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Santa Maria - A Change Of P(l)ace - Expanded for WebThe Cruisin' Nationals Gets A New Home From the February, 2009 issue of Rod & Custom By Kev Elliott Photography by Kev Elliott
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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.  We first saw Burke Harrison's...  We first saw Burke Harrison's '38 Chevy from the other side, and literally did a double take when we spied what was (barely) under the hood! We'll bet it surprises more than a few people expecting it to be no more than a neat cruiser.  Mark Wilson's wacky little...  Mark Wilson's wacky little Model A coupe ran a Chevy W motor, stretched suicide frontend with no brakes on skinny 17-inch 12-spokes, and a semi-tubbed rearend with slicks.  Kendra Fleharty's track-nosed...  Kendra Fleharty's track-nosed Model A runs four two-barrels on its Fernando Alonso-built 390 Caddy motor. Kendra built the roadster herself, and Circle City Hot Rods built the headers, tuned the engine, and got it running.  Right: We've seen a few of...  Right: We've seen a few of the Boling brothers' creations over the past few years, mainly at Bakersfield for the Hot Rod Reunion and March Meet, but Derrick Boling's simple-yet-killer '25 Dodge is the nicest yet, in our opinion.  David Aguilar's '35 Plymouth...  David Aguilar's '35 Plymouth coupe has been the recipient of some serious bodywork and is another, like the Gambino Chevy, that heads in the hoodless kustom direction. Hey, David, are those '40 Buick headlights?  Chevy Fleetlines are always...  Chevy Fleetlines are always a bear to chop nicely, so it's a treat to see a good one like Henry Montebello's '50. With their stock fender skirts and a healthy altitude adjustment, they can't help but look good, and it just gets better with the addition of Appletons and lakes pipes.  Joyce Fischer's chopped 'n'...  Joyce Fischer's chopped 'n' filled '32 five-window was looking good with its Tri-powered small-block and cream wires.  Though the bodywork showed...  Though the bodywork showed no ground-clearance scars, we suspect Reno Renovato may have to drive around manhole covers, his '31 coupe is that low. Heck, even the hairpins mount through the cowl!  Everyone loves a survivor...  Everyone loves a survivor car, right? Monrovia, CA, resident Nick Osborne was the envy of many with this great '34 three-window. What wouldn't you do for a stock body in this condition?  Let's face it, a '59 Pontiac...  Let's face it, a '59 Pontiac doesn't need a whole lot done to it to make a cool mild custom, and Chuck Cushner's version is all the proof you need, thanks to its chrome wires, whitewalls, and low stance. It looked even better when the sun came out!  The '36 Ford three-window...  The '36 Ford three-window always comes to mind when early style customs are mentioned, thanks to Harry Westergard, but the '40 Merc runs it a close second in our book. Of course, no custom was this low back in the day.  Kevin and Suzy Gallagher's...  Kevin and Suzy Gallagher's '51 Victoria out of Gallagher's Oil Farm in Napa, CA, employed all the traditional kustom tricks for a great look. The oxblood rolled 'n' pleated interior by Rene's Custom Upholstery matches the roof hue.  Looks like Thom Taylor's truck...  Looks like Thom Taylor's truck cab fetish is rubbing off. Entry and exit is by way of the open roof on this fun-looking little cabster. Better make sure you travel light, though!
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