Having never been to Des Moines, Iowa, I wasn't sure what to expect. Sure, every Goodguys Rod & Custom Association event is full of the finest rides, really cool people, and tons of manufactures to do some serious shopping with, but what about Des Moines?
Well, if you haven't been there, you may think Des Moines is just another Midwest small town where there's almost nothing to do but catch the Goodguys show once a year. If that's the case, you couldn't be more wrong (don't worry, though, that's what I thought too!). Yes, Des Moines is located in the Midwest, and it is a small town if compared to, say, Chicago, but there is a city here with tons of attractions. The downtown area of Des Moines is truly beautiful with its capitol building sitting atop a hill overlooking the entire city. The downtown area is full of cool restaurants, bars, tattoo shops, and just about anything else you could think of, all surrounded by some of the most beautiful green grassy hills and trees I've ever seen.
As for the car show, no one could have predicted exactly when the on-again off-again rain would start and stop, but as predicted by anyone who attends Goodguys events all across the country, the turnout was great. Thousands of pre-'72 customs, rods, and trucks took over the entire Iowa State Fairgrounds. Inside the huge buildings were crowds of eager hot rodders looking for good deals on parts from the country's finest aftermarket companies. Besides, the buildings were a great place to hang out when the rain was coming down. When the rain subsided for a few minutes at a time, the outdoor portion of the car show went straight back to business. There were thousands of cars, hundreds of companies, a nice little swap meet section, and plenty of activities for the wife and kids that don't necessarily want to walk through miles of cars. There was even a special fireworks show in celebration of the 4th of July, as well as another great fireworks show in downtown Des Moines over the weekend.
Besides all the cool attractions this show offers, there is a special awards ceremony held on Sunday that features not only the usual vendor picks and Street Rodder Top Ten, but also the Goodguys Custom Rod of the Year (this year's winners were Doug and Flo Hoppe of Sioux City, IA, and their beautiful orange and black '55 Chevy convertible). There was even a Sunday lucky ticket giveaway that offered winners prizes like a new welder from Lincoln Electric, aluminum heads from Pro Topline, an '02 Dodge magnum, and many more amazing prizes. One super lucky participant even had a shot at qualifying for a chance to win the Boydster III and Hot Rods & Horsepower turnkey steel '32 roadster. It's definitely worth stickin' around for the Sunday prize and awards ceremony.
If you've never been, you simply must add this show to your 2005 schedule of must-see events. You wont be disappointed, we promise.