When Push Comes To ShoveAt the 10th Annual California Hot Rod Reunion last October at Bakersfield's Famoso Raceway, the NHRA presented the second chapter of "Cacklefest," where 29 nostalgia Top Fuel dragsters were literally brought back to life in all their nitro glory as the sun set on a historic Saturday afternoon. Our sister publication Street Rodder's own Feature Editor and frequent CLASSIC TRUCKS contributor, Rob Fortier, was fortunate enough to be part of the action, as his '55 Chevy pickup was called to duty to push the Jade Grenade front-engined fuel dragster down the return road for a truly old-school bump start. The '69-70 era slingshot was freshly restored by Pat Foster for Don Trasin, and shared the limelight with the likes of the Beebe & Mulligan, Vagabond, and Greer, Black, and Prudhomme dragsters among others.
Classic Truck Awards At Super Chevy Shows Really Great Trucks In The SoutheastWhen the Super Chevy Shows tour through Richmond, Virginia, and Gainesville, Florida, we expect to see great trucks, and we weren't disappointed. Tony Nixon of Grimesland, North Carolina, brought his bright yellow '48 Chevy out in the rain to Richmond and earned the Outstanding Classic Truck award, sponsored by CLASSIC TRUCKS. In Gainesville, Florida. Mark Kautz of Smith, Alabama, brought his son's '65 Chevy Stepside because the young man had other things to do. Dad brought home the Gainesville Outstanding Classic Truck award and son probably wished he had come to the show. Any make truck is eligible for the award at Super Chevy Shows as long as it's Chevy powered.
Goodguys Trucks Of The YearThe Goodguys Rod & Custom Association has long recognized the top modified cars in the country with its Street Rod of the Year and Custom Rod of the Year awards. After recognizing the popularity of the classic truck scene, the organization branched out and introduced the Goodguys Truck of the Year awards in 2000. For the 2001 show season, those awards were again given out at the Lone Star Nationals, which were held October 27-28 in Fort Worth, Texas. This time around there was a CLASSIC TRUCKS staffer on hand to help in the selection process and witness the presentation of the awards.
Two awards are actually handed out-one for Truck of the Year Early (through 1952), and the other for Truck of the Year Late (1953-72). Judging is done by Goodguys representatives, hot rod builders, and magazine editors, and this time around the contenders for the awards got into the mix, with "Early" finalists voting on "Late" trucks and "Late" finalists voting on the "Early" trucks.
The deserving winners for 2001 were Steve Sandlin, who got the Truck of the Year - Early award for his '48 Chevy pickup, and Dave Kimmerle, whose '56 F-100 (featured in the Dec. '00 issue of CLASSIC TRUCKS) earned Truck of the Year - Late honors. Both winners got not only bragging rights for the next year, but also received a sterling silver trophy filled with $1,000 cash. CLASSIC TRUCKS would like to congratulate both Steve and Dave. And you can watch for a feature on Steve's Chevy in an upcoming issue.
Stylin' ChevyWhile wandering the aisles at the Goodguys Lone Star Nationals in October, we came across Bill Phelan's slick-looking '45 Chevy pickup and just had to take a closer look. With its sloping hood, Ford-style rear fenders, and 2000 Mercedes headlights integrated into the front fenders, the Chevy takes on a whole new look. And if you've got a similar-style ('41-46) Chevy, you can give it this look too.You see, Bill runs a company called Trucks and Roadsters by Bill, and one of his specialties is fiberglass parts. Bill made molds off of the various custom pieces on his Chevy, and is now offering them in fiberglass. The parts include a one-piece front clip, hood, running boards, and rear fenders. And since reproduction beds are available for these trucks, all you really need is a decent cab to get your project started. It's certainly an interesting option, and you can get all the details by contacting Trucks and Roadsters by Bill, HC 1, Box 42, Dept. CT, Gainesville, MO 65655, or call (417) 679-3834.