MICHAEL ECKERSON March 12, 2023 All Feature Vehicles
An exclusive look at some of the spectacular invite-only classics, hot rods, trucks, and motorcycles on display in The Hangar at the 23rd Annual Cruisin’ For A Cure event at the OC Fair & Event Center.
Presented by Classic Car Marketing.
Classic Car Marketing brings over 50 years of combined marketing and automotive expertise. They specialize in getting your car into the biggest market utilizing the best local, national, and global exposure to bring you qualified offers. This saves you time and money.
When not focused on your automotive marketing needs, look for them cruisin’ the shows, representing you at auctions, and building their own custom cars. They also have the specialized resources to re-paint, re-build, or re-imagine your dream car. CCM has been collecting and building award winning classics and customs for over 20 years. Their experts judge numerous car shows throughout the year, and show their award winning cars at SEMA, The Grand National Roadster Show, Goodguys Shows, and Cruisin’ For A Cure.
Classic Car Marketing cars have been featured on Velocity’s Bitchin’ Rides, RMD Garage, SEMA “Battle of the Builders”, Meguiar’s “Car Crazy” and numerous local and global publications, and in addition, are longstanding Goodguys members.
Classic Car Marketing are sponsored by American Racing, Nitto Tires, PPG Paint, Classic Performance Products, Original Parts Group, Inc.,
FiTech Fuel Injection, Z Autosound Plus, and we are “VIP” sponsored by Meguiar’s, making us certifiably “Car Crazy”.
Check out their new arrivals at classiccarmarketing.net
The build is heavily inspired by the muscle cars in the Trans-American race series of the late 60s and 70s. A lot of the modifications performed on this car are the same as the original race cars, although I used newer technologies when I had the opportunity to do so without affecting the vintage look and feel. I also added creature comforts to make the car more drivable on the street. It has power steering, power brakes, AC, Heat and electronically adjustable coilover suspension.
The engine is a carbureted, seven liter, aluminum block stroker LS3 making 625hp. The motor was mounted 2.5” rearward and 1” lower than the factory setup to improve weight distribution. It drives a six-speed super magnum t-56 transmission and a Ford 9” floating rear axle with a watts link setup and 4.11:1 gears.
Photo credit: Mark Riccioni photography
Fat Fender Garage’s most recent Chevy build is the stunning 1965 C/10 dubbed “Irene”, in honor of the owner’s mother. Irene is painted in a stunning BASF white pearl base with a black roof with a hint of red pearl, while the trim and Schott Split-Window wheels are finished in Black Cerakote. Pop the hood and expose the 525 HP LS3 with a MSD Atomik intake. Swing around to the back and see the linear-actuated Smokey Grey hand-made Wood Bed Floor by Jason Noel, which exposes the Red Velvet Porterbuilt dropmember, Airlift Suspension and Boyd Welding fuel cell. Open the doors and stare inside at the breathtaking Relicate leather custom striking red interior, custom-wrapped Sparc steering wheel atop a Flaming River tilt column, along with all the modern creature comforts like a Restomod Air A/C system, Bluetooth Retrosounds deck thundering through a Focal sound system and lined throughout with Membrane sound-ending. This truck pushes the envelope in every aspect highlighting exactly what FFG is really capable of.
Brute Force is rolling work of art is being built as the ultimate 1955 Chevrolet, with the goal of winning the prestigious Don Ridler Memorial Award at the Detroit Autorama. Every panel has been modified, from the subtle 3/4-inch chopped top to the front sheet metal that slopes down for more aggressive proportions. Every detail on this car has been carefully reimagined and fabricated or machined.
Engine: 540 Merlin, Arias Hemi Heads, Twin Turbos
Photo credit: Not Stock Photography
2020
Great 8 – Contender
Detroit Autorama – Best Mild Custom
2021
Goodguys – Staff pick for custom of the year
America’s Most Beautiful Roadster – Finalist
Kindig – Top 10 in Salt Lake
Del Mar – Top 10
Cornfeed Run 950 entries – Best of show
Brea Father’s Day Show – Top Ten
2022
Goodguys: Custom Rod Staff pick finalist
National Custom Rod finalist
Orange Circle – Best of show
Brea July 4 Show – Judge’s Pick
Grand National Roadster Show – Best Custom
Yep, that’s the green C/10 from Fat Fender Garage. You know, the one that won Street Trucks – Truck of the Year, again. The one that made you look twice the first time you saw it, and the one you are still awestruck by when you see it for the 5th or 6th time. What you may not know is that this 1964 airbagged masterpiece is a daily driver. Which means it’s been dropped off back at the shop just for paint chips, all so it can remain flawless to this day with its custom BASF formula. Go ahead and give it another look, Mike Johnson is not afraid to update this beast; still sporting those Raceline wheels of course, but with a new set of tires because that 6.2L ZL1 LSA shred with a firm stomp of the Lokar pedal. Custom inside and out, the linear-actuated hand-made Wood Bed Floor by Jason Noel, reveals the custom Porterbuilt frame, Accuair Air Suspension, Boyd Welding fuel cell and custom. Style upgrades include an entirely new custom interior; new carpet, custom Relicate leather bench, new center console, a custom-wrapped Sparc steering wheel, and every detail in between. Hang your arm out the window with a grin after you roll down those NuRelic power windows to skate this beautiful ‘64 big window down PCH; of course, with that Restomod A/C system still on anyways. The trim is Cerakoted in a subtle grey which blends in perfectly with that unforgettable one off green paint, highlighting every contour on this iconic Fat Fender build.
Take a trip back to the 1950s. Jeff Hess searched to find a shop in New York to customize his first car, a 1956 Oldsmobile. It saw many kustom mods of the day. Now, nearly 65 years later, Oldssled is a modern kustom with timeless styling.
Low, sleek, subtle and full custom. Oldssled features a fully customized body and smoothed lines with a recessed continental tire kit, roadster top and cut down windshield.
The interior of Oldssled features full-custom wrap around seats, door panels, dashboard and center console all designed to flow mimicking the stretched oval design.
Taking an era-correct engine and outfitting with modern fuel injection and 3D machined parts brings modern power and classic styling to the drivetrain.
The right hand drive Ruffian GT40 started life as a Superformance rolling chassis but I quickly got to work customizing. The original GT40 is one of the most beautiful cars ever built but there are lots of opportunities to scrub off the most vintage elements and address some of the car’s mechanical shortcomings.
A “modernization” theme runs throughout the build, from the custom LED lighting to the carbon fiber widebody kit and fuel injected DOHC motor. Signature Three centerlock wheels are wrapped in monster Toyo Proxes R888R tires and power is provided by a 580hp 5.2L Ford Aluminator motor that is happy to rev to 8000
Photo credit: Mark Riccioni photography
Built by Hollywood Hot Rods under the guidance of Troy Ladd. This one-off custom ‘32 is both elegant and aggressive. One of the finest Hot Rods ever built, Goodguys 2022 Meguiar’s Street Rod d’Elegance.
Andy Leach and the crew at Cal Automotive Creations built this killer ‘Cuda to be sledgehammer subtle. The entire unibody structure was removed, re-engineered and replaced to handle the torque of the Hellcat Hemi and to upgrade its suspension for wider tires and better handling. Every inch of the sheetmetal was reworked and metal finished before Charley Hutton put his finishing touch on the body and paint. The result is an executive muscle car with 707 supercharged horsepower and tons of style.
Engine: Mopar 6.2 Hellcat, supercharged
Photo credit: Not Stock Photography
Built by Don Hotop – 2006 Chopper Guys FXR frame. S&S 96” Evo motor. 6 speed Baker transmission. It was built for Fred Fox, Chairman of the board of Lehman Corp., which is the company that owns Drag Specialties. It was presented to him in 2006 at the Cleveland Drag Specialties Show as a surprise from the employees at Drag Specialties. He rode it for about 100 miles and decided it was too nice, and had it put in the showroom. It eventually made its way to their back warehouse, where it stayed there for 14 years until I bought it Last October. The bike didn’t run for 12 years. I went through the whole bike and got it running. It runs great and is a blast to ride. One of my favorites in my collection. (Don Hotop passed away from cancer on Feb 22, 2021).
Engine: 103 cu. In. Dave Mackie Engineering
Exhaust: D&D Exhaust
Wheels: Platinum Cycleworks/Rampage Wheels
Front: 26” x 3.5” Chrome 5 Spoke Mirage
Rear: 17” x 6.25” Chrome 5 Spoke Mirage
Brakes: Performance Machine
Paint: Paint and Ghost Stripes by “Styles”
Frame: Frame rake by Kool Metal 40 degree
Floor Boards: Tribal floor boards by Kool Metal
Bags, Mirrors, Tank: RWD Russ Wernimont Designs
Dash, Fenders, Lower: RWD Russ Wernimont Designs
Fork Covers: RWD Russ Wernimont Designs
Handle Bars, Gauge Sun: Dirty Bird Concepts
Shade: Dirty Bird Concepts
Rear Air Ride: Exotic Air
Seat/Upholstery: Danny Gray
This bike was inspired by a great friend’s FXRT build. Yes, it would have been much easier to find an FXR to build but why do it the easy way. I had this old 1990 Softail that needed some attention so why not start there. I stripped it to a bare frame and then raked and stretched the backbone 4 inches to have the forward down tubes close to the same angle as the engine jugs. The rake was set so I was able to install 39mm dual Brembo braking forks on custom trees to roll a laced up 23” wheel tire combination. Next, I removed the Softail rear suspension and modified a Road King swing arm to fit. I then added bracing and installed outboard mounted air shocks. I then added an electric center stand that again had to be custom made. Next was oil bag relocation. I made a new bag that fits under the frame where the Softail shocks use to call home. This then allowed for a location for electronics, compressor and other items to be under the seat.
The body was staying with the FXRT inspiration and I used an FXRTD fairing. Custom mounts were made to hold it in a lowered position to flow with the custom stretched chopper gas tank. A one-off set of handlebars were then added. A one off custom seat was made and the upholstery was matched to my signature fairing dashboard. The front fender is a steel unit that was modified to have the one-off style this bike has throughout. Out back, an FXR rear fender was made to fit as well as FXRT saddlebags with all custom mounts. Throughout the bike there are subtle custom touches if you look close enough. Every part on this bike was modified in some way to make everything flow together and be sexy and functional.
Performance is from an 88ci Evo engine with lots of S&S goodies and gobs of power pushing this bike well over the speed limit on long rides. Adding a 6-speed transmission gives this bike longer legs and I couldn’t leave the primary stock so, I added a BDL belt drive inside the customized cover. A Trask pipe carries the spent gasses out back.
This bike once completed made the annual ride with several friends from Phoenix riding thru Arizona, Utah, Colorado, Wyoming and ending in Sturgis South Dakota. Building a bike like this is one thing but to ride it with friends on long journeys is the reward for all the work.
Photo credit: Michael Lichter Photography
Frame: Daytech Pro Street Rigid
Motor: S&S 124 640
Transmission: Baker 6 Speed
Primary: Cyclevisions 3” Open
Hand Controls: Performance Machine
Foot Controls: Performance Machine
Brakes: Performance Machine
Frontend: Pro One
Rims: Ride Wright 60 Classic
21 – Front 18 – Rear
Exhaust: One Off
Tins: One Offs
Karl Ardo approached his friend Josh Wonderman with his idea of turning an ugly duckling of a frame into a gorgeous, but mean looking, drag bike. Karl and Josh both artists, metal fabricators, motorcycle, and hot rod builders, saw the potential in blending a Triumph OIF (oil in frame) frame with a Triumph Pre-Unit engine and transmission to create a drag bike. With the idea now floating around in the universe, Karl was lucky enough to come across a slightly modified 1973 OIF which already had a 2” extended hard tail and a raked neck that his friend John Keane gave him. The idea soon became reality! The men quickly combined their creative efforts into producing this stunning drag bike. The 1973 frame houses a 1959 pre-unit with a Fairbanks magneto and Monobloc carbs. Linked to it is a Triumph slick-shift transmission guided by a Betor 32mm front end. The custom-built Sun rims hold a Greeves front hub with a 2.50×18 Heidenau front tire. A M&H 4/26.6×18 slick sits in the rear and the heavily modified (OIF) with many custom touches has found its way into existence. Maybe one day it will see sticky asphalt but for now the men have no desire to race it; they just like looking at it.
Photo credit: Tony Colombini, Blacktop Media Network
This is a very special bike. The bike was bought from the Sacramento Police department in 1988 by Arlen Ness. The bike would be built into a full-blown custom with all one-off hand-machined parts. The world debut in Daytona in 1990 where it won the show. In early 1992 the was sold to one of Arlen’s friends and would be sold again in 1993. From 1993 to 2021 the bike would seemingly disappear. In early 2021 its current owner found the bike in the back of a warehouse in a state of disarray, it had been under a tarp in the back of the warehouse since 1993. The current owner was able to purchase the bike with all the necessary provenance to authenticate the motorcycle. The bike was disassembled and restored by hand with only hand-polishing over a 5-month period.
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