As street rod venues go, Goodguys' Colorado Classic is a relative newcomer. But don't let its age fool you; it's a rather precocious six-year-old. Considering the number and caliber of cars in the Colorado area, it's a pretty grand show. Of course it's difficult not to have a good show; a banked oval borders the show grounds. After all, this is Pikes Peak raceway. And the fact that Racing Reality (www.1877canrace.com) buzzes the course with NASCAR Winston Cup cars and Craftsman pickups only makes it better. The din of several high-winding V-8s can only be described as glorious. It's certainly a fitting accompaniment for healthy hot rod idolatry.
For the past six years, Goodguys scheduled the show year after the rather temperate summer season--good news for this year's event since wildfires torched a good part of the Pike National Forest. This year we enjoyed days in the low 80s and rather cool nights. On Saturday afternoon the foreboding clouds finally unleashed a few bursts of the wet stuff, but only after many had already packed up for the day. It was a good enough excuse for us to get to know the Colorado Springs area and its gourmet treats.
But if you're hankerin' to see the best Colorado has to offer when it isn't covered by snow, swing by the seventh Colorado Classic weekend. Take it from us, you won't regret it.
There probably wasn't a rarer...
There probably wasn't a rarer or finer cruiser on the lot than Gene and Willa Pacheco's '41 Mercury cabriolet. It sports a 351 Ford, plenty of leather hides inside, and a tilt assembly with a Lecarra wheel. With the A/C and other amenities, we'd love taking this sweetheart for a drive
You gotta love Carl Glitzke's...
You gotta love Carl Glitzke's rendition of Zipper's lakes modified car. It's his first rod and he used Cruzer wheels, a quickchange IRS, and a real set of E&J headlights (although he said he's ditchin' 'em for a set of Zipper's scaled-down models). The handmade nerf bars look like they came straight off a sprinter.
Marty and Irene Valdez assembled...
Marty and Irene Valdez assembled a very intriguing combination. It started as a '34 PE-series Plymouth sedan that they'd had for eons. This time 'round, though, it sports a Mustang II-based IFS, a 360/727 combo with Momar port injection, and a matching travel trailer. The car exhibits exceptional attention to detail and numerous hand-crafted items.
It's tough to chop a sedan...
It's tough to chop a sedan top and have it come out right, but Scott Cummings did on his '38 Chevy. It also pulls off another uncommon combination: polished American Torq-Thrusts with wide whitewalls. The sedan runs a Mustang II frontend, Briz bumpers, and a red and white tuck.
Bob and Jane Jones have one...
Bob and Jane Jones have one of the finest examples of hardtop styling: a '39 Mercury coupe. They whacked the lid 4 1/2 inches but raised the windshield top 2 1/2 inches to avoid the ambulance look. They also fitted the coupe with an IFS, a 305/700R4 running gear, and radial whitewalls. Points to the sharpie who recognized the '41 Olds bumpers.
Anyone who scouted the swaps...
Anyone who scouted the swaps last year should recognize this number; it's Bud Neumeister's roadster and he had it for sale there. Don't worry, it's in good hands now. Roger Morrison purchased the car and had Loveland, Colorado's Dave Crouse bring it back up to its 1954 Hot Rod magazine finery. Look for a Milestones feature on this car in the future!