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The 13th Goodguys PPG Columbus NationalsThe Big Show Comes To Columbus, Ohio From the December, 2010 issue of Street Rodder By Eric Geisert
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Each year the Goodguys Rod & Custom Association organizes dozens of mini nats, cruises, and get-togethers all over the country, but they hold only one Nationals, and for the past several years this annual event has been held at the sprawling Ohio Expo Center in Columbus, Ohio. Dustin Colclasure's '27 modified... Dustin Colclasure's '27 modified looked right to us. And we would like to have seen the 4.3L V-6 Chevy under the hood to see how everything fit. Colclasure hails from Champaign, IL. The 13th Goodguys PPG Nationals, presented by Bridgestone, arrived along with the beginning of summer and some of the largest attendance figures Goodguys sees each year. It's a full-service show, packed with all the extras you'd expect from Goodguys, although this year rain forced the cancellation of the Friday night drag races as well as the Autocross sessions. But the damp weather didn't stop the three-day show from going on, or every available parking space in the facility from being occupied by customs, street rods, trucks, muscle cars, and nearly every other type of American-made hot rod from the turn of the century all the way up to, and including, 1972. A lot of nice cars come out... A lot of nice cars come out of the Springfield, OH, region, like Larry Donohoe's '46 Ford coupe. Plus there's a 454 underhood. As successful as the Goodguys Nationals is, organizers are looking at redesigning the event for next year to possibly include two days of autocross as well as incorporating the north side of the facility (where the northern end of the overhead tram ride is located) to park even more cars. Manufacturers of aftermarket car parts, including everything from IFS systems for a '60s-era Camaro to steering components for Model A Fords, occupied booth space both outside and inside the huge Bricker Building (which boasts 3-1/2 acres under one roof). More deals could be found out in the swap meet area (one of the better swaps that can be found at any of the 23 annual Goodguys events), and we saw many folks carrying away just-purchased parts for future projects. We liked Meade Baldwin's coupe-just... We liked Meade Baldwin's coupe-just the right amount of swagger to go with that genuine hot rod appearance. There are a lot of awards (typically more than 60) handed out at Goodguys shows, such as a PPG Paint Pick or a Magnum Axle Real Hot Rod award, but some events, like this one, include a Builder's Choice award. The Goodguys pick a well-known hot rod builder and ask him to find 21 cars that he thinks best represent the hobby, and the honor at this event fell to NorCal's Roy Brizio, who has built some of the best high-quality hot rods in the past few decades. The show is also one of the sites chosen by STREET RODDER to find 10 more winners in the magazine's hunt for its Top 100 program, sponsored by Painless Performance Products. The magazine goes to 10 events around the country and picks 10 winners at each show. Those 100 winners all compete in online voting at www.streetrodderweb.com to determine who will be named STREET RODDER's Street Rod of the Year. Dave Theilen, from Coal Valley,... Dave Theilen, from Coal Valley, IL, found a way to make his '39 Chevy coupe look smooth and slippery. Do you suppose the '39 model is the favorite Chevy of the pre-'49 crowd? This is also the event where Goodguys announces their Street Rod of the Year. This time around five contestants, located from New Jersey to California, were in competition for the association's top award, and Jerry Magnuson and his stylish '32 Muroc roadster was crowned Goodguys '10 Classic Instruments Street Rod of the Year. The butterscotch and champagne car (hand formed by the father-and-sons crew at Marcel's Custom Metal, and designed and built at Foose Design) had previously won the Street Rod d'Elegance Crown this spring at the Goodguys Del Mar Nationals. Magnuson is better known to rodders for his "Magnacharger" supercharger kits and, as you might expect, there is an intercooled Magnacharger on the LS-1 under the hood of his ride. Wide whites and Moon discs... Wide whites and Moon discs are what drew us to Jim Evans' bright red '49 Chevy, which he drove in from Hammond, IN, with its 236 straight-six and Tremec five-speed trans. There was a special award handed out, too, and it hits a little closer to home, as STREET RODDER's advertising account executive, Janeen Webb, was named Goodguys' '10 Woman of the Year. Through hard work and perseverance, Webb went from the company receptionist at McMullen Publishing to one of the leading account executives at Source Interlink Media, publishers of STREET RODDER as well as more than 70 other enthusiast magazines. She has also contributed to the automotive aftermarket as a whole by serving multiple years on SEMA's HRIA Council as well as organizing consumer and industry events. Referred to as "Mama Webb" by the staff of the magazine, Webb has spent the last 20-plus years working tirelessly at networking and designing advertising packages for clients while looking out for the welfare of the industry. Past recipients of the Woman of the Year include Ginny Lobeck (1992), Sue Brizio (1993), Jane Callison (1997), Debbie Walls (2000), Debbie Lewis (2003), Jeanette Ladina (2004), and many others. Not a lot of '33 Oldsmobiles... Not a lot of '33 Oldsmobiles out there, but Mike Zeigler's coupe, outfitted with a 355 motor and a two-tone paintjob, arrived from Edon, OH. The main reason folks like spending their time at a fairground in the middle of Ohio is to check out a few thousand cars (you need three days to do just that), see what parts are available (both new and old), and rekindle friendships with like-minded hot rod brethren-what better way could you spend a three-day summer weekend? Painless Performance Products
Presents
STREET RODDER TOP 100
For the Top 100 program, STREET RODDER attends 10 particular car shows each year and picks 10 vehicles at each to make up the Top 100. For more on where those shows are and how they're voted on, check www.streetrodderweb.com Tech Tip
LED flashers
LED flashers are required in many vehicles because of the installation of LED tail and front turn signal assemblies. LEDs do not pull enough current to trip the bi-metallic strip in a conventional flasher like the 1187-style bulbs. LED flashers have built-in resistance to solve the problem. Good grounds
The grounding of your ride is essential. Always connect the battery ground to the engine and tie the engine to the frame as well as the body with heavy ground straps or cable. If your dash gauges fluctuate when you turn on the lights, there is a grounding problem. Bob Rosencrants, Carlisle, IA / 1949 Plymouth business coupe
Iowa-based Ted Lesher built this fantastic '49 Plymouth business coupe for Bob Rosencrants and, yeah, it's got a Hemi (a 5.7L backed to a 727 trans), plus a 9-inch rear and 17-inch Intro wheels (10s and 8s). A leather and cloth interior awaits the driver, and the coupe is finished in DuPont Super Jet Black gloss. Jimmy Hervatin, Warrenton, MO / 1930 Ford pickup
The owner of this pickup built it-including every panel of the cab and bed-from scratch and out of aluminum. Regular readers will recognize Jimmy Hervatin's truck from the Kansas City Goodguys show, where it won a Top 100 award when it was still unpainted (a rarity for the magazine). Hervatin also painted the truck himself, and did the interior. About the only thing he didn't do was pour the iron for the 327's block! Look for the feature with a lot more photos of this one on page 34 in this issue. Tommy Carver, Charlotte, NC / 1949 Cadillac
Though he's built big Caddies before, it doesn't make it any easier when you decide to hot-rod battleship-sized vehicles! Besides the custom exterior (frenched headlights, custom wheels) Tommy Carver went after the chassis, too, with a RideTech suspension, a four-link rear, and an independent front end from Fatman Fabrications. Bob Wigington, Jasper, GA / 1932 Ford phaeton
Bob Wigington is lucky he can choose from more than one '32 Ford to drive as he owns a few, but we liked his four-door. Powered by a blown Flathead backed to a C4 trans, the tub rolls on Billet Specialties wheels and carries Wigington in comfort on top of a Fountain Upholstery (Ellijay, GA) interior. Robert McCarter, Harrisburg, NC / 1932 Ford roadster
Robert McCarter is just 36 years old, and this is the first hot rod he's built-a collection of different influences he's experienced. The screen vent in the hood side is unique, as is the Karmann Ghia dash. A 350/350 engine-and-trans combo was used, but McCarter did stitch up his own interior. Once done, he drove the car from North Carolina to the L.A. Roadsters Show in Southern California a few months back, and has been enjoying the ride since. Lucky Nehez, Sagamore, OH / 1929 Ford Tudor
Lots of mods accompany Lucky Nehez's '29, including a 3-inch chop and a dash made from a '57 Chevy pickup grille. The sedan, covered with PPG's Atomic Orange paint features a T. Burton interior, pinstripe from Dave Libby, and a 327 Chevy engine topped with triple carbs. Walt Jones, Dayton, OH / 1929 Ford coupe
This one had a lot of folks scratching their heads. Thinking it might be a stretched (both in length and/or height) Deuce coupe was really Walt Jones' exercise in detailed fabrication, making his Model A look a lot like a '32 five-window. Simple items like the hood and grille are a given, but Jones went further by adding a cowl vent, raking the windshield a few degrees, removing the visor, and even installing a '32 gas tank between the framerails out back! Inside a '53 Olds instrument cluster was fitted to a custom dash. Mike Shane, Bolivar, OH / 1932 Ford three-window
Not very many people can say they've owned their ride for more than 50 years, but Mike Shane can. Bought for $250 when he was a teenager, Shane has since added a 289 Ford with a quad IDA carb setup, Halibrand wheels, and a gray stitched bench seat-in other words a real hot rod. Roger Ramminger, Alexandria, AL / 1948 Ford coupe
Big Oak Garage got the call from Roger Ramminger to go all-out with his coupe, and the guys at Big Oak didn't disappoint. A pie-cut hood, custom taillight housings and grille, plus a custom dash were all fabricated and the body was shaved of its driprails. M&M Interior then followed with a paneled interior. Emerson Blue, Fort Washington, MD / 1956 Chevrolet Bel Air
Emerson Blue's Bel Air hardtop is an extra-clean example of what you can do when you don't go overboard with design and its implementation. Custom side glass, a flipped grille, the rear license plate rolled into the bumper, '66 Porsche headlight lenses, an understated dash and much more adds up to one great-looking Tri-Five.  We find some of the best cars...  We find some of the best cars out in the sticks at the fairgrounds. Steve Fowler's cool-blue '40 coupe was a standout, and it was powered by a 265 Chevy backed to a '39 trans.  Famed rod builder from the...  Famed rod builder from the West Coast, Roy Brizio, was tapped to pick this event's Builder's Choice awards, a task Brizio commented was a challenge due to the quantity of high-quality rods in attendance.  Simple but eye-catching, Scott...  Simple but eye-catching, Scott Subler's '54 Chevy had just enough hot rod attitude to park amongst the big dogs at the Nationals.  Lots of folks were checking...  Lots of folks were checking out Scott Hutchinson's '29 Ford sedan, and the engine, with its six carbs stacked up high, was only one of the reasons. Hutchinson has been building some great rods over the past few years out of his base in Ellicott, MD.  Chopped top, rear fender skirts,...  Chopped top, rear fender skirts, a white 'n' blue pleated interior, and wide whites with Caddy sombreros-what more can you ask for? Dale Surber's '39 Ford convertible was lookin' sharp.  Shovel-nose Studes are usually...  Shovel-nose Studes are usually pretty sleek, but the owner of this '53 not only stuffed a 454 underhood but also sectioned in some sloping headlights to drive the point home.  Nice! Ed Perkins' ' 50 Chevy...  Nice! Ed Perkins' ' 50 Chevy convertible would be a welcomed sight in anyone's garage. A basic 350/350 engine and trans combo is right at home in his ride.  Michael Ogden and his '30...  Michael Ogden and his '30 Ford sedan have been making the rounds this year-he was also at the Goodguys Indy show in June. There's an interesting side-by-side Holley carb and Offenhauser manifold induction system used on this one.  There's a pretty big fan base...  There's a pretty big fan base for the '58 Impala, and Charlie Shane shows us why. His cruiser operates with a 348 motor and a TH400 trans.  It's the subtle things on...  It's the subtle things on George Poteet's '66 Chevelle 300 that show the high quality of the build.  Legens Hot Rods did the work,...  Legens Hot Rods did the work, including the color-matched 18-inch billet wheels carved by Schott and designed by Eric Brockmeyer and Steve Legens. Check out the milled screw-on caps-too cool.  Lakes modifieds, whether they're...  Lakes modifieds, whether they're built as street drivers or resembling a dirt track racer like Bill Sammons' '26 from Huntington, WV, are still a popular build style. Sammons' ride is powered by a '51 Chevy backed to a TH350 trans.  Another great-looking '39...  Another great-looking '39 Chevy belongs to Gary Greegor from Cambridge, OH. Greegor decided to keep it all in the GM family with a drivetrain based on a fuel-injected Chevy engine mated to a 700-R4 transmission.  Looking like it could have...  Looking like it could have rolled out of Westergard's Shop in 1940, Joe Roenigsmard's '40 Mercury hardtop looks the part with a perfect chop and stylish body mods. Roenigsmard bucked the trend, however, by installing a 302 Ford, which might be more reliable than the old Ford Flattie!  Clean and simple always wins...  Clean and simple always wins out, as Tim Troutman's '40 Ford sedan can attest. A 302 backed up to a five-speed trans gives this ride its go.  Size does matter, so why not...  Size does matter, so why not stuff a blown big-block under the hood of your '48 Anglia? Ed Verbus, from Hopwood, PA, did just that.  You want different? How 'bout...  You want different? How 'bout Claudio Camilucci's '59 Impala? Treated with a host of custom body mods, the Chevy, in from Del Ray Beach, FL, features a '70 Corvette drivetrain.  Over in the winner's circle...  Over in the winner's circle we spotted Roger Chesnutt's '48 Cadillac convertible from Oakland, MI. Chesnutt says there were over 100 body mods done to his Caddy, which won a Trendsetter Builder's Choice award (personally picked by Roy Brizio).  It was hard to catch the actual...  It was hard to catch the actual color of this pearl-based paintjob in the bright sunlight, but it just glowed! Tony Pisano, from Greenwich, CT, owns the '39 Ford convertible.  DeWayne Deck, all the way...  DeWayne Deck, all the way from Denver, rolled in with his '59 Buick LeSabre. Underhood was an impressive 543 Donovan, and the judges must have liked it, too, as he received a Meguiar's Magnificent Masterpiece award.  The swap meet at the Goodguys...  The swap meet at the Goodguys Nats is one of the larger ones around, and lots of deals were being made. A set of 15x4 five-spokes were going for $1,500.  Some young rodders found a...  Some young rodders found a cowl that would hopefully become the base for a future project.  That's Chris Sondles with...  That's Chris Sondles with an Offy cross-ram manifold topped with twin Holleys he bought for his '57 Chevy 210, while the rat rod '34 pickup was going for $6,000 OBO.  Sometimes you get lucky and...  Sometimes you get lucky and get two great hot rods parked together. That's Aaron Blatter's Deuce pickup on the left and Henry Richards' '32 hauler on the right. Both gents are Ohio-based.  Model A coupes are very popular...  Model A coupes are very popular nowadays, and three that stood out at the show were:
Jim Bender's 409-equipped '30.*  *Six Deuces Speed Shop in...  *Six Deuces Speed Shop in Milford, DE, built this sharp-looking black roadster with a unique hood side design.  *Dorr Johnson's gold-dipped,...  *Dorr Johnson's gold-dipped, 283-powered '30 Ford.  Model A and Deuce roadsters...  Model A and Deuce roadsters have always been popular, too, and this trio required at least a second look. "Da Shark" is what Dave Reinhold calls his gray '31 Ford, which uses a shark theme (hence the gills in the hood sides) throughout the ride.*  *Six Deuces Speed Shop in...  *Six Deuces Speed Shop in Milford, DE, built this sharp-looking black roadster with a unique hood side design.  *Dave Marsh's 383-equipped...  *Dave Marsh's 383-equipped brown roadster (featuring a '39 Ford dash) won the Timeless Traditional award.  We have a soft spot for Dodge/Plymouth...  We have a soft spot for Dodge/Plymouth wagons, and this original '51 Plymouth driver was only $5,500 OBO!
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