Muscle Cars and Wild Hot Rods at the Chattanooga World of Wheels

• For the past 58 years, the O’Reilly Auto Parts World of Wheels Auto Show has given car enthusiasts in the Chattanooga, Tennessee, area something fun to do on a cold winter weekend. The three-day event has been held in the Chattanooga Convention Center for the last few decades, and it’s a great venue to host the cars, vendors and other attractions as thousands of spectators come through the gates. The show features a huge variety of cars and trucks, from slammed customs to jacked-up 4×4 trucks and everything in between. There were restored muscle cars, Day 2 builds, drag cars and some truly wild combinations.
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  The World of Wheels attracts car enthusiasts young and old, thanks to lots of attractions in addition to the cars on display. This year, there were vendors for Hot Wheels, custom neon signs, automotive paint materials and more. Attractions included Courtney Hansen, Von Hot Rod and other famous hot rod personalities, as well as a team of motorcycle riders who ride inside a steel globe.
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  At the end of the three-day event, there were many awards given to the top cars and trucks in attendance. The Fabulous 5 awards went to Benji Griffin in a chopped and channeled 1931 Ford Model A sedan, Curt Pribble in a beautiful 1941 Willys gasser, Bruce Griffin in a slick 1968 Chevrolet C10 truck, Ronny Kiby with a 1963 Corvette coupe and Jeff Holt in a 1969 Camaro drag car. The variety within the Fabulous 5 speaks volumes of this event, and there were plenty of great machines on the property. Take a look at a few vehicles that grabbed our attention during this long-standing Chattanooga car show.
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• The O’Reilly Auto Parts World of Wheels Auto Show is packed with amazing cars and trucks, including this Apple Red 1966 Shelby GT350H, owned by Pete Wojtowicz from Bargersville, Indiana. The car is fully documented, going back to its delivery at Paul Miller Ford in Lexington, Kentucky.–All images courtesy of Tommy Lee Byrd, but not allowed to be seen
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  Built by Rollers Speed Shop and Goolsby Customs, this heavily customized 1968 Chevrolet C10 pickup is one of the Fabulous 5 award winners and rightfully so. The truck features a Roadster Shop chassis, 525-horse LS3, and six-speed automatic transmission, and it’s finished with a special-mixed silver hue by BASF.
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• Toby Walters brought this immaculately restored 1968 Plymouth Road Runner all the way from Blue Ridge, Texas. Black paint, black interior and black steel wheels give this Hemi-powered Road Runner a sinister look and the BFGoodrich Silvertown redline tires offer just the right amount of color on this outstanding Mopar. -----------------------------------
  Wow is the acronym for the World of Wheels, and that’s exactly what everyone said when they saw this Pro Street Corvette. With five polished superchargers atop a big block Chevy engine, this over-the-top show car stopped people in their tracks all weekend long. Love it or hate it, the car got lots of attention.
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• Clay King bought this 1973 Plymouth Barracuda in 1990, and he’s driven it hard ever since. The car’s current configuration looks like it came straight out of the early ‘70s, thanks to the Cragar S/S wheels and bias ply rubber. Under the shaker scoop is a 508ci wedge motor, which has motivated this Day 2 Mopar to a best E.T. of 10.73 at 121.9 miles per hour.
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  Tom McEwen would’ve been proud to see this 1957 Chevy funny car on display, but it isn’t his flopper from the ‘80s. Craig Wagner is responsible for this one, which features a blown and injected big block Chevy. It was on display with the Brainerd Motorsports Park booth, a great representation for Chattanooga’s hometown drag strip, which is right across the state line in Ringgold, Georgia.----------------------------------Another local favorite was this old faithful Ford pickup owned by Chattanooga businessman Corky Coker. Since selling his tire company, he has focused his efforts on promoting The Coker Museum, as well as Honest Charley Speed Shop, a Chattanooga staple since 1948.-
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  Once owned by NASCAR legend Glenn “Fireball” Roberts, this 1936 Ford Phaeton is now a traditional hot rod with great tributes to Fireball’s racing legacy. The car features an 8BA Flathead V8, equipped with Edelbrock aluminum cylinder heads and dual Stromberg carburetors
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• Jason Danler from Seminole, Florida displayed his 1972 Chevelle at the Chattanooga World of Wheels. The car features a contemporary Pro Touring look, with a custom-fabricated air dam, slick door handles and flush-mounted glass. Power comes from a twin turbocharged big block.
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  This 1931 Ford Model A Tudor sedan is the epitome of low. It has a chopped top and heavily channeled body, in combination with custom wire wheels and extra-tall tires from Coker. A sectioned ’32 Ford grille shell leads the way, while a highly detailed Flathead V8 provides the power.
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