18,000 Mile 1955 Chevy Bel Air Classic To say Chevy's relaunch of the Bel Air in 1955 kick started an automotive revolution would be a understatement. As the first entry into what would become known throughout the world as the "shoebox Chevy", the 55 Bel Air became one of the most iconic Chevrolets in history, right up there with the Corvette and the Camaro. Highlights for the model year include the first year for a 12V electrical system and the timeless "eyebrows" over the front headlights. Designers extended the front fenders just over the headlights giving the remodeled Bel Airs what appears to be a raised eyebrow when viewed from the front. Features in films such as "Two-Lane Blacktop" and "American Graffiti" increased the mystique surrounding the 55 Bel Air ten-fold. And when Harrison Ford's character Bob Falfa staged his 55 Chevy against "The fastest  thing in the valley", Milner's coupe, you could easily argue the car helped launch his career. The 55 Bel Air's popularity stretches across the gamut of auto enthusiasts. Its sleek accents and generous use of chrome captured the attention of customizers just as the lightweight and easy acceptance of...

Classic Car Insurance -Agreeing on the Right Value As classic car enthusiasts, we're always working on our cars. In the process, we may add significant value. Are you reviewing your classic car insurance policy to keep up with your changes? Condon Skelly is the official insurance company for MyRideisMe.com, so I asked them for some detail information on “agreed value" insurance. With what I learned, you should be careful to keep your agreed value policy up to date. Read on... One of the benefits of Condon Skelly’s Collector Vehicle policy is the agreed value feature. Agreed value can be established from an appraisal or through photos and discussions with Condon Skelly's car-guy staff... Either way, it's a must to insure your collector car at a value that protects your investment. Don't make the mistake underinsuring in hopes of saving a few dollars on the policy... that can have terrible consequences! Consider the following before you “Agree” to the wrong value: Don't Underinsure Your Classic Car It can be tempting to insure your collector car for less than it’s worth – after all, a smaller agreed value means a smaller...

Not all Classic Car Insurance Coverages are the same Classic car insurance discussions probably don't come up in your Saturday evening bench racing conversations the way a hot rod model A from the local cruise might, but hey... you gotta get insurance, so you might as well do it right. Be organized, know the facts and read the fine print. With that in mind, when you're shopping for classic car insurance to protect your dream car (and your investment) make sure you know about ALL of the coverages, not just the basics like collision, comprehensive and uninsured motorist... you'll find that everywhere. Everyone's feeling the pinch of tough times... nowhere is it tighter than in our hot rod budgets. So when you compare insurances, make sure these valuable extras aren't going to change a good deal into a bad idea. Here's some additional benefits of Condon Skelly classic car insurance, the official insurance company of MyRideisMe.com. Classic Car Insurance Additional Benefits At no extra cost, here's a summary of coverages offered by Condon Skelly when your classic car is damaged: Up to $1,000 (sometimes more) for spare parts and...

Flat Paint Job for my Ford Falcon Wagon Finally. I don't think I could have taken a longer path to get there, but at least it's done. My Falcon's wearing new paint and the flat sheen or "hot rod flat" I was going for came out great. Special thanks to T.C. at FinishMaster in Mesa, AZ for help with the paint and advice to make this happen. I also took advantage of advice from Kevin Tetz from "Trucks" TV show. Kevin helped me with 11 Tips for a Flat Paint Job and sorta held my hand on this project.   It's a long story how I got here, you can read it all at this link: Falcon Wagon Build. It started with bodywork lessons and primer from Squeeg's Kustoms then a paint job gone wrong. Back on track, here's how my buddy Joel and I laid on this flat gold paint. I think it came out great!   Before Paint Prep:     You can see here what my wagon looked like right before we started on Saturday morning. Over Labor Day, my sons and I scuffed the clearcoat...

1963 Ford Falcon Squire Wagon Images Courtesy of Daniel De Silva   In case you didn't know, Ford Falcons were made and sold in Australia while the "compact" Ford was selling in the USA too. The cool old Ford Falcons we enjoyed all through the 60's were replaced with some 70s Falcons that looked like... cars from the 70s. In a word, YUCK. But that's another story...     Daniel De Silva of Bandit Films has teamed up with Luke from Fuel Magazine to make Fueltank.tv. It's a collection of great hot rod and custom car videos all done in HD. I've watched a few, especially this trick Falcon wagon, and I'll be back!   Dig the groovy sounds and especially dig this gorgeous right hand drive Falcon. I want it!! Hopefully my 63 Falcon Wagon Project will turn out half as nice!   [vimeo]http://vimeo.com/20471414[/vimeo]   For more Falcon fun, check out Pikesan's project: 1963 Ford Falcon Wagon Build...

Tim Strange's Hot Rod Reality TV with at Taste of Arizona Saturday morning's got a new hot rod TV show and it's always fun watching since I know Tim and I've heard some of what's going on backstage at the show. One thing I know we're missing is the details of Tim's work. If they spun off that show and only showed the building parts, it'd still be a hit. I met Tim through Brian Stupski over at Problem Child Kustoms in Gilbert, AZ or just a few miles down the road from MyRideisMe.com headquarters. Brian's hot rod art was featured on the show helping out with a 1967 Ford Mustang. Take one look at the art and you'll know why this was no gimme for a friend... Brian's work is top notch. Here's Brian's take on the build and his part in Search and Restore: Having the good fortune to have made some incredible friends over the years is one of those things I'm thankful for every day. Nothing compares to being able to call one of the most skilled builders in the industry as a friend, or...

Flat Clear Coat Spray Paint from Kevin Tetz of "Trucks"   1963 Ford Falcon Wagon with a Flat Clear Coat Spray Paint Job. Every story I've written about this build can be found here: 1963 Ford Falcon Wagon Build   It's painted! In case you're just tuning in, I've been trying to put my 1963 Ford Falcon wagon back together for oh... 3 yeas now. It was supposed to be a quick-turn project that resulted in a cool daily driver. That didn't happen. We did have a great Overhaulin-style tear down party that left me with a shell of a Falcon.   After a total failure with my first paint job (a long boring story I won't revisit) I had to repaint my wagon, but this time, I wanted a flat paint job using flat clear. There's a bunch of forum-based info on painting with Hot Rod Flatz or using flat clear, but I wanted a trusted source with 30 years of painting experience. That's where Kevin Tetz from the Power Block show "Trucks" comes in. I met Kevin at SEMA a few years ago, and just like you'd suspect, he's...

James Owens - Featured Hot Rod Artist Everybody could use a little more creativity to fuel their lives – so we’re kicking off a new feature here at MyRideisMe! In our Artist Toolbox series, we’ll introduce you to a new hot rod inspired artist and bring you a tutorial from the artist themselves. So not only will you get the opportunity to learn about some fantastic, creative geniuses – but you might learn a thing or two as well! Some people out there hear the word “art” and think of fancy-schmancy galleries and a bunch of stuffed shirts. Others hear “low brow art” and assume it’s something the wife wouldn’t allow hanging in the house. No matter what you think of hot rod art, you’re in for a surprise! The artists we’ll spotlight in the Artist Toolbox series create high-class, fun, and hot-rod inspired pieces of beauty. They put the same sort of grit and heart into their works of art as we all put into our cars. This month’s feature artist is James Owens. Originally out of Detroit, James has single-handedly coined the phrase “car noir.” Art should...

Learn How To Paint Like Hot Rod Artist James Owens The Dame Wore Red is the first in MyRideisMe's new feature, Artist Toolbox. Read on for tips and secrets how James Owens makes his car noir art. _______________________________________________________________ The Dame Wore Red By James OwensShe sat there mocking me. Her blank stare made me feel like it was my first time. But I’ve been down this alley before and I learned something every time, usually the hard way. Her kind can strike terror into the hearts of grown men. Her milk-white skin was almost blinding, taunting, teasing me till I couldn’t think straight. She sat there on my easel thinking she had me right where she wanted me. A canvas is like a dame, you treat ‘em right and they’re a little bit of heaven right here on Earth. You treat ‘em wrong and brother you find yourself in a mess. I guess the big difference is, I’m usually trying to put something ON a canvas. My name is Owens, I paint pictures. It ain't rocket science. Any yegg can learn it. But not everyone is nutty enough to...

NorCal Hot Rods and Custom Car Show Pictures- N/K The sun was far from coming up when I was standing on the corner of 10th St in Antioch waiting on Villainz car club member Scott Coppack to pick me up. The night before I told Scott I would love to help the guys set up around the House of Style booth which feature phenom pinstripers-slash-painters Kyle Martin and John Christensen. Come to find out Scott had already pulled in to the show and was setting up. If it wasn't for Villainz John Lemoine with his sweet burnt orange 49 and his keen eye for black sticker-mobbed camera cases I probably would have been out in front till they let the public in. Well... probably not, but you get the picture.   (All of Nick's pictures from Billetproof here in the MyRideisMe.com Hot Rods and Customs gallery)     Upon entering the show, we grab our swag bag, pay the reggie fee and head to our designated area, which I might say was quite perfect! Under shade trees, right across from pinstriping mad men Rich Luna and Mr.Wims booth and...

History of Billetproof - The Original Fifteen years ago Kirk Jones and Jay Ward had a idea. The idea was to create a car show with unique, hand-crafted trophies and to express the growing old school hot rod movement. They held their first new car show at the Albany Bowl in Albany, CA. In attendance was 26 traditional cars and about 100 friends. The music was provided by The Stillman in the bowling alley's tiny, packed lounge. The year was 1997 and the show was simply named Billetproof. In 1998 on a rainy day at the Albany Bowl attendance jumped to 63 rods and the venue was busting at the seams. Billetproof was ready for a bigger venue. The next year in 1999 Billetproof thought they had found a new and bigger home. The MLK Jr. Waterfront Park in Oakland, CA. Right on the water, with grassy areas to relax in and fully equipped with built in BBQ's to cook on, the park seemed twice as big as they needed... Wrong! On this beautiful sunny day in Oakland, 129 choice hot rods and customs filled the parking lots to...

NorCal Hot Rods and Custom Car Show Pictures When you hear the circus is in town your first thought is of the big top, right? Well I asked my two daughters what was the first thing that came to mind when I said, "The circus is coming to town." My youngest who's four said, "Chuck Chuck the Clown" and my oldest who's eleven said, "A big parade of people". This is the funny cause I'm sitting in my backyard writing this story as it's happening... So I ask my girls what's the first thing that comes to mind when I say, The Circus of the Wicked is coming to town? Lets listen in for their response: My youngest says, "The chicken on SNL." OK. My oldest,"Sounds like a cool name for a car show." No, I'm not pulling your leg, that's what she said. There you have it, as I lead into this feature on the Circus of the Wicked car & bike show at Holeshot Choppers in Sacramento,CA. The host car club or should I say "ringleaders" for this event were, none other than, Relentless CC. Upon my...