The Goodguys Rod & Custom Association does quite a bit for this hobby and lifestyle that we all love so much. It’s nice to see that they take the time to recognize cars that are built by regular people who don’t have the benefit of a deep pocket book.

In conjunction with Speedway Motors, they’ve put together what they call the Homebuilt Heaven Award, which is split  into two categories: Homebuilt Heaven (contemporary street rod, truck, or custom through ’72 vintage) and Traditional Homebuilt Heaven (traditional hot rod, truck, or custom through ’72 vintage.) Candidates for the the awards are selected at Goodguys events throughout the year and the two winners are determined by an online vote.

The recipient of the 2013 Homebuilt Heaven award was an immaculate 1953 Chevrolet Bel Air Convert, built and owned by Gary Wallace of Cleveland, Tennessee. Riding on an Art Morrison chassis and a 472ci Big Block under the hood, this lil’ Chevy has an equal amount of show-n-go! Even under careful inspection, you’d be hard pressed to to find evidence that this car was built in a garage at home.

The winner of the Traditional Homebuilt Heaven award went to Brock Gilmore and his delightfully understated 1928 Ford Model A Roadster pickup.  Brock’s truck is powered by a 302 Small Block Ford and is dressed in vintage Ford Thunderbird valve covers and air cleaner to help keep things looking old school in the engine bay. A clever use of white paint not only helped garner a late 50’s vibe, but added a nice contrast to the rest of the truck and also helped keep the build cost down when it came time for chrome.

Each recipient of the Homebuilt Heaven award took home a $500 gift certificate courtesy of Speedway Motors to spend on more car goodies.

Here’s a few of Rod Authority’s favorites from 2013’s Goodguys event participants: