There's a first time for everything, and my first trip to the Goodguys show in Loveland, Colorado, ranks right up there with the best of 'em! I love the Rocky Mountains, having grown up on the western side of them, and it was good to get out of the hustle and bustle of Southern California and breathe some fresh mountain air.
Loveland is a budding small town about 60 miles north of Denver and is surrounded by farms, but there is a decent amount of hotels, restaurants, and shopping, so one doesn't need to venture far from the Larimer County Fairgrounds where the show was held to satisfy their needs. The weather over the weekend was absolutely beautiful, with a slight breeze and plenty of comfortable dry, high-altitude air, which is refreshing for all those who came from the often hot and muggy Midwest.
Early attendees were welcomed Thursday night to Pinkee's Rod Shop in the nearby town of Windsor for its open-house party, where we were free to eat, bench race, and check out all the top-notch projects it has in the works. About half of the nearly 3,000 total entrants rolled into the show on Friday from all over the country. Colorado seemed like a good middle ground for those who can't make it to the big shows in the South and Midwest and was also a good spot for people from California, New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada, Utah, and Idaho to mingle with those living east of the Continental Divide.
Saturday was absolutely packed and soon spilled out into the various parking lots surrounding the interior of the grounds. With a good number of trucks on hand, it was tough picking our Finest Five winners, but somehow we managed.
Old town Loveland was a great place to go to in the evening and scout out some grub. I don't know about you, but when I'm out of town I like to avoid going to a chain restaurant that I can eat at back home. I found what may be the best steak I've ever put in my mouth at the 4th Street Chop House, but if you're in the mood for something a bit more low-key, across the street was Ragin' Ryan's restaurant and bar that had a great traditional country band playing the likes of Buck Owens and Hank Williams.
All in all, I'd say the show was a huge success, with plenty of entrants, including many high-end builds, past and future cover cars and trucks, spectators, vendors, a decent swap meet, and nice scenery. Go to www.good-guys.com and plan your trip for next year's show today!
This clean, two-toned '54...
This clean, two-toned '54 Chevy is proudly owned by Fred and Martha Perez of Fort Lupton, CO. The truck is basically restored to stock specs with a 235 inline-six, but lowered and dressed with many period options and accessories like a set of rare stainless fender trim, artillery wheels, fender skirts, bumper guards, and even a factory AM tube radio, to name a few. Stay tuned for a full feature.
The Schwab family from Arvada,...
The Schwab family from Arvada, CO, had their '58 Ford F-100 at the show for the first time since its rodstoration. The truck was bought new by Rona's dad from Bob Jones Ford and was painted with scallops, like you see here, and towed a '32 Ford five-window dirt-track car for many years. Rona and her husband, Jerry, recently had their future feature truck redone by Donald Gaccetta, and it's powered by a 351 and C6.
John Alexander from Denver,...
John Alexander from Denver, CO, was on hand with his '39 Ford truck that is home to a mild '49 Merc Flathead backed by a user-friendly S-10 five-speed and 8-inch rearend. The gloss-black paint and red pinstriping has held up well over the years and miles that John has clocked on the painted steel wheels.
It was interesting to find...
It was interesting to find many nice early trucks in Colorado like Steve Doerschlag's rodded and rare '37 Studebaker Coupe Express-which was their truck model in the late 1930s. Steve added an Avanti drivetrain that included a 289 V-8 topped with a '58 Golden Hawk blower and a Powershift transmission. Inside of the cab are more Avanti goodies, like the bucket seats and gauges, and about the only two things under all that sterling silver paint that aren't Stude are the Heidts IFS and the Ford 9-inch. Look for more on this one coming soon!
It's a small world, because...
It's a small world, because the owner of this '62 C-10, Mario Faciano, remembers the Schwab's F-100 from the track when he was a kid with his dad, and hadn't seen it since! Mario's '62 wears a coat of DuPont Hot Rod Black suede, but don't let that fool you. It's a well-built machine with a 402 Chevy big-block and '61 passenger-car rearend with a posi that makes mashing the "go" pedal fun. All the very green accents work quite well with black and chrome, and yes, we have more coming on this one, too.
Back in the day, it seemed...
Back in the day, it seemed that Stepside C-10s were a hotter ticket than in recent years, but seeing ones done up like Rick and Devin Quintana's '72 Chevy makes us wonder why there aren't more being built these days. The silver and black C-10 has a 350/400 combo under it and looks right lowered with a new set of kicks.