Our Favorites From The 2017 Barrett-Jackson Auction In Las Vegas

From the 19th to the 21st of October, a beautiful scene is due to descend on the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada. The event is the 2017 Barrett-Jackson Las Vegas auction, where a grand selection of classics and restomods will be up for grabs for the highest bidder. These aren’t amateur projects, they’re painstakingly made, beautiful, powerful machines. In this article, we’ve gone through the lots which will be under the hammer in October to choose our favorites, the cars that make us dream of blasting down a highway to the sound of a roaring V8. If you’re reading this and have the spare cash, maybe you’ll make your way over. For others, like myself, the photos will have to suffice for now.

1968 Chevrolet Camaro Custom Coupe

First up is this 1968 Chevrolet Camaro Custom restomod, up for auction with no reserve (no surprise, huh?) This beast is powered by a 540ci V8, with aluminium heads and block. That’s just the start of the extensive customization that’s gone into this thing.

The exhaust feeds into a custom Borla muffler and tailpipes, the engine is mated to a Jerico Performance four-speed, and the floors and plating have been reformed from aluminium. The roof has been widened by five inches, and the inside is covered with Cobra black leather, while safety is taken care of by Corbeau belts.

Further efforts to lighten the car have spilled out to the door panels and trim, which have been remade from carbon fiber.

1970 Ford Mustang Custom Fastback

This 1970 Ford Mustang Fastback restomod is a celebrity, plain and simple. It’s previously won multiple national awards and been featured in Popular Hot Rodding magazine, and it’s obvious why. The car’s been refitted with a lightning-fast Smeding 427 V8, producing 496hp and 553 ft/lbs of torque. To keep this monster functioning, new intakes have been carved next to the headlights. The car rides on Ridetech Shockwave shock absorbers.

This eye-catching crimson Mustang has had a five-speed TKO manual transmission fitted for the most accurate racecar experience you can get. Baer four-piston calipers have also been fitted, letting you stop as rapidly as you need.

Other accouterments provided by the builder includes AC, power seats, and mirror-mounted turn signals.

1961 Chevrolet Corvette Big Brake Fuelie

I’m not even joking, if you ever wanted to demonstrate to someone that cars can be art, this is what you need. You could put this thing in a gallery, and it wouldn’t look out of place. This 283/315 Chevy Corvette is as good as new, with just 300 miles on the clock since a 2016 rebuild. According to the auctioneers, over $100,000 has been invested in this car over the years.

Just as in an original C1 Corvette, power is provided by a 283ci small-block V8, which outputs 315hp, allowing a 0-60 time of less than six seconds, and a top speed of 133 mph.

The car’s striking red and black color scheme was something of a rarity at the time, and even more so today. Out of 10,939 C1 Corvettes produced in 1961, just 1340 came with this combination. This restoration also comes equipped with both a white soft top and a hard top.

1954 Ford F-100 Custom

What kind of article on restomods or hot rods would be complete without a Ford F-100? This superb example, which was sandblasted and repainted in Ford Sterling Gray, needed to be here. The car was completely rebuilt, with independent front suspension fitted, complete with disc brakes, while the rear suspension was cranked down and Center Line wheels installed.

A 345ci GM crate V8 has been fitted to the truck, which is paired with Edelbrock intake and Flowmaster exhaust. To keep it cool, an aluminum-shrouded radiator’s been installed, as have a pair of fans. Inside, there’s a custom bench seat in black and gray, power steering, stock gauges which have been matched with modern systems, and AC. Out back, the bed has been redone in stained oak and chrome.

1929 Ford Custom Coupe

Fords from the 1920s have made some of the most classic hot rods in history, and this phenomenon shows no sign of stopping. A huge amount of Model As were made, allowing for unprecedented hot rod production, and this model is carrying the torch ignited by rods like the Kookie Kar. According to the auctioneers, over $45,000 worth of parts have been fitted to this extreme machine. Powered by a 350ci Chevy V8 (some will cry heresy, but I say bring it on,) which provides 310hp, this monster promises speed by the bucketload.

A four-speed GM auto transmission with overdrive has been linked up, and a 10-bolt axle and four-link rear suspension fitted. Disc brakes have been attached up front, while the beast’s weight body rests on coilover shock absorbers.

Inside, the car’s been retrofitted with custom bucket seats and Sparco harnesses, as well as a removable Sparco steering wheel and power windows.

1970 Custom Dodge Charger, AKA “Punishment”

Every so often in the restomod scene, you come across machines that look so intimidating they seem like they should be driven by a villain from a 70s thriller. This is one such case. This fully-custom 1970 Dodge Charger, known as “Punishment” looks so cool, so badass, that you can imagine hearing the sound of jaws hitting the floor as it careers past. Look at it: is it any surprise it’s been included in SEMA’s Top 15 muscle cars, and won Goodguys awards?

Under the hood, you can see this monstrous 372ci Hemi V8, which produces 620hp. For ultimate precision control, it’s also fitted with a five-speed manual transmission and underneath, if you take a look, you’ll find the whole thing sits on the suspension from a Corvette C6. Other technological features of this smorgasbord of a car include disc brakes with six-inch calipers and 14″ discs.

The car’s power-to-weight ratio is aided by the many sprinklings of carbon you’ll find across it. The exhaust tip? Carbon. The front and rear bumpers? Carbon.

The interior has also been made essentially from scratch. The flooring is fully custom, and the dash and door panels covered in smooth Italian leather. According to the auctioneers, a massive $380,000 has been spent on building this exceptional restomod. As far as I’m concerned, it’s worth every penny.

1955 Custom Chevrolet Bel Air

I’ve talked about the Chevy Bel Air before, and how it exemplifies Americana in car form. This superb restomod takes that and throws another layer of classic American motoring into the mix: the hot rod. The only hint of the power lurking beneath the skin of this crimson and champagne coated monster is the promising peak of engine that pokes through the hood.

What an engine it is. A 502ci big block has been fitted, with a 14-71 blower accompanying it in its symphony of speed. A four-speed automatic transmission is mated to the engine, with the transmission in turn linked to a GM 10-bolt. If the sound of the engine isn’t enough for you, the car also features a six speaker sound system.

The car’s also been tubbed out, with 33×19.5″ tires sitting on Weld racing wheels. This beauty may not look like it at first glance, but it is a true-blue hot rod, through and through.