happy holidays

Happy Holidays to you and your families and thank you for the support! See you on the road...

outtake in the green

Rolls & Pleats Magazine doesn't need an introduction. Editor Jerry Desvaux does an incredible job in cranking out a quality independent mag for years even though he had to go from a quarterly publication schedule to once a year. I just stumbled across this image I had taken for the feature of my Chevy Coupe in issue #39 and since it's one of my favorite and previously unpublished photos of this car I thought it might be worth posting.

the scott miller roadster

I must admit I was feeling a little bit depressed when I got that e-mail message from RodShows.com with the suggestion to pre-order my ticket for the upcoming Grand National Roadster Show 2014. It's not only because I realized that I got one year older since the last one. It's more because I won't be able to attend the show. So, in order to celebrate my melancholy, I dug through my old GNRS 2013 pictures. And there was one or another car that was capable to brighten my mood. One of them was this 1929 roadster, a fresh build by Scott Miller from Pasadena, California. On its display sign it mostly says Hot Rod. And actually there isn't much more to say about this car other than it's simply a perfect Hot Rod. It isn't perfect in a sense of boringly perfect. It is perfect in a way that makes you wonder if he didn't do any mistakes at all. And that alone can be a pretty depressing insight. Oh well, there's that melancholic feeling again.

the other kind of snow

Even though I took this picture at 100° degrees Fahrenheit, it doesn't feel out of place around this time of year. Have a nice winter weekend.

bonneville memories

Hallowed Ground it is for sure. I will never forget the three days I spent on the Salt this summer. And I'm glad that I was able to distill my experience into two stories for the Smokin' Shutdown Hot Rod Yearbook. But since I probably took a couple dozen pictures more, there are still some outtakes left that I'm gonna post on LOWTECH once in a while. Here are some of my favorites.

a smokin' yearbook

(Cover shot of Schaub Metalworks Coupe © Franz Venzin)

The Berlin, Germany based Hot Rod magazine »Smokin' Shutdown« has been around for a while. 13 years to be exact. Since then, the hot rod publishing world has changed a little bit... new mags showed up, others disappeared. »Smokin' Shutdown« is still going strong which is quite a feat for a printed independent publication in a corporate social media world. Editor and driving force behind the mag is Thom Piston. And for the latest issue, he decided to turn the magazine into a heavy, high quality hardcover book with 248 pages. The result is impressive to say the least. The stories take the reader on a hot rod journey around the world, with stopovers in California, the UK, Switzerland, Germany and even Indonesia. Car features, artist profiles and event coverages make for an entertaining trip. There's some extraordinary eyecandy, too – no cars involved – to spice things up even more. The book's focus is the photography and I feel honored that I was asked to contribute some of my work. You can find a preview here and/or order your copy here. Don't wait for too long since Christmas is right around the corner. And the book is limited to 1000 copies only. 

the flying goose

It seems like lately there's no shortage of hot rod and custom related movie clips. You see a lof of great editing, clever camera work and amazing stuff that's being brought to our attention. But only once in a while you discover a true jewel. Just like »The Flying Goose«, a short clip by Frank Glencairn about Swedish-German hot rod builder Gustav Widegren and his Ford Speedster. No fancy tricks, no wild angles, no punk rock. Sometimes it's just about a good story, well told.

LOWTECH – The California Issue #1: preview 4

If this photo needed a cheesy caption, it would probably say: A night to remember. And it indeed was a night to remember. I was on the way back from a camping trip to Yosemite when I decided to do a stop over in the Orcutt area on the Central Coast of California. My good friend Mark Garza had invited us for a surf session the next day and when we arrived the afternoon before, Mark greeted us with a big smile. It wasn't just that he was so glad to see us but he also had a brilliant idea: How about talking some friends into driving their cars to the beach? Well, this probably doesn't sound too exciting to you. But when I tell you that "cars" implies kustom cars and those kustom cars consisted of a 1946 Ford, a 1959 Chevy Wagon and a trio of Mercurys you'll start to get the picture. And if you know that Pismo Beach, which is only a short drive away from Orcutt, happens to be one of the last beaches of the West Coast where you can actually drive your car on the beach... Now you know that a kustom photographer's dream came true that night.

This is another photo preview from my book LOWTECH – The California Issue #1. Get your copy here.

happy thanksgiving

Maybe it's a killer 1956 Nomad. Maybe it's a fresh set of Supremes. Or maybe it's just cruising down a stretch of open road in the sunset. There's always a reason to be thankful for.

future world

In a time not far away, a terrible computer virus will take possession of modern plastic cars, causing a quick and sure death to Priuses, Sentras, Camrys and Accords, while traditional custom cars and hot rods are gonna roam the empty streets and highways.

LOWTECH – The California Issue #1: preview 3

It seems like the first copies of my book LOWTECH – The California Issue #1 are showing up in mailboxes all over planet hot rod. And judging from the feedback I got so far I'm more than happy. I'm also happy to announce the opening of my own little webstore. So, feel free to order your copy here and I'll ship it from a regular post office to your door step. Might also be a little bit cheaper for some european orders. Thank you!

bob the hot rod builder

Hot rodding was in full swing when Bob Hill Senior founded the ACES Car Club in 1952. During the 1960s, the members' activities slowed down and finally lead to the end of the club. The end of the club? Not really.

Some sunny afternoon in the 1990s, Bob Hill Junior was talking to Dana Harvey about his dad's life as a hot rodder. Based on this chapter of the Hill family history and fueled by their mutual interest in traditional hot rods, Bob and Dana decided to resurrect the ACES car club.

Since then, you'll meet Bob almost every day at his garage in San Clemente, California. And even though all the hot rods he ever built were drivers, he prefers building over driving. Not that he wouldn't like to drive them but he's just too busy working at his shop, chasing new projects, or hunting down parts for current and future builds. 

And boy he builds them fast. One finished hot rod project per year is almost an understatement.

Many of the hot rods Bob builds leave the U.S. and carry the torch over to other continents.

So, if you make it to San Clemente and you drive by his shop, chances are good you'll witness Bob in the middle of a fresh hot rod build.

And he'll be happy to tell you one or another story from his family's hot rod heritage.

LOWTECH – The California Issue #1: preview 2

In case you're still not entirely sure if you should buy a copy of LOWTECH – The California Issue #1, here's another preview for you. I just had to include this car in my book as it is one of my all-time favorite 1934 Ford Coupes. It was built by Dustin Odbert with the help of his dad Garry and it perfectly embodies the timeless combination of speed and style, thanks to a 365 cubic inch Cadillac engine together with many clever styling clues from GM's finest.

Next week, I'll have my BigCartel web store up and running but if you want to order your copy in the meantime, you can either shoot me an E-Mail or get it right here, right now.

palos verdes profiles

I love profile shots. You may have noticed that already. Even when I was a kid, I always used to draw cars in profile. I just think it's the best and only way to really appreciate a car's lines, the stance, and attitude. No wonder I almost couldn't believe my luck during the Palos Verdes Hot Rod Cruise #2 when every participating car was parked parallel to the street with the Pacific Ocean as a backdrop. Can you dig it?

LOWTECH – The California Issue #1: preview 1

First, I want say a big Thank You to everyone who already placed on order for my first magazine / coffee table book »LOWTECH – The California Issue #1«. I also took a bunch of copies to the Kustom Shakedown last weeekend and every single one of them already was pre-ordered and sold even before I made it there. So today, I want to deliver on my promise of posting a preview once in a while. And since this Saturday, the ACES Poker Run is gonna disturb the peace at beautiful Trabuco Canyon, today is the perfect moment to show this spread with photos from last year's Poker Run.

As for now, you can order your copy here. In two weeks it'll also be available through my own online store. Stay tuned and thanks again!

kustom shakedown #1

What a weekend! Whodathunk that an indoor car show can be so much fun? Maybe it was so good because it was the first time they did it? And in a few years everyone's gonna complain that the show grew too big and it all sucks because there are too many people and not enough portapotties and the beer is too warm and too expensive and the food is too greasy? Well, I don't care right now. We had a killer weekend and it all began on a Friday night.

Actually it all began a couple of months ago when several European car clubs received an invitation to bring their cars to the Kustom Shakedown, a new indoor car show. It seems like a lot of them liked the idea and so this past Friday they brought their rides to the little village that is Roggwil, Switzerland.

Friday afternoon, car after car showed up at the gates. Hot rods, mild kustoms, wild kustoms, choppers and bobbers got directed to their spots in the old industrial building and it soon turned into some kind of familiy reunion since we met so many familiar faces.

The old buildings together with some tricky lighting made for a great looking backdrop. But it also gave the photographers a hard time all weekend long since it still was quite dark. So, in case you were wondering about all the weird camera angles I chose... now you know why.

The Kustom Shakedown was a true car club gathering. You could see cars and bikes from the Aces, the Crazy Cruisers, the Draggers, the Flakers, the Fisters, the Lake Cruisers, the Road Devils, the Rumblers, the Shoplifters, and many more.

The Draggers from Munich, Germany, showed up with a whole bunch of killer rides.

Jacek from the Rumblers Ruhrpott chapter brought his unchopped model A coupe, driven by his girl Alex all the way from Germany... 500 miles one way, at night in the pouring rain and with no wipers!

Frank got the Best Of Show award for his super clean and super black deuce roadster.

Schrothi from the german ACES chapter brought his beautiful 1927 t roadster.

And here we got Klaus' bike next to his Chevy Coupe hot rod.

Another one of my favorites was this '63 Buick Le Sabre with a funky paintjob masterfully applied by its owner Oli of the Flakers. Wanna see more? Click here, please.