Wandering off Interstate 580 into the city of Pleasanton, California, for someone who has never been to the place, it can appear like the Twilight Zone's "A Stop at Willoughby" episode and the shopping scene from The Stepford Wives has been spun into an antiseptically correct theme park for Yuppies. Drive a little deeper beyond the stark blandness of corporate business parks towards the Alameda County Fairgrounds and the town's over-sanitized veneer gives way to the rumble of American horsepower, and bright candy colors. At least that's how it was when we rolled into town for the Goodguys' 16th annual get-together held May 30-31, 2009. It was definitely a case of you can't judge a book by looking at the cover. Sure, there were a lot of tasty hot rods and customs that drove from afar to attend, but we also met a bunch of local folks who drug out some pretty amazing vintage tin as well. The trick to enjoying either one of the events held by the Goodguys in their hometown is to see past the futuristic baloney and get ready to enjoy some old-fashioned custom car show fun: For more information log on to www.good-guys.com.
Brian Castle and his dad rolled...
Brian Castle and his dad rolled in from Carmel, CA, with a bright yellow '66 Chevy stepside featuring a beautiful Ash (not Oak) wood bed floor from Bruce Horkey.
Only the magenta accents painted...
Only the magenta accents painted in the side moldings date this fine mid-era C10 as an earlier build.
The show had its fair share...
The show had its fair share of '61-66 Ford F-100s as evidenced by this mild custom '65 F-100 Styleside longbed exhibited inside one of the buildings.
Although painted red, this...
Although painted red, this fine little '56 Ford with a Ford mill was Blue Oval to the bone.
Eric and Janis Johnson of...
Eric and Janis Johnson of Fairfax, CA, pull an 18-foot Airstream trailer on a regular basis behind this "Get Shortied" '72 Chevrolet. Under the hood is a strong-running Smeding 383.
Check out the hood pontoons...
Check out the hood pontoons on this '61 Chevy. This young lady and her husband came from British Columbia, Canada, to buy this prime example of a two-year only design.
Our buddy Bob Ryder at Truckin'...
Our buddy Bob Ryder at Truckin' has been following this radical '57 Chevy from Ironworks Speed & Kustoms out of Bakersfield, CA, since it was just a pile of steel tubes.
This '66 Ford F-100 shortbed...
This '66 Ford F-100 shortbed Styleside found itself napping next a '60 Ford station wagon with a thermos of Goofy Grape Kool-Aid inside.
These days a rare bird indeed...
These days a rare bird indeed this mild custom (notice wheels and tires) GMC FC 100 panel features vent windows and push-button door handles, which appeared on GMC before Chevrolet trucks.
Go ahead, set something on...
Go ahead, set something on his hood. This guy likes spray-in bedliner so much that he sprayed his entire '66 Chevy with the stuff.
Eduardo Gomez went wild on...
Eduardo Gomez went wild on his '55 Chevy panel and mixed styles with stock mirrors and a molded-in air dam.
"Big" Chris' C-1500 proves...
"Big" Chris' C-1500 proves this series of Chevrolet is next in line to be considered a classic.
Thanks to still having its...
Thanks to still having its emblems, this tri-five Chevy can be identified as a '56.