From the Blackhawk Museum...
From the Blackhawk Museum we headed south over the San Francisco Bay via the San Mateo Bridge. Our destination was the offices of The Rodder’s Journal where we were greeted by advertising sales and marketing coordinator Chasity Smith. Chasity had posters and goodie bags for us while providing us with a peak at a photo session being readied for a future poster.
After checking in at our hotel near the San Francisco airport it was a very short drive to the office and studios of The Rodders Journal. We were greeted by Chasity Smith and the staff at The Rodder’s Journal. Chasity gave us a look at the photo studio where many of the photos seen on the pages of the magazine are taken. We were also able to get an up-close look at a very early version of a SO-CAL Speed Shop lakes roadster owned by Dave Tanimura. It had just arrived for a special photo shoot. On the way out of the lot we filled the area with our cars and a picture was taken to commemorate our visit at The Rodder’s Journal.
By 5 p.m. we were headed to the shop of Roy Brizio. Roy greeted us in the parking lot and took time to look at our vehicles and to answer the many questions that were posed by the Road Tour participants. We were then able to take a walk through the shop and look at all of the projects under construction. Roy and the Brizio crew are always great hosts whenever we visit and we spent almost two hours at the shop. Gary Matranga from Sherm’s Custom Plating stepped up and covered the cost of the 20 very delicious pizzas that were delivered for everyone to enjoy. By the end of the day on Tuesday we were all very exhausted but very happy as we had already visited some of the most amazing automotive facilities on the West Coast and we were only on day two of the Sherm’s Custom Plating Tour.
After a very exciting day...
After a very exciting day on the Sherm’s Custom Plating Tour we had a relaxing evening at our hotel on the waterfront in Oakland. The next morning we had a moment to pose for a family portrait down by the water.
Wednesday’s drive took us south on Highway 1 along the coast of California. We arrived at the Santa Cruz Pier in time to enjoy some lunch. With 30 of the Road Tour vehicles lined up along the pier’s edge we took some photos with the Santa Cruz Amusement Park in the background. From Santa Cruz it was a very short drive to Scott’s Valley and the facilities of Bruce Canapa Design. This amazing facility includes a retail automotive showroom filled with classic cars, sports cars, and hot rods that were all for sale. Bruce greeted us and led the group to the museum upstairs and then through the complete restoration facilities that are housed on the premises. Bruce Canapa Design is a first-class operation that builds, services, and sells high-end special interest vehicles and covers the entire range of the automotive collector hobby. Wednesday evening was spent at our hotel in Pacific Grove as we recounted yet another fantastic day on the Sherm’s Custom Plating Tour.
We had a great Wednesday evening in Monterey and by Thursday morning it was time to get to Bakersfield and our destination of the California Hot Rod Reunion. My wife, Mary Ann, had flown into San Francisco and it was fun to have her along for the rest of the tour. We did have one more visit and it turned out to be a fantastic one. Don Orosco has been a hot rodder his entire life. He has raced exotic sports cars and continues to do so around the world. About 20 years ago he began to actively seek out and purchase hot rods that had a significant history in our hobby. His goal was to restore these vehicles to their original hot rod beginnings and to preserve their place in our hot rodding history. As with most of the things that Don has set out to do in his life, he has been very successful in his quest to find and restore these iconic cars.
The Blackhawk Museum in Danville...
The Blackhawk Museum in Danville houses one the most prestigious collections of classic automobiles in the world. The director asked if we would like to park our vehicles and take a picture in the fountain area in front of the museum. Duh!
Our first stop on Tuesday...
Our first stop on Tuesday was at famous motorcycle builder Arlen Ness facility. It serves as a showcase for the Ness line of motorcycles and accessories. The second floor is home to the museum that traces the history of Arlen Ness and the motorcycle that made him a legend.
From the Blackhawk Museum...
From the Blackhawk Museum we headed south over the San Francisco Bay via the San Mateo Bridge. Our destination was the offices of The Rodder’s Journal where we were greeted by advertising sales and marketing coordinator Chasity Smith. Chasity had posters and goodie bags for us while providing us with a peak at a photo session being readied for a future poster.