2016 Hall of Fame: More Great Cars At The Show, Shine Shag and Drag!

2016 Hall of Fame inductee Jim Zakia’s shiny, red Opel GT Gasser is equally at home in car show display mode or on the drag strip. Zakia’s beautiful showpiece is the latest in a long line of race cars dating back to a ’55 Chevy. A master craftsman, Zakia builds his own cars in his home garage during those long, snowy Niagra Falls, NY winters. (Jim Hill Photo)

Plymouth Division built very smooth looking cars in the 60’s, such as this ’67 Barracuda Sport Coupe. These nimble cars were offered with 273 or 383 CID V-8 power in striking colors such as this bright, lime-green. That snorkel device is a low-restriction, aftermarket air cleaner. In 1968 Plymouth brought out a hatchback Barracuda and Dodge a notchback Dart style, both with 426 CID Race Hemi V-8 engines, now legendary as the high-water point for factory built drag race cars! 

Gene Mori was an East Coast Drag Times Hall of Fame inductee in the very first group, 2002! Gene’s Chevy powered Volkswagen, famously named the “Chev-Wagon”, was a regular at major events across the east coast. Mori brought his famous car back again to the 2016 ECDT Hall of Fame event. (Photo by Jim Hill)

NHRA Top Fuel World Champion Jim Walther (left), of Painesville, Ohio, drove a nitro powered front-engine dragster across the nation in the middle 60’s. This beautifully crafted recreation of Walther’s “Special Edition”, was built by famed chassis builder J. Ed Horton, of South Carolina, and Penny Flammia, of Chesterfield, VA. A 2009 ECDT Hall of Fame inductee, Jim Walther also serves as a member of the ECDT Hall of Fame Inductee Nominating Committee. Flammia and Walther entertained the thousands on hand by firing the nitro fueled 392 Chrysler hemi. (Jim Hill Photo)

Noted TV figure and drag racing historian Bret Kepner is shown here interviewing 2016 inductee Jim Zakia for a segment of his TV show, being aired during December 2016 and January 2017. Kepner, known for his encyclopedic knowledge of drag racing history and sharp wit, serves as the Master of Ceremony at the annual Hall of Fame induction ceremonies, each October, in Henderson, NC. (Jim Hill Photo)

Arguable, one of the most visually pleasing platforms for a great street rod (or nostalgia race car!) is a pre-war Chevy coupe or sedan. This ’38 Chevy has it all! (Jim Hill Photo)

Anglia-Row! This year’s event in Henderson, NC found this impressive line-up of English Anglias of all persuasions on display! Lined-up were street rods and race cars in several different configurations. The historic downtown Henderson Fire Department is pictured in the background. (Jim Hill Photo)

In spite of their crusty, rusty appearance, the street rod-offshoot phenomenon known as “Rat Rods” often displays some very crafty workmanship. This gritty Ford pick-up sported bizarre headers, a mailbox intake scoop, an aluminum radiator and of course, lots of rust and “patina”! Rat Rods are just another form of the diversity of the car enthusiast hobby.(Jim Hill Photo)

NHRA 2012 Pro Stock World Champion Allen Johnson’s dad Roy builds the high-horsepower Dodge engines that powered Allen to an eighth place finish in the 2016 NHRA points race. Roy was inducted into the 2016 ECDT Hall of Fame while son Allen was in Pomona, CA, competing in the 2016 World Finals race. Here Roy and Revonda Johnson, Greenville, TN residents, check out the Mopars on display. (Jim Hill Photo)

What’s more “Classic Street Machine” than a ’55 Chevy? This two-tone Bel Air two door sedan has the classic stance, look and power! (Jim Hill Photo)

So, you say you fancy antiques? This genuine, 1906 REO (named for company founder, Ransom E. Olds) was a bit tattered but amazingly barn-find authentic. Best of all, it sat idling while its duster-clad owner gave details to an interested bystander. Just think, 110 years old and still going! You never know what treasures are liable to surface at the ECD Hall of Fame car show! (Jim Hill Photo)

Frequently confused with similar-looking Cords, this 1931 Graham was not only rare, but well restored. Jimmy Sydney, Apex, NC is the proud owner. (Jim Hill Photo)

The over one-mile car show display stretched through all of downtown Henderson, NC and onto side streets! That long-walk could be eased by hopping this taxi, a favorite for sore feet! (Jim Hill Photo)