The Goodguys PPG Nationals at the Ohio Expo Center in Columbus is one of our favorite events-and it is for the participants, too, it seems, as attendance is consistently high. Judging by the license plates we spotted, people come from far and wide to bring their cars to Columbus. This past July saw the Goodguys' 11th such event, and for those of us who usually only get to see earlier body styles, the cutoff of 1972 let us sample some later models for a few days. Who'd have thought a slammed and tastefully painted light metallic-green Maverick could look so good, for instance?
Work schedules mean we never make it out to National Trail Raceway for the Friday Night Drags, which is a great way to kick off the weekend, but on-site action this year included the Air Ride Technologies-sponsored Street Challenge Autocross for Street Machine of the Year participants, which was fun to watch, while the '08 Street Machine and Street Rod of the Year awards were also presented at the event. George Poteet took top honors in the street rod category with his Dave Lane-built '32 sedan delivery, seen recently in these very pages and on our website.
A couple thunderstorms Saturday and Sunday dampened the cars but not the spirits of the attendees, and the ground and cars were soon dry again. As is usual at any Goodguys event the R&C staff attends, we awarded our Top Tin picks, but the sheer number of great vehicles makes this harder than you'd think. OK, we're never going to convince you that going to shows is hard work, so check out what we thought was cool while out there enjoying ourselves.
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It might look black, but that's dark-green paint on Bill Herb's '33 Ford highboy roadster, sitting on aftermarket 'rails with owner-built crossmembers. The engine is a Chevy 350 with Tri-power. It's a beauty and a driver-and all built by Bill except for Terry Watson's interior stitching. He also formed the top, and installed hinges and door-handle dimples to take the 'glass body closer to 1933. | 
We ran into a young Matt Hayes and his '53 Chevy at last year's Columbus show and were impressed with his progress. The Chevy was missing a few key pieces last year, but it looked like Matt had been busy during the winter. He did the paint in his garage, and the Chevy features a 350/700-R4 combo, Total Cost Involved IFS, and a four-link with airbags and a C-notch. | 
Charlie Edwards finished this LS2-powered '32 last year and was then promptly rear-ended, which put him in intensive care. Another Brookville body and another year of repairs saw him at Columbus. He fabricated the 109-inch wheelbase chassis himself and installed a '95 Z28 rearend narrowed 3 inches, and a six-speed trans. If you ever get to check out this roadster, ask Charlie to show you his flip-down dashboard, hiding all the electronics-it's impressive. |
Running across a car that the owner has built almost entirely by himself is rare these days. Finding one as nice as Scott Subler's '46 Ford coupe is really rare. Throw in the '95 Lincoln running gear and the fit and finish, and you have better luck finding a toothy chicken. | 
Steve Lucas bought his '56 Merc already done, but it took a redo to realize its potential as a kustom. It now carries Packard taillights and frenched headlights, shaved doors and bumpers, a smoothed deck, and a Nova subframe. | 
It's always fun to find a hot rod with some family history. Dwayne King's '47 Chevy has been in his family since 1966, and Dwayne drove it to high school with the old straight-six back in the early '80s. It has since received the hot rod treatment with a Fatman IFS, Air Ride triangulated four-link, and 350/350 combo. |
Gary Hoffman's clean little six-cylinder Rambler American was once a dealer car and remains mostly stock, with the exception of some custom taillights, lowered stance (courtesy of cut coils and lowering blocks in the back), and eye-catching copper paint-a Nissan color. The brand-new cloth top and alloy Eagle five-spokes are great additions. Builder Mike Wolverton came along to Columbus. | 
Unbelievably, Frank Potter's '41 Chevy was built in the early '80s, but then that's what timeless styling is all about. There's a 289 Ford under the hood, as it fits the narrowed '72 Chevy subframe better than an SBC, and that roof has received a 31/2-inch slice, while the lights at each corner have been frenched. |  |
Tom Lischke's '28 A closed cab was a hot rod before he bought it, but it had been rolled end over end! The 4.3 V-6-powered pickup sports a 700-R4 and quick-change rear, not to mention a sizeable body repair job. | 
We gave Larry Bennett a Top Tin prize for the body-off rebuild on this '50 Bel Air, now pulled by an LS1 with a 4L60E automatic. Body mods include the frenched headlights, Ford taillights, shaved panels, a sectioned grille, a one-piece bumper, and an Olds one-piece windshield. The '00 Buick Regal GS seats are covered in Ultraleather. The fact that Larry drives the Chevy got our respect, too. | 
Bill McCauley's '56 Ford convert made it down from Manhattan, IL. The orange custom is powered by a Tri-power-fed 312 backed by a four-speed manual. The white roof was offset by a matching pleated interior and wheelwell panels. |
Search the R&C Web site for a Web exclusive feature on Jim Roepke's '31 roadster. Since we first photographed Jim's Model A, he's swapped Flatheads. This one has aluminum Offenhauser heads and an Offy manifold, and a pair of Stromberg 81 carbs. The wire wheels and Firestones are changes, as well, replacing red steelies and whitewalls. The custom-built buckets are just the way we remembered. | 
No fake patina here! This ex-roundy-round racer '34 had been tucked away for 50 years since it last raced in the early '50s. Now on the street with the minimum of modern equipment, it made its debut reappearance at Columbus. | 
Dale and Sharon Surber gave their '39 Ford an early custom vibe thanks to the fender skirts, spots, and most noticeably, that pancaked hood, under which resides a 350 small-block. A blue and white tuck 'n' roll interior is complemented by a banjo 'wheel on a tilt column. |
Another in our gallery of early Ford hot rods we'd love to drive, Joe Albanese's well-worn Deuce three-window coupe features a '52 Flathead with Navarro heads, Edmunds intake, and a pair of Holley 94s. The trim rings and the low-key pinstriping along the beltline are the only things fancy on this cool coupe. | 
Look closely and you can see the Hilborn injected inline-six with a custom intake under the hood of Parke Bishop's two-tone '53 Chevy. The paint is Hot Hues Sinful Cinnamon and Ginger Bronze, with brightwork finished in nickel. Suspension parts include a Heidts frontend, Baer brakes, and a Currie 9-inch rear. | 
The challenge in building any '40 Merc custom, builder Joe Koenigsmark says, is to not build the Matranga Merc. He built this one for Nick Crea, customizing it with a full-length hood peak, chopped hardtop, and rolled-out lower doors and quarters. The Ford 302 is tied to a C4 trans. A Mustang II frontend and Lincoln Versaille rear were installed underneath the 'sled. It took the Meguiar's Magnificent Masterpiece award. |
If you like your Fords powered by Fords, check out Bill and Maureen Cromling's '32 roadster. Not only does it run a 351W, but it also has three pedals, the left one releasing the clutch on a five-speed trans. Couple that with those skinny bias-plies and you know this is an entertaining ride! | | |