On the freeway, it's about 65 miles from Temecula to El Cajon, California. On the Ranch Run, it's closer to 100, and a whole lot more fun. It's only taken one year for the Ranch Run, organized by Jim and Carrie Benitez from San Diego, to evolve from a first-time event into a tradition.
We got to the meeting place (a public parking lot in Temecula's Old Town district) early, and there were already a couple dozen rods ready to go. The event is open to '54-and-earlier iron, and it was mostly traditional-style stuff--a bunch of early Fords, an assortment of customs, and a lot of variety. By the time we got rolling, there were probably 50 cars in the pack, led by Mike Van Zetten in his red '52 Chevy. Jim and Carrie had driven the route a few weeks earlier. It was about twice as long as the '02 Ranch Run and took us through the winding mountain roads of San Diego County. Robert Ianello, owner of Midnite Motors Web site (www.midnitemotors.com), was in town from Detroit, delivering a body to Jim, and came along on the Run. Good thing. His truck and trailer came in handy a couple of times along the way.
The first half of the Run was a long climb around a series of hairpin switchbacks. We stopped for breakfast at a cafe near Palomar Mountain, up around 5,000 feet. From there it was down the hill through Santa Ysabel, Ramona, Lakeside, and on to El Cajon, east of San Diego, where Rudi Van Zetten (Mike's dad) hosted a barbecue.
Before the day was over, Jim and Carrie were already making plans for Ranch Run '04. The route will be a little different (and maybe a little shorter) but every bit as much fun.
Front and center coming down...
Front and center coming down into the flatland is Joe Ferris' channeled A roadster, which features a load of cool pinstriping.
One of the most attention-getting...
One of the most attention-getting rods on the Run was Jay Dean's severely chopped A sedan. The flathead-powered rod has seen a number of modifications and improvements in the last year.
There were a few customs in...
There were a few customs in the group, including a couple of great-looking sleds. This two-tone '49 Merc, owned by Chuck and Janie Berry, is an absolute knockout.
The Hideout Saloon on Highway...
The Hideout Saloon on Highway 76 is a popular destination for rodders and riders. Derek De Heras and his dad Charles drove this '40 Ford, getting a look-over from a biker who went home and sold his Harley to build a rod. That's our guess.
We knew we'd see Don Dillard...
We knew we'd see Don Dillard here. His suede-brown '30 five-window shows up everywhere. Don's got a few dozen Ranch Run photos posted on his Web site at drd57.hypermart.net.
The weather was perfect for...
The weather was perfect for driving a roadster, and Chick Koszis' '32 was one of our favorites. The grille shell barely hides the Mooneyham-blown small-block with dual quad carbs.
There's more than one way...
There's more than one way to do a T-bucket. The flamed job with the whitewalls and webbed grille is owned by Alex Ortez, a member of the Lifters. David Eltzholtz drove his bare metal car for the first time on Ranch Run '02 and celebrated its birthday on RR '03.
When we got to the ranch,...
When we got to the ranch, Miguel Torres and Richard Michael from the Lifters already had the grill going and were cooking up some great Mexican food.