For nearly as long as time itself, if you were going to the Grand National Roadster Show, you were going to Northern California, be it Oakland or San Francisco. As you may or may not know by now, the Bay Area turf war is over--the Roadster Show now officially calls Pomona, California, home.
So why SoCal, you may ask? Well, it's pretty simple when you really think about it--NorCal has its share of indoor events, from the Fresno and Sacramento Autoramas to the San Francisco Rod, Custom, and Motorcycle Show. During the winter months, it can get pretty lonely down in the lower regions of the state, and Dan Cyr Enterprises saw the perfect opportunity to capitalize on that by moving the Roadster Show to the Fairplex at Pomona, otherwise known as the L.A. County Fairgrounds, or simply Pomona! For most everyone down south, it was long-overdue yet highly welcomed news--it's been almost since the days of the indoor venues in Los Angeles and Long Beach (decades ago) that we SoCal folk have been able to enjoy a show like this without having to make hotel reservations and take time off work!
Obviously, we eagerly awaited the weekend of January 23-25, and it seems people outside of Southern California felt the same way. Once the gates of the Fairplex opened Friday morning and curious spectators began to wander through the various buildings filled door-to-door with hot rods, customs, and motorcycles, you knew the Roadster Show was home! And, according to Dan Cyr Enterprises, it's claiming Pomona as home turf for the long run.
Now, while we were more concerned with the customs in attendance, and there were quite a few to say the least, there is the "big award" associated with the Grand National that we can't overlook--America's Most Beautiful Roadster. And while all the hype may have been buzzing around the Discovery Channel build-off between SO-CAL Speed Shop's Ardun '32 and Street Rod Repair Company's phantom '36, when the name was announced on Sunday, it wound up being Charlie Lambetecchio's yellow and silver '36 Ford roadster, the same one that picked up the biggie at Frisco as well as a few other notable recognitions. Many were skeptical of the final decision, but in the long run, when it came down to each nut and bolt, the '36 was hard to beat. As for the Barris Custom d'Elegance, it wound up going to an early period-style custom, and much deservedly so. The Don Lowe-built '40 Merc belonging to John Babcock went away with the prize. This car, friends, is an absolute work of art!
We hope you enjoy the photos of the newly christened SoCal Grand National Roadster Show--still the Granddaddy of Them All--nearly as much as we enjoyed attending. Maybe we'll see you there next year!
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 They don't call it the "Roadster...  They don't call it the "Roadster Show" for nuthin'! This year's AMBR contention was tight, but in the end, it was Charlie Lambetecchio's (Fresno, CA) modern-styled '36 Ford that took home top honors. Very slick ride, indeed. |
 Recipient of the Barris Custom...  Recipient of the Barris Custom d'Elegance: John Babcock's '40 Merc. This car's a pure work of art from the nostalgic mind of Don Lowe. From the awe-inspiring grille to the swimming-pool-deep metallic paint, the car was simply amazing, even with a late-model IFS and small-block power! |
 John D'Agostino stepped up...  John D'Agostino stepped up his annual pace this year with two customs representing two completely different eras. "Gable," his '40 Packard, was about as Hollywood a custom as you can get. Can you image this beauty rolling down Sunset just before WWII? |
 Moving up a few decades, his...  Moving up a few decades, his '67 Eldo "El Conquistador" looked all the part of a '60s show car custom. Look for more on the Cad in an upcoming issue. |
 While we're on the topic of...  While we're on the topic of Caddys, we couldn't pass up the opportunity to run a shot of Frank Stevens' '65 drop-top. Completely homebuilt (including the paint), the DeVille is the perfect all-season SoCal cruiser! |
 Although you might not have...  Although you might not have known, this is not the first appearance of Bob Bruhn's '49 Packard, "Pack Rat," in CUSTOM RODDER. Those of you with sharp memories will recognize the name from a past tech article featuring the full AccuAir install. The silver beauty made its industry debut at SEMA last year, but the public had to wait until January to lay their eyes on it! |
 Having been around the SoCal...  Having been around the SoCal custom scene for some time, it was great to see local favorites at the show--like Richard from Pandilla Los Lobos' '51 Merc convertible. Now wearing a two-tone suede, the Merc has gone through quite a few wardrobe changes over the years, each time getting that much better. |
 And how about that dual-sidedraft...  And how about that dual-sidedraft Caddy mill under the hood? |
 We've shown you the hot rods...  We've shown you the hot rods and customs from the Grand National--now here's a sampling of the two-wheelers in attendance. While the two builders of these are literally worlds apart from each other (California and Japan), they share a common interest in the old-school flavor of chopper building. Shinya Kimura's "Amber Trophy" J-Model from Zero Engineering is a rolling work of art, literally. |
 Think Bellflower Boulevard...  Think Bellflower Boulevard circa 1962 or so. Think lavish Larry Watson paint jobs. Right smack-dab in the middle of that nostalgic scene would be Roger O'Dell's '60 Caddy. Albeit the coupe is more than a few decades beyond that original glory, it still stands proud amongst its four-wheeled brethren of the 21st Century! |
 Scott Craig's "Scallywag"...  Scott Craig's "Scallywag" Panhead looks right out of the pages of an old Chopppers magazine. |
 And lest we forget, the 2004...  And lest we forget, the 2004 GNRS Hall of Fame inductees: (L-R) painter Darrel Hollenbeck, designer Larry Erickson, and customizer Frank DeRosa, Jr. |