[Stuart]

The big Street Machine Nationals show is going on this weekend at the Minnesota State Fairgrounds. There were a ton of late model Challengers, Camaros, and Mustangs there but also quite a few older cars and trucks. Pontiacs as usual were in the minority; there were a number of F and A body cars, but I saw only one full size Pontiac (a 1966 Bonneville.) Here are some pictures of the more interesting Pontiacs, plus a few other cars. There was a 1971 or 72 Grand Prix SSJ Hurst, a 1971 T/A 455HO, a GT-37 with a 455HO and four speed, a couple 1969 T/A clones, and a Can Am.

[Stuart]

More pics. A very blue Formula, a couple T/As, a Firebird 400, a Custom S with a 428, and a 1973 Grand Am and 1973 GTO.

[Stuart]

Some more pics. A 2006 GTO, a couple Tempests, and some cars you just don't see any more (at least up here in the rust belt): A Chevy LUV pickup, several first generation Mazda RX-7s, and an Opel GT. The Opel had a 3.4 GM V6 transplant with a four speed transmission, pretty neat little car.

[Stuart]

This 1957 DeSoto was pretty wild. It had pretty much every option under the sun, including factory air and the rare factory under dash record player.

[mgarblik]

That record player in the DeSoto is just great. I bet finding records in that 16 2/3 RPM speed would be much more difficult than the 8 track tapes for our Pontiac's. Lots of great pics. Thanks.

[Jack Gifford]

It appears that the Street Machine Nationals has changed a lot. I drove my mild custom '64 Ranchero to the inaugural 1972 event in Memphis, but there were many radical customs (including my friend's national show circuit chopped El Camino), a couple of mid-engine V8 Corvairs, many well-done early rods, etc.

[kingbuzzo]

That DeSoto is crazy...good pics...

[Drag Star Le Mans]

Pontiacs were out in force!

[Stuart]

Originally Posted by Jack Gifford

It appears that the Street Machine Nationals has changed a lot.

Ownership of this show has changed around some over the years. For quite a while it was the Car Craft Nationals, sponsored by the magazine. Before that I believe it was the Muscle Car Nationals. I always assumed it was held here since the MN State Fairgrounds is also the host site for the big Back to the 50s show which is mainly for street rods and vintage customs (the cutoff year for that show is all cars must be 1964 or older.) In any case it attracts a pretty wide variety of cars mostly from the muscle car years as well as late model high performance cars - I just took photos mostly of the Pontiacs that were there.

[70gtojosh]

If you are hunting for pontiacs in Minnesota, don't miss the Pontiac happening at the Chanhassen autoplex August 5th. It is one my favorites.

[Stuart]

Originally Posted by 70gtojosh

If you are hunting for pontiacs in Minnesota, don't miss the Pontiac happening at the Chanhassen autoplex August 5th. It is one my favorites.

Thanks for the info. I let my POCI membership lapse some years back so I'm kind of out of touch on events.

[Jack Gifford]

Originally Posted by Stuart

... it was the Car Craft Nationals, sponsored by the magazine. Before that I believe it was the Muscle Car Nationals...

It started in 1972 as the Car Craft Street Machine Nationals.

[Tenney]

CC Nats first year was Indy '77?

[Stuart]

I was mainly talking about the show in St. Paul. The CC Cats were held elsewhere in earlier years, but there was still a show here during those years that went under a different name.