Event Coverage would you attend ?

Now this has nothing to do whatsoever with the Goodguys association. This is being asked as a type of personal survey. Please do not read anything into it for any other reason for which it is intended. It came about because of a discussion between some "Average Joe" rodders and kustom guys. Here's the question ... If you had the choice which would you rather attend, a Goodguys event (I think we all know how their events are set up), or a class act (Great Give-aways, Cash Awards, Great entertainment, etc.) event put on by a local club. If you would please give some reasons for each. If you feel like going into any kind of detail please feel free to do so.

 

That is a hard one with many factors for me. The one Goodguy event around here ends up being huge and well worth the weekend. Since I am a fan of multiple types of builds, choosing to skip the Goodguy event in favor of a local car club event would be kind of hard. I am assuming that both events are on the same day and we must choose one or the other. I try to attend as many events as possible.

Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!

 

Back when Goodguys was held in Kansas City it was always the same weekend as Greaserama. I always chose Greaserama, hands down no questions asked.

 

I personally have no desire to attend a Goodguys event. The closest one to me is Des Moines (550 miles). I have no problem traveling that distance for the correct event. I have attended a number of the Meltdown Drags and Hunnert Car Heads Up events which are 650 mile hauls, and I will probably make the haul a few more times in the upcoming years. But until Goodguys puts on an event that is better then and cost competitive with MSRA's Back to the 50's, there is no reason for me to show up at one. As the president of a small local club, I will continue attending the shows put on by local clubs as their members are the ones that support my show.

 

The cost factor has to come into play somewhere.

Do you want to attend a huge show or a small one? HRP

 

I have attended both types of events. Good-Guys for a first time event with a track cruise and their auto cross event was fun, Lots of cars and people but Expensive and 3 days. Local events not as many cars but a lot more inter-action with people at event and usually only one day. Distance to event could also come into play. Good-Guys you pay money to them to show your car and they charge people to see your car??????

 

tough one. I like goodguys and nsra because there are so many cars to see. I can spend all day walking around and not see every car, plus I enjoy the manufacture midway and vendors. Small shows are nice, quiet and laid back. put out a chair and watch the world go by. good way to spend a morning or afternoon without spending an entire day at a show. I will drive farther for large shows and tend to stay close to home for smaller shows and cruise nights.

 

I don't know what I "would" do, but in real life, I've attended scores of local shows over the years. I attended one GG show, the first one in AZ, but that was 15 years ago.

 

I drove my Cadillac two days from Denver, ColoRODo to attend the Custom Car Revival in Indianapolis simply because I like kustoms (172 cars) and did some sight-seeing on the way back home.

I'm about to embark on a two week "vacation" that will get me and my bro as participants in the Western Canada Power Cruise (again) and we'll end up in Spokane for the GoodGuy's event there...then we'll head off to Glacier National Park for some sight-seeing...we'll hit a weeknight cruise (or two) in there somewhere and another smaller show the next weekend, then we'll head home.

IF I had to choose between the two shows you mention on the same weekend, I'll always opt for the larger show -where else can you see 2000 (plus) cars -such a variety, for the cost of an entry fee...???

The entry fee is minor compared to what is spent on gas ($$$) getting there and the beer ($$$) you'll drink while there...

R-

 

all the cool Goodguy haters will chime in to show their disgust with Goodguys making them seem more cool than they really are. that is typical of any thread where Goodguys in mentioned.

for me it would really depend on the two shows. I would pass up a "Goodguys all American Get Together" to go to a good smaller show... like the Strangers picnic they have every year in San Jose, but I would not miss the "Western Nationals" Goodguys have in August in Pleasanton Ca. for a club show unless they had free hookers behind the concession stands.

 

me: small show. I go with my kids, would rather spend a few hours checking out cars, chatting with people and having fun with my kiddos... vs huge shows that take a day or more to check out.

in the end, I have more fun building and driving/riding cars/motorcycles than walking around looking at them.

I go to maybe two or three small local shows per year, no big shows.

 

posers will all line up to bitch and complain about Goodguys but then again I rarely see their shit anywhere but their own garage, if you can't find something to appreciate at a "big" show you're just too fucking shallow to be around

I like small shows.... (hell I'm in Montana, nothing of size happening local)

I just got back from Goodguys PNW with 2800+ cars and met up with some friends I haven't seen in years and saw a few AMBR cars so it was well worth my time

So I guess it may be more about who I go with or meet up with than who throws the damn thing or how big it is

At any point I start bitching and moaning while at a car show someone kick the lawn chair out from under me

 

Radials or Bias plys?
Strombergs or Holleys?
Gloss or satin?
Airbags or lowering blocks?
What's it worth?

 

Thank you all for the responses so far. But it seems I forgot to put something in perspective here. The reason this came about is because at a bull session the topic came up that IF an area were to hold an event would it be wise to hook up with an outfit like Goodguys or work with a local club to put on the event. NO THIS IS NOT IN THE PLAN... The discussion is that if a local club organized an event comparable to the schedule of a Goodguys show participants would be just as willing to attend, if not more so, and the area would not have to spend extra money just to carry the Goodguy moniker. (I'm assuming Goodguys will promote an event against a guarantee from the area. ) This is not set up to choose one or the other on a given weekend .

I'm doing this just for starting a good gab session and maybe put some ideas into perspective. I just think it's been a long time since we all had a chance to get in on a subject that we all know and can relate to.

 

I make 2 major shows each year, Back to the Fifties (200 miles each way) and Frog Follies (500 miles each way) I sometimes go to a local show, but easily get bored if I don't have at least 500 cars to look at. I'm not one to sit by my car and drink beer, (hate the stuff) so I want things to do, look at and buy. A swap meet is a major draw for me.
I never ever go to a show of one type of vehicle, whether it is trucks, street-rods, traditional, muscle, or what have you. I came upon an "all Chevelle" show once, the most boring 15 minutes of my life!
I don't buy Playboy to look at the cars and I don't go to car shows to look at girls! Looking at girls "worth looking at" (young, hard bodied, scantily clad etc) is considered perversion at my age. (at least by my wife)
AS far as Goodguys, I've been to one at DeMoines and had fun, but being a few days before Iola, it is too much in too short a time for me.

 

thats too funny.....and very true imo

 

I've seen some of the coolest and nicest cars at good guys events and had some of the funnest times at pre or after parties for good guys at Indy, I just had an awesome weekend at the NSRA Nats in Louisville too I've also had great times at the pile ups and Meltdown drags etc. I drove almost a 1000 miles to do the bourbon run and Beatersville show too. It seems I can have a good time at either type of event. As long as there are cool cars and good people to hang with.

 

To me I would rather spend my money and time picking an event (a big one) and use it as a destination or a reason to get out and drive my old car. I've been to GGs events all over the country and small events also. The draw as far as I am concerned is what does the show have to offer. Does it have a swap meet? Does it have big name and several vendors? Does it have shade? Does it have a place to go cool down if it is 100 degrees? Does it have a good choice of food on site? Does it have CLEAN REST ROOMS? Are there good hotels and restaurants close by? Is there good entertainment in addition to the cars? When I had my old 55 Chevy we drove it in 38 states and across Canada just traveling to car shows. I've slowed down now and am way more choosy but I still go. The one that I DO NOT MISS is the H.A.M.B. Drags coming up in a week and a half.
Just my thoughts.
Later,
Dick

 

still not fully understanding the discussion that started this thread. maybe put on a show like the Goodguys in one area? show cars, vendors, swap, etc? area would not have to pay to carry the GG moniker? who does that now? who now provides a guarantee to the GG? the GG does donate stuff to smaller shows that are not run by them. big or small, I like to look at cool rides. yes, having to pay an entry fee for my ride and others pay a walk in entrance fee is just the way of the world. overhead operating expenses can be overwhelming for anyone.

 

I gave up on Goodguy's when they eliminated drag racing at Indianapolis and went to a lawn chair event with no year cut off. I can see 2014 Mustangs, Corvettes and Dodge Challengers on local dealers lots.

To me complaining about the cost is like separating fly shit from pepper. The guys worrying about the cost of an event are in the wrong hobby. Any event is cheaper then a round of golf.

 

This year, I got so fed up with the car show crap, I've decided to stop going to them. I'll make "Round Up", one day, and Navarro's show, but other than that, I'm tired of paying for people to look at my car. Around here, it's usually the same cars and same people. Boring. Power parkers. Stupid.

I've been having more fun buzzing around Houston and burning a tank of gas. When I get home, I'm in a great mood and relaxed. Every stop light or gas station is a chance to meet a new person, who may have questions on how to get involved in this madness we call fun.

Just think about it. We built these cars to drive and cruise. When I go to a show, I'm bored and ready to go after an hour. What the hell are you doing perched in a lawn chair, bitching about the flyers that got tossed in your car, when you went to get a cold one? Just drive the damn things! It's FUN.

 

I'm not big on shows unless it's mostly a vintage style hot rod/custom related event. If it's chock full of muscle cars and street rods then I may not go. I usually go to the small car shows as a spectator in my area and drive my 41 to an occasional cruise night. I do plan to register my ride at the Jalopyrama, TRJ Revival, and other related type events in the area. I don't have a Goodguys near me. I have the York Nats which is cool.

 

I live in Houston and there is a small show almost every weekend somewhere around town. There are clubs that specialize on different themes so there is something for everybody. I go to the few I like and the first weekend in October I go to Dallas for the Good Guys event.
I like the GG event because the vendors are all there with their products and there is always the autocross and car corral for shopping for parts. It can be expensive but as someone(with a lot of money) once told me "we all live on our own level of poverty".

 

I got burned out on the big shows years ago. I go to a lot of local and nearby shows but not to see the cars (99% of them I've seen many times) but to hang out with friends.
I just got back from Reno. I did not go there to see Hot August Nights but since I was there working for a week I went down in the evenings to check it out. I got tired of it pretty quick, I really don't know how someone puts up with it for 10 days, all day and every night. Geez, it's too much IMHO.
I will admit it was pretty neat that there is so much cruising at HAN. I would go down to this restaurant for dinner, sit at a window seat and watch a constant parade go by, better then parked with lawn chairs!

 

A few friends and I plan ahead and hit one big show each year, (all we can really afford/time/travel) and each year its been a different show, the KKOA Salina a few years ago, BTT50's Minnesota, GG Puyallup... we haven't been doing enough years to want to do the same show again. Taking a group with you to a "new" show has been better than I expected.

 

To the OP, you are still looking for a way to make that Kustom thing happen? The huge events were something of a formulated way of generating lot's of cash (think of all those $20.00's at the gates alone) it came and went. Like all fads do. I do a couple of shows (Cheaters & Rust Revival) for now. Nothing appeals to the idea of !10,000!+!! Rides at the State fairground's!!! Too many to look PAST and AROUND to find those gems preferred. No mas, senior sheepies.

 

I go to the local small shows and enjoy them. Have gone to Goodguys events and they have a lot to look at and many vendors. Took a car once and it was too hectic for me--just go now and enjoy without a car. Went to HAN this yr with a car (swore I never would again but--) has turned into a different venue than in years past and I,m done with it.

 

I go to Good Guys Nashville, NSRA Nationals in Louisville, Cruising the Coast and all the local Cruise Ins.........No local Shows because they are all their trying to win a $20 trophy...........but, if you like driving your car and cruising....Cruising the Coast is the Best in the Country........NO TROPHIES FOR ANYONE TO FIGHT OVER .........if your tired of the scenery, drive a few miles down the Beach to another one...........7000 plus cars last year and probably another 2-3000 Cheapos that didn't register cause it cost $75 or so......with 7 or 8 venues on a 20 mile stretch and 3 or 4 bands playing all day long at each venue, swap meet, car coral..........YOU CAN'T BEAT IT FOR THE MONEY........

 

I live just outside of Columbus OH where the GG have their big event.
I went a few times with my car when I first moved out here.
I now go to a large show put on by the Arthritis Foundation right here in Dublin! It is the same weekend as GG. This year it drew well over a 1K cars and is in a park like setting.
I always have a good time and there isn't nearly as much "craziness".
Since most of us either have or will get arthritis I figure it's for a good cause!
KK