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What do you get when you combine some of the coolest kustoms and traditional hot rods in Southern California, rally its busiest cars clubs always pushing their builds to the limit, soulful rockabilly acts, and flocks of beautiful pinups? Well that can only mean one thing, Bo Huff Rockabilly Extravaganza must be in town. Held annually in Riverside, California on the Saturday following Thanksgiving, this car show provides the perfect dessert to top off Thanksgiving weekend for area gear heads.
Rod Authority was back for a follow up year of coverage and this time around we focused on spotlighting three rides and their owners to give our readers a taste of the sort of rides that show up at the “Lollapalooza of Rockabilly.”
Make no mistake, this event is more than just a car show, focusing on the eclectic variety of industries that comprise kustom kulture–Stay Gold barbershop was on hand keeping gentlemen looking clean by providing fresh haircuts and straight razor shaves all to the tune of live rockabilly acts. Pinstripers were on hand offering up their skills in order to beautify car owners’ rides with one-off works of spontaneous art. The tattoo terminal was bustling with a lineup of artists who were ready to compliment the automotive art and provide their services for anyone looking to add a new tattoo to their collection.
Needless to say, kustom kulture shows are rooted in, not only in the cars, but the lifestyle as a whole. What exactly is kustom kulture lifestyle? Well, it’s a relative term of course, but whatever your perception of the cultural trend is, you can rest assured that Bo Huff’s show is a beacon that serves to preserve all that is fast, hip, and cool.
The show’s festivities kicked off with Danny Dean & The Dragerton Beat and Minor Strut entertaining the crowd with rock ’n roll tunes. Following the opening acts, the pompadour contest and pinup pageant had the crowd hooting and hollering for their favorite picks amongst the lineup of dapper men and jaw-dropping women. For a full list of the bands that performed and pinup models that competed be sure to check out the event website.
The show’s vendor midway provided a rich mix of hair care products, vintage dresses, Pendleton coats, and gear head-inspired artwork. The Dead Sleds Car Club, of which Bo Huff is a member, was on hand slinging “support” merchandise in their own retail booth as well.
We couldn’t overlook the amount of vehicles that were in attendance. This year saw a nice increase compared to last year’s event in our opinion. Attendants were seen flooding in through the gates well into the later hours of the show and while a lot of car owners started packing up and heading out on the open road by sundown, many stayed into the night to enjoy the beer garden and closing act, Mad Max & The Wild Ones.
Below are three vehicles and their owners that we got the lowdown on from this year’s Bo Huff Rockabilly Extravaganza. Check out the interviews and closeup shots we got of these three stylish rides. Be sure to comment at the end of the article telling us which one you dig the most.
Rod Authority Closeups From Bo Huff Rockabilly Extravaganza
Pat Lopez’s 1953 Cadillac Two-Door Hardtop
Pat Lopez brought out his gorgeous ’53 Caddy from the coastal city of San Pedro, California. This 50s-period kustom is a classy example of why Cadillacs were the king of the road during the golden age of American automobile manufacturing.
“I picked up the car off eBay about nine years ago, now,” Pat told us. He continued, “I drove it around for the first two years just primered, but then I took it to Keith Dean of South End Kustoms in Hemet, California. He handled everything on the body–from the chop to the front end and back. He did some amazing work to turn this car into what it is today.”
The interior features atomic print upholstery that compliments the Dark Pine paint job. The inside of the car was brought back to life by Pat’s buddy, Joel, out of Riverside, California.
“We removed the teeth from the grille and the headlights were replaced with ’56 Oldsmobile bezels. The trunk was pancaked to give the body line a more aggressive and sleek look. The Caddy was chopped three and a half inches, and the taillights are the original ’53 taillights, but the bottom half of the light has been cut off.” Pat’s Caddy is still powered by the original drivetrain. It was updated with air suspension and a four link in the rear.
In closing, we asked Pat what was next on his project checklist, “I like the 50s kustoms. I told Keith I wanted this Caddy to look like it just came out of the 50s, but full kustom. Next thing I know, it comes out looking like this so I’ve got to thank him for that one. Next up, I’m looking to build a ’39 or ’40 Cadillac.”
Brian Baxendale of Bushwhackers CC’s 1954 Buick Roadmaster
Brian Baxendale is a veteran in the kustom car scene, we caught up with him and his ominous looking ’54 Buick Roadmaster for some details on the car.
“I’m out of Victorville, California and am a member of the Bushwackers Car Club,” Brian told us. He’s been building kustoms since the 60s, right around the same time as some of the scene’s legendary greats. Being part of that first-wave of kustomizers, it was an honest pleasure getting to interview Brian.
Focusing our attention on his ’54 we got some background on the car, “The last owner was about to take it to the crusher and have it scrapped. I took a look at it and saw potential so I traded labor for the car. All I had was the body when I got it. The car was already chopped, but I had to chop it again because it was crooked. I did all the paint and body out of my two-car garage–from raising the fenders to the louvre work.”
The roofline of this Buick is sinister, and it wasn’t the first time we caught site of Brian’s ’54. It had actually dropped our jaws at the 2013 Ventura Nationals. It wasn’t until running into Brian at Bo Huff’s show that we got to finally touch base.
“Oh yeah, I love kustoms, it’s the way to go. I’ve always loved adding kustomizations to big body cars,” Brian remarked.
The Roadmaster is chopped four and three-quarter inches and features frenched lakester pipes, cruiser skirts, frenched ’59 Caddy taillights, working spotlights, rear air bag suspension, Corvette front suspension, a 454 ci/TH400 transmission combo, and a Ford 9-inch with 2.70 gear ratio.
After getting some details on Brian’s ’54 we asked him about his perception of the younger guys preserving kustom tradition, “Right now I’m working with a young guy. He’s in his 30s and I’m helping him chop his car. He’s got a Ford shoebox. We’re putting a carson top on it and giving the car satin black paint.”
Brian continued, “The younger guys are starting to see the potential of these older cars, instead of a brand new Honda going down the road. If it wasn’t for the younger guys man–them learning from the older guys, they’re going to carry it on.”
Next on Brian’s project checklist is a Ford that’s getting just as mean a dose of kustom as his Buick, “I’m building a ’53 Ford two-door sedan right now. It’s chopped seven inches, will have satin white paint with green pearl.” We can’t wait to check out Brian’s new project once it’s all finished.
Steve Padilla’s 1951 Ford Shoebox
The last kustom that we spotlighted was no less of a show-stopper. Steve Padilla of Chula Vista, California brought out his pristine ’51 Ford Shoebox to Bo Huff this year.
“I found this car about four years ago on Craigslist. It was owned by a young kid that had gotten his girlfriend pregnant so he had to sell it off for the money. The kid had previously bought it from a guy who had the car sitting in a garage for over 20 years,” Steve explained.
“It was all stock and in great condition–the interior, flathead, trim, and moulding were all there. It had one repaint when I got it, and as soon as I got it back home I took it to my friend’s shop.”
The ’51 has a Camaro clip in the front and a 350 ci SBC both of which were pulled from a ’78 donor Camaro that Steve Padilla had purchased. The frame has been c-notched and this beautiful blue kustom has four-way air suspension. Shaved door handles, deck lid, and trunk all add to the car’s smoothness, literally and figuratively.
Steve went into detail about the chop on his car, “A member of the Lords car club chopped my ’51. He took five inches from the front and seven in the back. The back window was pushed up 12-inches from the catwalk to give it that elongated sled look. The b-pillars are slanted to also add to the streamlined feel.”
All in all the build took Steve just shy over three years, “The chop took the longest, it was about three months, but the guy was doing it on the side and only on the weekends.”
Steve built the backseat because the original was too tall for the new roof height. He also did the door panels himself. Pinstriping was done by Frank Sanchez out of San Diego, California.
In closing, Steve wanted to give his thanks and also told us about the next project he has planned, “Shoutout to my buddy Chris Hernandez, he’s the guy that laid down the paint for me. This car has been painted three times. The color just wasn’t right the first few times so he came down and nailed it. Next I’m looking to do a ’36 to ’38 Chevy Coupe cruiser. No chop on it or anything just a cool little cruiser. These kustoms are fun, but sometimes they can be a chore to drive long distances with all the blind spots.”
Be sure to check out the full gallery of kustoms, hot rods, and bombs that made it out to this year’s Bo Huff Rockabilly Extravaganza. Don’t forget to tell us which ride you like the most in the comments section below.
