Awise man once said, "If a beach city in California is worth going to, it will have been mentioned in a Beach Boys song." For Del Mar, California, the song was Surfin' USA, and the number one way to get to the beach with a surfboard in 1964 was in the back of a pickup truck. Today, if a person wants to go to a car show that is any good with a number of classic pickup trucks in it, they log onto the Goodguys Web site and find out where the Goodguys are throwing their next show.

In 2008 the F-100 Supernationals, affectionately known as the Godzilla of Ford truck shows, turned 30 years old. It was 1978 when the F-100 Supernationals was started by a 30-year-old fellow by the name of Pat Ford along with his family. Their company, known as Pat Ford Promotions, became world renown for hosting what turned into an international event within a very short period of time. It wasn't unusual to see a '56 F-100 with plates from Sweden or some other exotic land. Don't ask us which Interstate goes to Stockholm, because we don't know, but somehow those Swedish fellers would show up.

In the May issue of Custom Classic Trucks, the discussion of how the various states and cities are dealing with clunker laws and seizing private property in the May editorial "Goose-Steppers Go Home" really struck a chord with our readership. It was only a matter of hours after the May issue hit the newsstands before we received e-mails and phone calls from folks who had some major problems dealing with local authorities and the storage of their future restoration projects.

When it comes to the Orange County/Los Angeles area there really isn't anything missing. No matter what one desires, from bizarre to ordinary, the greater area pretty much has it all. Yet in the hot rod realm there was one key event missing from the smorgasbord that is Los Angeles: a Goodguys event.

When it comes to car shows in the middle of winter, one's options are rather limited. If you want to get your fill, one way is to start livin' on Tulsa time.

The '08 San Francisco Rod, Custom & Motorcycle Show rolled into the Cow Palace up in the Bay Area January 11-13. But since we run a truck magazine and the show's headline doesn't mention trucks, we were a bit torn. On the one hand it sounded like it wasn't a truck show, yet on the other hand the building is called the Cow Palace, famous for its rodeos, horse shows, and more since 1941. It's only fitting that a building of that nature would be surrounded by vintage trucks. So we took our chances and headed up.

About this time last year I took a trip back to the state known for aircrafts, wheat, and Dorothy to check out the 50th Annual Darryl Starbird National Rod and Custom Car Show in Wichita, Kansas. Well, seeing as it appears the half-century-old show isn't going anywhere for a while I went ahead and made reservations for the 51st annual show.

There are many great reasons why you can go down to Texas and find a whole bunch of good-looking old trucks. The first reason-and it's a pretty important one-is the climate. Without the hot Texas sun beating down on them, it's a sure bet most of the vintage trucks in Texas would rust away like their truck kin (get it, truck kin...truckin'?) in the Rust Belt. The second reason-and it's also an important one-is the climate. The climate in Texas is real hospitable to old trucks because everyone in Texas loves trucks. Folks in Texas are so well known for loving old trucks that if you ever meet a Texan who doesn't like old trucks, it's because they're likely either a Volvo-driving transplant from New York City or a communist spy.

It's always a good thing when a custom car show is allowed to return to the same venue two years in a row. For the folks at Mooneyes, being welcomed back (with their ever-growing Xmas Party) to the Irwindale Speedway in Irwindale, California-the gravel pit capital of the world-it was a real good thing. This is because the second-time location has proven to be a real winner, thanks to Irwindale Speedway's enormous campus that provides early attendees with plenty of room to park their customized trucks and cars. We say early because even with more space available than ever, the parking lot usually fills up by 10 a.m. For anyone who shows up afterwards, there is always plenty of parking on Speedway Drive, if they don't mind walking a little.

Who could have known way back in 1968 when George Dietz placed an ad in the Pennysaver to stir interest in starting up a '53-56 F-100 club that one year short of the club's 40th anniversary they would be hosting the largest all-Ford truck event on the West Coast. Legend has it when the advertisement to form Pickups Limited originally ran in the Pennysaver that, in addition to the core group of Effie owners who joined, there were a handful of swinger respondents who mistook the truck club for a dating club.

We're on a mission here, boys and girls, so we aren't going to waste a lot of space on idle chatter when we've got customized classic trucks for you to check out. Take a good look at some of the oldies Dan Davis shot while he was attending the Goodguys Indy show, and see if you can't come up with some new ideas for your ride.

Our man on the scene in Florida, Joe Greeves, likes to spend his Thanksgiving holiday at the Daytona International Speedway attending the Turkey Run. The event gets a little over 5,000 cars and trucks to attend, and a whopping 100,000 spectators to enjoy them all. In his search for all kinds of vehicles, Joe always does a great job of bringing back the coolest customized classic trucks for us to feature.

This time around was the fifth year for the Texas Showdown. The Showdown is a two-day overnight event that draws some of the best vehicles from all around the Lone Star state. It takes place at the Sam Houston Race Park, which is just a stone's throw from Yosemite Sam's Houston-Style Bar-B-Q ribs. For the folks that like do more than just sit in a chair and listen to show spectators talk smack about their trucks, the show featured a BMX bike show, a burnout competition and, of course, the obligatory wet T-shirt contest.

In our opinion, the most fun a person can have on four wheels during the summertime is to attend Rod & Custom magazine's cross-country rod run known as Americruise. For 2007, Americruise featured two separate cross-country tours that joined in Lincoln, Nebraska, at the state fairgrounds to show 'n' shine and Go & Whoa.

In our opinion, the most fun a person can have on four wheels during the summertime is to attend Rod & Custom magazine's cross-country rod run known as Americruise. For 2007, Americruise featured two separate cross-country tours that joined in Lincoln, Nebraska, at the state fairgrounds to show 'n' shine and Go & Whoa.

In our opinion, the most fun a person can have on four wheels during the summertime is to attend Rod & Custom magazine's cross-country rod run known as Americruise. For 2007, Americruise featured two separate cross-country tours that joined in Lincoln, Nebraska, at the state fairgrounds to show 'n' shine and Go & Whoa.

Summertime in Southern California for '47-87 Chevrolet and GMC truck lovers is a good time to enjoy what has become a Bow Tie tradition after nine years, the Brothers Annual Show & Shine for GMC and Chevrolet trucks. If you think that is a long title, then you are right, but it only goes halfway to describe what a great time the show has turned out to be every year. The Flanders brothers dig deep into their pockets to host the annual event to express their gratitude to all the fine folks who helped them build their love of classic General Motors trucks into a thriving business.

If there's one sure way to categorize whether or not an event is on a national level, it would be to look at how far an enthusiast will travel to attend it. That said, with Ford F-100 fanatics driving across country from as far as California, Oregon, and Washington to attend the 29th annual F-100 Supernationals held for the fourth year in a row at Chilhowee Park from May 17-19 in Knoxville, Tennessee, we'd definitely say Pat Ford's Effie affair is at the top of the charts.

In the middle of the summer heat, there is hardly a better place to be than sitting under the shade of a big ol? tree with a plate full of barbecued grub admiring a flock of customized ?47?87 Chevrolet and GMC trucks. For the Bow Tie and Jimmy folks living in Southern California, this means Brothers? 9th Annual Show & Shine held July 8, 2007, at Featherly Regional Park in Anaheim, California.

One of the first things that comes to mind when one hears mention of the Detroit Autorama held in Detroit's Cobo Hall is the coveted Ridler award, or perhaps if one is a pinstriping enthusiast it would be the Motor City Pinstripers Art Auction headed up by "Yosemite" Sam Radoff each year that benefits the Rainbow Wish Foundation with 100 percent of the proceeds. Either way, there is one thing that is for sure, the Detroit Autorama has evolved into a great venue to check out some super-fine customized classic trucks.

In the middle of the summer heat, there is hardly a better place to be than sitting under the shade of a big ol' tree with a plate full of barbecued grub admiring a flock of customized '47-87 Chevrolet and GMC trucks. For the Bow Tie and Jimmy folks living in Southern California, this means Brothers' 9th Annual Show & Shine held July 8, 2007, at Featherly Regional Park in Anaheim, California.

In the middle of the summer heat, there is hardly a better place to be than sitting under the shade of a big ol' tree with a plate full of barbecued grub admiring a flock of customized '47-87 Chevrolet and GMC trucks. For the Bow Tie and Jimmy folks living in Southern California, this means Brothers' 9th Annual Show & Shine held July 8, 2007, at Featherly Regional Park in Anaheim, California.

When anything lasts 50 years in this day and age, it's quite a feat. Those select few things that have reached the 50-year milestone have found a way to weave themselves into everyday Americana.

If there's a better free car show or cruise taking place anywhere in the United States other than the Donut Derelicts held every Saturday and Sunday at the corner of Adams Avenue and Magnolia in Huntington Beach, California, please let us know.

If there's a better free car show or cruise taking place anywhere in the United States other than the Donut Derelicts held every Saturday and Sunday at the corner of Adams Avenue and Magnolia in Huntington Beach, California, please let us know.