PHOTO COURTESY OF GOODGUYS

This 1932 Ford three-window coupe is one of the many cars that will be displayed at the car show.

Hot rod show enters third decade

Hear that throaty V-8 rumble off in the distance? It is the sound of 2,000 hot rods and customized cars headed to Puyallup. The 21st edition of the Goodguys Pacific Northwest Nationals car show presented by Tacoma’s Griot’s Garage takes over the Puyallup Fair & Expo Center July 25-27, turning the grounds into a scene from “American Graffiti.”

The event features the car show, an automotive swap meet, a vendor exhibit midway, the pin stripers “brush bash,” Friday night drag races at Pacific Raceways in Kent, and a host of other automotive-themed activities.

The Pacific Northwest Nationals is the 10th of 23 annual hot rod and custom car events promoted and produced by northern California-based Goodguys Rod & Custom Association (www.good-guys.com). Goodguys events are held from New York to San Diego, from Seattle to Florida and many points in between. The events are large, colorful and have often been referred to as a “State Fair of Automotive Excitement.” Lil’ deuce coupes; hot rod roadsters; lead-sled 50’s Mercury customs; ‘55-’57 Chevys; muscle-bound Camaros, Hemi Barracudas and Boss 409 Mustangs; and other timeless beauties will fill the entire outdoor acreage of the Fair & Expo Center.

The 21th Pacific Northwest Nationals will have everything the auto buff and gear head could ever want. Cars for as far as the eye can see will soak the senses of any serious auto aficionado. As many as 2,000 1972 and earlier cars and trucks are expected. An automotive parts swap meet will join a special “cars for sale corral,” where automotive treasure hunters can seek out hard to find parts and buy and/or sell the car of their dreams. For those who prefer their hot cars on a smaller scale, model car giant Revell-Monogram will sponsor a model car show, complete with a “Make and Take” program where youngsters can build a model at the event and take it home with them.

Awards are a large part of any automotive event, and the Pacific Northwest Nationals will offer plenty. Nationally renowned hot rod chassis manufacturer Art Morrison of Tacoma’s Art Morrison Performance will be on hand throughout the weekend to hand-pick the Morrison Pro’s Pick awards. The Morrison Pro’s Picks are special awards hand crafted by their namesake to honor the top 10 cars at the event. Special awards like the “Low Lid” will go to the hot rod or custom car with the lowest roof. The “Homebuilt Heaven” pick, sponsored by Timberland/Pro apparel, goes to a rod or custom that was completely built and fabricated by the owner in his or her own garage. The Goodguys staff will also be looking for a finalist for the 2008 Muscle Car of the Year, Custom Rod of the Year, and Kustom of the Year awards.

Close to 100 awards will be given to the event’s top cars. Another popular event feature is the specialty parking areas with special themes. “Mighty Muscle” highlights muscle cars from 1960 through 1972 and the “Young Guys” is for hot rodders 25 years old and younger. The special parking areas take place July 26 from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.

As an industry, hot rodding is healthier than ever. Magazine racks across the country are filled with hot rodding lifestyle magazine titles and prime time programming blocks on cable television are filled with such hit shows as “Rides,” “Overhaulin’,” “American Hot Rod” and Spike TV’s “Power Block” – a weekly two-hour slate of high-performance automotive and truck programming. Even high gas prices cannot curb the urge to cruise, as recent Goodguys events in California, Colorado, Indianapolis, Ohio and Iowa have shown increased participation.

Goodguys Chairman and founder Gary Meadors, a 69-year-old lifelong car enthusiast and ardent hot rodder, is not surprised by rodding’s renaissance. “Colorful, customized American cars have always made people happy,” he said. “You drive down the road in a big foreign luxury sedan and people think you’re a snob. When you hit the road in a candy-red ’57 Chevy, or a flamed ’32 Ford coupe, people give you a hearty thumbs up even though you’re a complete stranger. These cars bring out the best in people. We’ve been doing hot rod events for over 20 years and mainstream America has now found out how cool these cars are and how much fun you can have building, owning and driving them.”

Throughout the three-day run, the event will pump an estimated $2.5 million into the Tacoma-Pierce County region.

Event hours are July 25 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., July 26 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. and July 27 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. General admission is $17, and children 7-12 $6. Children 6 and under are free. Event parking is also free. For additional event information, contact the Goodguys Rod & Custom Association at (925) 838-9876 or visit www.good-guys.com.

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