We go to a lot of shows every year and although we enjoy them all, there are a few we'd go to even if we weren't working. Goodguys Pleasanton is one of them. It's close enough to Southern California that we can bypass the airport hassle and cruise up. I did just that this year and decided to stretch the '32's legs and put some more highway miles on it.
I spent a couple of days checking all the fluids before I left, solving a few of the suspension woes I had been living with, and swapping on some new radials. My co-pilot for the trip was Rick Love from Vintage Air. Rick puts plenty of miles on his hot rods, but they're both coupes and he's a little spoiled with the whole controlled interior temperature thing. I left the top on to keep the chances of being sunburnt down, but other than that Rick was going to have to rough it.
We got out of L.A. traffic with little problem and decided to take the less-than-direct route up the 101. We were rewarded with clear skies as we made our way north along the beach. It was not feeling like work at all and beat the hell out of driving up a rental.
The weather remained perfect and the sheer number of things to look at kept me entertained all weekend. I'm already looking into putting together a trip next year cruising over from Bonneville. Keep an eye on our news column for possible details.
Pleasanton was open to vehicles...
Pleasanton was open to vehicles up to 1957 this year and we're glad it was because it allowed Brian Nieri to bring in his custom '57 Cadillac.
We gave you a sneak peak at...
We gave you a sneak peak at this Model A coupe back in the September 2007 issue.
Sitting at drive height, Andy...
Sitting at drive height, Andy Forget's '55 Buick just looks like a nicely restored four-door hardtop, but looks can be deceiving.
It's not every day that you...
It's not every day that you run across a '35 Hupmobile. Gary Pettigrew shrunk his two-door down from a four-door, shortening it 6 inches in the process.
We're starting to see more...
We're starting to see more '32 roadster pickups now that a few of the new Brookville bodies have had time to get completed.
Mack Simmons cruised over...
Mack Simmons cruised over from Santa Rosa in style in his '55 Ford Victoria.
Alex Bernhard liked the look...
Alex Bernhard liked the look of the '40 Standard better so he converted his Deluxe convertible and added Lincoln bumpers.
Real '29 deliveries are kind...
Real '29 deliveries are kind of scarce, which is why Rich Villegas made his out of a Tudor.
John Swanson's '29 roadster...
John Swanson's '29 roadster is one of those cars that gets more interesting and cooler the longer and closer you look at it. John built the highboy in his garage using '32 'rails that he Z'd in the rear and pinched up front.
In these days of pro-built...
In these days of pro-built rods it's always nice to find one that is almost entirely built by the owner.
Certainly one of the most...
Certainly one of the most talked-about cars at the show was the B-702 built by Randy Grubb of Grants Pass, OR.
There's not much to dislike...
There's not much to dislike about Rich Sides' '32 Tudor.
Shiny or flat, finished or...
Shiny or flat, finished or not, you had your choice between these two '50 shoeboxes.
We're not sure exactly when...
We're not sure exactly when Bill and Gloria Mann's '26 Ford coupe first hit the road in its current configuration, but it certainly has the look of a well-kept, high-end '70s street rod.
Here's one for all the guys...
Here's one for all the guys who say customs didn't start in 1949.
It's easy to see why they...
It's easy to see why they got the nickname tall T. Mickey Himsl (Art's brother) was having a blast cruisin' the grounds with his family packed in the touring.
Fresh out of Roy Brizio Street...
Fresh out of Roy Brizio Street Rods, John Mumford's '32 three-window made its maiden trip to Pleasanton.