Special "feature car" coverage of this weekends Goodguys show in Pleasanton, California

The Tri-Valley Classic Chevy Club put on a great local car show at the Dublin Bowling Alley. Big variety of cars, lotsa' Raffle Prizes, and a live band. I'm definitely coming back next year!

BilletProof is one of those shows that you walk away saying "That was cool!". The show has a little bit of everything represented; Rat Rods, Traditional Rods, Customs, Old Drag Cars, Vintage Cars, Motorcycles and more. Add to that the laid back family atmosphere, the car club BBQs, and the live band. Yep, BilletProof 2008 was "cool"!

Motorcycles and more. Add to that the laid back family atmosphere, the car club BBQs, and the live band. Yep, BilletProof 2008 was "cool"!

Every year before the BIG Goodguys West Coast Nationals in Pleasanton, Goodguys puts together the “Hot Rod Week” where, each day Rodder’s gather in the morning and head off for a tour of some of the local rod shops. One day may cover the North Bay, the next day the Peninsula, etc. On August 20th we all headed south on Highway 17 to Canepa Designs. Now Lynne and I left in about the middle of the pack, and it was quit a sight to see all these Street Rods & Hot Rods mingling amongst the early morning rush our traffic. We all climbed the windy road up into the Santa Cruz Mountains until we reached Scotts Valley and pulled into Canepa’s huge facility. We all piled into the main showroom at the front of the building where we “ooh’d and aah’d” over Ferrari F40s, famous old Hot Rods, restored Muscle Cars, and the list goes on! Then it was announced that there would be a tour of the “museum” up stairs. There’s a museum up stairs? Well, the first car inside the hall up stairs was the Greer/Black/Prudohme sling shot dragster. Cool, I like this museum already. The rest of the room was full of cool rods, and famous racecars. Then a walk out the back door on to a catwalk (above the shop floor). WOW! This place is huge! There’s about 6 Porsche 959’s down there, and I count about three-gull wing Mercedes Benz! Ferrari GTOs, GTP cars, even a McLaren. What an awesome shop!

Next it was a trip down Highway One to a shop in Monterey. Don Orosco’s shop has turned out some award winning cars, including some Pebble’s Beach winners! Between what pulled-up out front, and what Don had in his stables, there was plenty of eye candy everywhere! Every corner of this shop had some interesting bits & pieces in it! For the few of us who wondered back to the “storage rack” room, all you could do was stand there with dropped jaw and wondered how many days it would take you to go through all the boxes.

This is the second year I’ve done the Rod Shop Tour thing, and it won’t be the last! Lynne and I plan to add at least one day of the “Hot Rod Week” to our busy August schedule every year! Special thanks to Canepa Design, and Don Orosco for opening the doors for all us rodders, and to Goodguys for making it happen each year. What did I do today? I had a great time!

the local rod shops. One day may cover the North Bay, the next day the Peninsula, etc. On August 20th we all headed south on Highway 17 to Canepa Designs. Now Lynne and I left in about the middle of the pack, and it was quit a sight to see all these Street Rods & Hot Rods mingling amongst the early morning rush our traffic. We all climbed the windy road up into the Santa Cruz Mountains until we reached Scotts Valley and pulled into Canepa’s huge facility. We all piled into the main showroom at the front of the building where we “ooh’d and aah’d” over Ferrari F40s, famous old Hot Rods, restored Muscle Cars, and the list goes on! Then it was announced that there would be a tour of the “museum” up stairs. There’s a museum up stairs? Well, the first car inside the hall up stairs was the Greer/Black/Prudohme sling shot dragster. Cool, I like this museum already. The rest of the room was full of cool rods, and famous racecars. Then a walk out the back door on to a catwalk (above the shop floor). WOW! This place is huge! There’s about 6 Porsche 959’s down there, and I count about three-gull wing Mercedes Benz! Ferrari GTOs, GTP cars, even a McLaren. What an awesome shop!

Next it was a trip down Highway One to a shop in Monterey. Don Orosco’s shop has turned out some award winning cars, including some Pebble’s Beach winners! Between what pulled-up out front, and what Don had in his stables, there was plenty of eye candy everywhere! Every corner of this shop had some interesting bits & pieces in it! For the few of us who wondered back to the “storage rack” room, all you could do was stand there with dropped jaw and wondered how many days it would take you to go through all the boxes.

This is the second year I’ve done the Rod Shop Tour thing, and it won’t be the last! Lynne and I plan to add at least one day of the “Hot Rod Week” to our busy August schedule every year! Special thanks to Canepa Design, and Don Orosco for opening the doors for all us rodders, and to Goodguys for making it happen each year. What did I do today? I had a great time!

Not only is this show FREE! They feed you lunch too! Special thanks to the Redwood Christian School staff for all thier hard work. Fun show!

Once again, I've done this event in what I call "Feature Car Coverage" where I walk around a favorite car and shoot several pictures of it. So there's lots of photos here!

Lynne & I take a day trip up to Reno to see H.A.N.

Ok, Ok, so I called in sick and took off for the day with a bunch of Hot Rodders! And had a great time! The Goodguys Rod Shop Tour on Wednesday featured a bunch of shops in the North Bay that I had never heard of before so I decided to tag along. Saw some cool stuff, meet some great people!

never heard of before so I decided to tag along. Saw some cool stuff, meet some great people!

A gathering of good old fashion Hot Rods!

Went with the Golden Gate Goats to this High School car show in Redwood City and had a great time.

The GoodGuys show this weekend was another good one! I think you'll see from my photos there was a HUGE VARIETY of cars! Saturday started out dark and overcast but blue sky prevailed the rest of the weekend, with Saturday being the busiest day. Enjoy the photos...

weekend, with Saturday being the busiest day. Enjoy the photos...

Eric, Lynne & I take time out to visit the Petersen Auto Museum in L.A. and then take a walk down the Blvd. to the La Braea tar pits! The special exhibitions in the museum includes a look at "CARS" the movie, "Lowriders", and "60 years of NASCAR". Hope you enjoy the photos.

the movie, "Lowriders", and "60 years of NASCAR". Hope you enjoy the photos.

Good friends and fellow "Gear Heads" gather at the Blackhawk Museum to check out the Ed "Big Daddy" Roth display!

When I went outside the Rowell Ranch Rodeo Parade was being staged by my house, then it was off to San Lorenzo to check out the car show at Arroyo High School, then I went by Woodcrafters in Dublin to sit-in-on a Table Saw seminar (but don't worry, I didn't photograph that), then home to play with the latest "foster dog" named Popi.

sit-in-on a Table Saw seminar (but don't worry, I didn't photograph that), then home to play with the latest "foster dog" named Popi.

Some of the cars in the West Coast Nationals Winner Circle.