Gary Baca's Rivi is about...        read full caption Gary Baca's Rivi is about as smooth as they come...and then some. A clean shave, Coddington directionals, and brilliant blue metallic with light blue accent scalloping definitely do the trick.

Of all the outdoor vendors,...        read full caption Of all the outdoor vendors, Zoops' booth was probably the hardest to miss, what with their bright orange Zoops Coupe practically stopping people dead in their tracks.

Even though the rain was brief,...        read full caption Even though the rain was brief, some participants and vendors had the luxury of being inside one of the various (air-conditioned!) buildings. Cisco Aguilar arrived a little late with his '67 Dodge Coronet, but fortunately the indoor lighting made the gold flake really pop!

After a few months cooped up in the office, shop, what have you, most people eagerly anticipate that first outdoor event of the season. Now, while Southern Californians have it quite a bit easier than folks in other parts of the country, they still take their event schedule as seriously as the rest, and the Goodguys Rod & Custom Association quelled their yearning this past April with the 2nd Eagle One Del Mar Nationals in the beautiful beach community of Del Mar, California. (Actually, Goodguys kicks off the year in March with the All American Get-Together in Pleasanton, which celebrated its 20th anniversary this year, but it is open to all years--Del Mar is the first "rod" event of the season.)

On Thursday morning of April 4, Jim Rizzo, editor of Classic Trucks, and I hopped in my '55 and headed down the 5 Freeway towards San Diego. We left a little before noon so as to miss any impending traffic, and as it turned out, we were in Solana Beach (just adjacent to Del Mar) in just over an hour via Orange County. The drive was great, which is something that attributes to making an event that much more enjoyable. We arrived early afternoon, checked into our hotel, then headed over to the Del Mar Fairgrounds, the locale of the event. As we drove in through a service entrance, we were forced to go directly through the swap area--a good thing! An hour or so later, we finally made it over to where the show, vendor area, and Mecum auction would be. Let me just say this: The Del Mar Fairgrounds is a great place for an event like this. With its outstanding architecture, vast acreage, and general location, you can't get much better, especially when you're hosting nearly 2,000 cars, 170 vendors, and an auction featuring over a 100 vehicles for sale.

So, the event didn't actually start until Friday, but we wanted to get a little preview before the joint exploded with participants and spectators. Once Friday rolled around, that's exactly what happened. Nevertheless, we found a prime parking spot right behind the Mooneyes trailer (one that fellow staffers Brian Brennan, Ron Ceridono, and Kevin Lee immediately took advantage of, ruining our stealthness!), so we were able to get in and out without much trouble. Being that San Diego has little in the way of bigger hot rod and custom shows, Del Mar brings out a lot of cars not normally seen at other events further north. It also made my job of picking the Custom Rodder Top Ten that much easier...actually, it was a bit difficult, as there were so "many" customs and custom rods to choose from! Nevertheless, as you will see in the photos, there were some prime rides at the show.

So, if you don't think tons of cool cars, a wide assortment of vendors, a good swap meet, near-perfect weather, and an amazing location are enough, factor in the huge Mecum Collector Car Auction, and you've got an event that can't be beat! We managed to squeeze in some time between shooting photos to check out the auction action (along with a lot of other people!) and were quite impressed to say the least.

But probably one of the better aspects of Del Mar is the people. Absent were the "attitudes" and what have you; present were friendly folks there to have a great time, relax, and enjoy the weekend Goodguys style. If the following photos don't convince you what a cool event this is, then you'll just have to check it out in person next year.

Mike O'Brien (Burbank, CA)...        read full caption Mike O'Brien (Burbank, CA) picked a winner--a winning color, that is, for his '64 Riviera. The airbagged hardtop rides on thin whitewalled Supremes and features a pure white tuck 'n' roll interior, bringing out that candy gold metallic even more and earning himself a Top Ten hands down.	Paul Garret (Alpine, CA) decided...        read full caption Paul Garret (Alpine, CA) decided to get an early start on his son's future in custom rodding by building him this stunning '64 Nova. Now, while the younger Colby Garret is but only three years of age, we think dad may be enjoying the fruits of his labor long before his son! Their Top Ten-winning coupe features a tan leather interior, shaved body coated in gray metallic, and nicely detailed 350 under the hood.	Mattel Hot Wheels(TM) employee...        read full caption Mattel Hot Wheels(TM) employee Tony Miller (Manhattan Beach, CA) has a full-sized toy in the form of his '50 1/2 (notice the grille) Ford Vicky. Flawless dark green metallic paint is enhanced by a butterscotch-colored interior and orange steelies with caps and rings, easily earning Top Ten honors.
Randy Clark's Hot Rods & Custom...        read full caption Randy Clark's Hot Rods & Custom Stuff produced Chris Williams' (Rancho Santa Fe, CA) Ridler Award--winning "M-80" '49 Chevy a couple years ago, but its beyond-contemporary styling is still knocking 'em dead...giving it a Top Ten was the least we could do!	Even though it's just lowered...        read full caption Even though it's just lowered with Cadillac sombrero caps, Don Pearson (Huntington Beach, CA) owns the envy of many custom aficionados--a black '50 Merc. A Top Ten award was bestowed up this car for its cleanliness and timeless coolness.	Bubbletops are hot, but Richard...        read full caption Bubbletops are hot, but Richard King's (Encinitas, CA) '61 Impala is smokin'! The Top Ten-winning hardtop features, among other things, purple accenting within the stainless, Colorado Custom Leadvilles, black leather interior, and ZZ430/700-R4 for power.
Suzanne Sommers may have drove...        read full caption Suzanne Sommers may have drove guys nuts in her 'Bird, but she wouldn't have known what to do with Sy Gregorich's (Spring Valley, CA) '56 Thunderbird! The Ferrari red drop-top runs a 5.0L Ford engine and AOD trans, rolls on earlier Boyds, and provides inner comfort thanks to leather upholstery. Behind it sits Bones Noteboom's (actually now IRL racer Scott Pruet's) previous Top Ten-winning Buick woodie.	Bill and Linda Ross drove...        read full caption Bill and Linda Ross drove all the way down from Yakima, WA, in their '54 Buick, and ended up cruising back up the coast with a Top Ten award for their efforts. The powder blue, Carson-topped custom has been on the scene for a few years now, but it will never lose its cool appeal.	Simplicity is the key to success...        read full caption Simplicity is the key to success for Pete Demetrulias' (Santa Barbara, CA) '53 Chevy. Minor trim removal, a nose-down Air Ride stance, and billet wheels were all it took to achieve the cool factor--and earn a Top Ten!
The last of our Custom Rodder...        read full caption The last of our Custom Rodder Top Ten winners is Jerry Curry's '59 Chevy Nomad hailing from San Bernardino, CA. The black and turquoise wagon is absolutely sweet, especially with its fancied up 409 under the hood!