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History of the Grand National Roadster Show…1970s

Now called the Grand National Roadster Show, it is the oldest hot rod car show in the world. This time let’s take a look at the psychedelic period of the 1970s, and the transition to some degree of normalcy during the 1980s. In 1973, the Roadster Show was put up for sale. Al and Mary Slonaker decided to retire to Arizona due to Al’s health issues. A trio of new show owners brought in the International Show Car Association, which caused the proverbial NorCal show car diehards to wonder what was going to happen to their beloved GNRS. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves.

Into the 1970s the Roadster Show continued to grow. The quality of the vehicles, both show cars and street rods, also improved dramatically. The Slonakers, with the help of Bob and Rosemary Accosta, were able to attract and personally invite only the best vehicles. They spent the six months prior to the Roadster Shows yearly February opening scouring the other West Coast shows and rod runs looking for quality vehicles for the GNRS. That combination, along with a variety of daily-driver style hot rods and roadsters, kept the shows roots visible while showcasing the latest in creative custom show cars.

The year was 1964. A young street rodder from South San Francisco had an idea: sell an affordable Ford T-roadster in kit form that could be the platform for a budget-minded, home-built street rod. While his wife Sue filled mail orders for decals and tee shirts from a small office behind Champion Speed Shop, Andy Brizio and his buddy Pete Ogden began modifying the Dragmaster T-bucket chassis (Andy was a Dragmaster dealer) to create the Instant T. The kit sold for $595 and you could buy everything else needed to build an Instant T out of the Champion catalog, after Andy and engine builder Cub Barnett bought Champion from Jim McLennan. Did you ever wonder why so many of the first Andy’s Instant T cars had small-block Chevrolet engines with blowers? Credit that also to Cub Barnett.

In 1968, Andy entered Instant T number one in the Grand National Roadster Show to compete for the AMBR award. Originally dressed in purple metalflake it now sported a bright red livery. He didn’t win. Close friend and master painter Art Himsl told Andy, “Your car is too plain”. The red paint with pinstriping by Tommy the Greek covered a very nice, very drivable and very detailed street roadster that really didn’t stand out in a crowd. That began a two-year rebuild that would totally transform the look of the T roadster, and set the car show crowd in its proverbial ear.

The summer of 1967 brought nearly 100,000 outsiders, activists, and dreamers to San Francisco. These young people traveled from far and wide to join a community of artists, musicians and poets who would influence popular culture through music and art. They protested war with peace and love; and ushered in an era of greater connectivity. This gathering became known as the Summer of Love.

So what has this gathering of hippies and young protestors got to do with the Roadster Show? The Summer of Love in San Francisco was an event that spurned a cultural movement that would have a worldwide influence on young people. Many custom car owners and builders seized some of the hippie glamour or psychedelic vibe. One definition of the word psychedelic actually hits home in the custom car world. It reads, ‘denoting or having an intense, vivid color or a swirling abstract pattern. synonyms: colorful, chromatic, multicolored, vivid, abstract’. Paint jobs on hot rods and vans became more psychedelic with wild graphics including murals and outrageous colors. Suddenly custom painters had a new palette of ideas from which to draw inspiration.

Evidently, the 1970 GNRS judges were also impressed with the new radical psychedelic look of the Brizio roadster. It was awarded the AMBR award in 1970. Extreme detailing, hidden wiring, a 4-71 blown and chromed small-block, all complemented with an outrageous 27 color, multi-ribbon Himsl paint job that blew everyone away. Credit for the design of the paint job was shared by Art Himsl and his wife Ellen.

The year 1972 began a transition period for the Roadster Show. Twenty-plus years had taken a toll on Al Slonakers’ health and the decision was made to sell the show. Midwest show promoter and well-known custom car builder Darryl Starbird flew to Scottsdale to meet with the Slonakers. In a recent discussion with this writer, Starbird remembered, “The terms and the price were agreed upon by both parties; before Al told me he needed the entire purchase price up front. I was doing 12 other shows in various parts of the country so start-up money was tight. I then contacted friend and street rodder Bill Roach, who owned the Budget Rent-A-Car franchise in Oakland. Bill told me that he would invest but only as a silent partner.”

A second meeting with the Slonakers resulted in Al throwing Darryl yet another curve ball. “Al insisted that the new owner or one of the new owners be a show promoter from Northern California. Slonaker suggested that I contact Harold Bagdasarian, producer of the Sacramento Autorama.”said Darryl. Harold Bagdasarian, or Baggie as he was known to the NorCal car community, agreed to be the third partner but he had no time to be other than a silent one. He told Starbird that he was devoting full time to his lighting business. After a short time, Bagdasarian surprised Darryl when he suddenly sold his lighting business and told Starbird he was now a working partner. Darryl added, “Baggie was a very vocal working partner. Roach then became a referee, a position he was not comfortable with.”

“After a year, Bill (Roach) sold out his share, half to me and half to Baggie”. The next 14 years were not easy on either of the partners. Starbird wanted to expand the show to include the main arena floor of the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum, as well as adding live entertainment, more cars, celebrities and a new judging system (more on this later). This formula had worked very well for Starbird in the Midwest. Baggie was not totally sold on some of the ideas.

Darryl continues, “On the advice of my lawyer, I attempted to sell my half of the show to Baggie, at a fair price while knowing that he could not meet my price”. Don Tognotti, a local Sacramento speed shop owner and friend of Bagdasarian, entered the picture. “Tognotti bought my half of the show at the price that I quoted to Baggie, and I was out. I loved the show and was very sad that it worked out the way it did.” To this day, Darryl Starbird, at the young age of 84, and his wife Donna still produce very successful annual car shows in the Midwest.

After celebrating its 25th anniversary in 1973, the 1974 Grand National Roadster show opened its doors with new owners, new judging rules and a lot of controversy. The International Show Car Association, or I.S.C.A, was formed in 1963 to act as the sanctioning body for the competition at custom car and hot rod shows, while actually not producing any of the indoor shows itself. Its purpose was to oversee the competition at each event, supervise the judging staff, keep track of exhibitor points, and manage the Show Car series championship.

Today, I.S.C.A.-sanctioned events are produced throughout the United States, from coast to coast, and in parts of Canada. With over 350 classifications, the competition covers just about any type of vehicle including: hot rods, customs, trucks, street machines/competition cars, sports cars, sport compacts, bikes and restored vehicles.

So how did this new association with a nationwide governing body affect the Grand National Roadster Show? In the February 1974 issue of Rod Action magazine, this writer and RA Editor, the late LeRoi “Tex” Smith, broached the subject of the new Grand National Roadster Show. Since one of the shows’ new owners was Darryl Starbird, whose Midwest shows were already part of the I.S.C.A. family, bringing the GNRS into the mix seemed only natural. This did not sit well with the NorCal show community. For example, the new rules classified roadster pickups as roadsters, but touring cars were not roadsters. There were many more classes in the I.S.C.A’s program which made it difficult for many show entrants to find the right fit for their entry. Accusations of empty engine blocks, questionable driveability and a mantra of if it don’t go, chrome it abounded. The GNRS had a history of being a showcase for NorCal builders to display new ideas and innovation in street driven custom vehicles. Receiving judging points for the amount of chrome on a car drew the ire of many West Coast rodders.

So what has happened since the GNRS became an I.S.C.A. show? This writer has been a GNRS regular since 1962, missing only a couple of shows during the 1980s. As with any significant annual event/competition, changes are inevitable, both good and bad. The GNRS has had its share of highs and lows. More significant is the fact that it has survived. Like street rodding it is not always about the cars. It is about the people, from the folks that buy tickets every year, to builders that select the GNRS to debut their latest creations. And speaking of creations the 1970s also had its share of wild, radical and totally outlandish show only machines.

So when did all of these show-only machines start to appear on the car show scene? As described by Pat Ganahl in his beautiful 2001 hard-cover book, The American Custom Car, Dan Woods Milk Truck was probably the first of these vehicles. Built in Woods home garage, the truck was inspired by a model car kit and meant to be driven regularly. In reality the truck was later traded for a T-bucket roadster and swallowed up by the show car scene.

The silliness of these cars continued through the 1970s, with vehicle names like the Sex Machine, the Barber Shop Car, built by Joe Bailon, the Turnpike Hauler, the Futurista 3-wheeler, the Fire Bug VW and the Coke Machine. Many of these vehicles were, and still are, contracted and toured by California Show Cars, a company started by Jay Ohrberg and Bob Reisner. Cars like the Munster Coach and Dragula, both from The Munsters TV show, were toured by George Barris. In all cases these vehicles added a special bonus to the rod shows in which they appeared, which in no doubt helped the promoters gate receipts.

And finally, let’s take a moment to talk about those vehicles that the GNRS was named for. During the 1950s and 1960s, those in the hot rod show circles could not stop talking about Al Slonakers monster nine-foot trophy awarded to Americas Most Beautiful Roadster. From the crowning of the first AMBR in 1950, a baby blue track roadster owned by William Niekamp, to the award-winning stylized T-roadster of San Jose’s Joe Wilhelm in 1968, the AMBR winners from the first two decades of the National Roadster Show were mostly practical, street driven examples of the hot rod roadster hobby. There were exceptions of course, like Bob Reisner’s twin-engine Invader and Tex Smith’s futuristic XR-6.

The 1970s AMBR winners continued the drive-em theme, headed by Andy Brizio driving his AMBR winning roadster from the show floor some 2,000 miles to Peoria, Illinois, for the inaugural NSRA Street Rod Nationals. The first touring cars to win the AMBR also helped drive home the build them and drive them theme, Jim Vassers 1914 Ford Model T Phaeton in 1974 and Bob Sbarbaros 1923 T Phaeton. The 1970s also saw the third roadster win the AMBR twice, in the form of Lonnie Gilbertsons 1923 Ford roadster pickup from Oregon. Gilbertson won in 1971 and returned in 1975 to win again, after a complete update including a new paint job with Oregon themed murals.

The 1970’s came to a close. The return of the contemporary street roadster made the diehards happy. The GNRS management surprised many with an influx of custom boats, vans and motorcycles on the show floor. Where did boats and motorcycles come from? The fact is that Bagdasarian and Starbird had negotiated more floor space in the Coliseum complex, including the main arena and the arenas upper concourse. This almost doubled the floor space of the original garage floor plus added gobs of natural window light.

As reflected by writer Andy Southard, Jr, in his book, The Oakland Roadster Show, the 1980s became The Renaissance Years at the GNRS. Thanks to builders like Joe Bailon, John D’Agostino and Richard Zocchi, street customs began making a comeback, reviving the appeal of the 1940s lead sled by introducing a modern vibe. Street customs led the way with changes to the Detroit models that made diehard custom guys say, why didn’t Detroit do that. Bumpers got sliced and tucked in close to the body. Richard Zocchi was an innovator in areas like flared rocker panels. John D’Agostino even took the roof of a ’56 Lincoln Premier and chopped it 5 inches in the front and seven inches at the rear. It honestly looked like he took a roof off of another car and mounted it backwards on the Lincoln. Wild. Street customs were on their way back.

When it came to street rods, and roadsters in particular, the Renaissance roared into the 1980s with a series on meticulously hand fabricated pieces of rolling automotive art. John Corno of Portland, Oregon, returned from his 1972 rear engine AMBR winner to win a second time with a 1928 hiboy roadster fabricated by metal craftsmen Steve Davis and John Buttera. In 1981, Don Thelan built Fresnos John Siroonian another AMBR hiboy, this car powered by a supercharged Gurney-Westlake. These two cars set the bar for the decade to come, with the emergence of new young builders like Boyd Coddington, Chuck Lombardo, Ron Covell, Roy Brizio and Ermie Immerso. Words like ultra-detail and smooth metalwork became the norm. And they all had to run. The spirit of the roaring roadsters had returned to the GNRS in spades. SRM

(Editor’s Note: A big thank you to Darryl and Donna Starbird, Rudy Perez, Hot Rod Magazine, Andy Southard, Jr, Pat Ganahl, Rod Powell, Tom Cutino and Andy and Sue Brizio for their help with the details of this important piece of hot rod history.)

Danny Eichstedt named his 1915 Ford T Roadster Leg Show. Features included a radically modified Ford Model T roadster body painted Candy Red, a 327 Chevrolet backed by a 4-speed tranny and liberal chrome and brass plating. The interior was done in gray mohair.

Lonnie Gilbertson rolled into the Roadster Show from Portland, Oregon, with his very red 1923 Ford Model T Roadster. The car featured a 327 Chevy updated with Moon intake manifold and four Weber 48 IDA carbs. Gilbertson fabricated a set of headers that terminated just in front of the rear wheels. A ’66 Jaguar XKE contributed the rearend set-up. Lonnie credited his brother Gary, with putting in many, many hours on this car, the 22nd car to carry the title of The Worlds Most Beautiful Roadster.

Richard Graves 1926 Ford Touring featured a 289 Ford Cobra engine and Jaguar independent suspension. The paint was black lacquer accented with a brown leather interior and liberal amounts of chrome.

GNRS Hall of Famer Allen Taylor’s 1957 Buick Hardtop was a frequent entry in the Roadster Show during the 1970s, as well as a reliable street runner. Body mods included flared wheel wells, a Corvette Stingray hood and was painted in shades of Candy Blue with extensive striping and flames. Engine was a 401 Buick.

Sacramento metal master Dave Miglietto modified this 1967 Ford Thunderbird to make it almost unrecognizable. Chopped, flared, molded, de-chromed; it doesn’t get much better. I wonder what Henry would think?

Russ Meeks of Portland, Oregon, took an otherwise docile 1930 Ford Model A Roadster and sat it on an Oldsmobile Toronado drivetrain for owner John Corno. Handmade four-wheel independent suspension was added to the custom chassis. The wire wheels were full custom. The paint was Candy Burnt Sugar with Candy Maroon fenders. This car won the AMBR in 1972.

George Ball displayed his semi-custom 1956 Chevrolet Bel-Air in the 1973 show. The 292 Chevy engine was backed by a four-speed tranny. The interior was pearl white naugahyde. This car was typical of the street cruisers of the day, and even today is very timeless in its execution. Meet you at Mel’s at 5?

Another Sacramento car in the 1972 show was this 1923 Ford Model T Touring shown by Al and Jodie Lindstrom. Power came from a 289 Ford. The running boards and many chassis components were chromed. That red button tufted upholstery really stood out against the pearl white paint.

The second touring car built from an Andy’s Instant T Kit was entered by Bob Epperson. Bob worked at Steve Archer’s fiberglass works and built the body, fenders and the blower scoop in his spare time. The craftsmanship and detailing was impressive as the car finished a close second for the AMBR, and hence won the Hot Rod d’Elegance award, to the John Corno/Russ Meeks rear-engine Model A. Bob still owns the car and has plans to restore it.

Also entered in the 1972 show was this very clean 1932 Ford coupe owned by Robert Folk. The top was chopped three inches. The blown 327 Chevrolet engine was backed by a four-speed tranny hooked to an Olds rearend. Paint was yellow lacquer.

Unusual for the early 1970s time period was this black non-Ford 1932 Plymouth Coupe entered by upholsterer Roger Cevallos (Ford coupes were still affordable and somewhat plentiful back then). The gold velvet interior was accented with gold leaf striping and black running boards. The chassis had many chromed components as did the Chrysler Hemi engine with multiple carbs.

The AMBR for 1973 was this 1923 Ford T roadster entered by Chuck Corsello. The fiberglass Ford Model T body was channeled over the rectangular framerail then painted in Candy Red with multiple colors blended in. The Corvette engine sported a rare polished Rochester fuel injection unit. The Jag rearend and most everything else on the chassis was also polished or chromed. This win for Chuck’s T signaled a return to street driven roadsters that could also hold their own at a major rod show.

The 1978 AMBR winner was Phil Cool’s 1932 Ford roadster. Cool took a nice Deuce roadster, put a dual-quad, GMC-blown big block Chevy in it, and 15 by 4.5 and 16 by 11 inch polished Halibrand magnesium wheels. Tires were Goodyear Frontrunners up front and monster Goodyear slicks out back. The engine was detailed with Moon valve covers and breathers. Other details were chrome door hinges, chrome split wishbones front and back, and a black roadster top.

Bob Reed wanted some rolling advertisement for his Downey, California butcher shop, so he and Dan Woods came up with this 1909 Ford C-cab. The bright yellow truck with wire wheels and Jag suspension drew more than its share of attention. The engine was a 302 Ford. The steel fenders were handmade, the interior was red oak and the upholstery was black diamond-tufted Naugahyde.

Bill Mendoza’s 1928 Ford Phaeton was looking good. Bill’s red ride was and is still street driven regularly; he still owns the car. Powered by a Ford 289, the car features full-chromed Jag suspension. The interior is brown Naugahyde. Red lacquer paint is accented with gold striping.

Bruce Olson chopped and channeled his 1932 Ford 5-window coupe, then stuffed a 392 Chrysler hemi under the partial hood. Bruce bought the coupe from the original owner in 1954 for $40. He drove it many miles, including multiple trips to Bonneville, before his untimely passing in 1990. His son Todd is now the caretaker of this very special little Deuce coupe.

Jim Vasser’s 1914 Ford Model T touring won the AMBR in 1974. An Andy’s Instant T chassis was modified by Denny Craig, who also added a Super Bell front axle, a Jag independent rearend and Airheart disc brakes. Steve Archer built the fully functional fiberglass four-door body and added steel fenders, splash aprons and running boards. The trunk on the back is a 17 gallon gas tank.

John D’Agostino and Art Himsl added their custom touches to this 1972 Buick Riviera before setting it on display in 1974. The Candy Red paint was accented with gold and silver panels, after the body was devoided of chrome trim and emblems. The headlights and taillights were frenched. The car was a very tasteful street custom that showed equally well.

The very well-traveled Ron Courtney X-51 Ford coupe was owned in 1974 by John Corno of Portland. Begun in 1954, Courtney sectioned the car 5 inches, added rear fins and radiused wheel wells and a radical frontend treatment. Corno found the car in the early 1970s, in a sad state of repair. He restored it for the 1974 Roadster Show. Bob Page bought the car in 1986 and restored it a second time. Page’s widow Rene still owns the car and it is for sale.

Many readers may recognize this 1940 Ford Sedan originally built by Dave Cunningham of San Francisco. Two trips to Barris Custom in the 1950s resulted in a 10 inch body channel, raised fenders and aluminum wheel well cutaways. The car then disappeared until Bill Roach found it in 1971. Roach restored it to the level you see here, then sold it to Pete Ernani, who in turn sold it to Dick Falk. Its last known location was somewhere in SoCal after being sold at Barrett-Jackson in 2005.

Another Roadster Show entry from Tom Prufer was this track inspired 1923 Ford T roadster. Pete Ogden, Rod Powell and Andy Southard, Jr. made major contributions to this Rod & Custom magazine project car, one of 26 cars Tom has entered in the Roadster Show since 1958. Power came from a Mercury Capri V-6 engine.

Dick Falk entered the 1974 Roadster Show with the restored Dick Williams 1927 Ford T Roadster that won the AMBR in 1953. The color is a deep maroon. In 1975 the car was painted again in Candy Red by Dick Falk. The last known whereabouts of the car was in the Blackie Gejeian collection in Fresno.

Considered by some as the vehicle that started the parade of Silly Show Vehicles was Dan Woods Milk Truck, built in 1965 by a teenage Dan in his home garage, with inspiration from a model kit. A sweepstakes win at his first show got him a job working for Big Daddy Ed Roth. The truck was restored by Dave Shuten and is now in the Galpin Auto Collection.

John D’Agostino was new on the custom scene in 1970 showing his mild custom 1970 Grand Prix. After mild dechroming and lowering Art Himsl sprayed the showroom-fresh Pontiac in shades of Candy Gold.

Another fine example of the return of the street custom was this chopped 1950 Mercury Coupe built by Rod Powell and Butch Hurley, and owned by Curly Tremayne. The car and its near perfect top chop was the subject of an extensive Rod & Custom magazine article. The Mercury was recently restored by Brandon Glymph for new owner Frank Morawski.

Bob Reisner’s Invader twin-engine roadster was both an outlandish show car and a two-time AMBR winner in 1967 and 1968. And the car is fully functional.

The indoor show floor at the Oakland –Alameda Coliseum also incorporated the basketball and concert arena. This space provided an outstanding space to display all roadsters, sans a few commercial booths. The natural light from the upper level windows really enhanced the true colors of the entries.

This first generation Camaro drag car carried its psychedelic paint scheme to include ribbons, murals and wild striping. In the background is Ken Sylvestri’s flip-top Corvette with similar paint graphics.

Another crazy show-only vehicle was this Hard Hat Hauler built by Barris Kustom from an MPC model car kit. The Chrysler Hemi engine has three GMC blowers stacked on top of it. The basis for the body was a 1923 Ford Model T Roadster. The four-foot hard hat was formed out of aluminum.

John Siroonian had amazing success after he started Western Wheel Company in Fresno, California in the 1970’s. He then assembled an amazing collection of 1932 Ford street rods including this gorgeous Deuce Touring built by Don Thelan.

Many people will remember Ralph Garcias chopped 1940 Ford Coupe from the early cruising scene in the classic movie American Graffiti. Built by Tom Hocker and Barris Kustoms in 1953, the car was first shown at the Roadster Show in 1953, then went through several changes before appearing in the movie.

Following some success with the Andy’s Instant T kit car, Brizio built an Instant Deuce, a 1932 Ford roadster with an independent twin-dropped axle front suspension. After some experimenting with a Mazda rotary engine, Brizio settled on the familiar and reliable small-block Chevrolet.

Richard Greene’s 1914 Ford T is another great example of a NorCal driver-quality street rod could hold its own at any car show. Details include a small-block Chevrolet mated to a four-speed tranny cooled by a 1915 Ford brass radiator.

Drag racer and Brizio employee Ray Callejo went the full street rod route with this beautiful black 1914 Ford Model T C-cab, the second C-cab built at Brizio’s Instant T factory. The Steve Archer body was covered in multiple coats of black lacquer. Current owner Tom Cutino found the car in major disrepair and is almost finished with a frame-off restoration.

Here is another beautiful street roadster from Tom Prufer, this time a 1929 Ford Model A with a ’32 grille and mile-deep black paint. The engine was a 289 Ford sending power to a chromed Jag rearend. Tom has shown 26 different cars in the Roadster Show since 1958.

Did this guy own a chrome shop? Yes! Joe Ross, otherwise known in hot rod circles as Joe the Chromer, built his 1923 Ford T roadster around a very healthy Ford 427 Cammer motor. And, of course, the chrome and brass plating was used liberally. The car was a strong contender for the AMBR award in 1975.

Wayne Sasabe entered his beautiful Candy Tangerine Red ’66 Corvette. A multitude of body mods included extended and raised fenders, a stainless steel grille, ’66 Continental taillights and chromed rear suspension.

Portland, Oregon’s Lonnie Gilbertson returned to the Roadster Show with his AMBR winner from 1971 after a total rebuild. Painted in Pearl Yellow with murals of the Oregon landscape, the car had new chromed independent suspension and Zenith wire wheels. It became the third car to win the AMBR twice, and the first car to win after a total second generation rebuild.

Drag racer Bob Sbarbaro used a combination of 1966 427 Cobra parts and fabricated/machined components. The result was this beautiful 1923 Ford Model T Touring car and the 1976 AMBR award, the first touring/phaeton to win the nine-foot trophy.

Andy Brizio followed his 1970 AMBR-winning Instant T roadster with this 1914 Ford Model T C-Cab panel truck, complete with another Art Himsl ribbons and graphics top coat. The truck is now in the British Isles garage of Led Zeppelin’s John Bonham.

Walt and Debbie Anderson displayed their Chrysler-powered top fuel car. The car featured a John Shoemaker chassis with a full aluminum body.

The AMBR winner in 1977 was Jim Molino’s Candy Man. This was the third Andy’s Instant T roadster sold, to one Miles Foster. Foster wanted some changes from the first two Instant T cars produced; a torsion bar front suspension, a Corvette independent rear suspension and no pickup bed or turtle deck. After a handful of owners and many changes Jim Molino bought the car in 1975 for $1500. His crew then went full-show on the car including a Himsl Candy Red paint job. Still not satisfied, Molino blew it apart again in 1976. The results are what you see here. The car now resides in the Blackie Gejeian collection.

Another regular at the Roadster Show was Joe Cardoza with his bright orange 1929 Ford roadster pickup. This version featured a small-block Ford engine, Jag suspension and polished Halibrand wheels. Joe still owns this truck and drives it everywhere and then some. Joe is still a member of the Bay Area Roadsters, the oldest roadster-only club in Northern California. It was founded in 1959.

A ski boat in the Roadster Show? Yes, and it happened on a regular basis during the late 1970s and 1980s. Jim Cerini showed his 1971 Hondo flat bottom drag boat.

Many people credit the late Richard Zocchi for the resurgence of the true custom car in the late 1970s and early 1980s. His Cool 50 Mercury full custom was done in the usual Zocchi high quality style, and featured in the July 1978 issue of Street Rodder. Richard’s nephew found and restored the car, keeping it in the Zocchi family for the foreseeable future.

The Vending Machine mimicked two 1950s Coca-Cola red vending machines on wheels. It was built by Indiana native sons Steve Tansy and Glen Yeary. The 327 Chevrolet engine sported four four-barrel carburetors that lead to eight individual exhaust pipes. Glen still has his creation in his garage in North Carolina.

A golf cart styled and named for Sir Elton John? George Barris thought why not. Piano-key upholstery, sunglass windshields and lots of gold trim.

The late custom painter Paul McElley found a jewel in a Hayward, California backyard, when he purchased the Joe Bailon Mystery Ford in 1974. All though not painted the same colors as original, the cars restoration was true to its 1958 build. In its original Tangerine and Pearl White livery the car won the Custom d’Elegance Award in 1958, tying with Bill Carr’s 1955 Chevrolet, The Aztec. Why was it named the Mystery Ford? Other than the roof, every panel on the 1951 Victoria was modified. Many could not tell what year, make and model Joe Bailon started with, hence the mystery. The car is currently on permanent display in the Oakland Museum.

Dick Dean and George Barris added their touch to the array of weird show vehicles when they created the Fire Bug in 1978, from a wrecked Volkswagen Microbus. Many of the parts seen were created from scratch. The red fur interior had four bucket seats and a Ford Model T steering wheel. The engine was a stock 1970s VW unit.

The craziness in show only vehicles continued in 1975 with another Larry Dunn creation called Rosemary’s Baby Buggy, obviously named after the 1968 horror flick staring Mia Farrow. Built around an early 1800s English baby carriage, this beast featured a GMC blown 327 Chevrolet engine.

Another wild creation from the minds of Dan Woods and Ed Newton was the Ice Truck, shown here in 1970. This go kart looking, slammed to the ground chassis had full independent suspension, a blown Buick V6 and much chrome. It now resides in the stable of Jay Ohrberg at California Show Cars.

Bob Cecchini took a very pedestrian Honda motorcycle and built The American Express show bike. Motorcycles were a very popular addition to the variety of vehicles displayed during the 1960s and 1970s.

Gerald Richard entered his Barry Mini T dune buggy in 1972, an example of how the variety of vehicles was expanding as Starbird and Bagdasarian worked to fill the huge inner sanctums of the Oakland-Alameda Coliseum.

Another vehicle that emulated car show silliness of the 1960s was the Austin Mini Cooper built by Larry Dunn. The Pooh’s Palace featured a teakwood cab on an Austin Mini Cooper chassis, a plastic dome roof and a red fur interior.

Jay Ohrberg and Bob Reisner hit the show circuit with the Turnpike Hauler, a wild futuristic show tow truck that was amazingly fully functional. It was later repainted red and named the Red Foxx Wrecker. Word has it that the truck now resides in the lobby of a large trucking company in the Midwest.

Pinstriper Herb Martinez, known to a small contingent of Bay Area lead foots as The Line Doctor, built this 1962 VW Bug in 1975 to advertise his new custom paint and striping shop. As expected the paint and detail work was outstanding. Herb made his own fender flares and found the nerf bars at a swap meet. The engine displaced 1650cc and was liberally chromed. Those flames were inspired by Art Himsl and the door mural idea came from a Trans World Airlines advertisement.

Bay Area resident and collector Dick DeVecchi has one of every 1941 Chevrolet passenger car model available in 1941. This Special Deluxe four-door sedan was one of his first, and has been seen on the show floor numerous times since 1953, with only variances in engines and wheels/tires. My favorite was the year Dick showed it with a 6-71 GMC blower bolted to the six-cylinder Chevy six. The car was last shown in 2009 as part of the 60th anniversary of the Roadster Show.

Fred Whitcomb entered his restoration of the Don Hentzell Model T pickup first shown in Oakland in 1954. Hentzell owned the Western Wheel and Rim Service in Oakland, California. This truck was used to haul wheels and rims around town. The roadster pickup was fit with a 1953 Dodge red ram engine, and easy turned 100mph at the drags. The engine was equipped with an Offenhauser manifold and quad Stromberg carburetion. A 1939 Ford transmission was installed, along with 25 tooth Lincoln gears and a 10 inch Ford clutch mounted on a chopped Ford flywheel. The frame originated from a 1932 Ford, while the T-body sported 1929 Ford Model A steel fenders and running boards.

Ray Goulart’s 1950 Oldsmobile was restyled in lead by Gene Winfield. The 401 cubic inch 1959 Buick engine had dual four-barrel carburetors and Oldsmobile floor shift transmission. It was last seen at the 2005 Barrett-Jackson auction.

While admiring the workmanship, many diehard rodders considered Art Himsl’s Alien roadster more of a dune buggy than a traditional street rod roadster. The car won the AMBR in 1969 despite some controversy. After seeing creations like this through the 1960s, like Bob Reisners Invader, Carl Caspers Ghost and Tex Smiths XR-6, the 1970s wo4uld usher in a return of the roadsters of the 1950s that made the earlier years of the show so great.

Mel Santos took the 1923 Ford T-bucket street roadster genre to the next level when he stuffed a Chrysler Hemi with six carbs between his custom chassis rails. The rearend was a fully chromed Jaguar unit and brass trim pieces were abundant. I saw Mel a few years ago and he still owns the car exactly as shown here.

A typical high quality NorCal street rod was this beautiful 1932 Ford entered in the 1974 show by Les Owen. A dark green body, contrasting striping, black fenders and Zenith wire wheels complete the package.

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