2021 North Carolina Nationals Builders Choice Top 10 By Goolsby Customs
Jonathan Goolsby spent a few days away from his Alabama-based Goolsby Customs shop to show off a couple of rides in Raleigh and also choose the Builder’s Choice Top 10 for the Griot’s Garage North Carolina Nationals. Jonathan is always a pro about making picks, but even he admits it’s hard to narrow the list down to just 10.
The cars and trucks that made the cut this year ranged from traditional ’30s-era hot rods to ’50s cruisers and ’60s muscle. A common thread seemed to be clean, well-executed construction and thoughtful design and details that will stand the test of time. Let’s take a look at some of the slick rides that caught his eye.
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- The team from Tin Man’s Garage brought Ron Ernsberger’s ’36 Willys pickup all the way from Illinois to share it with the Raleigh audience. It’s in the running for this year’s Scott’s Hotrods Truck of the Year Early title and wears many scratch-built body panels under the PPG Rosso Red paint. The custom tubular frame is outfitted with an ultra-rare 498c.i. Arias V6 Hemi, plus a Tremec five-speed and magnesium Halibrand wheels. Finished with diamond-tuck leather inside, it’s an incredible example of custom craftsmanship.
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- Smooth and clean is an understatement in describing Randy West’s ’68 Camaro. The slick body has a one-piece front end (no seams), flush-fit glass, and other smooth tricks under the PPG Matrix Gray paint. A Detroit Speed front subframe and RideTech four-link help it ride low over Rushforth wheels, while a 468c.i. big-block Chevy offers plenty of power. Red leather upholstery and a custom dash are highlights inside.
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- You might recall this gold ’66 Charger built by Rutterz Rodz for customer Doyle Thomas from the feature back in the January 2021 Gazette. Powered by a late-model supercharged Hellcat Hemi, the fastback Charger has been further updated with front and rear suspensions from Reilly Motorsports, RideTech coil-overs, and custom 18- and 19-inch Sage wheels modeled after the original hubcaps. Topped with Axalta Sahara Bronze paint and trimmed inside with brown leather by Paul Atkins, this Mopar is sure to give you a charge!
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- A Cobra on air? That’s just what Creative Rods & Restoration built for their customer with this Backdraft Racing replica, setting up the BMW-based chassis with air suspension and stuffing the wide-flared fenders with CCW wheels and Yokohama rubber. A Roush 427c.i. engine provides plenty of power. A custom front spoiler leads the way on the body, which is bathed in bright red BASF paint and finished off with Factory Five seats in the cockpit.
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- Tim Helms’ ’55 Nomad was freshly finished and looking incredibly sharp thanks to the rich candy root beer finish from House of Kolor. An Art Morrison chassis delivers improved handling and a just-right stance over Billet Specialties wheels, with power coming from an LS3 backed by a 4L70E transmission. The smooth and arrow-straight body is complemented by yards of caramel-colored custom-stitched leather inside for a truly tasty take on Chevy’s classic sport wagon.
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- The golden hue on Keith Layne’s ’50 Chevy pickup is actually a PPG color called Canyon Beige. It coats a smoothed body massaged by L&S Customs and shows off the Advanced Design style with finesse. A JW Rod Garage chassis gets this Chevy sitting down low over Schott wheels, with LS3 power under the hood. Recovery Room stitched up another stunning interior inside, making sure there’s a golden touch on all aspects of this Chevy.
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- George Davidson tells us his ’58 Bel Air was a longtime California car and it captures the early-’60s SoCal custom flavor with DuPont gold metallic paint paired with a cream-colored two-tone, scallops, a tube grille, shaved hood and trunk, Lincoln door buttons, and Bellflower exhaust pipes. There’s gold metalflake diamond-pleated upholstery inside, while a 283c.i. small block gets the Diamondback wide whites and custom hubcaps rolling.
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- This ’64 Nova was Shari Doggett’s first car. After owning it 47 years, she and husband Paul went all-in with a custom rebuild that included a Scott’s Hotrods front suspension, Wilwood disc brakes, Billet Specialties wheels, and a 383c.i. stroker small block backed by a 2004R transmission. It’s the brilliant PPG root beer brown paint that really catches your eye, though, along with the custom tan leather upholstery by John Miller.
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- Brian Baker made the springtime rounds with his home-built ’50 Plymouth business coupe, hauling it to North Carolina after taking in the Spring Nationals in Arizona the week before and the Spring Lone Star Nationals in March. The car has been in his family since the late-’60s and sports a tastefully modified body with flipped and tucked bumpers and shaved trim, one-off billet wheels, plus a modern 5.7-liter Hemi and a Dodge Magnum IRS. Search for the feature on FuelCurve.com for a detailed look.
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- Johnny Hall says he’s wanted a Deuce sedan since he was a kid and he’s got a killer hot rod example now. Riding on a Pete & Jake’s chassis with small-block Chevy power, a Tremec five-speed, and steel wheels topped with ’46 Ford caps, the Washington Blue highboy has a tasteful 2-inch chop and just enough brightwork from Jon Wright’s Custom Chrome. Stitch master Steve Holcomb gets credit for the tasteful upholstery inside.
