2016 Autorama a showcase for imagination

Dubbed a “Studelac,” this lime-green-and-white 1953 Studebaker was shown at Autorama by Keith Goggin of New York City.

No respected customs show is complete without a 1940s Mercury. This ’40 Merc belonging to Jesse and Jessica Wolfsen of Fremont, Mich. perfectly fills the requirement.

Gary Higginbotham brought his 1969 Camaro with Art Morrison C6 Corvette chassis and 427 LS engine to Detroit from Alpharetta, Ga. to enter the 2016 Ridler competition.

The 1941 Ford Truck exhibited by owners Richard and Lynn Broyles of Jonesborough, Tenn. shows what imagination, talent and perseverance can do to a one-time pickup truck.

Minnesotan Dennis Heapy said his “Predator,” once a 1956 Chevrolet, combines trademarks from favorite custom builders from the past. A driver, it is powered by a 355-inch V-8 with 350 transmission.

Al McKnight described his 1964 Mercury Comet A/FX as “a modern day Caliente. The Essexville, Mich. resident found the Comet in 2007 in Henderson, Tenn. following an extensive search. McKnight has turned the coupe into a show car that will see action at the Milan, Mich. dragway this spring.

1964 Mercury Comet A/FX owner Al McKnight sought a specialist in Muskegon to build two custom carburetors for his dragster.

This British 1/4-ton panel delivery van - a 1948 Thames - was updated by Steve’s Auto Restoration of Portland, Ore. for its owners Guy Murphy and Steve Frisbie, also of Portland. An ad for the original truck promises “distinctive appearance, dependable performance” plus owner reports of up to 35 miles per gallon in fuel economy. That’s unlikely now that the Thames is powered by a 224-horsepower 350 V-8 with 4L60E automatic transmission.

Most-Eye-Popping Color award goes to Dave and Joanne Keena’s 1948 Chevrolet coupe with 350 V-8. Dave did the paint job, Dave and Al Keena handled body fabrication and Ed and Jan Smith were listed as builders. The Keenas are from Sterling Heights.

Mike Suggitt of Roseville owns this 2015 Harley-Davidson Freewheeler.

Watkins Boyz Speed and Kustom, whose tagline is “Terrorizing small towns since 1938,” was responsible for customizing this1954 Chevrolet pickup for Dodd Russell of Kalkaska, Mich.

“The Grunt,” a 200-mile-per-hour 1966 AA/fuel dragster with front-mounted supercharged 392 Chrysler Hemi engine and aluminum body, was shown by Marty Posluszay of Utica. This car was at Autorama a half-century ago, back in 1966.

Beautiful marbleized graphics may disguise the fact that this 1994 Mustang Cobra can bite. Owner D.J. Healer Jr. of Lebanon, Ohio has a 302-inch engine with 331 stroker kit and Edelbrock performance enhancements under the hood of the show car, built by K&K Custom Mustangs in Sweetwater, Tenn.

With a 540-inch engine, 9:1 compression ratio and 8 stack Hillborne injection, this 1963 Chevrolet Nova was dressed in tangerine candy and black with orange pearl paint. It is owned by Danny Roddenberry of Carson, Va.

Xcentrick Autosports was credited with building this 1966 AC Cobra with 351-inch 400-horsepower Ford engine. The car was shown by Chris June of Chatham, Ontario.

This 1966 Corvette features a 427 Turbo-Jet engine and belongs to Cartl Scholz of Capac, Mich.

Hamilton, Ohio residents James and Melissa Boitnott converted a 1956 Chevrolet Bel Air Nomad into “The Wanderer,” with a high-compression (11:1) LS3 429-inch engine rated at 613 horsepower.

Owner Bill Baldwin of the Baldwin brothers from Baltimore, Md. cited Hilton Hotrods and Ross Racing Engines for their roles in this 331-inch Chevy-powered 1962 dragster.

This sumptuous 1953 Cadillac custom convertible was shown at the 2016 Autorama in Detroit by Cal and Christina Dent of Columbia, S.C.

Steve and Georgia Simon of Birch Run, Mich. were showing their all-steel 1941 Willys pickup with custom 2X4 frame, 502 Ram Jet Chevrolet engine and nine-inch Ford rear end.

1932 Ford three-window coupe: With a color scheme fit for Strawberry Shortcake, this 1932 Ford three-window coupe pre-dates the popular dolls by several decades. Owner Richard Munz of Madison, Wis. reports it was on the cover of Hot Rod magazine in August of 1956.

Davisburg, Mich. residents Julie and Stan Jesionowski hurried to get good lighting and placement for the mirrors beneath their 1951 Chevrolet 3100 five-window pickup minutes before Cobo Center doors opened to the public.

Hip High, a handsome 1927 Ford T coupe street rod, was shown by Mike Boerema of Allendale, Mich.

This restored 1929 Harley-Davidson is owned Randy Hayward of Ferndale, Mich.

Randy Hayward of Ferndale was showing a like-new 1929 Harley-Davidson as well as this updated ’29 bike, customized by Rick Legato of Rochester Hills.

Doug Eldred of Eldred Hotrods in Edinboro, Pa., brought his 1939 Chevrolet truck street rod.

Bill Brown of Traverse City said the three-year frame-off rotisserie re-build of his 1964 Chevrolet C30 panel truck included the addition of a 600-horsepower Chevy ZZ 502 engine mated to a three-speed automatic. The truck also has a 3:73 positraction rear end.

Bike collector Rick Legato of Rochester Hills did extensive work on this pure-1950s Schwinn Custom Cruiser. Legato put a disc brake on the rear wheel, changed the tires and modified the running gear.

A team puts the finishing touches on the 1938 Graham two-door brought to Autorama by owner Michael Markin of Eau Claire, Wis.

Michael Markin, far right, of Eau Claire, Wis., was overseeing the final cleaning of his 2016 Ridler award contender: a 1938 Graham two-door.

Michael Markin of Eau Claire, Wis. found his shark-nose 1938 Graham via an Internet search. “I had an idea to do a coupe,” he said of the rusted pre-war sedan.

The 1938 Graham belonging to Michael Markin of Eau Claire, Wis. was buffed to a mirror finish the evening before Autorama.

Every rib of the grille on this 1938 Graham was carefully cleaned before judging began Thursday evening. The judges picked it as one of eight finalists for the Ridler Award.

This stunning Mystic Brown 1952 Mercedes 170S was completed by Samson Design of Marshall, Mo., less than a week before the Feb. 26 opening day of Autorama. Its wheelbase was extended by an inch, its roof cut by two inches and tilted forward and a 6.2-liter GM aluminum performance engine was placed under the hood.

Designer Derick Samson of Marshall, Mo. has hidden the gas tank of this customized 1952 Mercedes 170S behind a leather luggage facade. The car belongs to Mark Gooden of Marshall, Mo.

Painted a nuanced gray-brown, this custom taillight on Mark Gooden's 1952 Mercedes 170s is twice the size of the original, said designer Derick Samson.

With attention to detail, designer Derick Samson of Marshall, Mo. created an authentic-appearing hubcap for the 17-inch wheels of a 1952 Mercedes in competition for the coveted Ridler award at the 2016 Autorama in Detroit.

Mirrors reflect the spotless underpinnings of this 1952 Mercedes 170S sedan.

An extensive tool kit and assorted cleaning materials shared display space with this 1964 Ford Fairlane owned by Danny Shaffer of Bakersfield, Calif.

Italian leather, chrome-covered pedals and a five-speed manual shifter marked the interior of this 1964 Ford Falrlane owned by Danny Shaffer of Bakersfield, Calif.

Danny Shaffer of Bakersfield, Calif. owns this 1964 Ford Fairlane Sports Coupe.

Roush modifications boost the horsepower of the new Ford 5.0-liter V-8 to 600 in this 1964 Ford Fairlane, a customized driver owned by Danny Shaffer of Bakersfield, Calif.