So once again i am dead tired on my feet, just got in from the pileup Its a good kind of tired. I am thankful for a bunch of things in recent years and i am sure more cool stuff will happen to be thankful for in the future. The pileup is pretty sweet.. cant really say much more than that.. sweet. I don't get much time to post on the HAMB anymore.. once in a while.. not much.. work and side projects get in the way.. i feel like a keyboard hot rodder(tm) sometimes but i try to do what i can in the garage with the time i have. When i look back at previous posts it seems like i whore the pileup on the HAMB .. because i have so few tech and car related posts and lots of advertisement for the show.. I don't intend it to be like that and hope to contribute tech wise more. My personal thanks ... 1. I want to thank Ryan for running the board, the pileup wouldn't really have started without the people meeting on the HAMB and getting together to start the show. 2. I want to thank "Andy" from Marty and Sons in Sycamore, IL .. for providing the birthplace. 3. I want to thank my Chrome Czar brothers for working hard and long. Things get sticky, fall apart, and go south fast with 12,000 or more people coming to your house for some fun... everyone did a great job and kept the balls in the air.. it was good. 4. I want to thank all the clubs that volunteered their help... and all the pileup staff/volunteers/people who gave us two hours .. and more.. of their day to make things happen. I hope you like the thermometers.. they turned out awesome (thank Django for the idea and design, thanks Django). Someone should take a pic and post it. 5. I want to thank the knucklhead in the black coupe that laid the big patch at the streetlight friday night .. i am sure that when i drive through Morris i will get pulled over and given a hard time by the local fuzz.. jerk. 6. I want to thank Rashy and Flt_Blk and all of the southern boys for making the haul up to chicagoland.. and the Suedes for their commitment to hot rodding.. and the Kropdusters, and all the people that drove in from out of state...and the new guys that came from Long Island NY. And all the local people triumph_terror, the Blacktop Barons for their ability to step up to the plate instantly, The VooDoo Kings for their rock solid drive and execution. 7. I want to thank my girlfriend Queen Eileen for managing the t-shirt booth all day. 8. I want to thank the people and clubs that came to show their support for traditional hot rods and customs. Whether you have matching coats or not ... friends are friends .. and building cool shit counts. 9. I want to thank every single person that attended.. hope they get some inspiration and do something good with it. 10. I want to thank Catherine "Dumb Whore" for being the buffer and sounding board and organizing the volunteer schedules and sign up and about a million other things. The HCPU website had 1.7 million hits in about 40 days.. sort of freaks me out.. i dont know if thats good or bad.. exponential growth is only good for dot com tech startups This years Pileup seemed sort of surreal.. Dennis Gage... we talked a bit on and off camera .. nice guy... i wish i had the speed channel The guys from Wisconsin Hot Rod Radio.. The dude from Cheap Trick.. wandering around checking out the tin.. The barn fresh purple '36 cabriolet.. i was in the very very back of the fairgrounds.. i just opened up the "carny camping" area and the 36 rolled in.. the Cheaters were first on the scene.. they spotted it on the way in and were running to check it out.. hehehe See ... that's what i am thankful for ... a chance to fill the car freak addiction once in a while just by seeing a gem like that 36 .. getting excited about some clutch brakes .. or saying out loud .. thats the first time i have ever seen a (fill in the blank) in person before.. i have seen pictures, but never one up close and real. Thats kinda what the pileup is.. People are starving and getting blown up and all types of nasty stuff going on in this world.. and we can sit here in America and enjoy the good life.. we can .. enjoy it ... and give thanks Thats the kind of thanks i am talking about.
mike , you guys out did yourselfs this year!!!! im really curious what the count was![hint] it was our pleasure to help out ....and im sure there will be even more of us there next year! i think thats a good thing???? GREAT SHOW GUYS AND GALS! tip my hat to ya's todd
We are still tallying things up.. and wont have official numbers for a couple days.. my best guess is that its 11 or 1200... don't really know yet..
did anyone else notice how quiet it still was around 11:00? the place was half filled and it had a very laid back feeling. i've been to every pileup. it's great to see it grow to what it is now. still, i sometimes wish it was like it was the first 2 years. it felt like it was our little secret. the show was what made me sign up for the hamb. so sure, the hamb helped grow the pileup, but the pileup has given something back too.
Thank You for keeping the show alive and going forward and a great time. Also for giving thanks to the guys like Jerry and Andy with the start. Mike you never forget to say thanks! Thank You , a class act Buddy and so are the Chrome Czars!!!!
thanks for the good show dudes. 80 cars registered the first year I still have all the entry cards time to sell bob bleeds on ebay I think! $$$$
Thanks to you, Mike, and all of the Chrome Czars and other club guys that make this my favorite weekend of the year. Your thoughts are awesome and well-stated...you are a class guy for taking time to share. The event is perfect bacause it IS so laid back and full of great people!!! Thanks!!!!!! Ebert
It was well worth the 9-1/2 hour drive down there to work the event. Gets me motivated to get the 54 done for Rust Revival next year. Jim & Jonell
1146 is my guess. The guy in the 36 rolled up as I was working the gate. He said "can I get into the show with this?" I said, "Buddy, you ARE the show." This was the smoothest I've seen the Pileup run since I've been helping. Great job Chrome Czars and everyone who helped.
Oh yea that was it. lol Glad to get it from you bro. Magnet I think you hit it on the head with everything you wrote. The Pile Up is the show of all traditional shows (well in the Midwest for sure). Everyone there are in the words once said by Fiddy Four "Great People". Feels like a big family. The HAMBers are the greatest to walk on this planet. So many people to talk to, so many ask me questions and I probably gave them funny looks half the day because of the super sensational feeling ya get when you are there. Music, cars and the people make this a great event. Thanks to Everyone There
Had a great time as usual...it was a pleasure to help out as a volunteer. Thanks for the thermometer!!!
Thanks again to all the volunteers (especially the guys who kicked ass getting everybody parked so quickly!), and everyone who came out. The Pileup blows me away every year. So many cool people, so many bitchin cars. JR
TZ and I rolled back into Tulsa at about 8:30. He'll crash here and then continue the journey south in the morning. Another 5 hours... I wouldn't miss Captain Fancy Pants for anything.... I got a shiney new sig line from him....
This was my first Hunnert, definitely won't be my last. It's funny, I was talking to 'Jalopy Jim' at the gate when the cars started rolling in, He drove in 9 1/2 hours from the North and I drove the same distance from the South. That's cool. Now I gotta spend the next few days trying to figure out how to put it all into words so I can tell all my buddys what they missed. Yeah, I took a bunch of pics, but they really won't tell the whole story. Thanks!
Yeah, that quote was Golden! Mike, great to meet you and ALL the Czars!!!! Vagabonds had a blast helping, count on us again next year
Crap on a shingle - Rashy was there and I didn't even get to meet you man. The free beer give-away could only have run smoother if I'd been given 2 but hey, the help was only doing their job. The Pinks - I'm still stiff, what can I say... They rocked and were smoking hot to boot! I helped park about 1/4 of those cars and I had no idea the attendance was so high until I got to walking around. Hats off (even mine) to the Chrome Czars for one hell of a show. I've worked two of 'em now and you guys can count on me to work next year as well. Magnet, loved the pants but what do you want from a guy in a Civil Defense helmet? It was great to meet some of the Vagabonds as well as the Kropdusters. And the Hot Rod Hucksters tore down Fools bar on Friday night. My face still hurts (easy there...) from laughing and smiling so much on Friday. If you know anyone that's on the fence about hitting The Pile-Up, kick 'em in the ass and tell them to get there. Hell, I met some folks from England that flew in just for the show. The Pile-Up is now beyond Bad & Nationwide, it's gone International!!!
This was my third straight year at the Pile Up. Man, this show just gets better every year! Mike, you and the rest of the Czars really know how to run a first class event. Congrats, you all should be proud. Keep up the good work.
Once again, I forgot to take pics of the people I met. Too many new names to remeber, but I think I made some new buddies from Springfield (Pauly, you're funny, mate) Cars are just metal without some one to tell the story. Cool story to tell; I saw an A (?) with a sign "Touch but please don't look" on it's window. I laughed as it took the pic and commented on the cool sign. The onwer tells me how he walked away from the car for a minute, and as he was walking back, he sees a kid read the sign, slowly go up to the grill, close his eyes real tight, and touch it. He looks aroud to see if he's in trouble, and then touches the door, fender, etc... That my friends is why I love the Pile-up.
Vagabonds.. you guys rocked too.. and "Lucky"/Dynamic88 our newest Czar got stuck with the big job this year.. inside parking.. and toootally nailed it.. nice work! Did i mention that the pinks rocked? Yeah.. the Pinks rocked hard... heheh a couple of my frinds from growing up in Coal City came to the show and brought their kids. when they were leaving they were wide eyed and wound up.. Hey Mike!.. we got to sit in a HOT ROD! Hehehe .. try that at a street rod show.
Thanks Mike Had a great time as always ......It is the people that make it what it is. Kinda Jones though as this is the first time with no scoot there but big things will be happening soon and I will have another new one finished and there next year.Made my day to see the 2 flat track bikes on the trailer and still being raced instead of being in a museum.. Now get that pan together ....... Thanks Shoe XOXOXOX
How can you not like a show that gives out free beer? Even if it is PBR.... In Joplin, MO right now...should be home by lunch time. Thanks guys for putting on such a killer show. We had a blast! -Brian
He was the first friendly face I ran into. I said goodmorning.... he asked how I was doing. I replied "I'm freezing my ass off." and he said... "don't worry, you have plenty left." Thanks for starting the Pileup off on the right foot for me!
Once again, I had a stellar time! The most fun you can have with your clothes on. I never really see any of the cars there because I am always stopping to talk to friends, but that is what makes it all fun. Bass, I missed you at the swap meet. Always remember to "pay it forward". Ha Ha Ha Tyler and Rashy, I guess we never caught up again to say "Goodbye" but I suppose it was better that way to avoid the tears.
Another fantastic show. Only 363 days until Pileup '08!!! One of our club members brought his new girlfriend with him to the show. As we are lined up three deep at 8:30, awaiting the gates to open, we all start wandering around looking at the other cars waiting around us. After about 15 minutes of this, she makes a comment about "the show", and we realize we have to tell her "this isn't the show yet...we're just waiting to get in". Pretty cool deal when the line to get in is better than some other shows. Thanks again to all the people that make this happen.
The Jalopy Journal
