Camaro and a Transformer from the movie.

Love them cars and auto shows.  The OC Auto Show is one of my favs as it is small enough you can see it in one afternoon and still have seen it all.  The other nice thing about it is that it isn’t all concept cars so you have plenty of opps to kick tires, slam doors and sit in your favorite cars.  Well, mostly you can do that.  The exotics are still behind bars where you can only ogle them and lust deeply in your heart for a chance to place your rump in them and imagine the pure enjoyment of running one through the gears.

Probably the most popular showcase was the Transformer Camaro.  At that little spot people are qued up 20-30 deep waiting for their turn for a quick pick in front of the group.  On the sidelines were people equally deep trying to sneak in their own pic without the line.  What ever if you don’t mind other people in the pic with your loved one if it works for you it works for me.

Acura ZDX Production Premier car.

This years show had a few surprises.  The debut of the new Toyota 4Runner was a packed around stage, so bad you couldn’t really get to it.  Ditto the production premiere of the new Acura ZDX which was set aside in its own protective shell with a lounge to discuss purchase with the ever present sales reps.

Several manufacturers had “you drive ‘em” cars available.  Yes, you got to drive them, with a factory rep after you handed over your DL as proof of age and signed enough waivers.  Ford had its 2011 Fiesta Prototypes you got to drive around the block.  Mazda had a much bigger route around the convention center where you got to see how well a variety of their cars handled real world driving conditions.  Toyota did similar only they had a test track set up with cones, obstacles and rough road simulations where you got to see how well their cars handled.  Too bad the real world isn’t the same as the simulated one.  Regardless all three are worth the 20 minute ques for a test drive or two, or three.

Brabaus Smart Car with Smart Madness.com mods.

Obligatory Bugatti Veyron to legitimize the show.

Snark alert: not enough seating in the food courts had too many of us having impromptu picnics on the carpet.

Today is the last day of the OC Auto Show over at the Anaheim Convention Center.  The show runs until 7PM tonight and well worth the cost of admission in my not so humble opinion.

All pics by me and to get bigger with a click.  More in my flicker set.

My dilemma here is which museum do I visit.  Both the Orange County Center for Contemporary Art or Orange County Museum of Art will have no admission this weekend.  I get into great modern art installations almost as much as I enjoy great collections of old impressionists art.  With them both being free and only one play day this weekend I don’t which to chose – which do you recommend?

Cruisers start arriving by 6AM at Adams Donuts (yes, 6 freaking AM which is why we have to leave the San Gabriel Valley at 5AM).  Its a sight to behold, unmuffled, unfiltered old style loud accented with a lot of shiny chrome and tire squeals until the lot is full.  Full, as in nearly 250 cars this morning ranging from a 1913 Buick Roadster topping out with no less than 3 vintage Pantera sports cars from the 1970’s.  (There must be something about Santa Ana’s and a full moon to bring this big of a crowd out in January).  Be warned this is a “cruise” and after coffee and some tasty donuts the parking portion is over by 9AM as the random cruise lines take off, wheels spinning and exhausts roaring, right around 8:30.

This isn’t an event for the carbon-conscious foot print anxious among us.  The crowd is definitely slanted towards gray with parents of the baby-boomers out numbering everyone else 3-1.  These are car guys.  The kind of guys who drive their cars and have fun with them.  They are a friendly bunch and if you let them corner you, you are going to hear about every burr lovingly sanded off their dream car during the frame off restoration. 

The best part…ITS FREE.  No admission for the cruisers or the admirers.  

Adams Avenue Donuts are a decent donut, certainly priced alright.  My recommendation go for the $2 Ham and Cheese Croissant or their some what more expensive $2.50 Cherry Croissant.  All told donuts and chocolate milk for me and my boys it was $8.50 which is pretty cheap eats.  The also have a nice selection of t-shirts and other Donut Derelicts merchandise available if you are so inclined.

Deets: Donut Derelicts Every Saturday 6AM-9AM.  Adams Avenue Donuts 9015 Adams Avenue, Huntington Beach CA.  714/962-8921

In order to see some more pics of the event and my snarks you need to make the jump. All the pics by me.  More in my Donut Derelicts Flickr set.  All of these will get bigger with a quick click if you are too lazy to scroll over to flickr.

Pantera, body by Ghia power by Ford 351 V8

Extremely rare 30

Pre-war Ford Woodie - dark primer is the new black?

50's Vintage Ford Country Squire Woody - flamed and ready to party.

Lincoln Mark V - rolling shrine to the disco era.

Post-war vintage Caddy as a Low Rider

Caddy Hoody - classic art deco style hood ornament on the low rider Caddy.

Dune Buggy, rolling shrine to all things Tiki, Gidget and Gilligan.

Thanks to Gina the OC Metblogs captain for allowing me to post this fun event. I’m the resident car nut/gearhead over at the LA Metblogs and you can follow my activities there. fraz is actually in the OC a lot so look for the odd and random post of really cool stuff I find going on here.