For the past 15 years, my packed summer event schedule has taken me all over the country. But there was one show, which happened to be the biggest of them all, that had not been on my travel itinerary since 1994-the Street Rod Nats. (Most, including many I work with, could not believe that was true.) But this year would not mark the 16th consecutive absentee Nats for me-that was a sure guarantee.
For one, despite being held under a couple different guises early on, 2009 marked the 40th anniversary for the National Street Rod Association's Street Rod Nationals. On top of that, there was just no way the new editor of Rod & Custom wasn't going to be present at such a landmark event. So I went. And I'm glad I did.
Louisville, Kentucky, isn't quite what it was back in the early '90s. Though the hotel I once stayed in is now a dirt lot, numerous others have cropped up in the same vicinity surrounding the entrance to the Kentucky Expo Center. However, the same can't be said for the show itself. While the huge amount of participant vehicles may have only decreased slightly, the number of spectators is still high up there and all the top manufacturers/vendors are in attendance. Oh, and there was one other thing that hadn't changed much: the humidity. Fortunately, Mother Nature spared everyone a few gallons of sweat at least one full day during the show (so I got to wear a clean T-shirt on the flight home!).
But all in all, I'm glad I finally ended that streak, for many reasons. While I'm able to say I attended the 40th, I may also be able to say that I attended the "last"-as in last pre-'49 NSRA Nats. Looks like 2010 has some "new" things in store for us (check out the NSRA website for more on that).
There's a 402 big-block Chevy...
There's a 402 big-block Chevy under the hood of Roger Rusiecki's flamed '47 sedan, while power brakes and a steering tilt column make driving the tuck 'n' roll upholstered Chevy a pleasure, so long as he can keep outrunning fire trucks that is!
Totally hand built in less...
Totally hand built in less than a year (and by that we mean the cab, chassis, everything sheetmetal) with the specific goal of attending the Street Rod Nationals, über-talented Jimmy Hervatin from Missouri wowed onlookers with his '32 pickup based on Keith Weesner's painting titled Emerald Tide.
It may look as though Rusty...
It may look as though Rusty Dyer has modified the front of his '46 Merc, but that's almost without exception; the stock front's been color-matched. Even the stock bumper looks like a modern spoiler once the chrome's gone! Rusty brought the chopped convertible from Mooresville, Indiana.
Gene Schwister built his '40...
Gene Schwister built his '40 Standard coupe as a replica of the Miles "The Mouse" Melius' No. 15 stock car from the '50s, then put it on the street, wide fives, nerf bars et al, albeit with what looked like a modern 5.0L Ford motor.
Imagine following what appears...
Imagine following what appears to be a nice fenderless '34 coupe down the road, then overtaking and being confronted with this! Vince and Terri Spretnjak's stretched wheelbase drag-inspired coupe hides its headlights in those neat aerofoil pods up front and runs a blown, injected Hemi. Of course!
We love the vintage look of...
We love the vintage look of wide five Ford wheels, and appear not to be the only ones. Jimmy Houston used them to great effect, with great yellow accenting, on his very low but unchanneled traditional five-window Deuce.
Bob and Roxie Lathen's '48...
Bob and Roxie Lathen's '48 Olds 98 convertible missed out on Rocket V-8 power by one year, but over 60 years later it's looking great with a new lease of life in its retirement with polished five spokes and a Biscuit-colored interior and roof accenting the Bottle Green metallic paint.
The Whittler is Jeff and Holly...
The Whittler is Jeff and Holly Hobgood's '41 Willys out of Newburgh, Indiana. With its nose-up stance and fenderwell headers, dash-mounted tach, and radiused rear fenders it nailed the look, though we'd have preferred to see skinny Cragars or real spindle mounts up front.
With just enough brightwork...
With just enough brightwork to break up the red-on-red treatment, we dug Larry Henderson's Deuce highboy, especially the low stance and those neat reliefs in the bottom of the framerails for the exhaust cutouts.