Check Out The Five Winners of The Goodguys SEMA Gold Award? !

The 2013 SEMA Show was chalk full of new products, fresh builds, and enthusiasts from all corners of the globe. While we were busy covering the latest after market releases for the coming year,Goodguys Rod and Custom Association was hard at work as well. Over the course of the event the folks at Goodguys scouted the convention center – inside, outside, lower, and upper levels, for what would be the first ever set of five recipients for their new Gold Award.

Marc Meadors, President of Goodguys described the spirit of the award in a nutshell, “The new awards are the first of their kind for Goodguys at SEMA…We wanted to do something exclusive and special at the SEMA Show in recognition of today’s top builders. SEMA has become one of the top car shows in the world and it only makes sense for Goodguys to honor what we feel are the top five cars on display.” Well folks, without further ado, here are the winners:

Recipients Of The 2013 Gold Award

Owners: Steve And Dawn Smith of York, Pennsylvania
Automobile: 1958 Corvette

This pristine classic Vette was created by up and coming builder Troy Spackman of Legacy Innovations. Troy is also a resident of York, PA. This sporty roadster features a custom brown metallic paint job accented by color-matching Forgeline wheels and a lush cream upholstery. The ’58 sits atop a tube chassis. Detroit Speed C6 front suspension, a swivel link rear end, JRi shocks and big Wilwood brakes round out handling and stopping power. It is powered by a small block featuring an all-Billet aluminum EFI unit for some major fuel efficiency. The transmission is a Keisler SS 700 5-Speed.

Owner: Jerry Logan of Portland, Oregon
Automobile: 1932 Ford Coupe

This was one of the first builds that caught Rod Authority’s eye when we first touched down at the Las Vegas Convention Center. Let’s just say that in terms of cool, at the end of every day during the convention, we had to stop, stare, and snap a few camera phone shots to save for later.

This mean street rod was built by Pyramid Street Rods. First thing we noticed – the 4 1/2-inch chop and hood/cowl louvre work. Apparently the fellas at Goodguys did too, the ’32 was a shoe-in for this year’s Gold Award. The 5-Window coupe touting a PPG “Classic Clay” paint job is channelled 2-inches to add to its menacing presence. It is powered by a 351 Windsor motor with a loping cam that provides an idle that will send chills down your spine. The interior of the ’32 features tobacco leather upholstery courtesy of Sid Chavers. 

Owner: Mr. Gasket Co. of Cleveland, Ohio
Automobile: 1966 Chevrolet Suburban

Mr. Gasket’s “Lime Crush” built by The Roadster Shop was definitely a show stopper at this year’s SEMA. Before Goodguys had even announced winners Rod Authority would pass by and see droves of onlookers admiring this beautiful ride. This ’66 is painful to look at it in the dead of Winter because it really reminds us of how much we miss Summertime. It is the very best blending of both nostalgia and performance – it sits atop a Roadster Shop Fast Track chassis, features teak wood floors, a hand fabricated front end grill, bucket seats dropped in from a ’61 Impala, and is powered by a GM ZZ454 big block – just to name a few of the awesome mods. 

Owner: Phil Mitchell of Puyallup, Washington
Automobile: 1967 Chevrolet Nova

This is one mean beast of a musclecar fit and hungry for the autocross track. Chris Holstrom, also a resident of Puyallup, WA was the builder of this SEMA debut. The fitment of the body panels is simply pristine, a real exhibition of Holstrom’s talent as a builder. The ’67 is powered by a supercharged LS9 with handling bolstered by a full Detroit Speed suspension system. Stopping power is made possible with Baer 6-piston brakes. The interior is red leather stitched by McFarland Upholstery and gives this black widow a menacing aura against the competition.

Owners: Randy and Tobie Johnson of Kewaskum, Wisconsin
Automobile: 1972 Chevrolet Camaro

This second generation street performer is kitted out for performance and show stopping. It was built at Randy’s D&Z Customs. The Citrus Green body is the factory original and is draped over a Heidt’s Pro-G subframe and Heidt’s IRS. The transmission is Tremec’s T56 Magnum. Those are Forgeline wheels controlled by a Wilwood big brake kit. This mean green street machine is powered by a stroked LS7 built by Wegner Automotive. Sparco seats and steering wheel keep this car performance minded while letting others know that it means nothing but business.

From these five picks we can say that the debut of the Goodguys SEMA Gold award was a success. The recipients were a nice mix of automobiles from all across the board exhibiting a couple of things in common – dedication to fine craftsmanship, aesthetic prowess, and timelessness. Congratulations to this year’s set of winners. Even more so for being the very first, a truly historic event in the classic car industry.

Article courtesy of The Rod Authority. By Andrew Almazan, posted yesterday in Event News.