Django, you made all 10 of them? If I remember correctly, didn't you have some weddings to attend while the Pileups were going on?
All I can say is, the show in Clinton was free, we camped out at progress city for free and paid 5 bucks for probably the best show I will ever attend, now that Rocks.
Was it 20 a car and 5 to walk in where did all the money go.... Had a great time myself....................... The only time i seen it getting out of hand was around 5:00.................
Great thoughts, Magnet and everyone. Thanks for posting. Having attended just one HCP ('06) I always wanted to go back. IF there would be a "next year" I'd be going but this time around just didn't work. My loss. You guys and gals who are multi-year attendees are the lucky ones. Enjoy the friendships and the stories and the memories. My thanks to the Chrome Czars and everybody else for making the Pileup what it is/was. And a big pat on the back too. You did, after all, go out on top. Amen.
Bob do you want to ruin this thread like you ruined my ultimate minibike thread come on dude . Lets just say I will see ya when I see ya bob . And when I see ya I will still think your a knucklehead bob hahaha
There was only one wedding, during #2. I left the show at 1:15, and ran about 100mph down 88 to get to the church by 2:00. I changed in the truck. It was my first show as a club member and they never let me live that one down for years. It was my wife's first time as a bridesmaid so she really wanted me to be there. It was early in the life of the show so it wasn't that big a deal at the time really. Contrast that to #8 when my wife's due date was about a week after the show. At first, I didn't think I could even go, but her parent's hung out with her so I could go. I was on call all day, and only expected to be there about half the show, but all was quiet and she was fine with me staying to the end.
True. The show used to be more car folks than spectators. The last few years have seen many, many more spectators than car folks. When you get comments from people all day long who do not get it, complain about a $5 admission, think it's a demolition derby, or "just a bunch of old cars", then there's a problem. It was getting too big and attracting the wrong people. Other shows are picking up where we left off, while also starting fresh with "new" ideas. Chad designed Pileup logos 2-10. #1 actually had 2 designers. Former Czar, Brian Marra, designed the sticker (pinup girl + spark plug), and a friend of Abomber30/Andy Didio's designed the t-shirt which is nothing like the other 9 shirts. $5 per pedestrian, $20 per show car including everyone in the car. All the money will be donated to charity. Once we were able to have enough money in the bank to run the next year's show, we started donating the remainder to various charities. There was a snafu last year, so the 2010 donations will be donated along with the 2011 charities... but we spent a LOT on the last 2 shows, so there may not be as much as we hoped. We're working on the accounting now. Thanks for reminding us! We've been slacking off.
My first HCP was #4. I drove 5 hours each way that day and vowed to never miss another one. From then on I volunteered and was at the rest of them on Friday morning helping with anything I could. For the last four years I was able to help Larry with all of the signs and banners. It was a blast! Thanks Larry for making me feel at home. Each year I've seen how important the volunteers are and how smoothly everything came together for the show on Saturday. Oh sure, there were tense moments, but everything always got done. The Czars and Catherine have done a fantastic job to put on a show that everyone will remember fondly. The Bombers need to get a big thank you for all they've done with the swap meet the last couple of years. I helped with that one year in Morris and it was a cluster. Not because of the club, but the vendors. Thanks to a great bunch of guys that knew what they were doing. The Bombers rock! Each year that I have helped, I have been thanked many times by the club and DW. I felt appreciated. This year was no exception. I think Ryan thanked me 8 or 10 time...You're welcome buddy...But really we should all be thanking The Czars and Catherine for memories that will last a lifetime. Thank you.............
In the early days, in the midwest you had the opportunity of going to 2 traditional hot rod shows. The Pileup in the fall or the Road Rocket Rumble in the summer...it was that simple. Those shows were special because they were the only ones. These sentiments are echoed in another post I wrote in another thread, but I will repeat some of it here anyway... I have been to all of the pileups but the first one, my boss wouldn't let me out of work for that one. Since then I have made a point of getting off of work to go to the rest of them. The first few were special because those were the days when the HAMB was also in it's infancy. There were only a couple thousand members at the time and the fact that there was a show for the cars that embodied the HAMB was unique. Many of us only "knew" each other from the HAMB and enjoyed actually meeting each other for the first time and seeing the projects that each one of us created and watched come together on the interweb. In the early days of the Pileup there was a "projects" section and the "in progress cars" were just as important as the finished ones. I remember being in "project row" at Marty and Sons with the spacetruck, it was a week away from running.... there was no pre-party and no post party. People just hung out in the hotel parking lot or just stayed at Marty's and did a little drinking there. The only spectators were mostly HAMB members who didn't have a car done yet. I think there were 112 cars or something like that. Back then people didn't bitch about the venue. Marty and sons was just a pole buiding with a small lot outside. We crammed a lot of stuff in that lot and it was obvious that after number 2 the lot was not big enough. Number 3 was the first one to move to the new location at Morris. There was still a projects section next to the stage and I think there were 300 cars at that one. The spacetruck was on the shirt that year. It was also the first year for the pre and post parties... In the years to come the project area became less of a draw because no one wanted to deal with the hassle of bringing a project in with all of the traffic. The show got awfully "rat roddy" because lets face it, Grundy was a dirty mess, yeah it had "character" but it wasn't a show where anyone would want to debut their nice freshly painted car. The gravel dust would screw up a decent clear coat paint job so a lot of the nicer cars didn't show up. Add to that a couple of wet years where that dust turned to a paste and caked on everything it was slung upon... A couple of cold years kept the attendace down but in years 7-8 the spectators really started to ball up the works and the parking thing really became an issue. I was glad to see it move to Decatur to a nice clean venue so that maybe some nicer cars would show up and in my opinion, this last Pileup was probably the best one in terms of quality of cars and whatnot. It is a lot bigger so you lose the feel of hanging out with your buddies. I saw so many people I met over the years and missed a few more, but it got so big that you wanted to walk around and see everything, so you didn't get much time to hang with your pals...there weren't hardly any of the people that were at 1 or 2 at the last one either which was kind of a bummer... Drew (Andy), Brian, Bob Bleed, Max Wedge, the Cheaters, Gordy, Lukester, Nummnuts are just a few that come to mind. All in all, it was fun while it lasted. I would have liked to see it continue because it seemed like after this year that most people were starting to "get it" and I didn't hear a bunch of bitching from people that didn't get in with their car. It seemed to me that the "Rat" contingent was way down this year unless I just didn't pay attention to them. I understand why the Czars would want to put the show to bed though. It is a lot of work to put one on. But let's face it, there will never be another pileup. That show grew up with a lot of us and the whole revival of the traditional hot rod and custom movement and you just can't go back in time and recreate what it started as. Just like the HAMB will never again be a small group of like minded enthusiasts. The Pileup was special in its day because it was one of the only traditional hot rod shows. Now it seems you can go to a different one every weekend of the year across the whole country. What was once special has now become mainstream, and that whole evolution can't be recreated. Thanks Czars for bringing it to where it is today, you set the standard that all of the other shows will have to measure up to, but I don't think there will be another show that will be as "special" as the Pileup was. Maybe we all should get together in 10 years for a "Happy Days" reunion. ha ha I think that was the longest post I ever wrote....
MAN....plowboy musta been otta beer!!! Excellant post plowboy, and you are right there will never be anything like the pile up.
Jetter, you can red high light all you want. Corporate shows still suck. Pile Up (5 for me) was a gem. Esp. in Grundy county.
I only managed one show, in 07 and volunteered with the rest of the Vagabonds. It truly was a cool show. Distance,life,etc got in the way of me making more shows but to this day it is the most fun I had at a show EVER. You guys done well, congrats on a good run. If Kevin and Magnet decide to ride to Sturgis maybe I can repay you and put on my Hotrod and bike reliability run again.
ok, but you have to be mork, afterall, you do drive the spacetruck and tell me magnut wouldn't make a good potsie i've said it alot of times. attending number one and meeting you guys was the reason for me joining the hamb. i had only lurked before.
TY for your permission...I'll continue here. Guess I won't be seeing you at GG's event in Des Moines then, eh...??? And that's a real shame, you live so close, too... As you can see, I'm all broken up about your genuine heartfelt post...!!! There was so much thought put into it. And I had considered buying you and RoadKill PU a BEER or three for your sincere posts, just so we could put all this behind us and be drinking buddies. But since you nor him go to Corporate events, you'll miss out on that and I'd bet you'd be the type of guy to not turn down free beer...Oh well, your loss...!!! R-
Light one up, the last GG was '02 for me. Enough zing, bling and corporate ca'ching to last the rest of my days. The 'product' must be protected at all cost's. But what a menu....
Pass on the free pass, Mr Jones. I do see a great deal of GG coverage each and every week there is an event, posted by yourself and members of this board. I do not wish to detract the OP (Magnet) original intentions. I prefer the 'feel' generated at Pile Up, Rust Revival, ect.
I couldn't agree more and we are gonna have the best vintage drag racing around! Thanks for the Pile-Up
I just wanted to take the time to thank the czars for all of their hard work they have put into this show over the past 10 years, It's amazing how the show has grown. I guess it's like they say,if you give the people what they want, they will beat your door down. I've been to the last 5 shows and I'm overwhelmed with the growth (especially the general public). I was part of a car club that helped put on the Mid-Central Rod & Custom show in Decatur for years, but, we never experienced your growth, so, I can only imagine all the countless hours that were involved. Again, thanks fot the great run. I believe #10 had some of the highest quality cars of all the shows.After attending the last couple of years with my truck, I was disappointed to be turned away this year saying it didn't fit the show. It's a mild custom with quad headlights, homemade grill, louvered tailgate, rolled pan, Caddy tailights, etc. I guess this didn't bother me as much as seeing all of the stock vehicles being let in. I thought they had to have 2 modifications. The other concern I have is will it be accepted at other shows like The Iron Invasion. If not, I will still have fun with it and maybe I will have to spend more time working on my 57 Pontiac Safari ex drag car and get it street legal. Or maybe I should just go back to Street Rod shows with my 48 Pontiac street rod I've had since 1982. Shows like Quincy and Vintage Weekend (American Street Rod Association) have one simple rule, cars must be pre-1949. This makes it very easy to enforce. Anyway, sorry about the griping, and thanks for giving us rod & custom fanatics a place we can see old school cars.
I am curious why you were not let in.....usually they tell you.... the problem with these other pre '49 shows are all the billet that comes to the show. If that is allowed - then it is just an NSRA type show. Right? there have to be guidelines........ the question is what are the guidelines. We have tried to be very upfront with ours. I think Symco Shakedown has even better guidelines. Bottom line is - WHO is on the gate when you come through. One guy has a definition of what is OK - while 5 other guys say it is NOT ok. These shows are run by people..... not robots - being human means things are open for interpretation. If you cant understand that ........... well.... not sure what to tell ya. If your "happiness" is dependent on getting your ride in at Torque Fest or Iron Invasion then you should email us pix of your ride BEFORE you come to the show. If you are like me or most of my friends - then you will come to the show regardless of "getting in" and have a good time no matter what.
I have Ford logo gages in an aluminum panel that was deemed billet. I remember using an aluminum panel for gages in my first 39 Ford hot rod back in the middle sixties. It wasn't called billet then. I don't care for billet because I want the traditional look even on my daily driver truck.
Ken (Slick50) and I only made it to the last two Pile-ups and had a great time at both. Ken felt privileged to be part of the Red Shirt Army both years we attended. We cannot thank you enough for the well planned and orchestrated event. For us, well worth the 22+ hour round trip drive !!! Thank you, thank you, thank you.
Criteria. The dash is billet. Per the rules. Just like this board. Hijack another thread. This one has taken enough hits. Long live the good memories that this show and the people who put it on and tolerated the folks who cannot understand the criteria/rules to participate.
"The Bombers need to get a big thank you for all they've done with the swap meet the last couple of years. I helped with that one year in Morris and it was a cluster. Not because of the club, but the vendors. Thanks to a great bunch of guys that knew what they were doing. The Bombers rock!" Thanks for the nod Glen, we really enjoyed being involved in the show and were proud to have been asked by the Czars to take over the swap. Ya it can be a pain in the ass but the majority of the guys are good natured. The guys that think they are going to tell you how they are going to park and what they are going to do are the ones I enjoy working with so it all worked out. Sad to see the show go we have made some good friends and it has inspired the Bombers CC Bombs Away Bash and our collaboration with John from Vintage Torque on Drag Fest at Cordova. There has been a lot of talk on this post about supporting club events and charitable events and ours is both so we look forward to keeping the family reunion going see ya in 2012!!!! Thank you Chrome Czars!
No wonder the Czars need a break. Look what happens to a simple "Thank you" post. To all Czars, Bombers, Red Shirts. Please accept my apologies for having contributed to the queering of this thread.
The Jalopy Journal
