Where does the time go? It seems like just yesterday we were headed to the Goodguys show in Del Mar, California, to kick off the show season, and now as I write this there's two weeks until Christmas and I've just attended the last Goodguys show of the year, the Southwest Nationals, in Scottsdale, Arizona. If you've never been to the Phoenix area in November, you're missing out! Not only is the weather absolutely perfect, but the Southwest Nationals is a great show. Despite all the car show coverage clichés about fun, sun, hot, cool, etc, the conditions in Scottsdale are ideal for over 2,000 '72-and-earlier vehicles to come show their stuff on the grass at West World.inline_mediumwraptextrightThe weeks leading up the Southwest Nationals was a busy one for me as I prepped my '72 C-10 for it's first road trip since I've owned it. There were a few hiccups I was having with the LS engine, so before I headed east to the Phoenix area, I spent a few hours at Turnkey Engine Supply in Oceanside, California, having Kory fine-tune the 5.3-liter.26746199/events/1004clt_2009_goodguys_southwest_nationals1004clt_01_o+2009_goodguys_southwest_nationals+1972_chevy_c10_pickup_truck.jpgTrue

Kansas City might be known for its barbecue and pretty little women, but trucks sure are plentiful in the Midwest! The Goodguys show in Kansas City is a great event for those who want to kick back, relax, enjoy the pleasant September weather, and see just the right amount of cool cars and trucks.inline_mediumwraptextright26479121/events/1003clt_2009_goodguys_midwestern_nationals1003clt_02_o+2009_goodguys_midwestern_nationals+classic_truck_event.jpgTrue

It seems like it is common knowledge these days that the Goodguys PPG Nationals in Columbus, Ohio, is probably their biggest of the year. There were over 6,000 window stickers displayed this year in just about any kind of vintage vehicle you could think of-especially trucks! With the hard economy, many people who might have built a muscle car or street rod in the past are putting their hard-earned green into old trucks because they are more affordable and can be just as much-if not more-fun!inline_mediumwraptextright31605828/events/1002clt_2009_ppg_nationals1002clt_03_z+2009_ppg_nationals+custom_classic_trucks.jpgTrue

SEMA is one of those events that has something for everyone. While attending the 2009 SEMA show there was plenty to see. Crazy dual axle S-10, raised Ford and Chevy trucks and I even ran into David Neal’s 1968 Chevy C-10. For those who don’t know this truck it was the cover truck for the January 2009 issue of Classic Trucks. Overall from last year to this year the SEMA show has grown and I look forward for next year’s show.

Now that I think about it, one of my all- time favorite events (the huge NSRA Street Rod Nationals) has never been a real big player in the classic truck world-even though it draws anywhere between 8,000 and 12,000 entries each year (for those who've never attended, it's huge-imagine over 300 vendors spread throughout 500,000 square feet of indoor exhibit area on top of the aforementioned cool cars and trucks on display), I'm guessing that's mainly because the association's strict pre-1949 year cutoff pretty much disqualified a large portion of the truck contingent. Sure, there has always been a pretty darn good turnout of street rod pickups ('27 to '40s), F-1's and of course '47 and '48 Chevys but, in all honesty, it's been mainly the domain of street rods for the 40 or so years it's been held.inline_mediumwraptextrightThe 2009 NSRA Nationals in Louisville, Kentucky, drew nearly 11,000 participants last August, and with the new 1980 cutoff for 2010 we can hopefully add a few thousand more classic trucks this year! You can learn more about the Nats by checking out the NSRA Website at www.nsra-usa.com.27419581/events/1002clt_2009_nsra_street_rod_nationals1002clt_01_z+2009_nsra_street_rod_nationals+massive_car_show.jpgTrue

For years, Brothers, one of the nation's most popular sources of '47-87 Chevrolet and GMC truck parts, has hosted an annual gathering for its countless loyal customers, giving them not only an opportunity to show off their Chevy and GMC pride and joys but also a chance to spend some quality time with a huge crowd of like-minded classic truckers. Since the company's inception, Brothers has hosted their show at the spacious Featherly Park in Anaheim, California, which provides plenty of shade for the large show area.inline_mediumwraptextright31196925/events/1001clt_2009_brothers_chevy_gmc_show_shine1001clt_01_z+2009_brothers_chevy_gmc_show_shine+event_parking.jpgTrue

There's one consistent factor when it comes to Pickups Limited's annual F-100 Western Nats-it always draws the nicest collection of classic all-Ford pickups in the Southwest. This year's gathering reinforced that fact with a turnout that broke all previous attendance records for the Featherly Park venue. As is always the case, the enthusiastic members of Pickups Limited's Orange County chapter worked their tails off to host what has been for years So Cal's premier all-Ford truck show. An eclectic collection of over 200 classic pickups and their rightfully proud owners took advantage of the comfortably shaded Featherly Park location to show off their handiwork and spend a pleasant day visiting with like-minded Ford pickup fans, participants and spectators alike.inline_mediumwraptextrightThis past season's 27th annual F-100 Western Nationals drew a record crowd with participants from as far away as Tennessee and Nebraska making their way to the show for a weekend of classic truck camaraderie.31159959/events/1001clt_2009_ford_f100_western_nationals1001clt_01_z+2009_ford_f100_western_nationals+record_attendance.jpgTrue

Known mostly for its deep roots in the country music industry, Nashville is a great place to visit, especially if you plan the trip around the Goodguys Nashville Nationals. Usually held the last weekend of June, the weather is always hot, but this year, the mixture of high temperatures and high humidity gave everyone an excuse to find a shade tree. To aid in the comfort of its participants and crew, Goodguys has changed the date of the Nashville Nationals, moving it to the month of May in hopes of pleasant springtime temperatures.inline_mediumwraptextright26836522/events/0912clt_2009_goodguys_nashville_nationals0912clt_01_z+2009_goodguys_nashville_nationals+custom_flames_paint_job.jpgTrue

Every May for the last 31 years there has been quite the all-Ford truck show held in Tennessee. People come from all over the country for it, since there is really no other F-100 show like it in the United States. Since 2004, the show has been held in the spacious Chilhowee Park in Knoxville, and upwards of 1,000 Ford trucks fill the grounds, despite the predictable but intermittent spring showers. This year was also the changing of the guards, as it were. Pat Ford decided at the close of the '08 F-100 Supernationals to relinquish the show that he started three decades ago and slow down and enjoy life with his wife. Another show promoter from the South, Charlie Cobble of Autoshows Motorsport Events, bought the F-100 Supernationals and with a little help from Pat, took the reins.

The Goodguys show in Del Mar is always a great show for us and everyone in attendance. Lots of top-notch builders debut cars and trucks they've done over the winter at the show and we usually scoop the first features on the new trucks, like Gary Coe's F-157 from a couple of years ago. This year was a whole 'nuther story! We knew that Kirk Johnson and Roseville Rod and Custom were going to bring down the silver '68 F-100 from our last issue--which was an exclusive--and we all thought it was a shoo-in for the Goodguys Truck of the Year late nomination. Much to everyone's surprise as well as those who hadn't seen the F-100 yet, there were two more trucks that arrived hoping for the nomination!

The Grand National Roadster Show, aka the GNRS, the Oakland Roadster Show, or the "Pomoakland" Roadster Show to some since the show moved south from the Bay Area to Pomona, California, six years ago, is also the granddaddy of all shows. To those that don't know, the GNRS is the longest running indoor car show in the country and celebrated its 60th year in 2009. Having over 500 entries under one roof is no small feat, and one that can only be understood by witnessing it first hand.

As school kids, the end of summer was almost as bad as having to visit the dentist (though there are those who didn't enjoy the extended break quite as much as others, suffice it to say). As the years passed, roles reversed, and unless you became a school teacher, chances are you look forward to September more than ever. In this profession, the time once spent frolicking at the beach is now no time for vacation--but it does mean travelling, and plenty of it. And as the month of September is about to peel off the calendar and put yet another grueling summer behind us, there's still one last blast to cap off our outdoor event season: The Goodguys Lone Star Nationals.

It's five in the morning as a bleary eyed classic truck owner makes his way into the garage and flicks on the lights, bringing his private altar to life. Within minutes he's wide awake with adrenaline pumping through his veins as he rolls open the shop door and pushes his pride and joy out into the crisp morning air to catch its first breath. With a tattered old map in his back pocket, a full tank of fuel, and a destination in mind, he hits the road to take on yet another adventure.

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.

Just like the beginning of summer-or the end of it, for that matter-there are certain things that come and go, year in and year out, that we all expect and, often, highly anticipate. Well, the Goodguys yearly to-do in Columbus, Ohio, that little thing we've all come to know as the PPG Nationals, has come and gone once again, just as the warm weather has finally succumbed to Mother Nature's winter chill.

Web exclusive photos taken at the 2008 SEMA show in Las Vegas.

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.

For many, this past Memorial Day Weekend was not quite the same as it had been for the last quarter century or so. For the first time in over 25 years, the old trek to kustom car Mecca-the Paso Pilgrimage, as it were-made a southerly detour...to the town of Santa Maria, California, to be exact. Foreign land indeed, especially to those who'd attended each and every West Coast Kustoms' Cruisin' Nationals, otherwise simply known as Paso...at least till now. Sad as it may be, Paso is no more. But that may not be such a bad thing after all, especially considering the fact that, for most intents and purposes, the actual city leaders of Paso are why the show moved in the first place.

The last 30 years have gone by in a flash for Pat Ford and his family since he held the first F-100 Supernationals show, and in that time, it has grown beyond his wildest dreams. You would know this too if you've had the pleasure of attending or even showing your Ford truck in the event that brings people from literally far and wide. The 2008 show was no different!

People often comment on the growth of events, saying they can't believe how they've developed so large so quickly. I too have made such comments. Take, for instance, the Lonestar Round Up-Austin, Texas's unique, multifaceted hot rod happening. Now in its seventh year, the show has evolved from its grassroots infancy into a full-fledged respectable event, attracting people from across the U.S. and beyond. But as amazing as the rapid growth may seem-from a tight-knit gathering of like-minded folk to an almost cult following-seven years is a bit more than just an overnight period of time. I guess when something happens only once a year, the months in between don't always equate as they should. Two weeks out of the past seven years really doesn't seem like a whole lot...but then again, we're not the ones planning, promoting, and staging the Round Up. That would be The Kontinentals, the Austin club responsible for the continued success of the event.

t's hard to believe that it's been well over half a century since the very first Grand National Roadster Show was held at the Oakland Coliseum. The year was 1950, and the very first recipient of the soon-to-be prestigious America's Most Beautiful Roadster award was Bill Niekamp's track-nosed '29 Ford, which was also a piece of hot rodding history in the making. Just a few years after its inception, the show featured a roadster pickup that would eventually become the first and only two-time consecutive AMBR winner--the Barris-built "Ala Kart."

The 1st Annual B&M / McLeod / Hurst / Classic Motorsports Group Charity Car Show was held at the B&M Facility in Chatsworth, California. With an early jump-start to the day, registration opened before 7 a.m. as attendees began to line up. One beautiful car and truck after another passed through registration and lined up in the street, behind the B&M buildings, inside the warehouse, and in the neighboring businesses. The broad range of vehicles on display was incredible. Street rods, musclecars, classic trucks, late-model Camaros, Mustangs of all body styles, Mopars, Corvettes, a Pro Gas car, and a Studebaker were there just to mention a few. Fuel-injected, nitrous-equipped, supercharged, as well as normally aspirated big-blocks, small-blocks, inline-sixes, and 12-cylinder engines were displayed by the over 200 entrants. The paint and finish on the vehicles ranges from black to white and every color in the rainbow, including many flame jobs.

Spring is here (and well on its way into summer!) and we kicked off the show season at the fairgrounds in beautiful, beachside, Del Mar, California for the annual Goodguys show.

As part of our jobs here at CLASSIC TRUCKS we have to-or get to rather-travel across the country to cover events to share with all of you. It seems that we rarely have a chance to go all the way across the country with so many of the shows being located in the Midwest. Well, this time I got to fly practically all the way to the other side of our fair continent late last October to the 14th Annual Goodguys Southeastern Nationals at the Lowes Motor Speedway in Charlotte, North Carolina-my first trip this far South.

The job of being a magazine editor is by no means everything it's cracked up to be...at least according to the average "outsider's" perspective. While indeed there are perks associated with the job, unless you're running a rag such as GQ or Time with practically unlimited budgets, managing a small niche publication, such as this, is severely lacking in the glitz and glamour-but we do get to travel, whether we like it or not. Oftentimes, our out-of-town stays are limited to nothing more than an extended weekend, most of which is spent pounding pavement, clicking shutter buttons, and sweating profusely. Sounds fun, doesn't it?