Art & Inspiration When You Go To Shows Or Gatherings, What Attracts Your Eye?

I agree with you when it comes to the Hamb era cars and styles, I never cared for the Easter egg colors, big wheels, graphics, and look at me over the top billet rods.

There is no doubt a survivor hot rod or custom will get my attention in a heart beat, and cars sporting Quick Change rear axle's, cool engines with old school fuel injection or blowers and louvers.\

Cars with fenders or fender-less, Customs are also high on my radar. HRP

 

I am pretty open minded and will look at most, if they took the trouble to show their car , they have some pride in it. I guess I'm a "everybody gets a trophy" guy...HA!
As aside note; at the last local show I dropped in on, the car getting the most attention was a homebuilt electric Cobra replica.

 

Hello,

My wife and I have been involved in cool cars and hot rods since our 20 something days. We have had a wonderful experience during those carefree, "what me worry" days. We just wanted to be left alone and enjoy each other’s company, at home, or anywhere we traveled. The families just did not get why we wanted to be together all of the time. Our friends were happy that we were so happy, but the time spent with friends seemed to get less as we traveled and did our “togetherness” thing.

With hot rods, especially the 65 El Camino and the 327 powered red 1940 Ford Sedan Delivery, made up traveling anywhere fun. They were not cars normally used for daily driving. Our daily drivers made people step back and wonder why we chose those utilitarian cars for our transportation.

In our minds, who cared, we were having the time of our young lives, living the coastal beach lifestyle and those vehicles played a big part of our continuity. We were different from the rest of our family and friends, and that was ok for us.

Jnaki

In more recent times, the idea of seeing old cars is a community event we like, before the pandemic hit, we used to see a lot of the local car shows and club gatherings. But, times have changed and we can only look back at what we used to see and do to have a different look at life.

As has been mentioned before, when my wife was little, 5 years old, her mom bought a 1947 Buick convertible as her own car. This was during the 50s family lifestyle in So Cal that had the father with his own cars and “the wife” had to make do with what was left or take the bus. But, as the So Cal scene was progressing in different families, the moms stepped out on their own with their own choices of cars.

My wife’s dad would not drive around in that convertible, as he had his Chevy sedan and 2 door Ford coupe. Our thoughts when we saw the photo of the two cars… couldn’t he at least buy a car for the mom? Why did he need two cars? Family structure in the 50s was that the dad ruled the scene. Not always a good scene...

So, the colorful convertibles instantly draw my wife at those car show events. The Hirohata Mercury could be sitting next to the convertible and she would head over to look at the convertible. Who knew? Although the Spring green color would have attraction value, not just because it was a Mercury.

In the photo above, her two "attention attraction" old cars were the Kaiser 4 door convertible, probably for the yellow color like her 5 years old time period, 1947 Buick convertible memory or the Ford Skyliner hardtop convertible next to the Kaiser.

She did not even blink at the cool, colorful, flamed bright red 1934 Ford Sedan other than to say… “nice flames, like those you draw all of the time.” Even our granddaughter laughed and said the same things. But, as young as she was, she, too, was more attracted to the convertible and not the hot rod sedan.

But overall, the small events are, for us, a better way to get actual details of the hot rods without a million people wandering around a fairground location. At least we can get up close and personal without waiting 10 minutes for people to get away from the hot rod for a good photo. YRMV

 

I really dig the survivors, no matter how rough. A buddy of mine shows up at the local cruise in with his rusty ‘50 Dodge 4dr. And I get a kick out of watching people walk past the shiny Corvette or ‘32 Ford to come check out his ride or mine.

 

Any and all of them that have the ability to transport me back in time.
Before muscle cars and the Beatles showed up.

 

Perfect stance, can be different for every car or each car can have multiple. You know it when you see it.
Survivors,
Sleepers
Clean paint. Not talking high dollar. But sanding lines showing thru, chipped up edges, poor fitting panels can all be avoided. Single stage is just fine with me.

 

I look at everything I can but I hone in on the stuff I think is owner builder, if the guy or gal is there I ask a lot of questions get some great info. Don’t get me wrong if you got deep pockets for a pro built that’s great but I like picking the brains of the real car guys. A lot of the build threads on the hamb are those kind of cars.

 

I sat in a Levi's Gremlin once... Very comfortable!...

 

Design - Outrageousness/weirdness.

Pandemic aside, I don't go to too many shows anymore, unless I know that a builder will have a car there that I want to see, or one or more of my customers have cars in the show.

Tradition is to be respected, but when it leads to row after row of vehicles that differ by wheels, paint and engine, I have to pass. Not for me. If it works for you, please carry on. We need those shows to continue.

I got fed up with seeing everything that I wanted to build, already built. I went back to my shop after Billetproof NorCal a few years ago, cut up my Model A, and recycled most if it (and gave away what I was not going to use).

Then I stated over. No, I will not post a build thread. It won't be well received here.

It will draw a crowd. Like it, or hate it, I don't care, but you will remember it.

JoeyU and Pocket Nick have seen it. I don't remember either reacting poorly.

 

Anything with a flathead. Ford or other. Or just about any long roof.

 

I have to agree with this. Too many builds are formulaic, the same mix of parts over and over and over. Color outside the lines and get castigated for not being 'traditional', forgetting that originality isn't a crime. Yes, there are lines that shouldn't be crossed (for me, it's store-bought billet, too-large wheels, obvious EFI, and engine compartments where everything is 'hidden', I like to see the 'bones', are all at the tops of my list) but the insistence on 'period' parts from some quarters shouldn't matter if the 'the look' is accomplished. I don't build my cars to look like everyone else's, I build them to look like my car...

 

Finally, someone says what I've been wanting to say for years...

 

Well I give you permission to say it.

 

Willys and Hemis.

 

I look for things with style, first and foremost. I am largely traditional, but like anything that shows as a well thought out car. And I tend to spend some time around beaters, because they are entry level, and actually get used a bunch. A poorly finished car that is in the public eye does more for the hobby than a perfect car that rarely gets driven or seen, in my opinion.

I love this place in the internet. But only think I partially belong, because some of what I think of as cool has some 70's to it. I just picked up a 35-6 5 window body. It will be straight axled, with, most likely, a FE under the hood unless I go Y block. But I am going to run aluminum slots and radials. I may add air conditioning. I will probably keep cranks in the doors, but since I am missing everything, the rear window will probably be power.
It will certainly be old school, but I have to hide lots of stuff.

 

Does it now?

Make a note of where things are in this picture. Yes, they are all attached, and are where they will live.

 

Anything that I think is a cool build along with the women, food is almost always good and dogs.

 

One word, QUALITY.

 

Interiors make or break it for me. I've seen some cars they did some decent paint/bodywork but shoehorned some seats and a console in place the night before and called it good totally wrecked the car for me.

 

I don't fit in here too well as I am drawn toward cars that look like they did when they left the factory. I know, a boring guy. Anything from the early 1900's to mid-60's. Even cars I used to laugh at when I was a young smart ass. I can appreciate the fab work, craftsmanship, labor, blood sweat and beers that go into hot rods as I know I do not have that talent. But I tend to walk past them at a show to see a well preserved true classic first, then return to view the rods.

 

I look at everything, but vehicles with great stance, fit and finish and proportions get a second look. I like to hear stories from especially the old guys if they are sharing.

 

There are four types of cars at car shows. The walk on by cars, the slow down for cars, the walk around them cars, and the down on the hands and knees cars. The walk around cars are the cars that are aesthetically pleasing to me. The hands and knees cars are the "how did they do that cars?"

 

I like this picture of a Hudson.
Neat to see cars from all over... and the people!

 

The older I get, the more I am drawn to the "Oddball" stuff ....Hence the Nash in my avatar! I am also attracted to fastbacks Hamb friendly & OT

As a painter, my eye always catches the flaws in bodywork & paint. Unlike some idiots however, I never make any derogatory comments. I always tell myself that it is great the guy or girl is part of our hobby.

Everybody is different but I cannot see a time when I don't love going to shows & cruises. I have been to thousands over the years & at one time or another have been to all the majors for customers or for myself, still love seeing the cars & talking to the people. I learn so many small details about cars I am not so familiar with every time I go.

God bless
Bill
https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum...ar-transport-hauling-open-or-enclosed.614419/

 

I AGREE WITH FLATHEAD DAVE I ALWAYS LOOK @ WOMEN

 

we must be going to different shows because the women I see at shows are just as old and ugly as the guys there.

 

to me, i dont care all too much about how it looks, i care about its story, and such, and if its modified, what does it have for parts?

 

Girls in short shorts and/or girls with big hooters!

I go to look at the older cars & trucks but NOT rat rods or mucsle cars!

 

Fabrication and thought in how it was built, anyone can bolt parts on but if the build isn't planned out you really don't have anything but a parts pile.

 

The blonde caught my eye