Goodguys Mid-Western Nationals - Inside The Circle

Rambler wagons don't show up much in rod and custom circles, and Ted and LuAnn Lesher's amazing '60 American took the Dare To Be Different award. The paint on this six-cylinder-powered custom is fantastic.

Ottawa, KS, pro builder Roger Ward's '32 roadster won the Deuce Doings award just like it did 20 years ago. Ward added a lot of contemporary elements to the mostly traditional Deuce, which has a blown 383 stroker motor underhood.

Thanks to a ZL1 engine and some beefy radials front and back, Bob & Karen Schumacher's '32 three-window has got to be a blast to drive. The paint and grille help set it apart. The coupe from Independence, MO, was another Pro's Pick award winner.

DeWayne Deck covered his custom '59 Buick LeSabre in deep metalflake brown to go with the elaborate leather-covered handbuilt high-tech interior. Those injector stacks top a 543ci Donovan that used to run in a Funny Car.

With lots of low-key custom mods to the exterior, as well as a grille full of bullets, copper paint, white and copper two-tone tuck 'n' roll upholstery, and a dazzling engine compartment, there's a lot to like about Hub Harness' '60 Buick custom.

The Plymouth Prowler was inspired by hot rods, so Craig Powers from Smithville, MO, returned the favor by modeling his '33 roadster on Prowler styling. The contemporized body rolls on a Pete & Jakes frame with IFS and runs a small-block.

Jim Clark, Hays, KS / '33 Ford roadster
The '30 Pierce Arrow Blue is a great paint choice for this tasteful and timeless '33, especially in contrast to the brown leather interior. The Ford in this Ford is a numbers-matching '65 427 engine, hooked to a C4 transmission. A set of '37 Nash gauges fill the dash. Check out the feature in this issue on page 98 for more details.

Jim Evans, Hammond, IN / '49 Chevy Fleetline
You've already seen the feature on this mostly owner-built Chevy in the January issue. The visor and the highly detailed 235 I-6 engine are only two of many unusual elements, hood louvers, a functional light-up hood ornament, and black tapestry upholstery being others. Jim drove the newly done Fleetline 10 hours in the rain to get to Kansas City.

Bill Kullbom, Burlington, IA / '56 Cadillac coupe
Much of the exterior brightwork was kept, but door handles, emblems, and other trim were shaved to clean up the sheetmetal on this mouth-watering Series 62 hardtop. The interior is stock and restored and the exterior finished in Toyota Mica Red. The 500ci Caddy engine and transmission were pulled from a demolition derby car.

Chad Weaver, Paola, KS / '46 Ford pickup
After years in a field somewhere, this just-finished '46 underwent the transformation from a neglected stocker into a chopped-and-channeled hot-rodded hauler-with bomber buckets, Pete & Jakes front suspension, modified Deuce grille, pie crust skinny whitewalls, Mac's Ratz 'rails, and a 350 with high-rise manifold and dual four-barrels.

Dusty Cromer, Lebanon, MO / '53 Oldsmobile coupe
That paint (Dusty calls it "go man go copper") was the first thing we noticed about this shaved and lowered Olds, built by Danny McAlister. The paint covers all-original sheetmetal with some left over for the Dayton wire rims. The engine is a spotless Speed & Perforance LT1; the faux Oldsmobile valve covers didn't fool us at all.

Cory & Michelle Eberle, Ellis, KS / '25 Dodge roadster pickup
You'll find handbuilt stuff all over this drool-inducing non-Ford, non-Chevy hot rod, from the bed to the steering wheel mounted on an unsupported column, plus a dash built from VW hood steel with a '49 Nash uniscope gauge. Frank Wallic built those buckets, covered in distressed leather. Mike Keller built this former four-door.

Gerry Kerna, Cranberry Township, PA / '41 Willys coupe
After a series of muscle cars, Gerry Kerna wanted a street rod, but wasn't ready to give up high performance. Her 502 Ram Jet-powered Willys, built (at RPM Motorsports) on a tubular chassis with a high-performance suspension, fills the bill. The two-tone paint, countless exterior mods, and a fully custom interior provide style to match that performance.

Leon Grover, Purcell, OK / '56 Chevy Bel Air
Leon was too big to fit in a Corvette, so he went for this beautiful LS3-powered Bel Air riding on an Art Morrison chassis. Intro five-spokes and low-profile rubber look great on this revived "total wreck," built by Hearland Customs. The interior was fabricated from scratch and covered in Italian leather with aluminum and genuine rosewood trim.

Keith Bright, Salina, KS / '32 Ford roadster
A 331 FirePower Hemi and T56 six-speed combination should be adequate for this traditional Deuce highboy, cleaner than the inside of a soap bottle. A tuck 'n' roll narrowed S-10 bench seat and Harrison heater keep the cockpit looking vintage and the hairpins, Super Bell axle, and Kelsey Hayes spoke wheels do the same on the outside.

Larry Putter, Wellington, KS / '51 GMC pickup
When Larry found it, his '51 was a basket case-but not a goner. He tore it apart and redid it, using a 5.3L Sierra engine to keep it GMC, stock body lines and interior, Americans, and a dropped stance thanks to the RideTech suspension. The shadow-scraping pickup was finished in 2007 and debuted at this same event back in 2008.