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After CA issued a COVID stay-at-home order for the residents of the state, car folks found a loophole that kept them sane, cruising, and safe.
The Quarantine Cruise is a textbook example of a grassroots event exploding exponentially through a masterful use of social media and plain, old, word of mouth. For cruising in a custom car or a classic truck the lockdown was the perfect storm, the roads were empty, free of traffic, and gasoline prices were lower than anyone had seen in many years.
The word “inclusive” to a custom car or truck devotee when it comes to describing an upcoming gearhead gathering of vehicles means everyone is welcome and that’s the formula that made Southern California’s organically grown Quarantine Cruise a continuing success. The Quarantine Cruise has settled into a once-a-month event with a great freeway-close starting point in Costa Mesa, California. Participants arrive at SOCO around 7 a.m. from all over California, Oregon, Arizona, and Nevada, making the Quarantine Cruise a Mecca for folks that love cars and the lifestyle cars include.
In longhand, SOCO The Mix stands for South Orange County and the Orange County Mix and the 300,000 square feet complex is reputed to be the only interior design center in Southern California to focus on an upscale array of home furnishings, fine antiques, outdoor living and restaurants where food looks more like an abstract art project than breakfast. And as one might expect, the parking lot at SOCO is an outdoor megastructure that is meticulously maintained. A little before 9:00 a.m. participants jump in their rides and leave noisily yet orderly and turn directly right from SOCO to enter the northbound onramp of the San Diego Freeway (Interstate 405) and then exit to Southern California’s famously scenic Pacific Coast Highway and always end at a different location to gather. For more information on the next upcoming Quarantine Cruise, go to https://qruisinpch.com, @qruisinpch on Instagram, or check in with Jason Scudellari (@week2wickedjason on Instagram).
This 1971 Chevelle Malibu is pulling into the Huntington Beach Sports Complex, where the Quarantine Cruise was hosted in the event's early days.
The owner of this 1939 Ford brought along an old Schwinn bicycle along, just in case the knock from the flathead V8 got any louder.
Don's 1959 El Camino is rocking a 348ci small-block, a four-speed, and 4.11 gears out back. Positraction? Of course.
Ed "Big Daddy" Roth's "Rat Fink" serves as the mascot for this T-bucket build. It was hard to tell which was cooler...the open headers or the blower whine.
There are Camaros galore in the SOCO parking lot, including this relatively stock-appearing 1968 Z/28, complete with Rally wheels on BF Goodrich rubber.
This 1961 Buick LeSabre bubble-top still has its original 364ci Nailhead engine underhood. The gorgeous paint and interior are also completely original.
Former Popular Hot Rodding Magazine tech editor Liz Miles and the trusty 1968 Camaro that she has owned since she got her driver's license at 16.
Dual quads sit on top of the 389ci V8 in Tom's 1961 Pontiac Ventura.
