History was made this past summer in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, when the first post-'48 vehicles rolled through the front gates of a National Street Rod Association event. Throughout its entire 36-year history, attendance at National Street Rod Association events has been limited to pre-'48-bodied vehicles. With the Milwaukee Nationals that has changed, and as a result, the event was a resounding success.
Almost 1,700 vehicles were registered for this inaugural event, with modified vintage rides up to '75 welcome. With the NSRA's expanded entries came the much-expected customs of the '50s, musclecars of the '60s, and street machines of the early '70s.
Catching the eye of many truck-loving spectators was the large number of very cool commercial vehicles that included several hundred pickups and panel trucks. The wide variety of hot haulers ran the gamut from the traditional '30s and '40s street rod versions of closed-cab and roadster pickups (typically seen at NSRA events) to the wildly popular 1/2-ton haulers from the '50s, as well as the muscle trucks of the '60s and '70s. The expanded mix was a special treat with event participants who appreciated the wider range of vintage vehicles rolling about the Wisconsin State Fairgrounds. It also offered an opportunity for the friendly exchange of customizing and styling ideas that can only help all aspects of our growing vintage-vehicle hobby. It was easy to contrast the diverse styling of vehicles when a '40 Ford pickup was sandwiched between a '32 Ford roadster and a blown '66 Chevy Nova.
Sunday's awards ceremonies demonstrated the popularity of trucks has reached an all-time high. Event director Tom Biles opened the ceremonies by mentioning the grand prize to be given away to a lucky participant at this year's Street Rod Nationals in Louisville: a '37 Ford pickup built by Downs Manufacturing. Many of the 33 vehicles honored at the awards were trucks, including the Event Director's Pick, a '48 Chevy pickup. As the awards came to a close, a lucky participant's number was drawn and the holder won the grand prize: an '05 Chevrolet Colorado pickup truck!
The inaugural Milwaukee Nationals proved any skeptics wrong. The event was a popular beginning of a new era for the National Street Rod Association. The post-'48 trucks on hand took their rightful place alongside the deuce roadsters, sleek customs, and musclecar cousins in the hot rod hobby.
The Wisconsin State Fairgrounds...
The Wisconsin State Fairgrounds was the site of the 1st Annual Milwaukee Nationals. With the cut-off year raised to '75, all types of custom and modified vehicles prowled the grounds all weekend. Registered participants numbered almost 1,700.
The view from the CUSTOM CLASSIC...
The view from the CUSTOM CLASSIC TRUCKS blimp shows what our readers have known all along: Pickup trucks are right at home next to blown deuce roadsters and custom convertibles from the '40s and '50s.
The exhibit building was filled...
The exhibit building was filled with almost 100 vendors peddling their wares. The crossover between rod, custom, and truck parts and accessories is very obvious when they are all gathered in one huge location.
The variety of trucks on hand...
The variety of trucks on hand at Milwaukee was as varied as the food available on the grounds. Where else could you enjoy an order of Wisconsin beer-battered cheddar cheese curds while checking out a line of pickups like this?
The NSRA Safety Division performs...
The NSRA Safety Division performs a great service at all the National Street Rod Association events around the country. Inspection teams check vehicles in 23 specific safety areas. At Milwaukee, 116 vehicles were inspected.
Pat Callahan thinks trucks...
Pat Callahan thinks trucks should be fun. His Island Bus Company "Maintenance Vehicle" started life as a '48 GMC. Pat added the oak surfboard rack, great artwork from Jeff Williams, a 350 Chevy under the hood, and Camaro front and rear suspensions. Hard work and attention to detail pays off, as Pat took home the Outstanding Truck award at the Sunday ceremonies.
Marcia and Dennis Burkart...
Marcia and Dennis Burkart took the subtle approach with their '40 Ford pickup. The two-tone orange and cream paint looks like it could have been a factory option. The sheep's clothing hides the wolf's power from a 350 Chevy, a five-speed manual transmission, and a Mustang II front suspension.
Michael Wenzen's '55 Chevy...
Michael Wenzen's '55 Chevy Stepside started life as a basic 1/2-ton pickup. It is no longer basic; the top is chopped 7 inches. The light-blue paint is covered with purple flames, but the real heat is under the hood. Power comes from a twin-turbo equipped 454 Chevy big-block mated to a five-speed transmission.
Andy Wichman chopped the top...
Andy Wichman chopped the top on his '67 Chevy C-10 4 inches. He added a 468ci Chevy engine for the "go" and disc brakes all around for the "whoa." Rolled front and rear pans were added along with a cowl-induction hood.
Bob Johnson's '47 Chevy has...
Bob Johnson's '47 Chevy has been chopped 4 1/2 inches, the box and frame were shortened 8 inches, and the rear fenders were widened 2 inches. A 4-inch narrowed Camaro front clip rests up front and a 9-inch Ford in the back. Powered by a 355 Chevy, the entire package is covered with Corvette Millennium Yellow paint.
Jerry Kracinski has put together...
Jerry Kracinski has put together a state-of-the-art '48 Chevy Suburban. He chopped the roof 3 inches, decided two doors were enough, then added Intro wheels and a ZZ-4 powerplant under the hood. The paint is Spectre Master red and beige.
What a classic deco body style....
What a classic deco body style. Heather and Mike Kluth's '37 Studebaker J-5 Coupe Express spent the first 20 years of its life working on a farm-then it sat for the next 30 years before a complete restoration. There were no body modifications needed to make this hauler look incredible.
Black is beautiful on Susie...
Black is beautiful on Susie and William Melchi's '48 Chevy. Rolling on Boyd wheels, the front suspension is a Heidt's Mustang II. The "altitude attitude" comes from Air Ride Technologies.
Jane and Charlie Bryson Jr....
Jane and Charlie Bryson Jr. wanted their '47 Chevy truck to be unique inside and out. The combination of Viper Red and Honda Golden Opal two-tone paint achieves that goal on the outside. The bow-tie hauler rides on a Nova front clip and Firebird rear. A 454 Chevy big-block gets the whole package down the highway.
The swap meet had some interesting...
The swap meet had some interesting projects for sale. We could not find a price on this classic Chevy tow truck, but it was already loaded up and ready for delivery.