2015 OC Recap: Battle at the Beach

The first AutoLife Tour-tour stop is in the books! In our mind, the OC Car & Truck show has always been an ideal type of show to kick off new seasons of the ALT; it's got a great atmosphere, positive vibes, and show-goers from all over the East Coast (and beyond).

Let's jump strait to cars...

We're going to go ahead and do a quick-pick of 3 from the outside playing field, just to see what do you guys think...

The out-front scene is a more casual, loose environment where street-driven cars can roll-in each day and night for a special outside judged car show and meet. You'll truly get a variety of mild to wild out here...don't write it off, always make sure to take a walk thru.

In case you didn’t hear, it was “Vandemonium” at our own booth. Not only did we have the Blood & Grease Ford Transit on display, but our very good friends from eJudge were gracious enough to partner-up and have their Transit Connect alongside ours for the weekend! Both of these vans made their debut together at the 2013 SEMA Show in Las Vegas, so it was quite fitting to see them team up for another go.

Now, let's go inside...and start off with another quick-pick of 3...

The inside, composed of 3 different 'rooms', is massive in size. The large main room is a bit of a 'hub' of all the action, the upstairs features even more vehicles and a concert stage, and this year the addition of a ocean-view room allowed for a showcase of mini trucks. Of course, in this arena of judged competitors, you better come clean and correct if you're hoping to take home honors.

Let's take a moment to give a shout out to a the 'APAC' group...I have to admit, these guys came locked and loaded. Some of their cars were simply over-the-top, but then we also liked the mild ones that showed some serious attitude through simplicity.

It was an honor to once again present the “Livin' the Life Award” at the OC Car Show. This special, original ALT piece of recognition was first awarded at this exact show in 2011...and each tour season since then, it has been the first give-away location of the year. For 2015, the first honors went to Derrick Nowell and his 2006 Dodge Charger SRT8. We felt the car-owner duo was deserving of the “Livin' the Life Award” because of the dedication to years of tuning, customization, and then re-doing it to keep fresh and exciting. There's certainly a large amount of passion to be said about a project vehicle that get's re-done several times over! 

So, can we talk about food for a second? Our foodie choice of the weekend was “Paul Reverse Smorgasbord”. If you guys know Aaron, then you know once the show closes it's doors, it's time to eat! The buffet-guru gave this place a thumbs-up; from the early-bird special, to the simplicity of fun and friendly dining selections on the 'smorgasbord'. This place was awesome for the money. It's located “underneath” the boardwalk, just 2.5 miles from the show. Try it out next year.

Oh, and how many tires did we blow on the road?  Just x1.   Let's hope this isn't a rising number (or trend).

CLICK HERE to view the full picture coverage gallery
CLICK HERE to view the full award coverage gallery

Until next time, see you on the road!

-ALT Crew