Grand National Roadster Show, January 2017.

Having caught up with a few of the boards Non Luminaries last Sunday I was reminded that somehow I've neglected to add my next offshore sojourn to the board.

So, let's take a quick look at some of the model cars displayed at the Grand National Roadster Show, held over the last weekend in January 2017. There's some pretty talented model builders in the LA area and it shows in the stuff on the tables, like this seriously modified Corvette racer.



Or this street version of the same car.



The car hauler is not a kit that I've ever seen, making me think it's been created from another kit/kits or scratch built.



The small dioramas were pretty well done.













The restored original 1/1 scale Roth truck was parked nearby, let me know if you want to see it and I'll add some pics.



Of course there were a few models built from only the parts in one box.









Or maybe the parts in two boxes.



However, just like the 1/1 scale cars, there's always one that stands out and this is it.



This is not a 1/24 scale plastic kit, but an entirely scratch built, fully functional (yep, it runs and drives!) 1/8 scale model made from the same materials as the original car on which it is based.





And yes, that Hemi is a nitro burner and it sounds just like a full sized top fueler, AWESOME! is a bit of an understatement.



Lemme know if you'd like to see the 1/1 cars or maybe some of the for sale cars that I was able to check out around the LA and St Louis areas.

thanks Carps, i would like to see more pics, never get tired of seeing the things u find

Yes, please for more pictures. I always enjoy your trip photos.

Thank's for sharing them yes please on more photos.

OK, because you asked so nicely, I’ll start with my favourite roadster of the whole show!  The one that almost made me wet my pants when I clapped eyes on it the first time.  Matt Gordon's 'Time Merchant' is close enough to being the perfect hot rod that it got my vote for top car of show. It may not have won the big trophy but to my eye and mind it’s simply gorgeous!  A perfect combination of the right colour, detail and just enough shiny chrome plate to make it cooler than dry ice.



I could not find a single thing that I'd change on this car, or even consider changing, it has everything covered, stance, attitude, a mountain  of cool and everything else that screams pure hot rod!



Power is provided by a genuine Rocket J2 and check out those mudguards, they look perfect for the car and sure would help it get an Aussie license plates.  I tried to imagine it without them and figured it'd look unfinished and dumb.



The chrome work is also flawless.



As is the light metallic blue paintwork.



The wood floorboards in the bed look like they wuz growed especially for this car.



And the upholstery leather is dyed to match it perfectly, as are the engine and transmission colours, that's what I call detailing in the extreme.



There's also lots more cool details and tricks.



Yup, this be the one I kept going back to and wanted to bring home.



That said, I think I shot waaaay too many pictures this year, so there's quite a lot more to come starting with last years AMBR winner, Daryl Hollenbeck's sublime in the extreme Deuce which is also finished to perfection.



So simple it's hard to imagine how it won.



Until you look closely at all the amazing details, even on the tyres.



After Shock! Was built by Rick Dore for Glen McElroy and labelled as a completely hand built car, mounted to a 1937 Ford Chassis by Art Morrison.



I think it may have lost some points for the rear license plate, which appeared to have been just screwed onto the back of the car with a couple of self-tappers.



‘Boss 32’ is Don & Cathy Linfors' home built Deuce Roadster Pickemup.



A sweet car that looks great from any angle.



Wayne Johnson calls his track nosed '29 Roadster ‘Probiscis’.  It's powered by a 420 cubic inch small block Ford that makes 537 neddies.



Jim Mc Pherson's 1934 Ford Tub is a very well built and detailed machine which has clearly seen a whole bunch of road miles.  That it was included among the contenders with so much road rash had many scratching their heads, until they looked closer at the way it was built and all intricate details.



Bill Grant's '28 A is a study in hot rodding history, right down to the Miller OHC banger and ….



…..chrome plated rods for the mechanical brakes.  



James Hetfield's Deuce is another built from the best vintage speed equipment and hot rod parts.



For some contrast……



…. how about a big Ford Hemi power plant?



…. in yet another Deuce Roadster Pick-up.



Black is definitely the popular hue, favoured equally by hot roders or so it seems, as it was by old Hank hisself.  It's used to good effect on Gordon and Carolina Gray's British Columbia (that’s in Canadia) based Brookville road-duster..



Closer inspection of Scott Hawley and Joe Rebozzi's Deuce revealed it to be blue and not the dark shade popular with Batman and many of this years contenders..



No mistaking what colour is Dan Petersen's Deuce Highboy.



It's Hemi powered………



…..and detailed to the max!



Almost got my vote just for not being black.



Matt Taylor dared to be different, using a vintage Dodge as the basis for his sixties style kustom-rod.



OOPS!, seems I may have forgotten to note down the details on this little red roadster.



It’s a pretty cool and worthy contender no matter which way you look at it.



However, there can be only one winner and this year this great big 9 foot tall trophy……



………went home in the rumble seat of a custom built Packard!



It was one way cool ride and the crowd that was six deep around it all weekend made getting a decent photograph almost impossible, but I managed to get a couple or three.

Some nice wheels there.

Thanks for posting these great pics , it is much appreciated. You are right about that blue roadster you like , it looks so sweet .

Thanks for more photos, Ya the blue roadster pickup is so sweeeet so are a few others, Like the Vintage Dodge roadster too.

So I guess that means you would like to see more?  It could take a while as I shot quite a few thousand images at the show and other places I visited, or went shopping.

Anyhow, without further ado, here's my top ten cars from almost 800 on display inside the 8 buildings that make up the indoor part of the Grand National Roadster Show.  I'm sure once I've posted more images of the other cars everybody will have a different opinion to mine and that's the joy of hot rodding and model building too.  We are all individuals with individual tastes and we all like what we like.

My undisputed number one choice by a country mile!  



The remaining nine started in order but then as I ran through the list I struggled to decide which I like better, so they are sort of but not really in any particular order, I'd be happy to have them all in my garage..

John D'Agostino truly outdid himself this time taking a butt ugly late model Packard/Studebaker four door sedan and transforming another usually ignored car, into a thing of amazing beauty.



Despite having a big chunk removed from the wheelbase to create a roadster, it's about a the same length overall as it was before the work started.



Interior is pretty too.



Grille detail, is subtle and unbelievably simple, in fact few of the modifications are as radical as they appear to be.



Doesn't matter from which angle it's viewed this is a thing of beauty.





Difficult to imagine that a frumpy old 1941 Chevrolet coupe could look sooo sleek and smooth.  Hardly appears modified other than the chop but has lotsa subtle custom tricks and a working illuminated Pontiac Hood Mascot.



The details….



The angles…..















This one is a bonafide old hot rod from back in the day, it was chopped in 1951 at the Barris shop.  The upholstery is the original done by Gaylords also in 1951.  The paint was redone in 1981 to match the worn out original black with white striping.  The current owner is Mike Thompson and in the fifties it was owned by NHRA drag racing legend Don Rackeman then in the early sixties by another legend of the quarter mile, Joe Pisano.  A little bit of history on wheels.





Tony Mullen's '60 Caddy Coupe de Ville may seem an odd choice, but take a closer look.  The car is flawless and detailed beyond what I've ever seen on any Cadillac.  The body gaps and finish are perfect and consistent and would have taken a bunch of time plus special skill to make all those curves so perfectly smooth.



The interior is no less tastefully decorated.



If you told me you wuz gunna paint your hot rod pink I'd shudder and shake my head.



So what can I say about this?  The same thing I'd say about any hot rod, get the wheels, stance and colour right then nothing else matters.  



However, no matter which way you look at it, the colour just works!



And this baby has a lot more to reveal, the interior is no less stunning.



With so many Tri Five Chevys on display (they were this years theme car) in one huge hall, it should have been hard to choose just one, but this baby was a stand out.  Owned and operated by Barry Joseph of Colorado Springs, it's a heavyweight champeen.  An all steel 100% street legal '56 Two door weighing in at a hefty 3,730 pounds.  It has a Reese box type trailer hitch on the back, which gets plenty of use and as you can see there's no big supercharger to protrude through the almost stock hood.  However, looking through the windows reveals a multi point roll cage surrounding the leather upholstered seats, this is because despite being regularly driven, most trips are to drag strips, located all across America.  The hitch supports towing a fairly large trailer filled with tools and other stuff like drag slicks and lubricants.  Yeah I can hear you saying there's heaps of all steel, street legal tri-fives do that, but how many of those cars run consistent 6.3 second (yes you read that right 6.3 seconds) quarter miles on pump gas at over 220 mph?  The engine is a 600 cube big block with EFI and Nitrous injection, there are two huge 88mm percussion type (zero lag) turbochargers forcing air into the plenum atop the engine and helping it make well over 3,000 horsepower.  Torque is a secret but methinks it's prolly enough to move the Empire State Building.  The show book on this car has images of it carrying the front wheels about a foot off the surface well beyond the 300 foot mark and it's latest claim to fame is being unbeaten over a full week of non stop drag racing after driving to a different track each day, sometimes hundreds of miles apart and hauling that trailer filled with supplies.  Many of you may choose to disagree, but I think it's well qualified to be called a hot rod.



Let's take  a closer look at the quickest and fastest street legal steel bodied tri-five Chubby on planet earth.



Yup, this is seriously a big-gun.



And this is one serious fuel delivery system.



Look closely and you'll just make out the trailer hitch.



The office, kinda gives the game away, but Barry assures me it's more comfortable than your average race car.



A couple of magazines have covered the cars cross country journeys.



Micah Hope's Studebaker pick up is another of those vehicles that pulls together all the right elementts in a simple package that screams cool!



It looks great from any angle.



Even inside.



Roy Brizio builds Street Rods, in his words if it can't be driven cross country then it's not worth wasting time or money on.  This Willys is another case of sublime perfection in a car that is streetable enough to function as a daily driver.







And last but definitely not least is Onorato Agostino's '59 Chev Impala.  Sure there were more elaborate paint jobs among the low riders on show.  There was more engraveing and chrome plus wilder upholstery.  But this is my favourite because among all the colours and other lowrider standards it just jumped out and smacked my face with it's subtlety and tasteful modifications.  The detail and workmanship is impeccable.





Next up I guess we should set the scene by reviwing the job of getting there and the outdoors part of the show which is no less awesom than viewing the show cars indoors.

Good choices. Amazing individuality. That's what is so good about hot rodding and customs.

January 2017 was the wettest and coldest on record in Southern California. For the first two days after I arrived it rained all day and night at a rate of around one inch per hour. I've never seen so much rain, not even during a tropical cyclone in far north Queensland or Western Australia. Homes were sliding off hillsides, the normally dry river beds and drainage systems were flooding and cars were being washed off the freeways, which looked more like rivers. And on top of all that it snowed, which made the early morning air colder than ice.



So what did we do? Jumped in a topless roadster and cruised about forty miles across snow covered mountains in order to get one of the primo parking spaces!



The goal was to be at the front of the line when the gates opened at 07:00 That meant being awake and ready to go long before the sun came up, whilst the freezing winds were blowing off the snow covered ranges. We were usually on the road by 05:30 and at that time of morning it was bloody cold, like around minus three or four degrees.



Fortunately the rain had stopped and the sun decided to play but in hindsight looking at this picture I still ask myself why didn't I travel with Ron in his coupe?



But hey, I'm no chicken, stoopid maybe, but not chicken!





At least we weren't alone.



Once arrived at Pomona Fairplex, the cars are lined up in the drag strip staging area, ready to roll in as soon as the gates are opened.







The air we wait in is blown directly across the Fairplex from these snow capped mountains and yes despite the clear skys and sunshine, it's still seriously friggin' cold!



At least walking around gets the blood circulating, even if it didn't help my frozen ears and nose.



Just as well there's always plenty of interesting machinery to look at, new people to meet, old friendships and acquaintances to refresh.



But but we're here for the cars so I'll try not to bore you with that other stuff. Biggest challenge for the photographer is the lack of cloud and all the bright sunlight creating insanely long and harsh shadows. Not conducive to great photography at all, but I gave it my best shot and here's a few images of the machines lined up each morning.

This one is a '36, stock as a rock but not for sale, of course I asked, it never hurts to enquire.



This early fifties Effie could have held it's own on the show floor.



Yup, it's had some serious surgery.



Some guys even drive their 1/1 scale Mattel Hotwheels.



Before a certain blue Willys Gasser, the S,W&C crew tore up the streets and drags strips of So Cal with a '38 Chevy that looked much like this one.



Yes kids you cannot see any front brakes, they are the new invisible type, as too are the mudguards and rear tyre treads.



A few cool cabovers turned out with other stuff loaded out back.





This puppy sounds even better than it looks.



Winner of biggest car on the planet.



Cool pick ups are everywhere coz they make great daily drivers.







OK so these are not quite pick up trucks, but they can still carry lotsa stuff.





Andt surely this also qualifies for picking stuff up?



Four door cars seem to finally be making some headway in the US scene.







But it's the variety that really makes it interesting.



There really is something for everybody.





No matter what brand or style you prefer.



Guess Milner musta lucked out again last night, he was up early with everybody else.



Did I mention variety?



















Some are not quite cooked yet, but they come along anyhow.



Then the gates finally open and off we go to find that ideal spot close to all amenities.







As the sun gets higher the shadows move away but it's still bloody cold!



Palm trees and snow is just all kinds of wrong.

The outdoor show is even bigger than the indoors part so, lets take a look around the fairgrounds before heading back into the show halls.



Terry Hegman's remains the quintessential Merc Kustom to my mind, clean simple and flawlessly finished.



This could make a nice daily driver for an old retired bloke.



Interesting comparison of two similar but different trucks.



The original muscle car was a base model minus all the heavy stuff, fitted with the most powerful available OHV V8 power plant.



Of course some don't need muscles to look hot.



This one is up there, almost in the same league as Hegman's Merc.



Don't see many of these, which is more the pity



It's probably just as well we don't see more of these.



Some cars have all the elements but still beg the question, "What were they thinking?"



Here's the truth in that old cliche about judging a book by it's cover, looks warm and inviting, reality is it was bloody freezing!



Something just was't quite right here, but I can't put my finger on nit.



Don't see too many late models like this Poncho receiving the full Kustom treatment.



'33 Roadster is one mighty fine ride, would be easy to duplicate as it has glass body, repro steel fenders, hood etc. 'but why bother when the price of this one is so very reasonable too.



Nailed the early sixties to a period perfect T!



Another pair of twin deuces, so much the same, so different the results.



I know what this is, one neat little hot rod coupe.



And this is another neat hot rod coupe.



Not so neat but highly desirable all the same.



A few more interesting machines, just ask if you want more info and I'l try to explain.



Halfdone?



Neatly done.



Wildly done.



Underdone?



Overdone?



Umm, that's me done.



Injun Chief.



The original Muscle Car!



Skoolbus or maybe RV?



Other end of the '36 Tree we saw lined up at the gate.



Check out the neatly integrated tail lamps.



Another comparison, same year one Ford and one Chevy.



Hard to understand why we don't see many customised 1948 Plymouths.



A sweetheart car.



This guy is a well known Paralympian and was cruising the grounds in his home built and super trick billet aluminium wheelchair.  We had a pretty long chat and his story is quite inspirational, most able bodied people could never achieve what he has.  One thing he does is build these custom chairs and gives them away to people who need them.



This one is complete with independent suspension and he challenged us to tip him out of it.  The thing is so stable that it allows him and the folks he gives them to, to do most things that we usually take for granted.  Amazing craftsmanship and design.



Some folks like to name their cars with something descriptive of what it is.



Some just like to show off their undercarriage.



Not a colour most would ever think to use on a Buick Riviera.



Sweetly done and another one that nails the late fifties early sixties period perfectly.



Brightly done.



Last of the real wooden wagons.



A pair of Presidents.



When I grow up I want to be a Family Truckster.



Maybe we do seem more of them deuce Tubs that we think we do.



Deuce Coops are far more common.



This is not a deuce.



Nicely painted truck.



Barnfind.



Free parking.



Large car parking.



DAMN!!!!!



This one may look mild mannered but it kicks sand in the faces of muscle cars.



Lights on time.





Time to head home for the night.

A new day and time to look at a few of the show cars, starting here at the Suede Palace.  Seems kinda funny they still call it what they do because there's more shiny cars here than a new car dealership.  Seems like some of the traditionalists (scenesters) have realised that back in the day  hot rods really did have shiny paint.  And there's quite a few oldies being resurrected and put back to their original show condition by some of these folks, which is a very good thing in my book.



Here's a few examples, starting with one that was recently unearthed and is slated for restoration.



A few that have been recently returned to their original guise.













I'm quite partial to an early Model A, provided it's done right.  This one proves that even with a chopped top they can look badass.





There's also a few newly constructed or modified machines in here including with my favourite Studebaker truck.



These guys are known as The Showmen and despite looking like your grandfather they've been having fun entertaining people playing good old fashioned rock n roll music since the 1950s.  They were great and kept the house rockin' all day long.



Some cars are understated and classy.



White '56 Fairlane Vicky was simply modified but neat all the same.



Shoebox convert was a little more complex in terms of modifications.



T Tub was a modern take on an old tradition, looks like you could drive it every day.



Among the '49/'51 Merc's in the palace, this was one of the less radical.



'35 coupe was neatly done and could have existed back in the day.



Where should we look next?  

How about the cars from the sixty years of Tri-Five Chevrolet display hall?

This '55 was a cover car and has been around for a long time, still looks the goods.



And it's been copied by many in the years since.



Roy Brizio's daily driver is the class act among '55s.



How about a rare prototype '57 Fleetline?



 It's not really and was made using the back half of an early fifties Fleetline Aero Sedan.



The Tri-Five hall had so many cars jammed into it, there was no way to get a good clean shot of many of the cars there.



There was also plenty of serious mumbo on display.





Tri-fives have done it all from drag strip……



….. to dry lakes…….



…. desert racing……..



…..and NASCAR.



They've taken the family on vacation…….



…..delivered the goods……..



……. and set a few trends.



They've been multi media stars…..



……. Funny Cars…….



….. and cover cars.



Love 'em or hate 'em these things are the great all rounders.

WOW some very beaut ones there Big Thanks again for sharing them

We're not even halfway through the show halls yet, so let's keep moving along and check out some of the Kustoms, starting with John D'Agostino's Packard.



Another Packard Kustom, same model but this one despite being well done was kinda overpowered by the D'Agostino car.



It has a bunch of work in it and is very well conceived and the purple one kinda stole it's limelight.
It's interesting to look at the details, note the similarities and how much remains actually unchanged from the original cars.



Some more of the '41 Chevy from my top ten list, it's simple but complex, it works.



No matter which way you look at it that's one serious top chop,



Sometimes just because you can, doesn't mean you should.  Believe it or not this is a '62 Thunderbird.



I think this may be a '64 Thunderbird, has a few Mustang themes going on but the size and profile says T'Bird.



Cadillac was an interesting mix of old and new styles.



Reminds me a little of Kurt McKormic's Westagard built '41 Cad convert.



Check out the reflections again and tell me this isn't the straightest Cad Coupe DeVille on earth?



This….. has just gotta be better than Starbird's 'Superfleck Moonbird"!



Here's a couple of shoebox Fords that were customised to the same theme back in the early fifties, one is freshly restored and the other still underway.













This is a fresh build using only old parts and themes from the late forties.  It was built by the sone of legendary customiser the late Dick Dean using parts his dad collected or simply never discarded.



I'm not usually a fan, but the big wheels don't look too bad on this '59 Impala.



Nice pair of contemporary Kustoms.



The Boowick is one sweet thang!



Early '50s Ford has been under the knife for some major surgery.



Oldsmobiles don't need a lot ofmodification to make them super cool mild customs.



Just a haircut and lick of paint will do the job.



Early sixties MOPAR isn't one of the usual suspects, but is way cool all the same.



Big Daddy Roth's shop truck was recently discovered in a barn and restored for the Galpin Ford folks.



It's as close to original as can be with the dash painted by none other than Robert Williams who worked closely with Roth airbrushing monster T shirts back in the day.  He was also responsible for some of the artwork in the trucks previous life.



The tonnau cover art was reproduced by another well known artist.



I forget who did the new striping, but it mimics the original perfectly.



However I think there's been a price increase or two since the tailgate was done.



Here's yet another tasty 'mid sixties Riviera by Buick.



El Camino has a mountain of detail work in it.



But the builder forgot to re-fit the tail lamps.



Or did they?



Nope, I guess they didn't, they are just invisible to the naked eye and the owner would not share the trick with me.  Try as I might it's impossible to see and there is absolutely no tell tale line or mark to give away where the lamp is located.



Early Corvette with the contemporary mild custom treatment.



Im quite partial to the 'Bombs' and 'Lowriders', especially when they are painted and detailed to the max like these.









Some of these cars are now being built with more alignment to traditional style customs like this Merc.



It still has enough of the right vibe and hispanic detail to fit across both genres.



And it is all done with good taste and restraint.





The '58 Chevrolet Impala is a factory custom that needs little more than paint.



This '36 Ford Roadster is yet another example of good taste and restraint.



It's a class act.



As is this '57 Chevy Nomad.



And this '48 Chevy Fleetline bomb.



Whilst this suburban is kinda different.



We're not done yet, I think there's more hot rods in the next hall.

Now it's time for some Grand National Roadster Show hot rods.  And we'll start with an oldie that tells things like they really were back in the day.  because it's unchanged from when it appeared on the cover of rod and custom magazine way back in the late 1950s.



Yup, this is the style and finish that we all aspired too.





This one is almost perfect just a year too new.



My good friend Willy's banger powered A roadster.



And speaking of Willys, this is about as nice as a '41 could be.



This was probably the second coolest Willys in the show.



And this one more typical of the type on show.



They all seem to have big engines and lotsa shiny bits.



Speaking of big, this one has it well covered.



At the other extreme, this one is just low.



'38 Chev Cabriolet is done in the bomb style but with normal sized wheels.



Radical '37 Ford has very large wheels.



'40 coupe is very show worthy.



Ford vs Chevrolet, showdown!



Proof that a big car with lotsa doors can be cool.



A good number of participants were not Fords.





Some were restored old hot rods from way back in time.





Others were perfect clones of long lost old hot rods.



Much as I hate to say it, the deuce still seems to be the most popular model year for Ford lovers.



They come in many body styles.









This one is brand spanking new from the Pacific people who do the awesome five window coupes.



This was one of my favourites.



Need something to deliver the goodies?



If that's too small, maybe you need something bigger.



There's always somebody has to do something seriously unique like this 1938 Alfa Romeo.



It makes a pretty classy hot rod.



But then so does this.



Here's a traditional interior in an old hot rod.



Here's a new hot rod made to look like an old one.



This pair are what I'd call contemporary hot rods.





This one I consider Ed's least attractive or inspiring chariot but it has a great story and it drives.



This one has a few neddies on tap.



Full fendered model A on deuce Chassis.



A somewhat unique muddersickle carrier.



A couple of big stars, both cover cars.



This will never go out of style.



Ever!



Steve's already does a convertible model 40, this is their new roadster body.



This isn't one of them.



Everything old is new again.



And other things are just old.





Troy Trepanier has really outdone himself with this model A Tudor, the details are incredible.





You really have to study the pics to figure out how it all works and what fits where.



Look closely, then look again, you'll see even more.



The torsion bar springs are concealed inside the frame rails, connected to the axle by the curved arms.



Here's the other side of the wishbone showing how the shackle mounting is attached and reinforced.



Steering linkage is complex, it appears to have been set up for minimum wheel movement without being too heavy.



Steering arm at axle end.



Engine mounting for the venerable Y block power plant.



Yup, I said Y Block.



The real trick here is the flexible rear axles inside a curved housing.



Actually it's an optical illusion because the mirror placed under the car to show things off is not flat.



There's a heap of complex work throughout the entire car and when it's done I figure it'll be either love it or hate it.



Regardless, you've got to admire the talent and craftsmanship of the crew who created it.



Another car done to a similar theme/style is this shoebox Ford.



Not my cup of tea, but a mountain of machine and detail work means you've got to stop and look closely to take it all in.





It's also powered by a venerable Y block.



There's never a shortage of coach built masterpieces, like this one from Marcell and Sons.





Or this one for Rick Dore by the same team.



[

yes siree they sure do have some serious custom machinery in the running for America's Most Beautiful Muddersickle, so I guess we should check some of them out along with a few other odds and ends..



The bikes tend to be quite radical for the most part but all have to be fully functional to be in the running for the big prize.





Some are not so wild.



Others a tad traditional.



And some just go totally over the top when it comes to detailing.



There's even a contest for customised pushbikes.



Some of which are mostly scratch built and have three wheels.



Then there's the folks who figure they really need to win the America's Most Beautiful Motorcycle trophy so they can place it on the mantle beside their AMBR trophy.



So they build a bike to match the AMBR winning car, which I managed to get up close and friendly with a fewdays after the show.



I always thought it looked pretty good in photos, but a few details didn't seem to look right for such a car..



Seeing it in the metal it's even more impressive, because the scale and proportion isn't so easy to comprehend in photos. It's clearly fastidiously maintained but the road rash underneath says it's more than just a pretty face.



In addition to the two wheelers, there are also lots of kiddie cars on show, from vintage track racers……



…..to traditional drag strip animals……





….and old syle show rods.



There's also plenty of race cars, like this super cool Studebaker.





And a genuine '65 427 AC Cobra just as it was when drag raced as a new car.



Plus a plethora of Henry J's, of which I like this one bast because it doesn't have a 392 Hemi.



There's also something for the late model fans by way of Camaro……..



…. and Mustang.



However, Bobby Alloway's latest split window Vette, which is almost identical to a previous car he built, except that earlier version had red details not blue, is just one mean and nasty looking sporty car.

[

Being in California, there's always plenty of wooden cars and as you'd expect from my name, I love wood.



Something for everybody from lovers of the Indian Chief…..



Buick fans……



MOPAR nuts……





And lover's of Henry's Iron Mountain masterpieces.











What's not to love about a timber roof lining?



There's also plenty of Pick-Up trucks like this radically reshaped Chevy C10.



Did you notice it's been sectioned and the front fender tops curved downwards?



The rear of the cabin is also curved to lean it forward and align the chopped top.



It's no less impressive inside or underneath.



There's as many variants in this group as there are for pre war hot rods.



And some interesting innovations like rotating floor slats to show off the underside details.



The same 53 Chev also has an impressive interior.



As does this model A coupe.



Yet more radically altered Chevy truck.



And anothers slightly less so.



How do you like your engines, without water?



or maybe somewhat exotic?



How about seriously exotic?



Highly detailed?



Or maybe hidden?



Perhaps you'd like electronic fuel injection?



'54 Chevy looks good with a grille and headlamp rims stolen from cousin Olds.



Timeless are flames on a blue fordy coupe.



There's colour everywhere you look.



Some of it a tad in yer face!



More than one or five chassis builders were plying their wares in the vendors lobby.



Annyhow, I reckon that lot should just about cover the Roadster Show as well as it can be covered and give you a good cross section of what was there. But don't go away, if you wanna see what else I got up to, there's much more to come, but it aint all hot rods, there's a few classics and sporty cars involved, even some neat vintage bicycles if you wish..

These are some great photos. I appreciate you sharing. Thanks.

Thanks heaps for taking the time to post these great pics , love looking at them .

So here I was headed outta town and not being in a rush I decided to take a slight detour,,,,,,,



in a seemingly fruitless search for warmth and some cool railway rolling stock



….being in unfamiliar territory my eagle eyes wandered from the interstate thru the trees….



…. to reveal a wonderful scene.



Well of course I had to take the next exit, double back and find this property in order to check more closely the gold…



I learned quickly that this fine machine had been my new friend Frank's daily driver since he was in high school.  He assures me it was much shinier back then.



Frank's yard contained some nice crusty old cars and a bunch of ancient shipping containers.



There was also the odd replacement part leaning against a wall here and there.



After introducing myself, I was welcomed and invited to take a look around.



The Lafayette is a '34 model and the Ford  a mildly customised '53 Vicky.





It was done some time in the early sixties and has been resting here for some years.



It was kinda strange to see little European cars here in Southern California.



Early Simca was in pretty good shape.



As were the half dozen or So Nash Metropolitans scattered around the yard.







There was even a well used but solid F00 with running Y Block.





The late model Caddy is still in driving order despite being a tad weatherbeaten needing only air in the tyres to be drivable.



And along the side fence there's a row of Studebakers all in great shape and desirable body styles, maybe, maybe not for sale.



However, the real surprise was to come when Frank asked if I'd like to see what was in the containers.  How could I refuse?



This 1930 Caddy had been used until the mid sixties as a roadside service vehicle.



Has neat turn signals.



And a chest on the back still filled with old tools.



"But wait!" he said, "there's more!"  I nearly fell over when the second box was opened.



Yes the Model T sedan is every bit as perfect as it appears.



So is the '42 Mercury in the next box.





It had actually been used a couple of weeks earlier for the town's  annual New Years Day parade.



Then there is this. It has a slightly sad story, but it's basically brand spanking new and suffice to say, it's definitely not for sale.



Check out the condition of the bed.



And interior.



It starts first shot and runs like a swiss watch, the odometer has less than 4,000 miles on it.



The US mags and tyres were fitted by the selling dealer when it was new.



And of course, just because everybody has to have a pick-up truck, there's a neatly modified '56 in yet another airtight box.



Having viewed a few more containerised jewels that I promised I wouldn't share images of, Frank asked If I'd like to check out his restored Nash Metropolitans.  Of course I would!  So off we headed up the street to a very neat but well aged garage/workshop/yard, where I was asked if I'd ever heard of the Crosley company.  Yup and I let frank know that before gettingg into the car business the company made radios.

Frank was both surprised and pleased that I knew so much, because he's a bit of a fan of this company but I never imagined what would greet us as he opened the large garage.



It's believed to be the most complete and perfect set of crossly radios in the entire US of A, if not the world.



They are all in perfect working order and there's a warehouse filled with parts.







This is a dealer display of the original Crosley 'Sheetmetal' engine.



There's a couple of other sheds filled with Crosley artefacts and auto parts.



This guy keeps guard over it all.



The cars?  Like the radios, there's a full set, starting with the pick-up truck.



And more than one wagon.



This one is almost a woody.



And a hot rod version.







Yup that's a model A Ford in the background.



Powered by an Iron Duke Chevy four banger, or what we know as a Holden Starfire.



It also has hydraulic brakes and later model wheels.



The Dak Dak has a hot Porsche engine under the hood.



And this is the very first model ever built by Subaru.  It's significantly different to any I've seen even in Japanese museums.



And of course there's a bunch of restored and mint original Nash Metros.







And like the Crosleys there's a hot rodded Nash.



The stock 1100cc B series power plan has been swapped for an 1800 cc MGB unit with a few extra modifications.



It's meeting folks like Frank that makes it worth getting off the beaten track or just stopping to check stuff out.  Generally, when you introduce yourself and ask politely if you can take a closer look, most will oblige and show you more than you bargained for.  I also ask permission before grabbing the camera and taking any photographs.  But that's not to say you don't need to be aware of the neighbourhood and use common sense to avoid getting yourself into trouble.

No weekend visit to the city of angels would be complete without checking out the Donut Derelicts at Huntington Beach on Saturday morning.  Since the weather was so bad the first weekend not many turned out, however I returned a couple of Saturday's later (there's no DD event on the show weekend) when the w rather was better as too was the turnout.



Being winter and with the threat of storms still hanging about the turnout was a bit down on summertime sessions but there's still plenty to see even if the convertible tops do stay up.



There's always something new or at least unseen by my eyes before, like this sweet '56 effwunhunnert.



MOPAR muscle car was fitted with a late model Hemi (Pent Roof Actually) and drivetrain.



Always plenty of neat street driven hot rods.



Also always something cool and unusual like this A sedan delivery.





A good mix of variation from each manufacturer.



And from both extremes of modification.



Not quite Christine but the owner of this one has fitted a remote starter to scare the beejeesus outta unwitting onlookers as they walked past.



Gotta get me a few of these, Im not that old yet that I could have one on my car I have a few friends who could use them.



Always great variety, but I think I mentioned that already, so here's a few examples starting with antique Buick racer.



















This baby appeared to be packing some serious horse pressure.



And it seems its been set up to use it.





Older cars with lotsa doors keep coming out of the woodwork.



And speaking of wood, only one wagon in attendance this month as they tend to be kept indoors if there's a threat of rain.



Heres a rare wagon.  Replica of the GM concept car that became both Corvette and Nomad, known as 'The Waldorf Nomad' after the place it was revealed to the world in the early fifties.





It maybe nuthin' special as deuce coupes go but this puppy does look good going down the road.



Big engined Poncho has the optional and rare hood mounted tach.



This one just has a folding top.



I really like this little Falcon hardtop.



Had a sweet sounding small block and four speed.



Early Econovan also sounded like it had something non original under the front seats.



B body MOPAR was still fitted with it's original engine.



A 426 Street Hemi and four speed.



This gasser style Chevelle seems to pop up everywhere I go in the So Cal area.



'80s era Mustang looks bad sounded nasty.



GMC pickup had some serious rear rubber.



Another Family Truckster.



Pure class.



Different.



Mini ute looks like it was factory built.



Chevy ute just looks good.



As does mildly kustomised Merc.



And it's slightly more modified brother.



Almost the ideal garage couple, one for when you're dressed up and one for work.



Where shall we go next, shopping maybe?  

I did promise Emi and Chico at Mooneyes that' Id stop by for lunch, maybe do that and then head over to the new Petersen Museum?

No weekend visit to the city of angels would be complete without checking out the Donut Derelicts at Huntington Beach on Saturday morning.  Since the weather was so bad the first weekend not many turned out, however I returned a couple of Saturday's later (there's no DD event on the show weekend) when the w rather was better as too was the turnout.



Being winter and with the threat of storms still hanging about the turnout was a bit down on summertime sessions but there's still plenty to see even if the convertible tops do stay up.



There's always something new or at least unseen by my eyes before, like this sweet '56 effwunhunnert.



MOPAR muscle car was fitted with a late model Hemi (Pent Roof Actually) and drivetrain.



Always plenty of neat street driven hot rods.



Also always something cool and unusual like this A sedan delivery.





A good mix of variation from each manufacturer.



And from both extremes of modification.



Not quite Christine but the owner of this one has fitted a remote starter to scare the beejeesus outta unwitting onlookers as they walked past.



Gotta get me a few of these, Im not that old yet that I could have one on my car I have a few friends who could use them.



Always great variety, but I think I mentioned that already, so here's a few examples starting with antique Buick racer.



















This baby appeared to be packing some serious horse pressure.



And it seems its been set up to use it.





Older cars with lotsa doors keep coming out of the woodwork.



And speaking of wood, only one wagon in attendance this month as they tend to be kept indoors if there's a threat of rain.



Heres a rot and rust proof wagon.  Replica of the GM concept car that became both Corvette and Nomad, known as 'The Waldorf Nomad' after the place it was revealed to the world in the early fifties.





It maybe nuthin' special as deuce coupes go but this puppy does look good going down the road.



Big engined Poncho has the optional and rare hood mounted tach.



This one just has a folding top.



I really like this little Falcon hardtop.



Had a sweet sounding small block and four speed.



Early Econovan also sounded like it had something non original under the front seats.



B body MOPAR was still fitted with it's original engine.



A 426 Street Hemi and four speed.



This gasser style Chevelle seems to pop up everywhere I go in the So Cal area.



'80s era Mustang looks bad sounded nasty.



GMC pickup had some serious rear rubber.



Another Family Truckster.



Pure class.



Different.



Mini ute looks like it was factory built.



Chevy ute just looks good.



As does mildly kustomised Merc.



And it's slightly more modified brother.



Almost the ideal garage couple, one for when you're dressed up and one for work.



Where shall we go next, shopping maybe?  

I did promise Emi and Chico at Mooneyes that' Id stop by for lunch, maybe do that and then head over to the new Petersen Museum?

Awesome pics

Thanks. I figure if you shoot enough, one or two should be OK to show other people.

As it is when you venture far from home, there's no sense going if you're not planning to catch up with old friends. So that meant heading out to where those friends hang out.


So it was off to Santa Fe Springs to catch up with Emi (she was at the Kustom Nats with Wildman) and Coco for a burger and look around the historic Moon facility.





There sure is some history here, like this machine which has been used to make each and every moon disc ever sold! And it's played a role on all the spun aluminium tanks too.





The machine shop is a pretty cool place and I often wonder if the walls could talk what stories they might tell of the parts made here or the people who purchased them for more than one or two racing successes.







All the machinery is really old but in perfect order and used daily.



Some of the race cars are on display at the NHRA Wally Parks museum but Coco's 'liner is being prepped for the 2017 season.









When we went into the retail store the counter guy and I both laughed that we couldn't recognise each other. Y'see Bob drove my '33 to a KOA Picnic about fifteen years ago. He had lots more hair then and we haven't seen each other since, because he's always been out of the shop when I've visited.





Ed Roth and Dean Moon were great friends and it was Ed who gave Wildman his nickname after they spent a week together with Wildman working hard yet barely saying more than three words a day.



There's even a cool diorama including most of Ed's cars and his pin striping is on everything around the shop.



Including most of the shop vehicles.









Im not sure this pair qualify as shop vehicles or something else, but I do know they too could tell some cool stories if they could speak.











A few long term projects can be found lurking in the darker corners of the shop.



Just around next to the cafe where we went to lunch, is a neat Army Navy store with a small museum in the foyer. There's some pretty cool stuff on display like this radial engine which has had two cylinders shot off but continued to run ensuring the plane could fly and land safely on home turf.



There's also a B29 cockpit.



My friend Bud had been in touch to invite me over and check out something he'd found that he thought I may be interested in discussing. I was, but more on that at a later time. Bud always has a few interesting vehicles in his shop and of course his daily driver's are usually parked outside.





But has a bunch of neat stuff in his yard, sohere's a quick snapshot, starting with the mint '36 Fordor sedan, which is for sale. However, the Crosley isn't.





This is a future shop truck.



And this is a customer's car that's just arrived for some finishing work.



It's a relatively rare humpback '36 Chev two door sedan.



This one isn't so rare and is waiting restoration to it's 1955 configuration.



Bud is a bit of a collector of neat stuff and every time I visit there's always something new, like this antique service station which was located way over the other side of Los Angeles. Yup, it's the real deal from the early 1900s although it's recently had a freshen up.



This is Bud's current personal project, an original Deuce five window coupe.



A few more customer cars. This one was originally knocked back but one the owner agreed to forget about what he originally planned and let Bud build a safe and roadworthy machine on a fresh chassis it was allowed to stay.





This one has been completed and was waiting collection by it's owner.





This one was in for a bit of a refresh for the up coming summer cruising season.





Yeah, it's a real skylark, not a Roadmaster or Special.



Among the stuff Bud collects are pedal or kiddie cars and he has some good ones.







This cool little jigger was made by Cushman.





There's a few cars stored further out back, most for sale if the offer is right.





This is one that followed Bud home, it's a '57 Buick Cabalero wagon that's been chopped and channelled before the owner decided he''d bitten off more than he could chew. Bud figures he'll finish it and then flip it.



This is one of many Crossley engines in the storage area, it's the cast orion version unlike Frank's (who it turns out is known to Bud by way of their interest in the little cars) sheet metal version.





And a ready to go V8 60, one of more than a few old engines in the building.



Don't dare call it a man cave, it's simply a collection of cool stuff.