By Todd Ryden – Photography By Goodguys Rod and Custom
It’s been a couple of busy weekends for the Goodguys Rod and Custom crew as they held back-to-back events on the West Coast. During the last weekend of March they hosted their 41st All-American Get-Together in their hometown of Pleasanton, followed by their 24th Meguiar’s Del Mar Nationals presented by FiTech Fuel Injection right on the coast in SoCal!
Both events showcased a blend of hot rods, customs, muscle cars, and lowriders, bringing everyone together to celebrate car culture and cruising over the weekend. Regardless of the make, model, or car style you prefer, there was something for everyone, and Goodguys awarded several significant prizes.
Throughout the year, Goodguys selects cars and trucks for their Top 12 of the Year, presented by the BASF award program. During the Del Mar Nationals, they announced regional finalists in several categories, including Jim Thomson’s 1968 Pontiac Firebird as a finalist for the Snap-on Muscle Car of the Year, Jerimiah Belk’s 1966 Nova for the Griot’s Garage Muscle Machine of the Year, Jerry Rodriguez’s 1956 Mercury for the Fuel Curve Custom of the Year, Homer Zamora’s 1957 Pontiac Safari for the Vintage Air Custom Rod of the Year, Larry Jacinto’s 1941 Willys for the LMC Truck of the Year Early, and Frank Walsh’s 1975 Chevy C10 for the Dakota Digital Truck of the Year Late. At Pleasanton, Cliff Mattis’ sleek 1957 Chevy convertible was selected as a finalist for Custom of the Year.
However, they weren’t finished with the regional finalists, as they also selected the winner of the Meguiar’s West Coast d’Elegance award (formerly known as Street Rod d’Elegance). This prestigious award recognizes an elegant vehicle built before 1966 that embodies West Coast style. The fierce competition was narrowed down to an eclectic top five, which included a 1935 Chevy coupe, a 1963 Corvette, a 1947 Cadillac convertible, a 1953 Porsche, and a 1931 Model A coupe. During the award ceremony on Sunday, the 2025 Meguiar’s West Coast d’Elegance award was presented to Greg Heinrich’s 1935 Chevy coupe, built by Ironworks Speed & Kustom.
After their successful Spring West Coast Swing, Goodguys is heading east for the North Carolina Nationals on April 18-19, followed by the Spring Lone Star Nationals at Texas Motor Speedway on April 25-26.
