During the course of the event season the Goodguys Rod and Custom Association plays host to a slew of great shows, but there are a few that really stand out in the minds of rodders nationwide: the Hot Rod Nats in Indy, the West Coast Nats in Pleasanton, and our favorite, the PPG Nats in Columbus.
This past July's gathering was perhaps one of the best in years--it had everything any dyed-in-the-wool gearhead would ever want to see, including a real honest to goodness wedding! Over 5,500 of the nation's coolest rods, customs, trucks, and musclecars combined with the Herculean efforts of those hard-working Goodguys and gals made the event, as usual, a memorable one.
One of the things everyone always looks forward to at the Columbus show is the selection of the Street Rod of the Year (SROTY) and the Street Machine of the Year (SMOTY). With a huge competition field vying for both titles, it was an extremely difficult chore for the judges, but judge they did, and they did a fine job at that! This year's winner of the much coveted SROTY award was George Poteet's flawless, traditional-styled, Dave Lane-built Deuce coupe. The SMOTY award was presented to "The Chicayne" the Troy Trepanier-built, Glen Grozich-owned '62 Chevy.
For a peek at the goings on at the 6th Annual PPG Nationals check out the following images, but you've got to check this event out in person; it's one of the most awesome Goodguys events you'll ever experience.
Above and beyond this '54 Chevy's obvious body mods, Ram and Barb Mosher's cool custom sports an injected small-block backed by a 700-R4 trans. | 
Bruce Bunker's flat-out fine '30 A sedan is a perfect example of the awesome caliber of home-built rods being crafted these days. Bruce's hot rod won the coveted Riz's Pick out of the more than 5,500 entries on hand. Keep your eyes peeled for a full-on feature in an upcoming ROD & CUSTOM. | 
The Pro's Pick area was chock-full of the nicest street rods, street machines, classic trucks, and hot rods in the nation... |
...and they were all winners in our eyes! | 
How's this for a cool cruiser? Jeff Gilger proved his point when he said he could build a head-turnin' mild custom and stay within his budget. Jeff's '61 LeSabre came together for around $4,000--and they say it can't be done. | 
Model A sedans are perfect fodder for traditional-styled hot rods. Butch Fairchild's New Castle, Indiana-based beauty is another perfect example. |
Chuck Bingham's '54 Chevy stopped us in our tracks. The hardtop has the perfect look--a true classic custom style. | 
T-rrific is how we feel about Dave Kotuby's Cad-powered '27. | 
Renowned customizer Mike Alexander was on hand with his faithful flathead-powered '31 A pickup--it's one of our all-time favorites. |
Shawn Appleman chose a 350 Pontiac motor to power his way-cool '32 coupe. Dig those low-mounted headlights; they kinda give the car a bit of a cartoon-like effect--we like it! | 
This awesome contemporary-styled '61 Chevy made its way to Columbus from Ontario, Canada. Ed McLean's two-door is powered by a 454/400 combo. | 
I happened to walk up on Rob Fortier (editor of our sister publication Custom Rodder) as he was counting his cash to see if he could swing buying this cool A coupe. After eyeballing his bankroll, he bought a hot dog instead. |
Rich Kemp's Beavercreek, Ohio-based Deuce sedan features an Eddie Meyer-dressed... | 
...flathead complete with rare dual-plug aluminum heads. | |