pug

this was a different truck. don't see too many of these around, though i did find other pics of this one on the web at other shows. apparently its a coe or cab over engine model, hence the shortened front end. but, to me, it reminds me of those purebred dogs or cats that look like they've run into a wall and have no nose. at least in a monster like this, you'd feel safer than driving in one of those "smart" cars; in an accident, i'd place my money on this one and still being able to walk.

the owner was a nice guy too. very happy to let you have a good look around the thing. thanks for moving out of the way, but i don't remember the guy standing next to me, if you can see me in the bumper. i think he owned the red muscle car you see reflected on the side. i didn't take any pictures of his car. psst. dude, close your hood – maybe i'd think about it.

thumbs down, uptown

i had already been warned that the whittier uptown show was going to be different this year. i'm not saying there weren't some nice cars there, because there were. i'm saying, the change was not good. they decided to segregate the show this year: today would be hot rods and muscle cars; next may would be the bombs and low riders. it almost felt gutted without the quantity, quality, and enthusiasm of past shows. what were they thinking?

happily, in a side lot, a group of bombs, low riders and the like, had staked out the lot the night before, and set up there, along with a tent advertising the show next may. while i do have more affection for these types of cars, a few had still managed to find their way in, out on the main street. while there were not so many cars, they had still blocked off just as much space as past years. you'd think they'd tell the guys to space the cars out...a lot. they still clustered them toward the center stage and judges' area, i suppose. the crowd was not so rowdy. the cops didn't notice the guys drinking beer out of the back of their van disguised in red plastic cups. there were a several whole blocks of closed, empty streets.

now i wonder if so many, of what they've determined to be the rowdy element, will want to come on down next may, after being so excluded. i'd be kinda pissed if i were them.

anyway, that's my review. a big pffft to the bigwigs in whittier, you've made a great show kinda boring.

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this one was over in the bomb lot. only a handful of cars back there, but the kind that i like. the owner kindly dropped the hood for the shot. i'm not sure that the guy that specifically asked for a shot of this car was just one of the working car show shlubs, or one of the organizers of the show. if an organizer, i've probably not made him happy by my review, but it's just my opinion, dude. and what do i know about cars anyway, aside from how to shoot them with my little camera here.

squee

so shiny. i don't usually shoot these ’stangs. they don't usually do it for me, but this one was too nice to pass by. i am laughing now, because as i look at this shot all i can see is that this one really needs a car bra...a big grannie one...it apppears to be real cold out, if you know what i mean. but then i'm told i'm a bit twisted anyway.

general

i think i've seen this truck over at jae bueno's blog at some point. here it is, hiding on a back pathway of the old world village in huntington beach.

i'm thinking the wheel covers aren't original, but they are kinda cool. wished the hood was down, but figured i better catch it while i could, from the side that was closed.

it was highly polished, like looking into a black hole, were it not for the blue sky above, throwing reflections all about it.

____

i'm in tradeshow hell at work again. i've worked a couple hours over for the last three days, and will probably continue doing so for the next month or so. makes it hard to get it up for a car show in the evening. i want to go, i really do, but if i stop at home first, i just don't want to go back out.

i do intend to hit the whittier uptown show this saturday. please do bring all your purrrty cars out for me. i miss you so.

grape ape

these guys were parked off on the end at enderle last week. i think the owners and a couple of other people were chatting about paint and body and other customization, but in the background of my mind it all sounded like charlie brown's teachers: "wha wha wha whaaa wha wha."

it was something different. don't think i've had the pleasure of catching a hudson that looks like this. all the curvy goodness is just fun for my eyes. not too flamboyant, and even in a simple monotone, i like it a lot.

of course that there mercury ain't bad neither. guess i'll have to post the close up of that one sometime too. polished to a shine on the hood of infinite darkness.

it's dicey

well, another weekend gone. gonna start whining about getting up early for work pretty soon. didn't get enough sleep, and i didn't even get to a car show. intended to, but didn't work out.

anyway, i'm flipping through the year's shots. i have a lot to choose from, which is good. i liked this old mercury, for no better reason than the color combination was different and interesting. and it was the first car i found, as i walked into town that day, just over the train tracks. it was the run what you brung show, in rialto. i'm not sure what that yellow car driving through on the right was, but i don't think i caught up with it later; maybe he just kept going.

swanky

remember when the show at the broiler was so busy, cars had to park in the back lot? what happened? in winter, they said it was too cold. now it's a fairly cool summer, and still not much showing up. maybe i just keep picking off-days – if i went back to going every week, would i be wasting my gas?

i don't know why i like this one. probably it was the tail lights. don't see too many of these. and the slight imperfections don't bother me either. the sign in the window says he belongs to the devils cc from venice. wonder what he was doing here, so far inland.

gots balls?

getting late, so i won't say much here. i'm always fascinated by these big engines and wonder why the balls in the pipes? so birds don't nest in them?

this one practically has a crown of pipes, at least from this angle. i just want to take those nerf balls out and have a water ball fight...it's been so hot lately. i think those were parking tickets plastered all over the windshield, but i don't know what the point was. maybe if i look at the large size again, i'd see what the joke was. and i love the table full of puckerbutts watching...can practically read what's going through their minds: "what in the world is she doing? why is she doing that? am i in the picture? go away..."

ever have one of those days, when stuff you said got taken all wrong and everyone is pissed at everyone else? well, i just had one; glad it's over, and man, my head hurts from even trying. i'll try harder not to care, and go back to being the wallflower that i naturally am, watching and silent in the background. geez.

no buwwets

i've seen this car before, and usually pass it by, because the hood is open, but mostly because of that stupid wooden billy gun. if this is the same one i remember from another show, the owner once practically begged me to come take a picture of his car, but when he went and got the gun out i could only just keep from laughing out loud, and shook my head no. could be a totally different car and owner, but i don't see too many prop guns like this one. no wait, there's that pt cruiser that has that silly stuff on it...never shoot that one either.

i was going to skip it again this time, but decided it didn't look so silly from the back, parked off by itself in the shade. still has that pea shooter sitting there, but i can ignore it just this once. had the hood up, i think, so this was the only POV i was ever going to take of it anyway. nice car. dump the prop gun...it's stupid. or else put some bullet holes in the side. want me to do that in photoshop for ya?

second time at this show. brought my bro and his family, who are visiting from the east coast for a few days. kinda disappointed in the turnout, but made up for it this morning by taking them to the show at enderle, which was much busier and had more variety. 

where did the time go?

i haven't posted in a week. been out of town. my daughter got married. grew up while i wasn't looking. it happens.

anyway, i didn't get to shoot any cars while i was there. drove past a big show on the way to somewhere else, but my family members wouldn't cater to my addiction, so had to pass it by.

finally stopped at a couple of shows this evening. over at the show off alondra. not too busy there. i suppose i was early, but still it's usually full up. walked the rows a couple of times, took not too many pictures.

headed over to the big boy in downey. that used to be pretty good. i haven't been in a couple of months probably. where have all you guys gone? there's a lot for sale sign out back, and the covering is off the fencing. what gives?

took a few shots. i liked this fairlane. pretty clean, nice paint combo, parked in a corner. nobody puts baby in the corner, but maybe this isn't baby.

i hope there's still a good turnout at the whittier uptown show later this month or i may just take a break for a while. i'm sure this is just a passing mood and i'm tired, but i thought i'd just say hi, before you start to worry...