For nearly half a century Blackie Gejeian has hand-selected every vehicle entered in his show, the Fresno Autorama. Known for his fine taste in customized automobiles, Blackie once again packed the Fresno Convention Center with a wide array of trick rides for the 47th Fresno Autorama. Rods and customs from all parts of the country were on display along with many car-building legends, both past and present, on hand as part of the event. A large crowd of spectators was wowed by the latest in the rainbow of wild custom car paint jobs and miles of gleaming chrome throughout the building.
We stopped in and did some spectating of our own and were equally mesmerized by the volume of amazing examples of automotive art. Row after row of the latest creations ranged from beauties completely built by their owners in their garages to showstoppers built by top-name talent in the world of rodding. Each vehicle was special and all shined in their own way. If you've never been to one of Blackie's events, start planning a trip to Fresno, California, next year because you will definitely be entertained.
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 Ricky and Roy Flake from Fresno,...  Ricky and Roy Flake from Fresno, CA, have a different look for each side of their '34 Ford pickup they call Night Crawler. |
 Spun aluminum wheel discs...  Spun aluminum wheel discs and a full hood slick up the passenger side while an open engine compartment on the driver side shows off a fully dressed Flathead. |
 Without reading the info card...  Without reading the info card we would have never guessed that Mark Giddings' Newport Beach, CA-based custom started life as a '57 Chevy four-door. The smooth green beauty flows well from one end to the other. |
 A perfect fade paint job laid...  A perfect fade paint job laid down by the legendary Gene Winfield is the first thing about Lu Lu's Passion to arouse your senses, but there are plenty more interesting details on William George's '58 Chevy Impala from Hernandez, NM, to keep your attention. |
 In between taking care of...  In between taking care of all his customer projects, Oz Welch from Oroville, CA, found time to put together this gorgeous '47 Cadillac convertible for himself. |
 With a colorful 50-year history...  With a colorful 50-year history of racing and rodding, Roger and Sissy Morrison from Salina, KS, are very proud of the exact restoration Dave Crouse from Custom Auto completed on their '32 Ford roadster. |
 Marie O'Dell from Canyon Lake...  Marie O'Dell from Canyon Lake proves hot pink will forever look good on the sexy shape of a '50s Cadillac with her stunning '57 Eldorado. |
 Long-time custom car producer...  Long-time custom car producer John D'Agostino from Discovery Bay, CA, themed his latest creation, a '59 Cadillac, around an Elvis Presley vibe as a tribute to the king of rock 'n' roll. The king would be proud. |
 Bill Wolfe's California Gold...  Bill Wolfe's California Gold '50 Mercury is a 21st century version of a '50s classic by Gene Winfield. Gene had his hand in the recreation that is nearly impossible to detect from the original. |
 To compete in this year's...  To compete in this year's running of The Great Race, Pee Wee Thomas and Mike Larkin from Garden Grove, CA, put together their 1936 Beerster from an interesting and varied selection of parts. The early race car-shaped body scores huge in the style points category. |
 Salsa Verde is the name Robert...  Salsa Verde is the name Robert and Erma Wolf have given their highly customized '48 Buick Special Sedanette from Iowa City, IA. Certainly tasty, the swoopy Buick now resembles something the GM designers may have dreamed up if their crystal ball would have let them see into the future at what some of the design elements of the 1950s would be. |
 On the scene for over 20 years,...  On the scene for over 20 years, Joe and Phyllis Moreno's '41 Ford from Wrightwood, CA, has been freshened up and still looks as crisp as the day it was first completed. |
 Lou Bertelli from Kingsburg,...  Lou Bertelli from Kingsburg, CA, once had his ride featured in Rod & Custom over 50 years ago! His latest creation is this slick chopped '50 Mercury he cruises around his hometown in the Castro Valley. |
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 Marty and Pat Wells from Yorba...  Marty and Pat Wells from Yorba Linda, CA, have been making a splash recently with their '51 Ford sedan that features a 5-inch slice out of the roof and a '77 Buick Regal chassis slid underneath. |
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