HONDA CB1100 TR Concept Flat Tracker

I love Motorcycles, and many of you do as well, hence you checking my Blog out, I have a passion for Cafe Bikes, Race bikes Flat track bikes, Trials bikes, Moto X Bikes, Speedway Bikes, Hill Climbers, Custom Bobbers, Pretty much anything that has 2 wheels and is powered by an internal combustion Engine.

So when I saw this Very cool re-work on a CB1100 into a very aggressive Flat Tracker, well I had to at least add a few photos on here.

CB1100TR Concept
CB1100TR Concept

The American Flat Track aesthetic is catching hold over in Europe. We can see evidence of such by the popularity of flat track racing for Europe’s top MotoGP athletes, the rise of the Spanish Superprestigio event in Barcelona, and with the concepts we are seeing come from the European divisions of motorcycle OEMs.

CB1100TR Concept
CB1100TR Concept

Add the Honda CB1100 TR concept to that pile of evidence, as it is one of two motorcycle concepts that Honda Motor Europe is debuting at the 2016 EICMA show (the other being the very tasty Honda Africa Twin Enduro Sports concept).

CB1100TR Concept
CB1100TR Concept

Built off the Honda CB1100 street bike, the Honda CB1100 TR concept takes a motorcycle we otherwise would not be terribly interested in riding, and gives it a healthy dosage of sex appeal.

CB1100TR Concept
CB1100TR Concept

Go-fast parts come from Öhlins and Termignoni, with the #58 numberplate honoring the memory of Marco Simoncelli, who passed away five years ago, and whose passing is still deeply felt in Italy.

CB1100TR Concept
CB1100TR Concept

The photos do not show the detail and craftsmanship that went into creating such a fantastic machine, I would love to ride this and I am sure the power output is linear and would have bucket loads of immense torque, I am sure that it would probably pull your arms off, then- begin to beat you with your own hands.

 

CB1100TR Concept

Not sure where this is now as its a year old but I sure hope its on the road, I would love to sling my leg over this puppy but the only neck that would get wrung out would be mine!!!!

CB1100TR Concept

Well done mate, I first saw the photo of you in a Chair, then I thought, “Oh No- it has put him in a wheel Chair” So glad I was wrong.

CB1100TR Concept

Whats not to like about this rear end, I am sure it will handle like a dream on the track, what it must be like with Treaded Tires on would boggle your mind.

CB1100TR Concept

A really cool and Unique bike that I really love to see and hope to see more like this come about, we aint all got the bread to get into a New bike and tear the crap out of it but there are many other earlier models that are affordable.

CB1100TR Concept

So Happy Hump day and thanks for reading my little Blog on this crazy machine and maybe it will inspire you to get out in the shed and make a start on your very own project.

CB550 HONDA BROWN BOMBER BRAT BIKE

Sometimes I forget to take photos when I am working on something, then a little later on down the line, I end up kicking myself as somebody usually comes into my place or calls or even emails me and asks if I have built a Honda CB500 or CB550 Brat Bike.

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I did take a few photos of this ride but not enough and to be honest it was a Bike I picked up locally not three miles from the house, a guy had had it for many years as he used to use it to go to college as a cheap means of transport.

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10 years after he completed College, life in general took over and had no time for the little inline Four Honda and it sat at the way side of the house under a tarp and then a few years later it was put in the corner of the garage.

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I bought it and even though the bike was a sad state of affairs, it would be a fun little project that I could have a little bit of artistic sculpturing on and see where it ends up.

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I used one of my Special Stainless Steel 4 into 1 systems and boy did this thing Bark like a scolded dog, this really did turn heads and in a good way, such a perfect breathing motor.

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The seat was made from 20 Gauge steel and then we welded about 5 inches of old rear fender to the seat base and I thought it would look cool if it were all upholstered.

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Removed the forks, took apart and then machines some cool fins in the lower legs, then magnafluxed to make sure all was safe and it sure was, New upper tubes fitted and rebuilt.

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The bike sat so well, and when you jumped on this bike, it would go as hard as you wanted it to go with out any question, it really breathed so well you would be so surprised when you opened the throttle, the little CB550 felt like a 750.

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The wheels were all new and used stainless steel spokes and polished the hubs, then shod both of them with Coker Diamond treaded tires that fills the bike out very well indeed.

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Should of kept this little Ripper as it would suprse any motorcycle at the traffic lights yet it was great on gas, the Carbs were set up on a Mercury stick and loved the gas I used.

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Hand made 7/8 Brat/Tracker Bars of mine that I chromed, help steer this Bar Hopper in the right direction. used Metalflake grips and 2 inch Bar Risers.

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One piece of steel and a rear fender shortened and welded to it, then covered in Foam and upholstered over, came out so well and stoked that I wet this route on the bike.

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Old carbs rebuilt, Dipped and re-jetted and then synchronized to make sure it ran even and smooth under load and boy did it handle well, fitted new cables too.

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Rebuilt the forks but machined these fins and then polished to a super high Luster you would think they were chromed and these last a long time until you need to polish once more.

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New Fork top Rubber fitted and New Rims were laced to the Polished Hubs, not a show bike but New parts in the right places.

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New Brake shoes and Polished hub with New shocks, sorts the rear end out and it handled so well too.

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Old speed Boat headlight I used with a Toggle switch ontop to illuminate it, I think it suited this machine very well indeed.

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A great bike that was super fun to create and ride, the guy that bought it was a New marine and rode it to Pendleton with no worries all the time, great testament to a cool machine.

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Kota taking the Brat for a little run and loved it, Dakota Made the seat and he loved this mean machine.

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Hope I see this bike again one day as its one of them that you wished you had kept, thanks for reading about this little Honda, it was a Giant Killing machine.

 

 

 

CB750 Creation ” The BRATSTER”

Over the years I have built a number of inline Four machines as you may well know, I have always liked these Motorcycles because I used them as a Courier Bike back in the UK, they were Affordable and reliable and lastly they were an awesome Platform to be able to adapt to how you wanted the machine to look.

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Beauty is indeed in the eyes of the beholder, but with this bike when I first picked it up, it was in a bad way and needed help, but, trying to change something on a shoe string budget is some times almost impossible, so when I pushed this bike onto the Concrete and saw the potential, well I had to at least give a go eh.?

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This old Girl was a 1974 CB750 and many many Moons ago it was Created to be a Land Speed Racer, I have a little or know information on if it ran, where it ran or what speeds, it was very poorly made and to be honest, too Bloody dangerous for me to sling my leg over and have a go up on the dry lakes for any record.

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It had no title and was leaking oil and looking very sorry for itself when I parked this 500 pounder up, but once I had made a Brew, sat back and thought for a bit, I knew I could at least resurrect this CB750K Model in to some sort of head turner.

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So, with pen and paper in hand I jotted down a few ideas and came up with the idea of building a fun little Brat style Bike that would have a Chunky look and feel but real fun to ride.

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After a day of Mulling around , I decided that I would get the Motor running first and if that runs I will then go from there as this may take some time as it was not a commission for a build but a cry of help as I bought a few bikes off a buddy who needed space in his Garage, so this would be an on going bike and Not at all a show bike, just a tough Motorcycle that would probably suprise a few motorcycles at the lights as it buggered off into the sun set whilst you are watching it disappear into the distance..

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The bike had a terrible set of gas tanks made from old alloy Cylinders that were Bolted to some old Nuts that were welded to the frame, there were parts hanging off that shouldn’t even be on there, so I decided that this would be a Brat style and I am going to change oil and plugs, add some coils and Battery and rebuild a set Carbs to see what we have hear, as there are no carburetors on this bike at all. So off I went in search of some carbs, and took an old blocked up set I had as spares apart, cleaned, re-jeted and fitted to the old Dry lakes Bike.

 

Below I have fitted Carbs and a exhaust to see how she runs and it is now tuned and am happy about the sound and crisp response that my 4 into 1 systems make.

My ears were ringing and actually Blew the Sub-woofer out in the workshop because the bass not was so strong, but a minor price to pay to now know this motor runs hard and true.

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So, as the rear end of the bike was missing, I thought I would massage one of my rear Hoops I make onto this frame and create a Brat style bike that will be so much fun to ride around on.

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An easy job and looks great, so I can later make a Flat seat with New Foam and Diamond stitching to give it that Brat look that is so popular right now over here.

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The old 16 inch rim had a massive sprocket, I think 170 or 200 teeth, erm, not for the street for sure , else it would wheelie everywhere ha ha, so removed the rims and rebuilt a new set but Polished the Hubs from this bike and laced with stainless spokes.

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Now that looks a lot better and now ready for the Rubber to go onto the outside, this time I thought I would spare no expense on the tires as they are an important part to make sure these keep you on the tarmac, so opted for a Set Of Cokers Tires and I am going to make a Diamond stitched seat later so wanted tires to match in a way.

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I also removed the forks, rebuilt and fitted New upper tubes, as well as Rebuild brake caliper and refurbishing the old rusty brake rotor too.

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A lot cleaner that it was when it first limped into my hands and am real happy at the way this is coming along, as I said, no show bike so not removing the motor and painting a frame, this will be a fun bike with a few new parts or refurbished ones at the very least.

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Above, I repainted the Motor and detailed it with Stainless steel Allen bolts and I wanted wrinkle paint this time to help dissipate the heat when riding.

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Getting there, Rebuilt Carbs, new boots and a cool Aluminum Airbox made this Motor breath and respond so well, its the devil in the detail or carboration that wins the race.

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Now the job of fitting Headers and so many choices from the styles that I have created for these 500 pounder machines, but the bike is taking shape now and I really like the way it is going.

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The Motor looks great, I also added a cool Oil tank with a Battery Box already inside it, so this will really look trick and can hide some of the electrical in it too and clean the frame up some more.

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I wanted to use my Newest design exhaust system, the Side Winder, this breathes like a New Nose and wanted to also Hot Rod it out by wrapping the headers in Titanium Heat wrap, it sure came out well and this will look great perched in front of that inline four engine.

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Now, that is a lot better and glad that I went this route, I have sold lots of this heat wrap and this is the first time that I have used it and as its Titanium it doesn’t fall apart like that cheap fiberglass stuff thats out there does.

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On the Arse end of the header I wanted to fit my New Sidewinder tail pipe with the Yoshi style Baffle, and boy does it look great and super stoked that I did go in this direction.

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Next up I need to make a seat pan to cover the Battery tray and oil tank up and will go simple with some 18 Gage steel and then will add foam and upholster in a Light Tan Naugahyde material with Diamond stitching.

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Simplicity is the name of the game for this machine and I am now cutting the foam to fit the seat pan that I just made, this is almost there, maybe another half an inch of foam then upholster.

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I am now happy with the thickness of the Foam and am looking forward to seeing this with a Light Tan seat ontop of the frame, I feel it will be a good contrast. so lets go and see.

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Way better now, I also added a Blue frame to go with the old 1970’s painted gas tank i found and think its a good combination for this creation, it is a tough machine for sure.

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The Brat sits well and with the Custom Oil tank that I now offer on the website, it runs well and uncluttered like man I see.

Added some NEW Handle Bar switches to make sure that all works well and stays like that, no faded grey crap like you see on so many on the internet these days.

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My Custom made license plate frame with Hot Rod stop tail light assembly looks great and another thing I produce and sell on the website.

Tail light tells you when you need to stop too, neat eh?

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This bike runs hard and strong and was so good to see it back up and running again, after years and years of neglect, if she had a face she would be smiling, that I am certain of.

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The Bike also has my Own Handlebars that I designed and had mandrel bent and chromed, and gives that bike that Period look of the day, it sits well and rides so comfortably too.

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A strong machine and this has already been sold to a customer and is now residing in Canada, my fruits of labor paid off and the new owner is super stoked to get this bike from me.

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My Bulldog Bailey standing guard as I get some snaps, before it heads of to Maple Country.

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Hope you liked this little resurrection? I sure had fun creating this Motorcycle and Glad somebody is enjoying it right now.

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Added a Fog light for that European look and something the New owner is going to need up there in Canada, so just another cool touch to show this motorcycle Bratster off a little more.

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A tough little Machine with plenty of swag, and I am sure that it will get many looks in the warmer months.

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Big transformation and I did more work than I thought I would do and sold it way too cheaply but hey, its all fun at the end of the day and I enjoyed creating this bike.

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If you want a Motorcycle created, or just parts etc, drop me a line carpy@carpyscaferacers.com I am always glad to help or just advise, and you can also call or text me with questions on 714-598-8392 and I will do my very best at helping you with your own creation.

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Thanks for reading my Blog on building this machine , and many others I have created and still continue to.

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I fitted 2.5 Analog gauges and also made a Neutral light that is fitted into the steering stem nut, plus New master cylinder, New levers cables and Grips.

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Another thing I did was add my headlight ears that I sell on here as well as the cool headlight with the internal LED Turn Signals, as that cleans the front end up, I fitted my Fork Brace too to stiffen the frnt end as I removed the fender, many dont do this and have floppy forks.

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The heat Wrap I now sell on the website too, in Black or Tan, both look great and clean up your old headers to revamp them, 50 feet is enough for your headers and I used two inch wrap.

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Thanks again and another Build leaves my place and I am now looking at another creation, appreciate all the cool comments whilst i was building this, have a great week.

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The Rice Boiler – 1974 Honda CB750K

OK, for a long time I had been planning this build and now it is here and I am so stoked the way that the machine turned out.

I used a snotty old bike to create this head spinning machine and had already built it in my mind hundreds of time, so thus was really a piece of cake for me.

I had an old set of Henry Abe 7 Star rims back in the UK, these are at least 3 decades old and had them sent over the water from back home and wanted to take them apart and fit new front and rear bearings, as well as paint the stars and polish the outers.

Once I chose New rubber for it ( Bridgestones ) I then made sure I had the rear brake set up drilled and polished, as I want the bike to stand out in many places.

I had a S.S. tank and cut all the top flap out and welded that in with a flat plate, then fitted a Stainless Steel polished Monza style racing Gas cap in it.

I then used one of opur own designed “Razorback” seat bases, As I really do love the lines of thaat seat base and knew this would really flow and give that yesteryear look.

I bead blasted the old frame and then powder coated a high gloss full flow Black on it and love the look, almost an enamel look to it and very inert to many fuels and substances.

If you look, you can see our New battery boxes we now make and offer on our website, this is the ww2 style battery box made from 6061 Aluminum and has cool rivets in.

 

I removed the old Oil tank and we washed that about 7 times and then cleaned out with some simple green, then stripped the paint, had it copper-ed, then chromed and buffed. you can see i was also setting up the rear sets and polished the brackets to give a Chrome finish.

I designed this color scheme by drawing this out on graph paper and used water colors and came out with this design, the reason that I came out to this conclusion is simple.   My old man always ran down anything to do with Japanese machines, and as I was a teenager in the 1970’s,  Japanese bikes were predominant in all parts of the globe and the old man just looked down on them and called them “Rice Boilers” 

So That’s why I named this bike “Rice Boiler”

She was fun to build and I am so stoked at the reaction it gets from people when they first see the bike.

I had a few people just stand there and just keep looking at it, as this bike did not start off like this.

 

I really enjoy the putting everything together part as you see such a transformation.

 

The Racing number 74 is really just the year of the bike but I wanted this to remind me of days gone passed when I used to hitch hike to Clubman Racing at Snetterton track and getting a lift on one of these bikes.

There are so many things that I have done to this bike, I should of named it the Magician as it is loaded with tricks. the lower forks are polished to a Chrome finish and all rebuilt, etc., and we hand-drill these rotors at the shop, then surface grind and polish them, looks cool eh?

I hand-hammered the gas tank as I do on all my bikes and wanted to use the Rising Sun as the filler, and boy does it pop!

The finned covers are early 70’s ones I have kept for this particular bike build, I must of had them 12 yeas in my tool box and so glad i got to get them on the Motor .

The red is very bold and I chose an Aztec style gold for the pin line, the whole paint scheme was completed using House of Kolor and I chose a Candy Rootbeer Brown as that was a cool Candy Color that Honda had back in 1971 and wanted to try and get that old School feel to it.

I actually incorporated  the neutral light into the head stock nut and think that it will be a cool addition to this ride and make use of the new lights we sell.

New Old Stock handlebar controls were a must, we used one of our polished throttle embellishers and some very cool flake handlebar grips, as well as new alloy levers, etc.

You can see how many brand new or rechromed parts I have fitted to this machine, by just glancing at the photos on this page.

The Ggold flake on the grips really do make the colors blend with the gold of the bike and the shocks.

I wanted to have the race number on there, as well as incorporate the year of manufacture, and it came out really well.

 I fitted new old stock fork ears and made our front fork badges t0 fit the sides where the original ugly reflectors sat and it cheered the machine up.

Yes- that is our very own Boxed Swingarm that we drilled and powder coated and really does suit this machine well, as well as helps the cornering as it stops all the rear end stepping out, this is a copy of my Original Dresda swingarm.

Our Stainless Steel Yoshimura-style 4-into-1 exhaust is a very cool sounding and looking set up and is a must with the style of machine that I create, by does it hang well.

You can see the work it took to make the tank look great, also the GPS speedometer is a cool look, but the bracket and the bucket we had to make and polish, it all worked out fine in the end and even though this was not a cheap option, I think its the cherry on the cake.

The headlight is from an old Desoto truck and then changed a little, it looks great with the Candy Rootbeer brown on it and the bezel was re-chromed.

Pretty Much everything is new on the build and am so happy to have gotten this machine done to the way I originally imagined, it screams out to you that this is an old cafe racer from back in the 70’s and I hope you like looking at her!

I tend to use Bridgestones as my personal choice of rubber on the rims I use, as I have always had them and stuck with what I know.

I spent a lot of time getting this bike right and many, many hours taking things off that didn’t work that you will never see, but thats how it goes with bike building and at the end of the day I have a really cool looking classic that is bound to turn a head or two.

I took the old broken and cracked fins off the original oil filter housing and machined and polished it and this is how she comes out. I do this to a lot of my creations, it adds a unique look.

Fitted our Finned Aluminum Ton Up Stabilizer Bar and the whole rear end is new, Brake Spring, Rod and Adjuster, no expense spared on this build.

A fun machine that is something that was made from old snot, rust and cold steel, also so nice to be able to recycle this and get it changed into another form.

I have already had a lot of interest in this machine and will let it go for the right price – this is a unique motorcycle with many, many new parts and one off pieces.

Within two days of finishing this motorcycle, I got it featured in Japan’s Lightning magazine, what a honor that was.

This bike did take a long while to complete, but I changed quite a few things on this until I was happy with the end result. Sometimes that is what happens with custom bike builds- I like this, and some of you may not. But to me, this is a cool machine that just screams out the bikes of the 70’s when I was a teenager in the United Kingdom.

 

I drilled the brake hub, the rotor and (of course) the front sprocket cover, as that’s my signature style I like to do, but I also had a very cool license plate frame that I have had for donkey’s years and was so stoked to have the opportunity to use it on this bike.

If this does not say cafe racer, then I don’t know what does – it’s an original piece that I am happy I didn’t discard over the years.

The tank took me some time to hammer and weld, but I wanted to incorporate the Rising Sun in the knee inserts and I am glad I did as it really does add a great concept to the bike.

Quite a few coats of Candy Root Beer brown were applied over the Aztec Gold and the end result is exactly the color that I envisioned.

No stickers, this is all real paint you see and I think you will agree, this really does stand out from many that just have decals.

A good stance for this tarmac eating machine.

I used rear sets which gives the bike a well-balanced feel, as the stock pegs are too far forward.

Our Boxed Swingarm and one off Chromed Chain Guard is a good component that i wanted to use on this bike. the Boxed Swingarm was made at the shop using 2X1 steel and it looks and works really well.

All the cases are hand-polished, the starter is rebuilt and the carbs are like new now. This bike runs smooth as we synchronize them using a Mercury stick.

The carbs have to be right on this machines, if you do not sync them they will pop and backfire, something you don’t want to have happening.

The front brake caliper was stripped and polished and our machined stainless steel piston fitted. We also have new side stands to stop the bikes from laying over too much. The originals had a tendency to bend over time. The DeSoto headlight and cool Chromed Diamond Signals, tell people what is going on in front of them.

Stainless Steel Flip-top Monza-style Gas Cap we sell was used on my tank, as well as our own ‘Ton Up’ Fork Badges.

New cables throughout (throttle, tachometer, speedometer and clutch cables) and new adjuster and stainless bolts all over the machine make this a long lasting ride.

I used a Ford big block connecting rod to use as an exhaust hanger. Once it was the right size and fitting, we chromed it and added this nice custom touch to the build.

I didn’t like the stock oil tank dipstick, so we machined a col finned cap for it and boy does it look trick, we shall be making more now to offer to you lot.

See how that cap makes everything flow that has fins on it, I really am happy how this came out, we used 6061 T6 Aluminum and then polished it.

The bucket below we made from a solid piece of  7075  and it came out so nice, tig welded the base and polished it, the bucket attaches by 3 small Allen head screws that sit at the front of the plate.

 

I wanted to combine new and old components to clean the top of the steering area up and it does look really tidy and clean now.

This was a fun build and I hope that you liked looking at the good Old ” Rice Boiler ” I can hear my Grumpy old man moaning about it right now!

I have already been featured in Japans’ leading Lifestyle magazine and have just had an Italian magazine come over to shoot it and hopefully a brit mag the month after, so I must be doing something right! Interested parties, please contact us for details.

Tesla Model M Electric Motorcycle

Ok, so this is just a concept, created by Jans Schlapin, but electric motorcycles are really starting to take off (literally, as all of the torque is immediately available and linear across the power band).  

Ok, so this is just a concept, created by Jans Schlapin, but electric motorcycles are really starting to take off (literally, as all of the torque is immediately available and linear across the power band).  At the same time, wouldn’t be amazing if Tesla started to make motorcycles with the same attention to  style, detail and function they devote to the Model S.  Imagine going cross country, plugging into Tesla’s Supercharger network.

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Who would of imagined that such a 2 wheeled machine could exist? And it is slowly becoming a reality right now and Tesla are the figure head for Electronic vehicles these days.

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Rendering of ‘Tesla Model M’ electric motorcycle, created by Jans Slapins, Silodrome website

 Tesla-Model-M-Concept-Electric-Motorcycle

Over the last few days, images of a “Tesla Model M” have made the rounds online, sparking excited discussions among electric-bike enthusiasts and others.

Those who only read headlines may well think that electric-car maker Tesla Motors is actually considering making an electric motorcycle.

 

These fever dreams wouldn’t normally be worth covering, except for the red-hot excitement that now greets every shred of Tesla news or rumor. So it’s worth setting the record straight.

The Tesla Model M is a new motorcycle concept being shown here on Silodrome exclusively thanks to well-known designer Jans Slapins, the man who created the very popular Lamborghini Rat Rod and BMW Urban Racer concepts. Jans specialises in creating vehicles that are right on the edge of what is possible, and while it’s unlikely they’ll ever see the light of day, they do provide food for thought for designers, engineers and enthusiasts.

At its heart, the Tesla Model M is the electric motorcycle that Tesla might build, if they ever turned their attention to two-wheeled transportation. The staggering success of the Tesla Model S and the excitement around the upcoming Tesla Model X have taken many in the automotive industry by surprise, and as if running Tesla wasn’t quite challenging enough – Elon Musk also runs Space X.

This concept utilises a 150kW electric motor with four computer controlled modes: Race, Cruise, Standard, and Eco. Lithium-ion batteries are mounted as low as possible within the aluminium frame to keep centre of gravity as close to the asphalt as feasible, and the fuel tank location is used as a water-tight storage compartment for a backpack, laptop and anything else the rider needs to carry – including a full face helmet. The wheels are carbon fibre to reduce unsprung weight and suspension is provided by a mono shock at the rear and upside down forks up front – interestingly there’s no transmission, as electric motors produce 100% of their torque from 0 rpm.

This looks like another way of getting rid of the internal Combustion Engine, but with no real mechanical sound, I am not sold, although the BMW/Porshe Concept bike does look like something I would at least sling my leg over and have a go.

m take porsche motorcycle concept a look at this fantastic tesla model m bmw unleashes err electric cleantechnica bmw porsche motorcycle concept
m take porsche motorcycle concept a look at this fantastic tesla model m bmw unleashes err electric cleantechnica bmw porsche motorcycle concept

 

A Few Videos that I like today.

Wednesday already

Well I thought to start the day off right I would add some Videos that I personally like.
Below is the Race Of Gentlemen, I think it may change to Race of Gentle Folk as lots of Girls are getting into this and I applaud that.

Below is a video from New Zealand, plent of mates over there are into the same as I, so thought I would show you this and yes, like back home, Right Hand drive.

Next up is back home a few years ago at the Ace Cafe with Mark Wilsmore.

Below is a day with the froggies, these guys know how to put on a show, check it out.

Have a Great Wednesday and hope this puts you in a great frame of mind to get you through the next few hours.

Peace & grease As Always.

Flash Back Friday- Old Video for you to watch.


Happy Friday Every body, hope that your end of the work week is going well, nothing quite like a Friday and I am sure that some of you at least, will be riding your Motorcycle to some event, or simply just to get about and see a few buddies now that the Weekend is almost here.

Flash back Friday is the Day and I thought I would just add an 8 minute Video of my Old shop back in the City of Orange, had some fun times there and some shit times too, being your own Boss brings a whole lot more Headache than you will ever understand if you are not a Business owner.

It was a super Windy Sunday when I walked around the shop, you could hear the metal doors banging about, but, I hope that you find it interesting, many CB750 Builds I had taken on there and got them ALL completed in the end.

Have a Great weekend you lot and many thanks for following me, its great to hear input from Customers and readers etc and anything else you may want to see, just drop me an email at. carpy@carpyscaferacers.com and I shall be more than happy to reply to you.

Ride Safe and keep your Lights on.

Peace and Grease

Carpy

HONDA CB500 “The Bikini” Built by Kyril Dambuleff

Some times there is a Cool Motorcycle that has been redesigned and contoured into something of beauty, and if seen, would make you stop in your tracks, I have seen many creations made here and over sea’s and when I saw this CB500, you had no choice but stop and admire the countless hours of perpetration and grazed knuckles to get something as aesthetic as this Machine named- The Bikini. By Kyril Dambuleff of New Jersey.

Today I wanted to feature this ride as being a Motorcycle builder myself, I can see the hours put into this and it sure turned out really well, no way you cannot appreciate the time and effort that has gone into this ride, the amount of scraps of paper with ideas on, the Sharpie idea’s scribbled on the work bench when Inspiration suddenly dawns upon you- the array of coffee cups – crushed beer and soda cans that kept you going where others gave up- the snippets of electrical wire and heat shrink for those frustrating electrical issues- And finally – An empty space on your Motorcycle Table!!

Kudos Kyril, so impressed with what you have created on the East Coast mate. So enough of me rambling on about this bike, here is all the details and photos Below that explains this mans creativity and craftsmanship. Enjoy…………

This motorcycle is the antithesis of the LOTUS C-01.  Conceptually, of course. When looking at Daniel Simon’s design, there isn’t much you could see other than the motorcycle’s gorgeous overall shape.  Most of the components are completely hidden from view.  Here, on this motorcycle, just about everything is in full view.  Like a “skeleton watch”.  Those bare-bones timepieces in which the watchmaker has left only what is essential and revealed as much as possible of what makes a watch tick.  Since I’m not too crazy about skeletonized watches, I prefer a different analogy: a tall, skinny, platinum-blond fashion model scantily clad in sky-blue bikini.  Where everything is in full view except the little that is hidden and subject to the imagination.  Hence the bike’s name: BIKINI.

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Kyril Dambuleff has no barrow to push. He doesn’t run a workshop or sell parts or posters or scarves or t-shirts. He only builds motorcycles to keep himself happy and make the rest of us plonkers look bad. And he’s doing an admirable job of it with this exceptional 1972 Honda CB500 he’s dubbed ‘Bikini’. Photos by Kyril Dambuleff 

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The rivet counting brigade will be quick to point out that while the frame is from 1972 the engine itself comes from a 1976 CB550. And that’s how the bike started, with just an engine that had been rebuilt by Kyril from the ground up. ‘It sat on my workbench for months, taking up much needed space,’ he says. ‘I thought about displaying it somehow, perhaps in my office. But what could be better than an original frame?’

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Well, not much. Unless it’s nestled in a bike trimmed to perfection like this beauty. So Kyril went about accumulating all the parts over the coming months – the frame, wheels, exhaust pipes, forks and tyres and all the other sundries that come from assembling a ground-up bike. But the focus was to remain the powerplant.

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‘The idea was to showcase the engine and have all of it in complete and unobstructed view with nothing hidden,’ he explains. ‘Everything else had to conform accordingly. Hence the asymmetrical tank and all the other exposed components which shows what makes a motorcycle tick. It’s like one of those skeleton watches in which the maker has left only what’s essential and tried to reveal as much of what makes the watch tick as possible’

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It’s a little like that, but Kyril has an alternate slant on the bike. ‘But I prefer to think of the bike as a tall, skinny, platinum blonde fashion model scantily clad in a sky blue bikini. Where everything is in full view except the little that is hidden and subject to the imagination. That’s where I got the name from.’ As much as I prefer the name ‘Blue Balls’ I’ll grant him that ‘Bikini’ has a much classier ring to it.

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Kyril fabricated the aluminum tank himself, which slopes up hard on the right hand side to expose the spark plug leads and the coil. On the left it retains something close to the original lines but that completely asymmetrical design is certainly something I haven’t seen before.

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It’s also interesting to note the finish used on the exhaust headers. It’s not polished stainless steel but Cerakote applied with a mirror finish. Cerakote is actually a polymer-ceramic coating that’s usually applied to firearms – often in camouflage or flat earthen colors. It’s a neat process that’s very heat and distortion resistant and should ensure a mirror-like finish for years.

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Those headers were fitted to the rebuilt CB550 engine – and unlike the frame, and maybe like it’s bikini-model namesake, many of it’s best features aren’t visible. While the engine was blasted and polished the cylinder was bored out to 59mm and new Wiseco pistons installed. Compression was taken up to 10:1 and displacement is now 553cc’s.

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And then it was time to fit it to the frame, which Kyril found to be the only part of the build frustrating. ‘Modifying the original tail section was easy,’ he says, ‘but grinding, filling and smoothing the original welds took a lot of time and effort and, in some cases, required tools that one would expect to find in a dentist’s office.’

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All told the bike is an incredible twist on the traditional cafe racer – and like an original caff this one is considerably lighter than stock. Kyril’s target weight was 350 pounds (158kg) and with the antigravity battery, aluminum parts and tricky things like the adjustable foot peg positioner he nearly managed to hit that with the bike weighing in at 357lbs. ‘I think I could have hit 350,’ he explains, ‘but I had to replace the front single disc with a twin disc setup that was irresistible’.

 

More from the Builder.  Kyril Dambuleff New Jerseys Finest Motorcycle Builder.

It all started with a HONDA CB550 engine, which I’d bought a year earlier and which I’d rebuilt completely from the ground up with the idea of keeping it as a spare for the BLACKSQUARE bike.

Then, the rebuilt and detailed engine sat on my workbench for months taking up much needed space.  I thought I’d display it somewhere somehow, perhaps in my office, and what could be a better “cradle” for it than an original frame?  So, I bought a frame.  And then, I bought a set of carburetors.  And then… it occurred to me that one way to display an engine is to build a whole motorcycle around it.

 

One thing led to another.  The principal idea to showcase the engine itself called for everything else to conform accordingly.  So, by extension, almost everything else had to be fully exposed too, perfect as I can make it and as simple as possible.

Ultimate simplicity leads to purity.

This succinct phrase by the Japanese food critic Masuhiro Yamamoto had been stuck in my head for some time and I thought it was appropriate enough as the motto for the build.   I printed it in poster size and nailed it to the wall in the workshop.  As much as I felt I knew what Yamamoto-san meant, I wasn’t sure I could fully comprehend this piece of wisdom.    So, I “translated” it for myself in layman’s jargon and printed another poster:

Nothing half-assed!

 

I personally benefit from having a “guiding principle” when working on a project.  It makes life easier as it eliminates “what-if’s” and “should I or shouldn’t I”.  So, when the concept of showing what makes a motorcycle tick dictated shaving off the majority of the right side of the tank, off that portion went.  It didn’t bother me that, consequently, the tank became fully asymmetrical and that seemingly people just don’t do that (motorcycle tanks are always fully symmetrical).  It had to be done and so it was done.

A lot of the rest of the bike is, of course, conventional. It is a motorcycle after all.  And it is a fully functional, street-legal and registered bike. You could take it anywhere.Another interesting and relatively rare feature is the 3-position rearset bracket.  It allows the rearsets to be positioned up and down as well as forward and back to suit the rider’s size and preferred riding style.

The most difficult part of the project was, completely unexpectedly, the frame.  Modifying the tail section was easy, but grinding, filling and smoothing the original welds took a lot of time and effort and, in some cases, required tools that one would expect to find in a dentist’s office.  Next was the question about color.  The first choice of color was totally inappropriate, but I could only see what a big mistake that was after the bike was fully assembled.  So, everything had to come apart again.  The frame was stripped, re-blasted, re-powder-coated, and clear-coated.  And then everything had to be put together for the second time.  Luckily, the sky-blue color came out alright.

In addition to the main concept of exposing as much as possible of what makes a motorcycle “tick”, another objective was to lighten the bike as much as prudence and safety would allow.

Yet a third objective was to avoid the use of plastic components as much as possible.  There is hardly any plastic on the bike.  Other than the battery casing, the fuse box and the tail light’s rubber-like elastomer, I can hardly think of any.

COMPONENTS:

ENGINE, FUEL SYSTEM, IGNITION & EXHAUST

ENGINE: 1976 HONDA CB550.  Bead-blasted, completely rebuilt from the bottom up, bored +0.5 mm to 59 mm (the original cylinder bore is 58.5 mm) and fitted with WISECO pistons (kit model number 40059M05900).  Compression increased to 10:1 from the original 9:1 and displacement increased from the original 544 cc to 553 cc. Cylinder boring and valve job by TSI Competition Engines.

CARBURETORS: original KEIHIN, model 087A, completely rebuilt.

VELOCITY STACKS: one-off custom design, by STEEL DRAGON PERFORMANCE.

TANK: asymmetric, one-off, in-house design, all aluminum, custom-built and polished by BCR DESIGN, capacity = 2.0 US gallons

PETCOCK: by PINGEL, 6000 series

EXHAUST: modified original headers, ceramic-coated with CERAKOTE High Temperature Glacier Series coat.  (When polished, the appearance is that of polished aluminum.)

IGNITION COILS: Dynatek Dyna Coils 5-ohm Dual Output DC8-1; Black DW-200 Wires

POINTS: new, original HONDA

FRAME & SUSPENSION :

FRAME: 1972 HONDA CB500, modified tail section, all original welds ground smooth.  Powder-coated in sky blue and then clear-coated by TRICKED OUT CYCLES.

FRONT SUSPENSION: original HONDA, rebuild with new tubes and springs.

REAR SUSPENSION: custom-built by WORKS PERFORMANCE gas shocks, 13.5″-long, Dual-Rate Springs.  (The question about correcting the length of the kickstand when custom suspension is installed comes up a lot, so, in anticipation that it would come up here again, the answer is yes.  The kickstand was lengthened by 1″. It was then polished and chromed.)

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WHEELS, TIRES & BRAKES

RIMS AND SPOKES:  by Buchanan’ Spoke & Rim Inc.  “Sun” rims in polished aluminum, stainless steel spokes.

TIRES: MICHELIN Pilot Activ.  Front 3.25 – 19.  Rear 4.00 – 18.

FRONT BRAKE: dual-disc, drilled rotors, original HONDA calipers, stainless steel lines, banjo fittings and 3-way splitter by GOODRIDGE

REAR BRAKE: original HONDA

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CONTROLS & INSTRUMENTS

CLIP-ONS: Vortex, 35 mm, 7-degrees, all aluminum

THROTTLE TUBE: G2 Ergonomics Quick Turn Throttle Tube 50-150D, all aluminum

GRIPS: by ARIETE, model 02631-ALL, Alu-Rub Grips (polished in-house)

HAND CONTROLS: by Eurocomponents, model: De Luxe Retro, all aluminum

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REARSETS: by JOKER MACHINE, model 09-800S, all aluminum, fully adjustable in all imaginable positions.

3-POSITION REARSET BRACKET: in-house design, allows 3 different positions for the rearsets depending on rider’s size and riding style preference.  CNC-machined from 6061 aluminum. The brackets are approximately 12″ x 5″ x 2″ overall (roughly 300 x 120 x 50 mm). There are two curvatures which offset the mounting points by about 1/2″ (12 mm) and the three circular foot peg positions are themselves some 3/4″ (20 mm thick) allowing the brake pedal and clutch lever to clear the exhaust pipes.  It took a big chunk of aluminum to CNC-machine these.

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CLUTCH AND THROTTLE CABLES: custom-made by BARNETT

TACHOMETER: SMITHS Digital Chronometric CHR-R10; 0-10,000 RPM

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ELECTRICAL:

HEADLIGHT: restored antique spot light (the bucket was chromed, the reflector was nickel-plated) fitted with a STANLEY lens.

HEADLIGHT RELAY: common latch relay incorporated in the headlight’s bucket.

TAIL/STOP LIGHT: 30-LED TruFLEX by Custom Dynamics.

BATTERY: 8-cell 240CA Lithium battery by Antigravity

REGULATOR/RECTIFIER: by RICK’S MOTORSPORT ELECTRICS, model # 10-100

HARNESS: custom 3-part harness terminating in aluminum aviation plugs; all bullet-socket connectors by VINTAGE CONNECTIONS

PUSH-ON MOMENTARY MINI SWITCHES for the headlight and starter button.

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SEAT, SIDE COVERS & FENDERS:

SIDE COVERS: perforated aluminum, designed and built in-house.

SEAT: designed and built in-house, aluminum pan, 1-inch foam, marine-grade semi-perforated black vinyl.

EMBLEM: in-house design, 3M epoxy domed decal on black background with chromed letters, custom-made by CHROMED HOG

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OTHER:

All laser cutting by Keith Gayman.

All spacers and other specialty parts were machined by “uberacer” Gene at S&S General Services LLC

All welding by master welder Tim at Classic Cycles

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SPECIFICATIONS:

OVERALL LENGTH = 80.5 inches (2,045 mm)

OVERALL WIDTH = 28.5 inches (724 mm)

OVERALL HEIGHT = 39 inches (991 mm)

SEAT HEIGHT = 29.75 inches (756 mm)

FOOT PEG HEIGHT: Position 1 = 12.25 inches (311 mm), Position 2 = 13.00 inches (330 mm), Position 3 = 13.75 inches (349 mm)

DRY WEIGHT = 357 lbs. (162 kg)

NOTE: The listed dry weight of an original 1976 HONDA CB550 is 423 lbs. (192 kg).

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New 4 into 1 Exhausts for the 500 and 550 Honda available soon

Pleased to announce a New style of 4 into 1 system for the good old Honda inline Four CB500 and the CB550, something I am happy to offer and many people asked me about.

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So I went about and got it sorted, I have the prototype done and now going into production with these as I type this little write up.

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I am stoked to be able to offer you these systems soon and boy do they sound great, fit well and of course, Perform all the way through the range of motion.

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These are a little Powerhouse and I know you will enjoy this special system that will be made on Million Dollar tune bending machines and quality all the way with these.

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Here is the other thing, these are not made over sea’s, these are made here in the USA and am proud to offer that, I am a small business and I help other local businesses, thats what keeps us all going and pleased to offer you all my USA made parts.

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Below is the sidewinder fitted, I only plopped the baffle in as I will be Nickel plating that one, so as I revved it , the Baffle shot out, LOL, but you can hear what its like with no baffle, this exhaust does come with a baffle by the way and you can either Rivet it in place, or ue machine screws, your call. The Baffle does not have packing as I like it that way but, you can add glass fiber packing or steel wool if you wanted to muffle it more, but I doubt yu will as this is a crisp sound that many like.

I also offer this with 2 different tail section options, there is the Razor and the Hot Rod, you decide, below is the Razor, thats slash cut and shorter than the up sweep but a cool custom look.

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A very popular set up and easy to attach to your inline four bike, it is also louder than the up sweep tail pipe.

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Below is the Hot Rod, this is a cool Turn out for that Old school style, something I am passionate about and I am stoked to offer this option too.

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Its a great set up and I make that for the 750 too but as you can see on this 550-4 it is a nice and tight set up and gives the ride a beefier look I think, hope that you like this as well.

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Take a look at some of the pics of the styles and make your own mind up, I enjoy what I do and like the feedback I am receiving.

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Let me know your thoughts carpy@carpyscaferacers.com as input is so important from potential customers.

 

Here are a few pics for you to have a go through to see if you like any of the models shown for your CB500 or CB550 Four Motorcycle, thanks for taking your time to read this today.

15th Ventura Nationals 2017

Well, here we are once again, where did the year go? So this morning, Jennifer and I jumped in the car and we headed out to this great event that I have been attending for so many years now.

I took a ton of photos whilst i was at this show, people ask me about the shows I attend and what is featured there, so, here is a Looooong blog but wanted to show you all the great stuff that was at this years 2017 Ventura Nationals show and Boy was it a great one.

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Jennifer got us there pretty quick and thats good as it will be about 105 here in La Mirada so as Ventura is right on the water it should be in the high 80’s and a refreshing change for the heatwave we have right now back home.

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So, we pull into the parking lot and walk into the show, always a good mixture of Kustom, Hot Rod and low rider material to drool over and we were not disappointed at all really is a great show.

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There are always New rides to check out and as this is on a big area, you can still get to take a photo of them with loads of people around, it was Hot Here but not like back home and enjoyed the whole time there as you could see the cars, hear the bands and look at what the vendors were offering.

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Above, just look at that Caddy, that thing has been slammed harder than a weak opponent on the WWE Cage fight, loved it and a cool color that I usually see on Jeeps, worked so well, loved all the over riders as teeth in the grill sections, shaved door handles, Skirted and in the weeds, this was a righteous machine.

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OMG, just check out this 5 window from Henry F- I mean thats the F word right there, Cleaner than Mr Sheen’s bathroom and just pure class this Hot Rod almost took my breath away as it is so bang on, wickedly cool, just take a look at the body, straighter than a Roman Road.

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Above, this Flathead is such a work of art, I have a Flatty but not to this standard, if I had a hat on mate, I would take it off to you and bow very humbly. Barney Navarro heads and a Thickston high Rode with Two 97’s perched on top and the longest velocity Stacks I have ever clapped my eyes upon.

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I really loved the Color of this GMC Stepside, complete with vintage Beach cruiser in the back , this truck was well put together loved the paint color too, a hard one to pull off at times.

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Like I said, this is a great event and something for everybody in the Kustom and Hot Rod fraternity, it was a really nice day, Hot yes but it always is this time of year and having a couple of indoor buildings was good too so you could cool off and still check out cars and vendors etc.

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Blown away with this, Westergard would be proud of this Custom Coupe, More work than you would even apprehend and it sure was a head turner, Brilliant job mate, well done.

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Ford and Chevy hanging out under the Sun, there is so much to see here and if you have never been before, its worth the drive up along the 101 by the Surf to get to this venue by the Sea.

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1958 Ranchero was sitting nice and low, dont see too many of these around any more and was stoked to happen upon this as we walked around at the show grounds.

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Then a few feet over from that 58 is this awesome 1957 Ranchero, jeez it was nice pure Kustom with Tube Grille, Tuck n Roll inner fenders, Lakes Pipes, Fender skirts and Appletons, very cool indeed.

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This 1954 Ford Lincoln 2 door Coupe has all the Markings of a great Kustom, look at that front Bumper set up, Sombrero’s and fender skirts and shaved handles is just a nice clean style, cant wait to see what color scheme he goes for next time I see it at a show.

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Check out this Leopard print interior on the 58 Impala, thats Old School for sure, I have always liked the 58 impala and this was no exception, even as a 4 door it was wickedly cool.

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I would of loved to have driven this Pontiac Safari home, Chevy stole the rear of the rood ribbed design for their Nomad and this is a rare find these days, what a cruiser and so much room with all them bench seats it has as stock.

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How can you not stop and look at a Gasser, these are so tough and a Fairlaine too, Straight axle, 10 degree rake on the motor, 5 spokes and plexi with dump tubes, Groooowlll!!!

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As long and heavy as a battleship, this Caddy was slammed and not because it had 2 Vintage push bikes on the roof, such a huge car and always love seeing these Detroit Rectangles.

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I have never been a fan of Studebaker Automobiles, but 1948-1955 Pick ups, Hell yes, they have a Custom look right out of the factory with their soft curves and this is a great example for a parts getter.

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Hudsons never get a good wrap but I like them, a poor mans mercury they say but I would take one any day of the week, just look at that, they drive so smoothly too.

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Loved this 29 on deuce rails, has all the stance right and this is a quick Mill too, I never tire of looking at Hot Rods ever!!! 16 inch steelies on Blackwalls and a deuce Grill, Killer.

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This little 30 Model A was Neat, simple and I am sure they have such a Ball in this Roadster, as I know i would do too. Yeah i would change a few things like tires and stuff but each to their own and have fun my friend.

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How can you not have a tri Five in here, I had one even in the UK and have always loved the Bow ties and this one os such a superb Platform for somebody to turn into what ever they wish .

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How can you not show a Big Tin Lincoln anyway, I mean, these were Custom right out of the factory, one of my dream cars as a kid as they were so huge and low.

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See what I mean, how cool is this? I would drive this until the Pontiac hub caps fell off, love all of its 22 feet.

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Now this is one Long bed for sure, diggin the fake patina and that seemed to be a common look this year to be honest but its a good trend and a great truck, next photo is the Aluminum work.

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That’s some cool work there, I think Fast Eddie from orange did this set up and it really is a nice touch with all the aircraft styled riveting. What do you lot think?

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Forgive me for adding a lot of Hot Rods but I love seeing them and especially Roadsters as I have one myself and this was a clean machine and wanted to share it on this page too.

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Paint work was bloody awesome, so much work with masking up etc, must of taken many hours to get all these colors and detail in and when the Sun caught it right it was quite mesmerizing.

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This 51 Rag Top had so many Custom tricks, a real nice, clean and great example of American ingenuity for making something stock look so cool and stylish, I wonder what the Ford  design team thought when he saw one of these when people like Hiroherta came out driving these as a daily car back then.

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This 28/29 Roadster was really nicely finished, sat ontop of 1932 Rails and running Black Steelies on Firestone 16 inch Tires, this was a tight build, even has a nice Hallock/ Duvall windshield to add to the flow of this great Hot Rod, Hair pins looked pretty good in Black and SBC with tri power must of made this buzz along the freeway with ease.

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I would love this Step-side as a Parts Getter too, so many cool cars either as an everyday beater or a show winning ride was featured here at Ventura and you have to try and make a show as there is not many like this with a fun atmosphere too anywhere these days, loved it all.

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How about this parked right next to the other pick up, I would love either of them, cool patina and when you think back, All the farmers had these in California and all over the states, they worked them hard and so nice to still see them around especially with the quarter windows too.

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Jeez, almost get a nose bleed from sitting this high, this Plymouth Savoy is a rare sight as a Full on Gasser, spindle mount Magnesium rims, straight axle and Mickey T rear tires gibes this machine a total look of 60’s Nostalgia drags.

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I am certain that I saw this on the Salt flats a couple of weeks ago, now sitting proudly amongst the other rides but this was a hard core drive as i saw this all over Bonneville at Speed week and loved this roadster, not many that can be around with twin intakes in the hood like that right?

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This was the ride I saw on the Lake bed in Utah as it has the 40 Ford dash, wicked machine that I will never tire of looking at and wouldnt change anything on it just enjoy the ride in a real Nostalgic machine.

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Now there is a traditional Hot rod, check out the Aircraft syle shocks, the Early headlights of a Truck, Fireball caps on 16 inch steelies with tractor Firestome tires, looks like he got all the salt off it.

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Now this is taking shape and great to see a slightly different twist to a Custom, Caddy thin tail lights blend in quite well, sits really well and look forward to seeing this ride completed at some point.

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Gearheads Roadster Pick up was in the weeds too, dago front axle is a nice touch and Juice brakes all around. Baby Blue seems a popular color this year as well.

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Way cool, low and love that Ford Burgandy Factory Paint color, Tube grill and nice roof chop with big rear fender skirts makes this Nosed and decked Kustom stand out.

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Nosed, decked, shaved, frenched, lake pipes, Starburst caps, Floating grille, Foxcraft Skirts made this a head turner as well, so much detail, loved it all the way to the rear end.

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It’s like Kustoms of America show, so many Nostalgic builds on show this year and really cool to see, like I said, something for everyone at Ventura show and glad we attended thats for sure.

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Flatty Powered Closed Cab pick up was neat, not sure how it stayed cool with them radiator pipes but it was a neat touch none the less, section deuce grill was a nice touch as well.

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A little bit of work gone on here on this 21 stud, early offenhauser, even has a Dizzy on it, complete with two 97’s and finned alloy Air filter covers.

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Super neat little Modified was sat in the parking area, enjoying the Sea breeze as it wafted across from the beach a few hundred yards away. This was a nicely built rig, loved seeing it here.

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How about this, the big guns were out, chopped Olds 4 door looked really tough as it sat on the concrete, whilst above a Falcon Panel sat on an early flatbed, that looked great as well.

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Yup, even some love from the Low Riders were there and all as clean as their Grand ma’s Kitchen too, so many hours go into these machines and a good turn out too here at the show.

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The paint on these are faultless, so many hours of color sanding and buffing alone, but so cool to see the Low Riders represented here and a few more photos coming up for you to look at.

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As we wondered around the show grounds, I took photos of what I personally liked and hope that you enjoy these too as the quality was so good, its hard to show and appreciate sometimes in a photo but you can see how tidy the paint and Bright Work is on these jumping Machines.

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Out side one of the Halls were these 2 Roadsters, very cool concepts and I am sure these are a real blast to drive around this weekend, its Roadster weather and by the beach, what could be better?

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Just past them trees is the beach and a pleasant Breeze wafted in from time to time and a lot cooler than back here in Orange county, we found that out when we got back.

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Look how clean this Rivera is, cleaner than it was from the Factory and many people enjoyed the Low riders here and I was one of them, these are all big wide machines too, love it all.

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Loved this Galaxie 500, low and sleek with chrome 5 spokes and subtle scalloping, this Candy Aztec Cold paint really popped when the sun hit it, custom interior was Tuck n Roll and of course, what cruiser is not complete without a set of Bellflower tips?

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Nose to tail, many different styles and Models make this show a hit for everybody, there is so much to see and there is no way you cannot enjoy yourself at this fantastic event in Ventura.

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1929 Banger here very 60’s style with drilled and chromed front I Beam, reverse steelies deuce grill shell, TJ tuck N Roll and a Naugahyde white top with chrome Hairpins was sitting pretty.

Below: This little Boat tailed Modified looked fun to drive, running a 4 carbs set up, this was no slow poke thats for certain, schroder steering and Dago front end on Red steelies was way cool.

 

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So much work went into this and I am sure nobody noticed half of the cool work and engineering that was finished to complete this Low Channeled Roadster. I really dug it and would drive that.

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Reminds me of the old Mana – Free intakes of the day, frog mouth velocity stakes suck in more air than a breaching whale, Boat style windshield sets the styling of low and sleek but not meek.

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Sometimes thinking out of the box pays off, this Roadster certainly did and Id would of loved to have taken this on the dry lakes to see what it would do as it screams SCTA back in the day.

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Hard to imagine how many masking hours and rubbing down on this Buick Low Rider, painstakingly crafted over many a night in the garage I am sure, so many vibrant colors too.

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Look how tight the Bumper is, a very straight ride with more colors than some of the Hawaiian shirts I saw people wearing this weekend.

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Nostalgia all the way with this car club, and driving up or down the freeway to get to the show must of turned many a head when the public clapped eyes on these Low Riders, awesome job.

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Loved this 48 Stepside Chevy Pick up, sat in the weeks, Chrome reverse steelies and big wide whites, the chrome was impeccable and would enjoy driving this truck around every day.

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This impala was another fine example of hard work and pleasure, the lines are so sleek and the paint was as smooth as butter milk, such a clean 2 door that needed more recognition to be honest. All the trim was clean and straight, I didn’t see any blemishes at all, well done mate.

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I will never ever tire of Caddys, I mean they are the quintessential American Automobile and this 58 2 door D Cup special was a machine I always wanted to have and drive, Darn straight too.

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I really do love Kustom built rides, as every creation is unique, never do you see exactly the same ride and the body mods are off the hook, love the gradient roof chop, the rear arches really flow as does the fender skirt and them Cadillac Bumpers really look tight, love to see the Custom grill when its done, Sombreros too, just a wicked ride that looks so right.

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Always something different to look at every show and this was, Candy plum and right in the weeds too, this mercury is probably the only one like this and deserves recognition of all that work.

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Check this Bow Tie pick up out, the Aztec Candy Gold really pops in the California Sun, just very cool and many people loved this truck and you can see why, everything was so nice on it.

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Brit mates Bev and Jay dean from Nostalgia ranch were representing in the building with 3 very cool rides, in the back ground a fully fendered Model A with a 4 banger, sat so right.

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Then this awesome AV8 that was built back in the day and in a few B movies too was locally found and now sits proudly on the Nostalgia Ranch’s display area, I loved this Roadster.

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Jay dean built this for a customer and it is a flawless machine, the paint was flawless and Camel Hump finned covers dress out the Gold Motor well, stunning job Jay. Really well built.

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Hubba Hubba, loved this Teal 3 window, the whole color scheme just worked so right, sat well and with that Hemi I am sure it wouldn’t hang about on the freeway.

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Stock A Bone sitting in somewhat cooler climate inside the show building but it was pretty humid in there, soon forgot about it when you see all the Hot Rods parked up on display though.

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So nice, So Nostalgic, So Cool, I would love this, its one of those period perfect machines that you simply just keep looking and looking at, loved everything about this Roadster.

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Looks great from any angle, the chopped and raked windshield gives it that late 1940’s look and Black on black makes this so stealthy steelies and dropped headlight bar really does set the scene. Looks like it stepped right out of HOP UP magazine.

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What a treat for me to see such period style Hot Rods, I have loved these as a teenager in England and I loved the style, color, and the stance of this Roadster really nice job, well done indeed.

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How can you not stop and look at this 53? I mean look how it sits, the chop? the Bumper? the paint, the rear end and Deep dish Sombrero’s, loved it all and so much work put into this ride.

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Quality work here on this 5 window Model A, very clean and 50’s styling hits the target by a bulls-eye, great look and color too. A lot of detail in this Coupe.

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How much fun would you have in this Flathead powered 1929 Roadster? I know I would, a great shop truck for sure, some awesome machines on display and so glad that we made the trip.

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I saw no information on this car but looks like a concept or Custom design from back in the day when features in HONK, Hop Up, Hot Rod and Rod & restyling were the dominant magazines.

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A lot of work, I think it may of been a 40 Convertable and then they went from there, so much work, would of liked some information on this build, if I find out I shall let everyone know on here.

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Another traditional Coupe, Unfendered and unchopped with Original Cal plates too, flatty powered with dual 97’s is a bit of California History for sure, wonder where this has been over the years?

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This looked to be a cut down coupe but sure had great lines to it and looks like the 24 stud Mill is dialed in, love to know a bit more about this ride too if any body knows, drop me a line.

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Who wouldn’t drive this Roadster around? My god it was so clean, fresh and just proportioned so well, fantastic creation that shows passion and creativity to its fullest Nice build you lot.

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Sorry for the blurry shot, too excited im afraid, but you would under stand if you came out to Ventura for this show as there is so much cool stuff to clap your eyes on here, Roll on 2018.

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The Color scheme worked out well on this, sits well and has a great rake to it, digging the lake style pipes and the long Stainless spear gives the body a really long flow, skirts were awesome.

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Yeah I have seen many Yellow coupes in the past but this really sat well on 16 inch Blackwalls and the Black 32 Grill set up was a great choice, Id love it and am sure you would too?

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So many great rides here, I would love to take ANY one of these back home to my place, I really did like the proportions of this 5 window and the Motor detailing really dig set this off from many.

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Right here, this was the Killer machine for me, look how sweet this Roadster is, I have always liked Blue, I built a flat Blue 29 roadster about 12 years ago, but this is right all over the place.

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Look at that, lovely eh? Belond headers, Canadian heads, Thickston high rise intake Manifold, Dual Carbs with whispering velocity stacks and check out that over flow tank too.

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Such a great Hot Rod, Crestliner steering wheel, 39 box with swan neck, Early Race gauges, Deco control switch panel was just something I could not stop looking at, so much was right on the money here.

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Sorry for the blurry photo, too excited I guess, what a wicked ride and would of loved to have seen this on the road as I bet it is a real fun jalopy to bimble about on the roads with.

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Another quality Channeled machine, right out of Rodders journal for me, awesome job on detail and loved the louvers in the hood and that dropped headlight bar sure is wicked, brilliant. I then realized it was a buddy of mines Roadster, Tom Branch from Pasadena, love the whole family and true Hot Rodders they go the whole 9 yards.

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Keith Weesner’s Roadster Many years ago, I was always amazed by this ride and loved seeing it at all the shows many years ago, it just had everything right about it and sat so well.

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Then unfortuantly a buddy of his was driving this to a show when someone hit him, hard- Sending Aaron into the air breaking his ribs and other injuries, the Roadster was in bad shape and so was aaron, but, pleased to say both repaired and to see this Roadster again after all this years, was almost a tear up moment.

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Well done Keith a brilliant machine and so stoked to see her back up and running again and looking a little more completed too, will always love this Hot Rod and this made my whole weekend seeing this Roadster.

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A superb job putting this all straight and getting this all back together, took time, patience, hard earned money and many many hours of labor but boy did it come out stunning, just real sweet.

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I looked out for Keith but he was busy running around being congratulated for sure to seeing his original Roadster now resurrected and back to be a driven Burbank Choppers Hot Rod.

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So, here it is all fixed and boy does it look a million dollars, I am truly stoked for your Keith and know that you smile every time you turn that key and hear that Flathead V8 fire back into life again.

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Saw this little 5 window Baking in the Sun in its Flat Black coat of paint, wasn’t until I looked at the photos I noticed it had a Cam shaft as a spreader bar, its all in the details eh?

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I didnt get as cool as a shot as I was hoping but this sure had a lot of work done and I had not seen this car before so had to take a shot, albeit it came out a little dark but nice to see.

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So many cars had flaked tops this year, great to see and people really have no idea on how hard it is to sand, mask and paint roofs, but loved looking at these on a sunny day here.

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From one flake ride to another that had the whole body sprayed with so much flake, I think it may of even reflected to the Sun and blinded it, this must of taken month to paint to this level.

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the devils in the Details and look how detailed and perfect this is, the lines across the hood to the fender line up just right, kudos to the painter and I hope a well deserved tip and crate of beer.

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More Low riders but this time in one of the halls that were located inside the fair grounds, a little more cooler but hell, the humidity was off the bloody hook in there.

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This Banana Painted 58 Impala was tricked out and had all the cool accessories of the day in it as well, you would not lose this in a parking lot thats for certain.

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How tough was this Merc? My mate Kevan Sledge builds wicked sleds like this and it reminded of my days hanging with the Shifters, this had a great look to it and I bet it looks great going down the highway as it just sat so nice on the ground.

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I have always loved Burgundy, mostly because the Fords had this color but it sure looks so fitting on this Bow tie, nice ride and has the old school accents of Appleton’s and Skirts to finish it off.

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I dig this Apache, I would just drive the 5 spokes off it as it right now, and still enough room for parts to throw in the bed, big strong Chevy Pick ups look great like this and the owner nailed it.

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What a colorful and cool line up of Rides here in one spot, so many great machines were parked all over the fair grounds and it was sweet to be able to get up so close and personal.

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Been a while since I have been to a show , where I have falling in love with so many rides, but there were so many cool builds this year and it was a thrill to be able to walk around and check them out this weekend, I really did have a great time checking everything out at Ventura.

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Blue skies, Palm trees, Great rides, cold beverages, and great music was the order of the day here and so much of it, this is no small show by any means and one of the friendliest too.

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Loved the work on this Pontiac, flows so well and the subtle antenna tunnel came out so well on the hood, I was very impressed with this car and was glad I took a photo to share with you lot.

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Little Flatty Powered Model T Roadster was sat here, Sun bathing in the Saturday sun, dont see too many T’s around these days and this look like a fun ride to Blap about in on weekends.

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Dont see too many wagons either, loved the pun on the Mothers name too. Probably the last time I clap my eyes on one of these as you really don’t seem them about on the roads any more.

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At least some of you lot found some shade to relax and kick back, we saw quite a few friends and was a great meeting place to just catch up on times gone by.

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So many great Pick Ups this year too, I loved this stepside with the little Monkey bike in the back, perfect set up for going to swap meets, this sat so well and was pretty darn straight too.

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Chevys and Palm tree’s, yup, we sure are in California and not a cloud in the sky, with a nice breeze from the Sea, made this show a big hit yet again, so many great Machines made the trip.

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There was also a few Barber shops on hand to give you a trim or a shave, and this 58 F150 looked really good sat in front of its Polished Airstream trailer that is turned into a Barber shop.

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There was plenty of customers and this was not the only barber shop here, such a fun place and a good Vibe by all, this made for a Brilliant event and hope you lot may make it next year?

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Check out this Little Bambi trailer, all decked out, get your hair cut or buy your Pomade, it was all good and friendly atmosphere, loved it all as I used to restore travel trailers in 2000.

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This one was another full on barber shop and business was good, I wish I had thought of this years ago when I restored these but great to see this being popular and thumbs up to everyone.

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That is one Happy Customer there sending love to me for taking the shot, These Airstreams are becoming quite popular and I hope to get one for the roadster one of these days.

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Support your barbers, its a great trade to have and what better way to get your Noggin freshened up than in one of these shiny time capsules, your head or beard will love you for it.

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Yep, this is the Ventura Nationals alright, cool Customs in California Sunshine by the beach.

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Wow, I took more photos than I thought, I have to stop for a while and rest my poor fingers from all this typing, but hope you have enjoyed at least some of the snaps I managed to take for you.

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Mind Blown, what a sweet ride, on the floor and is as smooth as a babies bum, loved the Gold Pearl and I am sure it was smooth to drive to Ventura as well, Love seeing all this in one place.

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Back side shot and so impressive to see, these really are true works of art, love the way they have laid the rear windshield back like Anthony Castaneda used to build, reminded me of that great guy.

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I see this truck a lot up by my warehouse in Norwalk, I think the fella is called danny and this must of been built 15-20 years ago and still going strong today, such a killer looking ride.

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The amount of cool rides this year was outstanding, the body work on these rides are so smooth, just many hours of sanding, filling, painting and of course sweating, trying to get the lines to flow.

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There were too many to have a favorite but I personally would of loved to have ANY one of these rides, look at this 53, I mean its so sweet, love the Stainless Trim and the tight bumper guard.

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Palm trees line the road into the show and Blue skies with a slight Sea Breeze was really welcomed, so much to see and a really cool Vibe with the Music going, food Cooking and people laughing, that stood out to me, as everyone was having a great time and enjoying this passion we have with old tin.

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Easy ups all over the place, people were all happy, and more than willing to chat about their ride etc, if you can get to this show out here in Ventura, you will really enjoy yourselves .

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You will be surprised as to how many vehicles are at this show, it winds itself around the 2 main Halls and spreads over the entire fairgrounds in all corners too, so much stuff to check out.

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The Big Guns sitting in the Grass look somewhat content to bask in the Sun, to the left was where Vendors were selling their wares and plenty to choose from and great to support them too.

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We spent quite some time walking about and taking in everything, met quite a few friends that I had not seen in a long time, thats another great thing about these shows, its an awesome place to chinwag with buddies from afar and see what they have been up too etc.

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Super nice Step Side that would make for one very cool Shop Truck- Parts Getter etc, I saw a lot of step sides this year, always great to see these work horses still on the tarmac.

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This Thunderbird reminded me of a Gene Winfield-Larry Watson styled Kustom, these cars are so comfortable to drive and it must of been such a nice Cruise on the way to the show in this.

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This was another head turner for me as so much work involved to get this ride to look as cool as it does now, I cant wait to see the Color scheme when all completed, thats a wowza!!!

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So many great Colors and wheel combinations, took this photo as we walked to the back part of the show, more tarmac there and even more vehicles to have a good look at and enjoy.

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Walked by Chevy Corner, Nice rides spread out all over the place and seemed like everybody was having a blast hanging out and meeting new friends in this part of the show grounds.

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Also a good thing about this event is some of these vehicles are for sale, and what better way to check a ride out to purchase than here, I saw many great machines available to buy.

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This was looking good and, by the color of the Dash , it could be painted a really deep Candy Purple and I am digging that,Love the tail lights, the rear trunck and Bumper set up on this.

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Come in Number 9, your time is up, this 5 window sits well and dorns an early 21 stud flatty for its mill, cool 50’s style Hot Rod thats was nice to see hanging out with everyone.

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Plenty of cool Fords to take a gander at as well, this hot day was getting hotter, but we nipped into the Hall to cool off and then came back out, the trick is to make sure you Hydrate here.

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Here is the Raffle Car, money goes towards the Children’s Project and a very worthy cause, I wonder who won this as it was stunning to see in its deep Blue paint, sweet ride for sure.

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To get this to have Suicide doors takes a lot of time and patience and this paid off big time, just look at the detail in this machine, although them Velocity stacks on that coupe is grabbing your eye too I am sure?

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Look from this side and even more great Custom Body work was achieved, so many hours in this car, I just had to stop for a bit and take it all in, Machete is a great title for the car.

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Take a look at this Roadster, thats sure is a sweet ride, sits well, awesome finish, show standard, but is that the owner? He is HUUGE!

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if you have a Dictionary by you, look up Bitching Kustom Coupe and I bet this ride pops up, what a wicked Kustom,whats not to like about this 5 window, even the color is right on the money.

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Just something about an Early Cadillac that turns my dial, the color also enhances its appeal too, how great would this be to cruise Route 66 and ride in pure style and comfort.

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This warrants another look but from the Arse end, look at those lines, the long swooping rear fenders to a small shark fin, the wrap around bumpers and huge trunk lid its just perfect for me.

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I love Blue Suede more than Carl Perkins and Elvis, and this owner does too, what a wicked low and sleek machine, this 2 door post looks like its a mile long, perfect roof chop too.

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More Teeth than Liberace, this Bow tie was Clean as a new washing machine, Desoto grills are a hard item to locate these days, nice to see a lot of traditional styling on the rides out there.

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Guys heading home and I am sure they had a really cool time at the Ventura Nationals, this is a fun place to come and visit, see if you lot can make it out here next year and say hello.

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Not too many Motorcycle this year but thats probably as Born Free was only on a few weeks earlier, but, what was on show here were really cool, check out the finned gas tank.

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This was the show stopper for me, what a wicked Trumpy, loved everything about this machine, reversed head is a nice touch and the dump tube exhaust is Killer.

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Another great Bobber, Triumphs really do make great Custom machines and this has a ton of work too, great to see these here and they got a lot of attention parked up here.

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Always dig these machines and hard to find these days, I wanted one of these as a kid but out of my price range back then and sweet to see here in Ventura with the other cool Motorcycles.

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This years show was superb, Jennifer even found some very cool Tropical flower head pieces at one booth.

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Check out some of the cool hand made flower accessories that this Booth makes and sells and all from California as well.  I took a few snaps just to show how very detailed these accessories were and worth the money, these are not easy to make.

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Below is some photos I took as this show is for everyone, so only fair that the Girls get a look at some of the stuff available at the Ventura nationals event.

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See how detailed they are, very Tropical and as Jennifer is Hawaiian, this really suits her and love to see ANY Polynesian art or crafts that has that 50’s styling and this was certainly it.

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The One above is the style Jennifer liked, so she bought that and I like the fact that these are hand made and really exotic, none of that cheap paper stuff from Taiwan.

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So next year, bring ya Girlie out as there were all sorts of things from clothes to bags to Sun Glasses, something for everyone and I know you would all enjoy the shows Vendors here.

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One of my best buddies and one of the first guys I met when I moved to these great shores in 2000, Patrick has always been cool and loves everyone, he was running the Splinter Nationals and a fun thing to get into, Love ya Pat.

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Cant go without seeing this Original Roadster thats been in a few movies back in the day, so cool to see this, what a wicked find this must of been to get it as the original Hot Rod.

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Would of loved to have heard this Roadster fire up, I have seen the movies and even had a few lobby cards of this Roadster back in the Uk in the early 1980’s, who’d of thought I would be seeing this in the flesh, such a bitchin machine and so glad we attended the show.

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So, we left the building and headed for home, what a great Saturday we had, saw so many great cars and Motorcycles, awesome vendors and met super cool people, so until next time.

We head home on the freeway and look forward to the next show in a years time, hope that you can make it as well. Thanks for reading my Blog, hope that you enjoyed it?

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