2011 GNRS Pinup Contest Winner – Megan O’Mary

Hot Rod Pinup Megan O’Mary

Megan is the epitome of, “the girl next door” complete with an affinity towards sci-fi and horror films and her own perspective on alien abductions!  Looking closer at this sweet and sassy little pinup, we find she’s really “the girl next door” with a twist.

Soon to be 21 year old Megan O’Mary is not afraid to tell you what’s on her mind or to put herself in the spotlight. Her tattoos and crimson red hair make Megan stand out in a crowd and it’s a combination of her great looks and her winning personality and charm that helped Megan score the title of Miss Grand National Roadster Show 2011.

If you missed the pinup contest, check out her photos below and her  interview from ‘outta this world’ with me.

Congrats on your pinup contest win at the 2011 GNRS. Speaking of cars…This question might make some of the guys cringe – but how would you customize your own 55 Chevy to make it the ultimate girl-mobile?

I LOVE 55 Chevys but I am a girly girly but not that much! I’d probably deck it out in black, white and red and keep it classy. Paint job would definitely be flat black!

If you could get away without judgment, doing one of your favorite things from when you were a kid, what would it be and why?

I’d say wearing my hair in pig tails or a pony tail everyday without people thinking I look like a little girl or I am too lazy to do my hair! I just want to have spunk to my hair rather then keep it down!

Since Viva Las Vegas is right around the corner I’ll ask you a Vegas inspired question. Do you like to gamble? What’s your favorite table game? Are you a sore looser?

I like gambling , just when I win! ahah I am a sore looser when loosing but I must admit I’m a competitor and I am in it to win it!!! Since I’ll finally be 21 April 16th , right before VLV thank GOD!, I’m definitely going to play games I know how to play and I’ll definitely find out which table is my lucky table!!!!! – Find out more about Viva Las Vegas

Which celebrity do people always say you look like?

I get Zoe Deschanel ALL THE TIME! and only Katy Perry like a few times. I think its because I’m a white girl with big eyes haha.

What types of movies excite you the most? Horror? Sci-Fi?

Honestly I like both! I’m more of a history kind of girl , I LOVE gladiator battle scenes and war movies. I LOVE comic books, classic horror films and sci-fi.

Since you’re a history girl and you love Sci-Fi, do you believe in the whole ‘government alien cover up’ thing?

I do believe in aliens, I mean there has to be some sort of life out there other than us! It trips me out to think about  how the world works but I fully believe in aliens and how the U.S government knows but just wants to keep it a secret to not “freak” people out!

Why do people who have been ‘abducted’ always say the aliens ‘probed’ them with something?

I think their full of you know what! If there were aliens they wouldn’t probe people then send them back to earth! They’d keep them!! Everyone twist and turns stories to make them more interesting so I’m sure people are just overreacting! Aliens would be smart and keep them hostage!! lol :)

If you want more of Megan, you can check her out at her Facebook page.

Photos by Spellbound Images, and Desilu photography.

Wild AND Mild – Custom Studebaker Pickup

Custom Studebaker Pickup from 2011 Grand National Roadster Show

I promised I had a few customized Studebakers up my sleeve that I found at the 2011 Grand National Roadster Show….so here’s #2 (Check out this Studebaker Ute if ya missed #1!)

Who’s ever seen a Studebaker pickup like this one!? Believe it or not, this 1949 Studebaker Pickup has been in the works for about 25 years. When the current owner, John Saltsman, got the truck it had already been chopped about 6″ by “Merc John.”

With a small block Chevy drivetrain (just like my Studebaker coupe,) John used it as his daily driver on long commutes for at least 8 years. As John drove it, his vision for what he wanted it to become grew. He had a “wild and mild” proportioned-custom in his mind.

As its been completed, this Custom 1949 Studebaker Pickup has a laundry list of custom items from customizing legends! It started with the 6″ chop of course. To that was added a 15 1/2 ” channel. And as “one thing led to another,” this pickup was transformed with:

• a 59 Chevy trunk lid,
• 55 Cadillac bumpers,
• taillights by Gene Winfield,
• custom Barris headlights (an extra pair leftover from another custom Studebaker, The Modern Grecian),
• and paint by Larry Watson/Keith Dean.

With such a list of custom features, it wasn’t a surprise to see it in the “Customs: Then and Now” hall at the 2011 Grand National Roadster Show. As it ends up, John’s ’49 Studebaker was sitting right next to another custom Studebaker truck that looked awfully similar! As it ends up, the two have no relation. The purple Studebaker truck was customized sometime in the 1950s-60s. John couldn’t be happier with his Atomitron and will still be seen driving it around town.

If you think this truck is unique… just wait ’til I show you the pictures of the 1953 Studebaker coupe that this truck’s owner, John Saltsman, customized in his teens!!!

What do you think? Would you have built it the same or differently? MyRideisMe.com is interactive! Share what’s in your garage.

Custom Studebaker Hauls More Than a Kart

Custom Studebaker Ute at GNRS

It isn’t every day you see a custom Studebaker coupe. Really, I think what people say to themselves before changing any metal of the Studebaker coupe body is…”The coupe is a perfect car – why change it?” I certainly don’t have plans of truly customizing my own ’55 Studebaker. Metal flaking the roof, moon discs, and some pinstriping is as far as it’ll go I think. But I do love customs – so every time I encounter a custom Studebaker coupe I get pretty excited!

This year at Grand National Roadster Show I encountered not just one – but three custom Studebakers! I’ll be unveiling each one (and hopefully one or two more) in the coming weeks. To start with… the Studebaker Ute, a.k.a. Kart Hauler.

I first encountered this custom Studebaker Ute at the 2009 Grand National Roadster Show – and now once again at GNRS 2011. In 2009 it was in the hall of cars previously shown at GNRS, commemorating the show’s 60th anniversary. This 1953 Studebaker coupe was customized in the late fifties into this wagon-style Ute for the 1959 Oakland Roadster Show. It was then renovated to its original glory by then-owner Dick Steinkemp in time for the 2009 GNRS.

Who would’ve imagined that the Studebaker Coupe would so nicely turn into an ute?! As you can see, it’s the front frame of the coupe with the rear-section of the top chopped-off and the rear window moved forward. This creates a 2-seater. Interestingly enough, its rear window is the original rear window flipped upside-down and angled differently.

The entire car, including the original go-kart that went along with it, have been finished and renovated with such skill. The car really is beautiful sporting an original Studebaker color – 1953 Chippewa Green.

One thing I think is so neat about this custom, is that it actually looks so good and “normal” that it appears as if it could’ve come out of the Studebaker factory just like this!

And as it still runs a Studebaker engine! This custom Studebaker very well could have come from the factory! If I ever have the urge to customize my Stude – I know who I’ll be taking some notes from!

What do you think -how many customized Studebakers have you seen? What other car-oddities would you envision for customizing?

Pinstriping Masters at 2011 GNRS

Pinstriping for Charity at 2011 Grand National Roadster Show

Not only does the Grand National Roadster Show bring out the best in hot rods and custom cars, it’s also home to one of the best pinstriping jams anywhere in the United States. Fellow pinstriper Von Hot Rod organizes this gang of line-laying artists to raise money for charities every year, and this year was one of the best.

I talked to Von Hot Rod and got this info: We raised $12,375 for charity from the hard work from almost 40 pinstripers that were invited.  Eggie won the Von Hot Rod’s “Brush-off” (pinstriping races) so he’s now ”The fasted Pinstriper in the West”. Butch Tucker and Ron Myers were this years inductees into VHR’s Pinstriping Hall of Fame, and Harry Malicoat won the VHR Pinstriping Award in the art of pinstriping.

As for next year that’s always a surprise!! That’s what keeps people coming back…

The crazy manikin and skateboards are from Hot Dog Kustoms’ Pete “Hot Dog” Finlan. Dig it!!

This custom pinstriping is from Diablo’s House of Style in Bakersfield, CA. One of these days, I’ll have a collection of pinstriped bowling pins!

More pinstriped skate decks and of course the custom toilet seat! Pinstriping shown here by Pinstriping by Chris out of San Dimas, CA

Pinstriping lined up for the charity auction. These generous pinstripers donate their time and whatever’s pinstriped to charity. Hats off to you guys and gals!

Not something you’d hang on your wall? Why not? Try to find a piece of art that’s more unique than this! Someone help me ID the artist!

(Click picture for full size)
Nearby the auction location in the Main Hall of the Pomona Fairplex, the pinstriping masters set up shop. They’ll pretty much pinstripe anything you have or they have in whatever color. Want a one of a kind gift for your wife or girlfriend? How about a custom pinstriped purse?

Over the top and combining airbrush and pinstriping, this is from Dave Whittle. Dave’s a friend of MyRideisMe.com and absolutely ROCKED the pinstriped welding helmet we auctioned for charity. Dave applied a “SOLD” post-it on the pinstriped surf board while I was standing there. I need to catch Dave at this year’s LA Roadster show and nail down a feature story. Dave’s good people and started striping way back when with the legends of pinstriping.

Can’t get enough pinstriping?  Find a style you like or maybe the design you’re looking for on your hot rod by checking every pinstriping story at MyRideisMe.com. Or, we have a gallery full of pinstriped cars and hot rod art in the picture gallery.

If you’re a pinstriper and want your work featured here at MyRideisMe.com, email us at pinstriping@myrideisme.com.

Idaho Invades Cali for America’s Most Bitch’n Roadster

1923 Hot Rod T

At the best hot rod and custom car shows like the Grand National Roadster Show there’s always car instantly identify with and of course, cars that totally miss. For example, car-covering murals of dragons done in florescent green on a black base ain’t my thing. Lucky for me, it didn’t take long to find my car. (Click any picture for full size)

On the first day of the show, right through the side doors of the main hall where I set out for my first look at the 12 America’s Most Beautiful Roadster contenders… there sat Russ Freund’s “Takeout T”. At first I was shocked. Is that purple? Can it be? Yes. Knowing the 12 AMBR cars are the best of the best roadsters at Grand National, I knew I’d found this year’s “America’s Most Bitch’n Roadster”. When’s the last time you heard someone say a light purple car is Bitch’n?

Is there another AMBR award? No, not officially! I made it up for the sick-of-sick roadster called, “Double Trouble” back in 2009. Here’s the blown, Ardun head 32 Roadster built by Hot Rod Garage. I saw that car sell for just about what the owner paid for the chrome work at Barrett Jackson the next year, but that’s another story!

I talked with Russ at the show to find out why this car and what’s a dude from Idaho doing at California’s top hot rod show? That’s when I learned the great story of this build… it was friends helping friends and members from “The Inland Emperors” who build a car that literally cost a fraction of other AMBR contenders.

Several years ago, while working in his very first hot rod, a 1931 Phaeton, Russ got the idea to take a bunch of T parts he had and make it into a rat rod. Nothing special, just something to mess with… why not? Most of what he needed, he already had. After piecing together a rolling T, he ran into what might be a hot rodder’s most common problem: Not enough garage space. To clear room for the ’31′s new chassis, he needed a new home for the ’23.

A buddy offered to store the car, so half jokingly, Russ said, “Just give me some money and I won’t pick it up.” A deal was made and the car was outa the garage.

Three years later… the T had just sat. No work had been done, so Russ offered to buy it back as part of a three-way deal with another club member. The T came home and plans were made for a nice, driver-quality hot rod… nothing special, just a good car to sell for cash to finance another project. But after staring at the steel bodied ’23 for a little while, then placing the chrome front axle setup in front of it…happened! An AMBR was born (the b’s for bitch’n). Here’s a few pics from the build.

Selling some parts then trading others Russ wheel’d and deal’d his way to all the parts you see hear. Along the way club members, friends and locals helped where they could in exchange for cold malty beverages, favors and parts they needed to finish their own projects.

Russ Freund, a dude from Postfalls, Idaho in a 18×20′ garage built this stunning, show stopping roadster, “With a little help from my friends.”  Russ is a soft-spoken guy and you could hear the sincerity when he thanked his friends and family… In Russ’ words:

My Dad Claude Freund helped the hole way through from start to finish and was all ways there pushing and supporting me even when I thought I wasn’t going to make it or when thing looked really bad he was able to find a way to get me through to see the car make it to GNRS. And, my mom Susan Freund for supporting both of us.

John Gunsaulis helped me the whole way through the project from that extra set of hand and eyes to masking the car for paint to final assembly. Darrell Peterson helped with machining different parts to fabbing the exhaust and final assembly.

John Logsdon helped with final assembly and fabbing and welding the exhaust

Jeff Allison designed the exhaust and interior, almost on the fly, and the pinstriping thing above the rear diff. Jeff also added his opinion weather I wanted it or not! He also did this cool t-shirt over at http://www.almost-cool.com/ (click to buy the shirt)

George Frank out of Clarkston, WA stitched up the upholstery from Jeff’s idea.

Dave Swenson built the 48 Ford flathead with Cyclone heads and Thickstun intake. (note how the engine and trans are ground smooth and painted white!)

Mike Robinson did the 39 Ford transmission with open conversion hooked to a quick change rear diff. Billy Payne helped polish stainless and aluminum.

Thanks guys!

Biggest thanks go to my wife Lora for putting up with me and through the build and supporting me the whole way!

After the GNRS, the Takeout T hit the show circuit… and cleaned up! But don’t call Russ’ T a Trailer queen! Russ is looking forward to driving it when the show tour’s done.

Awards as of March 2011:

• 2011 Grand National Roadster Show (debut):
  • Triple Gun Award
  • H.A.M.B Roadster Award
  • Bob McCoy “Real McCoy” Award
  • America’s Most Beautiful Roadster: Best Engine
• 2011 Sacramento Autorama Awards:
  • Lee’s Vintage Award,
  • Best in Class
  • Outstanding Paint, Detail and Display
• Darryl Starbird’s 47th Annual Car Show, Tulsa, OK:
  • Fine 9 Award
  • Rod and Custom Hall of Fame Award
  • Silver in the rod class
• 2011 Detriot Autorama:
  • Best in class
  • Outstanding detail and engine

Russ, you looking for another 3 way trade?

Well? Is it the next America’s Most Bitch’n Roadster?

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