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Goodguys Spring Nationals - First Time's A Blast
The Goodguys Spring Nationals In Scottsdale
From the July, 2010 issue of Custom Classic Trucks
By Tim Bernsau
This '71 C10 started out as... This '71 C10 started out as "a hacked-up piece of junk" and was intended to be "just a driver" until owner TJ Buck of Mesa, Arizona, got through with it. Now, with a '67 front end, air suspension, raised floor, Mazda paint, and a 406 stroker motor under the cowl hood, it ended up in the winners' line at the Goodguys Spring Nationals to receive the Flowmaster American Thunder award. The Goodguys show seasons ends in Scottsdale, Arizona. This year the Goodguys season began there too. The Spring Nationals is a brand-new show for Goodguys. An inaugural event is a crapshoot sometimes. There's no way to know if it's going to be a great weekend or a bust. We headed to Scottsdale confident. For one thing, the Phoenix area (where Scottsdale is located) has an active automotive enthusiast scene. For another thing, Goodguys has been holding the Southwest Nationals here, with success, for years. It's all about timing. Early spring is the perfect time of year for Goodguys to schedule its first of two national events at WestWorld of Scottsdale. It gives the "snowbirds" who spend the winter in Arizona a chance to show off their iron before Arizona turns blast-furnace hot and they head back to their summer homes in the east or north. As it turns out, we had good weather and a good turnout. In addition to classic trucks, the Spring Nationals is open to '72 and earlier muscle cars, customs, and hot rods. It's also a magnet for vendors eager to get an early start on the outdoor show season. And with a special Trick Truck Corral designated for custom classic trucks (although you don't have to park there) and a special award for the Truck of the Year finalists, this is a very truck-friendly event. If you don't believe it, maybe a few pages of photos will convince you. If you're still not convinced, check it out for yourself. The Spring Nats will be back in Scottsdale in 2011. If you can't wait that long, head to the Goodguys Southwest Nationals from November 19-21 at this same location.  Denis Skufca paid nothing...  Denis Skufca paid nothing for a stock '52 Chevy 3100 in 2003. He boxed the frame, used suspension parts and the rearend from his Dakota, modified a '94 Chevy Fleetside bed to fit the cab, and painted it all screaming orange. The high-tech interior includes high-back buckets, center console, and modified '55 Chevy car dash. A small-block now powers Denis and Angela's pickup. |  The paint on Carl Townson's...  The paint on Carl Townson's '56 GMC was glowing at this time of day. The exterior is highlighted by the Intro rims, which give a hint of the contemporary interior, which features VDO gauges and a billet steering wheel on a tilt column. For power, it's hard to beat a reliable 350, especially with a T5 five-speed behind it. |  Here's another blend of classic...  Here's another blend of classic and contemporary-does anybody have a name for this style? On Adrian and Elisa Iraizoz' gold pearl '37 Chevy the classic part includes the all-steel body, windshield, hood, grille, and bumpers. The contempo stuff includes the graphics plus the 18s and 20s, custom leather interior with center and overhead consoles, and just about everything else. |  Hope you like red, because...  Hope you like red, because there was a lot of it in Scottsdale, including all over James Mabbutt's tomato-soup-toned '72 Chevy custom from Phoenix. The color continues into the interior and under the hood, where it's complemented by some chrome on the Chevy 350 engine and elsewhere. Shaving the sheetmetal gives the Chevy a longer look. |  Scott Jackson from Scottsdale...  Scott Jackson from Scottsdale bucked the trend and went with yellow for the paint color on his '49 Chevy 1/2-ton, equipped with 350 mill, American Racing Torq-Thrusts, and a ready to pounce stance-not to mention four-wheel disc brakes, a Lokar shifter, and a few "For Sale" signs. |  Pure classic, no contemporary...  Pure classic, no contemporary describes Rodger Vierling's '57 Chevy, which comes from Mesa. Rodger kept his 3100 Longbed stock. The engine is a 235 six-cylinder and the paint is Indian Turquoise. Wide whites mounted on painted steelies-plus a matching pair of fuzzy dice hanging from the mirror-deliver this pickup back to the '50s. |  The finalists for Goodguys'...  The finalists for Goodguys' 2010 Truck of the Year include this '68 Chevy C10, built by Dakota Muscle Cars and owned until recently by Kevin Archer. Jason Marsh owns it now. The amazing '68 was customized with '06 BMW vents, brass custom trim, one-piece glass, and an Ultraleather interior with a '57 Chevy pickup dash and '55 Chevy wheel. It runs a dressed up 6.0-liter LS2 with a serpentine belt system and fabricated cover, and rides on a RideTech suspension. |  Even as it rolled past the...  Even as it rolled past the paint vendor's tent, the "Bittersweet" gold body color (from competitor House of Kolor) on Russ Kemmit's '68 GMC got our attention. The truck was finished not long before the Spring Nationals. Engine and trans combo is a 383 Chevy and 700-R4 automatic. You can read a full feature on Russ' truck elsewhere in this issue. |  Another specimen of traditional...  Another specimen of traditional styling in Scottsdale is Jim Andrews' '56 Ford F-100. The orange flames really pop against the deep burgundy paint. Look close to see some pinstriping on the nose of the hood and below the door handle. Cragar five-spokes fit the whole look. There's a 302 Ford behind that hood and a C4 behind that. |  We wondered if the lettering...  We wondered if the lettering was just some cool faux graphics, but Jerry and Rohanda Pignolo's '51 Ford really was a Seattle city truck and that's the preserved stenciling from 1951. Unlike the rest of the long-gone fleet, this got a 4-inch chop and 4-inch channel over Z'ed 'rails. The inline-six is fed by three Strombergs. The seat is covered with a Mexican blanket. |  It took Fernando Chavez two...  It took Fernando Chavez two years to build this cool blue '72 Chevy. It's been finished for 10, but looks brand new. We think you'll agree when you see the feature in this very issue. There's a blown Chevy small-block between the front fenders. Fernando did most of the work himself, with help from friends. |  The monochrome gray on Rick...  The monochrome gray on Rick Cohn's '58 GMC is highlighted by some tasteful traditional pinstriping on the hood. He replaced the grille and bumper with aftermarket repro pieces. "Mechanically, it's a '78 Camaro," he told us, including the ZZ4 crate engine. The GMC was update further with IFS, power front discs, power steering, A/C, and "yes, there's even a dome light!" |
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