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This year marked the tenth anniversary of the Goodguys Nashville Nationals car and truck show held annually at L.P. Field in downtown Nashville, Tennessee. It’s hard to believe that a decade has passed so soon, but stands as a testament that time flies when you are having fun, and in the case of Goodguys, make that “Full Throttle Fun!” With a count upwards of 2,000+ rides, there was plenty of automotive eye candy for both young and old. The show is exclusive to pre-1972 models, except for “All-American Sunday”, in which any model year car or truck is invited to participate–as long as it’s American made or powered.
The Nashville Nationals does not disappoint, with plenty of vendors on hand, and various happenings like; an autocross (for young and old), car corral, and the swap meet. A live band was on hand each day providing entertainment, and Butch Patrick from the 1960s television show, The Munsters, was in attendance, providing interviews and commentary about the show.
When we got to the show on Friday, there was already well over a thousand rides on hand. While we were itching to release the camera’s shutter on all of them, we actually set out to perform the difficult task of finding a handful of Chevy cars/trucks that we felt were the cream of the crop. That was not an easy task, and the rides that we picked are merely the tip of the proverbial iceberg.
Cherry Bomb: ’57 Chevy 150
The first Chevy that we happened across that made the list was this two-tone, sexy ’57 Chevy 150 (a “no frills” sibling of the ’57 Bel Air), owned by Karmy and Betty Schone of Chapin, IL. It was hard to walk away from, and received attention from not only us, but it also won the Goodguys “Tri-Five Chevy Pick Award.” This gorgeous car is powered with a LS2 fitted with a 4L460 transmission.
Wheels consist of a classic set of silver five-spokes, 18x8s up front and 20x10s in the rear, which wrap around the cross drilled and slotted Wilwood disc brakes. The interior is custom with two-tone brown and black leather, a fiberglass center console, and a custom dash with Autometer gauges.
The exterior has various custom upgrades, such as shaved door handles, hood and trunk, custom headlamps and taillights, a custom grille and bumpers, and a two-tone DuPont Red Jewel and Champagne Fizz paint skin, which also flows seamlessly into the engine bay and onto the custom engine cover.
Flat Black Is In: ’52 Chevy 3100 Five-Window Pickup
Black is beautiful, especially on this ’52 Chevy 3100 truck owned by Dennis and Cyndi Quin of Washington, IL. The truck is powered by a 1996 LT-1 350ci engine, fitted to a 350 Turbo. Slowing down the forward motion are front disc and rear drum brakes.
Inside the cabin, the truck is red, which matches what stands out most on the exterior—the Dayton red wire wheels; 18-inches tucked under the nose, and 20-inches tucked under the tail. Creature comforts include Vintage Heat and A/C, CD stereo head unit, keyless entry, and red leather seating.
Finishing up a few details includes some red pinstriping under the hood and on the smoothed tailgate, custom taillights, and a Pros Pick wood panel bed floor.
Timeless Classic: ’51 Chevy Suburban
A 5.3-liter LS engine is just what the doctor ordered to power this gorgeous ’51 Chevy Suburban, owned by Bobby Cunningham of Sparta, TN. Personally, we love two-tone paint jobs, and this one consists of a creamy white over aqua blue, and screams fun in the sun!
On the inside, Bobby kept the interior simple, the dash and seating retains the original OE look and feel. An air suspension brings this old school SUV down to earth over a set of large five-spoke chrome Boss wheels.
If you look closely, you will notice the side exit exhaust is nearly hidden in the running boards. Other details include chromed hood hinges, and a custom painted engine cover.
In The Beginning: ’54 Chevy Corvette
This ’54 Corvette, owned by Danny Elam of Selmer, TN, was an attention grabber, and in fact, won the “Memory Lane Award.” This car was a frame-off rebuild, and is fitted with an Art Morrison chassis. The exterior consists of a Polo White paint (the original paint was red), and a black rag top.
The interior sports a red leather interior and custom aluminum center console. Under the hood, Danny’s Corvette is powered with an LS1 concealed by a red custom engine cover. 17-inch chrome five-spoke wheels wrapped in Michelin rubber roll the car down the road, while Wilwood disc brakes provide stopping power.
Diamond In The Rough: ’37 Chevy Coupe
After walking around for countless hours, we found this sweet ’37 Chevy Coupe, owned by Chuck and Diane Rowe of Memphis, TN, buried in the vendor’s section (Alloway’s Hot Rod Shop) near the Goodguys Autocross. The cool thing about this car is that it took home the top honors at the 2015 Grand National Roadster Show, the coveted “Best Rod Award.” This black beauty is by far the cleanest and the most near-perfect car that was in attendance at the Goodguys Nashville Nationals.
When it comes to hot rods, it’s all about the power plant, and this one plays host to a vintage Chevy big-block built at the McLaren shop in 1971. The red interior screams ’62 Corvette, and is fitted with a custom dash, topped with a downsized 15-inch Corvette steering wheel.
A set of 17×7-inch Billet Specialties wheels were bolted up front, and a much larger set of 20×10-inch Billets were mounted on the rear. All of this sexiness rolling down the road is fine and dandy, but what about stopping power? No sweat, Wilwood six-piston calipers and 13-inch cross drilled rotors get the job done.
Unlike Any Other: ’67 Chevy Nova
This ’67 Nova, owned by John Sutton of Marion, IN, is unlike any other Nova. The appearance alone should intimidate, and it does. Powering this wicked Bow Tie is a built LS3. The front end was reworked, and the car sits on a Heidts suspension.
Wilwood disc brakes keep the ponies in check, and a custom set of Forgeline GZ3 wheels are custom-painted to match the car’s body and trim, and fitted with the optional tall center cap. The interior is custom leather, and seamlessly blends with the exterior paint scheme. The custom dash is fitted with Classic gauges, and a custom center console that houses a media monitor, which completes the interior’s modern feel.
Code X66: ’69 Chevy Camaro SS
Sometimes pictures just can’t tell the whole story, which is the case with this ’69 Camaro SS, coded X66—a true SS. The owner, Scott Whidby of Albany, GA, has owned several of these cars over the years, and this one is a real eye catcher. For starters, it’s red—really, really, red, inside and out. But why only be seen when you can be heard? The 502ci engine that moves this beast is like sweet honey to the ears of big-block fans, and unfortunately this is where photos fall short, because the engine has that deep and throaty sound of raw power!
The transmission is a Tremec TKO 600 5-speed, and a custom-bent exhaust consists of 3-inch stainless tubing that runs through a pair of Borla mufflers. The stance of the car is achieved with a custom built sub-frame up front, with tubular upper and lower control arms and adjustable coil-overs. In the rear, the suspension consist of a Ford 9-inch with a triangulated four-link and adjustable coil-overs. Stuffed in the mini-tubbed wheel wells are Intro billet wheels with 19x8s up front, and large 20x10s in the rear with Nitto Extreme ZR rubber providing traction.
The interior has been fitted with red leather seating, a custom gauge cluster, and a sound system. Other modifications made to the car to make it a standout, include a smoothed firewall, smoothed bumpers, and removal of the cowl screen.
The Bubbletop: ’61 Chevy Impala
Danny Purdue of Pensacola, FL, is the owner of this super clean ’61 Impala “bubbletop”, which was built and fabricated entirely in his two-car garage. The foundation of the car is a custom built chassis that was designed for maximum strength, and to not have a roll bar. The independent front suspension was custom built, and a 4-link is used in the rear. The car sits low to the ground, but don’t get confused, it does not have air bags! The body received a host of modifications, almost too numerous to list, but here are a few of the more notable ones: relocated gas filler, front and rear roll pan, raised steel floor with custom exoskeleton, smoothed bumpers, narrowed and tucked body, hand-brushed-finish trim and chrome.
PPG Envirobase Black flows over the curves of the Impala as the dominant color with PPG matte red taking care of the accent pieces. Additionally, the bumper and trim pieces have all been painted and finished with PPG Liquid Metal. Under the hood resides a Corvette LS3, mated to a 4L60E transmission, which sends plenty of power to the 9-inch rear-end. Classic silver Coy five-spoke wheels were mounted on each corner over Wilwood cross drilled and slotted disc brakes. Completing this cool ride is a custom red and black leather interior with silver accents.
Not Your Granddaddy’s Truck: ’72 Chevy C-10
Dale Petty of Fairview, TN, owns this super clean ‘72 C-10, which caught the eyes of Goodguys and spectators alike. The attention ultimately landed this truck in the winner’s circle under the “Hot Hauler Award.” The C-10 wears a classic two tone scheme, which was common for these trucks, but using the not so common colors–gold and rich maroon. A custom interior, which matches up with the exterior paint scheme, consists of custom gauges, console, and seating, thus giving the truck a very modern appearance.
A lowering kit keeps the truck low, while large chrome Ridler 5-spoke wheels, wrapped in Toyo rubber, sit on each corner. Inside the box is a trick wood-panel bed floor with chrome accents, that has a hinged piece that opens up to access to the fuel tank and pump. Finishing off this slick hauler is a Chevrolet Performance LS3 motor.
Way Cool: ’62 Chevy Belair Wagon
This ’62 Chevy Wagon, is owned by Yancey Busby of Elberta, AL, and built by the talented crew at Twin States Rod Shop. It won the Goodguys “Way Cool Award” and for very good reason—it just is! Powered by a Corvette LS 5.7-liter engine and stopped by Corvette brakes, this ride is way beyond its original task as a family hauler.
The wagon keeps a low stance over a set of classy Schott Performance Accelerator wheels. The silver paint combined with the red interior really appeals to custom automotive aficionados.
Often times when we run across these Bel Air wagons, the “tail gunner seat” has been removed, but this one keeps all of that nostalgia right in place. Nothing super wild is going on with this car, it’s just a clean, classy, head turner that is… well, cool!
The Top Shelf: 1968 Chevy Camaro
This ’68 Camaro, owned by Glenn Sealy of Prairieville, LA, was the recipient of the Goodguys “Cool Camaro Award”, and is probably the nicest one present at the Nashville Nationals this year. This car was built from the frame up by Twin States Rod Shop, and has a massive amount of detail and custom work that is in-your-face obvious.
The exterior wears a two-tone Orion Silver over Galaxy Grey paint job, with Tangelo Orange air brushed accents, and the interior received the full-blown tan custom leather treatment from Gulf Coast Upholstery. The engine bay is dressed up with satin Orion Silver paint, while there is plenty of chrome and polished accent pieces to set off the massive 496ci stroker power plant.
If you look closely at the windshield and the rear glass, you will notice that it is the modern frameless style, which is a testament to the detail put into this one-of-a-kind Chevy Camaro.
