Suede Palace Beauties at 2011 GNRS

Feeling at Home with Custom Cars and Hot Rods at GNRS

Suede Palace 2011, GNRS, Grand National Roadster Show, 2011 GNRS, 2011 Grand National Roadster Show, rat rods, rat rod pictures

So many great classic cars appear in every hall of the annual Grand National Roadster Show – from hot rods to lowriders to custom cars, dragsters, and of course the America’s Most Beautiful Roadster Contenders. But of all the halls, I have to say I feel most at home in the Suede Palace. Maybe it’s because my own Studebaker hot rod would be most at home there.

1929 Ford Model A,Suede Palace, 2011 GNRS, 2011 Grand National Roadster Show, rat rods, rat rod pictures

The Suede Palace was created for those cars that, although perhaps fabulous examples of workmanship and ingenuity, might be lacking some of the more traditional “show quality” characteristics. Such as a shiny paint job – thus the “Suede Palace.” So if you missed out on the 2011 GNRS, let me take you on a little walk around my favorite building, the Suede Palace.2011 Suede Palace, GNRS 2011, hot rods, custom cars, , rat rods, rat rod picturesThis 1930 Ford Model A Five Window Coupe has a pretty vicious stance.

1940 Chevy Gasser, flat paint, vintage gasser,Suede Palace 2011, 2011 GNRS, Grand National Roadster Show, rat rods, rat rod picturesNot only customs, roadsters, and rat rods claim suede. This 1940 Chevrolet Gasser Coupe of the Devil’s Car Club is showing off the suede well.

1950 Oldsmobile 88,2011 Grand National Roadster Show, 2011 Suede Palace, rat rods, rat rod picturesThis 1950 Oldsmobile is still in it’s original paint! It’s in great condition but does wear a pretty patina in spots.

Pull Knob Custom Grill,2011 GNRS Suede Palace, Grand National Roadster Show, rat rods, rat rod picturesSuede cars definitely like custom touches too – like this great pull-knob front grille.

1953 Mercury Monterey,2011 Suede Palace,2011 GNRS, Grand National Roadster Show, rat rods, rat rod picturesSpeaking of details, this 1953 Mercury Monterey had a few fun ones. Not only a cool Turks Car Club plaque…

1953 Mercury custom, Mercury Monterey, Chopped Custom Car,2011 Suede Palace, 2011 GNRS, Grand National Roadster Show,flat paint, custom flat paintbut a very unique, fade-like or Watson-esque suede paint job along with a chopped top. Cool!

Moon Disk, 2011 GNRS, 2011 Grand National Roadster Show, custom studebakerRolling along with the details was this unique moon disk style hubcap with a traditional Ford cap in the middle.

1955 Studebaker Coupe,GNRS 2011, Suede Palace, Grand National Roadster Show,, rat rods, rat rod picturesAlso sporting moon discs is the 1955 Studebaker President. I was VERY surprised to see another ’55 Studebaker (like my own of course, even matching moonies!)

Louvred Studebaker Coupe Hood,GNRS 2011, Suede Palace, Grand National Roadster ShowSurprised, but maybe a little disappointed that this Stude was shown before being more thoroughly finished… I do enjoy seeing a Studebaker coupe with louvres in the hood.

Pasadena Roadster Club,2011 GNRS, Suede Palace, 2011 GNRS, Grand National Roadster Show, rat rods, rat rod picturesAnother racer, this one out of the showing of Pasadena Roadster Club cars has all sorts of great things going on.

1959 ThunderBird custom car, Watson paint, Suede Palace, 2011 GNRS, Grand National Roadster Show, rat rods, rat rod picturesThis 1959 T-Bird is a  tribute to the great Watson, of course.

1936 Ford custom, Suede Palace, 2011 GNRS, Grand National Roadster Show, rat rods, rat rod picturesNearby the T-Bird, over in the Beatnik’s Car Club corner, is Norton Dewayne’s 1936 Ford five-window coupe.

1936 Ford Five Window Coupe, Suede Palace 2011, GNRS, Grand National Roadster Show, rat rods, rat rod picturesIt’s lines and color were irresistible.

1936 Ford, custom Grill, 2011 GNRS, Suede Palace, Grand National Roadster Show, rat rods, rat rod picturesI couldn’t get enough of it!

1950 Shoebox custom,Awards in Suede Palace, custom trophies, 2011 GNRS, grand national roadster showAnother car that nobody could seem to get enough of was this custom 1950 Ford Shoebox. It made the drive all the way from Florida just hours after being finished. When it came time to dish out awards in the Suede Palace on Saturday night, this car picked up seven of them! (Look for more of the story on this car coming soon!)

Suede Palace Awards 2011 GNRS, car trophies, grand national roadster showSpeaking of awards, although the Grand National Roadster Show gives out many awards (including the America’s Most Beautiful Roadster award of course) the Suede Palace hosts their own award ceremony… and this one’s sure a little more “colorful” then the Grand National Roadster Show’s official awards ceremony! Various car clubs and others create their own unique trophies and choose the car of their liking.

2011 gnrs, car club awardsOne club even awarded, Axle, the “curator” of the Suede Palace, with a lit bomb trophy to recognize all of the work he contributes to making the Suede Palace portion of GNRS a huge and growing success!

1930 Ford hot rod,2011 GNRS Suede Palace, grand national roadster showAnother award winning car was this 1930 Ford Roadster powered by a 1947 Ford Flathead connected to a Banjo rear-end.

1929 Ford Highboy, 2011 Grand National Roadster Show, Suede Palace, 2011 GNRS, Ford highboyMoving right on to another recognized award-winning roadster is Steve Garrison’s “Metamorphosis” 1929 Highboy with an interesting extended firewall hiding all the more unsightly aspects of its more modern engine.

1936 Ford Pickup, hot rod pickup,Suede Palace 2011 GNRS, imperial hot rodsAlso taking in an award is  Throttle Kings member Jim Ramirez’  beauty 1936 Ford Pickup. Jimmy’s truck changed a ton since we first shot it in 2007 at the LA Roadster Show.

1936 Ford Pickup, hot rod Engine, 2011 GNRS, Suede PalaceGood lookin’ and well-powered!

1956 Plymouth Belvedere, Suede Palace at GNRS, 2011 GNRS, rat rods, rat rod picturesJust because its in the Suede Palace doesn’t mean that it can’t have a finished paint job. This 1956 Plymouth Belvedere rides in style with blue on white flame job.

Custom cars, Suede Palace,62nd Grand National Roadster Show, 2011 GNRS, rockabillyAnd this beautiful custom could also never be accused of “not being done” either. Wow!

1934 Ford Cabriolet, Garage Find, barn find,2011 GNRS Suede Palace, grand national roadster show, rockabilly cars, original hot rods

But then, of course – there’s beauties like this 1934 Ford Cabriolet. A garage find if I ever did see one. Bought from an original owner and hot rodded in the 50’s… its sat in a garage since the 60’s until it was found in 2008. Its been brought back to running condition and is intended to keep on driving  just as it is.

This sort of variety and fun is what makes the Suede Palace one of my favorite spots at the Grand National Roadster Show. If you missed the show this year… try to put it on your car calander for January 2012!

If you were there, what were your favorites?

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