Ladies of Viva Las Vegas 2

Kristabelle, don’t shoot!

Viva Las Vegas Rockabilly Weekender is no doubt it’s own car show. The cars get checked before entering so there’s no billet anything or any car built after sixty-something. But it’s the people and more specifically the wandering pinups that make the show. Who doesn’t love Hot Rod Pinups!

Burlesque Performer Sophia Sirena

If you’re watching closely, you’ll see well known pinups like Heidi Van Horne and Dayna Delux enjoying the show, but they’re generally not posing. I guess you could say they’ve “made it” and get paid when they’re shot. Dayna teamed up with Sabina Kelly to host a “Bottles and Pinup Models”  night at the Foundation Room at the Mandalay Bay and Heidi’s doing a little bit of everything. She’s acting, directing, writing a blog for the Houston Chronicle… she’s busy but just as sweet as ever!

Viva’s become a hot spot for pinup models and the photographers that make their living shooting pinup. This is Mitzi Valenzuela from Mitziandco.com shooting one of many pinup models on the long (Wednesday to Sunday) weekend. Mitzi’s contributed quite a bit to MyRideisMe.com and has shot with just about every well known pinup out there, so if you’re looking for a photographer, she’s a great place to start.

Roy Vargas is another pro pinup photographer. I just met him at the show and wanted to give proper credit for bogarting (like the dude shooting in this picture) on his organized shoot with the gorgeous red head Gia Genevieve. I posted her picture in this story. I’d love to feature Gia as Pinup of the Month!

So if you’re a fan of pinup models, the retro scene and hot rods and customs of all kinds, Viva’s a show for you. We’ll see you there early in early April of 2011, so until then, enjoy these shots and the pictures in the Ladies of Viva II.

Pinup Cutie Lana Mae

This is Notorious Ang. Wanna see more? She’s April’s Pinup of the Month

And one last shot of Kristabelle. Guns-a-blazing, don’t cross her!

Thanks to the all the girls! See ya next year. The rest of the Pinup Pictures are here.

Top 11 Viva Car Show Favorites – You VOTE!

I think its safe to say that there’s a little bit of everything at Viva Las Vegas. So instead of just bringing you back pictures of all the cool stuff we saw at VLV13 – Pikesan, Swanee, and I thought we’d give ya’ll a chance to put in your own two cents. So time to VOTE!

MyRideisMe’s first official, Top 11 Viva Las Vegas Car Show Favorites!

We’re each including our top three picks (plus one from my Dad, plus Pikesan’s added a 4th) …making for a varied and diverse choice of 11! Leave a comment and vote for your choice!

From Kristin & her Pops, Picks and Pics:

#1 Suede 1953 Chevy Custom with fade…

#2 Suede Ford Pickup with Green Flames

#3 (another) Suede 1936 Ford 3 Window Coupe

#4 Custom ??

From Pikesan, Picks and Pics:

I’m cheating and making it the top 11. Never conform, right!?  I would have ended up with all customs (and what’s with the orange theme?) so I picked a pair of hot rods to contend!

#5 Pike’s Pic of the 1953 Chevy Kustom with fade…

(sorry GreaseGirl! This is probably my favorite pic from the show!)

#6 Orange 1953 Mercury Mild Custom

#7 Unpainted 1940 Mercury Coupe from the Dead Sleds

#8 (Pikesan’s bonus pic/pick) Pair of Patina’d Model A’s

Then from Paul “Swanee” Swanson, my chief shutter wizard, Picks and Pics:

If you don’t know Swanee, he’s a man of few words. I think he’d say, “I like these best.”

#9 “Lil Dutch Model A 5 Window Coupe

#10 Racer Paul Tracy’s 1951 Mercury Custom

#11 Rusty Model T Surfin Coupe

What do YOU think!? Please tell us your favorite and say why in a comment below. (You do not have to be a member to vote or comment, but sign up now!)

2010 Viva Las Vegas First Look

We’re HERE! After an uneventful drive through the Nevada desert we hit Vegas in the daytime. Not quite as exciting as the nighttime skyline, but who cares! We’re here for the hot rods, customs and pinups that make Viva Las Vegas a must every year.

Vote for your favorite here.

Sunset’s a great time to catch photos, even for a hack like me, but my man Swanee’s doing his thing for this picture. Several beers later and with a dead cell phone and wireless that doesn’t work, we’re still getting these pictures and tons more up in the next few days.

One of the best parts of the Viva Las Vegas is the pinups. The show’s a gathering of all things hot rods, music and vintage clothes wearing girls with bright red lipstick, a flower in their hair and some great expressions on their faces! I’ll try to catch this lovely lady’s name at the show today. Update… didn’t see her again on Saturday. Anyone know her name? Please leave a comment below.

I hijacked what looked like a professional photographer shooting another lovely young lady in front of a beautiful green kustom. I’ll try to get the names of both the girl and the pinup photographer today at the show. Update: I got the info I needed! The photographer I snuck in on is well know pinup photographer Roy Varga. He’s got a very nice website to see other pinups or to schedule your appointment with him at RoyVarga.com. The shapely redhead was a sweet young lady named Gia Genevieve. You can find her on Myspace here: www.myspace.com/recoveryinprogress

The car, if you can see it, is a 1949 Buick Super owned by Sonny Vasquez out of Ventura, CA.

In case you’re wondering where all the other girls are, here’s 2009′s Ladies of Viva and 2009 Pinup picture gallery. 2010′s on it way in the next couple days and we added April’s Pinup of the Month – Notorious Ang – From VLV#13.

Always in the scene is Bo Huff. This 1957 Ford Ranchero looked perfect. Slammed down, tastefully done flames on the side and some really trick custom work on headlights. More pictures coming.

Fellow Arizona resident, Mike’s out of Lake Havasu,AZ and is a member of MyRideisMe.com under the name Moparsixer. Guess what he’s running in his 1938 Chrysler? Check out some more info about his cool hot rod here in his garage at MyRideisMe.com. That suede gold paint works perfectly, don’t you think?

I gotta get back to the show today, so check out a few other shots and look for more soon!! For a look at what Viva Las Vegas is, check out the intro blog from my first time at the show last year.

2009 Viva Las Vegas Car Show – See for Yourself

Were you there? Let us know! Leave a comment if we shot your car and include a few details.  Thank you.

-Pikesan

Hello Viva Las Vegas 2010!

Today’s Day #1 of Viva Las Vegas – the yearly weekender when hepcats and hotrods invade sin city. Not wanting you to miss out on any of the action, here’s a sneak peak!

People from near and far are descending in droves. Even more will descend upon the massive car show hosted here yearly by the Shifters Car Club on Saturday. Last year saw some 500+ vehicles show up.

I rolled out of bed in the wee hours this morning to meet up with the Throttle Kings for the ride over. Los Angeles to Las Vegas is usually a pretty boring trip. Not when you’re on the way to VLV 13 with the Throttle Kings! Great people, a long string of cool hotrods, and making new friends at every stop along the way!!

We managed the trip over with only one very small mishap (someone’s throttle got stuck…go figure these are the Throttle Kings!) We even got to kick off our weekend party with a pit stop just past stateline — after you’re in Nevada you can  crack open a beer in the parking lot with no worries.

Arriving in Vegas we head to The Orleans, the hotel where the whole shindig is held. I can’t help but smile as we pull up – the valet/check-in area is just full of great cars and crowds of jean-wearing, pomaded cats.

Before leaving check-in this sedan pulled up that I recognize from last year. I noticed what I thought were a few changes, but its of course still turning heads.Yep, it will be a GREAT weekend.Turns out this car is owned by CART and Indy racer Paul Tracy! He always raced with #3. Believe it or not, this hot rod was NOT allowed into the show? Can’t figure that one out cause it was one of our favorites from last year. No worries though, Paul brought in 3 other cars that again, were some of our favorites. Pictures and story on the way.

I’m off for a cold one, but I can’t wait to share with ya more cool stuff as it happens this weekend. Check back at MyRideisMe.com soon to be part of the action if you’re not lucky enough to be here yourself!

More stories from Viva Las Vegas 2010:

2010 Viva Las Vegas First Look

April Pinup of the Month – Notorious Ang – From VLV#13

(more on the way)

And here’s what he did from “Viva Las Vegas” 2009:

2009 Viva Las Vegas Car Show – See for Yourself

All the pictures from Viva Las Vegas 12  at the Orleans Hotel

Viva Las Vegas Pinstriping Gallery

Ladies of Viva Las Vegas

Pinup Dreams Made True in Vegas

Gettin’ Girlie at Viva Las Vegas

2009 Pinup picture gallery

Six Ways to Malfuntion at the Optima Ultimate Street Car Challenge

We’ve never figured out why, but for some odd reason humans are always transfixed at the tragedies of others. Its why car accidents cause so much traffic havoc – we all have to stop and look as we drive by (grrrrr)! Racing is no different. When something goes wrong on the racetrack we all wanna have a look.

So for your viewing pleasure, I thought I’d just highlight all malfunctions that went on during Optima’s Ultimate Street Car Invitational 2009. For starters, there was Hot Rod Magazine’s Factory Five built 1933 Ford Coupe, which I’ve already covered in: Hot Rod Magazine 33 Hot Rod Coupe goes down!.

Next there were some problems with Hot Rod Jim’s 1957 Chevy Pickup. It sounded like the tires were just a little too big for their own good. A problem that would’ve gone on with many-a-car on the SEMA showroom floor.

Then we had an exciting show when this 1965 GTO built by Barry White of Wrecks to Riches fame blew a radiator hose of all things. It might not have been so cool – but it happened just as the big heavy GTO was heaving itself around the autocrosses’ 360 circle and resulted in a mess of steam and fluid dumped onto the race course.

After that we had the mysterious control arm breakage on the 0-60-0 acceleration/braking course for this 1972 Charger. A suspicious occurrence for this event no doubt.

At the same event, and we can’t exactly call this a malfunction (the car was all right.) But for some reason it just couldn’t handle doing 0-60-0 in the allotted space this run, running it right off the course!

Last, but definitely not least, was the even more mysterious occurrence for K&N Filter sponsored Nissan Infinity G35. After a full day of racing, on it’s 2nd to last curve around the Road Course we see something fly and a cloud of dust. Was it a bird? Was it a plane? No, it was all 3 control arms snapping and the rear differential blowing out!

All this excitement in one day and nobody got hurt! For plenty o’ pictures of all 51 of the competing cars in the Ultimate Street Car Challenge, check out the MyRideisMe Event photos and for more on this exciting event click on over to some other stories!

Next Page »