Hot Nights Hot Rods will be this year’s Featured Builder at the Motorama Custom Car & Motorsports Expo presented by eBay Motors. Owned by veteran builder Doug O’Brien, Hot Nights is no stranger to Motorama. They’ve entered countless vehicles in the show throughout the decades and have won the Grand Champion Award multiple times during the show’s various incarnations.
Their most recent win came at last year’s Motorama show when their incredible 1949 Chevrolet pick-up truck, nicknamed ‘Suzie,’ took home the prestigious Grand Champion Award.
“It’s a (’49) Chevy pick-up, on our own chassis, with all Corvette suspension,” O’Brien told Motorama during a Motorama Shop Tours video segment, prior to last year’s show. “When I say our own chassis, a good friend of mine, Doug McBride, built it for us to the specs that we wanted.”
The truck – which will be on display in Hall 2 at this year’s show, adjacent to the large Hot Nights Hot Rods feature display – has an LS 3 Corvette engine and a 4L65E transmission, with a custom tube frame chassis and custom leather and vinyl interior. When looking at all the custom work done on the truck, there was one aspect that stood out to O’Brien.
“If you check out the detail and finish on the underside of this truck, you might think the owner would never drive it…,” he said, talking about the ‘spare no expense’ nature of the build. “But that’s not the case; you’re likely to see this truck touring around southern Ontario to car shows or even towing his boat to the cottage (a trailer hitch is built-in behind the license plate).
“When Jim and I first talked about the project, he just wanted a nice driver,” continued O’Brien. “Somehow during the process, it seemed to get away from both of us, but the resulting masterpiece has made it all worthwhile.”
The truck was built, with comfort in mind, for owners Jim and Sue Carnegie. It’s the second vehicle that Hot Nights Hot Rods built for the couple and is a project that Jim was actively involved with.
Showgoers will have an opportunity to see the award winning ‘Suzie’ pick-up, as well as three other recent builds, up close, March 10, 11 & 12 at the International Centre, across from Toronto’s Pearson Airport.
Hot Nights Hot Rods will also have a booth at the show, which will be located in Hall 1. The company has over four decades of experience in the collector car hobby industry, focusing on everything from minor repairs to complete builds. All areas of their projects are done on-site at their 11,000-square-foot facility in Caledon, Ontario.
O’Brien will be very busy at Motorama. In addition to the Hot Nights booth in Hall 1 and his Featured Builder display and Grand Champion Truck in Hall 2, he’ll also make another appearance on the popular Builder’s Panel at Motorama. The panel will include several high-profile builders who have vehicles on display at the show. This is tentatively scheduled to take place at 12:30 p.m. on the main Motorama Stage, in Hall 2.
“When you think about Motorama and the incredible builders who have brought vehicles to the show, over the decades, the name Doug O’Brien and Hot Nights Hot Rods immediately comes to mind,” said Show Car Coordinator Gary Challice. “Hot Nights produces amazing vehicles, and the proof of that is the number of Grand Champion Awards they’ve earned over the decades.
“Doug and Hot Nights have also been great supporters of the show and we’re very pleased to be able to recognize them and showcase their work as this year’s Featured Builder at Motorama.”
ABOUT HOT NIGHTS HOT RODS: Hot Night’s Hot Rods brings over four decades of expertise to each job they complete, with an honest passion for the collector car hobby industry. Their 11,000-square foot facility in Caledon, ON is ready to meet all your collector car needs, whether you are looking at a full or partial build or fabrication. Their state-of-the-art equipment is complemented by their precision technical skills, so you always know your vehicle is in the best possible hands. Hot Night’s Hot Rods is a full-service custom car shop providing parts, accessories, and services. Their retail division carries over 900 brands and they are Authorized LUCKY 7 dealers. For more info, visit www.hotnightshotrods.com.
