Hot Cars Cool Nights – First-Annual Event Takes On Colorado

While custom culture has bridged generations, it all originated somewhere, specifically with the bootleggers. Certainly, the industry has come a long way since modifying vehicles meant a means to an end, but in Loveland, Colorado, there is a shop that’s dedicated to the vintage era and keeping the history of classic cars and vintage autos alive for generations to come. They came together and shared this passion with the local community through the first annual Hot Cars Cool Nights car show in the historic Downtown Loveland, Colorado and we were on hand to bring it straight to you, Slam’d style! Photos & Words: Lindsey Fisher The shop responsible for this awesome event and collection of history is called The Forge, formally known as Custom Auto, and while it’s been in Loveland for many years now producing some of the community’s most amazing custom cars, the shop is under new ownership and with…Continue Reading

Aftershock 2015 – Aftermath Cen Cal Show Gallery

This year was the 4th Annual Aftershock Car & Truck show thrown by the Cen Cal Aftermath crew. Aftershock is a great event due to its central location in Corcoran, California allowing easy access for custom enthusiasts from Nor Cal, Cen Cal, and So Cal to all come together in one central area and show off their rides and enjoy the summer weather. Held in the downtown main street of small town Corcoran, the venue is a nice break from the traditional big fair ground locations allowing for a more laid back environment. Photos: Anthony “Crucial” Gonzales | Words: Mike Alexander It’s definitely a family affair when it comes to putting on an event like this and everyone pitches in. The Aftermath guys and gals (special thanks to Lisa and Kendra) all come together with family and friends to help throw an event that brings in everything from custom trucks to…Continue Reading

Cruise To The Pines 2015 – Video & Gallery

We wanted to do something a bit different and bring you along for the ride on our road trip out to the 2015 Cruise To The Pines show thrown by the Perfect Poise crew. So before you read on, make sure to check out the VIDEO above (watch in 1080p) and ride shotgun on our journey from So Cal to Phoenix and then on into Prescott. This show is such a refreshing and unique event that really sets the tone for the camaraderie and togetherness that all shows should strive for! The weekend events were kicked off with a little get-together in Phoenix on Friday night; a casual gathering of friends, car clubs, and show goes from all over, with visitors flying in from as far as Japan this year and driving in from as far as New Mexico with more than 13 different states in attendance. Video: Doug Burkmire,…Continue Reading

A Day In The Life of CT Sounds Founder Coleman Thedinger

If there’s one thing that the custom vehicle world has taught us, it’s that passion for the industry truly knows no age. Sure, there are certainly those icons of the industry that have weathered decades of innovations and seen entire markets come and go, but automotive passion and innovation is still very much in the hands of the next generation. Some of the largest contributions to the industry are increasingly coming from the “young guns” as they set their sights on quality, innovation, and pushing the boundaries by thinking outside the box time and time again. A perfect example of this innovative entrepreneurial spirit is Coleman Thedinger, the young 20-something that has literally taken the 12v car audio world by storm. Thedinger is the CEO and founder of CT Sounds and Thedinger Distribution. CT Sounds was founded by Coleman in his early 20s, and was the result of Audio Technix (also founded by Thedinger) splitting into…Continue Reading

SEMA Action Network Brings Debilitating Bill to the Forefront

UPDATE: After following up with the SEMA Action Network a few days after we ran this news piece, we were relieved to find out that the following bill, which had been approved by the legislature and was just waiting to be enacted into law, was vetoed by Nevada Governor Brian Sandoval. In his veto, Governor Sandoval cited opposition to the bill by both SEMA and the SEMA Action Network, stating that the bill “unnecessarily penalizes true Nevada car enthusiasts who might seek one of these plates for proper reasons.” Moving forward, the SEMA Action Network will be working with the Nevada Legislature to come up with fair legislation that targets those individuals who abuse the ability to get collector plates for their vehicles only to avoid emissions testing and fees, rather than the those who truly own collector vehicles. As many of you know, there is constantly legislation being introduced…Continue Reading

First Car Dreams: Marvin Meyer’s 1957 Bel Air 2-Door Hardtop

The love for a first car is like no other. While you may not have had the greatest car on the block way back in the day, your first vehicle represented freedom, personalization, entertainment and maybe even relationships that you wouldn’t have otherwise had. This is why learning to drive is one of the biggest milestones in your life. The Right Driving School see it as their pleasure to be able to help people achieve this. For Marvin Meyer, it was more than just that, however. That’s because his first car, this now custom 1957 Bel Air 2-door hardtop, meant being further launched into an automotive passion that started early on and has lasted a lifetime! Of course, if you are lucky to own such a classy car yourself, you still need to make sure it is properly insured. A good starting point could be a comparison site like http://moneyexpert.com/.…Continue Reading

Relaxin’ In So Cal – Torrance, CA

There are definitely pros and cons to living anywhere in the states, but for the West Coast the pros far out weigh the cons especially when you consider sunshine and car shows year round on top of that “pro” list. Every year we are fortunate to have a jam packed schedule of automotive events up and down the coast, but there are always a few stand-out shows that we really enjoy attending. This year Slam’d Mag posted up big at the Relaxin’ In So Cal (RISC) show to check out the rides on hand and show off a few of our own for the crowds in attendance.  Photos: Frank “BST” Newton | Words: Mike Alexander Relaxin’ in So Cal is held annually at Alpine Headquarters in Torrance, California and is host to one of the largest one-day custom shows in the West. The truly great thing about this show is the eclectic mix of rides…Continue Reading

Herrerad: Carlos Herrera’s 2008 GMC Sierra 1500

If you’re all about the ground-hugging fullsize trucks then you know who Jake McKiddie of Phat Phabz is, and you’ve probably heard the name Carlos Herrera tossed around a bit. Not familiar with the name? Well have no fear, we’ll help you remedy that – you’ve probably seen this truck before, you just don’t recognize the new makeover. Shown previously at the SEMA Show wearing a little different look (original grey color with similar graphic scheme), Carlos wanted to wow the crowds even more so with an “top-secret” rebuild of his 2008 GMC Sierra 1500 that he wanted performed underwear’s and kept a surprise. But we’re getting ahead of ourselves here; let’s rewind a bit and tell you how it all started. Carlos has had a life-long automotive passion that started at a very early age. The gateway drug for Carlos and his friends growing up was the lowrider scene of New Mexico. Picture a ’78…Continue Reading

Wet Coast European Car Show – Carpinteria, CA

We like to think we have it pretty good here on the West Coast; nice weather, beautiful beaches, and of course – amazing car shows year round. WET Coast is one of the first European Car Show series to hit the coast of Central California looking to gather some of the finest Euro rides for some fun in the sun. Now it’s not always easy to get an event up and running in certain cities; we’re talking permits, insurance, and the like – but Kawika Ahuna and crew pulled together to make this dream a reality. After plenty of planning, leg work, and negotiations a location was settled on and the plans were put in motion. The inaugural event was held on March 21st in the fields of Linden Park at Carpinteria State Beach in Carpinteria, California and for a first year show we were in for quite a treat!  Photos:…Continue Reading

Don’t Cry: Sean’s Sadistic Iron Werks ’89 Mazda B2200

Sean Generotzky is what some might call a new-school/old-school guy in the custom truck world. He’s been around for quite awhile but has been behind the scenes slowly planing and building his version of the perfect mini. His journey into the automotive realm began back in 2000 when he first took on a job at a local fab shop. After a couple years of learning and honing his skills Sean went on to work with Bobby Martins at Sadistic Iron Werks to take things to the next level. Around mid 2003 Bobby and Sean ‘bagged this 1989 Mazada B2200 you see here, for a customer at the time. However, like so many other projects, the build simply fell through the cracks and was all but forgotten sitting in the original owner’s garage. That is until 2010 when Sean and the previous owner struck a deal for Sean to purchase the…Continue Reading

Behind The Build: The Schwalb’s 1951 Merc

In the world of chopped, dropped and Slam’d, sometimes it can be difficult to stand out. After all, not everyone can build a ride that grabs attention from across show grounds as well as acts as a go-to ride for weekend cruises and all-out good times. But for Amber and Steve Schwalb, that’s exactly what their 1951 2-door Mercury is all about! These days everyone is used to the leadsled Merc’ appeal with heavy chops and mods galore. The “leadsled” movement and classic chopped rods are not only an icon of the hot rod scene, but also one of the founding fathers, if you will, of slammed culture. Giving way to the body modifications and and customizations of today, the “cut-it-up” era of the ’50s and ’60s was the beginning of the custom car scene as we know it, and of course spawned other genres as the years moved forward.…Continue Reading

Layd Out At The Park – Morristown, Tennessee

There are quite a few “staples” in the custom truck show scene and Layd Out at the Park (LOATP) held yearly at Cherokee Park in Morristown, Tennessee is definitely on that list. 2015 marked the 11th year of the show, which has continued to grow and gain support year on end. Like most top-notch, long standing truck shows, the gates open on Friday as part of the three day weekend festivities. The beautiful show grounds at Cherokee Park allow for show-goers and clubs to park in a wide variety of awesome locations with enough room to setup show displays (which really helps when it comes time to take pictures). Although Mother Nature hit us with some rain on Friday the remainder of the weekend sun filled with temperatures breaking into the 90s.  Photos & Words: Jason Ballard Although this was our first opportunity to cover LOATP for Slam’d Mag we are…Continue Reading