Rivalry Resurrected at State of Speed LA: BMW VS. Mercedes

Summer is here and the heat is turning up, at least at Mays State of Speed LA where the age-old “BMW VS. Mercedes” was being contested once again. There were plenty of sick builds representing both sides, from classics to modern rides. While the theme this time was Mercs vs. Bimmers, they weren’t the only types of cars out for viewing pleasure. There were other EDM manufactures, muscle, and of course JDM.

…they weren’t the only types of cars out for viewing pleasure. There were other EDM manufactures, muscle, and of course JDM…

A big thanks to all who came to participate and those who came to enjoy the amazing cars on display. Stay tuned for the next State of Speed LA car show, we hope to see you there!

JDM Classics take the Spotlight at State of Speed Los Angeles

March’s State of Speed Los Angeles event was presented by Milestar Tires and was in collaboration with Sonkei Blue Social & OCJM, so it was a special one to say the least. The chosen theme was Japanese Classics, which usually make a pretty big appearance at the meets, but this time around the organizers wanted to specifically highlight that collector community. 

While the cars were the centerpiece, hanging out with friends while sipping Commodity Coffee and eating vegan donuts was, as always, equally important. 

…hanging out with friends while sipping Commodity Coffee and eating vegan donuts was, as always, equally important…

The cars that were spotlighted needed to be 20 years or older. Some incredible examples made the early morning trek out which can be seen in the gallery below.  

The Hot Wheels race track (which has made appearances before) was brought back out for the event and was a total hit with kids (big and small). By 7:30 a.m the whole lot was filled up and the event stayed full and energized until the very end. While Japanese classics were the main attractions, great examples of American muscle, exotics, and everything in between came out.

State of Speed continues to attract consistently high quality vehicles and an ultra- enthusiastic crowd. They plan to continue to host themed events and collaborations for the remainder of the year. Their next spotlight is expected to be BMW v. Mercedes and won’t be one to miss.

A DeLorean Turbo Widebody for the Future

Not Another Back to the Future DeLorean

When fresh automotive news or SEMA builds debut there are many outlets jockeying for position and trying to leapfrog competitor’s publishing dates. But the planets can align when scheduling, connections and a unique angle all work together to capture a feature not seen elsewhere. This time around when the silver twin-turbo DeLorean debuted at SEMA and filled everyone’s feed, we kinda sat back and went: “yeah I know that car, the owner and it’s 15 minutes away,” with smugness. And with that we reached out to builder Tim Moceri of Salvage to Savage garage, who all of a sudden became internet famous in the first few days of November this year.

Tim is a friend for a number of years and we’ve actually collaborated on a build before. Tim crafted an incredible widebody Lexus project that was about to take the internet and SEMA by storm but a number of different factors meant it was mostly a learning experience. The DeLorean has been Tim’s time to flex. He had the hot Gen X platform, a real budget, and the right team at Salvage to Savage garage and well, Tim describes it as “redemption that has solidified future SEMA Shows” for him and we couldn’t hit the ‘LIKE’ button more on that statement.

SEMA 2021 might have been a different show thanks to our old buddy COVID but there was an “it car” from the show and that was this DeLorean. The silhouette of the DeLorean has been made iconic by Hollywood and desired by many 80s kids but if you have ever read a real review, it was hot garbage. An anemic motor, questionable build quality and an assembly line so far in trouble it needed JohnDeLorean to sell cocaine to support it, spelled disaster for the DeLorean… well until now.

If you are wondering about your level of color-blindness, yes the DeLorean is now gold. Wrapped in a sexy satin gold by Von Wraps of Boca Raton, FL, the new look was to set it apart from the SEMA splash. There is also a potential buyer that has an all gold fleet, so draw your own conclusions. 

Conceptualized by the Instagram legend known as The Kyza (Khyzyl Saleem), who put together renderings for this project and is himself stunned at the integrity of the actual build. “Everyone is freaking out how the entire build down to the headlights and taillights emulates Kyza’s drawing,” says Tim “We took what Kyza couldn’t cut and weld together and made it without compromise or changes. It wasn’t supposed to look like anything but the rendering we thought.”

The donor DeLorean DMC-12, was found painted in red and had been in a major accident, so there was no destruction of a perfect collectible car here (not that they sell for much anyway). The stainless steel shell was heavily modified with a widebody flare, which has a carbon fiber composite update in development. A number of bezels and panels along with front fascia were crafted in satin black to work with the SEMA Silver and now the Miami Gold.

The wheels have also made an impact for the build and came from new sponsor Sköl Wheels of California. The custom size and offset Sköl SK17 3-Piece Modular Series were finished in brushed satin face with a polished lip. The aggressive stance of the DeLorean is thanks to Air Lift suspension mated to KW Suspension Variant 3 coilovers made possible by the magic Moceri worked to mount them as there are no part numbers fitting a DMC-12.

Tim is a horsepower addict, this is a guy that built a quad turbo LS truck and for the DeLorean he went with good ol’ GM know-how, the 5.2L LS V8. Not just any LS but a built motor fitted with a pair of Garrett G-Series turbos (unfiltered of course) and modulated by TurboSmart HyperGate 45 wastegates. The plumbing is all TiTek titanium with Vibrant Performance hardware and mastercrafted by Tim to tuck up under the rear bumper in a unique blend of show and go. The whole engine package is orchestrated by a Haltech ECU to make it all play nice together. The twin turbo LS mill is fitted to a Porsche 996 6-speed transaxle to drive power to those fat rear tires.

After the triumphant return from SEMA, Tim didn’t sleep on his accomplishments but got to work with Salvage to Savage on the next steps. Tim is back at the workbench on perfecting the running and driving dynamics of the DeLorean and producing parts in carbon fiber because he says along with this potential buyer, there may be a market. “Thankfully, I have another DMC-12 at the shop if we have to start producing more of these.”

We couldn’t agree more Tim, if we had unlimited car money too we would hop on the list because as fans of all things 80s, there isn’t a better DeLorean tribute out there.

L’Automobile Storms Miami Beach With Concepts, Customs, and Supercars

Second Annual Event Showcases World Class Cars

When you think of Miami, visions of the unhinged 80s immersed in a tropical lifestyle with a dose of narcotics come into focus. However, Miami is now recognized as an international hub of fashion, culture, and art renowned the world over for producing leading-edge designers. The car in Miami is more of a statement than basic transportation and even six-figure supercars are heavily customized and modified to make an impact in South Beach, Brickell and emerging hot spots like Wynwood and the Design District. With this fashion, art and culture movement producing a show like l’Automobile would certainly succeed, transcending car enthusiasts to cater to the design inherent in cars and the talent designers who visualize and craft them as well.

L’Automobile (French for ‘The Automobile’) is in its second year and being a new show, at a fresh venue with an innovative approach, gained momentum as car design aficionados caught on. The founder, Elo is no rookie in the high end, design and custom car scene. That’s right, the founder goes by only one name and comes by it honestly coming from the fashion world in the UK and Europe and setting up shop in Miami to establish a high dose of sophisticated car culture in one of America’s leading arts locales.

The 2021 show forged ahead through the pandemic with strong attendance for international cars and infamous car personalities such as:

• Fabio Lamborghini: The nephew of the famous Ferrucio Lamborhini, Fabio trained in engineering and worked at divisions of the fabled automaker until 2007. He was also active in contributing to the Ferruccio Lamborghini Museum in Sant’Agostino, Italy, which these days is more of a special guest at auto events around the world.
• Maurizio Corbi: Active designer from Italian coachbuilder Pininfarina and responsible for the Ferrari legends, the F355, the 550 Maranello and yes even the exclusive 349 unit F50 flat-12 supercar from the 1990s. 
• Malcolm Bricklin: Most famous for the mid-1970s composite panel V8 supercar bearing his name the Bricklin SV-1. Bricklin is an auto exec that has had many successes over the years and remained a force in the automotive business into his 80s.

Beyond the star power invited to the event, the Miami VIP car elite showed up en masse with millions of dollars in supercars, hypercars and classics sitting out in the parking lot forming a show itself. Dozens of Ferraris, Lamborghinis and McLarens graced the lot with the odd Koenigsegg and Pagani to make a statement. But inside the show the collection got even more eclectic, exotic and rare being hand picked by Elo himself.

Likely the most expensive vehicle at the show was the Red Bull HONDA-powered F1 car to promote F1 Miami. The show also included a high value of the late model supercars, as well as an array of customs and prototypes, which are truly priceless. We’ve seen the outrageous coachwork on the Lamborghini Espada rat rod built by Danton Arts Customs of France but in reality, the impact never fades on us. The Espada again graced another Miami show but it was it’s neighbor the Salvage to Savage DeLorean twin turbo widebody that shocked the crowds. This show was the first appearance of the 2021 SEMA hit show car, that easily made the largest impression on attendees at the Vegas show.

Built just north in Boca Raton, FL, the widebody DeLorean is literally a concept from famous 3D designer, The Kyza (Khyzyl Saleem) meticulously crafted into metal and composites. This is a true fantasy-concept sitting at the l’Automobile show but far from a rolling clay shell, this retro supercar makes real jam. Under the bonnet is Garrett twin turbo-powered 5.2L LS V8 channeled through a 6-speed Porsche 996 transaxle to the rear wheels. Not only was the first time anyone has seen the car wrapped in this rich gold hue, there is more to the build we are featuring soon.

A pair of retro highlights captured audience attention, the first was the Maggiore Project M. The limited to 40 units Project M, is based on the venerable Ferrari 308 with a fresh take on wider bodywork, composites and modern technology to make an all new approach to the Magnum-mobile. Another fan favorite was the Miami-themed Land Rover restomod. A nut and bolt restoration of this offroad legend, has been reborn with everything replaced or renewed and in a high-impact color-scheme that got a rumored $250,000 offer to buy the truck after the show.

With all of the gasoline-powered legends new and old, it was in fact a pair of EV concepts that caused a frenzy of activity. While gear heads play out the final decades of the internal combustion era, next-level projects like the EV-powered Shelby Daytona Coupe really commanded attention. This sleek silver car by Superformance was clearly missing trademark design cues like the massive side-pipes and gated manual. Although we did still spot a fuel pump switch, oil and water temp gauges, this work-in-progress has a dual EV motor set up capable of over 1000lb-ft of torque with a sub 3-second 0-60mph claim.

Beyond the Daytona Coupe EV was what appeared to be a Porsche 911 930 that curiously was missing the exhaust pipes out the rear fascia. The car called the Electric GT certainly looked like a gas car, yet had a pair of massive electric motors mounted to the rear axles resulting in one fast, yet silent assassin on the track.

Once again l’Automobile asserted itself as not a traditional Miami car show. Dozens of high-end and rare supercars from Bugatti, Koenigsegg and Pagani are seen regularly at many shows in South Florida but still the unique content at this oceanfront show setting sets itself apart. 

Exotics on Las Olas Takeover of Florida With Supercars Galore

Fourth Annual Show brings Exotics and Race Cars to Fort Lauderdale Streets

South Florida has money. Stupid kinda money where you regularly see yachts cruise by that are more than a lifetime net worth… multiplied by 100 lifetimes. For the supercar, hypercar and racecar scene, South Florida is a flurry of activity. There are collections here that will never see the light of day and having experienced a few in person, I can only verbally describe them as breathtaking because for security reasons, there won’t be any pics shared. However, Exotics on Las Olas is a show that has the owners of dozens of these rare exotics shined up and brought out to takeover the streets of Fort Lauderdale in a premium car show that realistically is a once in a lifetime opportunity. 

Show organizer Floyd Rag is not only a former NFL’er and celebrity-connected player but he is a huge car enthusiast who created and produces a number of popular car shows in South Florida. Floyd built up a hugely popular event called Supercar Saturdays for local dealer networks:Lamborghini Broward, Bugatti Broward and Koenigsegg Florida. With that show firmly established, he wanted to reach beyond the confines of a dealership or mall as a venue and takeover downtown Lauderdale to bring the magic to a wider audience. And now, for the fourth year in a row, the show plowed through the Pandemic to impress crowds with millions of dollars in supercars tough to find all in one place and certainly not in most states.

Past Exotics on Las Olas shows have showcased rare cars like Bugatti Divo, Pagani Huayra Roadster and even rare birds like the Maserati MC-12 Corsa, of which there are only 12. In 2021, it was more late model madness of pricey supercars, hypercars and tuned exotics that were one-offs of only a handful made. Probably the most impact at the show was garnered by the Apollo Intenza Emotizione from Ikonik Motors of Miami. Owner Barry Skolnick is a mega-millionaire that has stormed the Florida scene with his growing collection of exotics but has parlayed his passion into a retail business being the first customer to secure a V12 Apollo hypercar here in the US.

While many late model supercars graced the show, we took notice of not one but three Lamborghini Huracan STO examples in attendance. The STO is basically a street-legal race car, which in many ways is the peak of the Huracan platform as it enters its eighth model year. It seems like only yesterday the 610-4 trim came out but now there are so many variants, many of which were at the show including three Super Trofeo race versions.

While Italian supercars dominated Exotics on Las Olas, we have to tip our hat to cross-channel rival McLaren as there were many stunning examples on parade. A number of McLaren 765LT and 765LT Spiders baked in the Florida sun along with a handful of unique MSO examples on display with roof scoops and all. While the McLaren factory efforts amounted to loads of eye candy, we couldn’t believe the offering from German tuning house Novitec. The wider, faster and generally more outrageously styled Novitec 720S N-Largo was parked on Las Olas and we’re not sure just how rare people realized it actually is… there are only 14 beyond the one we were looking at!

The Novitec 720S N-Largo delivers on the performance and aero expected of the southern German tuner with a hint of Senna styling. The limited McLaren boasts 806hp and takes the already fast 720 platform to 60mph in only 2.7-seconds on the way to a top speed of 217mph. The wider wheel and tire upgrades increase the track by 2.3-inches up front and over 5-inches in the rear making the stance difference nothing less than intense.

For the 4th straight year, Exotics on Las Olas has weathered the storm and beat attendance numbers year-over-year. We ran into a few automotive media colleagues who traveled quite a distance to cover the show. Seems our little supercar show in the quaint streets of old Fort Lauderdale on palm-lined Las Olas Avenue has made the cut and gone prime-time around the world.

State of Speed Los Angeles: An August Affair

Three shows down and hundreds of cars rolling through, we are incredibly pleased with the turnout of the State of Speed Los Angeles Car Show, presented by Milestar Tires. From the beginning, we knew the local car scene had a ton to offer, and that the monthly meet would end up being a melting pot of incredible builds and bonafide gear heads of all stripes.

This time around, the Los Angeles automotive enthusiast heads came out in droves.

First, The Cars!

Dusting off then gassing up your ride and heading to the event early is indeed the way to go. Cars start rolling in before the clock hits 7 AM to grab the prime spots, and of course, the glorious early morning photo op!

Most of the time you’ll hear them before you see them, and it’s a guessing game as to what is about to pull in next. It doesn’t take much time before the lot starts filling up with builds of every interest. Restored classics and restomods to old school JDM’s and some serious off-road machines —  there’s sure to be something for every taste.

The People

Great builds take more than some spare change, and it’s the car owners that bring these projects to life.

They’re out there answering questions about each and every minute detail of their ride; whether you’re just genuinely interested in the labor behind someone’s rotary swapped Datsun, or are looking for some recommendations on a bigger turbo, each and every owner is more than happy to chop it up about their ride.

A Day Well Spent

As the shows continue to take place each month, and the crowds continue to grow, we are excited to see the scale of State of Speed Los Angeles in the times to come. We’re grateful to collaborate with Milestar Tires to bring this event to fruition, and there isn’t a better place out there to hold the event than the Tireco headquarters in Gardena, CA.

So for those that have previously shown up for State of Speed Los Angeles, we look forward to seeing you again, and for those who haven’t, stop by, grab a coffee, and bring your ride!

Inaugural State of Speed LA Car Show Recap

Incredible builds, delicious coffee, great people — what more could have come from a successful inaugural State of Speed Los Angeles car show? First off, let’s start off by saying thank you to each and every person that showed up for the event, Milestar Tires for sponsoring the show, and Clutch and Coffee for providing the fresh brews.

It’s refreshing to know that a group of gearheads that share the same passion for their rides can come together for an extraordinary time!

Now, let’s dive on into the turnout of immaculate builds that showed up for the State of Speed LA event! As stated before the event, this was most definitely not a run of the mill car show. It was expected that a truly diverse group of cars would show up, from JDM and Euro to Off-Road and Mini Trucks. There was no shortage of any, either.

Once the clock hit 7 o’clock, people were rolling in to collect their limited edition State of Speed Los Angeles t-shirts, and boy did those go quick! Once parked and hood popped, the next most important thing to do was grab a cup of coffee, and a delicious one at that. Clutch and Coffee supplied the goods, and it was a hit!

By 9AM, the Tireco parking lot was popping, but no, not audibly. A huge thanks to everyone for also being respectful of the show and keeping the engine noises to a minimum! The lot was packed, and the three hours flew by, but there was plenty of time to check out each car and talk to the individuals behind the builds. Once 10AM came, cars slowly started to head out while bystanders headed towards the exits to hear the sweet tones of each car as they departed.

Overall, our inaugural State of Speed LA show was a huge success! Another thank you goes out to our lead sponsor, Milestar Tires, our coffee vendor, Clutch and Coffee, and most importantly, those who showed up with some killer rides. We look forward to the next event and hope everyone can make it out, so stay tuned!

Concorso Italiano 33^RD Auto Show

Italian Auto Celebration Invades Seaside

The Concorso Italiano once again made headlines during the annual Monterey Motoring Week as vehicles on display and spectators celebrated all things Italian. The 33^rd annual Concorso event was hosted at the idyllic Bayonet & Black Horse Golf Course located in Seaside, California as a slew of more than 100 rare collectible sports cars and vintage vehicles ranging from Ferraris, Lamborghinis, Maseratis, and Alfa Romeos were all proudly on display.

This years event paid a special tribute to three special vehicles celebrating their 50^th anniversary. The Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Daytona, Lamborghini Espada, and Islero were recognized by the auto community as iconic vehicles that have achieved a milestone in automotive history.

Attending this event isn’t your typical car show. Vehicles ranging from a Ferrari 488 GTB to the venerable 488 GT3, which had just returned from battling at Virginia International Raceway where they took 4^th place, were just some of the special vehicles all embellished in rich motorsports history.

Love rare and exotic Italian cars? Be sure to check out next year’s Concorso Italiano Auto Show to get your dose of Italian flare!

Cruisin’ for a Cure

For any automotive enthusiast, a car show loaded with incredible cars is reward enough, but the OCCA’s Cruisin’ for a Cure goes way beyond just a show. The Orange County Fairgrounds in Costa Mesa, California is packed every year with over 3,500 vehicles on display and 200 vendors at the show. With such a huge turnout, it’s a perfect opportunity for the Orange County Cruisin’ Association to support both prostate cancer research—with 100% of the proceeds going to charity—and to administer free prostate-specific antigen (PSA) tests to screen for cancer.

That’s where Cruisin’ for a Cure stands out. Not only are the cars amazing, but over the past several years, 10,000 men have made their way into the screening area and got a simple blood test to check their PSA levels. As a direct result, hundreds of lives have been saved. Imagine how cool it is to attend as a cancer survivor, knowing your cancer was detected at the show. It is literally a couple of minutes that can save your life so many make Cruisin’ for a Cure the date for their yearly checkup.

Cruisin’ for a Cure is not just for the men. The many cars cruising the fairgrounds are loaded with wives, daughters, and entire families. There were also many seen cruising with their four-legged co-drivers as well. Even if the show didn’t have a higher purpose, it’s always one of the biggest shows of the summer.

The late summer weather in Southern California can’t be beaten; there wasn’t a cloud in the sky and a nice ocean breeze kept the heat from the bright sun at bay. For those who spent hours cleaning and polishing their rides, they could cruise all day with no worries. Those who were sporting patina had the same payoff without all the work. The vehicles on hand spanned that entire range.

Beautifully restored classics, hot rods, all types of customs, rat rods, muscle cars; even super clean daily drivers were all circling the show during the day. If you got hungry or thirsty, plenty of food and drink was available. Show food is typically expensive, but the selection of beers and the quality of the food made the prices tolerable. Once you had your beverage of choice, there are plenty of nice spots along the cruise route to take a load off your feet, and take in the rolling car show.

If you needed a break from the sun, several buildings were packed with things to see. Building 12 was filled with many high-end cars on display. Awed by their pristine condition, I was especially impressed when I witnessed several fire up and took a few laps around the show. They were very nice, but apparently not trailer queens. The Hangar, Building 18, had some Meguiars trophy winners on display and included bikes built by Arlen Ness, some old school hot rods, and a 1962 Pontiac Grand Prix now owned by John D’Agostino with an incredible paint job by Art Himsl.

Building 10 housed several vendors selling custom fire extinguishers, clothing, hot wheels, and model car kits. It is where the model car contest was judged, and where we saw Ed Iskenderian signing books and posing for photos. Other celebrities spotted at the show were Barry Maguire, and Ralph Holguin from the Velocity Channel show, RMD Garage. Ralph was handing out posters at his booth that sat across from the stage in the main mall. The stage was home to the band all day, and then became the place to be as awards were announced and trophies handed out to those who earned them.

It’s always a great day when you can take home some hardware, but the peace of mind from getting tested and the memories formed with friends and family made everyone a winner at Cruisin’ for a Cure.

Radwood Philly

Sunday the 14th marked the day a wave of radical would hit Philly’s Navy Yard where attendants would celebrate iconic ‘80s and ‘90s vehicles along with the lifestyle that accompanied them (or vice versa).

Jazz jackets, Sean John tracksuits, popped collars, obedient dogs, good food, and rad cars. Radwood.

$10 entry allowed you to cross the threshold into a blast from the past, and $25 to have your car be apart of the makeup for such an experience (or $15 if you had a motorcycle). As you walked down the streets of the urban business campus, old school tunes filled the dead space. While inhaling munchies from local food trucks, and you found yourself saying “what!?” multiple times.

From Delicas, Yugos, 964s, and DeLoreans to Sciroccos, MR2s, Viper GTSs, a Mercedes 560 SEL Koenig Special, a 348 Spider ‘Vert, and Testarossas. Alex Roy’s E39 M5 was also in attendance. The spread was plentiful.

The occasion was welcomed by Philly, spectators showed, and we want more of it. Given the well-behaved turnout, we should expect a rad 2019.

Big SoCal Euro

Big Euro in the SD

At the old Qualcomm Stadium, now the San Diego Community College (SDCC) Stadium, Big SoCal Euro closed in to its 20th year. Even with that type of age, it lives up to the name in more ways than one. Let’s check out one of the biggest European make shows in Southern California.

If you’re looking for the best in Euro, it’s hard to make an argument against Big SoCal Euro. From classic, beautiful restorations to wild, stanced monsters – you could find whatever your tastes were. Even Jaguars and Land Rovers made it to the show. Despite the Hollywood expectation of Ferraris, Lamborghinis, and Bentleys, VDubs, Audis, and Porsches are far better represented at shows like this.

What many people probably don’t realize is how big the VAG, Volkswagen Auto Group, brands are represented in California. From Type 1 Beetles to the latest advancements from Porsche or Audi, Wolfsburg’s brand was well epitomized. There were plenty of Rabbit Pickups, also known as the Caddy, and a smattering of Corrados at Big SoCal Euro but VW was in force with Golfs and Beetles. Porsche had everything from the latest GT3 to a great restoration of old-school 911s. However, some of the best 356s made their way to the most southern of SoCal.

The next biggest make isn’t much a surprise for SoCal – BMW. Come on, how do you have a Euro show without something Bavarian showing up. Showed up, they did. 2002s, 3-series, 5-series, and even an E46 Wagon made appearances. A true Euro Rat Rod came in, the CATuned 2002 known as Ratrod02. It features a turbocharged M20B stroked out to 3.2-liters. The inside is stripped out with panels covering the doors and its gauge cluster bare to the world. Seats are straight out of old-school hot rod by being absolutely basic. You can’t help but love it for its simplicity and its “don’t care” attitude.

Mini, which is pretty much BMW’s FWD division, had classic and modern Coopers that rolled out to the show. The craziest one was Stephan Brown’s R56 Cooper with a turbocharged Chevrolet 350ci swapped in and converted to rear-wheel-drive. Yes, a true, iron block Small Block Chevy, not an LS. Power from the crank is sent to a TH350 automatic to a Toyota 4Runner rear end that was four-linked. The hood is split in two to fit the front mounted radiator, which was originally going to be mounted where the passenger seat now resides. Yes, it’s as crazy as it reads.

Again, despite being as far away from Europe as you can get, European cars – from high-end to economy cruiser – get a lot of love in California. The land of hot rods and JDM knows how to build an EDM. However, you will see more quality builds from the Euro crowd because of the reputation of sophistication a car or truck from across the Atlantic brings. Well, if you ignore anything with Lucas Electronics, that is. Even then, Cali knows how to make that work better, function properly, and look good rolling down the block.

Galpin Auto Sports Annual Car Show

If you like crowds and cars of every size and shape then the annual Galpin Car Show is for you. This year was the seventh and the crowds certainly turned out in the thousands to see hundreds of cars ranging from Model T Fords to Ford GTs. I don’t think anybody could have gone away and not seen something they liked or that amazed them.

With more than $700 million in annual sales, Galpin Motors, Van Nuys, California, is the number one volume Ford dealership in the world, and the top California car dealer. Success like that doesn’t happen overnight so how did Galpin get to be numero uno? 

Their story starts back in 1928 when Henry Ford finally relinquished his beloved T and introduced the Model A. That same year, Frank Galpin went to work at the Ford plant in Downtown Los Angeles assembling Model A bodies. After World War II, Galpin returned to Los Angeles where he was given a new Ford franchise in San Fernando. The 50s population boom almost guaranteed success but Galpin was not one to let the grass grow and in 1952 commissioned the Galpin body shop to build a sleek customized primrose yellow ’52 Ford. The car hit the cover of the June 1953 issue of Motor Trend magazine and was undoubtedly the first car “Gaplinized” but, of course, that word had not been invented yet. 

That same year, Bert Boeckmann from nearby Glendale joined the dealership as a salesman and by 1957 had worked his way up to manager. Boeckmann was a good businessman and worked at building up the business while Galpin was perhaps more of a creative risk-taker. However, they worked well as a team and by 1960 Boeckmann was vice president of Galpin Ford and began a gradual buyout that left him owning the company by 1968.

Galpin Ford strongly adhered to the old adage “Win on Sunday, sell on Monday” and in 1961 began NASCAR racing with Ron Hornaday Sr., who just happened to be the service manager. Hornaday, father of Ron Jr., really helped put Galpin on the motorsports map when he won the NASCAR championship in 1963 and again in 1964. 

When the Mustang was introduced, the name Galpin graced not only the rear quarters of NASCARs but also drag cars, land speed cars, off-road racers, Trans-Ams—even drag boats and Quarter Midgets. There was even a Galpin Ford Drag Club and Bert’s wife Jane was in on the act when she helped set a 24-hour-endurance record at Willow Springs Raceway in 1969—driving a Mustang, of course.

If you needed one word to describe Galpin it would be enthusiasm, enthusiasm for what we do as car people and it certainly shows in their annual show that is spread over numerous lots and showrooms. I began my tour with their amazing collection of significant movie, TV and show cars from the likes of George Barris,  Ed “Big Daddy” Roth and Von Dutch. Among many others, there was the ‘Batmobile,’ the ‘Green Hornet’ and the ‘Munster Coach.’ What got my attention though were the ‘Milk Truck’ and the ‘Ice Wagon’ built by Dan Woods when he was a teenager working for Roth. 

From the nice, air-conditioned space I moved outside where there were just scads of rad rides; everything from Aston Martins, Ferraris, Lamborghinis, Lotus, Maseratis, McLarens, and Porsches. Galpin is a dealer for just about every brand there is. If you like to get up close and personal with supercars then this is the show for you.

Galpin is, of course, the number one Mustang dealer and you would expect to see a few. Well, make that a lot including a rare Shelby G.T.350 being restored to the rarer 720-hp Galpin Fisker Rocket. Meanwhile, in adjacent parking lots, the public is allowed to enter and display their own vehicles that include everything from ratty rods to jumpin’ lowriders. As I said, it’s a show everybody and their family can enjoy.  For more information visit Galpin.com

The SEMA 2018 Show

When it comes to the aftermarket, there is only one trade show that has it all. The SEMA Show is the largest gathering of automotive aftermarket companies dedicated to making your vehicle faster, look better, sound better, ride lower or taller, or just plain do more. This year, there were many exciting new parts that you’re going to have to figure out how to install.

The two biggest announcements from the show were done by Chevrolet and Mopar. Chevrolet introduced the eCOPO Camaro concept, an electric version of the COPO Camaro drag car. GM has been in a big push for electrifying their fleet and now it looks like they want to extend that to their performance line, too. The eCOPO is powered by an 800-volt battery pack that sends that power to a dual Borg-Warner HVH 250-150 motor assembly.

The other part of the eCOPO concept is the idea is that this motor will become another avenue for crate motor options from GM. They are doing this by making it able to be fitted to any transmission made for the LS bellhousing and crank flange. While testing is still ongoing, it is producing over 700-horsepower and 600-lb/ft of torque putting well within the nine-second bracket in the quarter mile.

Mopar, on the other hand, decided it wanted to stay gas powered and introduced the “Hellephant.” This is a 426 Supercharged Hemi crate engine that’s able to produce 1000-horsepower and 950-lb/ft of torque. To make this even crazier, it’s coming as a plug-and-play package for anyone who wants to stuff this much power under their hood. Legally, it’s meant for 1975 and older street cars and off-road vehicles, but we’re sure someone will put this into their JL or JK Wrangler at some point. Mopar is making it easy, too, as it will come fully dressed along with the wiring and ECU. It’s slated to go on sale in early 2019.

There were debuts of many new tires and lights to give you the grip on the dirt and light it up, too. Milestar Tires officially debuted their new Patagonia SXT, an off-road dedicated tire to the growing side-by-side and UTV markets. They also announced that Dan Fresh and his racing team will be running the tires in the 2018 Baja 1000. Baja Designs introduced their new OnX6 Hybrid Laser light. It uses two laser light chips along with a pair of LED light chips to create a unique beam of light for their High-Speed Spot optic light on the 10-inch light bar. They claim this combination gives a smooth light blend transition and increases their light beam distance by 350-percent at 95-watts. Their first batch is out now but in limited supplies.

If you’re into racing or into show cars, the 2018 SEMA Show was where you needed to be this year if you wanted to see what was coming out for your next build. Now, you’ll only see them after your competition has passed you by and taken that trophy.

From Mello to Melodrama

The H2Oi International Story (Part Two)

The stages were set. On one, an automotive revolutionary war of sorts was brewing. Showgoers were about to land in a city they weren’t welcome in with a police force that knew they were coming anyway.

On the other, “generals” were in the final stages of “recolonization,” having lost the hard-fought “Battle of Ocean City” so to speak. It was official: Atlantic City, New Jersey was H2Oi International’s new home, and this new frontier meant new opportunities and challenges for the “settlers.”

CLEARING THE MUDDY WATERS

Before we get into my experiences of both events, I had an opportunity to interview Jay Shoup, owner and founder of H2Oi International. I’m sharing snippets of our conversation in an effort to negate the plethora of inaccurate statements that have—and continue to—come out about his show as well as the events preceding it. Here are the facts:

1. The actual sanctioned car show that is H2Oi International was never held in Ocean City, Maryland.
   Since the day of the show’s origination, H2Oi has always been held outside Ocean City. People attending the show would congregate in Ocean City because of its proximity to the show. According to Jay, it was local media that incorrectly associated the two events in an effort to put blame on him. “The media beat me down,” Mr. Shoup explained. “Why do they keep bringing me into this?”—a question he asks to this day.
2. It was Jay’s decision to take H2Oi International elsewhere.
   When I asked him about relocating, Mr. Shoup confidently stated that, “There weren’t – and still aren’t – any legal grounds whatsoever for Ocean City to shut down my show, even if I decided to stay put.” Of course, he wasn’t interested in fighting anymore and that’s why he opted to postpone the show in 2017; To find a new, more suitable (and welcoming) venue.
3. “Did Ocean City officials really do everything they could to keep the peace (and the people there)?”
   This is one of the biggest questions Jay continues to ask to this day. He argues that, when it came to the preceding events in Ocean City, “The minority were the ones causing trouble,” and that, “I don’t [necessarily] know the solution, but I do know how to handle them.” Jay, for example, told me that, in the 20 years of his show’s existence, Ocean City officials never bothered to call upon the Maryland State Police to help keep the peace – an organization that he made sure to always hire from for H2Oi every year. And remember, this was never Jay’s problem in the first place!

MY EXPERIENCES

So with all that being said, let me first preface by saying that the following are my experiences of Ocean City and Atlantic City respectively. Anyone and everyone who attended either or both events no doubt had different experiences of them, which are neither right or wrong. I actually wrote a post on one of the Ocean City attendees Facebook groups asking them to share their thoughts and experiences with me. You will occasionally see quotes from this post.

OCEAN CITY

I arrived in Ocean City, Maryland on a Thursday evening, and it took almost two whole days to see the sizeable crowds of years past reappear. By Saturday, the sun set just beyond the horizon, and the natural lighting illuminating our surroundings was replaced by the flashing lights of Ocean City Police cars. As we walked the strip, we’d pass groups of people yelling “SEND IT!” to cruisers waiting at a red light. Usually, these groups would be holding signs with lude messages written on them as well while they taunted. The light would turn green, someone inevitably would in fact send it, and would get pulled over immediately after doing so.

Interactions that would follow between car owners and law enforcement were either contentious or cooperative. For the contentious ones, it was about testing the limits – a mentality not unlike one from a first-year college student. “You go to OCMD for the chaos that ‘H2Oi’ weekend brings,” one person submitted as a response to my Facebook post. “I had even more fun [this year] haha. [I] felt like there was more adrenaline because you could get caught easier,” responded another. And, to be clear, I nor staff from The Dawg Box condone this kind of behavior.

For others, it was a jovial, crime-free game of “Cat and Mouse.” The challenge: Bringing a car down to Ocean City that is blatantly illegal and see how long they can actually drive it on Coastal Highway before getting pulled over. The results: Usually within minutes of the tires touching the pavement, drivers would end up assisting the tow truck driver in loading their own vehicle to be carted off to the impound lot. It’s a game they inevitably lost.

And then there were those who were there simply to hang out. Whether they were seated in lawn chairs on the sidewalk or on inflatable couches in the bed of a truck, it’s as if they went to set an example; showing residents that not all young car enthusiasts were there to act out. Sure they also cruised the strip in vehicles that the city deemed “Unsafe,” but at least they behaved.

ATLANTIC CITY

Now, I’ll be honest, I’ve never actually attended the actual H2Oi International show when it was held in Ocean City, so I personally can’t make a comparison to what took place at The Showboat. Also, I’d be lying if I said that I didn’t have my prejudgements about what the turnout would be like (that certainly explains why I traveled down on a Sunday afternoon and only spent two full hours there). I can and will, however, talk about H2Oi from the perspective of a 10-year veteran of the east coast car show scene.

For starters, it wasn’t an exclusively Audi/Volkswagen car show. All makes and models were there but thankfully, the 12 Top Dawgs were all European makes. To me, that doesn’t necessarily matter as I understand that businesses often have to adapt to new places and situations. And it was their first year at The Showboat, so I would’ve been shocked if there weren’t growing pains like this.

But, having said all that, what did surprise me was the general presentation of it all. The Showboat’s cul-de-sac, for example, was crammed with the Top Dawg finalists and as many vendor booths as they could fit, all while hotel guests were coming and going. To me, it felt like I was at a job fair.

And then there was the parking garage, where the remaining cars parked. “The idea was to separate general and show parking, but we didn’t really have the manpower to police it this year,” Mr. Shoup clarified. It made sense. Cars were scattered throughout every level with no real organizational structure whatsoever. Many were driving in and out of the garage freely while spectators were still walking around. It honestly felt like a cross between a scene from The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift and one from car meets I used to attend back home. “We’ll figure out a better solution for next year,” Jay said.

Look, I’ll be the first to tell you that it’s often difficult to embrace change, but I think that if we as enthusiasts, take the time to try to embrace it (and succeed), we can appreciate H2Oi’s new home while still reminiscing about the good times in Ocean City, Maryland. For all intents and purposes, H2Oi was a success. What do you think?

Lasaac Carroll Shelby Tribute & Car Show

Perhaps nobody other than Enzo Ferrari commands as much loyalty as American racer Carroll Shelby. Unlike Ferrari, Shelby switched allegiances depending on the prevailing climate. In the 1950s, he raced for Allard, Aston-Martin, Healey and even Ferrari. He even raced Formula 1 in 1958 and ’59 before launching his own car in 1962. Even then he switched from Ford to Chrysler/Dodge to GM’s Oldsmobile as the business climate shifted. However, it is the Cobra and associated vehicles such as the Ford Mustang Shelby GT350 and GT500 that are logged in our memory chips as iconic performance cars.

The Cobra came about because Shelby had learned to like American-powered, lightweight European sports cars with the Cadillac-powered Allards. When the time came to build his own sports car he planned to combine the lightweight, aluminum-bodied British AC Ace chassis with a Ford V8. The AC had an aging Bristol 4-cylinder that was underpowered and outdated. In 1962, the Ford V8 was as modern as it got.

Sans engine and paint, an Ace was shipped to Dean Moon’s hot rod shop in Santa Fe Springs, California. There, a small group of rodders including Phil Remington, Roy Gammell and his son Doyle installed a 260-cubic-inch, small-block Ford and had hot rodder Dean Jeffries paint it yellow for the 1962 New York Auto Show. The rest, as they say, is history. Incidentally, that first Cobra, now painted blue, sold in 2016 for $13.75 million.

Hugely successful on the race track but less so in the showroom—only 654 small-block Cobras and 350 big-block cars were sold—the Shelby Cobra is possibly the world’s best-known sports car and its legacy continues to this day with related car clubs, clothing lines, and continuation cars—the Cobra being possibly the most copied car on the planet. They say there are probably more Cobras now than there ever were ever built originally and I don’t doubt it.

There are also numerous events such as the recent Los Angeles Shelby American Automobile Club (LASAAC) Carroll Shelby Tribute and Car Show at the Shelby headquarters in Gardena, California. This huge facility is now home to a small museum of Shelby’s vehicles, an event space, and OVC Mustangs, but more of that in a future story. The show is an annual free event open to the public. The several hundred cars on display can be anything relating to Shelby automobiles, from Ford-powered Sunbeam Tigers and De Tomaso Panteras to Mickey Thompson’s racecar-hauling ramp truck. And, of course, there’s a huge selection of Cobras and Mustangs. What’s literally very cool is that many of the cars are displayed inside the cavernous building out of the hot sun.

You get the run of the building, get to see Shelby-associated celebrities such as Roy Gammell who worked on Cobra numero uno to Allen Grant who was a key driver in the Shelby American factory racing team. All are approachable and have great stories to tell.

For more information about LASAAC and the Carroll Shelby Tribute Car Show visit: www.lasaac.org

Mild, Wild, and Radical at Tuner Evolution Philly

Tuner Evolution is one of the few nationwide car show series that consistently brings the “Wow Factor” each year. Whether it’s freshly built (or rebuilt) cars or special guests like Formula Drift driver, Ryan Tuerck, the Tuner Evolution series doesn’t disappoint. With over 1,000 submissions to this year’s Philadelphia show, and just under half of those becoming acceptances, Tuner Evolution: Philly brought out the best of the best.

Founded by Jay Martinez, this year marked the 12th rendition of the show at The Greater Philadelphia Expo Center. “We provide an experience for competitors and spectators alike to compare to other shows for themselves,” Martinez explains. Judging is based on the quality versus quantity of the vehicles in conjunction with great execution and overall flow of a vehicle’s theme.

One of the coolest aspects of a show like Tuner Evolution is the fact that Jay and his team make it a point to accept a handful of newcomers. There are no special privileges for anyone who submits their build to compete, but Martinez explains that he likes “to accept newcomers with great builds to, not only give them a taste of our show but to also, inspire them to build their cars better than they already are.” It’s the extra attention to the finer details along with subtle additions and modifications that often have an impact on a competitor’s placement at Tuner Evolution – a philosophy that harkens back to the intensely competitive, “Mild-Wild-Radical” bracket-style format of Hot Import Nights from the late 90’s and early 2000’s.

Having “grown up” in the show scene interning for The National Custom Car Association – the official judging company for Hot Import Nights at the time, I think it’s these finer details in the judging that draws me to Tuner Evolution: Philly each year. It’s reminiscent of when competitors used to travel all across the country with their cars in hopes of grabbing a big win and overtaking the points leader, not unlike the Formula Drift series of today. 

With that in mind, I asked Martinez if he thought the “old ways” could make a comeback. Martinez hesitantly replied that, at the moment, “The three-tier style of competition can’t exist with the way most cars are being built today.” To be clear, this is in no way suggesting that people aren’t building “Mild” or “Wild” vehicles. It has to do more with the fact that very few owners build their vehicles in enough ways to make them “Radical” – a class designated for builds that have quite literally left “no stone unturned.” 

Of course, judging of show cars is inherently subjective and certainly open to interpretation but, Jay used Muzzy Yousefi’s Nissan 350Z to try and illustrate his point. Although the entire vehicle has gone through countless renditions and attended SEMA multiple times, at first glance, most enthusiasts might think it’s merely a lowered Z with a full Veilside body kit. But Martinez explained to me that Yousefi actually took a four-year hiatus to completely redo the car – and by redo, we’re not talking about just getting the car resprayed a new color. Muzzy apparently lengthened the entire front end of the Z itself using the front portion of an S2000 frame. It’s insane and arguably Frankensteinian ideas like this that elevate a show car to “Radical” status. Only at Tuner Evolution!

Now having said that, Martinez made it clear that he feels “the industry is at a good place,” with the caliber of cars that compete at his shows…and I agree. But the reality is that the show scene has morphed dramatically in the last 10 years and Jay happens to be one of the many that are adapting to the changes. When asked if the “Mild-Wild-Radical” bracket-style competition structure could make a comeback, he replied that “with the right players,” it could. So let’s see if Radical builds start showing up next year at Tuner Evolution: Philly!

Astoria Park Alliance Car Show

When people think about iconic, scenic, New York City backdrops, the list usually starts with either the city skyline, the Brooklyn Bridge, or The Statue of Liberty. But Astoria Park, in Queens, New York, is one that isn’t always readily thought about, but definitely should not be ruled out. Located across from Randall’s Island and the Robert F. Kennedy Bridge, the one lane roadway running adjacent to the East River makes for the perfect backdrop to display some of the most well-kept classic cars in New York.

This year’s Father’s Day, the Astoria Park Alliance hosted their first-annual car show to raise money to help restore the park. When I spoke to the creators of the show, I couldn’t help but chuckle at the fact that they openly admitted to not knowing much about cars (after hearing my credentials, they asked if I wanted to help judge the show), but noticed that there were beautiful cars driving around the neighborhood whenever the weather was nice. “Meeting all of the wonderful people in the classic car community was really the highlight of the experience for me. These men and women put so much love and care into their cars, and were willing to share their prized possessions with our community in Astoria,” said Vice Chair of the Astoria Park Alliance, Anthony Liberatoscioli. “When my colleague Miriam Fodera and I were first brainstorming about the event, that notion of bringing different communities together is exactly what we were hoping to achieve, and the Father’s Day Classic Car Show exceeded our hopes.”

APPRECIATION BY OWNERS AND SPECTATORS ALIKE

As someone who’s lived in New York all his life, the appreciation for and ownership of a wide variety of vehicles never ceases to amaze me. The number of roads within the five boroughs that are less than ideal for even “normal” cars to drive on is pretty depressing, and the indescribable amount of cracks, potholes, and bulges in our roads makes even a stanced car owner like me wonder how anyone could keep a car together here.

But to my surprise, when I arrived at the show, the strip was filled from end to end, and late show competitors were getting turned away left and right. The owners that did make it in showed off a wide variety of American, European, and Japanese classics. As I walked towards the bridge, I was quickly reminded about how each one of these cars had a different story to tell. Unfortunately, I didn’t have time to hear them all but I did learn, for example that, although this ‘67 Mustang Coupe was resprayed, the brownish cream color was actually offered by Ford for that model year (apologies to all the classic Mustang enthusiasts that knew this already). And that gorgeous Copper Nissan 280Z… that was purchased by the original owner and currently only has about 50,000 miles on it.

What made the show just as enjoyable was the amount of appreciation the owners had for their cars. When I walked up to this immaculate Saleen Foxbody Mustang (which, by the way, I had never seen in my 32 years of life), the owner made sure to point out that it was signed by Steve Saleen himself on three different parts of the car (It’s also worth noting that an ASC McLaren Foxbody was parked directly in front of it). Although I didn’t get to meet the owner of this ridiculously clean 240Z, I did notice the signature from Yoshihiko Matsuo on the passenger sun visor–something I’m sure most Z owners can’t brag about.

“While the Father’s Day Classic Car Show was created with only a commitment to be a one-off event, it was such a massive success that I think we will almost certainly be bringing it back in 2019,” Mr. Liberatoscioli explained. He went on to say that it was the last car to make it in, an absolutely stunning Impala, that took home Best Of Show. All together, the show raised $1,320 and, after covering the show’s expenses, the remainder will be put towards improvements for the park.

Cars and Coffee: South Bay Sunday by Milestar Tires

The Cars and Coffee scene has grown since its introduction just a few years ago, but there was one area that was lacking such an event. That’s when the team down at Milestar Tires decided it was time that the South Bay got their event with South Bay Sunday.

It was probably a phenomenon that not many predicted would get as popular as it has today. A gathering of car enthusiasts of all kinds that get up, sometimes even before the sun rises, to gather at a local spot for a good cup of coffee and look at each other’s cars. It wasn’t a single make or even just JDM, American, or European makes. Cars and Coffee were for everyone when it started in Irvine, CA back in 2006. It’s now grown into something that not only each state has, but seemingly every country where there is a driving public has a Cars and Coffee event of their own.

While these events had taken off in the Irvine and Orange County area of California, Los Angeles was sorely lacking many events. There certainly wasn’t a regular event happening in LA. One would pop up, but there was never a permanent fixture for the city best known for its custom car culture. That’s when Martin and Rob of Milestar Tires came to the rescue. Utilizing the Tireco building where Milestar is headquartered, the former headquarters of Nissan North America, and right in the heart of California’s custom car and hot rod culture. Right in the heart of the South Bay in Torrance, CA.

Just like other Cars and Coffee events, the ones at Milestar’s parking lot are open to all and you’ll see everything from classic hot rods, high-tech exotics, and lifted trucks. No one is unwelcome, provided you act as a good neighbor and don’t rev your engines, peel out of the parking lot, or speed around the city streets. Follow those rules and this event will be around for a long, long time.

When will the next Cars and Coffee South Bay Sunday take place? It’s every third Sunday of the month, so your next one will probably be coming very soon. We hope to see you there!