12TH ANNUAL QUAIL MOTORCYCLE GATHERING

Posted on May 23, 2022May 23, 2022 by MartynL

We asked CGC West Coast contributor Jim Palam to scoot up to the Quail Lodge & Golf Club in Carmel, CA and bring back a special two-wheel report for the 12TH ANNUAL QUAIL MOTORCYCLE GATHERING, the return of two-wheel splendor to the grass of Carmel Valley. Mission accomplished! It was Friday-the-13th when I drove past Valhalla Drive in Solvang. I was on my way North to cover the 12TH ANNUAL QUAIL MOTORCYCLE GATHERING in Carmel, after the show was put on-hold for a two-year hiatus th...

VW BEETLES, BUSSES, VARIANTS & THINGS

Posted on March 10, 2022March 11, 2022 by MartynL

Ventura Vintage Volkswagens’ Beach Day showcases BEETLES, BUSSES, VARIANTS & THINGS at the Ventura (CA) Pier. Our own Jim Palam rarely passes up a great day with cool cars at the beach! Its mission is clear and simple: Create VW Fun! Ventura Vintage Volkswagens (VVV) is a charter club of the Vintage Volkswagen Club of America. They meet wherever and whenever they can to not only show off the diverse collection of unique VWs in the member ranks, but to also go camping, help each othe...

WEST COAST KUSTOMS CRUISIN’ NATIONALS

Posted on January 11, 2022January 11, 2022 by MartynL

Classics and customs flaunt fins and flames at Santa Maria Fairpark for 40th annual WEST COAST KUSTOMS CRUISIN' NATIONALS, one of the premier California carguy shows. Despite a 2021 Covid-19 rescheduling of its popular Cruisin' Nationals from May to October – and then a pending storm moving in on the Santa Maria Fairpark location – the resilient folks at West Coast Kustoms still managed to rev-up West Coast car enthusiasts and host their 40th Annual show with a flamboyant flash of fins, flames...

Velocity: Invitational Motorsports Festival

Posted on December 2, 2021December 3, 2021 by MartynL

There are times when even a serious car guy needs a little nudge to get up early and head out in the dark to cover a motorsports event. So, we're happy to report that our Jim Palam saw the light, set his alarm and got the story for us! Here's his coverage of the Velocity: Invitational Motorsports Festival, where legendary cars, drivers and fans soaked up the sun and racing fuel at Laguna Seca! Velocity is a vector quantity that refers to "the rate at which an object changes its position...

CALIFORNIA DREAMIN’: CENTRAL COAST WHEELING WEEKEND

Posted on October 27, 2021October 28, 2021 by MartynL

Who doesn't love a special deal? Perhaps it's CGC’s Jim Palam's years in advertising that was behind his idea to give our readers two-reports-in-one, combining two of the Central Coast's popular car shows – The Solvang Fall Classic & The Montecito Motor Classic – into one feature. It’s a great idea, so here's CALIFORNIA DREAMIN’: CENTRAL COAST WHEELING WEEKEND. Covid changed the 2020 Car Show scene significantly – pretty much eliminating many if not all of the popular gatherings not only in...

’21 RPM NATIONALS: FLATHEAD DRAGS, SHOW & SWAP MEET

Posted on October 5, 2021October 5, 2021 by MartynL

We asked Car Guy Chronicles' Jim Palam to travel back to the Halcyon Days of Flathead hot rods and drag racing. He didn't need a time machine – just a tank of gas, an alarm clock set for 4 am, and directions to Santa Margarita Ranch in Central California for the ’21 RPM NATIONALS: FLATHEAD DRAGS, SHOW & SWAP MEET. I started sticking my head into dimly lit garages and greasy engine compartments when I was 14 years old. My older brother Tommy – AKA Tommy Tuner - who at 16 was already ...

VENTURA NATIONALS: RODS, CUSTOMS, BIKES & GUITARS!

Posted on September 17, 2021September 17, 2021 by MartynL

While he wasn't ready to spike-up his hair and tattoo a car club logo on his chest, Car Guy Chronicle's contributor, Jim Palam, was more than willing to motor South on Highway 101 and immerse himself in the cuffed-denim and octane-fueled culture of the 18th annual VENTURA NATIONALS: RODS, CUSTOMS, BIKES & GUITARS! There are lots of things that go together well – like bows & arrows, macaroni & cheese, Batman & Robin. But for those of us with octane in our veins, the rhyth...

PORSCHE: WERKS REUNION MONTEREY 2021

Posted on September 9, 2021September 9, 2021 by MartynL

Having recently joined the Porsche owner’s ranks with his ‘Poor Man's' 914, Car Guy Chronicles’ Jim Palam took a Friday-the-13th detour from Car Week events in Monterey and headed to Seaside to catch the air-cooled action at the PORSCHE: Werks Reunion Monterey 2021. In the wide-wide-world of sports cars, Porsche is the one enthusiasts call The Perfect Athlete. Built with the promise of perfection, performance and reliability, over two-thirds of all Porsches ever built are still on the r...

PEBBLE BEACH 2021: CONCOURS D’ELEGANCE

Posted on August 28, 2021August 29, 2021 by MartynL

CGC’s Jim Palam spiffs up for the 70th Anniversary of the premier venue for the best-of-the-best classics and specialty vehicles with new gear, classy cards, a black mask and a snazzy haircut. In the process, he coins a new word to describe MONTERREY 2021: PEBBLE BEACH CONCOURS D'ELEGANCE: Automotacular! There are a number of judged automobile events that capture the undivided attention of the automotive press and the pulsating hearts of automobile enthusiasts – and then, there is the prestigio...

MONTEREY 2021: ROLEX MOTORSPORTS REUNION!

Posted on August 24, 2021August 24, 2021 by MartynL

Jim Palam set his GPS and focus on WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, as he headed out into a dense morning fog to capture the action and excitement of Monterey Car Week's largest event – historic car racing at MONTEREY 2021: ROLEX MOTORSPORTS REUNION! I consider myself a good driver but I was unusually nervous heading into a heavy fog shrouding the long, ridgetop South Boundary Road that leads to the admissions checkpoint at Laguna Seca. The unforgiving fog was one thing, but the realiza...