Custom Cars and Hot Rods in Sacramento Story Contributed by MyRideisMe.com member: Nick Koljian "Hellcity316" Oh it's that time of the year again.. The Sacramento Autorama kicks off the beginning of another soon to be amazing car show year here in Northern California. The Sacramento Autorama is now in its 62nd year with Sacramento known as “The Kustom Capital of the World” and boasts being home to one of longest running indoor car shows in the world. The Autorama is recognized as the premiere custom car show on the West Coast featuring over 450 of the finest custom cars, hot rods, classics, motorcycles, and specialty vehicles from around the county. As always,Autorama weekend is held at Cal Expo and take up the entire Expo Center. Let me give a little tid-bit of show facts for this years show. The 2012 show theme is Futuristic. Cars and Vendors are encouraged to decorate with this theme. Cool. Over 500 show vehicles will compete for awards inside all of the Cal Expo buildings. The Clubhouse will be in The Pavilion and up to another 500 vehicles will join the event Saturday and...

2012 Ridler Winning 1955 Ford Thunderbird The Results are in! The 2012 Detroit Autorama's highest award (and the $10k!) goes to the Peace Family for a 1955 Ford Thunderbird that bested the Great 8 at a show where there could have easily been a "Great 12 or 15". The competition was TOUGH! To catch up on photos and info from the show, check these out: -- Toughest field of custom cars I've seen: Rilder's Great 8 Contenders -- Damn Great, but Not Great 8 – Detroit Autorama’s Best -- Going Down – Basement Best at 2012 Detroit Autorama The reasons why this subtly beautiful 'bird won the Ridler may not be apparent in pictures. Heck, I saw it myself and while "blown" away from the super-sano twin turbo hold'n engine compartment, gleaming chrome and dead nuts fit, I thought this was top three in the Ridler's Great 8. I really didn't know who'd win... (who ever does 'cept the judges) So rather than guess why the Bird won, I went to the source. The Peace Family and Greening Auto Company. Now this makes sense... and I should admit, I...

2012 Detroit Autorama - Basement's Best Hot Rods Bottom floor, everyone out! In the far corners of the grand Cobo Center convention hall, escalators carried you down... Down to an area where mortgage size dollars were spent on... mortgages! It's a place where hot rodders and their buddy who could weld hooked up with a dude from work who knew a painter then banded together to make a custom car they could all be proud of. Then Friday night, or Tuesday or whenever they'd terrorize the streets and strips. They're loud, rough and built with the true spirit of, "My Ride is Me". Down the escalator, a birdseye view of the basement turned into a closeup of the "Voodoo Hellion" and the Voodoo Kings car club. In the trophy area, I saw a, "Best Car Club" trophy, so the area clubs bring out their best and put in the extra effort on the setup too... I got tired of seeing thin white rope-like barriers. Dig the custom machined pieces here. Next door was the Brothers Custom display. Why this nasty black coupe (shiny paint and all) with a supremely...

2012 Detroit Autorama Not Ridler Contenders?   I took alota pictures at the Detroit Autorama. I had too...  at first, as I mentioned in the Great 8 Ridler Contender story, I didn't know which of the MANY fine rides at the show were actually in the running for the big award, the Ridler. So... I snapped away. No harm done cause that gives me a great reason to highlight the Autorama's "Not Great 8" hot rods and customs and let you decide if they shoulda been included. That'd mean one of the chosen Great 8 cars would have to go, so you decide... Did the judges pick the right cars? Leave a comment if you have an opinion.   Keep in mind, if any of these cars have been shown before, they're automatically out of the Ridler competition. If anyone knows specifically why one of the following weren't included, please let me know. (I'll speculate too)   As always, click to see the full-size photo.   Not Great 8 - 2012 Detroit Autorama's Best   This 1933 Hot Rod Ford coupe owned by Gregg and Jodi Blackford was built,...

2012 Detroit Autorama Ridler Award Contenders More fun than the republican primary! Vote for your favorite below.   Can't get enough of the Autorama? Check out these other stories: -- Here's the winner! Skip ahead and see the Ridler Winner -- Damn Great, but Not Great 8 – Detroit Autorama’s Best -- Going Down – Basement Best at 2012 Detroit Autorama   It's about time. I've been grabbing photos from friends for long enough. It's time for a personal account of the hot rods and custom cars that make up the Detroit Autorama, especially the best of the best, the Ridler cars. For the 60th Anniversary of the Detroit Autorama, the competition is extra tough... Fact is, I couldn't figure out what cars were the "Great 8"!   Rules for the Ridler are pretty simple: The cars should show: Creativity, Engineering and Workmanship. (What they don't mention is that the winner typically shows all three of these in a way, most likely, never seen before or done in a way that'll cause mouths to hit the floor) Just a few other rules, the Ridler contenders must be showing for...

Hot Rod & Custom Car Photography - 1936 Ford Pickup Download this hot rod pickup for your desktop. It's a big file, so give it some time... I get some cool shots sometimes too! I just posted the combo of Coby and Tim Sutton's beyond sick 1937 Lincoln Zephyr photo which is a shot, of a caliber (get it?) I aspire to create some day. Through some luck, good timing and maybe a developing eye for light, I got this shot of my friend Jim Ramirez's hot rod pickup. I knew this hot rod 1936 Ford pickup in suede blue paint with a really tough looking spade pinstriped on the door. That's going back to 2008, the first year I covered the LA Roadster Show. His pickup has changed! Last year, Jim parked in the suede palace, but this year, he's outside sip'n Tecate's with his car club pals the Throttle Kings. One thing you can count on with the Throttle Kings, their hot rods evolve... and they don't have air ride! From back in 2008 at the LA Roadster Show: Closer to present day... here's some other shots of Jim's...

Background and Details on the 2012 AMBR Winner How did editors and writers work before Google? I searched for some info on the man who started the 2012 America's Most Beautiful Roadster winning hot rod: Jack Howerton. I found this great video of "Jackie"  from back in the day: [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SUDD3gph8LM[/youtube] You can really see the expression of Jack's racing past in the AMBR car. Then, I found this great video by Cars.tv from the SoCal shop interviewing Pete Chapouris about the Indy Speedster following the shakedown runs. Needless to say, Pete likes it... [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_cmFefotPwg[/youtube] So here it is: America's Most Beautiful Roadster: Bill Lindig's Indy Speedster If you missed them: Past Winners from the Grand National Roadster...

2012 AMBR Winner - The Indy Speedster Enjoy the pictures and for any picture, click on it to see the full-size image. America's Most Beautiful Roadster: Bill Lindig's Indy Speedster I got lucky, or was I good? I managed to find Houston's Bill Lindig while the crowds started pouring into the Fairplex on Friday of the 2012 Grand National Roadster Show. I asked for an interview and the gracious Bill did NOT say, "I'm waiting for Rodder's Journal". I started the interview by saying I think the "Indy Speedster" is this year's AMBR winner. Bill humbly replied, "If the other nine cars don't win, we will." Guess what Bill, you did it! The story of the Indy Speedster goes back 16 years. Bill's friend, Jack Howerton, is an Indy Car and sprint car driver - and builder as you can see - that wanted a race car inspired hot rod like the old sprint cars he used to drive. About 12 years ago, Jack had started the chassis, then the build kinda stalled a little, then Steve Moal from Moal Coachbuilders helped the project along, but when Bill saw it...

Ten Hot Rod Roadsters at Grand National Roadster Show 2012 It's time for you to decide... Vote for your favorite below. The Grand National Roadster Show is the best west coast hot rod and custom car show. Anyone want to argue that? Did you come here looking for the winning roadster? Winner! 2012 America's Most Beautiful Roadster - click here Start with 10 of the finest roadsters competing for the America's Most Beautiful Roadster award, then get surrounded by every other kind of hot rod, street rod and custom... But there's more! Lowriders, some sports cars and motorcycles join the show, too. With two cars competing for this year's AMBR from Texas and one down from Idaho and another from Oklahoma, it's safe to say the SoCal and western build crews are bringin out the big guns for a shot at hot rod's biggest trophy. It's gonna be a tough call on which roadster wins... what do you think? Cast your vote, but don't worry, there's never any politics with this award... Enjoy the pictures and for any picture, click on it to see the full-size image. America's Most...

Hot Rods and Custom Cars at 2012 GNRS in Pomona, CA If you're looking for the "America's Most Beautiful Roadster" Pictures Click here. Just in case you can't make it to the Grand National Roadster Show this weekend, MyRideisMe.com is bringing the show to you! Of course, if you're anywhere near Pomona, California we'd suggest you make it out in person. GNRS is running from January 27th-29th at the Pomona Fairplex. Besides showcasing a dozen of the highest-quality show roadsters you've ever seen, competing for the AMBR Award, Grand National's also has many other exhibit halls with some of the best looking customs, classics, lowriders, and more! To start things off, is James Hetfield's 1937 Lincoln Zephyr. If this auburn beauty looks familiar, its because it's the cover feature of the fresh-off-the-press Rod & Custom. With more custom features than we can name, it's conception was at the Grand National Roadster Show - so it's only fitting that it be on display here for you to drool all over. It didn't take us long to get to one of our favorite halls, the Suede Palace where this golden El...

2012 Grand National Roadster Show in Pomona, CA Here's a short, top five must-do checklist of things to do when you're at the show: 1) Find it! And know your way around. Access to Gate 9 Parking from I10 traveling West and from I10 traveling East Then, a map of the Pomona Fairplex where the show is: The layout of the show changes every year, somewhat, except for the America's Most Beautiful Roadster contending cars are always in building 4 and the Suede Palace (which is building 10) a good place to stop as you enter the show. For cost info, show hours and the other boring details, go to Rodshows.com info page. 2) See the 12 Contenders for America's Most Beautiful Roadster 2011 America's Most Beautiful Roadster This is the 2011 winning 1934 Roadster owned by Daryl Wolfswinkel and built by Squeeg's Kustoms in Chandler, AZ. Here's the 2008 to 2011 AMBR winners. Can't wait? Here's the 2012 AMBR Winner! The 12 AMBR Contenders are some of the best hot rods you'll ever see... all with no roll-up windows as a true roadster must be. Need to know more...

Hot Rod & Custom Car Photography Jeff Norwell's perfect hot rod pickup at the Moody Mile in Syracuse Whether your building your first hot rod or a website about hot rods, it's best to have a little help. The most generous people you meet help when really, there's nothing in it for them. They're just, "Like that".  That's the case for this featured photographer, Chuck Vranas. I met Chuck at the Grand National Roadster Show in Pomona, CA. He was floating around shooting here and there, but didn't look overly busy and rushed (like me), so I asked who he shoots for. At the time, he was shooting for Source Interlink powerhouse Street Rodder Magazine.  Chuck shoots and writes feature car and tech stories for Street Rodder quite a bit, especially lately. Check out the newest issues and you'll see stories Chuck did. It's almost like seeing someone you know on TV! (but totally different) Chuck is the real deal when it comes to hot rods too. Doesn't it kinda show when a photographer really likes what he's shooting? Ansel Adams can shoot some landscapes like nobody's business, but...