Mike Goldmans refrigerator-white...
Mike Goldmans refrigerator-white 32 three-window was finished earlier this summer. The Nats was one of the first shows for the Meridian, MI, coupe, powered by a Chevy 350. Look for a full feature on this one later this year.
Amid the most up-to-date high-tech...
Amid the most up-to-date high-tech rods was a large selection of old-time tin. Kevin Meyers 29 roadster, out of St. Louis, is like something out of a time capsule. When it was originally built in the mid-50s, the car didnt look much different than it does today. The 56 Corvette small-block is topped with triple Stromberg 97s.
We hiked way out to the far...
We hiked way out to the far end of the grounds and found Frank Adams 27 turtledeck T roadster. Frank probably didnt figure on magazine coverage, but we loved the simplicity of this two-tone highboy. Its not totally traditional but looks like a fun driver. With open pipes, it probably sounds pretty cool, too.
John Toich of Cincinnati took...
John Toich of Cincinnati took the inspiration for his 27 Track T from Eddie Hulses T, which appeared on the cover of the very first issue of Hot Rod magazine back in 1948. Toich took a few departures from Hulses ride but ended up with a mouth-watering roadster.
Were suckers for 50s...
Were suckers for 50s styling like that found on Barry Harshfields 33 roadster. Big n littles, wide whites, tuck n roll, and vents with Tommy the Greek-inspired striping all add to the success of the car. The four-link radius rods break form a little bit but improve the ridewhatever it takes to keep it on the street.
Scott Matthys of Kansas City...
Scott Matthys of Kansas City drives this bare-bones V-6 29 roadster. Dad Jim is co-pilot. Scott says hes about 20 minutes into the bodywork. Paint is two parts green Rustoleum to one part black. Total cost: about $2 grand.
Orv Elgies 33...
Orv Elgies 33 Pontiac Vicky, all the way from Bend, OR, was one of the few Ponchos in the Pros Picks area. According to Orv, this car, almost 20 years old, was the last rod built by the late Reed Lillard, who had worked with Boyd Coddington.
When the sun goes, down the...
When the sun goes, down the rods come out. Many of the larger hotels are located right across the street from the Expo Center, and spectatorsa combination of participants from the Nats in show-quality rods and townies out in their beatersparked themselves along the curb to watch the cruising.
We wouldnt mind driving...
We wouldnt mind driving home in either this or the following roadster.
Kevin Alstotts high-tech...
Kevin Alstotts high-tech 37...
...and Mark Warricks...
...and Mark Warricks bare-metal roadster pickup (built by Jim Benitez) both attracted loads of looks in Louisville.
Despite their opposite stylesinside...
Despite their opposite stylesinside and outboth are extremely well done and exude loads of cool.
Its official title is the National Street Rod Association Street Rod Nationals, but nobody calls it that. Everybody refers to this event simply as The Nats. Although several organizations host dozens of so-called national events every season, this is the only one important enough to have its title reduced to a two-word nickname. For rodders, manufacturers, builders, journalists, and other enthusiasts from all over North America, the trip to the Nats is not an option: Its the event of the year, drawing more than 10,000 pre-49 street rods and approximately a bazillion spectatorsall willing to endure the Apocalypse Now heat and humidity of mid-August Kentucky and the treeless expanse of pavement circling Louisvilles Kentucky Fair & Exposition Center in order to be part of the most phenomenal street rod event of the season.
This year, at the 33rd Annual Nats, the car count was tallied at 11,475 cars. With numbers that large, trying to see the entire show is an overwhelming challengeespecially when the acres of iron outside the Center are competing with several-hundred manufacturer displays inside the building, a new products display featuring more than 100 never-before-seen aftermarket parts, the NSRA safety inspection, concept car and historic vehicle displays, numerous tech seminars, and an expansive swap meet.
At night, the temperatures cool down, the grounds clear out, and the crowds follow the cars as the show continues to roll in the nearby hotel parking lots and on the streets near the Expo Center. Out on the street, rods from the Nats are joined by a lot of the local Louisville rods as well as hundreds of post-49 cars too new to enter the show but not too new to be part of the after-hours action.
The Nats is an exhausting, overwhelming, and exhilarating weekend. We should be recuperated and ready to do it all again when the 34th Annual NSRA Street Rod Nationals returns to Louisville, July 31 through August 3. To register for next years Nats, contact the NSRA at 4030 Park Avenue, Memphis, TN 38111, call them at (901) 452-4030, or visit their Web site at www.nsra-usa.com.