I just want to send a plug out for Mick and his Traditional Custom Show. If you haven’t ever been, you really should give it a try. It’s not Southern California, but it is in the center of the US and easy to get to. Folks are always talking about how they wished there were more custom car events, but this one flys under the radar. He usually has it in September every year. It’s a low key show and I would love to see it grow…(well sort of). Anytime something cool catches on, it’s the kiss of death, so you better get in before all the hipsters hear about it. @straykat has been answering all my stupid newbie custom questions, without making feel like I should already know about it. Support your local Stray Kat and come to Dewey for a really great show. You’ll be glad you did! It’s already happened this year, but plan on being here in 2022! @Moriarity, I expect to see your old, retired self down here in September with one of those cool kustoms.
You meet a lot of great folks at the Lead Ain't Dead. Alternate ***le: I've never seen gasoline run off a driveshaft before! Russ
If Mick is putting it on, it's worth attending. Quality people, quality cars and always several lifetimes worth of Kustom knowledge and experience in attendance. Perfect place to see how it's done and pick the brains of those who have done it.
I would love to see it turn into deal similar to the CUstom Car Revival. They way, we would have 2 great shows centrally located.
Thanks Roothawg for the plug, I really appreciate the kind words. The last few years I've been concerned about the Kustom hobby. A handful of us had a kool idea and tried talking to some Kustoms Legends about new life/new kustom show with in our hobby. We were quickly shot down because we were told that kustoms were dead and we were the last wave. Once our generation was over (I'm 58 years old) kustoms will slowly fade away. We strongly disagreed with their comment, but out of respect we just walked away. Is the comment, we are the last wave correct? It really got me to thinking. They're very few Kustoms only shows in the country. One of the shows that I attend is the Custom Car Revival in Indy. I enter my Merc every year and it seems like I can only make about every other one. Kevin Anderson is the guy that started the show and he is a great promoter. He can only attract 250 Kustoms to attend his event. The show is amazing and the quality of Kustoms that attend are breath taking. I've noticed over the years younger people attending and that is very encouraging. I still have to ask myself, why can Kevin only gets around 250 kustoms to attend the CCR? Is the Kustom hobby declining in popularity? Our group talked after our meeting, if we are the last wave we wanted to make a big splash. We decided to go ahead and start a Kustoms only show ourselves. This is how Lead Ain't Dead got started. We looked around the area and we decided to start it in Dewey, Ok. It wasn't the ideal place to have the show but it is working out. Our community is small so guys can drive their kustoms around town without being ran over by large city traffic. We have friends that drive up from Dallas. They tell me they put on more miles around Dewey than at home. They can drive around our area and enjoy the cruise peacefully. Having the show at our station has worked out the past four years. We are heading in the right direction. I know all of us go to car shows, walk through hundreds of cars to find the kustoms we want to look at. So having fifty plus kustoms parked all together saves us a lot of walking around. Plus it looks a lot kooler parking the kustoms all in one spot. Sorry to go on a rant but I feel like you need to know how the show got started. I appreciate all of the kind words and the support. We are looking at doing this for a long time.. Happy Trails, Mick
Mick... As I stated earlier and have mentioned many times before, "Lead Ain't Dead" and the "SK500" are two of my favorite shows. Every year I look forward to driving up and spending time with the Kats. As for the question of whether the Kustoms are dying out, I guess that I'm not the one to answer because I'm a little long in the tooth but I know that there is a lot of interest in Kustom cars around here. I see a lot of young people at the local shows and I see them at your shows and there are quite a few here so it is my opinion that it is still alive and kicking. Keep on doing what you're doing, your an amazing amb***ador to the sport, and I'll keep on attending for as long as I can...
Hey, don’t be letting out the secret about how kool this event is! Definitely one of my favorites. I pretty much only seem to travel to Dewey or Bartlesville for shows. Otherwise, I would rather just drive...
I "***embled" my first custom at age 75. The direct inspiration came from a trip to Lead Ain't Dead - 2019. Like I stated above - Lots of great folks. All the mechanical, electric and air conditioning is by me. The custom grill, frenched headlights and taillights, body repairs and paint was sent out (helped keep a friend's doors open during Covid) - I just did not have enough "lifetime" left to acquire the metal and paint skills. Russ
Thanks for the insight Mick. I appreciate the effort that goes into hosting events. I have been doing it in and off for the last 20 years. It’s a thankless job. So with that said “Thank You!” I am just getting started in the custom deal, as you know. I have been building hot rods my whole life and I sort of feel like I did when I was 12, just getting started on my first hot rod. Excited, anxious and eager for knowledge. I would love to spend more time talking to the old guys that have been building customs forever. Thanks for the effort, it doesn’t go unnoticed!
Long live the Sleds...It's been a tough haul for a couple years now for all facets of Hotrod/Custom and the dust still hasn't settled...but I'm hoping things are beginning to normalize but challenges still exist...as noted. May nothing but success come from the upcoming events...
Turning 52 shortly. A great time to grow up watching the resurrection of the Custom Car with the starting of KKOA in the early 80`s. The appearance of customs in magazines was also taking place. Affoarding a car with custom touches and eventually attending an event with a car. There are more events catering to customs than there has ever been since the mid 90`s. With more younger people than ever. If a custom show exists, try to attend. This is how to keep the flame burning.
A heads-up for the west coast guys, the 40th West Coast Kustoms Cruisin' Nationals is in Santa Maria, CA later this month Oct. 22, 23, 24. It was postponed 3 times due to Covid, but will be held the year, months later than normal (Memorial Day weekend). It is my favorite car event.
If kustoms are dying, I'm going down with the ship. But, I suspect there are at least a few younger than us that will continue on after us....and likely get screaming deals on the piles of kustoms we leave behind for them. LOL
Hey I’m 36 and I love kustoms and always will! This is my 51 Mercury that I try and take out all the time to keep the sled torch burning. I had it CCR this year as well as James Dean, Ducktail, and will have it at the Roc this weekend! I will try and get Lead ain’t Dead on the list for next year as it looks like a great show! LONG LIVE KUSTOMS Dave
Look forward to seeing you this weekend at the Gathering. I hate to say this but I was was pleasantly surprised to meet you at Indy. I was expecting some one a lot older. Lol! Very encouraging to see young kustom owners with good taste. Your Merc was a Kustoms that we will always remember from this years CCR show. We really couldn't explain why, its just right... Enjoy the drive down.
The Jalopy Journal
