks to its subtle and smooth body mods, fiery PPG paint, big-inch Intro wheels connected to a custom chassis, and powerful Coyote engine. The heat extends inside, with stunning red leather upholstery stitched by the Recovery Room.
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- Michael Petramalo’s ’67 Suburban also won a Chevrolet Performance GM Iron Builder of the Year finalist award for the talented crew at J-Rod & Custom in Del Mar. Built on a GSI chassis with massive 22×9- and 24×15-inch Shott wheels, this ’burb packs plenty of performance with a supercharged, Lingenfelter-built LT4 engine and big-inch Baer brakes. The brilliant PPG paint covers a smooth, tightly gapped body, while the cavernous interior sports blue Ferrari leather upholstery with plaid fabric inserts.
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- This tasty track-nose ’27 T roadster was an AMBR contender at the 2020 Grand National Roadster Show and looked right at home in the SoCal sun. Built by Mike Abssy and the team at Schrader’s Speed and Style, the roadster rides on a custom frame with a Winters quick-change rearend and power coming from a dual-carb 8BA Flathead with Thickstun-style heads. Luc Delay built the custom nose for the body, which is painted ’57 Porsche Stone Gray and complemented by Brooklands windscreens and a tasteful leather interior.
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- A year after it won the 2020 Goodguys Street Rod d’Elegance title, Dave Gonzales continues to enjoy the sleek and streamlined ’35 Ford coupe built for him by Roger Burman and the Lakeside Rod & Rides team. Built on a modified Pete & Jake’s chassis with a TCI IFS and RideTech coil-overs, the sleek coupe gets power from a Chevrolet Performance LS3 and attracts eyeballs thanks to a healthy dose of body reshaping under the Axalta Subterranean paint.
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- Steve Aguilar cruised down to Del Mar in his “Infrared” ’71 Camaro just a week before the car was crowned the 2021 Griot’s Garage Muscle Machine of the Year. Detroit Speed front and rear suspensions deliver great handling and a killer stance over 19- and 20-inch HRE wheels, with power coming from a 454c.i. LSX engine backed by a Bowler-prepped Tremec T-56 transmission. But it’s that blistering orange BASF Glasurit paint that really grabs your attention on this beautifully built pro touring machine.
