Hot Rods Things I learned/gleaned/fathomed attending LSRU

Let me preface all this with a big fat SORRY. I am just playing Devils Advocate here and throwing out some observations....


Backstory: This was my first Roundup with an actual worthy vehicle. In years past
I had just driven the family truckster up and dreamt about participating. I bought this wagon from Earl Scheib, in what feels like a few million years ago and finally got it road worthy. I was super proud of the accomplishment of merely making it to Austin from Houston! Balancing shift worker life with marriage and 3 kids, the wagon got put on the back, back, back burner most of the time. Here are some experiences and things I learned from NOT driving my HAMB car on a regular basis.


Exhaust leaks make you sleepy.

Rain can and will get in every crevice that you were unaware of, and drip on you.

Squeaky, squealy windshield wipers get really annoying after 20 minutes or so.

A strong throttle return spring will snap the carb back to idle quickly, but will make your right calf muscle much more tired than the left.

Bringing beer into the Roundup is a no-no, according to Texas state law, but everyone does it.

I would really love to be part of a car club, but alas I am too scared to get the requisite neck tattoo.

Austin has many amazing food places and I could not eat at them all. I tried though.

I got the pleasure of meeting quite a few HAMBers. One being Joyflea, and another being Trent with a badass LS powered 58 pickup and a hand shake what could crush a full sealed can of baked beans.

I am jealous of Earl Scheib's chin beard. Mike, that thing is the best! I already get odd stares in the office, I should trim mine back a bit. Business casual and chin beards do not coexist.

Rags stuffed in said rain soaked crevices eventually saturate and drip. Kinda defeats the purpose, but slows the inevitable.

People in the car roundup ask ridiculous prices. I wonder if they get sold for something close to what they ask.

Cruising Congress has lost it's magic. My first LSRU was in 2005 and that was amazing. Divco milk trucks dragging tail up Congress. Rat rods shooting fireballs. You can never go back home.

The weekend went by so quickly, Roundup has gotten so big. It's virtually impossible to see all the cars. Is it possible to maybe divide the cars into groups? Traditional hot rods here. Rat rods here. Pre 63 vehicles that don't fit one of the the first two categories here. Thoughts?

What the heck was up with all of the post 1963 vehicles in Roundup? 1970s trucks, a Camaro. Things that barely resemble a vehicle. All in attendance.

I think the feature cars should be in a separate area. Covered.

WAY too many dogs barking at each other.

Need more food trucks! And more beer choices. I love PBR and Lone Star. But c'mon! Texas and Austin make some amazing craft beers. I feel that the LSRU is as much about Austin as it is about the cars. Why not display some of that too? I mean the food trucks are great at giving us a cross section of Austin Eats. Why not throw some Pearl Snap and Bombshell Blonde in there too?

Many people from the north want to move to Texas thanks to the LSRU. I got my eye on you Squindo and Paul from Chicago!

The music was really great. Seeing some folks out there dancing in period specific costumes was really neat.

To quote Forrest Gump: that's about all I have to say about that. More to follow.

Thank you Ryan and the Continentals for another great show!






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Tell us how you really feel! HRP

 

Well, since Round-up is an all Austin thing, telling the odd cars they can't come, would NEVER work. Rat Rods/Art cars were big in Austin before those names even came about. I've never been to Round-up, but I used visit Austin on a fairly regular basis. I have relatives there. Freaky, artsy, free spirited, call it what you want, are what makes Austin, Austin. When I go, NOTHING surprises me. Usually, the people who don't get it, never will. I have a cousin, who responds to the confused tourist with, "What the ____ were you expecting?" How he fills in the blank depends on his Tequila consumption. Being an ex football player, he really doesn't care whether you like that or not.

 

I agree Fred. Art cars are cool and I would never restrict them.


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If art is to provoke thought and emotion then I agree Fred. I had many thoughts and feelings.


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Hated that I missed it. I kicked a pipeline project off saturday and actually let some of my guys off so they could attend. They are from out of state and had heard lots about the LSRU. aAnxious to hear their stories monday. Hopefully all make it back and don't contribute to Travis county funds. First one I have missed since it started. I had to drive the daily up a couple of times and flew in three times from georgia and North carolina just to make the show. It is an interesting group of folks that show up. Looking forward to seeing pictures of the show.

 

You know, I used to be the most anti-rat rod guy I knew. Then, I took a loooog look at what the guys were doing. Thinking of them as "art" has helped my attitude about them. The flip side, however, is when ever my T Bucket is called a Rat Rod, I give that person a crazy look and correct them. Can't win for losing.

It's all about expression, but you can't group contemporary with abstract.

 

Seven bucks for a 16oz Lone Star, and you want them to sell craft beers?? Shiiit, who'd be able to afford the askin' price for those?!? Lol

 

CaddyRat....thanks for the perspective.... spot on I'd say...started cruising down in the 70's for the vibe and the last cruise down in the Studie was about 1996....will try and make LSR one year though....

 

Scott, I was so happy to see you and that piece of.....uh, the wagon...made the trip. I liked that car, and like it even more now that you...uhh, I mean...uhhh... Never mind.
Technically, your chin mullet is longer than mine....but Flat Top Bob has us both beat. Always good to see you brotha. Lookin' forward to seeing more progress

 

It's so big now that there will inevitably be a few that slip through. They do a pretty good job of keeping 99% out. But they try. Sometimes it's the guys that pay to bring stuff in the Swap and then detour out to the show area. It's actually crazy how much riffraff is trying to come in.

Congress is just not part of this show anymore. Everyone that knows is going to Burnet or Manchaca or the various Parties and get-togethers. Congress is where the Donks/Lowriders/Bikers/Camaros/4x4s and general Douchebags go. I don't know why. It's a crawl. It gets better after midnight though. And yelling at cars is fun.

 

Thanks for clearing that up Ryan. I was merely asking for a bit more variety on that front. But let me ask you this- how do the post 63 cars/trucks get in??

 

The key is buying "their" cup and then refilling said cup out of the cooler while keeping a low profile unless they have a "beer garden" like the local fairgrounds has then you are screwed unless you like to drink beer through a straw out of a road mug.


As far as the "they don't seem to fit the concept of the event" vehicles, I've been to damned few events that someone with an ot or slightly ot vehicle didn't brother in law his way into the show.

 

The post 63 cars get in if the person at the gate does not know cars. I saw a S10 there and had to chuckle.

I will say if you had a hard time seeing all of the cars there you must walk slow or look under all of the. We walked it 3 times on Saturday just to see all of the stuff pulling in and out.

Up here our big sow is Back to the 50's and it is at least 4 times the size. This a pain to see the whole show.

I think the roundup is a great show great venue with a good variety.

We went to "Congress" on Friday night, be thankful you have a place to cruise in the city, it is better than what we have up here.

 

Why would anyone need cheap beer to enjoy the car show. Throw a kegger somewhere like back when with nothing better to do.

 

I'd have to believe that is pretty well universal across the country. The facility usually has total control over that the only thing being beer sales or no beer sales at the event.

The "if they sell alcohol on site you can't bring your own" is universal to as far as I have seen.

Here locally at the local "big" run the liquor dicks were going as far as snooping though the campground to try and catch people camped inside the fairgrounds drinking their own adult beverages during the time the beer gardens were open a few years ago.

 

As always, it was great. I saw more LS motors there than at a Chevy dealership, but that's just hot rod evolution. Met Chris Casney(?) and drooled on his Model A for looong time. Nice guy.

 

I'd like to know the answer to this 1963 question too, but Ryan is not the one to ask. This show always seems to get a golden pass from people who say it has "grown too big", or "there will always be a few get by", or "if you don't like them just walk on by". For every person who asks or complains, there are 80 who defend it. It was way out of hand and noticeable this year. I heard lots of people talking about it.

 

Easy answer
Go back to when they required a photo of your car with your entry fee but now make it pre-entry only.

 

I was in Austin for a different reason...when I heard the LSRU was in town that weekend I almost changed my plans! But I went anyway and just cut a wide berth around that area. Kinda my reaction to the aforementioned neck tattoo / attitude thing. Plus the advent of the Gas Monkey crowd has not helped. I did see a few decent cars going to and from, but most of the vehicles were nothing to write home about in terms of quality, stance, or creativity.

One guy was towing an early 50's Merc....it had a very nice paint job that was a sort of very dark green/gray. But that was only when I got close enough to see it from a car length....anything further away than that and it looked like it was wearing primer. Not a great color choice, IMO.

I avoid crowds whenever possible....having old cars around doesn't help, either!

 

I brought this up a few years ago and received a lukewarm welcome. Still...putting on a show like that is ALOT of work, and no event is ever perfect.
So for everyone that had a hand in it...GREAT JOB.

 

I'm one of the guys that defend the few OT cars that get in.

This year I have to say "WTF"? to the gate people who let that S10 pile of horror in, along w/ that damned '69 or so Camaro??? Dude, when that shit can get in, somethings wrong.

 

I also am from the BTTF country, but have not been to the LSRU. At Back to the Fifties if you get caught with a car newer that 1964 (no mustangs allowed) officer friendly, or any show official, will come, take your window sticker and escort you to the nearest gate, no refunds! If you argue, disorderly conduct isn't far behind. Get caught spinning a tire, same thing, + a ticket for spinning said tire. It is one of the most safe, orderly shows anywhere. (and a hell of a lot of fun) I like that because I had/have children/grandchildren and I don't want them run over.

 

A friend of mine went and I got to listen to him talk about LSR. He's gone every year he's been able to. I asked him about some OT cars being there and he said he was having too much fun to notice. So, I have to ask, if you're visiting with friends and having a good time, how could you let a S10 ruin that?

I went to a local cruise/show Saturday night and there were a couple new Camaros there. I was parked next to one. It being there got 1 minute of my attention. So, I guess, maybe if people would concentrate on having a good time and being with friends, they wouldn't notice the bullshit.

Yea, I used to be a guy who bitched and whined about OT cars at Hot Rod shows, but I grew up. It's a free country, if the gate person wasn't able to spot the difference between a '63 and a '64, well so be it.

It's funny the shit that gets allowed and the shit that doesn't. People will bitch about a newer car getting in, but will raise a beer to a jack ass doing a burn out down a row of cars.

I have only known about the Round Up since being on the HAMB, but after reading all the bull shit, maybe I don't need to go. I have a sister who bitches over nothing and she's only 15 miles away. I'll save on gas and lodging.

 

Unless you're there, you can't really have a personal view on it. Drive your car the couple hundred miles, be a part of it, then come back & talk about it. Otherwise you're just armchair keyboarding.

If the gate person can't spot a hacked up S10 or a blown '69 Camaro, somebody else needs to be watching the gate.

 

Post some pics of the leaky wagon...

 

Driving a couple hundred miles would REALLY make it easy to ignore the bull shit AND the bull shitters. I just don't get the same whining bull shit, AFTER the show is over. If it bothers you so much, wouldn't saying something to the officials AT the show make sense? As it is, they got your money and they think everything was fine.

The Round Up seems to be a great show, but spoiler alert, there are other big shows. This happens at all of them. How is this any different than LARS not allowing primer cars? It's not. I guess it boils down to dealing with it or staying on the porch.

 

I was there, yes there were some cars that didn't fit. Who cares, this is an amazing show and the Kontinentals do one hell of a job!
This has to be a huge undertaking that most of us can't imagine what it takes to pull off. Most shows this size have gone to promoters and guess what? There's still some glitches. Let's thank these guys and gals for giving us this amazing opportunity. If you haven't been, get down there and check it out. You will walk away happy you went, there is so many bad ass cars and great people to meet, if a few cars ruin it for you doubt you would have liked it anyway.
Thanks for the great time, see ya next year.


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A couple things.

1. It's a business and it would be a fools errand to argue otherwise.
The 69 Camaros, chopped S10's, and 70's bullshit is proof. It would be a fairly simple matter to hire a "Hotrod expert" to man the only 2 ways in and direct cars to an "appropriate" lot or section. Not separating the wheat from the chaff is just lazy.

2. People get upset about this because the show is marketed as a "Rod & Custom" event. It's incredibly expensive to travel across the country, accommodate yourself, and all the things that go with it. People expect one thing and get another. If you're paying to see Van Halen and a guy with a kazoo shows up your ask for your money back.
I think if they just marketed it as what it's turned into and not what it used to be nobody would bitch.

P.S. I had a great time this year just like every year. I can see where some would be pissed though. I live in Austin, slept in my own bed, and have pretty low standards.