Suffocation Nation

Dick Dean Chopped '40 Mercury

2011-12-20T20:11:00.000-08:00

I ran into this beautiful '40 Mercury in the pits at the 2011 California Hot Rod Reunion. Chopped back in the 80's by none other than Dick Dean, it's been shaved, license plate sunk, fenders molded, and a host of other traditional custom mods. For full details, see the article at the bottom of the page.

I would like to point out that it's owner, Terry Cox, was making 240+ mph passes in a top-fuel dragster all weekend. Who says you have to pick a side on the hot rod vs. custom debate? Not Terry.

Here's an article with more info on Terry's Merc (courtesy of Rik Hoving)...

Far Out 70's Show Van

2011-12-20T19:41:00.000-08:00

It's no secret that '70's vans kick ass. Not just any molestor-mobile with a help-me window or the A-Team van, but the crazy show vans that gained popularity during the period.

There are a bunch of guys who've been tracking down the well-known and not-so-well-known vans and breathing life back into their side-pipes. One such van is this '75 GM, aptly dubbed "Slayer." It's not the war-ensemble, reigning blood, Slayer, but it's so cool in it's own right. The murals are absolutely ridiculous, just like they should be.

See more pics and info over on the Los Boulevardos Message Board by clicking here.

Back to Basics....Freshly Chopped '48 Ford

2011-12-04T20:05:00.000-08:00

I ran into this freshly chopped '48 Ford at the SoCal Speedshop Christmas party in Sacramento. It belongs to a friend of mine, Paul Garland, and while I knew that this chop was going down, I hadn't seen the car since he first purchased the car a couple years ago. Needless to say, I was blown away. Paul has always had a great eye and his work is top notch, but even knowing this, the dramatic effect of this traditional chop stopped me dead in my tracks. It's just heavy enough to be serious, but not smashed. The rounded door tops are pilars of perfection and he really should sell templates of those quarter windows! Hopefully I'll talk him into letting me shoot it somewhere with a little more ambiance.

Hiking for Turns

2011-04-09T11:56:00.000-07:00

Anything worth a damn is worth working for. Whether it be scouring the swap for that part that completes your vision, cutting and re-welding a grille for the 10th time in pursuit of perfection, or driving hundreds of miles in a hot, old car with your ears ringing from the exhaust to meet up with your friends at a show, it's all about the journey and the satisfaction when the hard work pays off. This is a way of thinking and a lifestyle that spills over into other genres. And this is why so many hot-rodders and custom builders share other passions like music, art, skateboarding, and other creative outles.

Yesterday we hiked out of bounds to a small peak at the ski resort where my buddy works. We weren't hucking airs or anything wild, just looking for a few extra turns in the fresh snow. It was mid afternoon, but there were no tracks...no signs of anyone else willing to work for it...no signs of sacrifice other than ours. I managed to stop for a second and take shot of our spoils.

Herb Ogden 1941 Buick...The Details...

2011-03-23T07:55:00.000-07:00

As promised, here are some detail shots of the Paisano/Herb Ogden Buick now owned by custom car collector, Kurt McCormick. As with almost all great customs, less is more....

Some of the Famous Customs from the Grand National Roadster Show

2011-02-23T22:22:00.000-08:00

Each of these famous customs will get a separate entry with detailed pics...

Nachtfalter- Rudy Rodriguez-built '40 Mercury

2011-01-22T09:52:00.000-08:00

Owned by Pual Hoffman, metal-work by Rudy Rodriguez of Fullerton Fabrications, paint and body by Hot Rods and Hobbies. This one will forever change the rules...

The detail of this car overwhelms me with it's simplicity...

The reflection on the top pours down the sail panels, on to the catwalk and decklid, and down to the ground. The same way water pours down the curves of a naked woman's body....

We will be seeing much more of this car in the near future.

Your Man Cave Blows

2011-01-06T09:15:00.001-08:00

The term "man cave" sounds inherently homosexual, but I don't care about that. It's the concept of the man cave that I find so infuriating.

Maybe it's because I can't subscribe to giving up the entire house, minus one shitty little room, for what I consider important. How does one go about relinquishing all control in a relationship? And where does it end?

This is how so-called men end up driving mini-vans and Jettas. This is how The Bachelor plays on the flat-screen and Monday Night Football is lucky to air on the old tube TV.

Now I'm not saying put your Pam Anderson poster in the living room, but don't let that which makes you a man be forever banished to that place where the door is to remained closed.

So put up that hot rod photo where everyone can see it, display that bowling trophy, and wear your Iron Maiden shirt with pride.

Grow a pair, men....reclaim your castle!

Steve Caballero's Coupe

2010-12-06T20:07:00.001-08:00

Steve Caballero's old model A, built by Steve and Alex Gambino. This is just one of those hot rods that looks fun as hell to drive.

Salinas Olympic Coupe

2010-11-15T18:38:00.000-08:00

The funny thing about this pic is it sucks. No matter, though, the car speaks for itself.

I'd only seen the Cole Foster built '36 Ford for Kirk Hammet in pics on the internet and in magazines. When I came across it a few years back at the Hot Rod Reunion in Bakersfield, it wasn't in display in the car corral with the other cars. I had jokingly asked a friend if the car was ever going to show again and he told me, "It's here."

It was in the pits with the trailers and vendors, and it stopped me dead in my tracks. I don't recall staring at a car as long as I stared at the Salinas Olympic Coupe. The lines are pure perfection. That's saying a lot as '36 Fords are perfect from the factory, yet somehow, Cole topped perfection.

'53 Chevy

2010-11-10T21:13:00.000-08:00

This '53 Chevy has always been a favorite of mine. Once owned by Todd Gravelle of Salinas Boyz fame, later by Rob Fortier, it has an early '50's vibe, a heavy, yet stylish chop (a roof swap from a '49-52 Chevy sedan, so I'm told), and one of the best tail-light treatments ever!

Pic of the Day

2010-11-08T10:26:00.000-08:00

I'm starting something new for Suffocation Nation, a pic of the day post. The main reason is to go through some of my old stuff that I may have forgotten about or some of my favorites and bring them to light again. Some may be historical cars, some of great importance within our culture, or some that are just cool. I'm sure this idea will evolve, so watch for updates and send me some feedback on what you like.

The Sam Barris Merc is going to start us off. This car is an obvious choice for me as it's probably the most historic custom of it's time. It's widely regarded as the first chopped Mercury (although many debate the Quesnel Merc was chopped first), but that's not why I'm putting it up here. This photo represents something more. The restoration of the car was completed by Brizio's shop just in time for the West Coast Kustoms show in Paso Robles, 2007. The Daryl Hollenbeck paint-job was so fresh the vapors could be smelled when approaching the car and the tail-lights and interior had yet to be installed. This was one of the greatest moments in recent custom history as the younger generations had the opportunity to see what started it all, yet it was also one of the worst as it marked the last Paso. The show has continued in Santa Maria, but much of what made Paso special is gone forever.

So take a close look at this picture, marvel the profile of this beautiful 1949 Mercury and the mile-deep paint, but also check out the background....the Paso Robles Inn and the people tell a story as well.

Bring The Noise

2010-10-17T23:25:00.000-07:00

Or don't.

My new Canon 40D in action at the 2010 California Hot Rod Reunion...

I definitely could put a macro and a better zoom lens to work, but I'm pretty stoked with how these turned out.

Full coverage from the event coming later this week.

Payback

2010-07-23T11:11:00.001-07:00

"Their solutions are our problems..."

"They take away our freedom, in the name of liberty..."

"They make us feel indebted, for saving us from hell. And then they put us through it....it's time the bastards fell!..."

"...don't be bitten twice..."

- S.L.F.

I Hate My Car

2010-06-10T22:45:00.001-07:00

Well, not exactly...I hate it in it's current state.

Something happens when you put paint or primer on a car. It's not just that the highs and lows show up, it's that it starts to become the sum of it's parts. A whole.

No longer are the new tail lights a focal point. The bare metal spots cease to be noteworthy repairs. The chopped top doesn't stand out. The frenched headlights just become part of the fenders. All of this fine, in fact it's the point we builders strive for, but it all had better work. And the color better be right, which in the case of this '51 Chevy, it is not.

I made this realization after we sprayed it that late Wednesday night before the show in Santa Maria. Yesterday I made the realization why.

Cole Foster, famed custom, hotrod, and motorcycle builder, wrote something several years ago that stuck with me, "...customs are spooky bad guy cars."

Here it is, April, 2010...

May, 2010 at Santa Maria...

Spooky it is not. The words that come to mind are safe, industrial, nice, and innocent. Yeah, no. It must be dark.

More from Cole, "...and dosent make me want to build cars to please the masses, or I would build some tangerine double bubbled fagsled, it makes me want to park them across the street from the show. I had a great time, saw my friends, show was steller and even got a 2 dollar trophy, not bad."

That basically summed up my weekend at the show, minus the trophy.

Aaron's Tank

2010-05-06T10:32:00.001-07:00

Check out these pics of Aaron's new tank...

Props to Blue Moon Kustoms for this bad-ass layout and flake-job. Can you imagine how many layers of tape this took?? This bike is gonna rule.

Nutrition

2010-04-23T11:17:00.000-07:00

Ecouraged to gorge on a diet high in virtual relationships, fortified with 9 non-essentail vitamins and irony, I find myself drowning in the sea of anti-social networking.

My Lunch

2010-04-16T17:43:00.000-07:00

I was supposed to take my friend Max to lunch for his birthday today. Max decided to go run some errands rather than take me up on my offer, so I decided to treat myself to Subway at the corner of Stockton and Broadway.

Now I've been to this place several times before and I'm usually pretty good at ignoring the gangsters and beggars that seem to buzz around this area. Today was a little different. A homeless black woman in her fifties walked up to my truck as soon as I pulled into the parking lot. Her attire was inappropriate for the temperate 75 degree weather we've been having in Sacramento, a dirty wool coat, long shorts, and what looked like someone's discarded house slippers. She delivered the typical request, "Got any change."
And I responded with my usual, "I don't have any money."
I guess I've thought about this scenario quite a bit, and I've come up with a retort that I believe garners the least amount of additional interaction with the subject.

Today my response worked. But as the old lady sauntered off, I wondered when she had last had something to eat. Even if she was just scrounging for enough change to buy a cheap bottle of vodka or King Cobra, she still required sustenance. And how did I know what she was going to use the money for, it's not like she'd tell me the truth if I asked? You see, I have these things figured out.

Anyhow, I went against my better judgment and caught up to the lady and asked if I could buy her a sandwich instead. Without skipping a beat, she motioned toward the Jack In the Box across the street and said, "I'd rather have a burger." Now I know how bad fast food burgers are for the human body, which is precisely why I was at Subway in the first place. I told her to take it or leave it.

As we waited in the long line, I played the 2- questions game of determining just what kind of sandwich to order for my guest. While I pegged her for the meatball sub type, she started off with a request for pastrami and ended up, after several direction changes, deciding on the Italian BMT (Big Meaty Trio, or something lame like that). "It's like a drink," she said, "You've gotta try something new." Whatever.

She was fine with the standard fare, mustard, mayo, lettuce tomato, onion, and of course, green and black olives. "You know, the green ones with the red inside," she requested.
"They don't have green olives at Subway," I said, "just black ones."

"Fine, I'll have the black ones with the red inside," she quipped. Dammit! This is the point where I started questioning this act of charity. I asked the lady to take a seat and told her I'd bring her the sandwich.

The other patrons were finding this whole ordeal a bit humorous. Some stared inquisitively.
I prayed that the line would move faster and that there wasn't someone breaking into my truck in the parking lot while I waited.

As I finally reached the point of placing my order, the lady got up from her seat at came up to me again. "Will you buy me a soda too?", she asked.
Now I can appreciate the relationship of a tasty beverage to a footlong, but I wasn't buying myself a soda as I've been trying to cut back, so I told her I'd get her a water. She huffed and disappeared back to the area where she'd been sitting.
Of course the lady ringing me up said, "Oooo, an Italian BMT, would you like to make that a meal with chips and a drink?"
I managed not to ad the F word to my response and she quickly bagged the two sandwiches. As I pulled out the BMT and walked it over to the lady, I wondered to myself if she was just going to go to the corner and pander it for cash. I handed her the sandwich to which she instantly said, "I guess I'll get my own bag."
Stunned, I said, " You're WELCOME.".
Out of obligation, she did manage to thank me as she walked out the door, sandwich bag in one hand, water in another. Her lazy eye was distracting, but her smile was distinct.

Hello Bitches

2009-11-18T17:45:00.000-08:00