One of the biggest Northern California custom car shows is in mid-February in Sacramento, and a group of Merced auto enthusiasts plan to take a chartered bus to the event.
For nearly 10 years, Merced street rodder Don Surdich has been organizing bus trips to the Sacramento Autorama and earlier to the Grand National Roadster Show in Oakland before that event moved to Pomona.
The Sacramento Autorama will be Feb. 18 and 19 at the Cal Expo grounds. Actor Paul Michael Glaser of "Starsky and Hutch" fame will be exhibiting his car, and noted Arizona customizer Rick Dore will have a car on display that he built for musician James Hetfield of Metallica.
Surdich hopes as many as 46 people sign up for the bus trip by the Feb. 1 deadline. The cost is $45, which includes bus transportation, Autorama tickets, doughnuts and coffee. He started the bus trips years ago with the help of the late Jim Scott.
Custom car builder Tracy Ledford of Winton has been going on the bus trips for years and recommends the experience.
"It's fun and you don't have to drive," Ledford said. "The relaxing part is the bus ride; then you get to enjoy the show. We have a blast."
Ledford said the shows always are memorable. Sometimes games are played on the bus or movies are shown.
Bus riders will leave Merced at 7:45 a.m. Feb. 18 and return at 5 p.m. to the parking lot at 16th and Canal streets.
Reporter Doane Yawger can be reached at (209) 385-2407 or dyawger@mercedsunstar.com.
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