(Words and photos by Doug Gregory) – The Tri-5s.  I have to admit that when NSRA made the decision to allow cars to enter that were up to 30-years-old to enter I was not a happy camper.  ‘Street Rod’ has always meant pre-’49 rides.  This was something I latched onto into my early teens.  Being significantly older now I understand that though real steel still exists, it can be very hard to come by and quite expensive to turn into something drivable.

The assertion that these participant events were to only involve pre-1949 cars and trucks until the end of time seems a bit overdone in hindsight.  Many of us purists feared an influx of Chevy Citations, Chrysler K-cars, and Ford Thunderbirds of the early ‘80s.  No such thing happened.  The oddballs that do show up add some quirky interest to the show as most of those cars have disappeared from public view.

One group I have definitely enjoyed having in the expanded program are 50s and 60s classics.  Another sub-group of that has its own massive fan base and now even has its own nationwide show just down the road in Bowling Green – the Tri-Five Nationals.  The popularity and diversity of this group cannot be dismissed and seemed to be the easiest for the nay-sayers to accept into the fold.  Enjoy this gallery of 55-57 classics.

Click the images below to expand them and then scroll on!