Though there has been a lot of talk recently about how some car shows exclude cars from the '50s and '60s, the Goodguys Rod and Custom Association has been practicing equality for all rodders for many years. The organization, founded in 1983, has held their national event in Columbus, Ohio, for the past 12 years, and it seems to keep getting bigger and better.

Every year one of the most contested competitions at the NSRA's Street Rod Nationals in Louisville, Kentucky, isn't found outside in the parking lot but rather in an air conditioned room just off of the north end of the exhibit hall.

With the 40th Anniversary of the Street Rod Nationals, it was a perfect time for Street Rodder and Ford Racing's recognition of street rodders who install a late-model Ford engine in a Ford hot rod. Our search led us to Gary Salter of Broomfield, Colorado, who is our latest award recipient with his '34 Ford sedan delivery fitted with a new Ford 302ci crate V-8 engine linked to a C4 transmission. As co-owner of Rocky Mountain Street Rods in Arvada, Colorado, he wanted to build a signature, traditional hot rod to showcase his shop's talents. Starting with a rarely seen body style, he perched it atop a Roadster Shop chassis with a Heidts Superide frontend and Ford 9-inch rearend. Its body was massaged to perfection and coated in PPG black by Brad Aregood, while Jim Skinner at Auto Weave laid down the hides to cover the interior. Rolling on Wheel Vintiques wire wheels topped with BFGoodrich rubber, the car achieves a classic look. Congratulations to Gary who will receive a limited edition jacket and be in the running for the grand prize-a brand-new Ford crate engine.

It was Friday, the 14 of August 1970, and the first Street Rod Nationals was about to begin. Six hundred street rods and many more rodders were coming from across the country to see how other rodders enjoyed and built their cars.

The Model T has always been a major force in the world of street rodding and it was quite apparent everywhere you looked throughout the weekend at Henry's most simple offering. With nearly every body type represented through a myriad of build styles covering decades of development, it indeed proved that the mighty T is timeless. Regardless of whether you turned it into a stripped-down, modified rattle-canned in flat black, or if you chopped and channeled it hard and covered it with candy gloss, the passion for the early years of Ford proved itself amongst the 11,003 cars cruising the fairgrounds on Saturday.

The starting point of the AMSOIL Road Tour was the NHRA Hot Rod Reunion with the end being the famous St. Ignace Car Show in St. Ignace, Michigan. After our Sunday morning driver's meeting the AMSOIL tour participants headed north on I-65 and made our first stop about 90 miles up the interstate at Jason Grimes' shop, known simply as The Garage.

Traditionally held the second weekend in September, the Goodguys Rod & Custom Association decided, for the first time in 17 years to move the East Coast Nationals back a few months. Looking for warmer temperatures, a fairer forecast, and longer daylight hours for one of the New York region's largest hot rod and custom car show prompted the move.

The Goodguys Rod & Custom Association has had a long (nearly 30-year) relationship with hot rodders across the county and, when they come to town, you can be assured of the chance to see all types of customs and rods (makes and models from before 1973 are allowed in) parading through the local fairgrounds.

The second leg of the 2009 AMSOIL/Street Rodder Road Tour series was a cruise from the Vintage Air Headquarters in San Antonio, Texas, to the NHRA Hot Rod Reunion at Beech Bend Raceway in Bowling Green, Kentucky, that included nearly 40 hot rods. Jack Chisenhall and Rick Love from Vintage Air are great supporters of the Road Tour series and each year for the last four years they have put together a tour in June from their headquarters in San Antonio. Last year we drove to the NHRA Hot Rod Reunion and had such a great time all decided we should make a return visit to Bowling Green.

Each year one of the most anticipated events in rodding is actually an off-shoot of another all-together different event. The L.A. Roadsters organized their first hot rod exhibition in 1959, but it wasn't until 1966, at the third-ever event, that a new name-The L.A. Roadster Exhibition & Swap Meet-highlighted an addition that encompassed one of the best aspects of the show: a swap meet.

The L.A. Roadsters car club annually holds one of the premiere rodding events in the U.S. and some would say the world. One of the oldest clubs in the country, it also has the honor of hosting one of the longest running events. But it wasn't always peaches and cream.

The first leg of any Road Tour season is always an adventure. Now in its 14th year, it was time to head out and enjoy the eight week-long cruises on the nation's highways. This year's Road Tour vehicle is a definite departure from the roadsters and coupes of many of the previous years.

One of the coolest things about being a hot rod or custom car owner is the ability to hit the open road with your ride to enjoy both local events and the occasional fun-filled road trip. With so many different types of shows spread across the country, it takes careful research and planning to determine which ones are just right for you. You'll find everything from massive events to those that are smaller and tightly focused, to others that are lifestyle-driven. One thing is for sure, a get together like none other in the country evolves each year in Ocean City, Maryland, and is known as Cruisin' Ocean City.

For the past 19 years, event promoter David Cohen has dedicated his time and efforts to not just kicking off the East Coast's indoor show season in grand style, he has also managed to meld our automotive passions with the chance for everyone attending to give back to one of the most celebrated holiday causes this country has to offer.

What started out as a small gathering on an old football field of like-minded gearheads, artists, and musicians who love traditional-style hot rods and kustoms has grown into an annual tradition in Austin, Texas. In its eighth year, it now takes over a large part of the Travis County Expo Center where it's held. Hosted by the Kontinentals Car Club, one of Austin's premier clubs, the Round Up is more than just a car show, it's a car happening, full of live music, entertainment, food, and drinks the entire weekend. From the mini-bike races to the artist and vendor area to a weekend full of cruising, there's plenty to check out in addition to the wall-to-wall car show.

Everyone can remember going to a great car show in their life. Sometimes it's a particular car that leaves an indelible impression in one's head, or perhaps it's just a time frame that someone can look back on fondly.

Continuing with Street Rodder and Ford Racing's recognition of street rodders who install a late-model Ford engine in a Ford, our latest recipient is Tom Schumacher of Columbus, Ohio. Tom's '32 Ford highboy roadster is fitted with a 2001 Ford modular 4V Cobra motor neatly placed by Lobeck's V-8 Shop. Tom is the Northern Ohio Representative for the NSRA.

For the past five years the organizers of the Detroit Autorama have allowed a portion of the floor space at the show to be devoted to a pinstriper jamboree, with the artwork created on-site to be auctioned off for charity.

As most everyone has already figured out, these are some unsettling times. So it is comforting to know there are still things you can depend on, such as the San Francisco Rod, Custom, & Motorcycle Show based in NorCal's Bay Area.

You wouldn't know it from recent news reports, but the TV and radio reporters have got it all wrong. Detroit isn't dead. The spirit of the Motor City is alive and well and it was on display at the 57th annual Murray's O'Reilly Auto Parts Autorama, presented by Meguiar's.

Detroit Extreme
Basement Goodies
Continuing with the tradition of Editor Brennan selecting his pick from the Basement, this year the Keith Coleman sculpted award went to Bill Towers of Milford, Delaware for his much-shortened Model A sedan.

Traditional rodding has gained a stronghold and fortunately has no sign of letting go. Thankfully there are numerous old-time events where lifestyle is king and time-honored traditions are the rule. On the East Coast one of the most well-known events, now in its 7th year, is the Alter Boys Jalopy Jamboree.

"Lead Barges"? Well, yes. At least, that's what Mary Slonaker and her late husband, Al, called custom cars back when they held their first "official" National Roadster Show in 1950 at the old Oakland Exposition Building. (Note that the previous year they'd hosted an International Auto Show where hot rods crashed the party, became the belles of the ball, and completely changed the venue's direction). Many things may have changed during the intervening years, including locations, promoters, and even the name, but one thing has remained a constant--the mix of customs amongst the roadsters, giving show-goers the complete hot rodding experience.

This being the 60th anniversary of the Grand National Roadster Show, it's hard to imagine that any aspect of the show could still be improved upon after all this time. But from a meager beginning four years ago to the show-within-a-show it has become, the Suede Palace has grown into a happening spot where hot rodding is considered more a lifestyle than a hobby. Spawned from the need for a gathering place for like-minded, low-buck do-it-yourselfers to gather away from the glitz and glamour of the AMBR hall, it's turned into a show of its own with awards given out by over a dozen car clubs.

Just as new experiences recall lessons learned over lifetimes, attending events like the Grand National Roadster Show allows us to expand our automotive creativity through rare reviews of past greatness. (It should be noted that the Grand National Roadster Show wasn't always the "Grand," as it was called the National Roadster Show from inception until the early '60s. It was also affectionately referred to as the Oakland Roadster Show, with many old timers still referring to it by this nameplate, but "Oakland" was never the official name).