First Commute Photo Shoot

I was too exhausted to unload the stuff in the pickup bed, the day (middle of the night) the '53 arrived. Plus, the truck was covered in bugs and road grime... couldn't let the truck make it's Raleigh debut looking like that! So, after work that day, I cleaned the spare parts out the bed and cab and commenced to scrubbing. I put the rear bumper back on (which had been removed for loading/unloading from the carrier), unstuck the shifter (from the unloading exercise the night before), and installed the NC plate. My family was amazed when they saw the transformation with just soap, water, and elbow grease. We cruised the neighborhood a little, but with no seatbelts, wasn't willing to take the family out onto any main roads.

The next day, I could hardly wait to pull the truck out and drive it to work. There's an office building that's not far off my commute route, that has some neat architecture and landscaping. The morning sun is also favorable, so I made a quick pitstop to snap some photos... kinda like taking baby pictures, I suppose?

-murph

From Hollywood To Raleighwood

Okay, so the '53 actually migrated from Nor-Cal to Fresno to Raleigh, but it didn't make for much of a working title. I had been waiting for the transport company to get to Raleigh all weekend, but a few delays made the actual arrival date on Tuesday, and about 2:30 a.m. to boot. As stoked as I was, this was not a problem! Larry snapped a shot after he loaded it for the driver in Fresno on June 6th.

I hired King's Transport out of Houston Texas to make the haul, and I was very pleased with the level of service and care they took to deliver the truck. It made it from Fresno to Raleigh in only 8 days (arrived on June 13th), and on top of that, the price was very reasonable. Doug actually hauled the truck the entire 2300+ miles. I think the biggest challenge was getting the '53 on/off the carrier. Because of the fat fenders and running boards, it made it tough for Doug to determine exact positioning of the wheels on the ramps.

I was relieved to see that although filthy from the roadtrip, the paint, chrome, and glass was in the same shape it was when it left Fresno. It took a while to get the truck off the top of the rig... it was pretty surreal jumping from ramp to ramp, and pointing left or right, for Doug to line up the wheels. The engine kept stalling when he moved it forward, but I finally figured out that he was in 3rd gear and not first. Having driven the truck at Paso, I knew it was a solid runner.

We wrapped up around 4:00 a.m. and after the paperwork and giving directions to a place Doug could catch some z's, before heading over to Falls of the Neuse road for a few vehicles, it was time to drive the '53 home. As soon as I tried to shift from 1st to 2nd, I realized the shifter was jammed. I messed with it for awhile, but it was so hot out, and I was so tired, I opted to just limp home in granny gear. Fortunately I was less than one mile from the house! It felt good hanging my head out the window to cool off.

It was a relief to finally park the '53 in the garage. I started talking to Larry about buying it at the end of February. We struck a deal pretty quick and then we sealed the deal (green for pink) the first week in May. Then there was the anticipation of going to Fresno and cruising the '53 at Paso. And finally, there was the excitement of getting the truck cross-country to Raleigh. As I pulled in and shut her down, I knew the fun was really just beginning.

-murph

Paso Robles 2005

Hard to believe Paso was a week ago. As soon as I got back to Raleigh, I had to head out of town for week. So, needless to say I've been jonesin' for a HAMB fix, and kinda bumming that Paso came and went so quickly. So, I figured I might feel better if I posted some pics and some words to describe the experience. (Feel free to use the scroll bar and go straight to the pics).






First off, to call Paso "a car show" would be an understatement and a misnomer. It really is a weekend-long party, immersed in all things kustom. The show proper is maybe only 50% of the overall experience. To see a bad-ass custom parked under a tree is one thing, but to actually see, hear, and feel it prowling the streets is totally different. And between the Friday night cruise, and bouncing between the A&W and the bowling alley, there are tons of opportunities to experience these customs in their dynamic state.











And it's not just the cars, it's the people too. I got a chance to meet and hangout with a bunch of HAMBers over the weekend... way more than I'd ever hope to be able to remember their real or HAMB names. I also got to meet Gene Winfield, Keith Weesner, Scratch, Shag, and Coupe de Cab. Most of these guys are also HAMBers, and all are as down-to-earth as they come. But they all live 2000+ miles from the east coast, so to have a chance to meet them in person was a real pleasure. Hell, Richard Zocchi and Jesse James even walked by the truck, but they must not have recognized me. That wasn't true for HotRodHon (Craig) of West Coast Kustoms. I bumped into him several times, and even with 850+ entrants, he still had time to stop and make me feel welcome.











And that same spririt really seemed to resonate throughout the whole town. Maybe the kustom crowd is a refreshing change from the stuffy whine-and cheese bunch who normally vacation in Paso? Sure there were cops on the street, but people were still having fun with their cars. And it was an "alchohol free" event, but I saw people drinking responsibly and no one was getting hassled. How cool is that? Maybe it's all just "good for business", but it still made for a great environment to kick back and enjoy the weekend.











Folks on the HAMB were right... it doesn't matter if you drive, walk, or skydive into town - you will have a blast! We crashed in the Walmart parking lot and there were a bunch of HAMBers staying at a nearby RV park (that allowed tent camping). So, even if you can't score a room in town, with a little creativity you can avoid having to drive to SLO or the coast, and paying big bucks for a room. Plus, with all the stuff going on in Paso, you just don't want to miss any of it. And no matter how hard you try, I don't think it's possible to see everything at the show. From that standpoint, it really was a little overwhelming. If it was a full-on two day event, it might take some of the heat off. At one point, I just quit taking pictures and chilled out for awhile. So many cool cars, so little time.











As far as parking goes for Saturday - don't sweat it! I read stories about having to sit in line, starting at 6:00 a.m. or earlier. We didn't care about getting in the park, so we rolled down Spring street at 7:30, hoping to find a nice side street to park on. Well, before we could even circle the park one time, we were directed into the park, and ended up under a huge oak tree across from City Hall. Hell, we were right next to the Reyes '54 Buick ragtop and the Harry Bradley-designed Afterglow. So, sleep-in, and get there when ya get there.











The whole weekend went super-smooth thanks to Creeper Larry, who served as Central Coast Ambassador for Zman and me. Larry was debating on going surfing or hitting Paso with us, but the allure of Paso won him over (or was it the fouled plug or Fosters oil-cans?). Hehe. He even gave up roadster build-time to make the trip, and last I heard he had the new motor in and was headed to the Antique Nationals in Palmdale. I hope he kicked ass!















So, now that it's all over, I'm already scheming how to get back to Paso. It might take a few years, but till then I'll rely on the HAMB for event coverage. Here's a few pics to help those who didn't make it this year. There's probably a bunch of repeats here from other's posts, but I'm too lazy to sort em out.













-murph