2009 Goodguys Southwest Nationals Picture Wrap-up

If you can’t wait until summer time Goodguys Gazette, scratch that now-time itch and check out MyRideisMe.com’s pictures from the 2009 Goodguys Southwest Nationals! Did we shoot your car?

Have you’ve ever worked at something and thought you were making progress improving your skill, then found out you were still way behind? That’s happening to me with my photography. I didn’t shoot alot of pictures at Goodguys, but I shot a few and thought a couple of them were pretty good!

But then, just after I sent the, “Hey Swanee, you gonna load your shots?” email, I noticed he’d already loaded them in the events picture gallery. You’re good people Swanee! ‘Cept for the fact that your images kill mine, that is… You can tell by the logo, that slammed Caddy riding on twenty-plus wires photo above is from our Alaska-raised Director of Photography.

Shown here is one of my best shots. This is the 1957 Chevy Custom that won the Goodguy/Grundy Kustom of the Year. Sunset in Arizona is frequently a, “Damn it’s good to be alive” event and this Saturday evening in Scottsdale made for some great shots. Learn more about this car from an article by our friends at Goodguys. More about the 57 Chevy Custom

Here’s a few more from Swanee’s lens.  The complete collection (sounds official don’t it?) is available in the Car Show and Events Picture Gallery under Goodguys Southwest Nationals.

As you can see, the sky and reflections from the low setting sun do it for me on the Tall T and Mercury Cougar.  Ford genus Puma concolor like this on are on my short but growing list of cars that didn’t TOTALLY SUCK from the 1970’s.

Striking back, I got some of that low-lying sun for myself shooting some other “of the Year” winners that always make their way to Scottsdale, the last show of the year for Goodguys. This is also the start of the, “That guy’s a MyRideisMe.com member” shots.  These first two shots are Kirk Johnson’s Truck of the Year-late 1968 F100. Kirk’s from my old stomp’n grounds in Sacramento, CA and a new member, so go say hi and learn more about his truck. He’s got another F100 he calls, “The Beater” shredd’n some rubber.

Swanee grabbed a few more member ride shots including this 1967 RS SS Camaro from Mesa.

Not sure what award this  supurbly detailed Camaro won, but with the Shafiroff built 540 large-block churning out a ridiculous 700 ponies through a Tremec 6 speed, don’t be fooled. This baby’s show and GO!

Swanee snapped a few members running their classic trucks at Goodguys, too.  On it’s near maiden voyage, Rob’s bumper-scrap’n ‘burb got pinstriped and broke-in some driving in from Mesa with his son riding shotgun. I know Rob, like me, loves it when the boys get involved.

Then up in the winner’s area, the “Unbound Scout” was collecting a prize. This truck’s made heartfelt impression on the IH guys who are coming over from some devoted forums to see the pics and build info.

Another fun and sunny Goodguys Southwest Nationals comes to an end. As usual, we had perfect weather and over 2400 cars.  The Goodguys folks took note that AZ’s the place to be when it’s too cold to be anywhere else and scheduled another show for Scottsdale in March. Now AZ’s got the first and last show of the year!  Anyone planning to come in from out of town, book your hotel NOW! March’s prime golf weather when the greens are frozen across the US, so Scottsdale hotels fill up quickly.

We’ll see you there! Make sure to Join MyRideisMe.com so we can feature your car next time!

Any comments?  Which shot is your favorite? Leave comments below. (Or I’ll assume my writing’s perfect and every word’s spot-on!)

Unforgettable Gold/Copper 1929 Ford Sedan

Cruising any car show with buddies, there’s always one car that even weeks later, you’re still talking about it: “Remember that one car?” and you all do. That happened cruising the Scottsdale Goodguys show in November and I never forgot, even though Otis Schmidt, the owner of this bad hot rod may have thought I did!

Otis, a hot rod, custom car and racing fan since he started building model cars at 12 years old, is now living in Moore, Oklahoma. He bought his 1929 Ford Sedan from Mark Riojas of Bridge Creek, Oklahoma after finding it parked right next to him at an NSRA show in Oklahoma City. Otis immediately dug the car cause it reminded him of a similar-styled 1934 Ford Sedan he’d recently, and regrettably sold . Between missing his 34 and the gold teaser parked right next to him, Otis contacted Mark soon after the show and a deal was struck on the phone.

The first thing you notice about Otis’s 1929 Sedan, called the “Corrugated Flyer”  is the wild gold/copper color. The color’s officially Gold Acrylic enamel. From there, throw in some flattener and mix in this-n-that to get a color that, in the sun, is really striking. The paint and most of the build were done by Mark.

Looking past Mark’s slick paint, the custom touches are found all over the sedan. The body’s chopped a full 8 inches, including the 1932 window frame, then set down on deuce rails. Looking closer at the back end, you’ll see the rear was pie cut to fit a 1932 tank . (Click the image to make it bigger) Move forward just a bit to see the wheel wells from a model A roadster cleverly grafted in to tuck the big 8.90-16 Firstones mounted on steelies. The front wheels are off a vintage carnival ride to get’m only 4″ wide.

Inside, Mark put his custom casting skills to use. Along with his other talents, he also casts custom hot rod parts in his backyard! The steering wheel’s custom made to duplicate a 1940 Ford wheel and the instrument cluster’s made to look like a 1932 piece with a little patina cast right in. Subtle black pinstriping finishes the at the time unfinished interior.

Up front, the induction’s pretty hard to miss, too. Cruising home for the first time, the 29’s Chevy LS1 was acting up and Otis blamed it on the original Stromberg 97’s and a vintage mag setup. Right then, Otis decided to run the new-stalgia look of 4 Demon carbs. After getting it running again with the Demon’s, the real devil turned out to be a couple flattened cam lobes. The old school true Stromberg’s weren’t running bad, after all!

Otis and his hot rod made the long trip to Scottsdale to visit his nephew over in the small Arizona town of Wadell. Along for the ride is Otis’ close friend Bob Starks and his equally bitch’n Gasser-style 1966 Chevy Nova done in pink murano pearl. Bob and Otis have been buddies since high school. I guess they’re glad they made the trip; Bob’s Nova got a “Period Perfect” award and Otis came away with a “Street Rodder Top 10″.

No I haven’t forgotten Otis’ sedan, and I probably won’t. Otis sent over some in-progress pictures of the interior going in and when this car’s done, look for it on the cover of your favorite print magazines.

If you remember this unforgettable 1929 Ford Sedan, let us know!

Please leave a comment.

Ed “Big Daddy” Roth Inspired Nissan Cube

This past Saturday, our good friend Pikesan had organized a pre-release cruise featuring 10 (yes, ten) of the new Nissan Cube’s, and it was a blast. We hit a couple of area dealerships, then hit the road to the Pavilions in Scottsdale (great Saturday cruise spot for those of you planning to hit Goodguys Southwest Nationals in November).

The impressive lineup of geometric people movers grabbed a ton of attention on the freeways then, suffice to say, the lineup was a smash at the cruise. Nissan even brought along a GT-R (more on Godzilla later… words fail me yet) and the unreleased Infiniti G37 convertible just to round out the playing field.

My first reaction when seeing a Cube a couple of years back (don’t forget, these have been around overseas since ‘98) was “not too sure about that”. Don’t get me wrong, I was impressed as all get-out that anyone could pack that much room into such a small-looking package, but the look was odd to me.

Fast-forward ten years, and my how things have changed. My first moment sitting in the Cube was a wild time… Headroom galore, great sight lines, and enough legroom for even my lanky appendages. The dash is minimalist, but laid out in a tremendously intuitive way, and all controls are easily understandable and useful. Too cool indeed.

The ride was incredibly comfortable, stable, responsive and above all, QUIET. It was that last fact that kept me stunned. The Cube is damn quiet on both highway and city pavement, and just felt “right” somehow. Aside from the constant stares from other drivers (which, as a hot rodder is alright by me any day), I have to say, I’m giving this little machine SERIOUS thought from both the modification potential as well as daily-driver mule standpoint.

Design-wise, I have to say the Cube has me hooked. If you know me, then you know my love for asymmetrical design, and that rear window treatment NAILS it. A wrap-around side glass on the passenger side meets a thick pillar on the left, and it (again) just feels “right”. Couple this with tall slab-like side panels, rounded corners all over, and a very trick windshield shape (oh, you’ll be seeing this on a few designs of mine to come), and we’re getting someplace.

But oh that tail light… It was an instant love-fest for me. I have about thirty cars I want to use that in, and it’s not coincidental that I like it so much when it shares a similarity to a certain Thunderbird production run. It just says “custom car” all over (hell, even the headliner is sculpted already!)… and I dig the Cube for that immensely. It’s light years beyond my first thoughts on the Scion xB, and flat-out makes me WANT it. Where the xB looked initially like some ice cream truck’s genetically-deprived third cousin on its first trek into the big city, the Cube looks tremendously comfortable and confident in its skin, and the seating position keeps it all looking like a personal vehicle, and not the aforementioned treat delivery vessel.

Naturally, I began sketching ideas for these Cube’s as soon as I laid eyes on them, and one idea kept knocking on my brain…

The “Surfite” of one, Ed Roth has always ranked as a top ten custom car in my book, not only because it’s so damn original, but it’s also surf-oriented, and as you know, I love me some surf ANYTHING. And man… the little Cube not only calls out for a “lifestyle vehicle” treatment, but as a surf wagon??! Oh YES!

Taking cues from Mr. Roth’s Lilliputian land rover, I plugged in classic hot rod and So-Cal VW styling cues, and attempted to honor the master “hisself” (as he’d say) with a modern take on the little Surfite. Pop-out side glass? Check. Asymmetrical tail light treatment? Check. Aggressive stance? Checkity-check. Custom trim and mild re-work all over? Double checkity-check. Take a very unusual car and make it even more personal/unique? Check, check, checkity-check check!

It’s useful, like the swing-out rear glass and flip-up side windows, to the small step built into the rear fascia, and, well… it just looks COOL. I dig it, and hope you do, too… And if so, holler at me, and I’ll continue finishing what I’ve started in the sketch book, and show off an entire series, perhaps. (editor note, please feed the animal – leave a comment)

As an Alexander Brothers fan, I’ve always enjoyed a certain “quirky/futuristic” aesthetic when it comes to a kustom, and that taste is finding it’s way into the artwork in a huge way. Think “Deora meets the modern day”, and you’re getting warm. Throw in some healthy Ed Roth influence, and by golly, we’re getting there. Top it with some Winfield and Cushenbury asymmetrical appeal, and man, it just gets wilder by the second!

It’s been literally years since any new car has trapped my attention like this, and I’m stoked about it… Hope you are, too.  Stay tuned as I play with a bunch of combinations and styles on this cool ride from Nissan… You know, maybe that Rubik guy was on to something after all…

10 Nissan Cube(s) Stack into Scottsdale Car Show

Someone asked me, “How’d you get 10 Nissan Cubes?” I said, “Well I broke the first Cube 9 times.” Figuring I didn’t answer his question, I continued… “I asked and they said yes!”

They is Nissan and they’ve got 10 Nissan Cubes being prepped for release to the media for evaluation, write-ups and sometimes criticism. That’s what the consumers read in print and online magazines like MyRideisMe.com.

For those of you lucky enough to live in Arizona, you’ll get a sneak peak of the new Nissan Cube. And.. if you haven’t seen one in person, check out the Nissan GT-R.

Except for inside national super-shows like the Los Angeles Auto Show where the Cube first occupied equal space on all side 6 sides last year in November, this is the first time the geometric, love-hate styled Econo-box (couldn’t resist) has been seen in the wild with other shapes.

Where: Scottsdale Pavilion at Indian Bend and 101
When: 4:30 to 9 PM on May 2nd, 2009 (This is a one-time only deal!)
What: 10 Pre-release, totally new Nissan Cubes, plus 1 rockin, bad-to-the-bone Nissan GT-R!

Since I haven’t driven it yet, I’ll have to let you know what I think, but I can tell you there’s a handful of creative features in the Cube not found in other Nissan. I especially dig the kooky, ripple-waved head liner. The mood lighting and accents are covered at length by everyone already, so I won’t go there.

Let me have my drive of the Moss Green 1.8L SL with all the “Sport” goodies and tell you what I think, what others, customers and non-customers think about and then you can love it or hate it for yourself. For my review, I’ll give you nothing but the oppisite over the adjacent side for this Cube and not go on a tangent.

Fine, criticize my writing… do you know Thesaurus.com has no words with similar meaning to geometric?

Customize your own Cube

Barrett Jackson Auction’s Salute to Boyd Coddington?

I expect a hot rod driver or builder to know who Boyd Coddington was. Like him or not, there’s no denying his influence on style and the budget of custom cars, especially the one-off rides built for his TV show, “American Hot Rod”. His death almost 1 year ago shocked the custom car world.

It looked like there were alot more hot rods and cars that I’ll call “regular” at the 2009 Barrett Jackson Auction in Scottsdale, Arizona this year. What the heck is regular? Well, I just mean they’re somewhat obtainable by more then just wealthy collectors out there. I guy with a dream who’s been saving for a while might have a shot. With the “dreamers” and the collectors all gathered at Barrett Jackson, how many knew who Boyd Coddington? Quite a few!

Case in point are 2 hot rods sold on Saturday at Barret Jackson. The first is this neo-classic styled: chopped, red and flamed but with billet (of course Boyd’s) wheels, 1932 Ford 3 window coupe. A great looking, no-expense-spared car, no doubt, but was it worth the $200k it sold for? (without commissions) Who knows the actual build cost, but that could be said for many cars on the block. From what I heard the auctioneers saying, many cars were being sold for the cost of the “frame off rotisserie” restoration. Not this car, I think it sold for a premium because it was a Boyd car. It’s tough to hear in the video below, but the cheers from the crowd as the price kept rising support that theory. What do you think? (after a short word from their sponsor…)

Also supporting my Boyd buy theory is this Chip and Sam Foose built 29 Ford Sedan. This steel car will be the topic of another blog. I got a chance to chat with the new owner and he was tickled to have such at great car for $50k (without commissions) With 15″ Boyd wheels, this low slung sedan is in fantastic condition and anything with Chip Foose’s name on it, I think, also should fetch a premium. Did it? I think in a few years, it’ll take alot more money to own a car built by Foose. More on this cool 80’s time machine in a future blog.

Finally, I’ll throw out another 32 Ford 3 Window coupe for you to ponder. This is a different, much more nostalgic looking 32, but for years, any steel 32 was fetching big, BIG dollars, weren’t they? This car sold for $58k. Is that right? This car was CHERRY! I checked, it’s a steel car and features a somewhat ordinary 350/350 combo, but with the simple but stylish interior, artillery steelies and whitewalls, this is my style.

So did the Boyd name bump up the price at auction or was it a simple case of 2 guys really wanting the same car?

Creative Workshop Sport Speciale – No Sale!

Submitted by Jason Wenig from The Creative Workshop, a restoration and full service coach builder out in Florida.

An interesting turn of events transpired this past weekend.

As you are probably aware, last week was the “big auction week” out in Scottsdale, AZ (culminating on Saturday night), where all of the major car auction companies display and sell a dizzying array of vehicles. On top of the grandeur of these events, in many ways, it can be said that this past week sets the tone for values and trends for the coming year.

As a car builder, I walk a thin line. I personally am not a big fan of the auctions – I don’t sell cars – I build them, but it is hard not to at least be interested, and in many instances, it is important for me to understand where people’s money is going – what types of cars, what eras, etc are being sold… if not just for business, then certainly for my own love of cars!

Which brings me to my story: My Client, (Arizona’s own, car collector) Barry Smith, decided to get the Sport Speciale involved in this fray – consigning the car with Drew Alcazar of Russo & Steele (Drew is a personal friend of Barry’s). Now, as I said, I am not a vested fan of the auctions, and I was certainly not involved in this consignment, but Barry, being a shrewd businessman, wanted to see what the market for and value of his beloved car was. So he put the car up, set a very high reserve, and let the fates take a turn.

For me, I was admittedly a bit nervous – having a car that was completely designed and built in-house – being presented against venerable classics, and in a weak and teetering economy. As an artist, one can get tense when presenting their work in an open “shark like” forum such as this… as a business man, having a value placed on your product under these circumstances – can, well, be quite unnerving!!

Well, after the dust settled on Saturday night’s bidding (the Speciale was THE car of the event – it went off prime time on Saturday night), the car did not sell – Barry turned down a high bid of $630,000 (to the buyer, approximately $700K with premiums, etc)! To put this in perspective, the highest price paid for any car at R&S was $600K for a Mercedes Benz 300SL Gullwing! Needless to say, I am as much humbled as I am honored by this.

After the shock of this has settled a bit, I spent some time thinking about it all:

• Although all of the “number crunching” is not done yet, it seems the collector car market in general is showing softness (along with the rest of the economy) – down perhaps as much as 30%.
• Our car was bid up to $630,000. One of the highest priced cars of the weekend (of ANY of the auction houses!!). Barry, smartly, did not sell the car at this price – correctly reading the market – that the car is probably worth considerably more. Our car out priced Ferraris, Mercedes, prototype American cars, grand classics and even charity “celebrity” auction cars!!
• If someone was prepared to spend $700K in a market that is potentially 20% – 30% deflated, it could be theorized that our car, in a normal or strong market, could approach the $1MM mark. Indeed, I found out who the high bidder was, and he is known for owning and selling his cars for a profit. He too saw the potential of buying this car at an “undervalued” $700K price!!
• Our car was finished one year ago – and hit the road at the beginning of the recession we are now fully in. The car cost approximately $600K to build. During this period of time, the overall market declined – yet our car not only held its value, but it increased in value.
• The car, overnight, has become a liquid asset…meaning: Hard assets become illiquid if their values suffer during market fluctuations (go lower than acquisition cost) or have no buyers (especially in a bad market – and you need to sell). Well, our car was presented in a very unfavorable arena (car values down, economy down, etc), and not only attracted many potential purchasers, but attracted purchasers that were willing to buy the car at a premium to what it cost to build.

What all of this means to me: Creativity, automotive art, uniqueness – are all alive and well. Quality and soul are still rewarded. Our Creative Workshop brand continues to establish itself – even under unfavorable conditions.

I am proud of the work we did and continue to do and I am humbled that a great deal of blood, sweat and tears has been rewarded – in a medium that for better or worse, is an easier language for most to understand – monetary value.

Thanks for being a part of this.

JW
Jason Wenig
The Creative Workshop
www.TheCreativeWorkshop.com

Twin Huffers on a sick Model T

Ron Ginn from Albuquerque, New Mexico ain’t playin’ when it comes to building ridiculous horsepower Model T’s. I asked Ron, “Why two blowers?” and he kindly expanded on the theorem: “Injection is nice… but blown once is twice as nice!” I take that to mean, why the hell not?

Like so many folks at the 2008 Goodguys Southwest Nationals in Scottsdale, AZ, you’re gawking at 572 cubic inches of Chevy power in this highly detailed Model T. I won’t call it a “Ford” because from looking at Ron’s garage here at MyRideisMe.com, I think Ron’s more of a Chevy guy. Twin Blown

Stepping back, the ride Ron calls, “Nas T Too” was a 4 year build with everything but the paint and interior done by Ron in his home shop. That includes milling or turning several custom pieces on the car. Ron said that “dipping” into the hot rod fund to buy a mill and lathe was essential. He made alot of chips (scrap!) before he made any parts, but you might have guessed that there aren’t many off-the-shelf pieces available for twin blown big blocks! Looking closely, there are alot of custom-made, one-off pieces.

Ron’s an engine builder by hobby which is why he likes to go over the top with the engine. What’s “Over the top” mean? How about 1348 HP at 5800 rpm with 985 ft-lbs of torque. Ron was quick to explain that there was a little more in it but the tires started slipping on the dyno rollers. (Big deal Ron, that happens to me in my T too… NOT!) There’s a total of 12 lbs of boost from both blowers, so they’re seriously under driven.

Any time you’ve got over 1000 ponies in a car that only weighs 1885 pounds, you’re in for a wild ride! Hanging out with Ron for only a few minutes, we heard the common question, “How fast is it?” To which Ron politely answered, “I don’t know!” I think Ron’s years have given him the wisdom to give respect where it’s due. That’s alot of power! Consider that the 425 hp in the SRT8 Challenger represents a HP to weight ratio of 9.8 lbs/HP. Ron’s at 1.4 lbs/HP!! I could see that Ron’s not afraid to lite’m up here and there, but a wide open run on a back road didn’t seem to interest him much.

Ron does like his entrance. The stares and sideways glances of folks wondering, “What is that!?” really get Ron going. It’s good that people know that yea, it does run, and it sounds wicked. Lopey. That’s a word now, add it to your vocabulary. Blower surge could maybe be tuned out of this thing a bit, but I’d vote against it. In fact, It’s beautiful. This video gives you a taste of what it’s like, but doesn’t show how at each surge, the T’s looking to break those huge rear tires loose. Awesome.

In the days, or 4 bucks a gallon, I’m sure Ron heard it more, but he said he always gets the, “What kind of mileage do you get?” I think I’d be more likely to ask, “Do you change your shorts after every ride?” His show card says, it all when it says simply, “MPG: Not real good”. Yep. To be more specific, he gets about 35-40 miles from his 15 gallon tank or about 2.3 miles per gallon.

After my 30 second video, Ron’s hand was out. “That’ll be seven dollars.”

2008 Goodguys Scottsdale – Photo Upload

The first of many, MANY photos from the 2008 Goodguys Southwest Nationals held in Scottsdale, Arizona just went up. (You can find all the events we’ve shot here: Hot Rod and Custom car Pictures)

…it’s just like being there, but without all of that pesky good weather, fine folks and healthy walking around stuff. Come to think of it, all of that sounds pretty good, huh? That’s the whole point of MyRideIsMe.com: Interacting with other members, making new friends, and just enjoying cars! If you missed this one, we invite you to check out our shots, as well as our member’s photos, too… and if you snapped some that we missed, feel free to join in and post them as well! Have some thoughts or a story from the weekend that you’d like to share? Send it our way, and we’ll make you famous!”

This blog will be updated as I load new pictures, so check back here over the next couple of weeks.
Updated:
11/19/2008
11/23/2008

Goodguys Rod and Custom shows have a mix of cars. While I was there, I thought there were mostly hot rods, but looking over my photos, I shot alot of muscle cars, and G-touring type cars too. I’m calling all those cars, Street Machines. I held a brief but meaningful internal debate about that and finally decided that if there’s some opposition to that naming convention, then you’re welcome to make your own website! Ha ha!! What would you call’m?

The 4th Gallery of customs pics is up! Swanee, you’ve got to have some to add to this one! Once again, here’s the direct link: Goodguys Scottsdale Pictures – Hot Trucks

The 3rd Gallery of hot truck photos is up! Click on the link here: Goodguys Scottsdale Pictures – Hot Trucks

The 2nd Gallery of hot rod photos is up! Click on the link or wander over to the Car show picture gallery Here’s that link and my favorite picture: Goodguys Scottsdale Pictures – Hot Rods

Here’s a link to the 1st gallery and one of my favorite pictures. Goodguys Scottsdale Pictures – Street Machines (Click on the pic to make it larger)

Next to come: (almost done!)

Pro’s Details Photos (shots of some of the super trick ideas from big time builders)

MyRideisMe.com Favorite Photos

What else should I do?

OH! Then there’ll be a bunch of photos from Swanee. I’m sure he’ll make my shot’s look crappy, like usual… Look for his logo on the prints and get in touch with him through his MyRideisMe.com Garage here: Custom car pics

While you’re here, stop saying, “Hey, that’s a good idea for a website!” and join already!

2008 Goodguys Scottsdale – Just a teaser…

If you’re a Cali hot rodder or maybe even a Texan heavy into nose up A/FX drag cars, then you probably missed the 2008 Goodguys Southwest Nationals in Scottsdale, AZ. Don’t worry, I’ve got you covered! The dedicated staff of MyRideisMe.com (Paul Swansen, Erick Anderson and myself) took over 1000 pictures. This is just a taste of the photos and stories coming out soon at MyRideisMe.com. Please check back for updates!

Click this link: The Gasser Chevy II Story is Done!

While you’re here, take a second to join. I’ll shoot over a notice when the new stories and photos are ready.

(click on any of these pics to see them full size. It’s Vivazoom!)

Story about this Crazy!! T-bucket now posted: Twin Huffer T-bucket

Interested? Which story should I do first? So tell a friend and check back. We’ll try to put these stories up asap. Thanks!

The Big Show: Goodguys Scottsdale, AZ

Mess-up fuel pump, lost air bleed screw for the new carbs, broken rocker stud, up all night getting ready for the show and sore-as-hell-legs. We had a great time! Here’s my recap of the 2007 Goodguys Show in Scottsdale, AZ.

That all didn’t happen to me, I did change the fuel pump on my car, but probably didn’t need to. The new pump only hit about 1.5psi to start, then up to 3, back to 1, all over the place. Finally, she settled in and makes 3 psi as I’d hoped. My friend Joe helped out by taking this photo. By the way, your battery will go dead if you leave the pump on. sigh.

For the big day, Saturday, we met at 6AM at a gas station. 6 of us left together headed north on the 101. Just as we hit the freeway, I decided I’d better get gas… duh, shoulda done that before. As soon as I got back on the road, I saw my pops and his friend Larry on the side of the road. Broken rocker stud. Larry had it at the show by 11! None of my pictures of Larry’s newly finished T-bucket turned out.

In all, I took 550 photos this show. You won’t see all of mine, but just incase I missed some good shots, our good friend Paul Swanson took over 1000 shots. We’re organizing the photos now, so please be patient. Here are just a few of my favorite shots.

Keep checking back for more pictures and features from the show!

Lastly, I want to say that even with the tired legs, it was all worth it! While busting hump trying to get good pics and spewing MyRideisMe so much, I might be sick of it myself, I saw friendly smiles from the Over the Hill Gang guys I met a few weeks ago… then I ran into Tony, the guy who helped me on the side of the road last year… then I got to know Al Packard, a MyRideisMe member who won Best Traditional or something like that. I knew his ride was sweet… he’s been on the home page for a couple weeks! Thank you everyone. I’d do it all again this weekend if I could. See you next year!

Got something you want to add? Please add a comment or contact me to publish your own blog.

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