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The Ford wagon had a perfect... The Ford wagon had a perfect stance, immaculate woodwork, a subtle green exterior, and wide whites on steelies making it the ultimate cruiser. Best Ford in a Ford
Gary McCormick East Peoria, IL'49 Ford woodie
Celebrating the 41st Anniversary of the NSRA Street Rod Nationals, it was the perfect time for STREET RODDER and Ford Racing to recognize street rodders who install a late-model Ford engine in their Ford. With this being the first year for post-'48 era cars to cruise the fairgrounds, our search led us to Gary McCormick of East Peoria, Illinois, with his freshly completed '49 Ford wagon powered by a 351ci Ford Racing crate V-8 linked to a Ford AOD transmission. To give the car a great stance, its original chassis was massaged and updated with a polished stainless Heidts IFS while a 9-inch rear by John's Industries transfers the power. Once the body was razor sharp it was coated with plenty of PPG Mack Truck Green to give it a fine vibe, while the exterior wood was completed at Wood by Whiskers. Inside the car was treated to yards of buttersoft leather by Steve and Marilyn Ralfs. A combined effort, the woody came together through the hard work of Ken's Street Rod Repair in Rockford, Illinois, and Gray's Garage in Metamora, Illinois. Congratulations to Gary who will receive a limited edition jacket as an award winner.  Great job on the wagon, Gary,...  Great job on the wagon, Gary, and welcome to an exclusive group of rodders who are honored for their special accomplishments.  A Ford Racing 351ci mill gives...  A Ford Racing 351ci mill gives the wagon plenty of go. The healthy V-8 wears Ford Racing valve covers, catches its breath through an Edelbrock intake topped with an Edelbrock 650-cfm carb, and dumps spent gases through Sanderson headers. Billet Specialties tops it all off while spark comes from an MSD distributor. Chuck's Deuce is all business... Chuck's Deuce is all business with thousands of miles already on the odometer. A nose in the dirt stance complemented by a mirror-straight steel body, vibrant blue gloss, and Halibrand rollers gives it plenty of allure. Best Ford in a Ford
Chuck Gray, Metamora, IL '32 Ford Victoria
While canvassing the event, Chuck Gray's '32 Ford Vicky from Metamora, Illinois, caught our attention with its well-detailed Ford 302ci crate V-8 linked to a Ford C4 transmission. Chuck's well-traveled Ford has an original chassis updated by Everett Gray to include a polished stainless Heidts IFS and a narrowed Jaguar rearend with plenty of plating and polish. An original steel body was massaged to perfection by the owner who also laid down the vivid PPG Sonic Blue coating complemented by alluring graphics by Bob Thrash. Classic Halibrand wheels shod with BFGoodrich rubber keeps everything stylish while inside an ididit column, Lokar shifter, and VDO gauges help Chuck settle into plenty of comfort as he heads down the road. Congratulations to Chuck who will receive a limited edition jacket as an award winner.  Power comes from a Ford 302ci...  Power comes from a Ford 302ci crate V-8 generating plenty of gusto for the long haul. An Edelbrock Performer intake topped with an Edelbrock 625-cfm carb is crowned by a Billet Specialties air cleaner while spark comes from a Performance Distributors' Davis Unified Ignition.  Nice work on your Deuce, Chuck,...  Nice work on your Deuce, Chuck, and welcome to an exclusive group of rodders honored for their special accomplishments. Coated with effervescent light... Coated with effervescent light blue pearl, Tony and Sue Paris' sedan was packed with all the right stuff, including Vintage Air, Boyd Coddington wheels, and a comfy bucket interior. Celebrating the 70th Anniversary of the '40 Ford
This was the year we celebrated one of Ford's truly memorable designs with the '40 Ford turning 70 years old. Recognized as one of the notable iconic sculptures to roll off the Ford production line, it shared its good looks with a myriad of body styles. Throughout the weekend at the Nationals, we came across countless examples of the model with everything from bone-stockers to candy-coated chopped coupes, pickup trucks, slammed sedans, and drop-tops making the scene. One thing is for sure, this beloved design has certainly earned its place in history. Street Rod Plus
Sometimes more is better-when it's sheetmetal
This is a pivotal year for the National Street Rod Association as they adopt the sliding scale dates to all events. From this day forward if you have a car 30 years or older you are welcomed at the Street Rod Nationals Plus. And if you happen to be driving a car manufactured in 1949 or newer you are officially considered a Plus, a term that seems to indicate something positive, or at least in addition to. After attending 39 out of the 41 Street Rod Nationals I felt the only way to truly experience this historic event would be to drive a "Plus", leaving the '40 pickup in the garage and driving my '57 Ranch wagon to the event. Of course the fact that the '57 Ford is now 53 years old and when I drove my '31 Model A to the Nats in 1972 when it was a mere 41 years old was not lost on me, and yet I was still driving "a late-model" or as NSRA calls them-a Plus.  Deuce roadsters, sure there...  Deuce roadsters, sure there are a lot of them but when it comes to hot rods there is still nothing quite like an open-air Deuce.  Ramblers seemed to make a...  Ramblers seemed to make a big showing this year, and hey, if a car is good enough for Superman's girl it's good enough for me. Greg Mullins is a local Louisville street rodder and his small-block, Chevy-powered, '60 Rambler is one very cool ride.  Ron and Connie Thacker drove...  Ron and Connie Thacker drove another super Rambler to the event, and the not-quite suede and not-quite shiny finish suited the diminutive wagon well. Under the hood a well-detailed small-block provides ample power. Inside, tobacco-colored leather is more luxurious than any offering from Rambler in 1959.  Did we mention Ramblers are...  Did we mention Ramblers are hot? Vickie Warren put a little more hot rod in her Nash with bigger rear tires and polished five-spokes, but the body remains stock down to the emblems.  We were able to see lots of...  We were able to see lots of street rods cruising, plus now the occasional top-down Merc rolled by-that helps any rod show.  Bullet-nose Studebakers were...  Bullet-nose Studebakers were hot about 10 years ago and everyone seemed to be cutting every panel on the car. News flash: You don't have to work that hard. Just use the stock-bodied Studey with a good color and all the usual hot rod tricks. It sure worked well for Gil Vuljoin's '51 Studebaker.  Model A closed cab trucks...  Model A closed cab trucks have long been a staple of street rodding but it seems there is resurgence in little hot rod trucks. Should you need a build template just use Tom Lischke's truck as a guide. This truck is spot-on with many different textures of black from flat to shining.  A big plus is finding out...  A big plus is finding out you like cars you don't really like. The '59 Ford has never been on my list of cars to own some day, but this example changed that thinking. Yes, even a '59 post car can be very cool with proper color treatment and wheels. James Bernard motored in from Arkansas to attend the Nats and this was one very nice car.  Sure, a lot of F-1 Ford trucks...  Sure, a lot of F-1 Ford trucks have been sneaking into the Nats for years, but we were glad to see even more of them this year. And if you look close this is actually an M1, yes the rare Canadian Mercury truck. This '52 Merc sports a hammered cab and a perfect stance with '49 Plymouth bumpers just off the ground. Ron Jones drove up from Florida in the old truck.  Fenders. Fenders made me stop...  Fenders. Fenders made me stop and wonder why we don't see more of them. For years the fenderless hot rod has been in the spotlight, but one look at George Lange's St.Louis-based '33 makes me wonder why we don't see more fenders.  Odd rods are very cool, or...  Odd rods are very cool, or hot if they're flamed. The addition of a flamed '54 Plymouth is a definite plus. Of course flames this well done would look great on any car. Dennis Rodman owns this sizzling Plymouth.  The cool thing about a shoebox...  The cool thing about a shoebox Ford is you can build them as a hot rod, street cruiser, plus they work well as a full custom. This hot rod approach was pretty wicked with just the right chop, no hood, and three deuces atop a Chevy motor.  Any car the Beach Boys immortalized...  Any car the Beach Boys immortalized in song can park with me anytime and that includes the T-bird. Mark Gibbs went with the conservative approach on this great-looking '57 'Bird.  We liked this T roadster but...  We liked this T roadster but what makes it interesting is the owner. Jerry Dixey drives across country and back in the '10 Road Tour roadster sans top in 100-degree heat, then, since that roadster is in the STREET RODDER indoor vendor display, he goes home and gets another topless car. Some guys just can't get enough of a good thing.  The '51 Ford works great as...  The '51 Ford works great as a mild custom and all it takes are the three "Ls": lowering, Lancer hubcaps, plus lake pipes. Jim Jeffries opted for some flames to complete the package.  Some cars were a real big...  Some cars were a real big plus and this '49 Buick fits in that category. Black and beautiful, the body remains in its natural state as Leonard Peterson realized some things just don't need to be changed.  Early '50s Chevrolets make...  Early '50s Chevrolets make great drivers, and when the trained eye sees a pair of off-center air breathers they know this old Stovebolt is powered by six in a row. Typical custom tricks like shaved door handles, Frenched headlights, and extra grille teeth work well on George and Sandy Scudder's Chevy.  Flames always catch my eye,...  Flames always catch my eye, and when they grace the curves of a '50 Mercury that's a real plus. Nelson Clopine's Merc proves you don't have to chop the top to have radical Mercury.  Gassers just get the blood...  Gassers just get the blood pumping even when they're sitting still. Colored Plexiglas windows were practically mandatory in the early '60s and the Hecla Speed Shop coupe does a fine job of capturing the straight-axle gasser days.  There's no doubt that the...  There's no doubt that the resurgence in Model A activity continues to build. Dick Stevens' coupe has a super traditional look, but close examination shows an all stainless steel independent front suspension tucked behind those big '34 commercial headlights.  More Studebakers, and while...  More Studebakers, and while the Avanti is a cult car, that black Studebaker on the left belongs to Jack Chisenhall and it is the same car that went over 200 mph on the salt, and was then driven back home with the Vintage A/C unit running for both events. Now that's cool.  Postwar deliveries hold a...  Postwar deliveries hold a special place in hot rodding, and Dave Harber has one of the nicer deliveries we saw all weekend. Pulling off a successful two-tone paint scheme on these haulers is no small chore, but this time it works in fine fashion.  I always felt the Henry J...  I always felt the Henry J should have been accepted as a street rod long ago. Virtually every local dragstrip in the country had a Henry J or two in the pits during the '60s, and Todd Agee's race-inspired Henry J helps remind us of those glory days.  The contemporary shoebox is...  The contemporary shoebox is a very attractive car, and we offer this '51 Ford as graphic proof. Smooth, slick, and rolling on billet wheels illustrates the versatility of these old Fords.  We kept a lookout for alternatives...  We kept a lookout for alternatives to Fords and Chevys and came across this dark green '36 Pontiac two-door sedan, rolling on wide whites with artillery wheels with rings and caps and an asking price of $12,500.  We ran across this six-deuce...  We ran across this six-deuce induction setup early in the weekend. For $1,500 you'd have gotten the Offy intake and a half-dozen Stromberg 97s with frog's mouth scoops.  A piece of masking tape on...  A piece of masking tape on the cowl said "20s Dodge? $500." It is indeed a '20s Dodge roadster body and would make a great out-of-the-ordinary hot rod, maybe with a Hemi pulling it along. Maybe the red T-shirt guy is building it right now.  Bill Bronson owns this '40...  Bill Bronson owns this '40 Ford and was asking $8,900 for it. His grandfather, also Bill, built the Bronson Special rail dragster in the late '40s-believed to be the first purpose-built dragster in the state of Indiana, and one of the oldest dragsters still around.  Mobility scooters have overtaken...  Mobility scooters have overtaken the Nats like cockroaches, but we'd rather ride around on this '47 Cushman, going for $900, OBO. An old-timer told us about riding his on gravel roads; the spring seat would bounce down on the spark plug and short it out. True story.  This well-patina'd '37 Ford,...  This well-patina'd '37 Ford, available for $3,800, OBO, could be the raw material for a pickup project or a great source of parts for an already-in-progress hauler. For $2,300, you could've taken home the trailer.  This good-looking '37 Ford...  This good-looking '37 Ford two-door humpback sedan from eastern Tennessee, is a frame-off restoration that looks like a turnkey car. The marked price was $28,000.  Chevy Fleetlines have been...  Chevy Fleetlines have been growing in popularity in the last few years. Expect this pair-both local iron-to join the ranks of finished cars soon.  This '37 Chevy sedan is a...  This '37 Chevy sedan is a stubborn survivor. It wears no paint now, but has been finished in assorted colors, including pink and blue with crab claw flames in recent decades. The LT1-powered two-door sits on a tube frame with C4 suspension parts. Asking price was $22,000.  Joel VanVlymen got a ton of...  Joel VanVlymen got a ton of attention with his hand-built vintage-style teardrop trailer, based-loosely he says-on designs from the '40s. He was asking $8,500 for this year-old 5x10-foot trailer.  The owner of the '49 four-door...  The owner of the '49 four-door was asking $5,700, which includes many of the remaining chrome pieces stored in the trunk. The information on the blue '50 described it as a one-owner car, parked inside for the last 40 years, and offered for $3,650, OBO.  Dick Roy built this show rod...  Dick Roy built this show rod in 1956, and kept it on the show circuit until 1968, constantly changing it (the coupe was a roadster for a while). This configuration "is basically when he stopped," says current owner Jeff Knudsen, who found the Olds-powered five-window intact and kept it that way. He takes it to shows and swap meets all over. A rendering decorated the event T-shirt of the Hunnert Car Pile-Up in 2009.  Gassers always get our attention,...  Gassers always get our attention, finished or not. This '55 Chevy has probably led a fun life ... so far. Here's hoping someone buys it (for $5,500), builds it, and keeps the fun going.  The owner of this '34 two-door...  The owner of this '34 two-door bought the car at the '09 Nats swap meet, never got around to building it, and brought it back to sell, asking $14,500. Nobody bit, so he hauled it home and is now turning it into an "old-school" highboy. Look for it next year in finished form.  The wife will no doubt agree...  The wife will no doubt agree that this old Texaco sign is the perfect finishing touch to the backyard, once you figure out how to get it home.
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