Donut Derelicts Car Show in Huntington Beach, CA

Donut Derelicts is an informal car show that meets every Saturday from 6:30am-8:30am, rain or shine, in Huntington Beach, CA.  Rides from all over have been meeting at Adams Ave. Donuts since 1986.  This show attracts hundreds of hot rods and classic cars each week.

This show started in the late 80’s with just a few friends meeting at the local donut shop every Saturday.  Now the parking lot can fill up fast as vintage rides come and go throughout the morning.  Its become such a tradition that shirts, hats, and stickers for the car show can be purchased from the donut shop or on the Donut Derelicts website.

Located in the heart of Huntington Beach makes for a great way to grab your morning coffee before you head to the beach, which is only a few blocks away.  You can find the car show at the corner of Adams Ave. and Magnolia Street.  Found in the same parking lot as Ace Hardware, OC Goodwill, and Mona Lisa Cucina.

Information from the Donut Derelicts Website:

Do-nut/ der-e-licts, pn. Do’nut, Der,el’ icts. 1. Traditional, hearty individual,
bent on increasing horsepower, style, and a sense of independence through automotive expression” 2. An obsessive, compulsive for whom fast is never
fast enough, shiny is never shiny enough, and at the cost of all else; seeks
the ultimate fellowship with others who share the “addiction” for all that
is mechanical.
There are many tales of the who, what, where and when Donut Derelicts all got started on the famous corner of Magnolia & Adams in Surf City, Huntington Beach, California.

Adams Avenue Donuts has long been a community meeting place for old timers to gather and discuss the local politics, the list of chores their wives had waiting at home for them and other topics of nostalgia. Some of these beginning old timers were hot rod enthusiasts, Jim McCain, Ronnie Parrick, Ed & Harold, Mark Porter & Tom Witherby to name a few.

The guys would meet around 7ish each Saturday morning. Man, has that changed! They’d enjoy coffee and a donut and exchange pleasantries and opposing political views. In February, 1985, they decided to meet at the donut shop with their cars. They added “bench racing” and “sports” to their morning discussions, replacing some of the less important and more controversial topics.

After many Saturday morning gatherings, one by one, the local street rod owners started to join in. Before long, not only was the front row of the parking lot filled, but the back row and the remainder of the lot began to fill. The whole thing started to gain momentum. A phone list was started by Jim McCain that had 90 plus names and a heading dubbed “Donut Derelicts” . That list is still in existence and proudly so is the name..
The word was out! Every street rod, hot rod, classic and specialty creation from the South Bay to Laguna and parts unknown had heard about the self proclaimed “Donut Derelicts”. People come each Saturday to marvel at the beautiful creations of those who have spent thousands of hours, gallons of wax, and tons of money for a hobby that keeps enthusiasts out of trouble, cash and honey-dos.

And so here is the original tale and if you have another version, Jim McCain would sure like to hear about it