You're walking around a show and when you see a car cruise in that makes you stop in your tracks. You're stunned and instantly curious. You're hear it and feel it as it drives by. Time for a closer look. Cars that make you feel that way have alot to see, but it's all skin deep. What'd he do for the rear axle setup? Are those custom engine mounts? Unless the builder took great pics and brought them, it's tough to fully appreciate what it took to bring that car to the show. That's where Build Book comes in. BuildBookUSA.com has published 5 books covering 5 cars built by some of the top builders in country. I met Scott and BJ Killeen (long time auto journalists) at the Grand National Roadster Show and they were kind enough to let me preview the complete series of books. You gotta check these out! The first book, and my favorite, is about Joe Rogan's "Sick Fish" 70 Barracuda. Built by the legendary Troy Trepanier & Rad Rides by Troy, this book oozes coolness page by page. What do you want to know...

So I'm cruising the Grand National Roadster Show with ProblemChildKustom's Brian Stupski. He freak'n knows just about everyone, so it doesn't surprise me when he knows Dwayne. Dwayne's got a booth at the Grand-daddy show and in the main hall no less. He's selling these prints like hotcakes: (click to enlarge, it's worth it!) I'm pretty sure these are all $10 and available at Dwayne's Website: FutureElements.net Store These drawings are enough for a wicked blog, but that's not what I'm writing about. As I was thumbing through some of Dwayne's work, I see one of my favorite Hot Wheels, simply named 49 Merc. I'm impressed. We all played (or still play) with Hot Wheels, so now I've met the dude who designed one of my favorites. So I started asking a bunch of questions... 1) How did you first get involved with Hot Wheels (Mattel) That's a very interesting story. I was taking a class for 3D using Alias Autostudio while working at Troy Lee Designs and I was learning how to build things in 3D. I got to know a few guys in class and they were...

Damn slacker! Oh well, better late then never. I did take quite a few shots at in the Suede Palace at the 2008 Grand National Roadster Show in Pomona, CA. For those of you who missed it, the Suede Palace is a show within a show featuring vintage hot rods and customs that pushes back against the modern looking 20+ inch-wheeled billet monsters of the main hall. Some might say that's where all the "rat" rods are, but look closely, there's more to the Suede Palace than just flat paint. With help from his wife Celeste, Axle from the Shifters Car club puts the best of live music and vintage hot rod movies together with DJ's playing doo-wop, rockabilly, rhythm and blues and surf. The vendors inside sell the unique items Suede-folk are looking for. Also, 2008 marked the first year that Bombshell-n-Ink will host a vintage style pin-up contest sponsored by PinUpGirlClothing.com. Somehow I missed the pinup contest... don't miss Pinupgirlclothing.com... it might be better than the Victoria Secrets catalog! So here are a few of the shots I like... the rest are over in the events picture...

Grand National Roadster Show Pictures So I'm hanging with my new buddy Brian from Problem Child Kustoms and we run into Chip (the louver guy) and his friend Craig in the Suede Palace of the Grand National Roadster Show. We'd all been taking in the cool as hell customs and old school hot rods. I heard Craig say, "This one was my favorite until we saw that modified. You've got that black modified, right?" He was talking about this bitch'n 31 Ford Coupe with Caddy power and my 27 Roadster back in AZ. (click to make it bigger) I hadn't seen the trick pearl, metallic white with purple panels modified yet. Where's that?! So I rushed over to the building right next door, the only building I hadn't seen yet. Amidst the nostalgia dragsters and some of the coolest rides I hadn't photographed yet was this killer little roadster. I was stunned. The detail and finish on this car rivaled anything in the America's Most Beautiful Roadster hall, plus it screamed old school hot rod and custom show car from the way back machine! Channeled, paneled and white-walled, this...

Just wanted to let you know that Paul (Swanee3) has loaded a few of his pics from the Phoenix 2008 World of Wheels in the MyRideisMe.com event picture gallery. (Click here to see it!) While you're there, check out the tons of pics from the Goodguys show and Billetproof 2007. Coming soon are pics from Fontana Raceway and the Grand National Roadster Show in Pomona, CA. Here's a sample of Swanee's work: If you'd like to see more of Swanee's work, check out the other site's where he loads pictures (he tells me he loves MyRideisMe.com the most!) Then watch for some photos by a new member, SEAANDSANDS. He's a portrait photographer, so this is a hobby for him too, but dig the effects he did on this photo. You gotta love that! Thanks guys! Subscribe to this blog: RSS 2.0 Care to comment? Can you take better pictures? Let's see'm! And while you're here, please JOIN MyRideisMe.com 10% off entire order at Discount Performance Auto Parts use code...

Welcome to Squeeg's Kustom out of Mesa, Arizona. The shop that started doing custom paint back in 1964 now has about 18 (or more!) giant projects going on right now. I met with Doug Jerger down at the shop so I could see what they're up to and follow up on the pictures I took of their new roadster. Doug gave me the grand tour and introduced me to his crew. I hope you aren't misconceived by the American Hot Rod show with Boyd Coddington... not all custom, high-end builders are miserable asses that treat their crew like crap. To the contrary, Doug gives all credit to his crew and reminded me more than once that it's the SHOP that turns out the great work. Doug quickly stepped into the background more than once. It seems to me, the team attitude and hard work are just the way things are done at Squeeg's. Doug explained how he bills by the hour and keeps meticulous records of what's been done. He also NEVER takes a deposit, so there's never the Unique Performance-style risk that's left a few rich suckers pissed...

2014 Detroit Hot Rods - Pikesan's Picks for Best of Show - In the Basement Detroit Autorama packs Cobo Hall upstairs and down as well. For some people, the basement, downstairs as part of the, "Detroit Autorama Extreme" is the only way to go. I find plenty to like in both, so I shared the best of upstairs Detroit Autorama here. And for the best of the best, check out the 2014 Ridler Award "Great 8" Contenders.   Why not take a look and you be the judge... course, my style doesn't change much.   Here's a few of my downstairs favorites then... find everything else here: 88  pictures from the basement.   Ford in a Ford Coupe 1930 Ford Model A Hot Rod Coupe     Dave DeBaar's hot rod model A coupe is as sweet as it gets. Dave told me this coupe was built in a 3 car garage and didn't leave for anything until it was done. Dave and his dad did the paint and built the stout looking 289 small block Ford too. Dave even made the adapters for the 4 Holley 94's onto the Offenhauser...

The Air up there: 2013 America's Most Beautiful Roadsters   Vote for your favorite below by leaving a comment...   There are a few advantages to being tall. If you can put up with bumping your head hard enough to see stars once in a while, you get shots like these without carrying a step ladder. So... even though I shared the Best 7 AMBR Contenders already, here's another look from up high.   For all pictures, click to see the full-size image. Can't wait?  Click here to see pictures of 2013 AMBR winning roadster America's Most Beautiful Roadster Contender - Bad in Black 1932 Hot Rod! America's Most Beautiful Roadster Contender - 200+ MPH Bad & Beautiful America's Most Beautiful Roadster Contender - Australian Hot Rod America's Most Beautiful Roadster Contender - The Kid's Cruiser America's Most Beautiful Roadster Contender - Indy Racer's Dream 1932 Hot Rod America's Most Beautiful Roadster Contender - Cooper Elegance America's Most Beautiful Roadster Contender - Track Nose Champion America's Most Beautiful Roadster Contender - Possessed Pickup Which one's most beautiful and which is your favorite? Are you answers different? Feel free to vote for...

Hot Rod & Custom Car Photography - 1936 Ford Pickup Download this hot rod pickup for your desktop. It's a big file, so give it some time... I get some cool shots sometimes too! I just posted the combo of Coby and Tim Sutton's beyond sick 1937 Lincoln Zephyr photo which is a shot, of a caliber (get it?) I aspire to create some day. Through some luck, good timing and maybe a developing eye for light, I got this shot of my friend Jim Ramirez's hot rod pickup. I knew this hot rod 1936 Ford pickup in suede blue paint with a really tough looking spade pinstriped on the door. That's going back to 2008, the first year I covered the LA Roadster Show. His pickup has changed! Last year, Jim parked in the suede palace, but this year, he's outside sip'n Tecate's with his car club pals the Throttle Kings. One thing you can count on with the Throttle Kings, their hot rods evolve... and they don't have air ride! From back in 2008 at the LA Roadster Show: Closer to present day... here's some other shots of Jim's...

RM Auction Press Release: Preeminent international auction house, RM Auctions, will celebrate a decade of excellence in Phoenix, Arizona in January with their 10th anniversary ‘Automobiles of Arizona’ event. Returning to the luxurious Arizona Biltmore Resort and Spa, the highly anticipated event will kick off the 2009 collector car season in grand style as 125 magnificent vintage motor cars cross the block before an international audience. When the focus of the collector car world returns to Phoenix, Arizona, in January, all eyes will once again be on Canadian-based RM Auctions and their eagerly awaited Automobiles of Arizona auction event. Long regarded as the most prestigious event of Arizona’s famed auto week, the annual multi-million dollar RM sale brings together some of the world’s finest vintage automobiles with some of the world’s most discerning collectors. The grand tradition is set to continue in 2009 as RM celebrates their 10th anniversary sale in Phoenix, January 16th. “We are thrilled to be returning to Phoenix for our 10th anniversary sale and look forward to again welcoming collectors and enthusiasts from around the world to Arizona for what is shaping up to be...