Hot Rods Hot rodding and car shows

So, i’ve got a confession... i’ve owned my share of old iron before my Plymouth 30u.
1968 912
1955 Chevy 210 sedan
1947 Willys Cj2a
Etc.
That being said, I think i’ve only been to 5, maybe 10 car-shows total, in my 41 years on earth. I’ve always just used my rigs for planned outings to say, the drive-in, or maybe a cruise to a local diner, or in the 55’s case, as my daily driver in college(still kick myself for selling that car).

Anyone else feel the same lack of draw to shows? Anyone care to share their perspectives on what attracts them to shows?

-LBB

 

In the U.K back in the early 1970s the indoor shows were really the only thing that was worth going too. There were the occasional Rod runs, cruise's etc which were the in their infancy, and some well attended, but the indoor events were just fantastic and attended by Rodders and the general public in their thousands. As time went on the reverse of that is now very much the trend. There are large runs, to go too or ther are the smaller and sometimes better smaller events breakfast meets, outdoor meets etc, but the overall thing is to drive and have fun.
I've been involved since 1971 on and off and have enjoyed the manic indoor events, lots of unbelievable memories from then, to the now, where I enjoy driving my COE or my Center Door "T" to all types of gathering and sometimes the odd indoor event. That's my view, I might be wrong, but still having fun.

 

I only go to a handful of shows, mostly ones where I know that some of my friends will be there. It is a way to stay in touch with folks that you may not see on a regular basis. I do enjoy attending events that are either "superior" affairs or ones where other activities such as vintage racing are taking place. Some of the ones close to me that I attempt to attend on a regular basis would be the Jalopy Showdown, Hanover, Pa., The Jalopyrama, Easton, Md., The Mobtown Greaseball, Baltimore, Md. I just have little desire to attend those little shows on every corner each summer where everyone sits around on lawn chairs for 6 hours cooking in the sun. I do miss the "Garage Nights" that used to be quite common in years past and the small get-togethers by 10-20 cars at a local burger joint. It's still fun to organize a mini rod-run or cruise to lunch somewhere. A few of us have made a late summer run to Solomon's Island, Maryland for lunch in recent years. That kind of laid-back, informal "event" is what appeals to me, not so much sitting around among 100 cars that I've seen a hundred times before.

 

The local, fund raiser shows aren't my scene. I'm with Don on the quality shows. Cruise ins are cool, cost nothing and don't take all day.
Hunt Valley mall in MD has one Saturday mornings in the summer. Met some HAMBers there. Lambos, Panteras, Studes, '40 Fords, model A's, Moke Mini Moe, name it. Very interesting, folks drive cars there that never go to lawn chair shows.

 

Like you guys said. I don't do the pay me $15. then to sit all day,just to get the coveted $10. trophy. BORING. I attend events mostly just to see friends. But I do like the larger shows also, to see the cars. Like Hershey, the Goodguys, and NSRA. Then there's the not to miss, ( Camping with friends events.) Like the Jalopyrama, Showdown, and Clumberland Md. the Street Rod Round Up. But what I like the most is the Garage party campouts. Here's a few photos I took this week end. I visited 5 garages. And camped with the knuckledrager's at ( Va. HAMB ) Todd's garage. Ron.....

Sent from my SM-G920P using The H.A.M.B. mobile app

 

^^^^Great stuff, Ron. Looks like a blast^^^^

 

My problem with shows is that they occur on prime summer days. I'd rather be on the beach or in the pool. Late spring and fall events, those I may go to. The local shows have the usual trophy whores that attend. One guy I work with a HAMB friendly Mopar... he rarely drives the car, mainly to shows. He cherry picks the one he may do good at.

This cracked me up, there are a couple of young guys, less than 25. They drive a couple of beat up cars, one has a turbo on it. I don't know where they came upon them, but they place trophies in front of their cars at cruise nights, must be 30 of them between the 2 cars.

 

I’ve always said I don’t need a car show as an excuse to drive my car. I don’t seem to attend many local weekend shows for the same reasons others have mentioned. I don’t like driving for 20 minutes to sit in a lawn chair for 4 hrs- just not my thing. I will drive 500 miles to attend a back yard bbq with friends. Large shows like NSRA, good guys, etc give me a chance to go for a good drive and spend a weekend with friends and meet new ones. The bigger shows have vendors and new products I like to see and cars I haven’t seen before. And my car gets to stretch it’s legs a little.

 

I think I go to 3 shows a year that i really like and make sure i don't miss, ( a pretty traditional hot rod show, a semi formal judged antique car show and a swap meet that draws quite a few cars) and maybe a cruise in here and there if it's someone else's idea but for most other summer weekend shows, i can take them or leave them. Its a little tradition that a few of us will go to some hour+ away show, maybe have a pre-show cocktail, poke around for a few hrs, then go out for pizza, drinks and have some laughs afterwards. So while I like going to look at old cars on a nice day, it can just be background for a day hanging out with some friends.

My current '37 project, im sort of planning on driving on some longish road trips to a few shows to see some non local friends like the Pigeon Forge Shades of the Past in Tennessee, maybe a trip to Hershey some year, etc..

 

It's cool that some of you guys get together and do something rather than bake in the sun for 4 hours every weekend but up here that's what everyone does , if even that . Up here they all cruise to a local greasy spoon and some of the guys travel as far as 1 to 2 miles from their house in their daily driver . I just talked to a buddy of mine and asked him if he takes the car out anymore he said yeah to clean the garage ( that where I'm at) , he said it's more fun to go fishing for bass than to set in a field all day and bake in the sun because no one wants to do anything around here . I told him in the spring that we'll have to change that and to hell with the rest of the guys , let them set .

 

Loved the indoor shows in late 50s an through 60s,70s. All gone by 80s. Now enjoy cruisin's,much of the fun is the road trip there an back with others,most often combined with stop for a bite along the way/3 to 6 rods.

The city has ripped down two of the autotorims, that were great places for a lot of community events an get togethers. So no indoor shows now,but they were really fun,most 2 too 3 day shows. I miss doing those a lot.

 

Awesome responses so far. Y’all are like brothers from another mother. Love the idea of a road trip to a larger show. Likely be someplace like Del Mar, or maybe even Vegas here in Socal.

 

Whatever works for you is what the car hobby or any hobby is about IMO. I use the shows/cruises for a social outlet, have met many nice interesting people. In recent years It has slowed down some for me but I enjoy meeting/talking with men that have the carcrazy gene, just like in life we are all different and the diversity is always outstanding. The HAMB is a social outlet with the best Pic threads anywhere with tech that's good, there are some very knowledgeable men on here. Enjoy the Hobby !

 

I go to fewer and fewer every year. Like stated above......boring! You see the same cars and you are just parked, doing nothing. I had rather be out in my garage working on them. The ones that I do go to is usually just as a spectator because I usually leave in an hour or so since there is noting going on except some music that is way too loud for me. I might drive to one that uses the funds for a charity, but thats about it.

 

That sounds like a kick-a$$ time!...thanks for sharing.

 

yup, I think that's the vibe I'm looking for. Might have to see what I can find out of the golden state. Maybe AZ or even further. Our extended family and many good friends are in Ky, but that's a heck of a roadtrip...lol.

 

I go in and out of going to car shows over the years. 2 summers ago I just sort of fell out of going to anything except this last summer I hung out at deuce days quite a bit - but I never signed up for “ power parking “.
I love cruising and burning gas - especially when there is lots of other old cars swarming around. The most fun I have is going to a show 2 to 4 hours away and leaving with a pack of other old cars and staying in a small hotel with the parking lot full of hot rods .
I don’t mind paying a small amount to get into a outdoor car show especially if it goes to a good cause but don’t use the money to buy a man-child a trophy!

 

Around here cruise -ins cost between $5-$10 , it's an evening car show , complete with lawn chairs and trophy hounds , loud music , local cliques , no fun !!

 

I like doing pretty much anything that involves the old cars and that I participate in the events. I am not someone who can go to a show as a spectator anymore. Still do indoor shows, cruises, parking lot shows, drag racing etc. I have been getting more selective on the parking lot shows to going to large events with typically high car counts, or its for a charity I want to support, I don't care if I win a trophy I got an excuse to drive the hot rod across town, see some friends and help a little league get some new equipment. Lately though I have been bit by the racing bug, but with my modern Camaro running in like a modern Super Stock class.

 

I'll do a few cruise nights per year, see a lot of the same cars and a few new ones. I like to do the 2 big shows here, GNRS & LARS. What I like about them besides the show, is the drive in part, where your car becomes part of the show. You park among friends and fellow rodders and it's a big gathering of like minded folks all there to enjoy the show. I am not the type to sit behind my car for several hours, I'm out looking at cars and shooting photo's, and if I'm done with that then I'll take off.

A local club has an annual poker run, this years run was last weekend. That's always a great event, any event where you get to drive with other rods is a great event, we need more driving events.

I've tried several times to organize drives around here, and have posted threads here on the HAMB, and have had pretty limited response. People like to post about how much they like to drive their cars, but actually put on an event and they're nowhere to be seen or heard from.

@Lowbuckbuilder I've been putting together an annual New Years Day run for the past few years, it's been getting a little bigger each year, last year we had 6 or 7 cars. I know I'm a couple of hours north of you, but if you're up to it I'd love to have you join us. I think I'd better start a thread here soon and start promoting it. Anyone in So Cal interested hit me up. No route planned yet, we could always do something in the south Orange County/north San Diego county area to make it easier for our San Diego friends.

 

this has been covered before - bottom line, one size does not fit all - cruising is great, especially with a number of other rides off the main highway - no fun just to sit in bumper to bumper traffic - shows not set up in a big asphalt parking lot can be fun - good to see other rides and get ideas, etc - plus, get opportunity to talk about your ride with someone else that appreciates your ride - making new friends is good - as stated above, may only get chance to see them again months later at that show - going as a spectator is OK , because you do not have to pay the higher entry fee and can leave whenever you want - I like to go to multiple shows in one day, if close enough, to take pics to share here - have never seen anyone I know turn down a trophy - have known the super trophy whores, and/or trailer whores that trailer their rides to local shows - best is building your ride your way and enjoy doing what you like - even sitting at your computer seeing/hearing what everyone else is doing here -

 

I run with a group that drives their cars with regularity, cruise nights, and a few local charity or club shows a year plus the major events we attend yearly.
Being centrally located I’m fortunate to be a days drive to travel to quite a few NSRA and Goodguys events along with HRR and Frog Follies to name a few.
Each year we try to do something new for our “ long trip” and take in part of the country we haven’t visited with the cars. This year it was the Black Hills for the Counts of Cobblestone Club Run, last year Route 66.
9200+ miles this season and added Montana and Wyoming to the list of states we’ve now visited in the 40, now 26 in all.
Hey IMHO drive your car and enjoy it in a way that makes you happy, I’m not saving mine for the “ next” guy!

 

car shows took/take time away from my builds. people I want to see come to my shop. they know where I am.

 

I admit I do go to the free shows mostly to see old friends I won’t pay money to let some idiot in a new mustang or new corvette win a ego trip. I do go to charity shows.

 

Here is a pic of my car at the last car show I went to...

 

I've tried several times to organize drives around here, and have posted threads here on the HAMB, and have had pretty limited response. People like to post about how much they like to drive their cars, but actually put on an event and they're nowhere to be seen or heard from. I know that feeling.

 

Yup, agreed, i’m definitely seeing ideas of what a “car event” might be that i hadn't considered before. Something that takes a step (or many steps) away from the “park n’sits” that i’ve seen locally.

 

before I had interesting cars when I was in college, I would go to local car meets all the time in Phoenix AZ to see the classic cars and trucks. Now that I have several classic vehicles, I think I've only been to 1 or 2 local shows. Don't really intend on doing many in the future either.

More and more the older I get, the less I want to be around crowds of people, haha!

 

I pick and choose car shows I go to because I have a front engine dragster. here in ct, fed's are scarce as hen's teeth. we take it to show the unknowns what a party was back 50 yrs ago. we put them in it and sometimes start it up. the guys are afraid to sit it because 'the rear will blow up'. lol

 

I like cruisin’s so I can get in and out in an hour or two. I would rather do a hot rod shop open house or just go for a drive on the back roads