We had an absolute blast on the SEMA Show floor this year, but instead of just sharing our favorite vehicle picks from the show, we decided to enlist the help of some celebrity friends to share their favorites as well. This is yet another amazing build picked by an influential automotive influencer and enthusiast.
We continue our celebrity picks from the 2017 SEMA Show with a person who needs no introduction, Jo Coddington, a true force to be reckoned with in the automotive industry. Coddington knows her way around hot rods, and her pick from the SEMA Show floor certainly shows she’s also got impeccable taste.
The Car
The hot rod is a 1929 Ford Model A Tudor sedan owned by Mark and Dennis Mariani. Built by Troy Trepanier, owner and creative mind behind Rad Rides by Troy, there should be no question in your mind about the caliber of this build. It’s GORGEOUS, and about as custom as they come.
What did we tell you – Coddington has good taste!
Designed with pre-war automotive, classic motorcycle, and vintage race car influences, according to Rad Rides by Troy’s Adam Banks, the Tudor is 95-percent hand built. From the grille shell, hood, and countless machined details, to the entire metal body, finding something on the car that isn’t custom is quite the task.
In total, the car took 18 months to build, and thousands of hours put in by the Rad Rides crew.
Featuring a custom chassis with one-off machined suspension and steering components, the Tudor is equipped with a fully adjustable torsion bar suspension system both front and rear. Out back, a modified Halibrand rearend puts power from the first-generation, fuel-injected GM small-block to the pavement. Backing the small-block is a Legend’s five-speed transmission guided to any chosen gear by a classic Hurst shifter. Planting the hot rod to the pavement are custom machined wheels wrapped in beefy Excelsior tires.
Other performance features of the car include a custom 3-inch stainless exhaust system equipped with Flowmaster mufflers, and oval track-style power steering. Needless to say, the ’29 may have made its debut as a SEMA Show car, but if you wanted to have some fun on the street with her, you could certainly do so.
Inside the hot rod, you’ll find just as many custom components. Everything from the seat frame and cushions to the door panels and ribbed steel roof insert are hand fabricated. So too is all of the interior trim. Hand-tipped Italian leather upholstery adds an even more elegant flair to things, while German square weave carpet adds the finishing touch to an already impeccable interior.
The entire build is topped off in a custom-mixed satin and gloss Bronze Glasurit two-toned paint scheme with hand striping.
And if that’s not enough, according to Banks, everything except for plating and powdercoating for the build was done in-house by the Rad Rides crew. Now that’s some serious passion and talent.
Coddington’s Pick
This incredible Tudor speaks for itself, thus it’s obvious why Coddington picked it as her favorite on the SEMA Show floor. But, we wanted you to hear why she made the choice in her own words.
“When I was walking the floor at SEMA, I saw many beautiful creations, but the ’29 spoke to me,” Coddington told us of her pick. “As I stepped in for a closer view, I found myself in absolute wonderment at the painstaking creation in front of me – a hand-built grille shell, the headlights incorporated with the front shocks, and the running gear outside to allow more room in the interior. A removable steering wheel to add comfort and ease for the driver to enter the hot rod; the top being the same paint formulated a few shades darker for the illusion of a removable top. Honestly, the ’29 seemed to have so many qualities that Boyd would incorporate in his creations, I knew the builder had to have known and studied Boyd. To my delight, it was Troy [Trepanier] and he always stated my husband had a huge influence on him.”
She continued: “The wheels were so fitting; door handles; interior – it flowed and suited the ’29 to perfection.”
When we told Banks about the car being Coddington’s favorite from the show and asked him what he thought of that, he had this to say: “It’s an honor. She knows what she’s looking at. She’s part of one of the most legendary shops in the industry. [It’s] significant to us.”
An incredible build, the ’29 Tudor will certainly go down in the books as one of ours – and Coddington’s favorites from the 2017 SEMA Show. Trust us – if you ever get a chance to check out this car in person, you should definitely do so.
A huge Thanks goes out to Jo Coddington, Troy Trepanier, Adam Banks, and the rest of the Rad Rides by Troy crew, and the fine folks at the Flowmaster/Hurst/B&M booth for all helping us share this incredible car. Be sure to check out the Gallery below for even more shots of this beautiful build.