Very few events get to be known solely by their location, rather than their official name, especially nationwide or even worldwide. Bonneville, maybe, or possibly Louisville to some, but then there's Paso. Mention the word in certain circles and everyone knows what you mean. Or knew, anyway, as the West Coast Kustoms event that was "Paso" is no more. We won't get into the reasons here, but the event had to move after more than two decades in the small central California coastal town, finding a new home at Santa Maria Fairpark, a few miles south.
The Paso vibe would and could never be replicated. The old show was in a town square with restaurants on three sides and the host hotel on the fourth, while the new venue is a fairgrounds type of deal. Nevertheless, despite the food vendors being overwhelmed on Saturday, with long lines for just about everything, it was a decent venue, and the type needed for the size of event this show has become. There were just less than 1,000 cars registered on the Saturday. What wasn't missed was the horde of non-car people wandering around!
Comparisons between Paso Robles and Santa Maria aren't fair and shouldn't be made, and the show will settle into its new home with a little time and familiarity with the new surroundings. There was an organized cruise to a destination on Friday and some impromptu action outside the host hotel on Saturday, but nothing on the scale of the organized Spring Street Friday cruise in Paso, unfortunately. However, for a first-time event in a new venue, the West Coast Kustoms crew can rest assured they did a great job.
Goodguys Gazette editor and...
Goodguys Gazette editor and Snugglers member Kirk Jones brought his Gambino Kustoms-built '60 Starliner and received much praise throughout the weekend. And deservedly so. The panel paint was perfect, extending inside onto the dash.
Dick Jackson originally built...
Dick Jackson originally built his '57 T-bird, Little Bastard, while working at Barris Kustom in 1957. Rebuilt by Dick in 1998, it appeared at the 50th GNRS the following year, and looks just as good today.
Tom Gomez and his '47 Chevy...
Tom Gomez and his '47 Chevy run with the Style Kings in Castro Valley. The tastefully chopped fastback was devoid of trim, except grille, wipers and mirrors, and wore molded '54 Buick headlamp doors.
If Matt Seret's ex-coupe '27...
If Matt Seret's ex-coupe '27 T wasn't an old hot rod or race car, it should have been! Dig the faux knock-off hubcaps and aluminum hood.
The headlights and front bumper,...
The headlights and front bumper, minus overriders, are stock on Mark Garza's '40 Chrysler, though the grille very definitely isn't. Borrowed from a '42 Packard, it's what puts the coupe into the early custom class more than anything else.
What's better than having...
What's better than having one chopped Merc? Ask Victor Cacho, who brought two to Santa Maria, both heavily chopped and on the floor. The '49 was bright and shiny, while his '50 featured semigloss paint and a continental kit. We'd have asked him more about 'em but didn't want to wake him, since he was asleep in the front seat of the '50!
Blue Collar Customs in Sacramento...
Blue Collar Customs in Sacramento undertook the build of this extended-cab '56 F-100 for Metallica's James Hetfield. Using parts of a '57 Ranchero in the rear, and air suspension, the result may not be the daily driver it was quoted as during the build! Then again ...
Jason Linton's '47 Chevy sedan...
Jason Linton's '47 Chevy sedan made it over to the coast from Las Vegas. The tunneled headlights and matching portholes in the hood are just a couple of the subtle body mods. We guess there's no need for wipers at all in Vegas, as even the holes are gone!
It's not always necessary...
It's not always necessary to go overboard with body mods to make a car stand out. Witness this '40 Chevy and its color-matched twin-carb-fed straight-six. Dropped suspension, a mild shave, and a great color choice can speak volumes.
What's better than having...
What's better than having one chopped Merc? Ask Victor Cacho, who brought two to Santa Maria, both heavily chopped and on the floor. The '49 was bright and shiny, while his '50 featured semigloss paint and a continental kit. We'd have asked him more about 'em but didn't want to wake him, since he was asleep in the front seat of the '50!
We know we're not supposed...
We know we're not supposed to be telling you how great '49-53 Chevys are, but it's kinda difficult not to when people like Edward Murphy keep building 'em this nice! Edward chose satin black to cover the lower half of his '50, but it's far from an unfinished kustom.