Good car shows are not necessarily big, and big car shows are not necessarily good. But the Goodguys PPG Nationals in Columbus, Ohio, has both qualities and then some.

While many Goodguys events use "Nationals" in their names, and most draw cars from multiple states, there's something a bit more grandiose about Columbus. Geared from the start to be the organization's "big one," Columbus quickly grew in size to become one of the largest car shows in the country. It also quickly gained stature, becoming one of the most prominent outdoor events in the nation.

This year, for the 8th annual Goodguys Nationals held July 8-10, more than 6,000 registered cars rolled through the gates and filled the Ohio Expo Center. And with a 1972 cutoff year, there was as much variety as an enthusiast could want--customs, hot rods, stockers, musclecars, street machines, and trucks. Throw in scores of vendors, a swap meet, and multiple seminars given by some of the top names in the aftermarket, and you have an event that can truly keep a spectator busy for its entire three-day run.

Beyond the size, one of the things that struck us most about the 2005 Nats was the vehicle quality, which just keeps getting better. Not only that, but it seems many car builders are crafting machines specifically to vie for two Goodguys signature awards--Street Rod of the Year and Street Machine of the Year. We took particular notice of the Street Machine of the Year candidates since many now incorporate a lot of street rod and custom car influences. In fact, this year's Street Machine of the Year--Roy Pigford's Texas-based '66 Nova--is a former Custom Rodder Top Ten winner that sports a chopped top, custom grille, relocated wheel openings, and countless other sheetmetal mods.Speaking of metal mods, the King of Kustomizers, George Barris, was even on hand to talk with spectators and participants as part of the Goodguys Hot Rod Heroes program. Goodguys president Gary Meadors called Barris "the great communicator" of the '50s and '60s. "He showed the world how to customize cars through his magazine articles," Meadors said.

Of course, there were also Custom Rodder Top Ten awards handed out, along with Boyd Coddington Pro's Picks and a number of other specialty trophies. In short, there were scores of reasons to check out this massive gathering of four-wheeled insanity. If you live within a day's drive of Columbus, you owe it to yourself to experience the Goodguys Nats firsthand next year.