Few eras produced as many truly delightful cars as the 1980s and 1990s. Technology was making things more reliable and easier to deal with but hadn’t started to mute drivers’ control of a car yet, birthing performance models with trick tech like all-wheel-drive or fuel injection while maintaining manual gearboxes and pedals that were physically connected to the things they controlled. For the most part, that tech is simple enough that you can still work on these cars relatively easily yourself.
Your first car may have come from this pair of decades, too. Nostalgia’s a hell of a drug, turning cars that may have gone unseen a decade ago into head-turners the second you realize that some delightful loon is still keeping it on the road, or has since modified it into something wonderful. As modern cars become less manual and visceral to drive, even the regular cars of years gone by start to develop a desirable sheen.
Stef Schrader
And oh, the choices you’ll have if you pick up a rad-era vehicle, or make your way to a Radwood show. Japan in particular was in the height of its own bubble era, where a booming economy produced everything from performance Kei cars to luxurious sedans with doily-clad interiors and back seats that had their own massage and recline settings. Supercars around the world reached incredible new heights of speed and performance. Many of the cars America never got that are over 25 years old are now importable, too.
In other words, it’s an era worth celebrating, and that’s why Radwood exists. Last weekend, Radwood made its way to Austin, giving the criminally overlooked car culture of Texas a place to bring out its best vehicles from the best time at the Driveway race track.
Porschelump, full of Puffalumps., Stef Schrader
I even took my Porsche 944 race car, which tried to thwart me by popping off an alternator tensioner bolt the night before the show. After a friend helped me install that bolt (which was exceedingly annoying to line up with only one set of hands), I was back in business with a working car and arrived just before the show opened up to spectators.
Perhaps the best thing about the Radwood show is that it’s a celebration of ’80s and ’90s culture in general—not just the cars. Vintage boomboxes, fashion, toys, and other retro items were on display as well. Cassette tapes, factory brochures, and vintage games are a routine sight. BMX riders set up ramps to jump a couple of cars in the middle of the show. I brought a small selection from my Puffalump collection (stuffed animals made of parachute material that were sold in the ’80s and ’90s) to display in my car and take photos with, too.
Bill Lumbergh, Stef Schrader
There’s even an award for the best dressed of the show, which went to a guy who dressed up as Office Space’s awful boss Bill Lumbergh. It was a particularly appropriate pick since many of the film’s iconic scenes were filmed in Austin (and I keep threatening to smash my Volkswagen carb in the mall that now stands where the printer scene was filmed).
There was one kind of period-appropriate vehicle conspicuously in small numbers at Radwood, however: broughams. The fancified land yachts that showed up were a delight, but the closest thing I saw to the ’80s Oldsmobile Ninety-Eight or Cadillac Sedan de Ville I grew up with was a tastefully modified 1988 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme Classic, which I must admit ruled pretty hard. I mean, just look in those T-Tops (!) at the miles of blue velour. It’s glorious.
Stef Schrader
Radwood is definitely the place where big broughams would be appreciated, so if you have one, please bring it out!
The variety of cars that showed up was the real highlight, though. This wasn’t just a show for heavily polished garage queens. Plenty of cars were modified, from the wild Nissan S13-generation 240SX “Faux Body” featuring a 5.3-liter GM Vortec V8 swap and the nose of a fox-body Ford to the bright white nitrous-fed 30th Anniversary Edition Pontiac Trans-Am.
Stef Schrader
German and Japanese cars had the biggest turnout at the show, but there was no shortage of memorable cars: a Miata with an extremely period correct color-shifting paint job, a slantnose RUF 911, tons of right-hand-drive imports, a Volkswagen painted to match the Arizona green tea can used as piping in the engine bay, tastefully modified off-road trucks, Safari-style battlecars, a local Ferrari F40 that periodically gets used as it was intended at track days, the tealest 944 I’ve ever seen, and a wild “Twisted Sister Pink”-painted Jeep once owned by Dee Snider.
If you get the chance to go to a Radwood event, you definitely should, as it’s a rare car show that actually has a sense of humor about itself. It’s more welcoming than most car shows of well-loved and heavily modified cars, such that you’ll probably find other people at the show that’s into whatever kind of vehicular “abuse” you’re into. Actually driving your car is a bonus among this crowd.
Radwood’s schedule for the rest of the year can be found here, and even includes dates in Tokyo and England. In the meantime, nuke any pretense of productivity from your day with this gigantic gallery of the coolest cars we saw at the show. There were simply too many good cars, and the size of this gallery shows it.
Winner, Raddest in Show. , Stef Schrader Stef Schrader Stef Schrader Stef Schrader That isn’t the usual inline-six in there…, Stef Schrader 2JZ stuffed into a BMW 3 series? Approved. , Stef Schrader Stef Schrader Stef Schrader Stef Schrader Stef Schrader Stef Schrader Stef Schrader Stef Schrader Stef Schrader Stef Schrader Stef Schrader Well-loved AMG power. , Stef Schrader Stef Schrader Stef Schrader Puffalump bunny, living his best life. , Stef Schrader Stef Schrader Stef Schrader Stef Schrader Stef Schrader Stef Schrader Stef Schrader Gated Lambo shifter for the win. , Stef Schrader Gauges are better than screens, don’t @ me. , Stef Schrader Stef Schrader Stef Schrader Stef Schrader Flannel was another common sight. , Stef Schrader Stef Schrader Stef Schrader Stef Schrader Bring back fun cloth interiors. , Stef Schrader Stef Schrader Stef Schrader Stef Schrader Stef Schrader Stef Schrader Stef Schrader Surprise! Nitrous., Stef Schrader Stef Schrader Stef Schrader Stef Schrader Stef Schrader Stef Schrader Stef Schrader Stef Schrader Stef Schrader Stef Schrader Stef Schrader Stef Schrader Stef Schrader Stef Schrader Stef Schrader Stef Schrader Stef Schrader Stef Schrader Stef Schrader Stef Schrader Even the beer was period-appropriate., Stef Schrader Stef Schrader Stef Schrader Stef Schrader Stef Schrader Stef Schrader Stef Schrader Bring back equalizers., Stef Schrader Stef Schrader Stef Schrader Stef Schrader Stef Schrader Stef Schrader Stef Schrader Stef Schrader Stef Schrader Stef Schrader Stef Schrader Stef Schrader Stef Schrader Stef Schrader Stef Schrader Stef Schrader Stef Schrader Help, my arm’s being eaten by an F40! Yes, you can stick nearly your whole arm into one of its intakes., Glen Nordell Stef Schrader Stef Schrader Stef Schrader Stef Schrader Stef Schrader Stef Schrader Stef Schrader Stef Schrader Stef Schrader Stef Schrader There’s always at least one., Stef Schrader Stef Schrader Stef Schrader Stef Schrader Stef Schrader Stef Schrader Stef Schrader Stef Schrader Stef Schrader Stef Schrader Stef Schrader Stef Schrader Stef Schrader https://www.thedrive.com/vintage/2347/behind-the-wheel-of-the-only-v-12-toyota-century-in-north-america Stef Schrader Stef Schrader Stef Schrader Stef Schrader Stef Schrader Stef Schrader Stef Schrader Stef Schrader Stef Schrader Stef Schrader Stef Schrader Stef Schrader Stef Schrader Stef Schrader Stef Schrader Stef Schrader Stef Schrader Stef Schrader Stef Schrader Stef Schrader Some cars proudly displayed the dirt they picked up en route. , Stef Schrader Stef Schrader Stef Schrader Stef Schrader Stef Schrader Stef Schrader Stef Schrader Stef Schrader Stef Schrader Stef Schrader Inside a very special 911 made for Porsche himself. , Stef Schrader Stef Schrader Stef Schrader Stef Schrader Stef Schrader Stef Schrader Stef Schrader Ballin’, rad toy style. , Stef Schrader Stef Schrader Stef Schrader Stef Schrader Stef Schrader Stef Schrader Stef Schrader David Wiggins David Wiggins David Wiggins Stef Schrader Stef Schrader Stef Schrader Stef Schrader Stef Schrader Stef Schrader Stef Schrader Stef Schrader Stef Schrader Stef Schrader Stef Schrader Stef Schrader Stef Schrader Stef Schrader Stef Schrader Stef Schrader Stef Schrader Stef Schrader Stef Schrader Stef Schrader Stef Schrader Stef Schrader Stef Schrader Stef Schrader Stef Schrader Stef Schrader Stef Schrader Stef Schrader Stef Schrader Stef Schrader Stef Schrader Stef Schrader Stef Schrader Stef Schrader Stef Schrader Stef Schrader Note the green tea can. , Stef Schrader Stef Schrader Stef Schrader Stef Schrader Stef Schrader Stef Schrader Stef Schrader Stef Schrader Stef Schrader Stef Schrader Stef Schrader Stef Schrader Crown Royal, anyone?, Stef Schrader Dee Snider’s old Jeep in , Stef Schrader Stef Schrader Stef Schrader Stef Schrader Stef Schrader Stef Schrader Stef Schrader Stef Schrader Stef Schrader Stef Schrader Stef Schrader Stef Schrader This flat black truck may have had the most amusing surprise of the show in its engine bay., Stef Schrader The custom cooling sticking out under the bumper hints at the surprise inside. , Stef Schrader That unassuming flat black Toyota truck is actually living its best twin-turbo 2JZ-powered life. , Stef Schrader Stef Schrader Stef Schrader Stef Schrader Stef Schrader Stef Schrader Stef Schrader Stef Schrader Stef Schrader Stef Schrader Stef Schrader Stef Schrader Stef Schrader Stef Schrader Stef Schrader Bring back color-shift paint., Stef Schrader Stef Schrader Meet the , Stef Schrader This Chevy 5.3-liter Vortec V8 came out of a Suburban and went into a Nissan S13 with the front end of a fox-body Ford. , Stef Schrader Stef Schrader Stef Schrader Stef Schrader Stef Schrader Stef Schrader Stef Schrader Stef Schrader Stef Schrader Stef Schrader Stef Schrader Stef Schrader Stef Schrader Stef Schrader Stef Schrader Stef Schrader Stef Schrader Stef Schrader Stef Schrader Stef Schrader Stef Schrader Attention: everyone: We’ve found it: the ideal weekend truck. , Stef Schrader Stef Schrader Stef Schrader Stef Schrader Stef Schrader Stef Schrader Stef Schrader Stef Schrader Stef Schrader Stef Schrader Nothing’s more JDM than seat doilies. , Stef Schrader Used as intended. , Stef Schrader In case you forgot where you were., Stef Schrader Stef Schrader Stef Schrader Stef Schrader Stef Schrader Stef Schrader Stef Schrader Stef Schrader Jump seats in the eight-passenger 1989 Ford LTD Crown Victoria Country Squire LX Wagon., Stef Schrader Stef Schrader Stef Schrader Stef Schrader Stef Schrader Stef Schrader This owner really loves good, clean survivor CRXes, and it shows. , Stef Schrader Stef Schrader This wild drift car’s exhaust got dented in action, and now looks like it’s saying , Stef Schrader Stef Schrader Stef Schrader Stef Schrader Stef Schrader Stef Schrader Stef Schrader Stef Schrader Stef Schrader Stef Schrader Stef Schrader Stef Schrader Stef Schrader Stef Schrader Stef Schrader Stef Schrader Stef Schrader Stef Schrader Stef Schrader Stef Schrader Stef Schrader Stef Schrader Stef Schrader Stef Schrader This round’s trophies were inspired by the 90s Nickelodeon show , Stef Schrader Stef Schrader Stef Schrader Stef Schrader Stef Schrader Stef Schrader Stef Schrader Stef Schrader Stef Schrader Stef Schrader Stef Schrader Stef Schrader Stef Schrader Stef Schrader Stef Schrader Stef Schrader Stef Schrader Stef Schrader Stef Schrader