Well, another winter has come and gone, and with it yet another outdoor show season. And once the mercury begins to rise in SoCal (well, it does tend to lean towards the higher digits year-round, but that's not our fault!), that means one thing--time for the Goodguys Rod & Custom Nationals in Del Mar. And for the fourth straight year now, well, let's just say Mr. Groundhog saw his shadow and few, if any, were disappointed.

While you can literally find a car show any weekend of the year in California, for the most part the winter shows are all held indoors. There's nothing wrong with these shows, it's just there's not as much interaction as at the outdoor venues. And the main "interaction" most look forward to at Del Mar is the ability to cruise the cars rather than just let them sit for a weekend in one spot while hoards of people pass by, gawking and eating cotton candy at the same time (okay, you find that everywhere!). At Goodguys Del Mar, you'll find almost as many cars moving around the fairgrounds as you do spectators! Of course, that could lead to a bit of mayhem, except the Del Mar Fairgrounds provides ample room for pedestrians as well as rods, customs, and classics (now up to '72). So unless you've got a mess of cotton candy in your face, casualties are not an issue.

The other great thing about Del Mar is the fact it's the first event of the year for the CUSTOM RODDER Top Ten. In short, although it may not be directly related, that means you'll find plenty of cool '49-and-later iron to drool over. The flipside of that coin is it makes it even more difficult for us to whittle our decision down to 10 picks, but that's part of the job! As you'll see in the accompanying pages, this year was no exception when it came to fine customs. Sister pub Street Rodder also had a Top Ten pick at the event, and to see what they came up with, grab a copy of the August issue (unfortunately, not the one paired with this issue!) or visit www.streetrodderweb.com.

Even without the awards, the huge turnout, the fantastic weather, and the great sites of the surrounding San Diego area, the Goodguys Rod & Custom Nationals is every bit worth coming to whether you live in SoCal or South Carolina! Don't believe us (or the photos)? Head down to Del Mar next year and see for yourself--we'll be there! For more info, visit www.good-guys.com.

Not only could you find top-notch...        read full caption Not only could you find top-notch customs in the regular show area, but in the Mecum Auction, as well. We stumbled across this super-clean '59 Olds Dynamic 88 hardtop--just after it had sold, and for a right-good price!

Kevin Grani cruised out to...        read full caption Kevin Grani cruised out to the coast from nearby Escondido, CA, in his stylish '60 Ford Starliner running a stock 352 V-8 and Cruise-O-Matic trans. Polished Americans and an all-white interior help to bring out the hardtop's red and silver two-tone very nicely.

As you may have noticed, we...        read full caption As you may have noticed, we stumbled across quite a few recent CRM feature vehicles in Del Mar, including Jim Mangione's Merc Woodie wagon, which now resides in Newport Beach.

Back indoors, we found this...        read full caption Back indoors, we found this slick little Nova II from Stitz Street Rods in Upland, CA. Sort of a mix between a custom rod and street machine (a good one at that), the green and white hardtop runs white painted billet wheels with a matching small-block.

Tony Trujillo's '69 Impala...        read full caption Tony Trujillo's '69 Impala was featured in the Armando's Upholstery booth inside the main exhibit hall. Along with stylish interior, the Chevy made good use of chameleon paint with accenting graphics and airbrush work.

With all the commotion going...        read full caption With all the commotion going on outside, we seemed to have found ourselves indoors more, where we ran into Ray and Mary Castor's '49 Cadillac fastback from Oakland, CA. The chopped Sedanette was over the top with custom rod mods, including a bone-colored leather interior.

Of course, there's more to...        read full caption Of course, there's more to Del Mar than just customs--try a wide variety of hot rods, classic trucks, and even nostalgia dragsters! Olympic Coatings brought out its fuel-injected, Flathead-powered digger for all to drool over, including us!

Bonnewood? That's what you...        read full caption Bonnewood? That's what you get when you combine various '58 Pontiac appointments with wood sidetrim! Throw on some Radir Tri-Ribs, custom upholstery, and lay it on the ground, and you've got the ultimate surf wagon!

Would you believe there's...        read full caption Would you believe there's a big-block Chevy engine behind Lynn Schoonover's '61 Cooper? Well, it's true, as well as the fact that this is one of the coolest little pickups we've ever seen!

Perfect project material--and...        read full caption Perfect project material--and there were plenty more around for the pickin', as well. The custom rod crop is anything but drying up!

North County Customs & Rods,...        read full caption North County Customs & Rods, The Jalopy Shoppe, and C&G Early Ford Repair displayed a really clean Shoebox convertible--sans rear wheel openings! Lime green with white tuck 'n' roll, a cabinet-pull grille inset in a '53 Chevy cavity, and forward exhaust cutouts are but a few of the tricks applied to the "lowly" Ford.

Our first inductee into the...        read full caption Our first inductee into the 2004 CUSTOM RODDER Top Ten just happened to be the first car we picked at the event. Mel Gimelli literally has custom blood running in his veins (his uncle is Jon Gimelli, whose cars you may have seen in past publications). Making a living running a body shop in La Mesa, CA, gave him the perfect outlet to build his '64 Riviera, which as you can see is all a custom rod should be! Coddington five-spokes, all-leather interior, and a complete Air Ride system are but a few of the mentionables.	Hot Wheels designer Carson...        read full caption Hot Wheels designer Carson Lev (seen here with motorcycle builder Dave Perowitz) brought out his fullsize play toy, a '59 Chevy Bel Air from Laguna Nigel, CA. Running larger-diameter billets and a hopped-up V-8, Carson's sedan was a recent Lowrider magazine "lowrod" feature.	All the way down from Sandy,...        read full caption All the way down from Sandy, OR, Mike Simpkins showed off his '60 Cadillac DeVille inside one of the air-conditioned buildings. The chopped and channeled hardtop rides on a later '70 Coupe DeVille chassis (with matching running gear), runs 20-inch KMC wheels, and is painted a PPG light tangerine with white leather interior.
Del Mar must have been the...        read full caption Del Mar must have been the place to show Caddys indoors, 'cause we found Larry Loeck's '64 "Cool DeVille" chillin' in the same building! Done quite tastefully, this coupe features non-Cad power in the form of an LT1 and 4L60, as well as custom-made dropped spindles with disc brakes, Boze billets, and leather interior.	Showing how you can successfully...        read full caption Showing how you can successfully mix traditional and contemporary, Ray Malzo's '56 Ford Victoria (another past feature vehicle) shined as bright as the sun in Del Mar. With its Colorado Custom wheels wrapped in Coker whitewalls, 302 V-8, and tuck 'n' roll upholstery, the Huntington Beach hardtop is the epitome of "just right."	Daniel Serimian brought his...        read full caption Daniel Serimian brought his previous CRM feature '60 Buick Invicta convertible down from NorCal for the Del Mar Nationals, and it was looking as good as ever. Since we last saw the pair, the ragtop has been updated with a fully programmable airbag system, much like hydraulics, capable of almost turning the Buick over on its side with the flip of a switch!
Touted by the Fury Owners...        read full caption Touted by the Fury Owners Club to be one of only a dozen or so known to exist, Richard Rennick's '56 Plymouth is almost cooler than it is rare! Fit with a '57 Chyrsler 392 (take that, resto buffs!) complete with dual-quads, the Fury also defies OE with a set of Budnik Lakesters and a Barracuda rearend.	Foreign auto mechanic Gary...        read full caption Foreign auto mechanic Gary Paolucci definitely doesn't bring his work home, as he tooled down from Signal Hill, CA, in this fine '60 Ford Sunliner convertible! And packing a 460 beneath that flamed hood, you know the drop-top handled the 5 Freeway with authority! Gary's Ford also features 20-inch Intros, four-wheel disc brakes, and a complete Air Ride system.	Burbank's Ray Astamendi made...        read full caption Burbank's Ray Astamendi made the show with this slick '58 Chevy sedan delivery. Converted to accommodate four (with rear seating, obviously), the hauler is powered by a ZZ1 350 and Turbo 350 auto and features a modified front bumper and grille, Coddington wheels, and a '55 Chevy dash.
Wrapping up this year's inaugural...        read full caption Wrapping up this year's inaugural Top Ten is Paul Garrett's '51 Crown Victoria from Alpine, CA. The PPG Sunset Pearl Orange coupe sits over polished fives by way of an Air Ride bag system and is motivated by an LT1 small-block and overdrive automatic. Beneath the jet-black top is a sculpted interior complete with DVD entertainment.