By SEMA Editors
 The ’69 Ford Torino Talladega "GPT Special," owned by George Poteet of Memphis, Tennessee, was built by Troy Trepanier at Rad Rides by Troy in Manteno, Illinois. | |
The 2013 Mothers Shine Award was presented to George Poteet of Memphis, Tennessee, for his ’69 Ford Torino Talladega "GPT Special." Aftermarket industry veteran John Naderi hosted the ceremony this year, which was held last week at the Mothers Polish SEMA Show booth.
The Talladega was given a Holman Moody-inspired body treatment as it was widened by 5 in., with 3 in. removed from the front fenders and 1 in. taken from the wheelbase. The body was Coke-bottled—the rear quarters and front fenders are wider than stock and bulge out relative to the rocker panels. The grille, taillight bezels and other trim parts were CNC'd from large chunks of billet aluminum. The engine is a Boss 429 complete with a rare Ford experimental mechanical fuel-injection intake converted to EFI by Rad Rides by Troy. The chassis is a converted Art Morrison unit with a C5 Corvette front suspension and a Detroit Speed four-link in the rear with a Watts link and a Mark Williams 9-in. axle. The body was treated to more than 1,000 man hours of paint prep and finished in a BASF Glasurit 90-Line Tennessee Whiskey Gold gloss and Daytona Sand satin paint.
The 13th annual edition of the Shine Award was selected from hundreds of the world's premier cars on display at the SEMA Show. An international panel that includes seasoned builders, paint specialists, journalists and previous Shine Award recipients are tasked with selecting a winner. Judging is based on overall appearance, fit and finish, attention to detail, integration of custom and stock elements, creative vision and execution of concept.