Sins of Steel strives to keep Michigan’s custom car culture strong
By Tara Hurlin
Eye-catching hot rods, smiling sunburnt faces, and the diverse individuality portrayed through each vehicle is the highlight of every custom car show. Add rockabilly tunes, pinstripe artists, minibike races, burnout contests, a model car competition, swap meet, pin-up contests and the smells of barbeque, and you have arrived at the annual Sins of Steel Traditional Car Show located on the Oakland County Fairgrounds in Davisburg, Michigan. This year on Saturday, June 4, I was there.
I walked onto the fairgrounds early, following the sound of jiving rockabilly music. A long line of traditional custom cars were already there to greet me, and the first to catch my eye was a brightly-painted blue metallic-flake air intake on a patina 1950s Ford truck. “Bizarro” was hand-painted in white on the front of the intake.
Eye-catching hot rods, smiling sunburnt faces, and the diverse individuality portrayed through each vehicle is the highlight of every custom car show. Add rockabilly tunes, pinstripe artists, minibike races, burnout contests, a model car competition, swap meet, pin-up contests and the smells of barbeque, and you have arrived at the annual Sins of Steel Traditional Car Show located on the Oakland County Fairgrounds in Davisburg, Michigan. This year on Saturday, June 4, I was there.
I walked onto the fairgrounds early, following the sound of jiving rockabilly music. A long line of traditional custom cars were already there to greet me, and the first to catch my eye was a brightly-painted blue metallic-flake air intake on a patina 1950s Ford truck. “Bizarro” was hand-painted in white on the front of the intake.
At that moment, brain-overload kicked in; Parked nearby was a row of matte-black hot rods, and a long string of motorcycles lined the edge of the lot behind me. Glistening candy, pearl and flake paints pulled my eyes in so many directions, I was about to be permanently wall-eyed. As I briskly walked towards each, rust and patina hot rods created yet another diversion.
Vibrations pulsed from the ground, up to my feet, and through my core as more bikes and hot rods rumbled in. All of the distractions caused my words to trail off, which left conversations unfinished. By this time, my eyes were just as wide as my grin. I weaved in and out of the rows of customs, spending a moment to admire each one, and a little extra time with my favorites: an Edsel that wore the most perfect patina, a low and unique Jeep truck in white, several nose-up gassers and a pristine baby blue 1961 Cadillac coupe wearing wide-whites.
I was so far into my own little world that I forgot to eat, but the enticing smells of barbequed burgers and pulled pork reminded me. The remainder of the day was spent mingling with car owners and vendors, and before I knew it, it was time to head home.
The Sins of Steel Traditional Car Show is a well-rounded event that welcomes traditional hot rods 1964 and older and traditionally-styled motorcycles of multiple eras. It’s still running strong after 6 consecutive years, and the next show is scheduled for June 3, 2017. Until then, get a sneak-peak of what’s to come via the 2016 photo gallery by clicking here!
The Sins of Steel Traditional Car Show is a well-rounded event that welcomes traditional hot rods 1964 and older and traditionally-styled motorcycles of multiple eras. It’s still running strong after 6 consecutive years, and the next show is scheduled for June 3, 2017. Until then, get a sneak-peak of what’s to come via the 2016 photo gallery by clicking here!