Squeeg’s 50th Anniversary And Goodguys SW Nats Kickoff Party

For every great car event, there is a proper kickoff party and Squeeg’s Kustoms in Chandler, Arizona is known for them. Earlier this month, the famed hot rod shop hosted its annual Goodguys Southwest Nationals Kickoff Party and we were there to take in all the sites and sounds! Check out the highlights below.

Celebrating their 50^th year in business, this kickoff party was more than just a celebration for the annual autumn Goodguys Show; it was also an anniversary party for host shop Squeeg’s Kustoms! Knowing this, we arrived with an idea of what we might find given Squeeg’s amazing reputation, and owners Squeeg and Doug Jerger (and we can’t forget their dedicated crew) didn’t disappoint.

The Cars

With Squeeg’s being located in a Chandler business park, hot rods and their owners could be found for blocks around the shop on Thursday night. Among the many party-goers were show car owners set to display their rides at the Goodguys show starting Friday morning, and “long haulers”, like brothers Roger and Dan Jetter from Colorado and Roy Wighton from British Columbia who drove their hot rods across the country (not trailered them) to participate in the 2014 Goodguys season finale.

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Also at the kickoff party were community members with projects in all different states of repair and customization, and many long-time Squeeg’s Kustoms customers and supporters.

In total, over 400 hot rodders and their vehicles showed up for the celebration, which lasted well past dark, with many more enthusiasts packing the parking lot and custom shop without vehicles of their own on hand.

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The Entertainment

As if looking at the hundreds of hot rods and muscle cars in the area wasn’t enough to keep one occupied, party-goers were also treated to live music, a beer and wine garden, and food from local burger trucks. Out front, Squeeg’s Kustoms and some of their long-time friends even setup a vintage dragster display, complete with Doug Jerger strapping in and giving one of the old-school nitro cars a few hits to the throttle.

Of course, there was also socializing, meeting new friends and plenty of bench racing also to be had at the event.

The Shop

One of the highlights of the evening for many people, Squeeg’s Kustoms also opened its complete shop for celebration participants to walk through and check out the facility, shop amenities, and some of the shop’s current project vehicles.

Opened in 1964, Squeeg’s Kustoms has been building and painting award-winning, custom vehicles for 50 years now.

Though the shop’s roots are in Ohio where the first Squeeg’s Kustoms opened its doors, the hot rod shop has found its home in the Phoenix area since 1974 and continues to produce some of the industry’s top builds.

Now semi-retired, shop founder Squeeg Jerger is enjoying a bit more time off while Squeeg’s Kustoms remains a hot rod hot spot under the watchful eye of son Doug. And just like his father, Doug has become an industry legend with countless magazine feature vehicles and award-winning builds under his belt.

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On display the night of the party were a number of sure-to-be award-winning vehicles. They included an incredible A-100 race truck with a massive truck bed-mounted engine and tube chassis, a ’56 Thunderbird in for a full restoration and revamp, a potential future Ridler car and a ’37 Cord in the shop for the daunting task of a clutch disc replacement and an engine leak fix-a task that will require the entire front end of the car to be dismantled.

There were also prime examples of Squeeg’s amazing custom metal work, engine builds, and paint work on display, which enthusiasts swarmed over all night long.

The perfect kickoff to the amazing 3-day Goodguys Southwest Nationals at Westworld, the Squeeg’s Kustoms 50^th Anniversary and Goodguys Kickoff Party was certainly the place for hot rodders to be on Thursday, November 13^th. We’d like to thank Squeeg and Doug Jerger for welcoming us in and for showing us and the hot rod community such a great time!

For more hot rod highlights from the Squeeg’s Kustoms 50th Anniversary and Goodguys Kickoff Party, check out the Rod Authority Photo Gallery below! And be sure to check back soon for full coverage of the Goodguys Southwest Nationals season finale.