Sunday, January 29, 2012

Saturday Morning Outing...

Saturday morning and it is happening everywhere. It's a gathering of like minded guys and girls that take their rides out to show what they have, rat rods, billet cars, barn finds, concour cars, you tag it. A time to take the cover off, fire them up and head out for a 'Cup of Joe.' They're normally called, "Cars and Coffee" and a place to meet up with buddies or make new ones.

The weather here was great, so how could there be any resistance? I turned the key and headed out to make some new friends. Google a "Cars & Coffee" and find one close to you.

C'Bad's gathering in Carlsbad is held every Saturday, the large ones, the last Saturday of the Month, 7-9 am.
Image © "Along For The Ride"
More info on this gathering, can be found here.

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Tuesday, January 24, 2012

BANG 'EM Hard / Bumper Cars

Shuffling along during the set-up day at the San Diego Auto Show, my foot hit an unstitched seam in the red carpet, and stopped me with a jolt. My head whipped around turning to the side rattling my teeth. Then with a raised eyebrow, to convey a reappraisal of what was in front of me, I saw old bumper cars...restored old bumper cars on steroids. How cool is this, which deserved further investigation.

They were Tom Wright's rescued Auto-Skooters and Dodgems from the Long Beach Pike Amusement Park. Tom restored the bodies and mounted them on a frames with four cylinder Honda's or Kawasaki 750's. He started with two, and now has a fleet of these So-Cal beasts. They are street legal and a couple have a claimed top speed of 160 mph, if you have the huevos. The only thing I would miss, is the creepy sparking sound that they made when the arm rubbed on the electrified metal ceiling. This got me to thinkin' about how these started.



Wednesday, January 18, 2012

Tattooed Windows / Burger Run 2012

What do you do when you get to a show first thing in the morning, chill in the air and there are 700 plus cars? If you're like me, first look for your buddies to hang with, grab a bacon cheese burger to drag along...then start checking out the badass rides. At a recent show, called the "Burger Run" in Vista, California that's just what we did.

Unleash that '57 Chevy.
Image © Along For The Ride

Way too many cars to shoot, so here are some tattooed windows, enjoy...

Thursday, January 12, 2012

One Fast Lady / Betty Skelton

Once in a great while, someone comes along that turns the car culture on its ear. Betty Skelton not only turned it, she up-righted it. Her parents knew she was different because she was fascinated watching airplanes flying above her house and would rather play with models of planes instead of dolls. The handwriting was on the wall, she began taking flying lessons at age 10, had a private license at 16, and was a flight instructor at 18. She was addicted to speed and became a daredevil pilot, who was a three-time National Aerobatics Champion, which lead her to fast cars.

By 1951 Betty had become friends with Bill France Sr., the founder of NASCAR. Bill talked her into driving the pace car at the Daytona Beach Speed Week. At that point, she was the first woman granted a race driver's license by the Automobile Association of America. This lead her to be hired by Dodge to set a stock car record for women in a 1954 Hemi-powered Dodge Ram V8 on that same beach. Suddenly she had a new career, the first woman to be a test driver for the auto industry. The following year, 1955, Betty headed to the Bonneville Salt Flats as part of the Dodge team that set 395 new records during a 14 day endurance test. in 1956, General Motors and Corvette attracted her to become a spokeswoman for Chevrolet by appearing at auto shows, television commercials and national print advertisements. The Corvette bug had struck, and more was to come for Betty.

PR shot for her favorite car, the Corvette. Image, General Motors Media Archive

Friday, January 6, 2012

Pork Juice and Burnin' Rubber

For New Years Day most were thinking about going to the gym, Jenny Craig, or some other worthy diet goal. That's not for me! It was a "Burn Out Party," with pig-roast, all the fixings, friends, lots of smoke, open header noise and a little mayhem. Upon receiving an invite from my buddie Jon Guilmet, to Mike Hayden's annual New Years Day party for hot rodders, racers, and badass fast cars...how could I say, no.

This was the fourth year for this gathering at Mike's house, race car shop and "burn-out" strip for a worthy cause. Collect donations for the "Wounded Warriors Project" and have fun doing it. Picture this, Mike has a concrete hundred yard strip in front of his house to test cars he builds for customers. How bitchin' is that? Add to that, the "Shafters" a car club from Fallbrook that kept the hospitality going strong and one could see there was something special sitting back and watching the camaraderie at this party, the smiles never left, even with a blown tranny or two, and a dropped drive shaft on another. Oh yeah, you know you're having a great party, when the Sheriff shows up packin' heat. That just slowed us down in time to dig into the slow cooked gourmet grub donated by "pit-master" and racer, George Sevelle, along with his wife, Lani and son Cas, with help from Liz Dely. Then back on the strip after the bellies were full.

Some of you may have heard about the car club, "Shafters," for those of you who have not, it was started in 1949 by prominent drag racer, Dode Martin along with some friends. The club is out of Fallbrook, California and is still going full on, under the leadership of president "Clint" Campbell.

What better way to start the New Year with friends, for a great cause...thanks Mike for the good time!

Mike Hayden's "Burn-Out-Party." Image © "Along For The Ride"

Monday, January 2, 2012

Knowing When To Click / Bill Garrett

Knowing when to pull the trigger on the camera is only part of the art of photography. Also important is the composition of the shot, the lighting, the subject, a computer, and the ability to deliver something that's not just a snapshot of car culture.


One of my blogging buddies is capturing the sub-cultures within the sub-culture, within our culture. Bill Garrett has been taking great shots, that he's been posting on his blog. It's certainly worth taking a look. Check out some of these shots...bitchin' stuff.