While the city of Santa Maria, California, is still in its infancy as the host of West Coast Kustoms' Cruisin' Nationals, the event itself has been a custom car tradition for the last three decades. For the majority of its 29 consecutive years, however, it was simply known as Paso.
Three years after West Coast Kustoms' abrupt departure from the quaint winery town of Paso Robles, it appears as if the P-word may have finally worn off, as Santa Maria-along with all those who now migrate there each Memorial Day Weekend-embraces the Cruisin' Nats as if it were its own. Well, whether or not he had full support from city officials and residents, Mayor Larry Lavagnino rolled out the red carpet this year, living up to last year's promise of hosting a Friday night cruise on the city's main drag, Broadway. With that, the show not only gained an added attraction, it reestablished one of the key ingredients that made the Cruisin' Nats what it is now ... or was prior to the change of venue.
There are two early customs...
There are two early customs with fully painted hubcaps that I really admire-Ziggy's '40 Merc is one of 'em!
The 29th Annual show marked its third year in Santa Maria, and it seems as if it's finally overcoming many of the post-Paso struggles. While it will never regain the borderless, non-fairgrounds atmosphere, something that put the Cruisin' Nats in a league of its own, there's no denying it's still one of the best custom car shows around. That said, it kind of looks like it will rank among one of the better West Coast lowrider events as well. (There's been a noticeable amount of lowriders in attendance for some time now, but this past year the percentage was much, much higher.)
One thing that will remain a constant no matter where the show's held is the West Coast Kustoms' Hall of Fame induction. This year's honorees include a familiar name to the pages of Rod & Custom, Pat Ganahl. Along with Ganahl, famed pinstriper/painter and custom car builder Dean Jefferies was also honored as a '10 Hall of Famer.
In addition to the newly established cruise down Broadway, with help from PPG Industries, West Coast Kustoms teamed up with East Coast Artie to host the Santa Maria Brush Bash Panel Jam & Charity Auction. Pinstripers from near and far united striping brushes and One-Shot over the course of the weekend. In between live music performances on the Santa Maria Fairpark center stage, items were auctioned and proceeds donated to the Rich Pichette Alzheimer's Awareness Project.
Richard (Rich) Pichette
February...
Richard (Rich) Pichette
February 9, 1941-July 28, 2010
Just as we were putting this issue together, West Coast Kustoms founder Rich Pichette lost his battle with Alzheimer's on July 28, 2010, at the age of 69. Thanks to the tireless efforts of his wife, Penny, the Pichette family, and the entire West Coast Kustoms organization, his legacy will no doubt be carried on.
Paul Harper cruised all the...
Paul Harper cruised all the way down from Roslyn, Washington, in this lime green metallic '51 Cadillac. Kev Elliott managed to snap a feature while we had the opportunity, so you can expect to see and read more in an upcoming issue.
When it comes to picking colors,...
When it comes to picking colors, Marcos Garcia (Lucky 7) is one of the best in the biz, as evidenced by John Tiscareno's '56 Bel Air hardtop. Had it not been for the searing blue and pearl cream white, I probably wouldn't have paid much attention to this car-but I did, and in doing so, noticed the little details that separate this '56 from the typical Tri-Fives I'm used to walking right past.
Seem strikingly familiar?...
Seem strikingly familiar? Strangely enough, the Santa Maria Inn, home base for the Cruisin' Nationals (outside the event venue, that is), features a distinctive clock tower similar to the one at the "other" Inn where a lot of the action took place during the show.
Wasn't too long ago that I...
Wasn't too long ago that I was devoting my Memorial Day Weekends entirely to shooting pickups-which isn't a bad thing when you've got material like this to work with. Still, it's good to be back with the "trunks"!
Paul Cepeda's '59 El Camino...
Paul Cepeda's '59 El Camino is about as clean and well-executed as they come-and it also goes to show that you can back-date ('53 Chevy grille teeth, Cad sombreros) with good results.
I'll bet if you were to trace...
I'll bet if you were to trace back the origins of suede as we know it now (modern-era use and trends), you'd find yourself looking at images of customs at the Cruisin' Nats from years past.
Who'd of ever thought something...
Who'd of ever thought something like Gibbs Penetrant would serve as a detailing aid? Gotta keep those bare-metal finishes looking good, right?!
Being into lowriders, I dug...
Being into lowriders, I dug seeing all the '30s-40s bombs, like this '48 Chevy Fleetline. However, I did take notice to the increased number of lowriders in attendance, as the areas around the Fairpark's center stage and near the spectator gates were mostly consumed with them.
Just like before, the Inn...
Just like before, the Inn is the place to be Friday before the cruise commences. Front row parking, which is reserved for registered guests, is a premium. Curtis Leipold's '40 Chevy was among them, and one of the few I stared at for quite a long time.