Good Guy's Scottsdale, Is it just me, or...

Well, our twice yearly automotive love fest has come and gone here in the dessert, but it left me a bit flat this time. First, I know the attendance was down quite a bit this spring. Probably because of the fuel prices at this point, but I couldn't help but notice that the out of town/out of state gang that usually congrigates just wasn't there. I didn't even see too many Tucson folks, and there usually is a bunch. That I can deal with. It was a shame though, 'cause the weather was as perfect as it gets! Can't do to much about the fuel costs, and I know my trips to L.A. are going to be less frequent this year too.

But the thing that killed it for me this weekend was the proliferation of late model cars on the grounds. As far as I know this is a '72 and earlier show, but I could be wrong. I'm not talking the scores of post '78 El Caminos - there were lots of those. I'm talking the brand new Corvette guys, the brand new Challenger and Camaro guys... What the hell?! These things are the reason I stopped the weekly trips to the other side of town for the Scottsdale Pavillions gig. I don't care how impressive or expensive you might think it is, if your involvement with it was picking out the color at the dealership and maybe a trip to the tire and wheel store a couple of weeks ago, I flat don't care. Why were these cars on the grounds and running through the autocross?

Now I'm not saying that I'll never go back, nor am I jumping up and down foaming at the mouth and raving. But this show has always been a haven from the crap you see rolling down the road and at every stop light in town. I'd just like to know why?

 

I think Goodguys now lets anything and everything in at all their events on Sunday only. Is that Right? I know I heard somewhere that they made that change for 2012.

 

If you go to a dog show there are a bunch of ugly dogs. Walk around them and find one you like. Life is too short to worry about it. Its the people we are supposed to enjoy and I care less about what someone drives, if they like it. If I get to know them I might kid them about it.

 

I think they call it "Super Sunday" or something like that. LOL

 

Just the "GoodGuys" going after more bucks. Guess they do not make enough off of us with the $45.00 entry and $15.00 for spectators!! The GoodGuys have turned into money hungry guys.
More cars of any year...even if only on Sunday...means more money in their pocket!

 

If I go to a dog show I don't want to see cats!

 

Hey Chip,
I was there on Saturday and missed seeing you or any of the few Arizona guys I know. But I have to say that, although I don't attend too many Goodguys, NSRA, or other big (expensive) shows, I enjoyed this one. There seemed to be a lot more empty spaces on the field this year, but there were a lot of really nice trad style cars. Here's a small sample. There were many more.

 

I saw quite a few traditional cars that I really liked, But those re-skinned S-10 pickups they call studebakers and the nearly new corvette they call a 53 tribute or some shit, still piss me off for some reason... and yes this was saturday

 

My thoughts exactly! I don't want anybody to think I just flat hated this show. That's not the case. I have never missed a Scottsdale Good Guys in the 15 years or so they have been going on. It's always a fun time. But late models.... REALLY?! REALLY?!

This is gonna sound super condesending to you guys back in the midwest and east, and I'm sorry, but maybe this will give you some perspective on what is bugging me. Out here lowered, big wheeled, power adder, pinstiped new cars are on literally EVERY corner in this part of the country. I promise you, when your grandmother picked up her Cadillac from Colter the other week, she ordered it with 20" wheels. I know back east, you guys have inclement weather and salt on the roads and stuff, and when I used to travel back there it always seemed "strange" to see a car with wheels and tires other than stock. As I said out here, it's just common parking lot fair. Maybe back in that section of the world it would be cool to see a new Camaro convertible, Corvette, or even a Ferrari, or Lambo. Here it's just what is sitting next to you at the next light along with several thousand BMWs and their annoying owners. When a substantial row of show car territory is loaded with year old Corvettes and the guys that see them as "classics", well that's just not what I want to see. Cats at a dog show, as it were. Difference is, I LIKE cats!

I don't mind a small turn out, and I do more than understand the money aspect of the deal too, but what happened to the focus of the deal?

 

Vette guys. I see your point and wasn't anywhere near there. There used to be a nice meet-up not far from me. Lot's of rods and muscle cars. Then.... the new car guys started coming in. Soon, you'd drive in and the first group would be a bunch of new Vettes, Camaros, and Challengers! Like you said, they picked a color, got a $2,000 set of rims and now thier just as cool as the hot rods!?

And someone.... anyone.... needs to tell the Dodge guys that thier Hemi, isn't a REAL Hemi!

I stopped going when the ricer kids wouldn't help clean the lot up. For a city as big as Houston, the car scene here sucks.

 

Little Skeet..... Spectator fee is $18

I went Saturday and I did see alot more grass than cars, but now that they have 4 sections of cars up on the asphalt may have taken some off of the grass. I agree not too many out of state license plates as usual.

The swap meet area was more like a used car lot with so many projects for sale. There were 3 coes for sale. The parts selection was fair. I did find my needle in the haystack, 216 thermostat housing, and I think it was the only one out there. Got it for $5. Cant complain about that.

Sunday I went back to best buy on frank Lloyd Wright and the 101 to return the phone charger I bought Saturday after my battery died. I washed my truck before getting there and was all excited to go to goodguys and participate since I fixed my truck and was able to drive it there. I checked the goodguys website and ended up contacting someone for information about entry fee and whatnot. I did find a printout coupon for $10 off entry fee. The guy told me he was not positive about the entry fee but thought it was somewhere around $45 and then he told me super Sunday is open to any American powered vehicle, any make, any year. I thought it over while inside best buy and decided to go home and sell some parts I had in the garage rather than spend money to attend a show that I could see for free at the pavillions the next Saturday.

I am not complaining about the cost, or the fact that goodguys is looking to other ways to make $$$ off of car guys, cause I guess it really does not matter what you perfer to drive, or what your checkbook can afford to drive, it all comes down to still being a hobbyist.

Goodguys is a well put on show and never seems to let me down. I enjoy each one. I just need to check ahead before attending.

 

Drove the buggy out there and back on Friday...ran the autocross too, SO FUN!! Yeah, small turnout but I still had a great time.

 

Howdja do in the autocross?

 

Kept pace with some of the "serious" cars out there. I think my best time was 43 or 44 seconds... 135's do not like autocross.

 

Ya, but a lowered dune buggy is basically a go kart! Now if we buit that huge VW engine that's been on the top shelf of my magazine closet...

 

You always have a nice place to keep it! That's me though...I'm a giver.

 

my thoughts

yes attendance was down, gas prices probably

sunday attendance was WAY down, maybe the modern cars attendance "scared" the trad crowd away

i always enjoy the GG shows, i see lots of friends and see lots of cool cars and if letting modern cars in on sunday keeps the show profitable, i'm for it. for the guys complaining about the "greedy guys" when was the last time you went to work for free, the GG's job is providing a car show.

yes there were some gems there















later jim

 

I guess I'll put in my 2 cents ....

GG did twice a year in Scottsdale some years ago, but went to just the November show .... now they are back to 2 shows. Maybe 2 Scottsdale GG's in 4 months is a bit much, since at this time of the year it seems like there are 3-4 gatherings every weekend somewhere in the valley.

I entered the fleetline in November, but took my OT hotrod truck (see below) out Friday and Saturday. Friday was very lightly attended, it seemed, but Saturday was pretty good. I'm always too damned tired to make it on Sunday, but I heard lots of folks indicate they didn't care about going back on Sunday to see a bunch of late models.

Sure, I get tired of seeing acres of A-bodies, but there are lots of gems all over the place ... where are you going to find more great cars in such a small area??? So regardless of what they do on Sundays, I'll still be going back every time they come to town.

 

if you stay away,the new cars win.like in the late 60's i will always go pre 49 and it would be nice to discount the trad stuff.rod runs sounds good carshow not so good

 

It seems as though the current GG mantra is quanity not quality. I go to a couple of GG shows every year . DelMar , Sat. only and Pleasanton in Aug. for the West coast Nats. Always a good reason for a roadster run to the north. It was'nt to bad when they opened up the year model to '54 , then they went to '57 and it got a little funky , now they're all the way to '72 and their events have become simular to an engorged local cruise night. For my friends and I , GG events have become nothing more than a reason to go on a run in a paticular direction , stop in see some old friends , check out some cars and continue on to the rest of the weekend.

 

is this gonna be more of beaten that poor old dead horse ? seems after every goodguys event a thread starts like this im not saying the original poster intended it to go that way but......

yes goodguys allows newer cars into thier shows not everybody owns a pre 48 car
and yes good guys is in the "business" to make money get used to it

 

I must have missed the announcement about late models on Sundays that you guys saw. It was just a bit shocking, 'cause as I said earlier there is soooo much of that stuff around here and it holds none of my interest. I am wondering if it did keep spme of the hot rods away on Sunday though. I have been in business all of my life and I am aware of the financial realities of the deal too. But it just seemed to me that to dilute the programs that Good Guys have worked so hard produce over the last couple of decades is just a bit counterproductive.

And I'm sorry if you consider this beating a dead horse, but I have seen what was at one time the worlds largest cruise night all but destroyed by this. I would rather not see a show series I enjoy a bunch go down the same way. A person may be very proud of their ability to afford a new 'Vette, but it's no different than any of the others out there, and I don't care to see it.

 

Maybe its time we revisit our notes from the library meetings last year?

 

Giving them the benefit of the doubt, things change and maybe GG realized they needed to change with the times. Open it up to a broader range instead of turning them away because their car isnt old enough. I dont like looking at late model stuff at shows either, so I dont.

With gas prices set to soar to over $4 a gallon you can bet on attendance being down at alot of events Im sure.

 

Man get over it I drove my Impala all the way from Wash State had a blast at the show dont mind the late model stuff on sunday hell why not make a specal area for the hole show if you want to have this show go on for years to come you better start making some changes to get some kids started Joe

 

Good Guys has left the building...

> here in NY's Hudson Valley, the yearly GG show has left for drier fields. GG Rhinebeck had poor weather as long as anybody could remember - 'goin to Rainbeck this year?. . I'd leave my car in soggy lot, see a few cool rides and an hour of "StreetRod" badges, Do Not Touch stickers, polished tires and micro-cloth vendors...

the local co-sponsor car club is attempting an alternate show around usual time and plenty of cars should be there. The reg' fee is $40/spectator-$12, they bill as affordable alternative to GG's :

http://www.hvcruise.com/apps/calend...ext=showMonth?calID=4045662&year=2012&month=6


The same venue holds the multi-club sponsored Rhinebeck Spring Dust-Off every May. this year ( May 4.5.6 ) the huge swap meet, Fri,Saturday Rod & Custom and Sunday Antiques. . All the miracle product hawkers and chrome plate syndicates - mostly stuff dragged out of barns and garages all over the N.E. with people ready to deal and cars are as different as the people...

http://rhinebeckcarshow.com/

inclusion of youth oriented show features is local clubs goal. "Clubs" look often like old timer exclusive...

have fub

 

Tough situation here. Putting these events on is a big investment risk and making everyone happy is impossible. I think the unlimited admission on Sunday is a good plan, if you can't stand being there don't go on Sunday. Suprizingly the general public sometimes enjoys the new stuff as much as the classic, vintage, hotrod, custom stuff. Give'm a break and schedule your show time to the setting that serves you best, hope this makes sense. I see some very sweet stuff there posted by others, the 36 Ford skirted drop top is outstanding. We are all in this together, lets those other dogs have their day. My 2 cents. ~sololobo~

 

We went to the GG at Kansas Speedway last year. I laughed all day Sunday as the old cars were whipping the new cars ass' in the autocross.

 

I walked around that '36 for what seemed like 15 minutes on my way to the swap meet continually telling myself I was there not to look at the cars yet. That thing was perfect.