The Goodguys East Coast Nationals has been one of my favorite events for years, so I jumped at the chance when Editor Brennan asked if I'd like to cover the 15th annual Goodguys gathering.
The East Coast Nats are held up in the beautiful surroundings of the Dutchess County Fairgrounds in east central New York. The rolling hills and woodlands play the perfect host to the Goodguys' legendary weekends of fun and games (hot-rod style), and as usual, both the folks from the host club, the Hudson Valley Street Rod Association, and the Goodguys staff bent over backward to host a gathering that's great fun for all. Being an event that's open to vehicles up to and including 1972, the variety of rods, customs, and classic trucks is always a pleasure to behold, and the show draws the best in every category from the entire Eastern Seaboard. With its consistent array and high number of top-quality rods and customs in attendance every year, the East Coast Nats is sure to please even the most jaded enthusiast, and the weekend full of live music, giveaways, vendors, and exhibitors is, as always, icing on the cake. So, take a look at a fraction of what we saw there this year, and start making your plans to spend a weekend at the Goodguys East Coast Nationals in '07!
The event kicked off with...
The event kicked off with a bit of liquid sunshine, but that didn't hamper the mood of the hearty hot rodders of the Northeast. I caught Al Dingertopadre (a nice Irish fella) taking a towel to his beautiful all-steel, Merc flathead-powered Deuce roadster, wiping away a bit of that aforementioned moisture.
Like I said, if you dig variety,...
Like I said, if you dig variety, you'll love Goodguys events. Bob Storm's Pennsylvania-based gasser-style '37 Chevy is a cool example of a race-inspired rod that's easy on the eyes.
This nice traditional-style...
This nice traditional-style '32 five-window belongs to John Connelly of Waltham, MA. Its combination of scallops and bobbed-and-capped fenders work well together, and its Flathead V-8 sounds great as well.
Now here's a cool little track-nosed...
Now here's a cool little track-nosed T. Gordon Faywart's Vermont-based ride is of the dare-to-be-different variety, boasting a hot little Mazda rotary for power.
The Northeast is a hotbed...
The Northeast is a hotbed of traditional rodding and the East Coast Nats always has an ample amount of "rough rods" in attendance. Over the years, they've staked claim to a shady hilltop aptly named Fort Hot Rod.
Allen Gilleta piloted this...
Allen Gilleta piloted this beautiful small-block Chevy-powered '36 three-window southward from Ontario, Canada, to Rhinebeck, NY, to attend the show, and we're glad he did.
The moist start of the weekend...
The moist start of the weekend didn't last long before the sun broke through, allowing the thousands of participants and spectators alike to take full advantage of the parts shopping offered by the throngs of vendors on hand.
Variety is the spice of life,...
Variety is the spice of life, and it's variety you get in Rhinebeck. How's a small-block Ford-powered '48 Mercedes parked side by side with a small-block Chevy-powered '33 Ford grab ya? Stan Nashwinter of Eliot, ME, built and drives the classy German street rod, and friends Bill and Joan Roberge out of Wells, ME, charge around the northeast in the neighboring '33 Ford.
Bruce Camboni of Shelton,...
Bruce Camboni of Shelton, CT, is one of the regulars at Rhinebeck. I can recall seeing his cool custom '55 on more than one of my visits back to the East Coast Nats over the years.
Speaking of cool, Lucky Miranda's...
Speaking of cool, Lucky Miranda's '49 Ford is one fine custom Shoebox. I wish I could have actually run into Lucky, as he's a Coventry, CT, resident-my old hometown.
I couldn't help but get a...
I couldn't help but get a chuckle out of the army surplus air cleaner on John Kane's A-coupe. This no-nonsense hot rod has got to be a ball in which to run around town.
Dan Zielenski's Bolton, CT-based...
Dan Zielenski's Bolton, CT-based Deuce five-window is one beautiful car. The only thing I'd change if I could would be to replace the name on the pink slip to Jim Rizzo.
Who's afraid of a little bit...
Who's afraid of a little bit of mud? Certainly not the owner of this hard-chargin' Deuce roadster!