There doesn't seem to be much of a lull between car show seasons anymore. Everything for the most part seems to shut down by the middle of November, giving us just enough time to get in as the weather starts to turn cool and enjoy some time at home. The issue date of this magazine might be May, but as I'm writing this I just got done taking down the Christmas decorations and celebrated the New Year. Around Southern California it may not always be easy to know what season it is, but I do know that once the icicle lights come down it's almost time to get out to Pomona and kick off the indoor car show season. As most of you are aware, the Grand National Roadster Show can no longer be called the Oakland Roadster Show (although many of us still do), as it is now held in Pomona. Great for us, and I think great for the show itself as the venue has allowed the event to really expand and include a pretty impressive outdoor cruise as well.
Not too long after the GNRS, Darryl Starbird will hold his 45th Hall of Fame National Rod & Custom Show, and then a few weeks later I'll be heading to Detroit for just about the only thing that I would head to Detroit for in the winter: the Detroit Autorama. Then suddenly the weather clears and it's full swing into the outdoor events where we can actually get the cars off the turntables and drive them around.
The New Year not only means the start of the show season, it somehow gets us thinking about those New Year's resolutions which always seem to be things we think we need to change about ourselves or what we do. The New Year wipes our slates clean and tells us we can start fresh. I've never really set many resolutions for myself as I like to think that I don't have too many bad habits that I need to break (my wife might disagree) and I've always been pretty good at keeping my weight in check, but as time goes by and my metabolism seems to slow down, I start to wonder what I could do differently.
A large part of this process naturally has to do with something that I spend a lot of time working on and thinking about, and that is the magazine that you have to read every month. Rod & Custom continues to do well, which helps keep my boss off my back, but I always like to hear from the readers if there's something that they feel could be done better or if it's missing something that should be covered. We try to provide a mix of cars each month, but maybe there's a segment that you feel we should explore. Kev and I also try to come up with tech articles that a majority of the guys working in their garage can benefit from, as well as educate you on the latest new products that might make your build better or easier.
I know that there are several of our readers who are suffering through our nation's hard economic times and are dealing with the loss of a job or income. They're making hard choices and putting aside their hot rod or custom projects to use their limited finances where they're needed more, and obviously family comes first.
I've never said this hobby is cheap, but it doesn't need to be expensive. I've been just as impressed or maybe more so with a bare-bones basic hot rod that I can clearly see the builder has put a lot of thought and labor into. Our own labor is the one thing we'll always have and can always afford. When the time comes that you do need to open your wallet and order a new part, do so wisely. We all need an escape from the day-to-day grind at times and there's not much that can beat playing with and cruising old cars.