Just met, at least through email, a professional hot rod writer living in England named Keith Harman. I'd like to introduce him some, but he does it better in his own words: Since 2002 I've been working as a self employed freelance automotive journalist specializing in Hot Rods, American Cars, Bikes etc and to date I guess I've had about 300 pieces published so far, mostly in magazines like Custom Car and Classic American in the UK, Old Skool Rodz and Car Kulture Deluxe in the US and also Cruzin in Australia. I've had one book published, entitled 'Great American Hot Rods' which is available online from Amazon in the UK, though as it was published mainly for the American market it can be bought over the counter in Barnes & Noble and Borders bookstores in the US. I drive a steel '34 Five-window Coupe with a 327 and 5-speed that I imported from Tennessee in 2006. I'm happily married to Paula who often accompanies me on my travels far and wide, we like a lot of the same stuff which makes life easy and I'm sure she'll feature...

NorCal Hot Rod Car Show Story Contributed by MyRideisMe.com member: Nick Koljian "Hellcity316" There's something about a car show that's 15 minutes from the house that gives me the warm fuzzies. That my rod enthusiasts was Nite of the Hot Rods in Antioch,Ca. A quick trip over the hill and *BAM* there I was pulling up to the pier at the Riverview Lodge. The Riverview Lodge is a classic place to have a show. The breeze off the bay kept the crowd cool as cars lined the lodge's pier. And if the breeze wasn't enough, drinks at the lodge bar also helped! The lodge is like a old Elks club lodge turned restaurant but still keeping with the old beat up look. This would be the 3rd annual show hosted by Antioch's own Dragoons CC. Being in Antioch I knew it would be a diverse show and boy was I right. Everything from your classic and custom bombs brought in by Bay Bombs CC and the Dukes CC of the East Bay. Then there were the rat draggers provided by Vallejo's Swanx CC. Not only did they roll in...

It was an early morning wandering around the quaint streets of Stevensville, Montana. The last thing I expected to see was a slammin' 1934 Ford Hot Rod Pickup. If it wasn't for my own pre-morning-coffee-haze I would've gone into the Full Moon Saloon and inquired who the owner was. Lucky for me (and you) that I ran into this pretty truck along with its owner Ken Scobie, once more that evening at the Stevensville Summer Picnic & Car Show. With 2 trophies under its belt in a mere 4 weeks since being completed, this truck is worth giving a peek. Its been built from the frame up by Ken Scobie, a San Diego native that migrated on up to Montana 35 years ago while still working as mechanic. He's since retired, and at the age of 69 says "For a poor kid growing up in the days of cool rods it has always been a dream of mine to build a rod in the old school style." Build a rod he did! "Finding this beauty was the real treat. She was in Helena, Montana behind a house out in...

Story and Photos submitted by Gerd Liebschner Gerd contacted MyRideisMe.com and asked if we'd like to see a little of the Streetmag Days in Germany.  OH YEA!  Thanks Gerd!  Anyone else?  Please leave a comment if you're finding this story from anywhere in Europe. The Streetmag Days are a yearly event in Germany ans Austria.  Here's a list of future,"Tour-Dates:" Street Mag Show Hamburg 23./24. May Street Mag Show Dornbirn/Austria 30./31. May Street Mag Show Geiselwind 12.-14. June Street Mag Show Hannover 08./09. August Street Mag Show Grefrath 22./23. August Meanwhile the whole US-Car Scene is getting more and more popular in Germany. Really beautiful cars! - I think the Hamburg show is one of the smaller parts of the show Days - but it´s really quite near to my home. This year I have been in Hamburg for the first time because I REALLY love US Cars - especially Hot Rods and Pickups. It´s a real nice event. Feel free to visit their official website: http://street-mag-show.de I look forward to the Hannover show in August to take more shots! Thanks for the info and pictures. Hot rodding is...

Hot Rod Roadster from the Grand National Roadster Show When you compete for the biggest roadster prize there is, America's Most Beautiful Roadster (the AMBR as it's called) you've already won. When you're the second woman in the Grand National Roadster Show's 60 year history to compete, there's got to be a story brewing for MyRideisMe.com. I first noticed Kim Vranas' 1927 Ford Touring Roadster resting quietly, not 30 feet away from the eventual AMBR winner  named "Hot Rod Special" built at Willet Specials. Owning a 1927 roadster myself, that is in fact a cut version of the very same Model T touring body Kim chose. Trouble is, two people barely fit in my "lakes style" modified roadster. That's why, this uncut touring was easily one of my favorites at the show. It could be a "Family Hot Rod"! Following the GNRS, the roadster took a short ride into Los Angeles to accept an invitation of the Peterson Automotive Museum.  The So-Cal show in Pomona, CA marked the "outside" debut of Kim's hot rod with her husband Chuck getting the chance to pour in some 108 octane and blue...

Hot Rods and Custom Car Show Pictures Story Contributed by MyRideisMe.com member: Nick Koljian "Hellcity316" This time of the year for the past 10 years the Strangers CC has it's annual car show & BBQ at History Park in San Jose, California and for the past couple of years I've been wanting to go, but something always prevented me from going. Whether it be work, being out of town or just plain too lazy to drive an hour or so down 680. Well this year was the 10th anniversary of the show and I did not have to work, I was in town and it was just to nice of a Sunday to be lazy. So I packed up the camera bag, flipped the A/C on and down 680 I sailed. Hoping by the time I got there that I would be feeling a little bit better than I did earlier that morning. About a hour later I pull up on History Park. History Park is a very cool setting with old historic houses set in the park, hence the name. I stroll up and pay my 2 bucks...

When you find cool hot rods like at Pomona, California's LA Roadster Show, there's bound to be great example's of hot rodding's art form: Pinstriping.  My man Swanee went nuts at the Roadster show and at the preceding So-cal Open House car show. Here's just one example of the slick pinstriping and great photos that we hope we can all learn from: What's out there in pinstriping? What colors might work on my car? (let the striper pick, you'll be glad you did) How much is enough pinstriping and what's too much? (tastes vary!) So hurry over to the pinstriping picture gallery and also, check out Pullin Lines #1: From Viva Las Vegas pinstriping gallery. MyRideisMe.com is looking for pinstriping artist to feature in a story and in our gallery.  Links to your website provided.  Let's see what you've got! And if this is your work, please tell...

Cruising any car show with buddies, there's always one car that even weeks later, you're still talking about it: "Remember that one car?" and you all do. That happened cruising the Scottsdale Goodguys show in November and I never forgot, even though Otis Schmidt, the owner of this bad hot rod may have thought I did! Otis, a hot rod, custom car and racing fan since he started building model cars at 12 years old, is now living in Moore, Oklahoma. He bought his 1929 Ford Sedan from Mark Riojas of Bridge Creek, Oklahoma after finding it parked right next to him at an NSRA show in Oklahoma City. Otis immediately dug the car cause it reminded him of a similar-styled 1934 Ford Sedan he'd recently, and regrettably sold . Between missing his 34 and the gold teaser parked right next to him, Otis contacted Mark soon after the show and a deal was struck on the phone. The first thing you notice about Otis's 1929 Sedan, called the "Corrugated Flyer"  is the wild gold/copper color. The color's officially Gold Acrylic enamel. From there, throw in some flattener and mix in...

The 2nd Annual Billetproof Washington Washout was even more impressive than last year. MyRideisMe.com member Michael Nantz gives us the scoop and pictures of his favorite rides: "There were spectators hovering around every car. The weather was some of the best you could hope for at any car show and there were some big vendors this year; the guys from SoCal Speed Shop in Sacramento made the trek up to Washington and were busy in their booth all day. For the first day of this 2 day car show there were 650+ cars of all styles. There was the "standard" rat rods (which is a term I can't stand but will say it anyway) to the traditional rods to some very rare and old customs. At the show on day 1 the first car I came across was the 1930 Model A from Top Ten Hot Rods which was my favorite car of the show with its 1957 392 Hemi with Enderle fuel injection force fed by matching, twin 1957 McCulloch superchargers modified to run without clutches to feed about 20lbs of boost, EACH… to the 7:1 Hemi. All that runs through a Chrysler 4...

As much as we love our home-built cars that we’ve poured blood, sweat, and sometimes tears into – most of us recognize we don’t have the skill or talent to produce cars along the caliber that greats such as Boyd Coddington, Ed Roth, Harry Bradley, and the Alexander Brothers do. Which is why its such good news that coming this September we all have a chance to own one of these “Icons of Speed and Style”. Yep, that’s right. Nearly 80 cars, all from a single-owner collection, will be up for grabs in a no-reserve auction billed “Icons of Speed and Style” held September 26, 2009 at The Peterson Museum in Los Angeles, California by RM Auctions. Whether its speed, style, or history you’re into, this well-rounded collection offers it all. Legendary cars such as the famous Dodge “Little Red Wagon” wheel-standing drag truck, the dominating Ray Allen LS6 Chevelle Convertible, legendary “Big John” Mazmanian’s Corvette gasser, the original “Road Agent” show car by Ed “Big Daddy” Roth as well as famous customs from the Ayala Brothers, Sonny Mazza, the Alexander Brothers, George Barris, Daryl Starbird and Boyd Coddington...

Nitro Burning Model A Ford Coupe Twin blown 1930 Ford Coupe ready to run Nitro as seen at the 2009 So-Cal open house in Pomona, CA When Canada natives Ken and his partner Frank Bevacqua from Top Ten Hot Rods and Customs build a hot rod, they follow their motto: "Bad Done Good". That exactly describes their ground pounding, nitro burning, fuel injected, hemi powered, twin McCulloch blown, tube frame 1930 Ford Coupe. Do I have your attention? Built as Top Ten's calling card of badness, Frank told me he loves the funny cars and front engine diggers you usually see at the popular cacklefest events, but where are the coupes? At drag races and for the first time at the 2009 LA Roadster Show, cacklefests are awesome. If you've never seen and more importantly heard a "cacklefest" then you're missing out. Imagine 5-20 nitromethane or "fuel" burning beasts from the not-forgotten yester-year of drag racing's lined up, and lit up, usually at night or just dusk to see the signature yellow flames shooting from the exhaust pipes. You know you're in the right place when the push cars...

    The Bountiful, Utah "Coats For Kids" Car Show was just another example of small town USA and the car nuts that make up this great hobby/pastime.  Personally, I think its crucial that towns big and small keep hotrodding alive and passing the automotive genes onto the next generation by supporting and putting on car shows and cruise-ins like this one in downtown Bountiful, Utah.          Looking over these pictures again, I thought about how events like this create a sense of community and make family memories for years to come.  Nothing more american, or human, than a good car show with your friends and family.    Here are some of my favorite pictures I took while hanging with my family.  How else can you teach your kid to hang his arm out the window like a true hotrodder than by owning a '32 roadster?  How else will he know what a 4bbl carbed big block V8 sounds like unless he can stand next to it and feel the ground shake!  Shoot me an email at hechtspeed@myrideisme.com and I'll post up your "small town USA" car show pics and...