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2006 Goodguys West Coast Nationals - California GoldPrecious Metal From The Goodguys West Coast Nationals From the February, 2009 issue of Rod & Custom By Tim Bernsau
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When the Goodguys West Coast Nationals rolls around at the end of August, the summer show season is far from over, but we really like being able to hit a national show not very far from home after months of traveling all over the United States. After a summer on the road checking out the latest and greatest rods and customs from every other corner of the country, it's a treat to get back to the West Coast to see some of that famous Golden State iron. The Bay Area has always been the center of some of the greatest hot rods and customs--and it's Goodguys' home turf. Every August, Goodguys packs the Alameda County Fairgrounds with countless outstanding cars. Some are brand-new cars making a late-summer debut. Some are recent show-stoppers making the rounds of Goodguys shows, just like us. Others are old local favorites that have been making the pilgrimage to Pleasanton for decades. This time, we had the tough job of selecting a handful of these top-shelf rods and customs to receive R&C Top 10 awards. Those picks, along with a few others from the weekend, are presented on the following pages.  Gary Cedoline added a six-pack...  Gary Cedoline added a six-pack of Holley 94s at midnight the night before the show, giving the '58 283 small-block a different look than when we saw the car at Paso Robles earlier in the year. Gary has owned it just over a year, but the history of this unchopped and channeled Deuce five-window goes all the way back to the late '50s when it was built.  In the 20 years that he's...  In the 20 years that he's owned it, Mike Smith's channeled '25 Ford T bucket has become a favorite at Pleasanton. He recently replaced the Flathead and '39 box with a 327 with a four-speed (the Flattie can drop back in any time), and switched the red wire wheels for these chrome reverse rims. The dash, with Stewart Warner gauges, is also relatively recent. The T, which Mike started building at age 12, originally came from the Pomona swap meet for $150. The initial buildup was under $5K.  Our favorite wagon in the...  Our favorite wagon in the woodie corral was Gerry and Gail Gamet's '51 Ford. Gerry designed the car to blend old and new styling. Sid Chaver created the interior, where '93 LeBaron front seats--separated by a custom center console--face the factory gauges and clock in a modified dash. The Billet Specialties rims fit the theme. A Ford 5-liter engine provides power. The chassis is fitted with a Fatman IFS, Carrera coilovers, and POSIES SuperSlide rear springs.  The European-looking hardtop...  The European-looking hardtop in the pro area was, in fact, the smoothest Kaiser you'll ever see. J.F. Launier from Osoyoos, British Columbia, owns this '51 two-door and chopped 5 inches out of the modified top, re-working every panel before shooting the custom blue metalflake paint. J.F. built the chassis with a Corvette IFS and four-corner airbags. The Intro wheels are modified 20s and 22s, and the engine is a 4.6L Northstar. The handbuilt interior features late-Honda buckets.  Skoty Chops' chopped '30 coupe...  Skoty Chops' chopped '30 coupe is channeled over a custom chassis, and Z'd 6 inches in the front and 12 in back. The wheelbase was stretched 15 inches. A pair of '59 Chrysler hubcaps were incorporated into the dash. The small-block is topped with Lincoln 94s on a Weiand manifold, with three coiled fuel lines. A tiki head knob tops the suicide shifter mounted outside the driver side.  Richard Diamond got help from...  Richard Diamond got help from legendary custom builder Bill Hines in the buildup of his on-the-ground, chopped '51 Merc. The "Ben Hur caps," as he calls them, are put together from '57 Cadillac and Lancer wheel covers with Dodge bullet hubs. It's a Chevy 350 under the hood. A Grabowski-carved shifter skull operates the Turbo 350 trans.  Phil Blodgett has owned this...  Phil Blodgett has owned this '36 Ford cabrio for 12 years, but it has only been finished since March 2006. Doug Leibrant worked with Phil and did most of the buildup, and the goal was to keep it all pre-1960. The top was made from original 1936 material, the wheels are late-'40s-era cast-aluminum Streamlites on Dunlop racing tires, and the paint is old-style nitro-cellulose lacquer. The Flathead was replaced with a '57 Corvette injected 283.  Maybe Buick pickups will start...  Maybe Buick pickups will start getting popular after people see Cliff Brace's '39. A supercharged V-6 powers Bruce's truck, which features a '75 Camaro front clip, and rolls on 17-inch Pacer rims. The truck that Buick never built is actually created from a '42 Chevy cab, chopped 2 inches, along with modified '39 Buick front sheetmetal and a handmade bed, grille, and tailgate. The phantom pickup is finished in Lamborghini orange paint.  Peter Scialabba came to Pleasanton...  Peter Scialabba came to Pleasanton with a bunch of beautiful traditional-looking cars and trucks, but the one that really appealed to us was this original-steel '29 Model A roadster, built like it would have looked in 1962. Peter topped the small-block with Offy valve covers and triple Rochesters. A Bop Top covers the cockpit, and the Indy red paint is dressed up with some Tommy the Greek-style 'striping.  When Rick "Zoomie" Hanson...  When Rick "Zoomie" Hanson was a kid, he built a model of the Black Widow Model T roadster pickup, and has always wanted to build a fullsize version in the style of a late-'50s/early '60s show circuit vehicle. He accomplished his goal with this version, built from a bone-stock '28 Model A rpu, and completed with aftermarket parts--except for the 350 small-block from a salvage yard. Karil Popov did the metalwork, and Zoomie's original model accompanies the car wherever it goes.  We saw Keith Kaucher's '54...  We saw Keith Kaucher's '54 Ford Victoria custom being built, featured it back in October, and love seeing it at the shows. The Ford 390-powered Vicky with a Toploader four-speed sits on a Mercury front clip, but the biggest distinction--aside from the deep purple paint--is the '65 Buick Wildcat top seamlessly grafted to the body at Starlite Rod & Kustom. Purple and white tuck 'n' roll vinyl fills the interior.  Casey Tollini acquired this...  Casey Tollini acquired this '48 Chevy pickup when he was 12, finished it five years later, and has spent the past three years driving it everywhere. The engine is a 383 Chevy small-block with a 700-R4 transmission. Casey beefed up the front suspension with a Mustang II IFS setup; the rear rides on parallel leafs. The interior is two-tone tuck 'n' roll and matches the paint, which was shot by the owner when he was 17.  It's the ice pearl paint that...  It's the ice pearl paint that draws people over to look at this '50 Merc, but there's plenty more to see on Chris and Bette Addington's custom, built by Chris along with Tim Robison. The suspension includes a Fatman clip and Air Ride 'bags. The engine is a Chevy 350 with a 700-R4. The exterior is still the biggest draw. The top was chopped 2 1/2 inches, and the paint was done in a home garage. Ron Beam added the pinstriping.  Abel Reyes made minimal external...  Abel Reyes made minimal external mods and kept all the brightwork on this sky blue suede '52 Chevy hardtop, including the hood ornament, but brought the body down to the ground.  Darin Houston owns this small-block-powered,...  Darin Houston owns this small-block-powered, suede-in-the-shade, chopped '32 five-window. The look of the flat black paint is balanced by the door handles and polished rims with wide whites, as well as the metalwork on the firewall.  Soncy Road Body Shop in Amarillo...  Soncy Road Body Shop in Amarillo built this chopped '50 Ford woodie from the ground up for Mike Hamel, using the original wood. It rides on a Fatman suspension with Air Ride 'bags in the rear, and runs a 327 with a TH350. Mike swaps the five-spokes with a couple other sets of wheels every few days.
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