LITTLE BLESSED COUPE OWNERS OF CLASSIC CARS, MOTORCYCLES FIND DAY IS DIVINE.

Byline: Michael Gougis Staff Writer

Austin Dingman's car turns 63 this year, old enough to collect Social Security. And when your wheels are old enough to be your dad, you look for all the help you can get, even help from the Divine.

That's why Dingman, 45, of Sunland, cruised over to Hansen Dam Park on Saturday in his black 1940 Ford Coupe, to gather with hundreds of other car fanatics for the 10th Annual Blessing of the Cars.

``It's been safe since the first time it got blessed, and I'm not taking any changes,'' Dingman said, explaining why he, family and friends had pitched a canopy in the park and waited for the reverend to swing by their little hot rod.

The event drew nearly 400 classic cars and motorcycles, said organizer Gabriel Baltierra. With bands like Lobo Negro blasting hard-edged rockabilly tunes like ``Devil Woman From Outer Space'' on the center stage, hundreds of people, many sporting '50s-style clothing, pompadours, greased ducktails and many, many more tattoos per square inch of skin than the general public, mingled among classic cars that ranged from very rough works-in-progress to the truly immaculate.

At the heart of the day's festivities, the Right Rev. J. Jon Bruno of the Episcopal Church, Diocese of Los Angeles, clad in long white robes, strode from vehicle to vehicle, saying a brief prayer over each - and its owner.

``We ask you to bless these cars, these bikes and all things that move fast,'' Bruno said from the stage, blessing the entire gathering at once before moving on to individual benedictions.

If anyone had the gearhead credentials to go with the religious ones, Bruno did - he rides a 2000 Harley-Davidson Road King, while his son drives a classic split-window Corvette with a big-block Chevy under the hood. It was, ultimately, a sense of family that brought him to the event.

``I'm here because this is a family matter,'' he said later. ``This is a community.''

For many people, the blessing of the cars is an annual tradition, a pleasant summertime combination of sun, friends who share a common interest, and cars that ``you get attached to, almost like a pet,'' said Bipi Valentine, whose friends barbecued ribs as he showed off his 1953 Cadillac Coupe de Ville.

``I try to come to as many of these shows as I can, and it's always nice to have a blessing,'' said Neil Young, 33, of Burbank, who came to show off his work-in-progress - a 1960 Chevy Biscayne into which he had dropped a new Blue Flame Six motor all by himself. He used to work on cars with his dad when he was little, he said, but ``I remember it being a lot easier when I was a kid.''

Laura Hackney 44, of Pasadena motored out to the show on her newly- acquired 1973 Moto Guzzi El Dorado motorcycle. Her last motorcycle, another much-loved Guzzi, died on her less than a month ago, and she was lining up all the protection she could for her new ride.

``My last one seized on me, and I took it to the shop; they opened it up and said, 'Yep, it's dead,' so I picked this one up,'' she said, sitting near the clean, classic red-and-black bike. ``I'm making sure this one gets some lovin' and a little divine help.''

Her friend, Mark Stuhlman, 31, of Arcadia, rode out on a 1999 Harley set up for fast sport riding - rearset pegs, lowered handlebars, sticky tires. His didn't quite meet the criteria for the car show - 1968 or older vehicles - but Rev. Bruno blessed him and the bike anyway.

``My grandmother's a devout Catholic, so I had my picture taken with the bike and the reverend, so I can show it to her and say, 'Here, Grandma, you can worry less,''' said Stuhlman, who had the traditional hot-rod flame designs tattooed on his left arm instead of painted onto his bike.

Alexandra Hernandez, 26, of Montebello was deeply moved as she watched Rev. Bruno lay a blessing on a clean, lowered 1952 Ford Customline.

``I want to cry; it's almost like watching someone get married,'' she said.

Michael Gougis, [phone]

michael.gougis(at)dailynews.com

CAPTION(S):

3 photos

Photo:

(1 -- color) Augusta Cevicelow of North Hollywood relaxes at 10th annual Blessing of the Cars at Hansen Dam Park on Saturday.

(2 -- color) Sarah Skibitzke of Pasadena examines the interior of a 1949 Ford truck during the car event.

(3 -- color) Episcopal Bishop J. Jon Bruno blesses a classic car.

Hans Gutknecht/Staff Photographer