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Street Rods

TRI-FIVE FEVER TAKES OVER BOWLING GREEN

For three days, Bowling Green, Kentucky, became the center of the Tri-Five Chevy universe as the 11th Annual Tri-Five Nationals rolled into Beech Bend Raceway Park, August 13–15, 2026.
Presented by Classic Performance Products, the annual gathering brought together an incredible assortment of 1955, 1956, and 1957 Chevrolets from across the country. Bel Airs, 150s, 210s, Nomads, Cameos, Corvettes, wagons, sedans, convertibles, gassers, customs, and full-blown pro-touring machines filled the historic grounds, once again proving that few chapters in American automotive history inspire the kind of enthusiasm generated by Chevrolet’s legendary Tri-Five years.

THE NATS EXPERIENCE

There are car shows, and then there’s the Nats. If you’ve been there, you know exactly what we mean. For four days, the Kentucky Exposition Center becomes its own hot rod city—more than 10,000 street rods, customs, classics, muscle cars, and trucks filling seemingly every available piece of pavement, with cars cruising the grounds and something new catching your eye everywhere you turn.

NEW PRODUCT ROUND-UP AT THE NSRA NATS

There’s always something new to discover at the NSRA Street Rod Nationals, and the 57th Annual gathering in Louisville was no exception. From August 6–9, 2026, the Kentucky Exposition Center was packed with thousands of street rods, customs, trucks, muscle cars, and the builders and manufacturers who keep the hobby moving forward. Walking the aisles and checking out the displays, we found plenty of products that caught our attention—not necessarily because they were the biggest or flashiest items in the building, but because they represented smart ideas, quality craftsmanship, and the kinds of details that can make a great build even better.

THE BIG ONE

Extreme weather temperatures and high gasoline prices didn’t keep participants from attending the Street Rod Nationals in Louisville, Kentucky, on the weekend of August 3-6, 2006. Street rods from all over the country drove to the Street Rod Mecca, and all 11,664 rods and participants were in for a pleasant surprise. On Thursday the weather was hot and humid, but a cool front rolled through and the rest of the weekend featured Chamber of Commerce weather with temperatures in the mid 80s.

YORK ‘93

What began as a Mini-Nats in Rockville, Maryland in 1973, quickly blossomed into a full-fledged National Street Rod Association Regional Event. If you were an East Coast street rodder, the first weekend in June every year was (and still is), NSRA York, simply a must-attend event.

HIDING NOT FAR FROM HOME

Back in the days of hand-writing letters and lickin’ stamps, opening the mail at RODDER’S DIGEST was always interesting. In December of 1998 we received this letter and three photos of one very cool ’38 Ford Standard Coupe. While it is a great hot rod, the history of this coupe makes it even more compelling. Enjoy…

Secondhand Rose

The coupe was a seedy, lumpy refugee from the Southern California dry lakes and dusty old dragstrips. It had an ancient Cadillac engine and Plexiglas windows, the frame was butchered, the rollcage was a joke and the floorboards were gone—but he just had to have it. It took a lot of talking, but he finally convinced the owner to sell him the car. Hogue then sold his ʼ40 Ford to raise the cash, and his friends thought he was nuts to trade a finished hot rod for a dog of a project car.

Southeastern Hot Rod Show 2026

The Southeastern Hot Rod Show once again filled the North Georgia AG Fairgrounds in Dalton, Georgia, with the sights, sounds, and spirit of traditional hot rodding. Drawing enthusiasts from across the Southeast, the annual gathering showcased an impressive collection of pre-1972 hot rods, muscle cars, trucks, and custom-built machines, all brought together by a shared passion for craftsmanship, performance, and automotive history.

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