West Coast Eastwood #42
Welcome to the 42nd edition of West Coast Eastwood’s West Coast Report. This time around the focus will be on Hot August Nights held in Reno, Nevada. HAN as it’s often abbreviated is one of the most expansive events a participant can attend and consequently an absolute nightmare for journalists attempting to cover it all. In past years I drove the 1,000 mile round trip, so for a change of pace for 2014 I jumped on a plane. Waiting in line to board the Southwest jet at John Wayne a guy behind me mentioned my camera gear and asked if I was headed to cover Hot August Nights. I turned to say yes, for Street Rodder and the guy standing there was a dead ringer for Mick Jagger.
— John Gilbert
Hot August Nights started in 1986 as tribute to rock ‘n roll with a major concert held at the Reno Sparks Convention Center, it was only natural the event grew into a celebration of America’s love affair with cars and rock n’ roll.
Mick Adams, the rock n’ roll musician that looked like Mick Jagger was headed towards the Nugget to meet up with his band The Stones. In a totally American accent without any affectations Mick told me he was in a Rolling Stones tribute band, and he led a pretty normal life except for two-hours in any town on any given night he got to be Mick Jagger. A lifelong musician forty-years ago Mick was the lead singer with Bo Donaldson and the Heywoods singing Billy don’t be a Hero. http://www.mickadamsaandthestones.com
Adam’s polishes (not related to Mick Jagger impersonator Mick Adams) one of HAN’s sponsors had a booth outside in the Show N’ Shine at the GSR (Grand Sierra Resort) while Mothers had their B-J crew working hard getting vehicles ready to cross the block looking as sharp as possible.
Mothers’ B-J detailing crew went to great lengths to tape off stripes and leading edges that could be burnt through with a polisher.
Faux is a fancy word for fake. That said, the fake wood painted on this 1954 Chevy Suburban looked real good. Good enough to rake in $36,300 when it crossed the block.
Rarely seen in Canada these days but not hard to find examples in California. The Ford F-1’s Canadian cousin, this 1950 (Lot 410) M47 Mercury sold for $29,700.
Not a bad little truck for $55,000 this hemp green ’40 Ford was lot 420.
Bling-bling wheels set off this otherwise traditionally trimmed ’59 Chevy small-window shortbed. Lot 120 it sold for $16,500
Lot 373 Whoever bought this 1950 GMC ½ ton 3-window shortbed for $17,600 got a smoking hot deal.
Lot 40 This bike was on the cover of Easyriders’ hardcore sister title Biker magazine. It was almost legalized theft the bike sold for a mere $7,700.
I knew it looked familiar I was the guy that wrote the story about this bike. I also got a chance to ride the Rubbertail when I rode out to San Berdoo to interview its owner.
Lot 67 a 1978 Chevy C10 Silverado shortbed for $9,570 was a smoking deal for this truck. I think the seller would have seen a better price if he removed the heartbeat graphics… I’ve done it, its a slow process.
Lot 378 At $25,300. this listed as a ’58 Chevy (had ‘’59 Apache side emblems and a shaved hood) shortbed Fleetside Big-Window was worth the money it brought. The funny thing it was B-J listed as an original 4×4 which meant it would have been a NAPCO but there was no mention of NAPCO anywhere.
This string of good old trucks was hauled in from North of the San Francisco Bay by a group of friends that flip classic trucks as a hobby.
What a coincidence this 1959 Ford F-100 was Lot 59. A great bunch of guys from the Petaluma, CA. area had a whole row of trucks including this ’59 that sold for a whopping $34,100. Notice the B-J formula of wide whites, a Barrett-Jackson fence around the bed and a shop sign painted on the doors sells an old truck every time.
Lot 34 Ignore the hokey chrome plastic hubcaps this ’70 GMC with 69,000 original miles was the steal of the Century, it sold for $5,170.
Here’s a good example of a bad graphic design. Notice how the non OEM style pinstripes make the area around the door handle and gas cap appear cluttered.
Is this chop-top ’63 Chevy C10 wazoo pro-streeted or what? Lot 403 it sold for $37,400. That’s good money for a truck with a very limited market.
Fresh from winning the 2014 Ridler award JF Launier’s 1964 Buick Riviera “Rivision.”
Although slightly over the top for most folks taste this owner built winner exhibited stunning craftsmanship.
Third pedal: Note the Chevy powered Buick Riviera sports a stick-shift transmission. JF wasn’t afraid to drive the one-off Buick it was spotted allover town the entire week.
This aqua ’41 Ford coupe is a great example of a year-model design that didn’t receive proper acclaim because it was overshadowed by the previous year’s model.
Built in KCMO the Ultra Van motorhome was Corvair powered. Note this Ultra Van owner’s subtle use of color accentuates the square house style windows and must really make one feel at home on the road.
Originally used for mobile repair this ’53 Chevy panel once belonged to a local TV repairman. I’m sure you East Coast guys noticed how rust free Nevada’s arid climate has preserved this truck.
Loving hands at home, I’d say the homemade wood tailgate and bed lid are tackier than a 10-pack of Uncle Wally’s Wunder-Stick flypaper. But there’s no denying the truck’s owner is a good woodworker.
“Let’s get sloshed and go surfboard fishing.” Beach Bar Rum must have been sampling its own product when they decided wood was needed to accentuate the sides of this ’56 Chevy wagon.
Full-on mini-trucker style describes Craig Johnson’s radically chopped Chevy C10 shortbed. Craig owns Crazy Kids Crazy Paint & Customs in Evanston, Wyoming… that truck is just crazy, crazy, crazy. ’61 Buick Invicta taillights.
There’s no mistaking a Downs ’37 Ford Ute. Maybe it should be mentioned pearl orange flames in contrast with a candy cobalt blue exterior are a prime example of how complimentary colors can tastefully accentuate even the most bulbous of forms.
Here’s Bubba’s really clean 1957 GMC big-window 4×4. I don’t think this was a NAPCO built truck more like a 4×4 Blazer chassis graft.
A really neat feature about how most every casino in Reno sets up for HAN is to include a cruise route right through the show ‘n shine area.
Somewhere there’s a tractor missing its nose.
I once featured this GMC Suburban in Custom Classic Trucks. Built to tow its on a late-model platform complete with a big-block engine.
This super pretty ’60 Chevy Impala can make an old man’s mouth water and a dog’s tail wag.
Here’s South Coast Supply’s ’56 Ford flatbed. They’re in Huntington Beach and Los Alamitos, California.
The HAN booth stationed at the GSR show ‘n shine.
In consideration of the accelerated diuretic state one experiences after consuming beer the folks at Coors provided ample mobile restroom facilities to accommodate the need. Plus they have a really neat resto-rod panel truck.
The folks from Waterloo were showing off their new line of custom toolboxes that can be customized with the image of one’s choice. Notice the Buick?
A crewcab Model T flatbed, what more can be said?
This ’65 Ford Galaxie drove in from Antioch, California.
This Vancouver Island, BC. built COE motorhome with its over the top craftsmanship deserved its spot among the 25 contenders for the Barrett-Jackson cup.
A beautiful ’59 Corvette on the streets of downtown Reno during HAN.
Is this Eastwood Rat Rod Black on this ’32 Ford highboy roadster?
I just shot it, look for Bob McCoy’s ’74 Chevy C10 in an upcoming edition of Classic Trucks.
As a rule I’m not a big fan of four-door sedans, but I really dug this ’55 Chevy Bel-Air Quattro-handled saloon.
Notice the ’54 Corvette right front fender at left. This T-bird was the ultimate Swiss Army knife of Ford produced cars and that’s including the ’57-59 Ford retractable hardtops.
Street Rodder’s Tim Bernsau shooting a ’32 Ford coupe for its Top 100 pick. Here’s a link to the story http://www.streetrodderweb.com/events/1408_hot_august_nights_2014_street_rodder_top_100/
Notice the 1300 emblem? That’s how the Canadian equivalent of an American Chevy 3100 was designated. This truck was bought new in BC and still lives in the same town.
Having trouble backing up your truck because you can’t see where you’re going? Put a window in the tailgate and your troubles are over.
A super sano ’32 Ford highboy roadster at the GSR show ‘n shine.
I can’t speak for other states, but 20-30 years ago there used to be a lot of shortened cars running around in California and most of them were ’57 Chevy wagons… also VW vans and buses.
Here’s the first car we saw cross the block at Barrett-Jackson after we ate an extraordinary meal in the press room.
This radical roadster was on the cover of B-J’s Reno 2014 brochure.
Where do they find this rare stuff, this is a ’69 Yenko Camaro.
Look for this Sparks based ’57 Chevy pickup in an upcoming edition of Classic Trucks.
This artist really knows her cars… Except for what a Lancia Stratos looks like.