After going to several NSRA regional events, I finally had an opportunity to enjoy a Good Guys Rod and Custom Association show in 2007. The big difference is the cars. While NSRA limits participation at most of their shows to pre 1949 vehicles, Good Guys extends the categories to include everything up to 1972. While the cars of the '30's and '40's are classic cool, I grew up in the muscle car era. Corvettes and Mustangs evolved, traditional coupes became Super Sports and Grand Sports, and new nameplates like GTO, Cyclone, Charger and Roadrunner were introduced. The Lone Star Nationals held at Texas Motor Speedway was like being a kid in a candy store.
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Talk about blending the old with the new, a fellow at our hotel was driving this "6202" Corvette. It's a custom replica of the 1962 Corvette updated with all the modern technology of today. |
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| At first glance you can tell there is something radically different about this Corvette, but it's a little hard to put your finger on just what. The special carbon fiber body has been widened and lengthened to sit on a new C6 chassis. | |
| Just before federal emissions regulations choked the life out of muscle cars, dealers were selling ground pounders like the 1973 Mustang Shelby Cobra GT 500 and the Buick GSX. These were mainly "straight line" cars designed to go very fast at the dragstrip. They weren't necessarily good at cornering. | |
| Even American Motors, know for building average family cars, got into the act with the AMX and Javelin models. Sales didn't compare with some of the GM and Ford offerings so seeing these examples in such fine condition was a treat. | |
| This 1968 Plymouth Roadrunner convertible has been beautifully restored with meticulous detail. The paint really popped and the custom leather interior and clean dash made it a stand out. | |
| Nearby was another very clean 1968 Roadrunner coupe that would be welcome in my garage any day. | |
| Serious drag racers sometimes go to extremes in their quest for speed. Take this 1967 Corvette for example, it has just about every performance modification you could imagine and then some. | |
| For those who wanted something fast right off the dealer showroom, you could get something brawny like this 1966 Chevy Super Sport. Not only was it a winner on the street and strip, you could take all your friends cruisin' with you. | |
| Some of Chrysler Corporation's early entries in the muscle car market were standard production cars, like the 1964 & 1965 Plymouths, with beefed up engines. This would lead to the popularity of the HEMI engine as a drag racing favorite. | |
| The 1964 Dodge shared the unique roof line with the Plymouth, that gets narrow at the bottom of the C post, as well as a lot of the same horsepower. | |
| One of my favorite cars from the mid '60's was and still is the 1964 Chevy Impala. This fabulous example of the Super Sport model uses the silver paint to accentuate the classic body and roof lines. | |
| Even the more pedestrian examples from the 1960's are fun to see, like a clean 1963 Ford Falcon 2 door hardtop. | |
| In 1961 Chevrolet sold Bel Airs and Impalas with a distinctive roof line, referred to today as the Bubble Top. The rear support pillar was very thin and there was no middle B post giving it a very futuristic look for the day. | |
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| Fins were in during the 1950's and this 1959 Cadillac convertible has been customized to the max with a huge blown engine, wheels and interior. The classic style of the big fin with bullet tail lights has been an inspiration to automotive artists for decades. | |
| You better look twice! It has the appearance of something familiar yet other worldly. A lot of work went into this roadster with the 1958 Oldsmobile tail. | |
| A real Oldsmobile from that era was a lot bigger than the little custom roadster. That same time period saw the introduction of another variation on traditional cars and trucks. Pictured is a 1957 Ford Ranchero, half car and half truck. | |
| Some like their mid '50's Fords mild and some like them with a little more pizzazz. The 1955 convertible and the two tone version can be identified by the round turn signals. The '56 model has oval ones. | |
| With hot rodders, details matter. Every inch of this 1955 Chevy 2 door has been chromed, painted and polished for a remarkable result. | |
| Studebakers, Mercurys, Buicks, coupes, convertibles and sedans are all candidates for the show when they're done right. Hot rodders will chop 'em, shave 'em, paint them every color in the rainbow and finish them with everything from wire wheels to custom trailers. | |
| As sales manager for The Little Trailer Company, I encourage all street rodders to get one of our custom trailers. They not only make traveling to the shows more convenient, a trailer finished to match your car can get you more attention at judging time. | |
| All of these great cars have their roots in the early pioneers of automotive history. Today's car shows are more popular than ever with people of all ages. Why not, where else can you see classics like a 1902 Oldsmobile still being driven. | |
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It was a great weekend at Texas Motor Speedway, with literally thousands of beautiful street rods, hot rods, muscle cars and classics to see during the day. Evenings were spent with members of Austin's Donut Gang car club who really know how to travel to a show. Special thanks has to go to my good friend, host and tutor, Jim Greene. Most afternoons you'll find me at his shop, Street Rods Forever. After decades of building, buying, selling and repairing hot rods, Jim is invaluable in helping me create this site. |
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| The truth is, you never know what you'll see at a classic car show these days. But, it's always worth going just to discover something about automotive history. As I assemble this page, I'm preparing to leave for the 2008 show. I can't wait to gather more photos and history for this site. | |
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