mine's bigger

there's just gotta be something about a guy with a big engine. don't think i've ever seen one so errr...tall. i can't believe he drove this to the show...how could he see where he's turning? kinda freudian. probably plays guitar too. i joke when i say that black drive belt is for the squirrel to run on, but that's the way my mind wanders, probably needs at least two of 'em. anyway, i ramble...

i had a busy weekend; one day in riverside, next day in ventura. found this 1934 ford hot rod thing at the corona elks lodge annual show (i can't recall the exact name). not overly huge, but one of the 'elks' did stop by to tell me that their first show only had about 8 cars. this one had filled their lot...about 20–30 maybe, i didn't really count. had never been there before. i'm not sure what people thought of me, no one really bothered to ask. not even the usual question: you with a magazine? that's fine, i get more pictures in a shorter time that way, and that's better on a hot day, like this one.

they had an interesting barbeque made out of or made to look like the front end of a 56/57 chevy. i didn't partake, as i'd already eaten. only stayed for about fifteen minutes, then a short stop in whittier.

and i've just realized that i've now posted over 100 cars here. yippee.

and it was all yellow

i finally took the time to drive out and shoot at the show in cypress. i've heard that there are sometimes up to 60 to 80 cars here. i guess maybe if you stay from beginning to end, there might be, but i didn't stay too late. there were more cars driving up as i packed it up. always makes me want to unpack and go get them too. but then i'd never get home, now would i?

ran into several people that i've seen at various shows. never know who will show up and where. constantly surprised to see cars that i haven't seen in months, and here they are again. forest gump shows...never know what you're gonna get.

anyway, i hadn't seen this one before and it was so conveniently located on the end of the row by itself, i had to take a picture of it. owner was nearby, and seems interested in buying a print, so here it is...what do you think?

big engine. looks like giant binoculars into the soul of the car, should you choose to take a peek...

suits me to a t

always wonder what these hot rods once looked like. at what point does someone think, "i'm going to remove this, insert that, repaint it...," when they have a perfectly good car. some of these come out great in the end, some have earned the ratrod title.

this 1928 ford model t (maybe the owner is just monogramming his initial on the radiator) was pretty well done. has the required big engine thing (wall-E), and i love the added extra big fat tires on the back.

i should have done a panorama here - wish i hadn't clipped off the front of the chevy. live and learn.

racing of the bull

well, my day has sucked so far. was driving up to san luis obispo this morning, to go see my kid play baseball. got as far as the big hill on the 101 heading down into camarillo and blew a tire. little tiny shoulder. crawled out on the passenger side. people insanely speeding down the hill. thank goodness for the aaa guy. don't envy his job changing the driver side front tire with all those "sweet" drivers barrelling down that hill. found a tire place in camarillo and got a whole new set – had over 78,000 miles on the original tires, so it was probably time anyway.

anyway, got that done and no way was i going to make it to the kid's game at all, so with assurances that he was going to have a ride home, i turned around, and here i am playing with my pictures. was too late to even drive out to some car show in ventura, though a very nice old woody did pass me while i was stuck on that hill.

hubby has taken his mother and nephew out to disneyland for the evening, so i'm blasting some music and getting sleepy at the same time. 

enough of my busy day. you're really here for a picture, so here's an interesting hot rod. caught it just before the owner drove off...he was going home to fetch some other car for the show here in tustin. here's what's left of a 1928 essex super six somewhere under this customization. the spider web detail seems a little unnecessary, but i do like the bull's head hood ornament.

it's only

while i liked this hot rod for it's plain hot rodness, it was the hood ornament that actually interested me at the time. i don't think she's the original ornament, or even from this model / make of car, but you can never tell what you'll find on these conglomerates of old cars.

something like this is pretty much what pops into my head when someone says they drive a hot rod: old radiator, exposed engine, flames on black paint...only diff here is that it has a mini truck bed in the caboose.

wonka's ride

well, here's one-third of the weekend's signal hill show. clean? check. shiny? check. engine showing? check. at least there wasn't a hood to get in the way. such a rich purple, i can image willie would be right at home driving it around the factory.

it soon became one-half of the show, as a sweet 55 chevy wagon (i'll put it up soon) left just after i did – his chances of winning the raffle just went up.

in the beginning...

so, a custom hot rod has to start somewhere, somehow. we all have our ugly, awkward stages, kind of like going through puberty, and so do cars. some of them never outgrow it, but i have a feeling that given time, this one will improve with age.

not very far along in the process, though it has all the necessary parts to make it go. wondering what the owner's plans are: will they stop at the primer-look alike stage or do they envision a shiny, polished, yet flamey future for this roadster?

rat fink needed

i swear i had a toy car that looked similar to this when i was a kid. it was purple and came with a little plastic rat fink, and who usually "drove" the car in my kid play. he was the shit.

this hot rod '23 ford model t (guessing) is the shit too. check out the detail on the engine here and here. this guy either loves this car or really needs to get some. maybe that's the point?

been working too many hours, and hoping to make it to the broiler tomorrow...

three's a crowd?

not bad. not bad at all. found these cars at fatburger's in orange yesterday. small show, i suppose because there are no raffles, trophies or other razzle dazzle. just locals enjoying each other's camaraderie and showing off their rides. at least its honest pride and ego strokes.

the owner of the '31(?) or '32 (?) ford hot rod stopped me twice, to particularly make sure that i checked out the backside—not his, the car—where i found this. the car was painted in fine glitter paint and was clean as can be. showed the guy my book and gave him my card, since he asked about my photography. so, i will assume he'll see his baby here...what do you think?

the 1941 chevrolet happened to be the same one i saw at garden grove main street show in april. the owner was sitting in the back seat of the car with the doors open. i had a small picture of the main street photo and asked if it was his car. at first he didn't think so, but i pointed out that someone must be driving around in a similar car, similar paint job, and same license plate. anyway, he said the car has been used for weddings, parties, and hollywood events. easy money, you've earned it with this baby. very nice.

never got a shot of the truck on its own, other than this bit here. thou art very plain, but i like your fuzzy dice.

hot as i wanna be

i see this car at a few shows almost every week. finally got a shot that i like. would have been better if the hoods were down on the other cars, but oh well. not gonna ask them to close them because they're ruining the picture of this other car, especially since i didn't take pictures of those two. hoods up, cameras down.

guessing by the radiator that it's a 1929 ford model a roadster. i like the reflection in the window. just now noticed it while writing this post. yes, there were hooters girls milling about, serving drinks and food to the participants, and posing for pictures.

check out my husband's version from the broiler in downey here.