After reading a HAMB thread today, some posters mentioned odd ball door prizes they had won at rodding events. That reminded me of a door prize experience I had. Every year a resident in Louisville Kentucky on the Friday during the NSRA Nats hosts a large party at his home. Unbelievable food, lots of fun, seminars put on by various vendors and a bunch of door prizes. Every year Boyd Coddington attended and provided many of the door prizes. The prizes consisted of things like clocks, signs and other Coddington paraphenalia. Good stuff that I never won. With my luck the things I won was car polish, wheel cleaner and the like. The Grand Prize however was always a set of Boyd wheels probably worth in the $2,000.00 - $3,000.00 range and never won by Gman. The year after Boyd passed away, guess who won the Grand Prize? Me, I still have it today. Its an LED drop light. A dollar short and a year late. Not complaining just saying. Gary
I've been attending car shows for many years and sooner or later your luck will change, Back when the Atlanta Street Rod's hosted their annual Father's Day car show they were known for their abundance of door prizes, practically everyone attending got something. Over the years I won a couple of cases of oil, a punch bowl set and clean up kit, nothing earth shaking. Several years ago I was talking to one of the members of the Atlanta Street Rod's at the NSRA awards ceremony at Knoxville, Tennessee and he told me he had fantastic luck winning door prizes and had won 2 engines in the last 6 years and he thought it was time to win one again, 1o minutes didn't past and damn if they didn't call his number and announce his name, and he won another engine. I was still dumbstruck when Brenda punched me and said isn't that our number they just called out, I looked at my ticket stub and they called my number again. I wasn't paying attention to what the prize was but figured they were not going to give a great door prize right after a new engine but I was floored, I had just won a Walker Radiator of my choice.... Major score since I was in need of a radiator for the wagon and after talking to the folks at the Walker booth they told me they had just started making radiators for the '52-'54 Fords. Best door prize I ever won. HRP
HRP, so an Atlanta Street Rods member has won 3 or 4 engines at an Atlanta Street Rods show and no one thought that was odd? That doesn't smell right to me, but I'm sure he was just lucky. Our club gives away a lot of raffle and door prizes at our annual open house, but the club members can not buy raffle tickets or win door prizes. We are putting on the show for our guests. Mick
Last/only thing I won... 3rd grade, cake walk at the school fair. I won! I won the cake! When we got home, we served up some slices... it was frosted with toothpaste. The toothpaste cake was my prize... this is my life.
I've won the wax shop kit, McGard lug nuts at NSRA events, and one year at Daytona when it was at the airport grounds, we registered and the guy said" they just called your #" we walked over to the trailer and they said my wife could pick a woman's prize, and I could pick a guys.I got a cruise control, she got a silk blouse.Still have the cruise control on the shelf, but the wife is long gone
I've won the odd prize here and there over the years. My favorite is a participants award from Leadfoot Lanny's Dakota Cruise. Great people, great times and a lot of fun filled miles, shop tours ... did I mention the great people I've met on these tours? Beyond that, a year ago at Saskatchewan's Super Run (2017) I won a set of Cragar SS wheels. Probably the biggest dollar prize I've ever won. Now, I just need the right car ...
I got a baseball cap. Come to find out the company that gave it out would give one to anyone who asked..
I've attended rodding events with a friend for the last 20 or so years. He would never leave an event until drawings for prizes were held. If the drawing was scheduled for midnight he wouldn't leave until it was over. His persistence finally paid off and he finally won a ZZ4 SBC at the NSRA South in Knoxville. Gary
I've been fortunate enough to win a few (On the other hand--with ALL the runs I've been to. since 1969---If I saved up ALL that money I'd probably have a BRIZIO built 32). But the best story I have is about winning a Miller Welder at the NSRA Nats North in Kalamazoo Michigan. They call my number at the Sunday drawing and it's a new 120volt Miller Mig Welder. Cool!!! I receive my packet and bring it home. My dilemma was I already had a Miller 110 Mig welder and knew it well enough to want to move up to bigger 220 unit. Bottom line--- I filled out the form and included a thank you note and a REQUEST to upgrade to A 220 unit and I'd be GLAD to pay the difference in price and shipping. About 2 weeks or so later I receive a NEW Miller 220 VOLT welder via UPS. Along with the paper work is a hand written note saying enjoy your new 220volt welder upgrade. GREAT welder and I still use it often. Bill Rinaldi
One club up about 90 miles from here is in an area that gets hit real hard for donations to various things over the year and several of the club members are also business people so for the past several years they just take part of the entry fees an stick cash in envelopes and draw for those. We got a nice dinner on the way home out of it one of the first years they did it. Probably one of the best door prizes I won was a new 12 volt battery right when one of my rigs dearly needed a battery. Most of the time it was wax, car care stuff or t shirts that didn't fit though.
Friend of ours won a storm door at a run … it may have been a set-up, though - he was driving a '41 Dodge 3 window.
I joked that I should have entered my off topic beater van at the last show I went to. Between the weather being threatening, and three other relatively local shows all that day, the turnout was just 45 cars for three classes where they each handed out about 10 places. They gave out some nice door prizes too. I felt bad for the folks who put it on.
You always hear the bad things about vendors and door prizes at the events we all go to. Here is a story about a standup vendor who did the right thing, even when he did not have to. Several years ago (3-4) I won a door prize at the street rod nationals in Louisville. It was 500 dollar gift certificate from Inland Empire Driveline. I was so excited, first time winning something substantial.I talked to Greg the owner,explained that I was building a car, and wasn't to the point where I could measure for a driveshaft. He said no problem, it had no expiration date and when I was ready, send him the measurements. Time marches on, and when I was ready, the certificate was nowhere to be found. My wife had filed it somewhere, but who knows where. She has a medical condition that causes her memory to fail at times. Fast forward to this year, I explain to Greg and his lovely wife at the Nationals what happened, hoping for a discount of some sort. They talk it over , tell me they will honor the original certificate, call Jeff, who runs the operation in California, introduce me to him over the phone, who verifies everything is cool. People like this are few and far in between, and I would like to spread the word on these good people.
If 'Greg' is the fellow who always man's their booth at NSRA events, I too think he is a very good guy. I didn't have an experience such as yours, but I have spoken with him several times and attended his seminars. The man knows his business and is a very accommodating and just plain 'Nice Guy'....when the time comes that I can use his products or services I intend to do business with him/them, even though a long distance away. Ray
It's funny when I first saw this thread posted as I have won numerous things at cars shows over the years. At a show in Detroit I once won the 50\50 draw and was pulled into customs on the way home back to Canada. It was fun trying to explain why I had 600 dollars in one dollar bills in a little box in my trunk. It's funny how things have changed over the years as I recall winning a 40 of Canadian Club as a door prize. I don't think you would see that at a car show nowadays.
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