All photos by Mark Kawakami
On his days off with any bump of swell in North County Orange County, Belmont Shore’s Oscar Bulgarini fires up his mint 1954 GMC for a surfing safari.
“It’s my weekend Surf vehicle,” he said. “I’ve owned it for 16 years.”
About seven years ago in route to a camping trip at San Elijo, Oscar notice his temp gauge was running a bit hot.
“I pulled over and made the mistake of just nursing it by just adding water to the radiator,” he said.
Oscar made it through San Clemente, but steam started to rise from the hood forcing him to pull over near San Onofre.
“12 Marines came to my rescue helping push my truck off the freeway,” he said. “They gave a ride into town for a new hose clamp.”
Although it doesn’t have it’s original inline 6, it’s hopped up with a dependable 350 getting him to his local spots of the Huntington Beach Cliffs and the south side of the Huntington Beach Pier. The paint looks brand new and the interior is immaculate. The only thing left to do…drive and enjoy it.
“The truck has been gone completely through,” Oscar said. “The last thing I am planning on doing is installing a camaro front clip with disc brakes.” DZ
