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L.A. Roadster Show - Tops Among The ToplessTrucks Of The L.A.Roadster Show From the October, 2010 issue of Custom Classic Trucks By Tim Bernsau Photography by Ryan Manson, Tim Bernsau
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Trucks at a roadster show? For real?!
Like belt loops on boxer shorts or vuvuzela horns at a spelling bee, custom classic trucks at a roadster event might not be what you'd expect. If there's anything we've learned to expect from the L.A. Roadster Show, it's the unexpected. Yeah, everybody knows that the L.A. Roadster Club only lets open cars inside the gates of their main event. But how many people know that there is a second section of the show that fills the humongous parking lot between the roadsters and the ticket booth where hundreds of pre-'75 non-roadsters gather to show off? Actually, everybody knows that too, which is why "Specialty Parking" has become a hugely successful annual show in its own right. In addition to all the coupes, sedans, and wagons, this is where you find all the cool trucks. It's also where you find the swap meet that probably attracts as many people as the rest of the event. If you know of any roadster show with a better selection of trucks than this one, we'd like to hear about it. In the meantime, enjoy our gallery of pickups from the L.A. Roadster Show. Custom Classic Treasure
Remember what we told you about the great swap meet that shares the parking lot with the non-roadster participants at this event? We made a few passes through the area to find out what people were selling, and what they were buying. Hopefully, some of this treasure won't get stuck in an endless swap meet rotation, but will turn into projects that we'll see on the street and at shows in a year or two.  A Vagrants club plaque hangs...  A Vagrants club plaque hangs in the windshield of Dennis Wilson's flamed '55, driven from Chino, California. Dennis says the Chevy was a "basket case" when he started the one-man, backyard rebuild. Now it's got a 502 crate engine, Mustang II frontend, Ford 9-inch rear, Auto Meter gauges, Americans, and cool paint.  The sun-bleachness came with...  The sun-bleachness came with time, but the Old Crow Speed Shop graphics on Robert Rhoades' '38 Ford is a brand-new addition. Robert, aka "Bad Bob" bought the mostly stock pickup-with an injected 283-earlier this year, so there's still work to be done. Most of it will probably be posted on the HAMB message board of the Jalopy Journal website.  "Nothing fancy" is how Scott...  "Nothing fancy" is how Scott Allen from Laguna Niguel describes his '36 Ford, although it has started collecting show awards in Southern California. The small-block-powered pickup was in progress when Scott bought it; he finished the chrome and upholstery and added A/C. We especially like the paint color. Not fancy, but cool.  On the subject of paint, John...  On the subject of paint, John Marsh's '55 Chevy wears a great shade of red all over the truck, including the front (but not rear) bumper and the door handles. The '55 also features a 383 and a great, ready-to-pounce stance.  Keeping it all Mopar, Michael...  Keeping it all Mopar, Michael Breatore runs a Dodge 360 engine and 727 transmission in his '54 Dodge panel truck, dropped on a Plymouth Volare front clip. He shaved the body panels and pulled off the bumpers, and upgraded the grille with custom horizontal bars.  Some oversized rolling stock...  Some oversized rolling stock and olive-green paint made us take a closer look at this '65 Chevy. The in-progress interior includes buckets with tan upholstery. The owner is unidentified, but the words "exotic Mex. Bed wood" identify the bed material, which we would have mistaken for plywood.  The appetizing paintjob and...  The appetizing paintjob and the lowered altitude-along with some updated rubber-called our attention to this caramel-colored '55 Ford F-100.  Shaved emblems, trim, and...  Shaved emblems, trim, and hardware and perfect black paint-shot by Vince Borzilieri. We challenge you to come up with a cooler look for a '64 Chevy. John Kardashian owns this one, set up for comfort, looks, and driveability, with a 383 stroker for power and dropped spindles for the right posture.  Truly a custom, vintage bike...  Truly a custom, vintage bike builder Mike Kane's bike hauler is built from a '48 Diamond T cab with an early '60s Peterbilt sleeper, rolling on an '88 Chevy 1-ton dually Crew Cab frame. The chopped and narrowed custom bed carries Mike's cargo: a '36 Indian Chief and a '39 Indian four-cylinder.  Norman Fletcher says his flamed...  Norman Fletcher says his flamed '39 Ford is a hot rod and custom at the same time. Since he bought the SBC-powered truck in 1983, he's modified the suspension with a Mustang II frontend and airbags, and customized the exterior by pulling off the emblems and adding scoops along the hood sides.  It's hard to believe this...  It's hard to believe this turquoise '41 Ford was junk when owner Bill Pupo started the build in 1994, but that's what he said. It was a four-year project. The flathead is topped with three two-barrels, with a Columbia rearend in back. The all-original, all-steel body was painted in the garage.  Robert Beauchamp started with...  Robert Beauchamp started with a 27-year-neglected, all-original '48 Ford and turned it into a beautiful custom job. He dropped in a 502 big-block tied to a 700-R4 automatic, with a 12-bolt rearend, tubbed the rear wheelwells 4 inches to fit the rear rubber, bolted in a pair of grey high-back bucket seats, and finished it in attention-getting red.  This was originally a longbed...  This was originally a longbed before Don Babbit got busy cutting and Z'ing the frame and adding a '55 Stepside bed to his '60 Ford. There's a Camaro clip in front and a 302 under the hood. He's had it 10 years, but hasn't put much mileage on the mint-green hauler-only 6,000 miles so far.  The paint and the stance on...  The paint and the stance on Jaime Morales' '66 Chevy really set this pickup apart. The paint is Autumn Wood, a '98 Cadillac color, complemented with ghost flames on the top and rear quarters. The on-the-ground ride height is provided by airbags from Ponch at The Bag Man.  The owner of this '54 Chevy...  The owner of this '54 Chevy five-window used some multi-colored fabric to cover the bench seat, giving the interior the flavor of a '50s-era Mexican blanket job. Nice choice of paint color as well-carried over onto the steelies.  When Don Long came across...  When Don Long came across this red '56 Ford F-100 12 years ago, the exterior didn't look a lot different than it does today. It still has the stock six-cylinder, but Don fancied up the interior with leather-wrapped Lexus seats.  Want to bet this F-100 looks...  Want to bet this F-100 looks better now than the day it left the showroom? The all-original 292-powered '56 had the same owner for more than 40 years before Pat Ganahl bought it and cleaned it up. The "For Sale" sign worked; the Ford is now getting driven-we hope-over in Sweden.  It's been almost 20 years...  It's been almost 20 years since this '56 Ford Custom Cab was built; and 10 of those years were spent in storage. Larry Goodman bought the truck a few months ago, and brought it back out. The heritage of the flamed F-100 is reflected in the 454 Chevy big-block and Jag rearend, along with its other show-worthy components.  People who know him call Joe...  People who know him call Joe Eddy from Eddy's Rod Shop, Mr. '56. Here's one of many reasons why. Joe owned this '56 Ford Big-Window half-ton 40 years ago, sold it to a neighbor, and eventually bought it again six or seven years ago. A Super Bell frontend, disc brakes, and 312-inch Y-block are part of this '56's appeal.  We managed to stop Raul Melendez...  We managed to stop Raul Melendez as he went cruising by in the '40 Chevy he's been driving for the last three years. The body-now on an S-10 frame-looked like this when he bought it, minus the graphics advertising his business. The engine is a 250ci six-cylinder.
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The Thinker??? - Haul Monitor
Ryan talks about the friendly badgering that goes on around the shop and overcoming obstacles that seemly pop up out of nowhere during a project....
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