George Barris – Pulpaddict

CRUISIN’ NATIONALS

The 43rd Annual West Coast Kustoms Cruisin’ Nationals rolls cool rides and party vibes into Santa Maria for a moto-fun Memorial Day weekend!

For its first 25 years the West Coast Kustoms Cruisin’ Nationals was held in Paso Robles, CA. But then an elixir of politics and pride forced a move of the popular car show from “Paso” down the coast to the city of Santa Maria’s Fairpark event center. With West Coast Kustoms founders Rich and Penny Pichette’s indefatigable energy and dedication, the show has continued its legacy and remains a big draw – pulling car clubs, lone wolves, exhibitors and fans from near and far – even after Rich’s passing in 2010.

The three-day Memorial Day weekend Cruisin’ Nationals was always meant to be a family-friendly community event. The show shifted into gear on Friday night, May 24th, with a jam-packed City Cruise on Broadway in the heart of Santa Maria. The fun rolled-on into Saturday and Sunday at the Fairpark with indoor and outdoor displays of pre-1965 American-made customs, classics and hot rods, plus the Brush Bash, a model car show, live music, vendor booths, celebrity meet-ups, roller skating and the presentation of awards.

One of the impossible-to-miss entries in the exhibition hall was Bo Swan’s lime/gold, impossibly long (over 20 feet) ‘60 Pontiac Safari Wagon that earned the lead image position above for this report. This nine-passenger gang hauler was originally purchased by Bo’s grandfather and has been re-imagined at least two times since Bo took ownership in 2002.

Tattoo artist Robert Atkinson’s low and clean ’40 Chevy Special Deluxe Coupe appears to be at lead position in this delta wing gathering of custom cruisers and hot rods. Kudos to Robert for not inking this low and lovely classic with supersized renderings of body art. His Beatniks of Koolsville coupe rides comfortably on a four-link air ride suspension and is powered by a Chevy 350 mated to a 700R4 transmission.

OK, I’ll admit it – I wanted to take a bite of this custom roadster – metaphorically speaking. Growing up in NYC I lived just a few blocks from a bakery in where I would occasionally watch pastry chefs slather frosting onto sheet cakes. I’m going to take a wild guess that the customizer of this frosty Ford roadster also grew up near a bakery. Yum!

Perhaps the quintessential example of a Lead Sled is a chopped and slammed ’49, ’50 or ’51 Mercury – like this Candy Blue ’51 Merc that was on display at the 43rd Cruisin’ Nationals in Santa Maria at The Fairpark. A sophisticated air ride suspension from Cruise Industries of Ventura helps gives this sled its sexy stance and smooth ride.

The Lemon Drop is a somewhat understated custom ’50 Ford. And that’s surprising because it was built and painted by Mark “The Woz” Woznichak who painted some of the top alcohol funny cars setting records in the 2000s. Mark didn’t want to go too radical on his custom, opting to not chop the roof, but rather, keep everything on and in the car tight and tasty.

I love it when all I need to do is look a car’s vanity plate to get a summation of the car’s zeitgeist. Owner Ka Harris from Hollister, CA decided that the letters “JAWDRPN” on his plate would provide admirers of his custom ’36 Ford Model 48 5-Window Coupe with a takeaway adjective for this bodacious build.

One of the big fans of West Coast Kustoms Cruisin’ Nationals is Victor Cacho. He is the owner of Cacho Customs in Sylmar, CA. Car Guys may recognize Victor’s name from his many appearances on Full Custom Garage with car builder Ian Roussel. Each year Victor brings two or more of his creations to the Cruisin’ Nationals. Featured here is Victor’s mashed-up custom called One Piece at a Time. The build combines a ’60 Chrysler with parts and components from a Caddy, a Buick, a DeSoto and a Ford.

Lined up behind the Critics Car Club double-wide show tent was this beautifully executed ’37 Ford Deluxe Touring Sedan Low Rider. With its extended body and low-to-the-road roll, this car embodies the Low Rider esthetic and philosophy – to express social and cultural identities. Historically, low riders were Latino men from Texas, the Southwest and California, but today you will find both men and women from around the world riding low and slow!

Two words came to mind when I first spotted this ’33 Ford 5-Window Coupe: ” Sweet” and “Zoom!” With its broad candy-stripe cross-body paint scheme and the ’33 Ford’s signature laid-back grille and firewall, this Cruisin’ Nationals hot rod was built to get attention and go fast. A nice contrast to the candy-stripe paint are the flat grey velocity stacks popping up through the hood, and flat grey header pipes snaking out from under the fenders.

This gorgeous ‘40 Ford Coupe has a rich history in California custom culture. It was originally owned by Tom Hocker of Oakland, CA who along with his brother Joe made extensive modifications beginning in 1948. Years later the car ended up in the creative hands of Sam and George Barris who made further aesthetic enhancements. Along the way the car made its way into the movie American Graffiti and then in 2018, new owner Rich Hubbard enlisted John Canepa of Canepa Customs to tear it down and rebuild it to its 1957 custom specs. The frame-off Canepa restoration and repaint was completed in 2023.

OK Car Guys, I’m going to need your help in identifying this slammed coupe. It’s profile, hood cowl louvers and dipping body accent lines suggests to me that it’s 1937 vintage, perhaps a Chevy. A nose shot I have shows a waterfall-style grille, perhaps from a ’41 Packard. The headlight buckets are set low on the insides of the fenders. The front windshield is split, the rear window is not. This is a Kustom, so anything goes. Leave a comment with your guess!

If you’ve been reading my reports, you know by now that one of the big draws for me to attend automotive and motorsports events is the opportunity it provides to meet the people behind the wheels of these special rides. If you’re attending a Low Rider or Hot Rod event you are going to run into car clubs. These ten members of the Critics Car Club from the Central Coast area of California brought their kool cars, their logo-emblazed double-wide tent and their low n’ slow swagger to the Cruisin’ Nationals.

I lived for 35 years in Santa Barbara where I would from time to time run into Shoeless Car Guy Rusty. So, it was a pleasant surprise to run into him again at the Cruisin’ Nationals where I asked him to pose in front of a custom ’55 Chevy Nomad. As I was shooting, a cute little 2 ½ -year-old girl walked up to Rusty and handed him a flower. They became instant friends and a spontaneous side show hit – getting smiles, laughs and even applause from many of the attendees passing by!

I’m ending my West Coast Kustoms Cruisin’ Nationals report with a shot from the beginning of my show day where a lone low rider was parked by the entry gates of the Santa Maria Fairpark. Our American flag was the centerpiece for this Memorial Day weekend special event. It’s a reminder to me of how special the people of our great nation are – even with all our political and social divides. Thanks to all who have served – and thanks again to everyone who worked hard to bring us three special days of Moto-Fun!

Words & Photos ©Jim Palam, https://www.jimpalam.com/

For more information on West Coast Kustoms events, please visit https://www.westcoastkustoms.com/

HIROHATA: MULTI-MILLION DOLLAR MERCILLAC

Truly iconic, Bob Hirohata’s Barris-customized ’51 Mercury sells for $2,145,000 at Mecum’s Kissimmee, Florida auction. Rod & Custom historian Pat Ganahl documents the history of the poster car of the 1950s, HIROHATA: MULTI-MILLION DOLLAR MERCILLAC

There’s no question the hot topic among rod and custom car enthusiasts this week–this year…ever…–is the sale at auction in Florida of the Hirohata Merc for 1.95 million dollars. I’m not here to analyze, debate, or even discuss the ramifications of that sale. That remains to be seen. Nor am I here to expound on the history, lineage, inspiration, or even the rightful place in the classic car pantheon of this vehicle. Any of you who have followed my work know that I have very thoroughly covered those topics in various publications over the past 33 years.

In fact, given all the build-up and hype in the last few months over the car’s impending sale, including histories, analyses, and tons of photos, I have avoided reading most of it because I’ve definitely been over that territory in minute detail. If you want to know the true history of the Hirohata Merc from its inspiration, to its building, to its salvation and its final reconstruction–from the mouths of the people who were there and did it–I would direct you to The Rodder’s Journal No. 5 (1996), celebrating in photos how the car started and drove on the street for the first time in 30 years, and including my interview with Jim McNiel, his older brother Bob, and Jim’s wife Sue about how they snagged it from a used car lot in ’59 for $500, rebuilt it, drove it to high school, courted in it, drove it to work, then parked and stored it in ’65 when customs slipped into oblivion.

A couple of years later, in TRJ No. 8 (1998), when the car was in Junior’s House of Color getting a perfect, if rushed, paint job to make a large, significant show at the Oakland Museum, I was able to sit George Barris, Hershel (Junior) Conway, Frank Sonzogni, and Jim at a table and record a wide-reaching interview about Bob Hirohata, the car’s origin and ground-breaking design concept, and its construction. In that article I also traced the car’s history in as much detail (and photos) as I could find. Bob Hirohata couldn’t be with us because he was murdered in 1981. But when he approached Barris in early ’52 with a new ’51 Mercury, George said, “He was such a quiet guy, such a low-key guy, he didn’t push anything to any great extent. But he said, ‘I’d like to see it a little different.’” George and Sam and Sonzogni took it from there, creating the next new wave in custom cars. You know the story.

Continue reading HIROHATA: MULTI-MILLION DOLLAR MERCILLAC @ https://patganahl.com/2022/01/24/the-mcniel-merc/

CALIFORNIA DREAMIN’: CENTRAL COAST WHEELING WEEKEND

Who doesn’t love a special deal? Perhaps it’s CGC’s Jim Palam’s years in advertising that was behind his idea to give our readers two-reports-in-one, combining two of the Central Coast’s popular car shows – The Solvang Fall Classic & The Montecito Motor Classic – into one feature. It’s a great idea, so here’s CALIFORNIA DREAMIN’: CENTRAL COAST WHEELING WEEKEND.

Covid changed the 2020 Car Show scene significantly – pretty much eliminating many if not all of the popular gatherings not only in America, but around the world. It was a year to ponder our priorities and for many a time to get back in the garage and finish projects that were in the works or on-hold. What was a bummer in 2020 turned out to be something of a bonanza in 2021 with many of these unseen or improved projects making their way to re-launched car shows, races and auctions.

CALIFORNIA DREAMIN’: CENTRAL COAST WHEELING WEEKEND started early on Saturday morning in the heart of Solvang, CA with The 2021 Solvang Fall Classic Car Show. By 9 AM there were over 200 pre-1990 classics, hot rods, sports cars, customs and motorcycles. The show was free to spectators and thousands of car enthusiasts, tourists and locals strolled through the show-car-lined streets of “The Danish Capital of America.” Proceeds from the show benefitted local charities including The Rona Barrett Foundation, The Vikings Kids Christmas and The Veggie Rescue Program. In years past this show was held during the summer and promoted as The Wheels & Windmills Car Show. As hoped for, there were many cars there I hadn’t seen before and the cooler October weather was perfect. My vote is to keep holding the show in the Fall.

I started the second day of my “Wheeling Weekend” zipping down Highway 101 along the Pacific Coast in my 914 to the Santa Barbara Polo & Racquet Club for The 2021 Montecito Motor Classic. This was the second year the MMC was held at the Polo Club’s panoramic Carpinteria foothill’s location. This was also the 9th year that the Presenting Sponsor for the MMC was the Armand Hammer Foundation which meant that dedicated Car Guy Michael Armand Hammer would be involved, and that we’d see an exciting mix of exotics, hot rods, customs, classics, concept cars and even famous TV cars – like the first “car” I encountered – the George Barris built Munsters Koach, left. This hopped-up hearse was featured on the iconic 1960’s TV series, The Munsters.

One row over from the Munster Koach I spotted the Backdraft Racing Indigo Blue 427 Cobra, top, that had been wheeling down the 101 next to me on the way to the show. The affable owner is an aerospace executive whose passenger was a large Teddy Bear. Once on the show field he donned a Propeller Beanie Cap and shared his infectious effervescence with showgoers enjoying the perfect weather and exceptional cars on the expansive Polo Field.

There were also a number of side attractions at the MMC including the Avenue of Chalets vendor area and a tribute to show honoree and automotive designer, Mark Stehrenberger. Now I must apologize that I kept my camera focused mostly on the 200-plus cars on the show field and I missed the Fashion Hat Competition sponsored by Silverhorn Jewelers!

A trophy winner at The Solvang Fall Classic Car Show and a standout at any show it’s entered in was Keith & Lynne Raphael’s jaw-dropping ’61 MGA Roadster. This ‘lil beast sports a supercharged Chevy 350 tucked neatly into the radically-modified, all-steel MGA body that sits snugly on an altered ’78 Corvette chassis. This red racer is no Trailer Queen and gets driven often for joy-rides and to shows by Keith and Lynne.

This man is not only on the step-up to his “La Bestioni No. 8 ~ Beast of Turin” but on a mission to wow and entertain as many people as he, and his oversize creations, can. Some of you may recognize Gary Wales from his many appearances on Jay Leno’s Garage. Gary’s “Beasts” (he has built 8 so far) are tributes to the original Beast of Turin, a 1911 Fiat S76 that was powered by a massive 28-liter inline-4 engine. To create his “Beasts” he starts with pre-1930s American La France fire trucks and from there let’s his creativity flow. Many of the mechanical chores – such as rebuilding the 14-liter Simplex motor – are handled by his ace mechanic, Andres Aranda. It was one of the most popular exhibits of CALIFORNIA DREAMIN’: CENTRAL COAST WHEELING WEEKEND.

In conspicuous contrast to Gary’s “Beast” is Don Nichos’ ‘56 Messerschmitt KR200 Kabineroller (Cabin Scooter) which buzzed into the Solvang show with a BMW Isetta in hot pursuit. This head-turning 3-wheel microcar was designed by Fritz Fend for German aircraft manufacturer Messerschmitt. While spotting one of these on the road is about as rare as spotting Warren Buffet at the 7-11, they actually manufactured approximately 40,000 of them between 1955 and 1964. Capable of reaching a top speed of 56 mph, the 507-pound KR200 is powered by a 191 cc Fichtel & Sachs 2-stroke engine. If you close your eyes as one passes by you might think you’re hearing a classic Vespa scooter!

It was the very first car I spotted at The Solvang Fall Classic Car Show and I knew immediately that it was special. While over 21 million Volkswagen Beetles were manufactured between 1938 and 2003, this little, unpretentious Pastel Green Bug was one of the last split-window Zwitter Beetles manufactured in 1952. And here it sat, like an obedient and patient Dachshund, perhaps waiting for its owner to come out of one of the Danish pastries shops on Copenhagen Drive. This iconic, concours condition ’52 VW is proudly owned by Randy Maskell of Burbank who purchased it over 35 years ago. Everything works in this all-original survivor including the dash clock that you wind-up by reaching into the right-side glove compartment, and the delicate, flip-out style semaphore turn signals. Open the front trunk and you’ll find all the original tools.

What a difference a day makes! In striking contrast to Saturday’s Solvang show’s humble ’52 Zwitter Bug was this brutish Baja Bug on display at Sunday’s Montecito Motor Classic. Sitting mean and nasty on meaty BFGoodrich Baja T/As, this desert destroyer is powered by a high-revving, deep-breathing 700 horsepower LS7 Chevy. Configuration and Fabrication of the car’s complex suspension and chassis was handled by Bradley Nipper. The Bug’s concept was by Stephan Sutton and the assembly by EWR Racing. Oh, by the way, the car is air-conditioned!

Hi-yo, Silver! OK, I know this ’59 Corvette is painted Roman Red, but that’s Dawn Moore holding a photo of her father, Clayton Moore. If you’re a Boomer like me you probably watched Clayton on TV in his role as The Lone Ranger. He bought this Vette new in 1959 and it’s been in the Moore family ever since. Dawn is the latest family caretaker; she brought this classic up from Beverly Hills to proudly show it at The Montecito Motor Classic.

There are some bad ideas that are fabulous – like John Lynch’s awesome ’51 Kaiser Henry J Gasser! So, the story goes that when John told his buddies that he was going to stuff a blown 392-inch Chrysler Hemi into his diminutive Henry J, they all agreed – that was a really bad idea. When John completed the build – which included details like the Ford 9-inch rear, ladder-bar suspension and Turbo 400 transmission, his friends were speechless. This glowing example of a classic 1960s period Gasser is finished in John’s home-brewed “Evil Orange” paint, with its name Bad Idea boldly displayed on both doors!

Speaking of big motors in small cars – Jeff Jones of RatRod Jeff Fabrications brought customer Roger Regen’s wild & wicked ’29 Model A Tudor Ratrod to the manicured Polo field to tear up not divots, but perceptions of what a show-worthy automotive head-turner could be. Jeff’s intricate tube chassis connects all the rod’s components, serving as a sturdy base for the massive 540-inch, 850 horsepower Mooneyham-blown Hemi, Turbo 350 trans, and also a roll cage in the smashed, 32-inch to the roofline Tudor body. This attention getter drew in many admirers including this lovely lady from Ojai and her taller-than-the-car Great Dane. That’s Jeff enjoying the canine and lovely chapeaued company.

I met British motorcycle and car restoration expert Phil Honer years ago while I still owned my ’74 Triumph TR6. I never knew he owned this stunning Jaguar E-Type Coupe and was excited to see him and his meticulously-restored Opalescent Blue ’67 XKE on Copenhagen Drive for The 2021 Solvang Fall Classic Car Show. I grabbed this photo early on Saturday morning as the first arrivals were positioning their show cars in their assigned display areas. A native of Birmingham, England, Phil boosted his E-Type’s performance with high-lift cams, an aluminum flywheel, improved brakes and an improved cooling system.

Green: The color of money and envy! If you’re planning on putting a plug-in e-hybrid 918 Porsche Spyder in your garage, get ready for a considerable investment of time and money as they are near impossible to find. Touted as one of Porsche’s most advanced models when introduced in 2013, this hybrid features a 608 horsepower 4.6-Liter gas powered engine, paired with a 129 horsepower front electric motor and a 156 horsepower rear electric motor, fueled by a 6.8-kWh lithium-ion battery. Doing the power-curve math reveals a jaw-dropping 0 to 60 sprint in 2.5 seconds! Priced around $845,000 for a base model in 2013 you can expect asking prices from $1.3 million and way-way up today.

There’s nothing like a classic Tri-Five Chevy to bring us back down to earth and to Solvang, after our lofty visit with the 918 Spyder. GM produced over 1.5 million Chevys in 1957 and the odds of finding one at your local car show are very high. I was surprised to learn that even with these impressive sales numbers it was in 1957 that Ford outsold Chevy for the first time since 1935. Chevrolet recovered quickly and Ford spent the 1960s unsuccessfully trying to make a comeback!

Introduced back in 1946, Dodge’s Power Wagon was essentially a civilian version of the Dodge WC Series 4×4 military truck. Many were put to hard work as utility vehicles on farms and work sites and if serious mechanical problems were encountered far too many were left to slowly rust right where they quit running. Over the last 10 years Power Wagon aficionados have resurrected and restored the ones they could find and specialized restoration facilities, like Legacy Classic Trucks, have created growing businesses building Power Wagon conversions that feature high-performance drivetrains and custom interiors. This big orange wagon on the Polo Field was a favorite of the many kids who attended the show with their families.

Another early arrival in Solvang was this 5th generation Plum Crazy ’73 Dodge Dart 340 Sport. Its Chrysler small-block V-8 produced approximately 240 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque. With a curb weight of just over 3,200 pounds these cars offered above-average performance. Plum Crazy paint wasn’t actually offered in 1973, but this Dart looked ready to command the intersection outside the Solvang Shoe Store!

Although both the 2021 Solvang Fall Classic and the Montecito Motor Classic’s advertised motorcycles in the mix of show vehicles over my Wheeling Weekend adventure, I only saw two motorcycles on the Polo Field and less than a dozen on the grass at Solvang Park. Even though there was a nicely restored Brough Superior at the MMC, the bike that caught my eye and camera lens was Ron Curtis’ quintessential 1960’s chopper, a beautifully scalloped ’64 BSA. It of course had radically extended forks, “ape hanger” handlebars and a tall “sissy-bar” seat. What it didn’t have was a hardtail frame, the builder opting to retain its original coil spring set.

One of the fun things about these local shows is you will often discover interesting vehicles parked within the vicinity of the show. One such giddy discovery was this authentic Japanese firetruck. To navigate the narrow and twisting streets in Japan smaller vehicles are often chosen as utility and emergency vehicles – such as Bear Erickson and Adriana Ortiz’s red-and-ready Nissan Safari firetruck. I happen to know Bear and Adriana and they have always walked to the beat of their own drummer. Instead of an engagement ring Adriana asked if Bear would get her the firetruck – for no other reason than it would put a smile on her face!

For more information, please visit the CALIFORNIA DREAMIN’: CENTRAL COAST WHEELING WEEKEND show websites: https://wheelsnwindmills.com/ https://montecitomotorclassic.com/

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