2006 Goodguys Lonestar Nationals - Worth It

I'd always heard rumors that some Willys left the factory with skinny tires and without a blown Hemi, but was always a little skeptical. Pat Cummings brought his '41 over all the way from Fort Worth.

Ray Andrews' '36 Chevy coupe was about as nice as you could get. A stroked 383 Chevy and Turbo 400 pushes it along much better than the straight-six it replaced.

In sharp contrast to Rudy Guerra's coupe to the right, Dicky Patterson's '31 might not have the fit and finish, but we're sure it's just as much fun thanks to the 331ci Hemi. In this case, the cheater slicks might be for more than just looks.

We're starting to see a lot more early '50s Chevys. Tri-Five prices have gone through the roof, making these more affordable alternatives and much more desirable. Terry Love's '53 hardtop is a good example of why we expect to see even more.

Rudy Guerra cruised up from San Antonio with his '30 Model A coupe. A three-Deuce intake tops the 350 small-block connected to a Turbo 350 auto. A Total Cost Involved chassis with a mixture of parts from Pete & Jake's and Super Bell provides support, and Wheel Vintique solids with big 'n' littles from the Whitewall Candy Store give it some rake.

George Jezek did it just like it was done back in the day: Take a '32, remove the fenders, drop in a warmed-over Flathead, and bolt on some lights, and you've got an instant hot rod.

Customs were well represented in Fort Worth. Doug and Lynn Daniel's '50 Chevy ...

...and Byron Crump's '50 Mercury may be mild, but they make their presence known.

There's not a whole lot that needs to be done to a '58 Chevy to make it right. A hood punched with lots of louvers, a lowered stance, and some five-spokes with wide whites is the combo Gary Crump came up with.