Classic Nation

Can’t get enough cool wallpaper? Us either!

Jane was gracious enough to send us a few pictures that she took of these great hood ornaments. It just so happens that her shots make great wallpaper too!

Check out our complete wallpaper collection.

Lurking in the memories of every classic car nut, there lies a vehicle that ‘did’ it. A car that changed our mind about cars. A ride that started the chain reaction that inevitably ended in obsession.

As a younger member of the classic car enthusiast crowd, I didn’t have the privilege of growing up beside the cars I now hold dear. In fact, my ‘first’ was already a classic when it became my first. That never mattered to me though. After all, it was love at first sight.

When I was nine, we took a family road trip to my mom’s hometown- Jamestown, North Dakota. It is in Jamestown where a souped-up 1968 Oldsmobile 442 sits in my uncle’s garage. I remember every detail of my first encounter with that car. I was intrigued by the massive rear end and the tiny tail lights. I stared intently at the hood tach and peered in the car, wondering what it would feel like to throw that Hurst shifter into gear and roar out of the garage. I must have made twenty or thirty trips out to his shop that week- all just to sit in and stare at that car.

One day I was lucky enough to ride shotgun in the 500hp animal. Needless to say, the first time I was physically unable to peel my head from a car seat was a life-changing event.

The attraction between man and machine is a strange one indeed. That Oldsmobile was only the beginning for me. Within a year I had become a regular at the local car shows and I found myself with a strange passion for junkyards. Car Craft and Hot Rod were my first magazine subscriptions and my tool box slowly began to fill in quiet preparation for what was to come. What began as an infatuation has become a way of life.

And so, as I cross over into classic car adolescence from infancy, I can only hope that my current expansion into the hobby (now with the purchase of my first rad ride- a ‘69 Firebird) can spark that same passion in another young, wandering soul.

Do you remember your first?

For the past two years I have been blogging about all sort of classic car things. But, because I am only one person, I have not been able to cover events, shows, and news that was outside of my area. That is why I am very excited to announce the addition of a couple of bloggers who have joined the team.

Nick Conrad

Nick, 22, is a recent graduate of Minnesota State University with a B.S. in Public Relations/Journalism. Currently living in Minnesota, Nick works in management for Amarr, a garage door manufacturing company. He had always been a fan of classic cars.

“No one in my immediate family/friend group owns a classic so it wasn’t an easy hobby to take up, and I still have much to learn about the ins and outs of engine and body work. I bought my first classic- a 1969 Firebird two years ago. I now have it in running condition and I have some big decisions to make- it’s not easy to restore a car and pay off school loans at the same time! Despite this, I remain loyal to the hobby. I attend a healthy amount of local shows and cruise nights and I enjoy the full line of muscle car and classic car media.”

In addition to classic cars, Nick also enjoys the outdoors, playing softball, hockey, and politics. We are very excited that Nick has joined the team, and we look forward to learning more about the local hot rod scene in the Minnesota area.

Greg Tariff

Greg, 21, is a student at Ringling College of Art and Design majoring in Graphic and Interactive Communications and minor in The Business of Art and Design. Originally he is from Longmeadow, Massachusetts but attends school in Sarasota, Florida.

“My online life with classic cars was sparked by the website facebook.com. I had always been a fan of classic cars and so I started an interest group on Facebook called “Classic Cars”. I have now become the Admin for one of the largest classic car groups on Facebook so if you are a member be sure to join and participate in the various discussions and picture posting going on within the group. With the growth of my “Classic Cars” group, it got enough exposure that even General Motors recognized my success and invited me on an all expense paid trip to visit to their head quarters in Detroit and attend the Woodward Dream Cruise; car show in Detroit that attracts over 40,000 classic cars and 1 million people.”

“My father owns a 1968 Ford Mustang Convertible that is a blast to drive and whenever I am home to visit we are both always out at the local cruise nights. I have always been a big fan of classic mustangs but recently I have been taking an interest in customized hot rods and rat rods. Another interest of mine that has been growing a lot is the Japanese classic cars such as the 76’/77’ Toyota Celica Lift Back and the good ol’ Datsun Z’s.”

We are very excited to have Greg be a part of ClassicNation.com, and I am really looking forward to checking out some the pictures from the shows that he goes to this summer!

With piles of snow on the corners of my street, it is hard to believe that car show season is finally here! Like I mentioned a few weeks ago, the 2nd Orange County Get Together kicks off the Goodguys season on Saturday and Sunday in Costa Mesa, California. Hopefully, some top-notch reader can send some pics of the event.

Wink. ;)

But, to tide you over to the weekend, I took a peek at the Goodguys website to see what’s new. I noticed a great little write-up done by Speed Style Magazine about Gary Meadors, the founder of Goodguys.

Here is a nice little piece of trivia; how did the Goodguys company get it’s name?

Well, Gary used to freelance for some auto publications back in the day and he used to go by the name “Gary Goodguys” for his writings. Now Gary has a sweet little outfit with 70K members which reportedly rakes in between $10 million and $20 million a year. Not bad for a simple classic car buff just trying to make a livin’.

Goodguys puts on 24 shows a year, and I have to say that every single one that I have ever been to has been absolutely spectacular! Gary apparently doesn’t miss an event all year. So Gary - if you are reading this - I hope to see you at the next event I go to. I want to personally thank you for helping to make me an avid classic car fan!

If you are interested in becoming a Goodguys card-carrying member, you can join at any of the events or visit the website. If you are 25 years old or younger - you can get a free membership for a year! More details here.

Bob hooked it up with even more desktop wallpapers to download and save to your computer!

We will be adding more of these sweet hotrod wallpaper images later. Here is the entire collection. To save a picture, simply click on it to expand it the the max size (1280×800), and right click on it and “save as”. Save it to your computer, then view the picture, and right click and “save as desktop background” (For Windows users). Not sure about Mac users. What is your favorite classic car wallpaper?