As has been said plenty of times before, summer fun doesn't stop when the Fourth of July fireworks end; it just means that the time is finally here to join the Goodguys at their huge midsummer bash in Columbus, Ohio.
This year's 13th Annual Goodguys PPG Nationals was attended by thousands of participating vehicles and was again one of the most enjoyable and largest shows on the Goodguys calendar, as well as one of the premier events of the automotive season.
Kris Brickman made the short...
Kris Brickman made the short hop from Cleveland to Columbus in this awesome '55 Dodge. The bright red "Job-Rated" jewel is a fine example of the too few Dodges we get to see these days. Brickman chose to power his Mopar with a GM driveline, preferring the bulletproof 350/350 combination so prevalent these days.
After making our latest trek to Columbus we were delighted, as usual, at the awesome array of cool hot rod trucks and cars in attendance and at just how much fun we had. But then, it is a Goodguys event, and they're experts at hosting fun, laid-back gatherings that provide a little something for everyone. If you're on the competitive side, you're more than welcome to have your vehicle judged for a possible award and one of the many Goodguys trophies, or maybe a CLASSIC TRUCKS Finest Five award. Content to just cruise? No problem! The massive Ohio Expo Center had plenty of room for cruising. And if you got tired of driving, there were plenty of places to power park and show off your ride.
Of course, with thousands of vehicles on hand, there's always a plethora of sights to see and fellow gearheads to bench race. If that wasn't enough, you could always check out the swap meet, the manufacturer's displays, and the car corral. As usual, Goodguys also staged a variety of entertainment and technical seminars, covering subjects like chassis and suspensions, and air conditioning. Where else are you going to find such fun and valuable (yet freely given) information?
With thousands of cool classic trucks, street rods, and muscle cars on hand and good weather blessing the entire weekend, capturing a bunch of cool classic trucks on film was as easy as pie. If you ask us, you owe it to yourself to check out this awesome summer celebration. And if you live within a day or two drive of Columbus, we fully expect to see you there next year!
F-100s were out in full force...
F-100s were out in full force in Columbus as they are at most all classic truck gatherings. According to their show registrations, Jim Woody, and Ken and Kerri Brown are neighbors back in East Palestine, Ohio, and decided to carry that over to Columbus, as well. Woody's '56 is powered by a 460-cube FE motor backed by a C6, while the Brown's opted for a 352/C6 combo in their '53.
Late '40s to mid-'50s Chevys...
Late '40s to mid-'50s Chevys are a staple at any hot rod gathering and numberswise gave their Blue Oval brethren a run for their money in Columbus this year. R.C. Fitch's '48 in the foreground followed by Dan DiPasquale's bright red beauty and Larry Peppmeir's examples make for fine representations.
Can you say low? Travis Bagby...
Can you say low? Travis Bagby sure can! Bagby's ground-scraping '52 Chevy 3100 is one fine-looking classic pickup, and though its coated in suede, it's still outfitted with tons of contemporary upgrades like a custom leather interior and an amazingly detailed engine compartment as well.
I've always had a soft spot...
I've always had a soft spot for Unibody F-100s, and John and Pam Nutter's cool '61 reminded me why. This beautiful example sports a huge 429-cube FE backed by a stout C6 automatic and a 9-inch-making it no slouch when it comes to showing those Chevy guys who's boss.
Alexandria, Ohio, is home...
Alexandria, Ohio, is home to this super '72 owned and built by Anthony Neidiffer. Neidiffer's C10 has a neat monochromatic style with just the right amount of brightwork provided by its bumpers and big-diameter five-spokes.
Cameo's are so cool. Bud Ciotti's...
Cameo's are so cool. Bud Ciotti's '56 is a fine example and really drew a crowd during the show. This 355-cube, 700-R4-equipped Chevy was one truck I had to return to multiple times just to get a clean photo without it being surrounded by admirers.
I caught Jonathan Carle expending...
I caught Jonathan Carle expending some elbow grease polishing his flawless '71 Chevy Cheyenne once the sun came out in earnest. Carle opted for a perfect resto-rod look for his baby, with great result I might add.
OK, I admit, corn binders...
OK, I admit, corn binders aren't the most popular choices of classic hot rod pickup fodder, but Ron Thacker's '68 International crew cab did manage to catch my attention. An altitude adjustment and some billet wheels add a bit of style to Thacker's cool commercial.
Tony and Janice House burned...
Tony and Janice House burned up the blacktop on their way from Baltimore to Columbus behind the wheel of the couple's flame-licked '55. Their blacktop burning wasn't caused by that flamed paintjob alone; I'm sure the pickup's 468-cube powerplant had a lot to do with it as well.