Built in a Field, Finished With Heart: Ted Goss’ 1964 El Camino
- Rachel J. Rogers
- Feb 13
- 3 min read
Some hot rods are built for trophies.
Some are built for burnouts.
But sometimes... one is built for family.
The 2025 Midwest Regional Hot Rod Rally Viewer’s Choice Award winner falls squarely into that last category—and fittingly, it’s now the face of the 2026 Rally itself. If you see the El Camino splashed across our shirts, koozies, calendars, and flyers this year, you already know it: Ted Goss’ deep red 1964 Chevy El Camino, out of Sioux City, Iowa.
But this car’s story didn’t start under bright lights or polished concrete. It started in a field.
Ted’s dad bought the El Camino back in 1995 after it had been sitting outside a rendering facility near Cherokee. From there, it landed on the family acreage outside Moville, where it sat for years—quietly waiting its turn. Eventually, Ted’s dad did what so many builders do: he jumped in with whatever he had. A parts El Camino donated its best bits, a 350 found its way between the fenders backed by a 4-speed automatic, and the wiring was patched together just enough to make it go.
And the seats? Let’s just say creativity runs deep in the Goss family. When a cushion was needed, Dad grabbed a throwable life preserver and made it work. Classic.
Progress came in spurts. The El Camino would get pushed outside to make room for other people’s projects—because that’s who Ted’s dad was. He helped everyone else first. Still, every so often, the Chevy would roar back to life for a cruise… sometimes with Ted behind the wheel, and later with Ted’s son Blake taking it out for what they lovingly called a “danger cruise.”
For a while, the El Camino even worked for a living, serving as a shop truck when Ted owned a car lot and repair shop in Sioux City. Then, like so many long-term builds, it rested again.
Everything changed for this El Camino in 2022
With the Midwest Regional Hot Rod Rally coming to Moville, Ted, his dad, and Blake decided it was time. They started building a 327 from Pat Rogers—hoping to enter the burnout contest. Life had other plans. The engine wasn’t finished in time for the burnout contest, but they still laid down their own burnouts on the blacktop outside town.
It would be the last engine they built together.
Not long after, Ted’s dad faced a series of health challenges—heart attack, strokes, and eventually dementia. The machine shop was sold. The acreage was sold. The old cars started to go. But when it came time to decide what stayed, the answer was clear.
The El Camino wasn’t going anywhere.
With help from his parents, Ted committed to doing what his dad never had time to do for himself: finishing one of his cars properly. Comfortable. Clean. Strong. A car you could drive without getting choked by exhaust fumes—and be proud of every mile.
The restoration came together piece by piece. Mike Cooper installed the box sides. Tom Garnett’s body shop stripped the car down and brought it back with fresh paint and straight lines. Dan Finken handled the seats and headliner while Ted rebuilt the dash, rewired the car front to back, and sweated every detail. New wheels and tires finished the look.
Then came the moment years in the making.
At the 2025 Midwest Regional Hot Rod Rally, they rolled in as a family. Ted finally entered the burnout contest they’d talked about back in 2022—and absolutely smoked the crowd. Later, Ted, his dad, and Blake sat side by side during the awards ceremony.
They didn’t win the burnout contest.
They won something better…
When their number was called for Viewer’s Choice Award, Ted looked over at his dad—and they both knew. That kind of smile only comes from a story that runs deeper than chrome and horsepower. Ted took the stage with pride, carrying a trophy that represented three generations, decades of patience, and a build finished exactly the way it was meant to be.
Now, that El Camino carries the Midwest Regional Hot Rod Rally into 2026—on merchandise, flyers, website, and everywhere this community shows up. Not just as a great-looking rig, but as proof that the best hot rods aren’t just built…
They’re lived.
Thank you, Ted and family—for sharing your story with us.
This is what the Midwest Regional Hot Rod Rally is all about.
