I may have only lived in this country for four years, but I've been coming here on hot rod-related vacations for over 20 years, and can remember going to Back to the Beach when it was a West Coast Kustoms event in Huntington Beach, California. Owned for the past few years by Trophy Queen Productions (yep, the kustom kulture handbag, clothing, and accessory people), and moved to Trophy Queen owner Jenny Tanner's hometown of Ventura, a little farther north on SoCal's coastline, the show attracts enough showgoers and vendors to be held at the Ventura County Fairgrounds.
With a strict entry policy of '69-and-earlier American cars and trucks, or '69-and-earlier American or British motorcycles, the old-school hot rod show ethos is maintained, and taking place the weekend following the West Coast Kustoms' Santa Maria event meant out-of-staters could bookend a 10-day vacation with two cool car shows. Whether the overcast weather or even the economy put a few spectators off, as the crowds seemed a little sparse, plenty of car owners turned out and had a ball, with live bands playing on the outdoor stage throughout the day, and a silent auction in aid of the Alzheimer's Association.
Mix of satin black (body,...
Mix of satin black (body, headlights) and gloss black (chassis, running gear) worked well on Brian Sperling's cool little '28 Model A on Deuce 'rails. The Ford-in-a-Ford also stood out thanks to those Firestone-clad Dodge wheels.
With prize giving wrapping up the show, we joined a bunch of hot rodders who moved on to Kiwi Kev's backyard for a barbecue and BS session, before hitting the town and even stumbling across a burlesque show at one bar before making our way back to our hotel, followed by a leisurely Sunday morning cruise home down Pacific Coast Highway in preference to taking the freeway.
Jack Carroll's Flattie-motored...
Jack Carroll's Flattie-motored '32 five window now has a fully chromed rearend to match the front. The channeled brown beauty placed in the prizewinners, taking Runner-up Best Hot Rod.
Manuel Valenzuela travelled...
Manuel Valenzuela travelled all the way from neighboring Oxnard with his kustom First Series Chevy pickup, one of the last of the series as denoted by that one-piece windshield.
We're guessing this '51 Merc...
We're guessing this '51 Merc is bagged to get it that low, but we do know it has the earlier, rounder backlight and later-Mercury taillights. Nice chop, and retaining the side trim works for us, breaking up that battleship paint scheme.
Blame it on Two Lane Blacktop...
Blame it on Two Lane Blacktop all you want, but black '55 Chevy street racers will always look tough. Rob Marlatt's 210 post rocks with its cowl gauges, fenderwell headers, and missing gravel pan and bumper. The tube between the framehorns is a nice touch.
There seemed to be an inordinate...
There seemed to be an inordinate number of cars from Lancaster at Back to the Beach, with Bonnie and Jerry's '51 Buick just one of them. That evil chop sure lent some presence to this matte black cruiser.
Whether you class it as a...
Whether you class it as a mild custom or a lowered stocker, Fabian's '56 Fairlane pressed the right buttons for us. The cool color combo continued into the interior too.
The small white scallops on...
The small white scallops on the fenders and visor of Cisco Farias' '55 Chevy pickup set it apart, and complemented the wide whites tucked way up in the fenders.
Frank Barone's '29 Model A...
Frank Barone's '29 Model A appears to be the back half of a roadster and the cowl from a coupe or sedan, coupled together with homemade doorskins welded in place. Channeled over an A chassis, and with a truck grille, the Flathead-powered roadster looks like low-budget fun!
Matte black and red may be...
Matte black and red may be formulaic, but there's a reason-it works! J. Maltzman hails from Ventura so he missed out on a long-distance drive in his chopped '31. Although we'll bet he took the long route home.
Hey look, an unchopped Merc!...
Hey look, an unchopped Merc! When was the last time you saw one of these, especially as it has mild custom touches such as rounded hood corners, frenched headlights and antenna, a DeSoto grille, spots, skirts, and lakes pipes. Brian Omatsu owns the nosed, decked, and shaved '51 coupe.
This show always includes...
This show always includes a healthy showing of bikes, Brit iron included, as evidenced by this hard-tailed Trumpet.
John Gilbert, editor of our...
John Gilbert, editor of our sister magazine Custom Classic Trucks, is keen on these "rig rods," which use the wheels, brakes, and usually the axles from full-size trucks, but we're not so sure. What's your take on 'em? We do have to say this is one of the nicer examples we've seen.
It may not have been sunny,...
It may not have been sunny, but you could feel the heat coming off Brenda Jarrett's '51 Ford! The Riverside-based shoebox sported a healthy chop and a neat grille swap using part Ford and part '55 Plymouth pieces.
We finally got to meet Kiwi...
We finally got to meet Kiwi Kev at his barbecue after the show, and thought you might like to see a couple of projects he has stashed away in the lean-to. Damn, that's bigger than my garage, and with infinitely cooler contents.
The wood trim treatment on...
The wood trim treatment on this '55 Chevy caused a few double takes, as it's very reminiscent of Ford's mid-'50s Country Squire station wagons. Longboards on the roof were a cool touch too. Well, we were at the beach!