Event Coverage D/FW Folks - Autorama!!

I know what you're thinking......but hang on....

The (completely worthless) Mopar Club who has run the Dallas Autorama for the last however many years is gone. Completely. Rejoice!

The new guys running the show for '09 are some of the same people who did it before the Mopar guys. They know the show has been not so great the last few years and they're really trying to bring the quality back up.

They are bringing back the Custom Cavalcade. So if you've got a nice custom, you should bring it! E-mail [email protected] to get in touch with the right people for that.

Now, the part I'm excited about. You all know the area under the toy/junk pavilon...that area is OURS. No mirrored displays, no strobe lights, no bullshit. It will be like a mini version of the basement in Detroit. Full of traditional hot rods and customs, and that only. If you are interested in being a part of this, please send me an e-mail at [email protected].

There are only 29 spots available under the pavilon...so obviously it wont be like PnP or the Invasion or anything. But we do want a good cross section of everything in Dallas...hot rods, customs, even bikes. Painted cars, primered cars, bare metal, whatever. So, let me know if you are interested and as soon as we get it finalized I'll get people the details on how to sign up.

Autorama is Feb. 13-15th.

Thanks!!!

 

I haven't been too enthused about the Autorama usually because everything seems to tightly packed and then there is the crowd, but I am curious as to what it was other people thought sucked about it? What will this sponsor do differently? What was it about the Mopar Club that you call worthless?

 

When the Mopar guys stepped in they kinda went with the flow for a year or two then started getting very lazy. Getting rid of the Custom Cavalcade for one was a mistake. They had no respect for anything that wasn't a super high dollar show car or or a muscle car. We (THEM! Tx) took a few cars to the Autorama about 5 years ago. Didn't have much of a problem with them letting us in, but at the show during setup...one of their official guys actually came up to us and said "We usually want nice stuff in this show." I don't think they really cared about anything in the show...just that they were making money at it.

It's not a new sponsor, it's a new set of people running it. No one has been enthused about the show because there's nothing to see there, the same junk year after year. This year they are trying to change that. Bringing the customs back, and actively trying to bring traditional cars into the show. I always hear people complain about the content, here is a chance to make it better.

As far as the layout goes, that wont change. Spaces are still 10'x20.' They are limited due to fire code, etc. and needing to have the aisles open. People who attend this show are mostly the general public, always have been. No one should be fooled to think that this is a show for people in "the scene." You have to leave your car there for three days, coordinate dropping it off and picking it up. I can understand people not wanting the hassle. It's an indoor show, and a lot of people get hung up on that. But I think it could and will be a lot of fun. This year is something to build on...and make it better for next years show, and the next, etc.

 

Ill definitely be there!!! Thanks Fidgiter...glad there are still people fighting the good fight and hopefully the show wont get run into the ground like it had been.

 

Hey fidgiter if we can do anything to help let us know

 

We can't let Houston have all the fun...

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=224489&highlight=autorama

 

Houston has not been that great lately and ISCA/World of Wheels has made a few changes for the worst as well. Like entry fees are now $50 which you have to pay again throughout the season to show in other cities. I personally think trying to copy Detroit is lame and the Autorama Extreme was not that successful in Houston mainly because the suits waited to long to do something like this to change things up.

 

I know some of the people in the Dallas Mopar club, to call them all "worthless" seems to be painting with a fairly broad brush ..

I did not attend last couple years but, there might of been 3-5 Mopars in the show IIRC then ...

There are people with lousy attitudes and poor people skills that drive all types of cars ....

 

big dad we had 2 cudas by the awards area ,cuda challenger and furry center row main building . side building had about 6 cars including race cars this year. and one car reping the club . the club usually doesnt get to involved . the people are good folks that said its always about the bucks .the problem is having a show operator versus a promoter the later is what we really need

 

The Dirtys would love to do it

Display and all

rusty

 

Maybe I shouldn't say the Mopar club...and I don't mean to offend anyone in it that wasn't involved with the show. I am absolutely sure there are tons of great people in the club. I didn't mean to generalize. But those that were involved and in charge of the show really dropped the ball. It can be fixed though!

 

I agree

 

Hey...you're Craig, right? Didn't know you were on here!

Smittys -

As far as it being lame copying Detroit....I don't get that. It's not like it could ever be a clone of the Basement. Thats like saying the Roundup is a copy of Paso. It's just another car show. How could it be bad to have a "traditional only" section of the show here? And looking at the thread I posted above, how can you call what they had at Houston anything but an amazing success? There was a lot of cool stuff in those pictures. People saying it was the best Houston autorama they'd ever been to. Doesn't seem like a failure to me.

And about the $50, yeah it's not the cheapest in the world and there are no breaks if you do multiple shows....but I don't think there's anyone here that would be doing more than one autorama. There are also cash prizes with the awards now. The top prize in Dallas is $2k. They didn't have that kind of stuff before...they just rolled most of the money into the grand finale car at the end of the season. Yeah it's a little worse for the "professional car show" folks, but it's a lot better for the local people.

 

this is going to be neat...

 

Gonna be fun!

 

Most of the MOPAR guys and the useal ISCA guys are about the trophys and if no trophy U leave early and bitch about how much better your car or truck was . I know I showed in the 80's. Eric is trying to change the autorama in dallas . Most of us car guys only go on thursday night so dont start bitching about what he said about the mopar guys, corvettes and tri 5 guys or anyone else. Even RAT ROD guys .We just need a real car show here that is about cars and not trophys right Craig ?

 

Your not talking about Eric are you? His attitude and people skills are like a handful of flowers with a bunny on top!! I'm sending you a PM Eric.

 

Cool Eric, was hoping things would happen to get folks excited about that show again. I won't commit the Torques w/o talking to them, but you can count on MY participation and help.
Thanks

 

i have to disagree. the show in houston was a complete success. everybody involved had a great time, i hardly heard any complaints. fuck the suits. the only thing lame about it was the name extreme. this year doesn't seem promising though, i haven't heard too many people talking about. i don't even think i'm going to be able to attend the show.

dallas guys, go for it. stay positive and have a bitch'n time. wish dallas wasn't so damn far, seems like you fellas got a lot of nice rides coming out. i'm gonna make it to a dallas show some time soon.

 

now thats funny!!

 

Yeah, who's this other Eric guy you're talking about

 

Very cool. I am hopeful that it will be different. I have enjoyed it in the past but I agree that it need a change. "Change" that's the word of the year right?

Really, I wish I had the coin to host a winter show there for Pre-72 cars only. That would be nice.

 

fidgiter your right its me craig . im building a two seat edmunds modified street car . as for the dallas autorama i go every other year and as for trophys lets skip them after all every one gets one . i remember the best part was the parties from the old days, and i like where this threads going with new blood .cheers

 

Back up top. From the e-mails I've gotten so far, there are about 10 spots left to be claimed.

 

I swore i wouldn't go again after last year. But you make it sound like it might be worth checking out again....

 

I just pm'ed you.

 

I have been attending the Dallas Autorama since its inception..The Quarter Milers car club put this show on until it was given over to the Mopar bunch...The good folks in Dallas dont realize all the hard work involved..The Quarter Milers(all personal friends if mine)deserve all the credit for bringing this show to the folks of Dallas.As I understand
it,Don Deere,who was in charge of the show before the Mopar guys,will be the advisor
to the show this year.If anyone can make this show back to what it was,its Don...
Cant do anything but get better....see ya'll there!!!!!!!!!!1

 

hey it's graham with earls pearl,I'm Realy wanting to do this show and I hooked back up with the guy who recreated the car in the 80s (mike jumk)and won full custom with the car.I would like to see it there because I think the car and all of our traditional customs need to be there for Evryone to see that customs are about dreams and creative vision not billitt.Im willing to give it a shot.

 

Back to the top for fidgiter trying to make something happen.........Again if you need anything let us know

 

Hot Rod Arena one of the only reasons I will be going .