This last August I had the pleasure of taking my first trip to the great state of Washington to attend the Goodguys 7th Annual Great Northwest Nationals in Spokane. Once I touched down in Spokane, I found I was in for a bit of a surprise-it was hot! For one reason or another, I assumed Spokane was on the other side of Washington-the cool side-but the 100-degree weather didn't seem to put a damper on a spectacular weekend thanks to a lack of humidity and plenty of sunshine.
After checking into my hotel, I went out to forage for food and check out the city. Spokane is Washington's second largest city and is still filled with nostalgic brick buildings, many of which have recently undergone much renovation to revitalize the Lilac City. Spokane is also home to quite a bit of manufacturing and agricultural industry, which is shared with nearby Coeur d'Alene, Idaho. The World's Fair was even held here back in 1974-the smallest city at the time to host the expo-and many of the structures built for it can still be seen today.
The Great Northwest Nationals isn't one of Goodguys' biggest shows, but it does attract over 1,200 fine entries from surrounding states, including a large number of folks from Canada. This diversity gave us a chance to see a good number of trucks we normally wouldn't get the opportunity to photograph. The event also attracts folks who can't make it out west to the Goodguys' show in Puyallup, Washington, a few weeks prior. Aside from our coveted CLASSIC TRUCKS Finest Five awards, the tireless Goodguys staff picks out what has to be over 100 other awards, and as always, there are special parking areas like Homebuilt Heaven, Mighty Muscle ('55-72), Young Guys, Goodguys Pro's Picks, Ya Gotta Drive 'Em to Get There, and of course, our favorite, the Trick Truck Corral.
So get your truck whipped into shape this winter and prepare yourself for the 2009 season-it's gonna be a good one! For more info on past and future Goodguys events, go to www.good-guys.com.
 Lyle Brown had a slew of trucks...  Lyle Brown had a slew of trucks at the show besides his '50 Chevy, like this '66 Ford F-100 shop truck with a 500- \cubic-inch Cadillac motor and a 700-R4 trans under the hood. |  It's not often that we see...  It's not often that we see rare wartime trucks like this '42 GMC owned by Joe Krego from Vernon, BC. The beautiful grille on this seems a bit more refined than its postwar brothers. |  "Big" trucks were a hit in...  "Big" trucks were a hit in Spokane. There were many a cab-over on the fairgrounds, including this "hot" '47 Ford that was sitting atop a 460/C6 combo owned and operated by Mark Jordan from Burbank, WA. |
 This '50 Chevy truck was finished...  This '50 Chevy truck was finished by retired millwright Lyle Brown just in time to make it to the show-and we're so glad he did. The Chevy was built by Lyle in his hobby shop that he shares with some friends, dubbed the So Low Rod Shop. There's a lot more going on under that Indian Turquoise paint than meets the eye; maybe we'll make you wait for the full feature to find out what! |  Bill Kerekas and crew from...  Bill Kerekas and crew from Street Heat Hot Rods & Customs in Calgary, Canada, brought down their '55 Chevy Second Series truck to the show and went home with a jacket. The House of Kolor Tangelo Pearl paint almost jumps off the truck in the sunshine and goes well with the Boyd Coddington wheels, Air Ride, and rechromed trim pieces. The truck even has Bill's grandma's 455 Olds motor in it! Stay tuned for a full feature on this one, too. |  How many COE trucks have you...  How many COE trucks have you ever seen with a handbuilt stainless steel frame? Dan Haberman from Haines, OR, crated probably the only one out there for his flamed '41 Ford. He also made the custom stainless cabinets, the tilt bed, and the grille. The 'bagged chassis is home to a blown 514 Ford motor, a 4L80E trans, and cream painted steel wheels. Dan's truck is truly a work of industrial/automotive art and deserves a closer look should you get the chance! |
 There are lots of red F-100s...  There are lots of red F-100s out there, but it's hard to find one as sweet as Jerry Piper's '56 big window. Under the tilt hood is a 502hp 454/Turbo400 combo and Volare clip, and out back there's even a Corvette IRS setup. Nice work, Jerry. |  Jeff Frank's clean '70 Chevy...  Jeff Frank's clean '70 Chevy C-10 was shaved of all extraneous items like marker lights, trim, and handles before being sprayed black, silver, and then flamed. The C-10 has a mean, injected 383 stroker motor with aluminum heads and a 200-4R transmission. The low-slung truck also has a full Air Ride setup and rolls on 20-inch Billet Specialties wheels. |  The Spokane Fair & Expo Center...  The Spokane Fair & Expo Center where the show was held was also home to a sadly defunct train museum of sorts, but luckily there were still a few things there to see, like this locomotive, which made me feel like I was 5 years old again. I put some more pics of the trains in a blog on www.classictrucks.com, so check 'em out. |