Hot Rods If you could design and organize the perfect hotrod event, What would it look like?

Here is my top ten;
1. No host bar , not just beer (this may offend those with young children though)
2. No Children (come on, we can have an adults only occasion once in a while can't we?)
3. Strippers. OK, scantily clothed girls serving cocktails (though this may offend the wives)
4. No wives. (The boys need a night out once in a while to be left to our own debauchery).
5. Grass. As in no parking lots (hell, smoke em if you got em) but no molten tarmac!
6. Food. (Burgers and dogs are fine...sliced avocados for the CA guys)
7. No car Nazis. So what if a Camaro or a RR show up. (Get over yourself and meet someone new)
8. No gate charge. (Nuff said)
9. No participation trophies. (I'm sure there is a church cruise-in you can hit next weekend)
10. No early AM! (I like to do my bench racing in the afternoon during happy hour).

 

Bowling Green used to be my top pick.In the early years it was really nice- wasnt so packed. Shade buy the river. borrowed a guys rod to cruise around BG at night - he was from down under and really didn't care. Bench racing with some of the greats and unknowns- was a hoot. Something for everyone and yet laid back no one got mad or even seemed to be offended about much of anything- but there was still a unwritten respect. Rare . We went to race and loved all the extras. Hard to run a FED as a one man show now days. Hopping to finish the new stuff and get back up there/ Micks health is better/ get back to the good life..

 

The flashlight drags.

 

Not even a "show".
More of a "get-together".
No public allowed.
And yeah... drive somewhere.
Only our type of cars. I don't care... you said our ideal event. I don't really want to see anything past the early to mid sixties.

I live on a big farm. 40 acres, a pond, horses, pet deer. A huge house with extra bedrooms, an indoor wave pool, steam room, hot tub. Judy, the owner and I have been talkin about having some of you guys over for a weekend. We can do what we want nobody will bother us. Bonfire, swimming, camping, good music, good food. Keep it smallish and personal and casual and relaxed. Judy owns a small restaurant 10 miles north in the small town of Peck Michigan. We could Caravan and inundate the towns of Yale here and the little town of Peck and hang out at Judy's Restaurant. And Caravan back.

I would absolutely love having some of you guys over here. Judy and I both dealt with some health issues last year and it slowed us down a bit. So I don't know if it'll happen this year. But we're both feeling better now and I'm catching up on stuff. We'll see. If not this year, I'm hoping next year.

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Midnight Mass. It was here near Motown once. Think about it, since when did cruising in your hot rod have to take place at 9am? Right, it didn't. What else? More than once a year. Maybe once a month from May thru Sept. Keep it casual and "unorganized" if that's possible. The venues might be the hard part, but I think all you need is a destination and let everyone do their own thing. A hangout. Maybe one of the too many "cruise" events in Detroit could be a focus of rebellion, like the Fri night before. An unorganized but organized invasion of true hoodlums with cars that might scare the shit out of the crying doll crowd. And I agree with Bandit Billy, anything 71 and older c'mon along, but would prefer they were NOT the LS/20" wheel types so the vibe can be more purified. No Pro Touring shit. If it sounds a little elitist, smug, traditionally snobbish, I can live with that. I guess essentially a roving "Hollywood Knights" or "American Grafitti" clan that becomes as welcome and un-welcomed as possible, and all of it in good honest hot rod fun. I suppose some simple social media notices could provide all the data necessary to make it happen.

 

I see a pattern here (is there a problem officer?).

Ah, hello!!!

 

Midnight to 6 am at the Drive-in movie, all old car movies, catering trucks down front for "Better Food" beer and wine at the snack bar, 1958 and older cars, loudest pipes contest during intermission, pretty cool car show.

 

We need kids at car shows and races. We need to get kids involved in cars again. At 37 I often find myself one of the youngest people at car shows swapmeets and the races.
At this rate, the car hobby will be dead in the next 15 to 20 years.

As far as no wives, I have no issue with a women who knows and understands cars. Many of the shows around me most of the bicthing and moaning is done by the men. The last thing I want to be around is a bunch of wild crazy, out control behavior. It makes the whole hobby look bad. The general public doesn't see one guy in a lifted diesel truck "Rolling Coal" doing smoke shows they see everyone with a high-performance car.

I like early events, (I start work at 6:00 A.M. in bed by 7:00 P.M.) The Early Ford V8 Club show and swapmeet is one the best gate open at daylight and over by 1:30 or 2:00 P.M.
People know if they want it the need to buy it, or it will be gone.

 

How about a big ass party the night before a lawn chair event?
Bands, booze, dancing, bench racing etc.

If ya gotta sit around the whole next day ya might as well be hungover

 

the perfect HOT ROD event for me would be where everyone parks their cars, leaves all the crap in the trunk and leaves the venue so I can take better pictures.

 

I would like to see a recreation of the original Vanderbilt Cup race with vintage era race cars. A portion of the original course still exists on Long Island today. Could never happen though. Too many lawyers in NY. Hah!!!
Andy

 

Perfect Hot rod n Custom show? ; As this is a if I could Q.
Then I'd like a "Time Machine" to take all these you back to real shows,like a few in the late 50s, an a few in early 60s,plus a car club meeting or two.
For many that would be super ! An for some it would pop there bubble BS about how it was!!!
I built ,drove an showed two cars back then an belonged to 3 car clubs.
So would love to give that super fun too newer guys n gals.

 

At least for the times I've gone, the Aces of So Cal put on a fine rod run, poker run, eat and see a band, show. I think they still do it. If I still lived in Lakewood, I'd never miss it. I'm sure there are threads about it on here, if you care to look.
I take my roadster on the San Luis Roadsters Run. A half day cruise on the cool back roads that only locals know about, to a place for a good lunch and hanging out, then a leisurely ride through our local wine country. Then, do it again the next day.
Those are a couple of hot rod events that I think are done well.

 

I've been a participant in hot rod and or custom car events since 1973 and never once did I decide to go to an event because they had a live band (s) or DJ blasting away old rock and roll throughout the event. Most of the time I find these DJs blasting away oldies though crappy speakers at above distortion levels annoying at the least. I've parked on the other side of the grounds from where the band stand was more than once at events. Band in the evening after the spectators leave when everyone gathers around to dance and party, Cool.
My favorite events aren't designed to draw spectators. They are participant events in interesting places that are rather low key. One at a museum with a fantastic view and one in a small rural town where 90 percent of the spectators are local folks who made it in from their farms and ranches for the day. Open event with a mixed bag of vehicles some that you only see at that event but usually some high quality rigs show up. No stress except it is usually hot as all get out. The home made pie that one women's group sells is great though.
Ideally I'd like to see more hot rod events where you started at point A cruised though some interesting countryside with a couple of stops at nifty places and a long lunch stop where you could buy lunch or bring out your picnic lunch and visit and look at others rides and loop around to the starting point. No trophies, no door prizes no undue stress.

My ideal got to a spot and park the ride and visit and look at the other rides would be one that maybe goes to a private park with limited spectator access where you did a pot luck barbecue and the order of the day was visiting and looking at other folks cars. Just a kick back day with like minded car folks.

 

For me it was the old Wildwood Boardwalk Nationals. Started with the 175 mile run to the shore through some of the most beautiful country on earth on, (mostly), well maintained roads which included breakfast meet up with great friends on Thursday morning. After rolling though the shore points a quick check in and off to the kickoff party at the Harbour Inn. Great party with live band. Friday has an early out of bed to get on the 'boards for a day of generally hanging out and lying about how fast your ride is and off to dinner with the gang and probably a bunch of guys you haven't seen since last year. Usually an evening of partying and hanging at one of the many nightspots around town, of which there are many. Wildwood has many clubs and loads of great restaurants along with several good amusement piers for the family folks there. This is the town where Chubby Checker broke the Twist at the Rainbow Club and Bill Haley broke Rock Around the Clock at the Hurricane Club. Many of these clubs have serious history. Always great music all over town.

Saturday is another day of boardwalk hanging and generally stuffing your face until you hit the "Hop" on Saturday night at the old Convention Hall. The best was when walking down the ramp into the bash the had the "Bounty Hunter" on one side and Cha Cha's rail on the other. Just put you in the mood. That night they had the Dubs playing live for the bash, shitty race track style food and cold beer. After the bash it was out on the streets for an open cruise, no follow the leader shit. This used to draw some pretty famous cars which would just be out on the streets with everybody else, (Sunkist T, Jim Inglese Full House etc.).

More than a show this one was a driving event all over the island. Wildwood is the worlds largest deposit of "Googie" architecture in the world and is loaded with '50's era motels. Sunday was a breakfast meetup to say goodbye to friends and a fun run back home. The island is still home to the Fall Run although it needs some guidance now and of course the TROG East coast bash. Best place I've ever been for a run as this never really was a "show" in reality. The new management is trying to make it into more of a static event and I wish they could get it back to the way it was.

Still decent but not what it was. Used to be a perfect weekend in my opinion. Still not bad. Lots of stories from this one.

 

Forget the band and the loud music. I am a music lover but when im at a car show, i want to talk to other car owners and a bunch of loud music is a pain in the butt. Not sure who started that one but it is a total wste of $$$ in my opinion.

 

In Az? Honestly, could be a waste of time. Especially if your talking “traditional” or whatever you want to call it. Not trying to be a jerk, but having lived in this state forever, there aren’t enough of that type of hot rods here, and people do not want to travel here.

 

I would pattern it after the Frog Follies Evansville, Indiana and extend the year to 1965. Frog Follies is the best event in the country in my estimation. No $8 hamburgers or $5 drinks. No rip off food vendors, great swap meet, free dinner, free coffee and donuts, and a free gift for all entrants, in a great venue with lots of shade. The biggest problem is getting a hotel room as the rod run is so good they are sold out for miles around.
The best of all is all profits go to charity. NSRA and Goodguys could learn a lot from the Evansville Iron car club who sponsors the event.

Gary

 

Lone Star Roundup with a Tijuana donkey show ....

 

That's just what we need the A.A.C.A. judging donkeys, and do they lose points if they are from Cancun not Tijuana Mexico?

 

Eh once you’ve seen one drunk hamber in a wet shirt you’ve seen em all

 

I am bringing the Hotrod-a-rama back next summer in Pendleton, Oregon along with my new partner Hugh Tucker. Details and Announcement will be forthcoming. July 30th to Aug2nd 2020. It is happening. Stay tuned!!!! This is a picture of the Hugh Tucker AA/SR that raced in the 60's and will be at the show.

 

YES!!! The Pendleton Hot Rod Roundup!

 

What would the perfect hot rod event look like? The "Meltdown Drags", if you ever attended you would understand.

 

Boy do you have it ALL WRONG Rob. What the hell happened to you? You use to be so decent. Now you are just turning into some old curmudgeon. I want you there. Knock it off.

 

I like the Southern Oregon Deuce Days that Scott and Dianne put on each year. Small 3 day event with all kinds of driving stuff and events for both guys and gals. I talked to Scott in Victoria at Deuce Days and they are planning to do another this year but unsure about any more. Hope you can make it.


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Used to be something like this we went to in So Cal years ago. Always showed American Graffiti and a James Dean show.


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ONLY cars and motorcycles that could have been buildt in the 30- 50s. Also original cars and bikes up to say 1960 so you might get enought partisipants.. ONLY old music from the same period. ONLY old style vendors. meaning no modern T-shirt crap or sbc crate engine promotors. No one gets in if they havent dresses accordingly. For instance white T-shirt and cuffed jeans are sufficient. Maybe capris or dress/skirts for the women. Yes. I know. Im lost

 

Nope!-----My 32' is now at my son's garage in SOCAL, where it will remain & he can enjoy it like I have for 300,000 miles.