2026 Portland Roadster Show & West Coast Challenge Series
The East of the Cascades Corral was hosted by Larry Weber from Bend, OR. It was attended by a few friends from over the mountains and a few from up and down Oregon and Washington.
By Dale Moreau – Photography By The Author & Anthony Scales
The weather was perfect in Portland, Oregon, for the 70th anniversary of the Portland Roadster Show. The show, one of the country’s longest-running car shows, has been an outstanding venue for displaying cool cars for 70 years. The inaugural year was 1956. Dee Wescott, the driving force behind the creation of the Multnomah Hot Rod Council; Bill Peterson, who ran the show for over 20 years; and his buddy, Bob Knowles, put together the first Portland Roadster Show. From the beginning, the show, held at the Armory in southwest Portland, featured 40 of the finest rods and customs anywhere. Their legacy lives on, as it was still apparent in 2026.
Shaun Gores sure picked up all the marbles when he brought his 1926-27 T roadster to the Portland Roadster Show. He took Outstanding Detail, Outstanding Street Rod, and the World Cup of Street Rodding. (Reminds us of Jesse Greening’s roadster that he built back in 2014.)
The variety of the most beautiful cars on the planet treated attendees to a cornucopia of colors and presentations at every turn. Duane and Ginny Caseday are the producers. Ginny Caseday creates the floor design in the Halls of the Portland Expo Center with support from family members and Multnomah Hot Rod Council volunteers. This year highlighted the West Coast Challenge Series, in which a few of the finest cars on the planet are traveling to several car shows on the West Coast to compete for the best of the best.
Dick Taft of Ridgefield, WA, brought his wild 1937 Ford cabriolet with a 454 big- block GM engine running a pair of four-barrel Edelbrocks.
Also, Larry Weber, a 1937 Ford coupe, corralled a bunch of his friends from the Bend area and called it The East of the Cascades Corral—he even grabbed a few from this side, too. Great bunch of folks, and their cars were awesome.
This beautiful and rare 1937 Ford sedans are the rides of Bob Dashiell and Pam Crane of Tigard, OR.
If you missed the Portland Roadster Show this year, you’d better mark your calendars for 2027. The 71st anniversary of the show will be a knockout you won’t want to miss. In this day of constant change, the Portland Roadster Show has kept up with them while holding onto the rich heritage that started it all. MR
Portland ARP West Coast Challenge Series
The Portland Roadster Show is one of the longest-running shows in the country. The first year was 1956, and this is its 70th anniversary. A new component, the ARP West Coast Challenge Series (WCCS), is joining the show, giving the public additional eye candy like never before. This includes nine cars in the Portland event.
A legacy spanning three generations, Steve Castellano’s 1956 Ford panel has been in the family for three generations. Steve’s father drove it through high school and took Steve’s mother on their first date behind the wheel. Built by Fat Fender Garage, it won Outstanding Truck, Outstanding Interior Truck, Best Display, and Best Paint.
Three more venues will be included in future issues. The idea for the WCCS was hatched in 2022 by Bob Florine of ARP and John Buck of Rod Shows. The plan was to initiate the program in 2023. Incentive for participants who do well is $12,500 for First Place, $6,500 for Second, and $3,500 for Third.
The rules are as follows: You must attend at least four of the five ARP WCCS in the three northwest states, starting in Pomona. The event is limited to 12 competitors. The final was held at the 75th Annual Sacramento Autorama.
Chris Cully of Chelsey, CA, commissioned Apicella Designs from Phoenix to build this 1952 Chevrolet 3100 pickup. Hauling all the usual suspects, like an LS3 Chevy engine and a 4L75E transmission, this truck has some miles on it. But check out the chassis; it’s perfect.
Other good news is that participants can win class awards and other top awards of each show. If qualified, they can also put their hat in the ring for America’s Most Beautiful Roadster, the Al Slonaker Memorial Award, the Rose Cup in Portland, the Spokane Cup, and the Custom D’Elegance awards.
The East of the Cascades Corral was hosted by Larry Weber from Bend, OR. It was attended by a few friends from over the mountains and a few from up and down Oregon and Washington.
Shaun Gores sure picked up all the marbles when he brought his 1926-27 T roadster to the Portland Roadster Show. He took Outstanding Detail, Outstanding Street Rod, and the World Cup of Street Rodding. (Reminds us of Jesse Greening’s roadster that he built back in 2014.)
Dick Taft of Ridgefield, WA, brought his wild 1937 Ford cabriolet with a 454 big- block GM engine running a pair of four-barrel Edelbrocks.
This beautiful and rare 1937 Ford sedans are the rides of Bob Dashiell and Pam Crane of Tigard, OR.
Mike Fuller of Vancouver, WA, sure nailed it with his 1948 Chevy Sedan Delivery. The red color and wide whites will work every time.
The Portland Roadster show is home to this one-of-a-kind 1947 Chevy custom. Tom Griffin has owned it for over 30 years, and it’s powered by all Corvette running gear.
Well-preserved and untouched since the ’60s, this way-cool 1929 roadster was built by the late Doug Lauzon of Portland.
If you looked up a 1932 Ford coupe, you would find a photo of Don Simmons’ three-window. Slightly customized with wide whites and wire wheels, this car is “The cats pajama’s” for you old-timers.
Wow, this 1950 Ford has been sliced through the middle. It’s so low that if Alison Harding of Bend came up behind you would never see her.
This perfect 1940 Ford pickup hails from Vancouver.
Brian and Ann Baxter will never see another 1953 Chevy like this coming their way on the road. It is truly a breathtaking custom.
From winning America’s Most Beautiful Roadster twice to this stunning 1960 Thunderbird, Lonnie Gilbertson has been building award-winning cars for over 50 years. Gilbertson took home Outstanding Paint at West Coast Customs.
This incredibly beautiful 1938 Ford convertible coupe, built by Bob Belozer of Oregon City, is now in the very capable hands of Sandi and Dick Sohler of Hood River, OR. They picked up Outstanding Interior Rod.
As the 1969 Motor Trend Car of the Year, this Road Runner features a 383 with a four-speed transmission. Randy and Annette Wells are going Beep Beep every chance they get.
This 1960 Corvette is really cool, and with little constraint it can be awesome. Carl and Tracy Jones from Black Diamond, WA, built this one, which they have owned for 30 years.
The first hardtop rolled out of the Ford factories in 1951. If Henry Ford could see this one, he would love it. From the Bend area, Darryl Henry drove several hundred miles to the Portland Roadster Show.
Larry Webber’s very blue 1937 Ford coupe is another example of fine coachbuilding from the shop of Bob Belozer in Oregon City, OR. It captured Best Street Achievement and Outstanding Custom Rod.
Martin Wilcox of Walla Walla, WA, has a very-rare 1970 AMC Rebel. It runs a 390ci V-8 and an automatic transmission. Martin has all the factory documents to go with it.
This 1953-54 Studebaker “Starliner” hardtop is the third Studebaker that owner Steve Hudson has built. This one is powered by a Studebaker 289ci V-8, custom-fitted with Paxton Superchargers. Hudson does this in his home garage in The Dalles, OR.
One does not see many 1932 Ford pickups these days, especially one of this caliber. Greg Guevarra’s pickup stands out in any crowd. He took home the Bill Peterson Best Steel 1932 Ford.
Shane Fischer started out with a two-door 1960 Edsel Ranger, and with a shave and a haircut came up with this fabulous convertible. The injected 429ci “go power” is not bad either.
A legacy spanning three generations, Steve Castellano’s 1956 Ford panel has been in the family for three generations. Steve’s father drove it through high school and took Steve’s mother on their first date behind the wheel. Built by Fat Fender Garage, it won Outstanding Truck, Outstanding Interior Truck, Best Display, and Best Paint.
Chris Cully of Chelsey, CA, commissioned Apicella Designs from Phoenix to build this 1952 Chevrolet 3100 pickup. Hauling all the usual suspects, like an LS3 Chevy engine and a 4L75E transmission, this truck has some miles on it. But check out the chassis; it’s perfect.
Pontiac is a magic name in the halls of automotive history. Certainly, Homer and Mary Alice Samora of Meridian, ID, have chosen one of the finest-designed automobiles from the ’50s. No wonder it garnered the following awards at the Portland Roadster Show. Outstanding Interior Custom, Best Paint, and Best Individual Display.
This 1958 Corvette is Peter Anderson’s, of Adelaide, Australia, one-of-a-kind righthand drive. It rides on an Art Morrison Enterprises chassis. The paint and upholstery color combinations are breathtaking. The Corvette won Outstanding Sports Compact and Sweepstakes Import/Domestic Import.
A great year for pickups was 1963. Gary Holyoke brought this Chevy C10 from Cedar City, UT, and won Best Truck.
How about this 1937 Ford pickup? Built by Lakeview Rod & Custom in Langley, British Columbia, it’s beautiful in every way, and is a real hot rod. Chopped top, plus small-block Chevy and Tri-power is why Monica and Willie Fitzl picked up the Best Rod trophy.
Kelvin Polonich built this 1955 Chevy hardtop 38 years ago and it’s still a wild machine. They really know how to do wild paint up there in Saskatchewan, British Columbia.
Built by Roseville Rod & Custom for Charlie and Alanna Butts, this has got to be the wildest 1957 Chevrolet convertible on the planet. It rides on an Art Morrison Enterprises chassis and runs an LT4 engine and a 4L80E transmission. They won Outstanding Custom, Outstanding Undercarriage, and Grand Sweepstakes.
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