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The 24th West Coast Goodguys Nationals PleasantonThe Goodguys Invade Pleasanton, California From the March, 2011 issue of Street Rodder By Eric Geisert
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Clean and subtle are only... Clean and subtle are only a few of the words you can use to describe Tony Miller's '56 Ford. Obviously a Blue Oval guy, Miller, who hails from San Pedro, CA, also had a 351/4R70W engine and trans combo under the hood. Hot rodders have always been good at adaptation. Taking something that was meant for one purpose and modifying it to do something else has been the hallmark of the hobby since its inception. The Goodguys Rod and Custom Association has also figured out how to do the same thing with their series of car shows by infusing a mix of showmanship and fun in with the thousands of cars that show up to their events. At it now for nearly a quarter century, Goodguys has developed 23 annual events spread all over the United States to cater to rodders, offering them what no one else can-three days of rod-related festivities to the extreme. And their West Coast Nationals, presented this year by Flowmaster and held at the Alameda County Fair facility in Pleasanton, California, has just celebrated its 24th year of giving rodders what they want. True, you don't see many '41... True, you don't see many '41 Studebakers much anymore, let alone one made into a hot rod. Larry Hutchinson and his Champion rolled in from Wenatcher, WA. Long known as an alternative to the standard parking lot type of rod show, the Goodguys add a host of mini events (seminars, displays, swap meets, etc.) within their event, along with specialty parking areas (Ya Gotta Drive 'Em, Deuce Doin's, Good Wood, Trick Truck Corral) to expose rodders to every aspect of what the hot rodding world has to offer. Add to that this particular event is where Goodguys names the winners of their America's Most Beautiful Street Rod, Muscle Car of the Year, and their Truck of the Year awards, as well as it being a location for a group of Goodguys Builder's Choice awards and 10 more STREET RODDER Top 100 award winners and Best Ford in a Ford, and you can bet the quality is extremely high at this show. Driving in from Windsor, CA,... Driving in from Windsor, CA, Chuck Spratling arrived in style with his '50 Oldsmoabile two-door. The five-spoke wheels accentuate the early '60s hot rod appeal of this ride. And, if you were able to show up early in the week, several Bay Area tours were happening each day. Rodders had a choice of going to see vintage oil can collections, Vern Tardel's Flathead Ranch, the Ram's Head Auto Collection of rare Plymouth, Dodge, and Chryslers, a tour of Sacramento Vintage Ford, and more, plus cruising through some of the most beautiful Napa-area wine country roads California has to offer. To top that off with a three-day hot rod show that sees more than 3,000 of the West Coast's finest vehicles in one spot is almost too much to take in. If the rumor that the West Coast has some of the finest hot rods in the country is true then the Goodguys West Coast Nationals in Pleasanton proves it, year in and year out. We can only believe that next year's event, their 25th anniversary, will be one hell of a blowout!  Bob and Doreen Barton's '51...  Bob and Doreen Barton's '51 Ford convertible exemplifies a style where you don't have to go overboard to make something nice. The Bartons live in El Dorado Hills, CA.  A great example of an early...  A great example of an early T build style is owned by Kenny Ruse, who lives in Tracy, CA. Its stance is a clue (rather than a Fad-T's exaggerated stinkbug rake) to the look, though we're not sure how safe it is without front brakes.  It's amazing how many smiles...  It's amazing how many smiles a Willys dialed in with this kind of rake can generate! Ray Simpson's Gasser-styled '41 Willys pickup got a lot of attention. In from Whitefish, MT, the truck sports a 355-inch motor.  It might be one thing to chop...  It might be one thing to chop and customize a '57 Cadillac, but when you paint bright gold it really makes a statement! Brian Nieri, from San Jose, CA, owns this low-slung number.  Clean, clean, clean! Paul...  Clean, clean, clean! Paul Wingfield's '50 Merc was sharp and straight. Traditional on the outside, it packs an LS2 underhood.  Looking more like a custom...  Looking more like a custom built in the '40s, Ron and Jeni Brooks' '40 Chevy had a certain "little book" appeal. They didn't have to drive far to attend the show (they live in Castro Valley, CA), which is a good thing as the Chevy sports a 216 straight-six backed to a three-speed trans.  A white pleated interior was...  A white pleated interior was used inside Bruce and Judy John's '30 Ford roadster pickup while a 331 Cad backed to a TH400 trans was installed.  Jim and Karyn Cripps '50 Pontiac...  Jim and Karyn Cripps '50 Pontiac was sitting in the weeds over the weekend. Based in Southern California, the Chief boasts a 389 with Tri-power underhood.  Looking more like an East...  Looking more like an East Coast build rather than something you'd find in California, Gary Cedoline's '32 five-window nonetheless fit right in with all of the other hot rods at the West Coast Nationals.  Lots of vintage goodies could...  Lots of vintage goodies could be found on Dave Welles' '28 Ford roadster pickup, including a '40 Ford steering wheel, a Sun Electric "football" tach, a Nailhead motor backed to a four-speed, and plaid material on the bench seating.  You know how sometimes at...  You know how sometimes at a show you just keep coming back to the same car over and over? That's what happens with Vic Herrmann's '34-it keeps drawing you in. The motorcycle-style fenders on each corner are pretty unique for a NorCal car, though the 2-1/2-inch chop translates well anywhere you live.  This '29 roadster, owned by...  This '29 roadster, owned by an "Eddie B.", of Gilroy, CA, had a lot of cool parts hanging off of it, including lever-operated side cowl vents, hubcaps that looked like aluminum knock-offs for the Model 40 wheels, and a great triple-carb induction system.  The '37 Chevy coupe has long...  The '37 Chevy coupe has long been a go-to car for hot rodders, and Doc Kinney's five-window shows us why. The champagne-colored Bow Tie is from north of the border in Chilliwack, BC, Canada.  We don't know why you don't...  We don't know why you don't see a lot of '36 Ford three-windows around-they make perfectly good hot rods. Just check out Ross Urquhart's sano coupe up from Culver City, CA, as how one should be done.  The gloss was nice enough...  The gloss was nice enough on Scott and Dave Rail's '29 Ford you wouldn't have guessed they used spray cans to paint the car! The sedan is powered by a 401 Buick, and uses some great-looking four-into-four headers.  You're seeing more rods built...  You're seeing more rods built with wire wheels of late and Wayne Shantz, who drove nearly 1,100 miles one-way to get to the show from his home in Abbotsford, BC, Canada, has a set on his oft-driven, Ford-powered '36 Ford cabriolet.  Hard to believe this was once...  Hard to believe this was once a '47 Cadillac (check out the size reference with the '34 sedan in the background), but after it was heavily customized Walnut Creek's Jay Prouty enjoys driving it around and showing it off.  Lots of ways to dice up a...  Lots of ways to dice up a '50 Cadillac, and Willaim DeWitt found a great way to make the business coupe look low and lean.  Tim Divers has built a Ridler-winning...  Tim Divers has built a Ridler-winning car (the Ferrari-powered Rambler wagon from 2008) and his latest endeavor, a radical '39 Ford for Aurora, Oregon's Cindy Warn, is powered by a new Ford GT motor.  E. Corvello's '29 Ford coupe-now-roadster...  E. Corvello's '29 Ford coupe-now-roadster utilized small straight pipes as exhaust for his small-block Chevy-we only wish we would have heard it when he drove it into the fairgrounds.  Howdy Ledbetter is a Hall...  Howdy Ledbetter is a Hall of Fame upholsterer and has owned many hot rods over the years (remember his Howli Kart replication of the Ala Kart?), but he has outdone himself with his newest: a '41 Ford motor coach that reminds us (in a good way) of those cow-catcher locomotives. It was really spacious inside, and we know his upholstery talents will be put to the test with it.  Another vehicle, Russ Moen's...  Another vehicle, Russ Moen's '54 Chevy Tourliner, was completely finished and showed off exquisite woodwork inside the huge sleeping/living quarters.
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