Well it is that time of year again (April 2-5) when all the parts vendors around the country and anyone who sells anything to do with the automotive industry head to Lowe's Motor Speedway in Harrisburg, North Carolina, just north of Charlotte, North Carolina, to sell their products. Because of the state of the American economy the folks at Lowe's were wondering what the turnout would be; and were they ever surprised. By the time the gates opened on Thursday for the first day of the event, about 6,000 vendors had covered every inch of space set aside for them both inside and outside the one-and-a-half mile oval and over four thousand spaces had been set up for the car corral.inline_mediumwraptextright26930405/eventcoverage/1003cct_charlotte_autofair_20091003cct_01_o+charlotte_autofair_2009+car_show_crowd.jpgTrue

Oftentimes, we try to come up with some clever, witty, and sly remark to paint a picture with words, but more times than not the same ol' clichés weasel their little heads into the picture. No matter how hard one tries, at some point it's time to give in and accept the unavoidable and stick with what works; with clichés being what work. We've said it before, and we'll say it again, when it comes to the titles of shows across this vast country, don't judge a book by its cover. Just because the name of the show may imply that the show is catering to a specified genre, the truth of the matter is what lies behind those spectator gates is much like ABC's Wide World of Sports, an immense variety.inline_mediumwraptextrightTow-Mater eat your heart out! This dude was the talk of the night at the Saturday night shindig-for obvious reasons.32343972/eventcoverage/1003cct_2009_kustom_kemps_of_america1003cct_01_o+2009_kustom_kemps_of_america+flame_exhaust_kit.jpgTrue

Attend any cruise night, rod run, or indoor car show in the Southeast and it becomes abundantly clear that trucks are a big part of the overall hot rod scene. So it was no surprise to see an amazing array of vintage trucks rolling into Charlotte, North Carolina, and the Lowe's Motor Speedway to attend the 16th Annual Goodguys Rod & Custom Association Southeastern Nationals. This event has become a tradition for many people, leading to them saving the last weekend in October to attend this event. While October in North Carolina is generally a fairly dry month with pleasant temperatures, for some unknown reason this event always seems to have at least one day of rain and this year was no exception.inline_mediumwraptextright27897511/eventcoverage/1002cct_2009_goodguys_southeastern_nationals_car_show1002cct_01_o+2009_goodguys_southeastern_nationals_car_show+vintage_pickup_truck.jpgTrue

In this hobby, we tend to mark the seasons as much by car and truck shows as by holidays. In Southern California, you could say that the new year begins with the Grand National Roadster Show and ends with the Mooneyes Xmas Party. When Back to the Beach comes to the Ventura County Fairgrounds, you know that summer is coming, and when the Primer Nationals packs the same spot, you know that summer is ending.inline_mediumwraptextright32112684/eventcoverage/1002cct_2009_primer_nationals_classic_truck_event1002cct_01_o+2009_primer_nationals_classic_truck_event+rust_damage.jpgTrue

The 19th Annual Carlisle All-Truck Nationals was held August 7-9 at the Carlisle, Pennsylvania, Fairgrounds. Billed as "one of the largest specialty, off-road and collector truck oriented events in the world," all elements of truck culture were in attendance. What's pretty much unique to this event is its scale and scope; some 2,000 trucks attend from all over the Northeast.inline_mediumwraptextrightBrian and Stacie Barrick's laid-out '56 Chevy Stepside sets flush with the earth. Options include a custom sassafras wood bed, a boxed and C-notched frame, a Fatman Fabrications IFS clip, a 283ci small-block Chevy with a 3.73 gearset and a posi from a Nova SS, a stainless exhaust, 18-inch wheels, and a big-window cab plucked from a GMC.31765452/eventcoverage/1001cct_2009_carlisle_all_truck_nationals1001cct_01_o+2009_carlisle_all_truck_nationals+chevy_small_block_engine.jpgTrue

At any SEMA Show "Custom & Classic" tie together like cookies and milk and this year is was more evident than ever. Compared to last year's lack of classic trucks; 2009 has redeemed its self with plenty of nice, clean and a few crazy trucks. For those who didn't get to attend this year's show customclassictrucks.com brings you everything you missed.

If you're an enthusiast, you probably already know about the F-100 Supernationals in Knoxville, Tennessee. Now in its 31st year, the event has become the gathering place for vintage Ford fans, attracting drivers from as far away as California and Washington and spectators from around the world. Under the guiding hand of Pat Ford and family since its inception, the event is under new management. Pat has decided to retire and has placed the event in the capable hands of his good friend of almost 20 years, Charlie Cobble. Charlie assisted Pat when the event was relocating to Pigeon Forge several years ago and Charlie has been an active show promoter in his own right for the last 25 years. Although he might be new to some of the F-100 community, Charlie is not new to the scene, with this year's F-100 show marking his 100th career event.inline_mediumwraptextright27192733/eventcoverage/0912cct_2009_ford_f100_supernationals0912cct_01_z+2009_ford_f100_supernationals+out_door_event.jpgTrue

Columbus is conveniently situated halfway between the Mississippi River and the Atlantic Ocean, and less than 300 miles from more than a dozen states. It is the capital of Ohio and for three days every July, the capital of the hot rod universe. The phenomenon occurs when the Goodguys PPG Nationals rolls into the Ohio Expo Center.inline_mediumwraptextrightWe're starting this story at the end, as Doug Wickline's blown 351-powered '55 Ford F-100 cruises its way through the Ohio Expo Center in Columbus as part of the Sunday parade of award winners.26731150/eventcoverage/0911cct_2009_goodguys_ppg_nationals0911cct_01_z+2009_goodguys_ppg_nationals+1955_ford_f100_cruiser.jpgTrue

The summertime is the right time for hopping in the cab of your truck and hitting the road, but unfortunately there's a million different events all going on at the same time. A case in point was the weekend of June 21, the first week of summer when the MSRA folks were throwing their 36th annual Back to the '50's event. On the same date out in California, not more than 10 miles away from our Placentia offices, the 27th annual F-100 Western Nationals were taking place, and just a little farther north, the L.A. Roadsters were holding their 45th annual show. It was a shame to miss 'em but Tim Bernsau and I had been talking about hitting Back to the '50's for some time, so we decided this year was going to be the year we went. What a great time we had, it was like climbing into a time machine and going back 50 years in time.

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.

Originally named Lordsburg when it was founded in 1887; exactly 30 years later the tiny little Southern California town became known as La Verne in 1917. Nestled in the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains, La Verne is situated approximately 35 miles east of Los Angeles and supports a population of over 33,000. At the turn of the 20th century, Southern California was destined to become the birthplace of all things cool in the world of automobiles, and the folks who grew up in La Verne got a chance to witness it all. The city of La Verne's Cool Cruise paid homage to the roots of Custom Culture with almost 1,000 vehicles on display in Old Town La Verne starting at D Street from Bonita over to 2nd Street, it was just like stepping into a time machine. Held on April, 11 it was more than just an incredible gathering of cool custom cars, trucks, and motorcycles, the event featured door prizes, raffles, live entertainment with pretty girls dancing around, and the all-important food-lots of good food.

At the very tip of Northern California's central valley and about 10 miles south of Lake Shasta lies the city of Redding, California. With beginnings, dating back to the 1840s, the surrounding area is packed with early Americana and a populace friendly to 20th century automobilia. Proof positive is that Redding has had a dragstrip since 1948, converted from the old Redding Airport and the strip has been NHRA sanctioned since 1955. In association with Kool April Nights, Kool April Drags celebrates the drag racing portion of the weeklong event so participants can bring home the bacon, or get shut down trying. Held on the grounds of the Redding Convention Center, Kool April Nights celebrated its 20th anniversary in '09 and the dates for 2010 are April 14-19, when the event celebrates its 21st year.

Southern California has been a vacation destination for the rest of the world since its earliest days when missionaries first offered wines vinted from locally grown grapes to thirsty travelers in search of a refreshing beverage to wash away the adobe clay of the El Camino Real. In the 21st century, California's missions are still a tourist attraction, and for the folks who consider themselves hardcore gearheads, or even persons mildly interested in the history of the automobile there's an attraction that shouldn't be missed. It's called the Petersen Automotive Museum, and get ready to clear some space in your brain because the place will leave you with a thousand great memories you'll never forget.

Sponsored by Fremont Chevrolet, The All American Truck Show for 2009 was held on May 2nd at Kennedy Park in Union City, California. Although the event is hosted by the Northern California Chevy GMC Truck Club, every American brand of truck from slammed mini-trucks to semi rigs pulling doubles is welcome. According to their website: "We are a friendship organization founded to promote the restoration, preservation and customization of classic Chevy and GMC Pickups, Suburbans, Sedan Deliveries, Canopy Express and El Caminos."

I'm a firm believer in using your hobby vehicle, be it a pickup, hot rod, muscle car, or whatever. They were designed as everyday vehicles when they were new, the majority of us have improved suspension and drivetrains, even air conditioning, and the road network is way better these days than even a couple of decades ago, so what's to stop you from jumping in your truck and hitting the road?

Exposed to a constant mixture of snow, rain, and salt during the course of the Rust Belt's harsh winters, the sight of vintage trucks riding out retirement years grazing in a field is a rarity to say the least. When photographer Laura Zwieschowski offered these photos taken right before the onset of last winter we jumped at the chance to share them with Custom Classic Trucks readers.

It's hard to say who the first people were to coin Run To The Sun as the name of their event, but with 2009 marking the 21st annual occurrence for the Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, get-together the Pee Dee Street Rodders have to be somewhere near the top of the list. The event held to support the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, the Children's Miracle Network at McLeod Children's Hospital, the Sara Goodwin Memorial Foundation, and the Harry County Sheriff's Department Benevolent Fund raised almost $90,000. For 2009, the event pulled in over 2,000 vehicles, and over 300 cars and trucks participated in the Cruise The Boulevard portion of the show. For information regarding next year's show check out www.peedeestreetrodders.com.

The 59th Annual Sacramento Autorama took place between February 6th and 8th for 2009. No one likes buying photographs of the same show truck twice so, with the exception of the Mountain Pearl (shown in last June's GNRS coverage) as a lead shot, we think we did a fair job of presenting you folks some of the local customized classic trucks (as in NorCal) that rolled into Sacramento along with the circuit players that helped to make Pomona's GNRS, held in late January, such a great show. We only have 31/2-pages to do it, so I'll pipe down and we'll get on with the show.

Although right now might not be the best time economically for the city of Detroit and its struggling automakers, Detroit will always be known as the Motor City. No matter how bad things get, Detroit is the place where the newest technologies, cutting edge design, and forward thinking thrive. For almost a century now, the whole country, and even the world, have looked to Detroit for a glimpse at what the future would hold.

Showgoers might say from its earliest days of being held on-site at their Santa Fe Springs, California, location the Mooneyes Xmas party has served as a sort of demographic barometer throughout the years. For December 23, 2008 all it took to confirm this was still the case, one only had to take a long walk around the perimeter of the Toyota Speedway of Irwindale and witness everything from rails and Gassers to crusty old beaters tearing it up on Irwindale's 1/8-mile dragstrip to the park's outer edges. The drag racing activities were added to the event when it moved to Irwindale and from the steady increase of new competitors each year it looks like drag racing will continue to be a mainstay of what make the Mooneyes Xmas Show & Drags a really neat and unique event. For the people who were more into the scene of pompadours, tattoos, and cuffed Levis the place was packed wall-to-wall with all kinds of custom culture iconery for sale in the vendors row. Beyond the vendors area out further in the lots, the local car clubs and lone wolf packs were filling the air with good smelling barbeque smoke and put on a real good show 'n' shine to boot. For information about next year's Mooneyes Xmas Show & Drags check out www.mooneyesusa.com.

For the past few years we have pointed our compass due east to check out the Darryl Starbird National Rod and Custom Car Show in Wichita, Kansas. As it turns out, the city so entrenched in custom cars also has a knack for churning up some of the raddest trucks we come across.

The granddaddy of them all turned 60 this year, and no we're not talking about the patriarch of a large clan. The old timers still call it Oakland, but to the folks that are still a little wet behind the ears it's known as the Grand National Roadster Show. The GNRS originally opened up as the Oakland Roadster Show way back in 1950 at the Oakland Exposition Center, and was started by Al and Mary Slonaker.

Beyond what is known as East or West Coast style, there's another major difference between the two regions and that's the amount of time one has to enjoy their custom classic in the sun. For the West Coast guys there really isn't a time of year to pull their truck down and get it ready for the next season, they run 'em until they drop. On the East Coast, with its freezing cold snowy winters it's an entirely different story. There's a time to build and a time to show and shine.

Instead of the usual trek to Americruise for 2008, the crew at Rod & Custom along with the guys from Street Rodder took to the highway to celebrate the 60th Speed Trials at the Bonneville salt flats in Utah. Bonneville is like no place on earth and "salt fever" is a bug that takes only one exposure to be hooked for life. Once a person makes a pass at Bonneville and then backs it up everything else in life is just waiting. A good example of the dedication to returning to Bonneville each year for Speed Week can be seen in the rusted sheetmetal on the trucks and cars that run there. The staff of CCT was on the road to Reno at that time, so we asked Tim Bernsau, Kev Elliot, and R&C editor Kevin Lee to bring back some extra footage of push, tow, and race trucks doing their thing on the salt for CCT readers.

It's been said some of the best things in life are free, and when it comes to a custom car and hot rod show like Gene Winfield and Larry Watson's first annual gathering, we're here to tell you its true! The flyers for Larry and Gene's October 19, 2008 show started circulating in early June, and the buzz was well on its way to a major clamor by the time we rolled into to Mojave, California to take it all in. In the spirit of carpooling and just hanging out together to raise a little hell I rode up with Bob Ryder, Truckin's tech editor, and Michael Stanford, Street Rodder's art-director. I knew it was going to an incredible day as soon as Bob rolled up in a pitch black '08 Ford pickup that Truckin' had just finished running the wheels off for its truck of the year awards. On the flyer the hours for the gathering were listed from 11 a.m. to till 7 p.m. but somehow the three of us decided to roll out of Orange County at five in the morning, and as luck would have it, it turned out to be a good idea.