One of these years we're going to remember to bring a poncho to this show. Year after year, raindrops follow the cars onto the grounds of Indianapolis Raceway Park. It's part of the tradition at the Goodguys Hot Rod Nats, I guess, and the typical mid-June heartland weather never seems to dowse the enthusiasm of the participants or the quality of the hot rods and custom cars. Even though the rain prevented any passes down the dragstrip on Saturday and Sunday, the place stayed packed all weekend long.
This was the 18th year for the Hot Rod Nats, making it one of Goodguys longest running events, drawing something like 5,000 vehicles from from all over the country, and a few from Canada. Goodguys lets in any '72 and earlier iron. Rods, customs, and classic trucks mingled with musclecars, street machines and pickups. High-dollar pro-built beauties mixed it up with high-mileage homebuilt jobs. High-tech national show winners rolled in alongside traditionally-styled retro rides.
Speaking of traditional, they really know how to do it in Indy, especially when it comes to paint. There was metalflake and black suede in abundance, dressed up with our favorite graphics-flames, scallops, and low-key 'striping. Even a lot of the high-tech cars had one eye on traditional styling, and blending up to date technology with old-time style may end up as the definitive look of this decade. Take a look at some of our our Top 10 picks to see what we're talking about.
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One of the reasons we like Indianapolis Raceway Park so much is that we can watch hot rods smoke 'em on the starting line. We only got to like it for one day this year, since the the on-again-off-again rain kept the dragstrip silent on Saturday and Sunday. |
Rod & Custom Top 10
We've seen this amazing '29 in several stages ever since Brian "Tinman" Limberg was an R&C Young Gun several years ago.. | 
...The roadster, built from a handmade body on custom rails with quarter elliptic springs at both ends, plus friction shocks, and '34 trailing arms, is finally finished... |
...Brian, who insists this isn't a modified since the scratchbuilt car offered nothing to modify, drove the car to Indy for its debut, getting good and soaked in the process. | 
It takes zero mods to make a '63 Riv cool, but John Kouw added many to move Kevin Anderson's custom to the next level... |
...Shaved sheetmetal, one-piece side windows, 2 1/2-inch chop, handbuilt grille, '61 Imperial headlights, and pearlescent gold paint are just the beginning... | 
...Team Skins handled the interior, which features a mother of pearl dash. A left-alone Buick 425 is the perfect engine choice. |
Jeff Wingo was still in high school in the '80s when he bought this '50 Studebaker pickup... | 
...The bed floor was created from a sheet of aluminum, hand ground and finished with candy paint under clear. |
...Since then he's treated the truck to a C4 suspension, Ramjet 350 engine, and candy copper paint. A 1 3/4-inch chop, Jeep headlights, F-150 tailgate, and Chrysler 300M seats take this Stude far from stock... | 
This sweet Deuce has been all over this summer, from Indy to the L.A. Roadster Show to Nashville... |
...Mike Rutter at Rutterz Rodz built the roadster for Michael Bunch. It's got a Pete & Jake's front end, Currie 9-inch rear, and a 425hp 383 Chevy with a Barry Grant SixShooter carb... | 
...Paul Atkins filled the elegant interior with a '33 Dodge dash, '56 Chevy wheel, a '33 Dodge instrument panel, and an updated heat box from the early '30s. |
We love seeing Tri-Five Bowties when they're done differently, like Oscar Gamble's slippery smooth '56 Handyman wagon, built by the owner and the guys at Randy's Body Shop in Paducah, Kentucky... | 
...The interior includes black leather Camaro seats. The engine is a ZZ430. |
...The extra-clean exterior features front and rear bumpers were narrowed and tucked into the body. The front suspension includes Heidt's tubular A-arms... | |