Map your course for a Concours d’Elegance then head 180° in the opposite direction. That’s how you get to a car show like 35th Annual West Coast Kustoms’ Cruisin’ Nationals, blogs Jim Palam.
It’s the multifariousness of Car Culture that makes it so appealing to so many people. And it’s the people as much as the cars that make the 2018 Cruisin Nationals such a fun three-day event. There’s the Santa Maria City Cruise on Friday night, the Show-n-Shine on Saturday and Sunday – plus a swap meet, vendors, live music, model car show and appearances by many “Legends of Kustomizing”.
With close to 800 pre-1961 American make cars on the Fairpark grounds it wasn’t easy picking a Car Guy Chronicles’ selection to showcase – but here are a choice few that grabbed my attention.
John Saltsman’s radically customized ’49 Studebaker pickup, top & above, is not only a driver; it’s an emergency cargo hauler as well. John, an avid inline speed skater, drove his famous big-tailed ’49 up from his home in Joshua Tree, CA.
When Hoodoo Paintworks’ owner George Tantardini isn’t polishing his metalflake GMC pickup, I’m guessing he’s refining the verticality of his Rockabilly haircut!
This sculpted ’58 Chevy was just one of the outstanding, low-slung Kustoms on display in the King Max show area. As if the exterior wasn’t kool enough, the organic gauge clusters are more outer space than interior space vehicle control components.
Has your Hybrid or ePower vehicle taken the fun out of driving? Maybe it’s time for some blasts to the Drive-in or down the quarter-mile in this thumpin’ ’28 Ford Hemi roadster?
Pickups and SUVs continue to be sales leaders in today’s automotive/truck markets, but good luck trying to find a ’62 Ford Econoline pickup as sleek, sexy and creamy-good as this one at your local dealership!
Art Serna of Linsay, CA sought to build a true-to-period, pre-war hot rod. He wanted to put a performance-modified Model B Four in a ’31 Ford roadster and he wanted everything about the build to be perfect. He succeeded.
Inside the show’s arena building actress Candy Clark from the movie American Graffiti was signing autographs. I was outside drooling over this fiery ’34 Ford three-window coupe. Catch you next time, Candy!
Stan Fuller’s ’52 Willys wagon is a sleeper. I’m not talking about camping here. Nestled neatly into its reinforced frame is a high-performance Chevy 427 big-block. Don’t forget the extra gas cans, Stan!
One of the kool vendor cars was this custom-painted ’35 Ford five-window coupe. Now this is the way to drive to work – in a shiny, rollin’ work of art.
Just as I was beginning to fade, I encountered this “Lean Machine” – a ’60 Jeep Step Van in need of some serious TLC. “Hang in there, Old Guy” I thought as I snapped some pix and then headed to my truck.
Words & Photos: Jim Palam, http://www.jimpalam.com/
For more information, please visit https://www.westcoastkustoms.com/showinfo.html
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