MyRideisMe.com featured a blog a while ago about the stunning, Grand National Roadster Show stealing (click to read->) 27 Chevy Modified built by Dan Collins of the Old Gold Garage. The car was built for his wife, Tiffany Collins, who actually purchased the car in a rusty hulk in Temecula, CA. If you dug this car, check out how the car was deservingly featured on the cover of Rod and Custom Magazine and they took some great studio pictures of the car and filled in some details. Take a look at the Rod and Custom online story. Congratulations Dan and...

The LA Roadster Show is one of the MUST shows of the year, at least for me. The Pomona Fairplex gets another sweet show too, the Grand National Roadster Show. (let's not forget 2 NHRA events!) It's no wonder, about a ka-jillion hot rodders and custom car builders are in the greater LA area. The LA Roadster Show is put on by, you guessed it, the LA Roadster Car Club. Founded in 1957, this is the 44th annual show. I posted some pics of the LA Roadster Show, but only of the show itself. Here's those pics (Click HERE). Sorry, they're not my best effort. Camera broke, I'm not so talented behind it anways, 'nuff said! I also got some from the So-Cal show (Click HERE). So before next year's show, I better show you what I found outside the show; in the swap and in the show lot, I call it. That's where I found this hot little sedan. This is my favorite picture from the show. (if the owner wants it, you can have it free, just email me.) One thing that's true at all the LA...

If you've never had the chance to visit a premier classic/hot rod show, then you might be wondering, what's it take to hit that level? It's trivial to say, "You need alot of money." While that's true, it's like they say, "Money can't buy love" and you can see and feel the sometimes years of effort it takes to put a top quality car together. A new friend from over at icwires.com would also like everyone to know that alot of the big builders farm out work too. Not everyone's an expert at everything! From the concept illustrations to the wiring to the paint and body, these cars must be done right. Alot of times, they define right and set the trends for the next super show cars. So take a look at the ultimate Under-over. These pics show the detail you could put into your rod or muscle car if you wanted to. Before the "You gotta drive it" crew chimes in, I agree. But if these cars sit on blinged-out rotating displays with their rotors chromed and headers polished and nary the tiniest oil stain on their...

2008 Grand National Roadster Show Winner Make sure to check out the 2009 Pictures of the Grand National Roadster Show! The votes are in for the 2008 America's Most Beautiful Roadster award from the "Grand-daddy of them all" the Grand National Roadster Show in Pomona, California held last weekend, 1/26-27. Thanks to the show's promoter at Hotrodshows.com, I found the basic description for the AMBR: "The judges at this show are looking for excellence in: Display, Engineering, Paint, Engine, Interior, and Detail. All AMBR entries must be able to start under their own power and move forwards and backwards. All AMBR entries will be displayed in 20 X 20’s in Building 4. Winner is determined by a point system from the judging staff, and producer." Good luck guys! ALL of the cars looking to win the AMBR are nearly perfect. What am I saying? They are perfect! But let's break this down a little. Before we do, here's the winner: The 32 Roadster owned by Rudy Necoechea called, "Undisputed" As I've mentioned before, writing about another contending car, (previous blog, click here) the judges for these polished wonders have...

Save The Salt Foundation Gets $40,000 from "Century of Speed"   For those of us who have been honored to walk on the surface of what is known as The Bonneville Salt Flats, there is a myriad of terms used to describe the experience. Common words like magic or mystical or speed heaven are almost immediately used and usually accompany a kind of far-off gaze that comes over the face of the person relating their experience. It’s as if this specific part of the planet was put aside just for speed addicts.     For 100 years we speed addicts have pushed, pulled, carried or driven our mechanical mounts out to one of the strangest places on earth, where little survives and even less is welcome. Here on The Salt we’ve sought the ultimate prize of speed, shooting first for that magic 100 mile per hour plateau but today taking all sorts of racing machinery to 200, 300, 400…heck, let’s just go for 500 or 700 miles per hour. At Bonneville, though the limitations can place great obstacles in front of the speed demons that shoot across the shiny...

Amazing Metal Flake Paint   Would you say 10 miles of masking tape??   By now, you've probably seen that the Grand National Roadster Show is one of the best. I used some pretty stupid criteria to say that: 1) Diversity of cars 2) Show at a ridiculously high caliber.   There aren't many shows with Hot Rods, the "America's Most Beautiful Roadster" contenders, then motorcyles and really, the most radically detailed and perfected rides of the event: Lowriders. Combine that fact (discuss/object if you like) with my amazement or maybe sheer disbelief in how metal flake paint like this is done and you've got some cool pics!     Taking a walk down Lifestyle Blvd (the car club that dominates GNRS lowrider hall every year) there's eye candy everywhere. The loweriders don't just wear candy-flaked-striped custom paint. That's only the start! On the highest-end lowrider, every single part of the car is customized.... either painted, chromed, etched... sometimes a combination of all. Then the interiors are perfect, the stereos rock and of course, they're laid out on hydraulics. There's not one ride half-stepping.   And my favorite of...

Pinstriping Everything at 2014 Grand National Roadster Show     The Grand National Roadster Show brings in the best of everything in the hot rod world... and dead smack in the middle of hot rod culture is art. In this case, it's pinstriping!     If you wandered down to the far end of the Main Hall at the Pomona Fairplex, you might have seen these "artists" at work. Artists? I'd say yes.  Big hearted, generous and talented should also be thrown out! The pinstripers are here for a charity auction to benefit the Ronald McDonald House Charities. Great deals are had on one of a kind pinstriping pieces, or if you're not that committed, come get your phone, sunglasses, camera - whatever!! Pinstriped for a donation.   Pictures here are a few of my favorites. I love metal flake paint, as you can see, so I'm a sucker for the combo of flake and pinstriping. Plus... the pinstripers can be "colorful" with their language and sometimes their subjects!   Reminds me of my dad! I once complained my automatic equipped car wasn't shifting from first to second... he said,...

2014 Grand National Roadster Show - Kermit Green El Camino   When I saw this super clean El Camino, I had to shoot it. For one reason, I knew a bunch of people would miss it. Did you?       ALlan Clark of Red Top, CA parked this show stopping custom in the farthest corner of the Main Hall down by the pinstripers jam. If you went to the pinstriping auction or to see the pinstripers in action, you couldn't have missed it glowing in the corner.     Taking info from the show card (Allan, feel free to help me fill in the details...) the top was chopped 3 inches, then an Impala bedcover and back end were used. Headlights and tail lights were frenched in then the custom wheel vents, side exhaust exit and hood scoop were custom made. It says hard-top doors were used as well. All these custom features and the amazing custom paint were handled by Ray Ramirez of Dos Palos, CA.       Clearly the interior was just as custom as the exterior. Upholstery duties were handled by Castillo Upholstery of...

The Suede Palace, for sure!   Take an Iowa "kid", ship him to hot rod mecca (in this case, the 2014 Grand National Roadster Show) and then ask him..."Well? Whadja like the best?" Aside from the pure California vibrations that set in just after stepping off the plane from the frigid Midwest, this hot rodder had a hard time sitting still over a two-day jaunt at the Pomona Fairplex where not only could your hot rod addiction be satiated, but you could easily overdose...all with a great big smile on your face.   The historic GNRS, celebrating 65 continuous years of car mania events, is everything and more, if you've heard any tales of what this show is all about. Let's see, the main building has all the potentials vying for 2014 America's Most Beautiful Roadster and they are surrounded by some of the finest custom and hot rod iron this car nut could ever imagine. Then there's oh, yes, five  more buildings filled full of chrome, speed and attitude only a fanatic could truly appreciate.     The Pomona complex is huge and the main building consumes hours...

2014 Grand National Roadster Show - Suede Palace Custom   The Grand National Roadster Show, now in its 65th year, has a different meaning to different people.   You've got the America's Most Beautiful Roadster fans who can't wait to see what the biggest imaginations, and yes, the biggest pocketbooks can build... but there are some who care more about YOU, the builder, what you and your pals have done to your own car , and when they'll see you burning up the streets with it! That's the key to success in the Suede Palace.   Fresno's Robert Collins is no stranger to building street worthy art. That's really the best description for the steeds he has put on the road in his lifetime including this ultra gorgeous '35 Dodge DU Coupe which languished in the back of the former owner's shop until Robert showed one day and took pity on the massive metal.     "I'd been watching for a real tail-dragger," he explained, "and this one fit the bill perfectly. I just loved the lines and decided this was going to be just what I needed." Robert...

Get $2500 from Gumout for your Hot Rod Project   Are you working on a hot rod project? Maybe your project is stalled? Is it taking too long (that's me!) or you haven't even started yet? Don't worry! Make it fun, and take advantage of Gumout's offer to help out with $2500!   To inspire or maybe just give ya the friendly kick in the pants you need to get started, I wanted to tell a couple stories about successful hot rod projects and one slick Chevy truck getting dropped and bagged in one day.   First look above... you see Victor, closest to his home built Model A hot rod coupe, standing with Jim and Chris. I know Vic's a hard worker and talented building just about anything he sets out to make for himself or his Throttle Kings Car Club buddies. I met Vic when his hot rod was just getting started:     Vic enjoyed this hot rod coupe as much as anyone could with multiple trips to Viva Las Vegas Car Show and LA Roadster Show visits. Maybe that's the trick to long term project...

1930 Ford Hot Rod with Traditional Style (Click to see Trent's great pictures full size)   Time – that one thing you can never truly get back and the one thing you can never seem to have enough of. There are those times though when a little patience, a bit of preparedness and a calculated bit of timing pay off dividends when a long awaited opportunity raises its head.   For Kopis Georgalos, that time came at the 2008 LA Roadster show. Despite a good rep as a fabricator and custom builder, with a mild 1951 Pontiac custom to showcase his work, Kopis long had plans in the works for a project yet to occupy a space in his garage – a traditional rod. Notice I said his garage, not so and so’s customs or such and such’s garage. Nope – this build wasn't simply just for Kopis to have the traditional rod he had always wanted, but a chance to push himself, test his skills and learn some new tricks along the way.   Kopis knew an open car, maybe a roadster would be right for him. Coupes...