We all know that hard work pays, so does trendsetting in the case of Goolsby Customs, a renowned custom shop based down south in Bessemer, Alabama. During the 2013 SEMA Show the folks at Goodguys Rod and Custom Association honored the shop’s contributions and bright future. The Goodguys Trendsetter Award is presented to “rising talents in the realm of rod & custom car building.” During the Hot Rod Industry Alliance Industry Reception business partners Jonathan Goolsby and Josh Henning were presented with the award in front of their industry peers.

Jonathan and Josh have worked together for more than nine years. Between the both of them they share decades of customization and design experience. Jonathan started in his garage and eventually climbed his way up to head painter at a local Chevrolet dealership where he worked for more than twelve years.

The level of craftsmanship that the duo and their skilled staff at Goolsby Customs exhibits is something special, Goodguys refers to it as such, “With an eye on the future the pair respectfully honors the past, taking their game to a new level by channeling the European coach builders of decades gone by. Painstaking detail, high quality craftsmanship, impeccable paint, body work, and taking the time to do it right is their calling card.” Definitely a business model and work ethic that is worthy of being deemed trendsetting within the industry.

Goolsby beautifies, restores, mods, and customizes the gamut – from ’67 Chevelles, ’71 Mustangs, to hot rodding roots with ’32 Roadsters. Here are two examples of some of the beautiful works of art rolling out of the Goolsby garage.

This 1964 Chevy belongs to Goolsby Customs friend and customer, Joe Crump. It was brought in for a full resto-mod. It sits on a staggered set of 20-inch and 22-inch Billet Specialties wheels. The truck is powered by a big block motor, features a modern stereo system, and Vintage Air for those hot southern nights.

This ’32 Roadster owned by William Shores is a true example of the coach builder stamp of quality. Goolsby Customs had their buddies over at the Roadster Shop build a traditional chassis complete with original style C-channel crossmembers, riveted hardware and mounting points. The Roadster features a Winters V8 quick change rear end, 5-inch dropped axle, and machined wishbones by Perfection Hot Rod Parts.

The rear wheel arches were raised 2-inches and radiused to get that perfect fit for the Excelsior tires. The powerplant houses a stroked ’53 flathead with three Strombergs and a Navarro intake. The owner William and his good friend Billy Parker handled the motor assembly. Once the motor was at the shop the Goolsby crew mated it to a Tremec T5 transmission and the whole assembly was painted a beautiful flat brown. Inside the car, Classic Instrument gauges keep everything in check. All the nickel plating was done by Steve Tracy at Advanced Plating in Nashville, TN. To seal off that classic “coach built” look Wayne and Pam at M&M Hot Rod Interiors handled all the stitching to give the inside a regal tone that harmoniously tied everything together.

Those are just two fine examples of a very impressive and ever-growing portfolio. “Goolsby and Henning continue to churn out cutting edge projects, including John Lexis’ ’67 Chevelle which made its debut at SEMA. In the past 5 years, the Goolsby team have won a Street Machine, Street Rod, and Muscle Machine of the Year Finalist Award, as well as the SEMA GM design award.”

Although it is an achievement that stands on its own – while Goolsby Customs is its own hungry entity of custom mastery, putting them alongside past recipients of the Goodguys Trendsetter Award can really put things into perspective: Chip Foose, Troy Trepanier, Alan Johnson, Eric Peratt, Tim Strange, Dave Lane, Zane Cullen, Dean Livermore, Jesse Greening, Troy Ladd, J.F. Launier, Phil and Jeremy Gerber, Mike and Jim Ring, and Dave Kindig, just to name a few. The future of Goolsby Customs looks bright and Rod Authority wishes them the best.