EVENTS : Blessed Be the Hot Rods : Custom-car fans salute an era before their time at event with pompadours, poodle skirts--and holy water.

It isn’t your typical custom car show. Gene Vincent’s “Be-Bop-A-Lula” plays in the background. Cans of Murray’s hair grease are flourished, and packs of cigarettes are rolled up in the sleeves of fresh white T-shirts. Young car club members cultivate a James Dean look as they prepare to show off some serious wheels.

Gabriel and Stephanie Baltierra, who live in Los Feliz, started the show last year. Called the Blessing of the Cars, the event Saturday in Glendale’s Verdugo Park not only pays homage to the automobile but focuses on people in their 20s and 30s who are in love with the era before 1968, with its carhops and rockabilly music.

“What we really wanted to do was create an event that celebrated everything that’s involved, because it really is a whole culture. You see all these young guys running around with pompadours, girls in these great dresses, up-do hair and cat eyeglasses,” Stephanie said.

Many of the pre-’68 cars in the show aren’t perfectly finished examples of customization. They are works in progress, automobiles taken to the creative edge while also providing daily transportation. Since a lot of them are held together with spit and a prayer, it seemed suitable to launch a Blessing of the Cars.

The Baltierras said they got the idea from a car-blessing show they attended a few years back that ultimately failed. But last year, theirs was an overwhelming success. Priests roamed the grounds with books of blessings and even put holy water in car radiators. Visitors compared it to a scene from “American Graffiti.”

Then and now, one big element is the music. The bands scheduled to play are also young people caught up in the spirit of a time they missed. On stage will be surf rock from Del Noah and the Surf Finks, psychobilly from the Hyperions, traditional roots music from the Sun Demons and Hot Rod Lincoln, the ‘60s beat jazz of Zen Daddio, and Whistlebait, which bills itself as the “all-girl rockabilly kittens.”

Also featured will be an exhibit of car art, which will include work by Robert Williams, a classic-car artist, Big Daddy Roth, the creator of “Ratfink,” and newcomers Andy Takajian and Anthony Ausgang. The guest of honor, Joe Bailon, has been customizing cars since the 1930s and invented the trademark shade of paint “candy apple red.” Other displays include a participatory paint-it-yourself car and private collections of model cars and toy collectibles.

Dolled-up trophy girls reminiscent of those of the 1950s speedways will pass out awards in such categories as best custom, stock, work in progress, nostalgic and flames. Car clubs from all over the country are expected at the Glendale event.

As in the ‘50s, car clubs are again prominent. Greaser boys in jackets with the club logo proudly stitched on the back are becoming a staple at car events. One local club, the Blacktop Bombers, will have its third annual “Kustoms and Cruisers” barbecue July 30 at Burbank’s Johnny Carson Park.

Now 14 members strong, the Los Angeles-based Bombers, most of them in their late 20s and early 30s, share information on rebuilding and customizing classic cars with people their own age.

“A lot of the guys in other car clubs are older guys; they’ve bought the house and have the cash. We’re all younger and try to base the club on the fact that we’re daily drivers. We work on our cars every day, but we don’t always have the bankroll. So we keep it loose and look more toward the car’s potential and the right attitude,” member J.D. Massey said.

The event is open to all car clubs and car enthusiasts as an opportunity to meet people and share ideas. “We just want it to be like a big family picnic where everybody is associated by what they drive,” Massey said.

The barbecue starts at noon. Admission is free, but bring your own food to be grilled. Priority parking is available for all pre-’65 vehicles.

WHERE AND WHEN

What: Blessing of the Cars.

Location: Verdugo Park, 1621 Canada Blvd., Glendale.

Hours: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday.

Price: $3 general, free for children 12 and younger. Car registration is $10, blessing is optional.

Call: (213) 663-1265.

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What: Blacktop Bombers’ third annual “Kustoms and Cruisers” barbecue.

Location: Johnny Carson Park, 400 Bob Hope Drive, Burbank.

Hours: Noon July 30.

Price: Free. Bring food for grilling.

Call: (213) 848-7184.