Thurday Night Garage Association.

Up here in WA state, actually just north of Seattle on the Hwy 9 corridor, there were a couple guys that got together on Thiursday night to check out each others Hotrods and help one another. After a few months of this, a few more friends came over and helped each other. It didn't take long and then they started cooking dinner at their place where they would gather.
Well I started going and joining in on the action about 7 years ago when there were about 20 people.
Now theres over 100 people that come and go.
I hosted the Thurday night with a friend last night and 55 Hotrods showed up and over 85 people. It was great fun and theres nothing like it seeing all these friends and their cars gather at your house and have a great time.
Its alot of work but thats what friends are for. The food I always serve is Spiral cut H.A.M.B. and seasoned garlic baked potatoes, potato salad, home baked cookies, Cream puff balls, chips, Chili, soda water and beer.
Thats a meal and a half to cook but its all worth it.
This happens every Thursday and a different member hosts it at their house or business. Its the coolest thing since sliced bread!!!
Any others have clubs like this during the week?

 

I like this Idea. Wanting to find something like this here in Portland.

 

So start a chapter! We have them in Arizona and several in Washington.

 

Is the Thurs night gather opening to others.. would love to check it out

When I lived in Charleston SC, they had a Saturday HotRod lunch at a local Subway. usually a pre function gathering at a local garage and then everyone met up for lunch and hotrod talk.. really miss those

 

We lost our favorite female association cook. Jan Countryman has departed.
What a dedicated mate she was. It's a sad loss.
Gary's address is 3302 Hill Avenue
Everett, WA 98201

 

I'm not sure i know what a cream puff ball is but it sounds like something i'd drive to washington to find out! Did they make that a state yet? Just wonderin.
That sounds like serious fun.

 

A friend of mine was an auto shop teacher. He had a hot rod club and the school let him use the shop at night to build cars. It got to be too much for one teacher so in 88 or 89 he invited some friends to help out. The club put about 20 cars in Autorama starting in the early 80s. After he retired we missed the company and flogging on a car. 6 to 10 of us started getting together on Thursday nights in a friend's shop. So far we have built a 67 Camaro convert,(OT but cool nevertheless) 61 pontiac bubble top, a nailhead powered 29 coupster and a 57 wooden Chris Craft. Currently wrapping up an OT Dart. Not sure what we will be working on next, but pretty sure Thursday evenings will consist of good friends, good food, and something with wheels (but maybe not).

 

We have a garage meet once a month at different garages, started out with about five of us, 3 from clubs and the rest independents. It has grown now to about 30. Some do the whole cooking thing, some do hot dogs and drinks some do pizza and drinks. I held the last one and had the pizza delivered and I supplied desert and drinks, no work and very little cleanup. The neighbors walk by and get to see a car show and never leave the neighbor hood. Hot rods everywhere and everybody enjoying the company. we get to see the latest projects, garages and hobbbies of different people

 

Every Wednesday night here in North Carolina!!! We patterned it from the Lost Kustoms of Buffalo, NY since my brother was going to that one every Wednesday. It's now grown into a nice get together where we all can catch up and answer questions!

 

I live here in marysville wa, and im building a hot rod from scratch. Been working on it sence last summer 2012. Was buying some oil at an auto parts store and this guy in a beautiful 31 coupe pulled up and we got to talking and he told me theirs a hot rod club called thursday night garage association, so are there any of you out there in it and how can I join??

 

I've been in it since 2003. Usually you need to know somebody that you ride with for a few times, then if it seems like you want to join in, you get on the weekly email that tells you where it will be the next week.
When I joined I think there were 16 people and now its changed as there are around 300 but usually about 50-80 show up every Thursday.

 

We use to do a every Wednesday morning "One Eyed Parrot Hot Rod Breakfast" but since the since the Statens Dinner closed a lot of guys must be sleeping in.

There is still a few of us that meet up. HRP

 

I think the way people join now is they buy the expensive, newer logo club jacket, wear it to car shows, cruise ins, the supermarket etc. and hope that someone will spot them and put them on the email list. Once they are on the list, they show up at 3PM, and leave as soon as they eat. By 7PM its a ghost town.

My dad hosted one like 10 years ago. We were ushering the last couple of guys out at 11PM. Things have changed, it appears it has become more about the food than the cars.

Dave

 

That is great! Wish I had time to start a local chapter. Do you ever have trouble with tools or parts walking off? With 300 members randomly showing up gotta think there would be a few rotten apples.

 

Our club used to have get togethers at someones garage to work on cars. Someone brought up the insurance thing and what if someone got hurt. Now it no longer happens.

 

I don't know of anyone losing anything at meetings. It is alarming that someone unrelated to the club can just walk in and case your shop, while blending in with the crowd. There are long time club members that will inform you if there is someone acting suspicious at your place. The idea of random people watching seems to curb any wrongdoing at meetings.

I used to put valuable parts out of sight just to be cautious. One thing that irritates me almost as much as theft, is guys hounding you to sell them parts that are not ear marked for the current project. It seems they believe its my duty to subsidize their low budget project with blowout prices.

Dave

 

I don't know anyone losing anything either but that being said, if you saw my place, half the stuff could dissapear and I probably wouldn't miss it for years. I trust that most who invite friend only invite friennds they trust. I guess I really don't feel that people at these things are on the hunt. I guess if it happened to anyone in the 11 years I have been having it and going to other peoples places, most feel the same way. I bet if someone was caught stealing there would be a few partaking in the head bashing!!!

 

every wednesday night since 1993 here

 

It's still happening Boones but lately we seem to have thinned out. Never the less I'm still happy to be a part of it. It's really my favorite thing to do car related around here.

 

Great idea, as you know! When I was in college one of the profs had a weekly photo critique / get together. It was called something like the Friday Night Bowling League, and met on a different day than the name suggested, like Wednesday evenings. HA! Gary

 

I'm a relative newcomer to the TNGA since 2005 and membership, although very informal, has grown dramatically since I started. I have to say that some of the best craftsmen I've ever met are a part of this group, (Richard Head included),and I have been lucky enough to have been able to get them to do some nice work for me. That and sharing thoughts and ideas on projects has been the real value of this group to me.

I agree though that the meetings seem to be more about the food than cars at this point.

 

I met a guy at the Monroe Swap Meet this fall. He was wearing a Thursday Nigh Garage Assoc. jacket. We talked about vintage projects and some go-kart stuff he said he had. Of course, I thought I'd remember his name but didn't. He did comment that he goes to one of the Thursday night events, almost every Thursday and at the same guys house. A couple of other guys I know, said there's a cou-ple placews like that, one up by Soper Hill Rd ndf another that is hoseted by two brothers up north there... I'd sure like to hook up with this guy again.. Anybody have any ideas?
Thanks,

Cam

 

We have held the Sunday afternoon safety meeting at my shop for 27 years and many stories have been spun......

 

We do Weds. night at a local ice cream place

 

Its held at different members houses every Thursday but now being up to 300 members+ it now has been a gathering at the Burger king in Everett just because of the shear size and most people cant house all the people. Usually each Thursday we have 70-100 people show up. But not at Burger king. I usually host it twice a year at my place.

 

I am a member of the Wenatchee Washington area TNGA chapter. We have had as many as 18 members currently we are at about 12 active members. We are still small enough that we can host at our shops. Gathering starts around 5 PM,dinner at 6PM, conversation until 8 or 9PM. We rotate through the membership so we each host 3 to 4 times a year. If a member does not have a shop or cannot host a dinner as scheduled he can trade a date or sometimes host a dinner at the local Hot Rod Cafe.

An organization like this with no rules,no dues and no agenda is a great way to stay in touch with a core group of guys through the winter and even do some events together in summer.

 

The Haack Brothers are the guys on Soper hill. I think they have kind of parted ways with the TNGA. They usually have a get together on Thursday and Saturday nights where people actually work on stuff. The main TNGA, unfortunately has pretty much turned into a senior citizen dinner club. Usually its at the Burgermaster in south Everett. There are also a few other TNGA offshoots of guys that just got tired of the crowds and or traffic.
The only guy I can think of that has go karts is Gary Campbell. He has a 41 Ford convertible and Shelby mustangs.

Dave

 

I have only had time to hit one of these events, they start too early, as I currently take a bus downtown and don't get home until nearly 6. Plus it is a PIA to get anywhere out here on a week night, just too much traffic. The one that I stopped in on must of had at least 150 people, alittle too big. I did come across Rapid Whippets place while hitting some garage sales with the Girlfriend, he was nice enough to show us his place and talk cars for a bit.

 

Back when I was 16, ( 35 years ago) some friends and i started meeting on a Thursday night in a local pub, then we'd spend the night driving around our local county to another pub or two. When the pubs shut, on to a burger place, then back to one guys house, usually where peoples other halves were waiting, and cups of tea and biscuits(or in my case coffee) This all started from VW's (sorry). The get-togethers got less frequent as time and lives moved on, but just recently its' started to come back together, now monthly, and just the one pub. Cars have changed, there is still a fair proportion of vw's involved, but there's also a 40 ford, 48 plymouth, a few model A's, 65 mustang, 68 Buick, Lotus Cortina, a TVR powered replica Healey and various motorbikes, but nothing's really changed, we all still get on really well, just like when we were in our early 20's (or late teens in my case)

 

A bunch of guys who were former members of a local car club left the group when the new President took over last year and made wholesale changes (most of which were not for the good!). A few months later we started gathering for lunch each Thursday at a local place called Roadrunners to enjoy the best hotdogs in the area. We usually have 15-30 for lunch each week. We enjoy each other's company and swap stories about hotrods, local events, racing and anything car related. Those of us who are retired go hang out at a local garage to work on projects after lunch, while the "younger" guys go back to their jobs. We call our group The 19th Street Gear Grinders and participate in local charity fundraisers and even hosted a cruise-in to gather toys for less fortunate kids at Christmas. It is a loose-knit group that seems to work ideal for our needs. No officers, no dues and no BS. Just a gathering of like-minded car guys hanging out (like in the "old days").

Jim