Will-I-Am Oh-sha  and Davis are not in the Galaxie Studio but in Oxnard, Calif. after the Ventura Nationals.  We talk some event coverage, latest updates, don't name your business "OK," and more!

 

 

Episode #165

 

Link to all photos

 

https://youtu.be/yWxFYVKQwM0

http://youtu.be/QT2BrfMjkc8

 

The Ventura Nationals annual show is probably one of the best outdoor traditional hot rod, custom and motorcycle show of the year. We make it “a must see” event each year and this one was probably our 8th time. The coastal fairgrounds in Ventura, California is an ideal location right off the freeway and the Pacific Ocean. We came up like last year, on a Friday. But this time we had no Los Angeles traffic. Labor Day fell a week later than usual and we think the timing with public schools and vacations put the damper on street traffic. We made it to our motel in Oxnard inside 2 hours, a new record. We went back to the photography and art show held at the Majestic Theater in downtown Ventura on Friday night.

We opted out of the $30 cab ride this time however to downtown Ventura. Davis was determined to keep a clean slate for the remainder of the night. We met show promoters, Holly Gollob and her husband, Aaron Stein out front of the theatre. They couldn’t believe it has been another year in the making for this annual event. This time they had the street blocked off to through traffic and that helped with photos and areas for conversation. The raffle car built by Aaron Valencia from Lancaster, CA for the show day was out front as well. It was a chopped 1936 Ford coupe outfitted with white custom interior, small-block Chevy engine and painted dark burgundy red. We’d have more pictures and information about this car if we had won it. Raffle tickets were $20 each and you didn’t even have to be present to take ownership.

We got to speak with Aaron briefly and he was already considering building a 1953 Chevy for next year’s raffle. I mentioned that his projects seem to grow every year with larger cars. Last year it was a 1931 Ford roadster and this year was the ’36 Ford coupe. Regardless of his decisions, we’ll make sure to enter the raffle because it goes to a good cause to benefit The Lost Angels Childrens Project. Again, all proceeds were divided equally for two charities, the Grace Resource Center and the Union Rescue Mission to help kids living in homeless shelters in Los Angeles. Aaron had a personal attachment to these facilities and he’s giving back to the community that helped him. That’s good car kharma. Inside the theatre, they had some photography prints for sale, some paintings and a few three dimensional art pieces. Not quite as busy or full as last year, but still pretty cool.

After walking and eating at the local eateries in downtown, we headed back to the motel and crashed for the night. We actually slept in a bit, since traffic was so light and we had no problem with parking or entering the show by 10 a.m. on Saturday. Show day was perfect. Cool folks, cool tunes and all cool rides. This show brought back the Pedal Car and Stroller Contest which made a short parade behind Holly Gollob on her adult sized trike bike. This event does make it fun for everyone to get involved and appeal to family folks out for a great day at a car show. We finished up show day once again losing out on the car giveaway raffle. Everyone we talked to about it said the same thing, “I’d sell it and get a ______. If I won.” We’ll worry about those decisions later.

Once again, we missed Sunday’s Reliability Run up to Lake Casitas and the after party at Noble Fabrication. Maybe that’s because we don’t have a traditional hot rod to burn up the windy roads above Ventura. But if we won that ’36 Ford, we’d probably do it. Hell yeah, we’d do it.

Episode #164

 

We took a road trip up the California coast to the Alameda County Fairgrounds in Pleasanton, California to check out the Goodguys West Coast Nationals. This was our first trip up to this particular event in the bay area. Pleasanton is the home of Goodguys and its publishing company, the Gazette and they put on a great show. The fairgrounds was the perfect place for all the acres of street rods, hot rods, muscle cars and vendors.

This particular event did not have an autocross or burnout contest, but they did have a good sized swap meet area for cars and parts. That’s a big plus in our book, cuz who doesn’t like a good variety of junk to look over in the morning? Lot’s of early model car parts, automobilia and such just like that of our trips to the Turlock swap meets in January. Nice cars, unfinished projects and some real basket cases also attended in the Cars 4 Sale Corral. Saturday prices subject to come down for Sunday. Bring a trailer if you’re itching for another project.

Goodguys also had their Nitro Thunderfest with a few vintage rail FED’s to kick some nitro burning flames around a couple times during each day. But somehow I missed that over the drowning insect sound of the tether car circle track racers. Watching gas powered tethered model cars doing 80 mph around a 20 foot diameter circle track is a bit like torture for an adult recovering from a long night of beverages and bad Italian horror movies. You’ve seen it once, move on. There’s no sport in it really.

 

The show also featured areas for the 40 Fords Forever, Good Wood, Homebuilt Heaven, Trick Truck Corral, Mighty Muscle, Duece Doins and Youngguys. All in all, you get a good slice of just about every decade of American cars and trucks with every bit of personalization that can be done to each one. You want to drive home with another one, yet feel absolutely ineffective getting progress done on the projects you already have sitting in your garage back home. That’s called motivation.

We didn’t hang out to see who got the America’s Most Beautiful Street Rod Award at the end of the show. We also missed the Goodguys Giveaway 32 Ford Roadster that will be raffled off next year in Ohio. It was built with Brookville components and features an Edelbrock small-block Chevy crate engine. Seems it made some cruising around the show grounds as I was always in the wrong place to shoot any pics. That’s alright though, we decided to take our buddies’ ’49 Ford out for a spin around the streets of Alameda to shoot some video instead. That was motivation put to work.

 

https://youtu.be/KljoQbD-TvI

Check out all the photos here

We stopped by Classic Whitewall Tires in Orange County to interview Rebecca Nunes with the Orange County Cruisin' Association to talk all about the upcoming Great Labor Day Cruise.  33 years running at the Orange County Fairgrounds here in SoCal.  Check out their Facebook page for updates and Periscope streaming.

 

Episode#163

It has been a few weeks, but we sat down in the garage and got caught up on stuff after William's week off in Washington.  Davis hit the Nitto Tire event in Anaheim, and William was off to the races in Monroe.  A "live" update about the truck and the 302 is ready to go in.  And the other usual stuff coming up and whats been doin'.  Check it out, tell a friend.

 

Episode #162

 

William's truck....

 

 Emotional Support Animals a Growing Problem on Airplanes

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Adz0S1Ck_4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HaMkxWMnJGQ

Kristin Cline (Grease Girl) from Driving Line stops by the Galaxie Studio for a sit down to talk about the Nitto Tire Auto Enthusiast Day.  Of course there are some tangents along the way with some super crazy off-road stuff, salt flats, and her 55 Studebaker Champion.  Enjoy!

 

Episode #161

 

2014 Event:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=11y0c2JQUhM&feature=youtu.be

Episode # 160

Back at the Galaxie Studio in Long Beach, Calif. after a hot, full day at the 51st Annual LA Roadster Show. Great swap meet, specialty car area and of course many roadsters. A run in with the guys from Pickups Limited and Junkyard Jeff...

Episode #159

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I3qOz3iVz08

Link to Photos of the Event

The guys at Pickups Limited of Orange County, California always sponsor a good show for the ever growingly popular Ford F Series truck. If you own a 1950-75 Ford truck, you should spend some time at the Canyon RV Park situated near the Santa Ana River bank for this event. We have always liked this location. It’s accessible, weather is always nice and it’s a clean park.

The show participants also have a cruise on the Friday night before the show. They visit various fabrication shops, vendors and eventually end at a venue for some good American burgers and fries. Most of these guys share a common interest in the ’53-56 Ford truck with the fat fenders and step side running boards. These body styles are a clean slate for just about any modification or customization that you can possibly create.

This show had some examples of what can be done with that old F-Series farm truck. The growing trend for swapping late model fuel injected V8’s into vintage metal is spreading into the truck scene. We saw more engine swaps than years past. You see original patina, new white wall tires and clean wheels, then the LS motor sitting above the straight axle suspension. LS or Ford Modular, depending on what is cheaply available or your blood preference, they are being used. Even with the flathead market leaning more towards the hot rod, we saw a few more Y-blocks as well. A Y-block 292 is more affordable than a flathead more often than not and they share the same firing order as the flathead which gives them the best sounds.

The 1970’s seems like yesterday but then it hits you, its been 30 years since these trucks were new. Squared off headlights, fat trim and more upholstery along with more safety features make this generation different. Expect to see the common 302 and even the Cleveland engine for these guys.

We spoke with David Gongora of Gongora Customs about his 61 Ford Econoline pickup. Though not a F-Series, it sure was cool. Ford made the Econoline pickup from 1961-1967 and equipped it with the mileage maker inine six cylinder engine. In fact, no Econoline came from the factory with a V8.Gongora swapped out the six for a 302, added a C4 transmission and 8” rearend. The bed was raised to clear the modded leaf spring perches so he could use a 10” wide rear tire. The gas inlet was reversed to the bed interior and he used Pontiac taillights in the stock rear factory surrounds. The two tone paint throughout adds just the right amount of contrast with the Lake pipes on the exterior. Sweet E-Series!

Big thanks to Ed Oe and the guys at Pickups Limited for putting on this cool, family friendly event. Hopefully we’ll get William’s ’65 F-100 out on the green next year.

On the way home, we stopped by the 401k Club Fabrication Shop in Anaheim, CA. We met with owner, Dana Manier for a quick tour of the facility. The main projects were late 50's to 60's domestic cars and trucks. Late model engine swaps and suspension upgrades all around. We counted 20 cars in various stages of assembly and disassembly inside the shop. Most everything is done in-house with the exception of the upholstery work. Dana has an open house once a month which is laid back and a great place to see some cool cars in the parking lot. Check him out www.the401kclub.com

Status of William's Engine

Colby Martin  from the SEMA Action Network stops by the Galaxie Studio to talk about his work and what the Action Network does for car enthusiasts like you. We talk about the upcoming Collector Car Appreciation Day, when an "old car" becomes a "classic" car, the Hot Rod Power Tour, SEMA Ignited, and we also got him to talk about his own 31 Ford coupe project.  All good stuffs. Busy guy? damn right.

 

Episode #158

 

Previous Interview with Colby

Collector Car Appreciation Day

Collector Car Appreciation Day Facebook

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j91KeBdli9g

Driving Force Summer 2015

Hot Rod's Power Tour

SEMA Ignited

Back at the Galaxie Studio, because William still does not have his truck back. Updates on his truck engine, as well as Davis' 1967 Mustang Project Nickel and Dime...which is literally nickel and diming him.  June is proving that it will be a busy month, some good news with Project Street Legal, Mad Max movie review, the Prolong 1955 Chevy Wagon with Steve Strope and more!

Support Project Street Legal - help get an event for SoCal racers in LA County!

 

Episode #157

 

Link to Davis' Latest Video

Link to Steve Strope Interview

 

Some Shots of William's Engine:

Back at the Galaxie Studio after some PSCA Drag Racing in Fontana, as well as the Edelbrock Annual Car Show.  Also some upcoming shows and interviews, a motorsport event in Compton is brewing as, more illegal street racing, updates William's truck and Project Nickel and Dime Mustang....and more!

Epsidode #156

Link to photos:

Edelbrock Car Show and

PSCA Racing

 

http://youtu.be/Sk8uMcQWv7Q

Jr. Dragsters!

Bracket 1 racing

Powder Puff Notchback action!

Edelbrock Car Show - Vic Sr's 32 Roadster

Who doesn't love Manny, Moe and Jack?

The BAD Bike Build makes progress!

Go to BADBikeBuild.com to learn more about this bike and the ADA.

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We were back at the Auto Club Dragway in Fontana, California for the PSCA Spring Nationals. Seems we come to this site at least once a month now since the fate of the strip in Irwindale is unknown after this December. Nevertheless, we came out to see some PSCA racing. This sanction of racing just came back to California just last year after a hiatus.

The Pacific Street Car Association is open to young, “green” drivers and believe it or not, has a large class just for Jr. Dragsters. You can get the whole family involved with racing from age 7 and up. The small cc, two-stroke engines with detachable starters are scaled down versions of the real thing. Except a person can pick them up and tow two of them behind their golf cart. Outfitted with leathers and helmet, these youngsters get lined up and staged from their parents and off they go down the quarter mile. My old man would not have kicked down the coin for that kind of fun when I was a kid, that’s for sure. But, this group is the next generation of drag racers in the shrinking world of accessible drag strips in Southern California.

Mel Roth, President of PSCA has created many classes of racing to get more drivers to participate in the weekend event which is also entertaining for race fans as well. Race classes offer large payouts and some of the largest contingency programs within the sport and that makes the racing just that more competitive. Many of the racers like Alex Rogeo, are female. Bracket 1 door slammer to dragster to the Powder Puff VW group, we saw quite a few women behind the wheel collecting time slips. PSCA offers a lot to accommodate any driver along with the spectator and we’ll mark our calendar for the World Finals.