Smokin' in Scottsdale!

Not enough hours in the day!...        read full caption Not enough hours in the day! I wished I had the time to chat with Nathan Porter who brought his super cool double-nickel big-window to the show from Mesa. The chassis on this truck would blow you away! Suspending the Corvette IRS is a rocker arm-style setup for the airbags, and there is even an LS1 under the hood. Stay tuned on this one.

The Goodguys Truck of the...        read full caption The Goodguys Truck of the Year-Early went to this '29 Model A Roadster Pickup. Gary Brigham from Kennesaw, GA, is the proud owner of this cool blue 502/400-motivated RPU.

Baptism by fire! That's exactly what it was for me at this year's 8th Annual Goodguys Southwest Nationals in Scottsdale, Arizona. No, it wasn't boiling hot--in fact the weather was perfect. This was my first Goodguys show in the 10 years since I dove into the world of "old cars." I have often heard about how spectacular the Goodguys shows are, and I live close to a few, so I'm not quite sure why it's taken so long for me to experience one.

Experience is just what I got with it, too. With a late start, from flying in Saturday morning, I hit the ground running making my way through the thousands of glistening cars and trucks. Not only was I just trying to take in the show in general, but I had to pick the CLASSIC TRUCKS Top Ten awards as well as put together coverage for all of you. Now, at a lesser show this may have been an easier task, but with people migrating from far and wide, and culminating in Arizona to show their stuff, I had my work cut out for me. I armed myself with my trusty Canon, water, Top Ten forms, and put more miles on a pair of Converse shoes than should be allowed.

More than filling the field at WESTWORLD was a plethora of way-cool hot rods, customs, and musclecars that suited just about any taste or style. Of course, there were the heavy-hitters on hand, like Boyd and Foose who were rubbin' shoulders with the fans, as they wandered wide-eyed amongst the vendors all weekend. On the perimeter of the field, in the swap meet area, there were tons of cars, trucks, parts, people, and what have you. When I first walked up to it, I thought I was still in the show, as I was surrounded by a bunch of clean trucks for sale that had caught my eye. If you had enough cash, you could have gone to the swap meet, bought a truck, and spent the rest of the time with it in the show.

Saturday night I was invited to an open house/BBQ at Industrial Chassis in nearby Phoenix. Owner Steve Szymanski showed me around the shop, which was so big I almost cried. They had their hands full of all kinds of projects, not to mention their recent venture in dropping I-beam axles. I soon forgot about the trucks when I saw all the food waiting. It was just what the doctor ordered after a long day of beatin' my feet. I love good hospitality!

With the baptism now over, I feel like a better person for attending. Don't wait 10 years like I did to go to a Goodguys show. Thanks to all the classic truck owners for showing up. We hope to see even more of you in Scottsdale next year on November 18 & 19th! For more info go to www.good-guys.com.

Classic Trucks Goodguys Southwest Top Ten

BAM! That's how Robert Freuden's...        read full caption BAM! That's how Robert Freuden's '56 F-100 hit me as I walked by; I had to stop and check it out. Paint can make or break any vehicle, and the candy tangerine on this truck almost jumps off in the Arizona sun.	Sitting in the Pro's Pick...        read full caption Sitting in the Pro's Pick area was Chris Fesler's '67 Chevy. This C-10 looks like it drove through a bottle of Vaseline; it was so smooth and shiny. Chris owns Fesler Productions, a shop in Phoenix that builds stunning vehicles. Under the low hood it has a Magnuson-supercharged 6.0L Cadillac V-8 and rolls on 20-inch Weld wheels.	I have always loved Steve...        read full caption I have always loved Steve Szymanski's '63 F-100! His Merc-grilled unibody breathes new life into longbeds. He beefed up the stock chassis with a Dakota IFS setup that uses his custom tubular control arms. He said the only way to make these old Fords go fast is to put a Chevy in 'em, and he backs that up with a built 427/Tremec combo.
I wonder if Steve Silva knew...        read full caption I wonder if Steve Silva knew what a crowd his '52 Chevy was gonna bring while he was building the Red Ram Hemi-powered 1/2-ton. He drove it all the way from Santa Rosa, NM, which is about 500 miles away. Olds headlight bezels and the awesome '60 Chrysler dash put this slammed Chevy in a class of its own. Look for a full feature soon.	In the Young Guns section...        read full caption In the Young Guns section was this stealthy black F-1 owned and built by 18-year-old Cole Houser. He and his dad worked over the last 4 1/2 years on the '50, which has a 4-inch chop and a 351 Ford stroked to a 392 between the framerails. I hope Cole's truck motivates more young guys and gals to get started on a project of their own.	Gimme a Jimmy! Sometimes it...        read full caption Gimme a Jimmy! Sometimes it seems like Chevy's counterpart doesn't always get the recognition it deserves. Well, Carl Townson did his justice with its PPG Atlantic Blue paint and blinding chrome. He built this '56 and uses it for his daily driver, although you'd never know it. Carl's truck even has tree pedals; he says it's the only way.
Not letting the "rat rod"...        read full caption Not letting the "rat rod" thing get the best of him, John Nations of Scottsdale finished his '40 Ford P/U that could otherwise be labeled as such. The fenderless hot rod got 3 inches out of the top, and about the same in the channeling department. With a 472 Caddy motor just inside of those wide whites, this Fordillac is proud to hold its own.	Mark Angulo brought his '69...        read full caption Mark Angulo brought his '69 C-10 from Tolleson, AZ, to bask in the sunshine. His Chevy was dead straight, and had just the right colors in the flame job to radiate some heat of its own. The chrome Coy's five-spokes were a nice touch to set things off even more. He even had a can of jalapeos sitting on the tailgate for all to enjoy.	I love F-1's, especially when...        read full caption I love F-1's, especially when they are as cool as Bill Whetstone's! All the way from Warren, MI, Bill and his Ford soaked up plenty of sun with that classic black paint highlighted by fat, maroon, Greek-style striping and whitewalls that surrounded stock caps and trim rings. The F-1 looks innocent, but it's all business with a 351/C6 for power and riding on a Mustang II front clip.
I had to push the boundaries...        read full caption I had to push the boundaries of cut-off year with Fernando and Lynh Chavez's '72 shortbox. It's hard not to like the '68-72 Chevys when they are slammed and cleaned up with a set of wheels. They kept theirs simple with a small-block backed by a 200-4R tranny, built for cruisin' in their home town of Mesa, AZ.