182 Photos from the 2024 NSRA Nats North in Kalamazoo, Michigan...

[tim boyd]

2024 NSRA Nats North 9-24

I just attended the NSRA Nats North in Kalamazoo, Michigan, for the first time since the early 2010s.

This is an interesting show...it reminds me of the NSRA Nats events back in the 1980s in Columbus, St. Paul, Oklahoma City, et al. The vehicles here are primarily built by their owners, as opposed to, for instance, the GoodGuys Nats in Columbus where pro-built cars are far more prevalent. Another key difference here is that at this event, most of the cars fit the old definition of "street rods", i.e. 1948 or earlier bodystyles, while the GoodGuys event tilts a bit toward post-1948 subjects. (Remember that the NSRA was years later in welcoming post-1948 cars than GoodGuys...)

Here, many cars are clearly from a build genre dated 10, 20. or even 30 years ago, yet these same cars look very clean, contemporary, and present themselves very well even in today's context. Just one example? Look at the prevalence of 15" mags here vs. the 18s, 19x, and 20s et al at the GoodGuys events.

Saturday of the show started out with heavy fog, lending a somewhat surrealistic tone to many of the images here. But I enjoyed the event nonetheless, as a trip back to and a tribute to the world of street and hot rods back when it was primarily a do-it-yourself hobby. Very, very cool.

182 images posted at this link in large, high-res .jpg files.  Thanks for looking....TIM

I just attended the NSRA Nats North in Kalamazoo, Michigan, for the first time since the early 2010s.

This is an interesting show...it reminds me of the NSRA Nats events back in the 1980s in Columbus, St. Paul, Oklahoma City, et al. The vehicles here are primarily built by their owners, as opposed to, for instance, the GoodGuys Nats in Columbus where pro-built cars are far more prevalent. Another key difference here is that at this event, most of the cars fit the old definition of "street rods", i.e. 1948 or earlier bodystyles, while the GoodGuys event tilts a bit toward post-1948 subjects. (Remember that the NSRA was years later in welcoming post-1948 cars than GoodGuys...)

Here, many cars are clearly from a build genre dated 10, 20. or even 30 years ago, yet these same cars look very clean, contemporary, and present themselves very well even in today's context. Just one example? Look at the prevalence of 15" mags here vs. the 18s, 19x, and 20s et al at the GoodGuys events.

Saturday of the show started out with heavy fog, lending a somewhat surrealistic tone to many of the images here. But I enjoyed the event nonetheless, as a trip back to and a tribute to the world of street and hot rods back when it was primarily a do-it-yourself hobby. Very, very cool.

Thanks for looking....TIM

Edited September 22, 2024 by tim boyd

[James2]

Some gorgeous Detroit Iron right there, thanks Tim. 

[espo]

Great pictures and show. Like seeing some body styles not seen that often, like the Studebakers, Henry J's, early MoPars, Willys Jeep Wagon, and American Motors. 

[Zen]

Thanks for the pics! I really need to attend this show one of these years.

[eastown]

Tim, thanks so much for posting.   Attended this show for many years, but not since the Covid thing.

  Bob.

[tim boyd]

4 hours ago, eastown said:

Tim, thanks so much for posting.   Attended this show for many years, but not since the Covid thing.

  Bob.

Bob...I do not do this one on the regular rotation, but the turnout this time was, at least by the time we left at 11am Saturday, equal to the last time I attended which I think was 2015ish or so.  In any case, hope you can make it again at some point in the future....TIM 

[eastown]

Tim...  The last time my wife and I attended was 2017.     We took this car, and this was the result.

   Thanks for your response.

  Bob.

[tim boyd]

16 minutes ago, eastown said:

Tim...  The last time my wife and I attended was 2017.     We took this car, and this was the result.

   Thanks for your response.

  Bob.

Bob...terrific!   Big congrats....and you are yet another model car builder who we can add to the list of very successful 1/1 scale automotive builders...very, very cool...TB