Steve Pierce’s ’40 Buick Super Crowned Goodguys 2019 Street Rod Headquarters Custom of the Year
Steve Pierce’s classy and classically styled ’40 Buick Super named Pamela has captured the Goodguys 2019 Street Rod Headquarters Custom of the Year title. The honor was announced this afternoon at during the awards ceremony at the 37th All American Get-Together at the Alameda County Fairgrounds in Pleasanton.
Pierce’s Buick proves that a largely home-built and traditionally styled custom can still win this prestigious Goodguys Top 12 title. “I build most of my cars in my two-car garage at home, after work or on my days off from my barber shop,” Steve said. “I take every car as a learning opportunity and try to grow my skills on each build.”
The Buick build put Steve’s skills to the test. It’s significantly redesigned with highlights that include a chopped (4-inches in front, tapering to 5¾-inches in the rear) and hardtop-style roof, one-piece hood, ’38 Ford headlights, extended rockers, molded fenders, flush-mounted fender skirts, hidden trunk hinges, ’41 Cadillac bumpers, and custom taillights in the rear bumper guards. Steve did most of the metal work at home before having friend Robbie Azevedo fine tune the body and build the hood. Martin Kolor and Style applied the Valspar Washington Blue finish.
There are updated touches underneath in the form of a ’70 Nova subframe outfitted with Slam Specialties air springs, plus a modified trailing arm rear suspension supported by more air springs. A well-detailed, cream-painted small-block Chevy provides power, backed by a 700R4 overdrive automatic. The 15-inch steel wheels are topped with Lyons hubcaps and wrapped in 6.70-15 wide whitewall Firestones.
The traditionally styled interior gets some extra shine from a chrome-plated stock dash supporting a ’40 Ford-style steering column and smaller-diameter stock wheel. Johnson Kustom Upholstery stitched the stock bench seat and other soft parts in white vinyl with maroon piping and carpet.
“The car is named Pamela after my mother, who lost her battle with cancer,” Steve said. “She saw me bring the car home and would come over and watch me work on it, but never saw it finished. My mother always pushed to put full effort in everything you do.”
Beyond that inspiration, Steve acknowledged the assistance of many others. “I have many great and talented friends that helped me,” Steve said. “My buddy Robbie Azevedo made the hood and all the windows and trim, plus many other one-off parts. My car club, Squires, help me out a lot as well. It truly is a great tribe. Big thanks to my father, Tom; he helps and does whatever needs to get done. And my girlfriend Paige – she lets me work many hours on the car and lets me be selfish with my time with no complaint.”
Prior to its Street Rod Headquarters Custom of the Year win, Pierce’s Buick received the Harold A. Bagdasarian Award for World’s Most Beautiful Custom, as well as King of the Kustoms crown, at the 2019 Sacramento Autorama. Goodguys would like to congratulate Pierce and everyone involved in crafting this truly Super Buick custom.
