Thousands of vintage trucks, rods, and customs rolled into the gorgeous Del Mar complex for a three-day weekend of good times while attending the fifth annual Goodguys Show 'n' Shine in Del Mar, California. As the Pacific surf crashed onto the white sandy beach, the gentle ocean breeze carried the scent of eucalyptus and Torrey pine trees.
Throw in about a thousand of the most beautiful pre-'74 custom trucks, cars, and rods along with some 200,000 spectators, and the result is one memorable weekend of good times. It was impossible not to notice the amount of time that went into this exhibit of rollin', rumblin' metal sculptures covered in either hot rod suede or glistening in the vivid colors of the rainbow. Many lifetime relationships and priceless memories are made bent over a fender tending to some engine matter or wet-sanding the orange peel out of a freshly painted ride.
All weekend, compliments filled the air as people gazed over every handcrafted masterpiece, from those outdoors to those held at the "indoor concourse de elegance." The vehicles indoors were in a different category with their own separate judging and awards. These customs can accumulate points in the Goodguys shows they attend during the season, and at the end of the year, an overall winner is awarded.
At exactly 2:22 p.m. on Sunday, the Goodguys prestigious award ceremony began in front of the standing-room-only crowd. The event started with the introduction of the show's Grand Marshals who had been signing autographs all weekend long: custom car-building icon Gene Winfield and sprint car, midget racing legend and cartoon artist Bob McCoy. The first award went to a wild '56 Ford F-100 owned by Rick Clutter from Lancaster, California. He rolled into the winner's paddock garden to receive his Boyd Coddington Top 10 Pro's Picks trophy, which was handed out by Boyd himself.
As the awards continued and the show began to wind down, it was time to pack up the camera gear and load up Big-E for the trip home. We will be attending many of the remaining Goodguys show 'n' shines throughout this year's show season, so stay tuned.