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Puyallup used to be a pastoral little hamlet, best known for its annual agricultural fair. Although it still is a bucolic town in many ways, it is not immune to the unbridled growth that hit the Seattle area. Alas, the byways were snarled with traffic creeping in spits and spurts coming into town on Thursday. As it emptied up into the area surrounding the Fairgrounds, memories of my youth were refreshed, not only in living color but with the smell of hay, farm animals, cotton candy, and freshly baked scones.
This year, the Goodguys 32nd Pacific Northwest Nationals presented by Griots, attracted a couple thousand cars and showcased some of the best cars in the region. The Pacific Northwest, from Idaho, Oregon, Washington, and British Columbia is just as fertile as California in the range and depth of painters, wrenches, builders, and driveway Da Vincis it has amongst its population.
Check out my live video feed of the Saturday load-in to see (and hear) the gearhead goodness that was Goodguys Puyallup 2019.
There was a long list of attractions too.
- Over 2,500 Rods, Customs, Classics, Muscle Cars and Trucks thru ’87
- Indoor Car Show
- Friday Nite Vintage Drags at Pacific Raceways
- Spectre Performance All American Sunday welcoming American-made or powered vehicles of all years
- Saturday Night Twilight Cruising
- Vendor & Manufacturer Exhibits
- Nitro Thunderfest Dragster Exhibition presented by FuelCurve.com
- Burnout Competition
- Swap Meet
- Cars 4 Sale Corral
- Super Shopper Shuttle
- Model & Pedal Car Show
- Pinstripers Brush Bash – see over 50 of the best Pinstripes from the West Coast
- Kids Zone – Free Arts and crafts, games, prizes & more!
- Live Music Entertainment with M80’s, Megs McLean, & the Blues Power Revue
There were so many cars it was hard to single out favorites, but there were a few that really grabbed our eye. We really didn’t care if they were debut builds or they were ten years old — if we dug ’em, they made the grade. Here are our five favorites from Goodguys Puyallup Presented by Griot’s, in no particular order.
1957 Buick Century Hardtop
Anthony Fitch of Port Orchard, Washington, brought his absolutely stunning 1957 Buick Century two-door hardtop to Puyallup. 1957 is one of our favorite examples of Harley Earl styling and represents a high-watermark in GM’s brilliant lineup in the late-’50s. We suspect the color combo is from a modern automotive paint palette, but if you’re going to veer away from stock, choose wisely, and Anthony did just that. The car rolls on wide whites and wire wheels and every design flourish sparkled in the late summer sun. Our favorite element of the 1957 Buick is the style-line “spines” that begin at the windshield, rise over the roof, delicately intersect the three-piece back window, and then terminate in twin trunk handles at the rear. The interior is sublime with matching brocade and nary a loose end in sight. We’ll go on record that this is one the nicest 1957 Buicks in the country.
1932 Ford 5-Window Coupe
Steve and Vicky Breitling brought their sinister yet stoic, 1932 five-window Coupe and it was sublime in its pure simplicity. Other than running a 350 Chevy and rolling on Coker tires with custom hubcaps, it sported sheetmetal unaltered from the day it left Dearborn 87 years ago. The interior was dialed-in with tobacco-colored leather and was as simple and restrained as the exterior. When it rumbled in on Saturday, your author thought to himself, “If I were going to build a 1932 Coupe, this would be the blueprint.” A beauty and a treat to “discover” it at the show.
1938 Lincoln Zephyr
Jeff and Pam Lorenz from Hood Canal, Washington, brought their 1938 Lincoln Zephyr Coupe and wowed the crowd. Bagged with a perfect stance, it otherwise looked fairly stock, with the owners wisely knowing to leave the Mona Lisa of pre-war cars unmolested. Running a 350/350 THM, and rolling on an Art Morrison chassis, the car was a basket case when it was found. The car created quite a buzz when it rolled in. Hopefully, we will have a full feature on Rod Authority soon.
Sliced And Diced Winfield Painted 1952 Chevy
John Foxley from British Columbia, Canada, brought this sliced and diced 1952 Chevy and it got a big reaction from the crowd. The car was built in the owner’s basement garage and painted by Gene Winfield ten years ago. The best part about a tasteful kustom is cool never goes out of style or get old. This is a textbook on how to chop and section an early-50s Chevy.
1958 LS3 Powered Restomod Corvette
For years, 1958 Corvettes were derided because they were considered garish compared to the 1956/57 models. The years have been kind to the 1958 Corvette. Now, the twin strakes running down the trunk lid and the washboard hood are a fantastic tribute to Harley Earl and an era when more was more. Mark Beatty of Pacific, Washington, brought this ’58 to Puyallup and it was a killer. Mostly built by Mark (he farmed out the paint), it’s running an Art Morrison chassis and powered by an LS3 V8. Resplendent in a coppery, rootbeer brown via a factory Toyota color chip, be sure and see the expertly stitched interior with CON2R steering wheel painted to mirror the body and cove colors.
As Sunday drew to a close, we will remember the Goodguys Puyallup show fondly. The weather cooperated and the people and cars were excellent. As usual, the Puyallup Fairgrounds was expertly maintained and created the perfect backdrop for the show. For more info regarding winners for 2019, go here for more details.
Thanks to the awesome folks at Goodguys who once again put on a killer show. See you next year!!
