Check all fluids, wash the car, polish the rims, check tire pressures, vacuum the interior, and make any last adjustments to ensure that your trip will be successful. What am I talking about? The car show, of course! When one comes to town, you best be prepared to make it there, come hell or high water.
Now, I have always had the feeling that the shortage of a place to sit, the crowds of people, the lack of shade, and the expense of it all-especially when you add in entrance fees and a bite to eat-would mean that the average car show would begin to lose its appeal. You practically need a show map or a program just to find your favorite section of cars. Like you, we are tried and true car guys who want cars without all the filler. Weighing in those factors, we were ready for something new and innovative, so when we got buzz of a car show in a not-so-common place, we were all for it.
This wasn't the average show put on by sponsors or a huge budget. No, it was a small gathering that's been gaining in popularity through Steve's Nova Site Forum (stevesnovasite.com). Forum members decided that they wanted to be rid of the customary show, to break away from the norm and try something new with a bit more attention to the cars and the people behind them. This time the packed parking lot, the scarcity of shade, the show map, and the hoards of people were completely absent. What better location to have the car show than on a small neighborhood street? That's right, the 3rd annual SoCal Nova BBQ kicked off the festivities on a forum member's very own street. No one was battling for a parking spot, and everyone seemed to know everyone else. It was like a small community, a close-knit family where even the strangers were welcome to hang out.
If you didn't think a full-blown car show is possible on a neighborhood street, think again. The forum members are definitely onto something here, and it may be starting a trend. We like the event so much that we covered it-showing you what was there and that the idea of creating a fun-filled "car" show was still alive.
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We headed East on the 210 freeway toward San Bernardino, taking it nice and easy in the 10
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Following close behind was Steve Rowley in his '64 Chevy II sedan. Obviously a project in
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During our long trek into San Bernardino, the combination of sweltering heat and the susta
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As a group, we pulled off the freeway to gather our bearings. We went over the directions
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ill and Roxanne Kress' Red '63 Super Sport caught our eye. At first glance, you'd never ex
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Bench seats and a 408ci small-block generating 538 hp just scream coolness. Ed Kaatz's '66
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...and drag shocks all around. The TCI Turbo 350 transmission with a 3,800-stall converter
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This slammed '66 sled owned by Tony Causor features a CPP front mini subframe kit with an
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The love for early Nova Wagons is alive and kicking! An entire row was dedicated to them,
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With so much to see, it was hard to decide where to begin. Here, Nova enthusiasts Scott Ha
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Lyndon Scott may still be running the original 194ci six-banger in his '63 hardtop, but th
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Al Schey, the host of the block party, has a prime example of what a box Nova can become.
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ven our friends at California Performance Products brought out their Nova to join the fun.
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The four-door crowd wasn't left out either. Here, Charlie Pedregon's Ermine White '66 Chev
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To our surprise, there weren't many '68-72s running around at this event. While this one w
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We couldn't miss Todd Bartley's yellow '77. Between the fenderwells is a 383ci stroker wit
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There was no grand stage here. Instead, the driveway of host Al Schey was used for the clo
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Dale Snoke's '65 wagon also caught our attention. Snoke's wagon has a new small-block 350
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As Novas entered the neighborhood, they were placed by years, beginning with the earliest
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Vince Mayeda was the Grand Poobah and the recipient of this year's trophy for his laboriou