The Goodguys Mid-Western Nationals in Kansas City, Kansas, was very cool this year in a few ways. First off, it was the last week of August, which can still be a scorcher in the Midwest, but the weather couldn't have been nicer at the Kansas Speedway, especially since back home in Southern California we were in the middle of a record-breaking heat wave. And secondly, the show was packed with over 2,000 cool cars and trucks!
Kansas City was a great place for the show since it is centrally located smack dab in the middle of the country on the border of Kansas and Missouri. The Kansas City area may be famous for its barbecue (which was delicious), but it's also home to many Jesse James (not the Monster Garage dude) related museums and attractions, as well as the Harley- Davidson Final Assembly Plan that offers tours showing many of your favorite motorcycles getting their finishing touches.
Unfortunately, I'll have to come back another time to really check out the city, because there were plenty of trucks awaiting my attention back at the racetrack. Picking our Classic Trucks Finest Five awards was a tough one, and there were plenty of you out there hoping to snag one, but those who didn't will just have to check the Goodguys Web site, www. good-guys.com, to see which shows we'll be at in '08, and make sure to enter your classic truck. See you there!
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Larry Putter from Wellington, KS, jumped in his newly finished '51 GMC and broke it in on the drive to Kansas City, and we're sure glad he did! Larry's Jimmy is appropriately powered by an '04 GMC 5.3L Vortec V-8 and a corresponding 4L60E. Under the pistachio-colored paint is a full Air ride Technologies-equipped chassis, and up front Larry used a front clip from an '84 Grand Prix complete with Pontiac disc brakes and power steering. Look for a full feature soon! | 
1946 Chevys don't come much nicer than Beverly Pitts' oh-so-low version. The Chevy is smothered in Medium Garnet red paint that goes quite well with the ultra-clean white leather interior. Along with a Mustang II IFS and a 9-inch rearend, Beverly also installed a 350 backed by a Muncie four-speed 'cause he likes to grab some gears. And if the painted-to-match trailer behind the truck wasn't a big enough clue, Beverly drives his '46 all over, including the weekend trip from his home in Gower, MO. | 
Holy Mopar, Batman! Mitch Meyers was at the show proudly displaying his '71 Dodge D-100, but this isn't your ordinary old Dodge. Mitch has owned the D-100 since he was 14 years old and has been through four different motors, so now he decided to drop a built 454 Chevy motor into the '71 along with a Jim Meyer IFS, Air ride Tech system, and Billet Specialties 18- and 20-inch Holeshot wheels. The truck is nicer now than it ever was new, and that's why we shot a feature on it! Stay tuned. |