2021 Lone Star Nationals Builders Choice Top 10 by Customs and Hot Rods of Andice
Like so many hot rod businesses, Customs and Hot Rods of Andice began with owner Harold Chapman crafting a cool ride for himself and quickly grew into a full-fledged custom shop with a staff of talented craftsmen and reputation for turning out top-quality rides. Goodguys was happy to welcome Chapman as the selector for the Builder’s Choice Top 10 at the Lone Star Nationals event.
Harold has a great eye for style, craftsmanship, and award-winning detail, and is also a big proponent of cars and trucks that drive and perform as well as they look. He found a great selection of vehicles that met all those criteria in Fort Worth, which made for a fantastic Texas Top 10 lineup.
Jimmy Dejewski’s bitchin’ little ’65 Falcon was one of two award-winning rides that Martin Bros. Customs brought to the event. Built on a custom frame rolling on big-inch Budnik wheels, the Falcon takes flight with a 5.0-liter Coyote Aluminator engine backed by a five speed and looks distinctive with custom bumpers and rockers, a muscular hood scoop, and beautiful Fusion Orange paint by Diamond in the Rust. Finished with a custom black interior by Circle J Upholstery, this is one sharp muscle machine.
Danny Burroughs is the man behind Bruce’s Rod Shop and the builder of this Deuce five-window coupe, which made the Top Five for the 2021 Goodguys Tanks, Inc. Hot Rod of the Year. Powered by a 468c.i. big-block Chevy and rolling on big ET rear wheels with skinny American Rebel fronts, the Anvil Gray brute is a road-proven hot rod that logged more than 8,000 miles last year. Leather upholstery by Phil Cato keeps Danny comfortable inside.
Chalk up another Top 10 for Ken and Lisa Stek in their way-cool ’57 Ford Ranch Wagon. There’s much more than initially meets the eye on this subtle green-and-white beauty, from the updated chassis with an owner-designed IFS and fuel-injected 4.6-liter V8 and 5R55 overdrive transmission, to the full custom interior with a modified ’64 Galaxie dash, bucket seats, custom center console, and matching green-and-white upholstery.
Phil and Debbie Becker’s ’32 Ford Vicky was the Goodguys Classic Instruments Street Rod of the Year in 2019 and still makes it to plenty of events. Built by Dave Lane, it uses a Moal chassis to get low over Dayton wire wheels and has a beautifully detailed small-block Chevy with Borla eight-stack injection. The Refinery gets credit for the DuPont Nardo Gray paint, while Schober’s Hot Rod Interiors trimmed the black leather inside.
You might remember Gordon Noggle’s ’56 Chevy pickup from earlier this month, where it was featured for becoming a Scott’s Hotrods Truck of the Year Early finalist in Colorado. Built by Revision Rods & Rides, it rolls low over Foose wheels thanks to an Art Morrison chassis with air springs and gets moving with LS3 power. The custom-mixed BASF Glasurit ruby red paint was glowing in the Texas sun and the butterscotch-colored leather upholstery inside looked tasty and inviting.
Bruce Conwell’s ’49 Cadillac is still looking great three years after winning the Goodguys Custom of the Year honor. Built by Chris Carlson Hot Rods, this rad cad is chopped and thoughtfully restyled from front to rear and benefits underneath from a Roadster Shop chassis with LS3 power, Inglese eight-stack injection, and Circle Racing wheels. The custom red paint is complemented with beautiful brown leather upholstery inside the custom cabin.
We like the blend of classic and modern elements in Stephanie Drabek’s ’32 Ford roadster, which was built by North Texas Rod & Custom using a Brookville body and custom chassis supporting a small-block Chevy V8 and rolling on one-off Billet Specialties wheels. Custom touches abound, from the distinctive grille and shell, to the inset hood louver panels and hand-made pieces throughout the interior. The cool color is called Aquarius Blue.
Tim Wheeler’s ’69 Camaro also earned a Chevrolet Performance Builder of the Year finalist spot for Steve Cook Creations in Texas. Built on Detroit Speed suspensions connected to 19- and 20-inch Forgeline wheels, the Camaro is powered by a 418c.i. LS3 and sports a long list of subtle custom body mods, including a carbon fiber hood and side skirts, billet grille, flush-fit glass, and candy red Axalta paint. Gabe Lopez upholstery and Dakota Digital instruments highlight the interior.
We’ve gotten familiar with John Hornbrook’s chopped ’32 Ford three-window coupe since it won the Goodguys 2021 Tanks, Inc. Hot Rod of the Year title. It was built by Murray Kustom Rods using a modified Pete & Jake’s chassis, 16-inch steel wheels, and a triple-carb small block Chevy backed by a Tremec five speed. A&R Restorations gets credit for the bodywork and BASF Washington Blue paint, while the inside features Relicate leather over a Glide bench seat.
There’s a lot more than initially meets the eye on Dillon Kinsey’s great-looking ’55 Olds built by Hot Rods by JSK. It gets down low courtesy of a custom chassis rolling on Circle Racing wheels and supporting a modern LS1 engine that’s dressed and detailed to look like a vintage Olds Rocket V8. The body has been massaged to near perfection under beautiful red and white Axalta paint, with matching leather upholstery adorning the custom bucket-seat interior.
Damon Lee began snapping photos at car shows when he was 10, tagging along with his father to events throughout the Midwest. He has combined his passion for cars and knack for writing and imagery into a 20-year career in the automotive aftermarket, writing for titles like Super Chevy and Rod & Custom and, more recently, working for respected industry leaders Speedway Motors and Goodguys Rod & Custom Association.