Goodguys 8th Mid-Western Nationals

It seems real hot rodding die hards like vintage Plymouths, and "Jones" from Independence, MO, owns a nice one.

There can't be a lot of '46 Plymouth convertibles out there, but this excellent example features a blown small-block under the hood.

With an inline-six drivetrain taken out of a Jeep, Larry Swisher's '23 T didn't look like your typical T-bucket. The individual bucket seats were made from diamond plate aluminum.

It doesn't have to be a high-dollar ride to make people notice your car. Mike Johnston had a small group of people checking out his '54 Ford Mainline all day long.

Maybe it was the nicely detailed straight-six under the hood that caught their eyes.

There were many post-'48 vehicles at this Goodguys show-seemingly more than the pre-'49 crowd. Stance is everything on Tom Ulrich's '61 Buick LeSabre, which was equipped with a 364 Nailhead engine.

Some of the entertainment at the KC show included how fast you could remove and then add five lug nuts to a wheel in a NASCAR-type setting. When we were there one fellow had it down to 6.84 seconds!

It seemed that there were more cars on the infield of the Kansas Speedway from Colorado than cars from Kansas! J.D. Barker's '32 Vicky, from Littleton, CO, was sure nice, and you don't see a lot of Deuce Vickys around as much as you used to.

Wayne Copeland had his '47 Chevy Sedan Delivery up for sale, which is equipped with a 454. There is RideTech suspension front and rear to get it down on the ground, and American Salt Flat wheels on each corner.

Nick Kout's '53 Pontiac must be a decent driver-he made it in from Colorado Springs, CO.

Don't be fooled by the rusty finish (or the '60 Nixon Now! window stickers).

Mark Sowell's '49 Ford convertible was picked for a STREET RODDER Top 100 award last year, so we couldn't pick it again this year, but that doesn't mean we don't like talking about his ride!

With an LS1 and 4L60E engine and trans combo under the hood and very nice tan interior, this Ford looked great.

Dave Lane of FastLane Rod Shop was picked as the expert to choose the Builder's Choice awards at this event. Dave also had a handful of his customer's cars on display-all of which have collected top awards and been recognized in various hot rod publications.

Even with the rain covering Don Beason's '54 Buick it still stood out in a crowd. Subtle custom touches (shaved door handles, frenched lights) helped the Century impress the locals, while we would have liked to have seen the 401 Nailhead under the hood.

There was lots of chrome on this '54 Bel Air, and David Clark, from Raymore, MO, kept it on his Chevy rather than going with the de-chromed look.

G.W. Gillman's '28 Ford truck was set up the right way. Chopped and channeled, the pickup, which is powered by a 283 backed to a six-speed trans, had just enough attitude to look cool without going overboard.

It looked like Tom Stark, from Commerce City, CO, was sure having fun with his friends in his '55 Chevy wagon with his buddies (note the hands holding onto the door tops in this shot). And though the Street Challenge Auto Cross Course featured a lot of muscle cars and the like (Mustangs, Chargers, Camaros, and more) there were also a few hot rodders out there trying not to kill any cones and record a good time.

Keith Bright, from Salina, KS, used his '58 Buick as an advertisement for his Bright Built Hot Rods business (which has been around for 30 years) and by the looks of things, it seems like they know what they're doin' in Salina.

There were three generations of hot rodders at work here. Check out Weston, Fred Gardner's grandson, in the specially prepped wagon made just for him that matches Fred's '56 Ford pickup. Now all Weston needs is a mini Y-block for his ride and he'd be set!