As Neil Young once wrote, rust never sleeps. It’s this immutable law of nature that drove a divide in the development of post-WWII hot rodding. The warm, sun-dappled roads of California meant the Model Ts and Deuce coupes of the 1920s and ’30s were waiting, rust
Although they have been in the scene for decades, hot rodding’s next generation are still connected to a youth movement that got going around the turn of the Millennium. The staff here at Goodguys has taken great pride in watching hot rodding’s youthful torch bearers
It’s not surprising Goodguys President Marc Meadors found drag racing as a primary hobby. He grew up riding in his father Gary’s ’23 T-bucket while going to racing events throughout the West. Dragstrips like Fremont, Bakersfield, Sacramento and even down to Pomona were a regular
LeRoi “Tex” Smith was one of hot rodding’s most influential and iconoclastic figures. He joined NHRA’s Safety Safari and the Hot Rod magaine staff in 1953, helped launch Rod Action and Street Rodder, and co-created the Street Rod Nationals with Tom Medley and Rod &
The Goodguys West Coast Nationals in Pleasanton, California has long been considered the “Crown Jewel” on the Goodguys national event calendar, so it seems appropriate that one of Goodguys’ exclusive Top 12 awards should be determined and bestowed at this storied event. As the oldest
It’s almost spring. When we all get vaccinated, road trips are going to happen soon. When doing Dave Schaub’s Miles for Smiles article a few months back I mentioned other famous road trips that litter the historic landscape of hot rodding. There was Andy Brizio’s
The cauldron of car-guy creativity that bubbled throughout Southern California post World War II spit out more legendary racers, hot rodders, and customizers than you can shake an acetylene torch at. And this Legends column has had the privilege of showcasing many of them. [caption id="attachment_71345"
In the 1970s, California was a breeding ground for standout hot rods, ground fertilized by a convergence of factors, most notably the popularity of the Street Rod Nationals, a resurgent Rod & Custom magazine, and an explosion of aftermarket parts suppliers. Out of
In the 1990s, three late model vehicles from Chrysler Corporation gave Hot Rodders worldwide a jolt of high-octane energy. While Mustangs and Camaros, as well as the turbo Buick Grand Nationals and the like, offered performance enthusiasts familiar platforms, Chrysler broke through the clutter with
The Goodguys Top 12 awards program came from singular, humble beginnings. During the first three years of national events for the Goodguys Rod & Custom Association, the biggies in terms of awards were basically confined to the West Coast Nationals in Pleasanton. The most coveted
