The West Coast Primer Nationals - The Primer Nationals

The death of the lowbrow kustom show? That's how it seemed when 2008 began. What with the demise of the West Coast Kustom's legendary Paso Robles show and its move to Santa Maria, and the inevitable growth from a homegrown get-together to the thousands of cars now gathering at the Viva Las Vegas show, it seemed these low-key get-togethers of years past have all but died out. Shows like Billetproof and the annual Mooneyes Xmas Party have also ballooned to numbers seemingly astronomical to those early attendees. But never fear, we still have shows like the West Coast Primer Nationals--held on Labor Day weekend for the last six years in Ventura, California--holding it down and providing a haven for those of us whose blood bleeds all that is traditional hot rodding, customs, and motorcycles, and that kulture to which it comes.

Yet while the Primer Nats has seen continual growth over the past six years, the careful selection of what gets in and what stays outside the gates of the fairgrounds has helped to keep it from growing into another massive, muscle car-laden street rod event. And though we don't fault any other shows in particular, it is nice to see a bit of "crowd control," even if it is limited to those of the wheeled variety.

We took a little road trip up the coast this past August to see if the Primer Nats had stayed true to the vision that put them on the map a few short years back, and are happy to report that the show is going strong with the quality of cars and entertainment ever-growing, as well as the motorcycles that have been showing up in numbers stronger every year. Put on by only a few diehard enthusiasts, with the crew of Trophy Queen at the helm, it's grown from a single day show to a weekend-long happening, much like the Paso we remember. With an atmosphere that's both mellow in temperature and attitude, it's a great respite from the Southern California summer and all that which it can bring.

This chopped and channeled...        read full caption This chopped and channeled maroon Model A coupe sports an Eddie Meyer-equipped Flathead, lakes headers, and an engine-turned firewall.	Another neat '40s custom....        read full caption Another neat '40s custom. Can you tell the make?	Bellflower tips aren't the...        read full caption Bellflower tips aren't the only custom modification the back end of this Olds received.
It doesn't get much better...        read full caption It doesn't get much better than a custom '36 Ford done in a '40s Westergard style. Full skirts, custom hood sides, and a Cad La Salle grille complete the look.	"In the weeds" was a literal...        read full caption "In the weeds" was a literal description for this scalloped Fleetside Chevy.	This Model A roadster had...        read full caption This Model A roadster had many dirt track and dry lakes themes, from the tires to the tonneau cover to the track nose and front nerf bar.
Homer Henderson kicked off...        read full caption Homer Henderson kicked off the entertainment Saturday morning and the music didn't stop until the awards ceremony that afternoon. Southern Culture on the Skids belted out the tunes for the lunchtime crowd.	Devoid of any unnecessary...        read full caption Devoid of any unnecessary trim, this shaved Suburban sucked the whitewall-shod steelies deep into its fenders for a super low stance.
One seriously slammed Lincoln!...        read full caption One seriously slammed Lincoln! The massive chop job exaggerates the slab sides and belies the fact that the hardtop is only waist-high.	One of the coolest Deuce coupes...        read full caption One of the coolest Deuce coupes to be built in some time is Jack Carroll's Flathead-powered 5-window.	Scallops, metalflake, and...        read full caption Scallops, metalflake, and fade paint jobs were a popular theme at the show.
	Did somebody say motorcycles?...        read full caption Did somebody say motorcycles? Everything from traditional choppers to vintage road racers to dirt track bikes showed up.
		You don't see too many Hudson...        read full caption You don't see too many Hudson pickups.
	Ever get to the show and think,...        read full caption Ever get to the show and think, "Darn it, I knew I shoulda got my hair done yesterday"? Well, if you were at the Primer Nats, Pin-ups hair design could have sorted you out on the spot.