Do you remember years ago, before rat rods, before 95 percent of the nostalgia movement had gathered steam, before satin paint and primer, when the Cruisin' Nationals was about kustoms? If you do you would have thought you'd stepped back in time at this year's event, the 28th Cruisin' Nationals. Okay so the venue's changed, but not for the first time. There are way more cars and public in attendance, and the quality of some of the cars would have been unattainable not so long ago, but this year's show was definitely a kustom aficionado's dream weekend.
Some lessons had obviously been learned since last year's move to Santa Maria Fairpark, most notably the number of food vendors. Outside the fairgrounds it was great to see, and participate in, cruising on Broadway in front of the host hotel on Friday and Saturday nights. Though not a sanctioned block-the-main-street-to-regular-traffic cruise (that's in the planning stages for the future), there was plenty of laid-back impromptu cruising, including many local lowriders and VWs, as well as a smattering of muscle cars, making for fun evenings before and after dinner.
West Coast Kustoms did organize a countryside cruise early on Friday evening to Casmalia, while plenty of people were content to kick back at the Santa Maria Inn or on the surrounding sidewalks and motel parking lots, watching the cruisers roll by. A number of people said they'd not go to Santa Maria when the event moved there, claiming it'd be just another fairgrounds show, but to those we can only say "too bad, you missed a great show and a better time." Check out the pictures and make your own mind up. We'll be back, make no mistake!
 While the ratio of rods to...  While the ratio of rods to customs very definitely fell in favor of the latter, one of the nicest rods in attendance was Barbara Bennett's '32 roadster. We especially liked the exhausts curved to match the contour of the framerails on this traditionally styled Deuce. |  Looking totally different...  Looking totally different in the sunlight compared to the last time we saw Brian Everett's Slither indoors at the Sacramento Autorama, the paint really blazed when the sun finally came out! |  We can confirm this blown...  We can confirm this blown Hemi-fied, slick-shod, show-style phaeton is a driver, 'cos we saw it cruising Broadway on Friday night. |
 Paul Hernandez spent a lot...  Paul Hernandez spent a lot of time modifying the grille and fabricating that bumper-come-front valance on his '57 Buick hardtop. And yes, it's a four door, something we're seeing more and more of. |  There's a whole heap of subtle...  There's a whole heap of subtle work gone into Bill Story's '56 Ford wagon, from the shaved handles and louvered hood to the use of a Mustang windshield in the tailgate, eliminating the window frame. It was heading straight to the upholstery shop after the show. |  When I walked around the barn...  When I walked around the barn and saw Ron Eastman's A roadster I came over all nostalgic for my own similar A. The big difference is the blower perched atop Ron's Flathead. Check out the neat exhaust route treatment too. |
 There really isn't much you...  There really isn't much you need to do to a mid-Fifties Buick other than an altitude alteration. Ryan and Angela Cavitt did just that to their '56 Century, added a tube grille, Caddy 'caps and copper paint, and they're good to go. |  Brandon Flaner's '39 Ford...  Brandon Flaner's '39 Ford coupe looked like the real deal because it was, discovered and sympathetically restored without losing it's old-school (and I use that term in its real meaning!) hot rod charm. | |