Event Coverage: The Summit Racing I-X Piston Powered Auto-Rama

The Summit Racing Equipment I-X Piston Powered Auto-Rama brings a cool variety of vehicles to one place. You’ll see everything from Ridler award-winning vehicles to your standard weekend cruiser at the Piston Powered Auto-Rama. We made the trip to Cleveland, Ohio to check out the 2023 edition of the Summit Racing Equipment I-X Piston Powered Auto-Rama to see what was on display.

“The Machine” is a wicked 1970 AMC Rebel owned by Rick Bowling. Bowling decided he wanted his Rebel to really stand out, so he had it painted a sharp custom shade of Candy Red. The Machine is more than a pretty face, it’s got a rowdy 528 cubic-inch Hemi under the hood providing the horsepower. The AMC rides on a custom suspension that uses coilover shocks to give the car a sleek stance.

Mary Woelfle’s 1932 Ford Coupe didn’t need to be painted a flashy color to grab our attention. This simple white street rod’s Kilborne body sits perfectly on its custom frame. A 454 cubic-inch big block Chevy backed by a TH350 transmission ensure this classic Ford can roast the tires anytime Mary mashes the loud pedal.

Joe Ballard’s 1958 Anglia is a tribute to active-duty soldiers and veterans of the United States military. Ballard commissioned Dave Jones to spray the Anglia in PPG Torch Red with Vibrance Big Flake Gold and Orange hues. Chris Macmahan was tasked with airbrushing the amazing images of soldiers on the vehicle. The final product is a rolling piece of art that’s powered by a 302 cubic-inch small block Ford from Holman Moody that’s backed by a 4-speed transmission.

Tom Rittmaier’s 1976 Camaro has everything you could ever want in a show car packed into one vehicle. The Camaro went through a frame-off restoration before it received a few coats of Brandywine paint. A 350 cubic-inch small block Chevy that’s dripping with chrome and topped off with a 6-71 supercharger completes the Camaro.

Van Brower built his 1967 Camaro as a tribute to his father Cecil Brower. The Camaro is powered by a 572 cubic-inch Merlin-based big block that made 800 horsepower on the dyno. A Chris Alston 4-link rear suspension, tubular A-arms, and QA1 coilover shocks were installed on the Camaro. Fatty’s Chassis took care of the bodywork, and painting the Camaro Red Apple Candy was handled by Gary’s Paintworks. The interior of the Camaro features products from TMI and Portage Trim.

“Ron’s Dream” is a slick 1932 Ford Coupe owned by Ron and Nancy Learn. The car is based on an Outlaw Chassis and Outlaw fiberglass body that’s been painted PPG Rally Yellow by First Place Fab. A stout 383 cubic-inch small block Chevy powers Ron’s Dream and has been matched to a TREMEC TKO 600 5-speed transmission. Ron and Nancy sewed and installed the Ford’s custom interior.

George Lemmerman’s 1971 Plymouth Duster is a cool time capsule of a muscle car. The Duster only has 28,000 original miles on the clock, and still sports a 340 cubic-inch small block Mopar mill that spits out 310 horsepower. A five-speed transmission sends the horsepower back to the 8.75 rearend. The Plymouth is still rocking its 14-inch rally wheels, front disc brakes, and high-back bucket seats.

“Showtime” is a 1938 Ford Coupe that’s owned by Joe and Michel Ischkum. Charles Huff sprayed the Ford in PPG’s Orange Radiance over a deep black base. J.L Johnson created Showtime’s custom interior. The Ford is powered by a 441 cubic-inch big block Chevy that was built by Jim Brower and features a cool chromed 502 Ram Jet intake. Showtime rides on a custom chassis and Air Ride Technologies suspension.

Diana Riser’s 1930 Model A Coupe is a picture-perfect representation of what a cool street rod should look like. The body has been chopped and channeled a total of 4-inches to give it that iconic hot rod look. A 389 cubic-inch Pontiac engine wearing six 2-barrel carbs powers the vehicle. Diana shifts her own gears thanks to the Muncie 4-speed transmission that backs the Pontiac mill.

If you wanted to see a real piece of Camaro history, Viola and Phil Borris’ 1967 Indy Pace Car was a must-see at the show. The husband and wife duo went to great lengths to bring this Camaro back to life and make it better than showroom new. Violet and Phil did a majority of the work on the Camaro themselves and the level of documentation they had with the car was amazing.

The blending of traditional street rods with modern technology is becoming the norm these days. Pat Turowski’s 1934 Plymouth Business Coupe which was built by Anton’s Hot Rod Shop is a great example of this trend. The Plymouth rides on a custom chassis that features an integrated roll cage and suspension parts from Art Morrison. A GEN III HEMI backed by a 4L80 Gearstar transmission sends the Business Coupe down the road.

Paul Kistler’s 1935 Willys Model 77 Sedan Delivery is a luxurious brute that looks like it would be a riot to cruise the streets in. Kistler’s shop, Kistler Race Engines, built the radical mill that powers the Willys and it has been partnered with a 4L80E transmission from Rossler Transmissions. Every inch of the Willys has been massaged in some way and customized to make it a truly unique ride.

A truly awesome display of iconic GM muscle cars was at the Summit Racing Equipment I-X Piston Powered Auto-Rama. This display consisted of two Yenko Deuce Novas, a pair of COPO Chevelles, a Dick Harrel prepared Camaro and Nova, a COPO Camaro, and an original ZL1 Camaro. Needless to say, it’s not every day you get to see this mix of vehicles in one place.

Jason Steeves brought his “Dirty Dandelion” 1927 Chevy Coupe to the show and boy it drew a crowd. Sussex Engines built the cool 1955 354 cubic-inch Hemi mill that’s backed by a Super T-10 transmission. The House Of Kolor Pagen Gold Candy Silver Flake and Pear White paint just make the Dirty Dandelion pop. Metal Coaters created some amazing chrome parts that work in unison with the wild paint. The entire package was put together by the craftsman at Binbrook Speed & Custom.