2012 Norcal Car Show "Year in Review" Words & pictures by: Nick Koljian (About Nick) (click on any picture to see it full size... you really should!) Part I As 2012 passes by in the side mirror, 2013 is jumping up on us like a dog in heat. And with the passing of 2012 we saw some pretty amazing shows. Some big, some small, but all good. For 2013, I'm looking forward to bigger and better shows for Northern California. I'm looking forward to shows I've been to year-in and year-out and, of course, some of the newer shows that are making a name for themselves in the car show season. The bay area never ceases to amaze me with its bold paint, fine lines and outstanding collection of customs and classic rides. So let’s throw it in reverse and take a look back 2012. February 2012 The Sacramento Autorama Baseball has it's opening day, here in Northern California our car show season starts with the Sacramento Autorama at the Cal Expo Fairgrounds in Sacramento, CA. This show is a circus of custom rides beyond anyone's imagination. Inside, you...

NorCal Hot Rods and Custom Car Show Pictures Words by N/Koljian with photos by N/Koljian, John Lemoine & Alan G It starts out in Ocala, FL in March and moves its way across the map hitting cities like Michigan and Washington ‘til it arrives in Antioch, CA for the grand finale. This year’s Billetproof kept up to past standards by being the blowout show to end a great Northern California car season. Being that it’s the last big show of the year, Alan Galbraith and the boys from the Dragoons Car Cult set out to make this a show to remember. With a car count of 850 plus and a spectator total exceeding 3000, well, you do the math. We showed up early, and I mean early, to catch the roll in. The sun was just peaking over the hills of Antioch and there was already a stable of rods 2 to 3 city blocks deep and MyRideisMe.com captured all that went down at the 16th Billetproof in 2012. (Skipping the story? See all of the photos from 2012 Billetproof right here: MyRideisMe.com's 2012 Billetproof Antioch Pictures - Or...

Hot Rods and Custom Car Show Pictures from Skoty Chops Custom Showcase 2012 Words & pictures by Nick Koljian - CLICK to zoom Alameda, CA has a little old place called the Forbidden Island. It's a well known tiki lounge right in the heart of the historical Bay Station shopping district. It’s quite the retro oasis and has been a staple in Alameda since April of 2006. Many compare the dreamy decor to the Enchanted Tiki Room in Disneyland from the glowing puffer fish to the tiki statues and Tahitian velvet paintings. The Forbidden Island also is well known for serving up award winning, world famous and classic exotic cocktails and for the past 5 years serving up a little diddy known as The Tiki Car Hop. So let the gang from MyRideisMe.com take you on a little Polynesian treat where tiki island tradition meets mainland hot rod culture. Grab yourself a scorpion bowl, relax and enjoy East Bay Sinners CC Tiki Car Hop @ The Forbidden Island in Alameda, CA. This being my first trip to the car hop, I didn't know what to expect. Outside the Forbidden Island vintage rides...

Hot Rods and Custom Car Show Pictures from Skoty Chops Custom Showcase 2012 Words & pictures by: Have you ever heard the old phrase "You have to see it to believe it." Well that old phrase stands true to a local car show that has been going on for the past 4 years in Redwood City, CA. That show is Skoty Chops Shootout custom car show. Along with the show, Mr. Wim puts on his Brush Stroke for the past 3 years. So with that type of 1-2 punch you can't go wrong! Skoty Chops is one of most well known fabricators in Northern California and pinstriper Jaime "Wim" Trevino is one of the steadiest hands this side of Los Angeles. You combine the two and you get a pretty impressive showing of custom cars and pinstripers. Seeing is believing, that's why MyRideisMe.com show hounds, the Lens Junkies Nick Koljian and John Lemoine were on the spot bringing you Skoty Chops Shootout and Brush Stroke #4. Time in and time out, a Skoty Chops show will bring in some of the south bay's best customs, bombs, classics and hot rods...

Custom Cars with Custom Paint - Favorite Flake Roof Photography (Click on any photo to see it full size) I've been meaning to write a post on custom paint and especially the amazing custom paint you'll find on lowriders and customs, especially in NorCal. With the great customs piling in at the NorCal Knockout, I finally got the shots I wanted. Lend a hand! If you know these cars, and more importantly, who the painter is... please leave a comment (you don't have to register or anything) and I'll add the info to this story. There's nothing I'd like to do more than give credit to these painters. Fantastic work! This is the roof of the 1959 Lincoln (pretty sure on the year) shown above. Rainbow flake with lace and darker flake fade. This car was a show stopper and won best of show. I know this was the roof of a 62 or so Ford Thunderbird. You've got it all here! Lace, multi colors of metal flake including rainbow flake and silver metal flake. There's even some flames... I'm running out of ways to say, Unbelievably cool. You'd...

Northern California Car Show - Hot Rods and Custom Cars Story Contributed by MyRideisMe.com member: Nick Koljian "Hellcity316" You ever get an invitation to a party and just get stoked that you are going? You mark it on the calendar and count down the days. "Oh man, 1 more week!" You check your smart phone mid week knowing that it's this Saturday, "Dude, I wonder what's going to be on the BBQ?" Friday rolls around and you're cruising home from work just gassed about tomorrow, " This party is going to rock!" you're so excited that on Saturday morning you're  already up before the alarm goes off. You're on Facebook telling all your friends where to be at. Then, at that very moment you receive text on your phone, you break down to check it and the number's one you don't recognize: 4664. The message reads,"kool-aid will be served...." My alarm goes off and I pop out of bed knowing with a dream like that I must be excited for the show. Today is the Dragoons Car Cult 6th annual Nite Of The Hot Rods @ The Riverview Lodge in downtown Antioch,...

Northern California Car Show - Hot Rods and Custom Cars Story Contributed by MyRideisMe.com member: Nick Koljian "Hellcity316" It's that time of the year again and like a little kid on Christmas eve I'm all giddy with hot rod excitement. The night of July 6th I was very restless. Shuffling around all my camera gear, making sure all my batteries where good and charged and cleaning my lenses... I put a little stack of necessities right by the front door for the morning so I would not forget them. Phone, media pass, gum, MyRideisMe.com stickers and other little survival tidbits that I might need for the next day festivities. You know when you get that feeling that you are forgetting something and you can't put your finger on it? Well, that was the feeling I was having. I looked around at everything and went through my list 4 times over. I made all my calls, got all my gear, the ride is fueled up, went to the bank for some juice. What am I forgetting? Then it dawned on me. I took a look at the clock in my...

Hot Rods, Custom Cars and Rockabilly in Burlingame, CA For all of Nick's great pictures from the show, visit the Hot Rod Car Show Picture Gallery (click to see these pictures full size) The Embassy Suites in Burlingame, CA played host to this year’s 14th Annual Booze, Broads and Hot Rods (BBHR) sponsored by Kool Cat Kustoms and Hermans Barber Shop. The BBHR show has skipped around locations in the past years, due to its rising popularity, originally starting out in South San Francisco 13 years ago. This show has grown over the years to "mark your calendar status" and has also added Rockabilly Festival to its title in recent years. Rightfully so with the talent this show has provided for your listening pleasure. Burlingame is just south of San Francisco and lies right along the bay, so on a beautiful mid-April day like, you will get that soothing, cool breeze coming off the bay all day long. If you plan on attending a BBHR's show, plan for an all day and night affair because when the Bombshells say it's a festival they mean it. The show is slated...

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...

Fall Fiasco: The Best Small Car Show of the Year This time every year the Swanx car club holds their Fall Fiasco car show. It signifies another successful Northern California car show season is nearing the end. Usually you would think it would be a big shindig with all the trimmings. Maybe a show so loaded with clubs that it would be SRO. Perhaps a plethora of vendors flooding the parking lots or even a band list that would resemble a 1978 Day on the Green. Not so... Rather than going out in bright lights and flash. Like every year, the Swanx Fall Fiasco, number 12 of it's long reign. went out in comforting style. Held at Allen-Simmons in Cordelia, CA, a quaint little area tucked back in the city's southwest side right next to Interstate 80's big billboards and other freeway propaganda perfect for pictures. I wanted to get to the show early this morning and drop off MyRideisMe.com swag and some cool pics I had matted for the raffle. Upon arrival I met up with Swanx car club guru Gunar Hansken to drop off the raffle goodies....

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...