— The premier hot rod event on the West Coast
— Considered the longest-running indoor car show in the world
— Traditional and modernized resto-mod vehicles are both welcomed at the GNRS

Pomona, California, at the Grand National Roadster Show, is the place to be for seeing traditional rods and customs, as well as loads of other genres, including lowriders, street machines, muscle cars, trucks, race cars, Pro Street, Pro Touring, on and on and on; this event celebrates all types of cool rides! With seven exhibit halls completely filled and display vehicles outside throughout the Fairplex grounds, there’s a lot to see. It’s a great mix and overall more than 500 individual awards were presented during the closing ceremonies of the GNRS event. If you dig vintage iron, it’s absolute hot rod heaven!

While the event has extremely large amounts of hot rods and customs displayed from all makes, the main player historically is the classic ’32 V8 Ford roadster. However, while entering the outdoor car display area, walking up to the first row and seeing a brand-new Challenger SRT^® 170 Demon parked right there in front, it was a true harbinger of things to come! That meaning that for certain Mopar_® vehicles will have a presence at this prestigious gathering! And after going through the various halls, it was clear, Pentastar fans had plenty to see and absorb. 

The attendance at this 2024 running of the GNRS was, in a word, overwhelming! Crowds galore, the place was filled with enthusiasm and walking through the event there were car lovers of all ages … a great sign that the hobby and aftermarket industry is truly thriving, alive and well!

You may have missed the 2024 show, but make sure you don’t miss the 2025 running of the Grand National Roadster Show.

RADICAL 1970 DODGE CHALLENGER

There’s just something about the beautiful lines of the original Dodge Challenger! Here’s a creation out of the Mesa, Arizona, Kandy Shop owned by Marc Ballard. Gen III power, steel chassis upgrade, big rollers, blended bumpers and grille, custom interior from Armandos, Candy Apple Red and everywhere you look the car was reworked. Radically gorgeous!

DICK LANDY-POWERED ’68 CHARGER R/T

Ed Ganzinotti’s ’68 Charger R/T was created by the Classic Car Studio Speed Shop (St. Louis, Missouri), with a 440-cid RB Mopar powerplant that had been built by the legendary Mopar guru Dick Landy!  It featured a 4L80e automatic, RS Fast Track chassis, 6-piston Baer brakes, plus 19/22-inch diameter Billet Specialties wheels. Flush fit glass (vent windows removed) and BASF Glasurit paint. Stunning!

THE SPEEDKORE GHOST CHARGER MADE AN APPEARANCE

It all started with the eighth installment of the Fast & Furious movie franchise when Wisconsin-based SpeedKore Performance Group did up a carbon fiber rendition of the classic 1970 Dodge Charger, called “Tantrum.” In 2015, the car received the Gran Turismo’s “Best Domestic” award, and Timothy Kuniskis saw the car and proclaimed: “This is the best Charger I’ve ever seen.”

Fast forward to GNRS 2024 and the latest carbon Charger made an appearance. The SpeedKore white Charger shown here is known as the “Ghost” car, incorporating a custom steel chassis, Detroit Speed suspension, 14-point roll cage, 6.2L Hellcat HEMI^® engine, Tremec 5-speed manual transmission, 19/20-inch diameter HRE wheels. Yes, a three-pedal car!

OLD ANVIL SPEED SHOP ’68 CHARGER

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Built by the Old Anvil Speed Shop (Orange, California), this ’68 Charger has a potent 556-cid Gen II HEMI engine under the hood rated at 900 horsepower, induction by a Holley Dominator ECU, shifted with a G-Force GF-5R manual gearbox (Long Vertical Gate shifter with Hurst piston grip). F&R independent suspensions, Schott Venom wheels, Wilwood brakes, PPG paint. Colorful presentation with clean lines!

BENDIX FUEL-INJECTED 300 D LETTER CAR

Jay Leno’s talented painter and body man extraordinaire Per Blixt brought his rare Bendix-equipped 1958 300-D Chrysler letter car to the event. The original “Electrojector” fuel injection system was factory recalled; however, he was able to equip this car with the hard-to-find original factory fuel injection setup. Only 21 were originally built with the FI, and it’s been updated with modern computer controls to make it reliable. It now has 15-inch Kelsey-Hayes wire wheels, replacing the standard 14-inch wheels that these cars came with when new. This big brute was fully restored and painted inside the “Big Dog” Garage and now taken out to selected events. 

THE FIRST YEAR FOR THE FURY

The Fury name was introduced to the automotive world for the 1956 model year Plymouth, an option that included a 240-horsepower, 303-cid V8 and gold anodized side appliques. Just 4,485 were produced, and Emil Aznar brought his out to participate in the fun at the GNRS!

SERIOUS VALIANT

Tubbed, small block Mopar, roll bar, flames, Centerlines, yes, a 1963 Plymouth Valiant V-100 like nothing the original designers ever imagined!

TWIN TURBO DODGE CORONET

Rich and Karen Mehas’ unique 1966 Dodge Coronet 500, transformed into a serious drag car! Custom fabricated chassis, full cage with Funny Car driver enclosure, Keith Black 540-cid aluminum block with Pro Line modified wedge cylinder heads, twin turbochargers, Ron Mangus interior and Champion wheels F&R. Painted B5 Blue and with a lowered stance, a true one-of-a kind Mopar B-body!

HEMI! NOTHING LIKE A HEMI!

Tom “Mongoo$e” McEwen was the driver in the mid-1960s of this classic “Yeakel Plymouth Special” Top Fuel dragster, beautifully restored by Steve Davis to every last detail. It set the speed record at 214.76 mph at Lions, power from a supercharged 392 Chrysler HEMI engine, which was pretty much the standard nitromethane engine in the day. Woody Gilmore chassis, zoomie headers. Car owner Lou Baney was the general manager at the dealership, and Vince Rossi was an important part of the team. Today, it’s a “cacklefest” nostalgia car and the crowd loved it!

Supercharged 301-cube early HEMI engine-powered Phil Featherston-driven Opel GT AA/Gasser, circa 1974. Accurately restored and with Candy Apple Red and gold-leaf lettering. Short wheelbase and fast!

Fitted with a 270-cid Red Ram Dodge HEMI engine, a hot rod application – nothing looks as cool as a HEMI engine under the hood with exposed valve covers!

BUTCH LEAL RECORD HOLDER: RETRO OCIR JACKET! 

She came to show her rare 1976 AMF Evel Knievel “Spirit of ’76” bicycle, which was way cool; however, what really caught everyone’s attention was that OCIR (Orange County International Raceway) jacket! Believed to be the matching Butch Leal jacket for wife Donna, from the glory days of Pro Stock drag racing where the Duster set a new ET and speed record!

FOCUS ON ART

Each year, there’s the annual “Pinstriper’s Gathering” at the GNRS where over 30 talented artists attend to showcase their work. Creativity on pedal cars, skateboards, panels, trash cans, tool boxes, tons of examples to see! At the end of the three-day event, there was some $56,000 raised with the art auctions, proceeds going to the Teen Challenge of Southern California charity.

Among the artists included one of the true pioneers (center) of early dragster and Funny Car graphics, airbrushed grilles, Tom Kelly. He also was one of the individuals that helped shape and define the Kustom Kulture art style. Kelly was inducted into the GNRS Hall of Fame in 2019.

Some of the artists had their portfolio books for all to see, this one a hand-drawn color version of the Don Garlits Lions explosion that took place on March 8, 1970. Big Daddy’s switch to a rear-engine design changed drag racing forever!

Tom Fritz had an exhibit with a wide variety of his art, he specializes in dry lake type hot rods and also has expanded into vintage drag racing in recent years. Shown here, the 1971 Dick Landy Pro Stock Challenger, and a pair of late ’60s Top Fuel dragsters powered by supercharged HEMI engines. His work, the quality is off-the-chart!

Author: James Maxwell