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Who Swam Louisville in 1992 show us your pics!

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by dontlifttoshift, Aug 4, 2009.

  1. dontlifttoshift
    Joined: Sep 17, 2005
    Posts: 652

    dontlifttoshift
    Member

    Since it rained like a son of a bitch today in Louisville and it is so close to the nationals I thought I would ask if there were any HAMBers there in '92 and if they would (could?) show some pics. I missed it as I was only 12 and I am not from a car guy family. I know of the video on youtube (my favorite part is the guy roller blading through the water), but I would like to see some more if you got 'em.

    My boss was there, he was in the building and didn't know anything was happening until the roof started leaking. Luckily some guys had disconnected the shift linkage in his car and pushed it to higher ground, but not before it soaked his plaid, button tufted interior. the interior is still in the car (his beater chevy delivery) and every year it warps just a little more.
     
    Last edited: Aug 4, 2009
  2. FLAT-TOP BOB
    Joined: Aug 19, 2002
    Posts: 1,967

    FLAT-TOP BOB
    HAMB O'dex Editor

    i was there but my pictures are packed up from the move to my new place.

    we were lucky and had parked on the west side of the place and stayed high and dry !
     
  3. ken1939
    Joined: Jul 5, 2008
    Posts: 1,558

    ken1939

    I was there. Fortunalty I parked in the back that day. Two reasons, they were closer to the vendors inside, and the front was packed by the hootinany. We were inside the main building and we could no longer see the ferris wheel at the amusment park across the way.

    We were trapped in the building as the water rose in the corridors, and they were worried because the cables were under ground and they didnt want anyone getting zapped.

    Once we got a chance to get to our cars we did survey the damage. Lots of rods under water as far as the eye could see. So..you want to be a power parker?

    Most of my pics are on video and I am not able at this time to transfer them. I do remember giving commentary before shooting the aftermath.

    Have to give credit where it was due though, for the most part, rodders helped rodders push these cars out of the water. Local part stores were available for filters and oil etc, so these guys could blow their engines out before starting them.

    Our hotel was only a 15 min drive, it took up 2 hours.

    That was extreeme.
     
  4. atch
    Joined: Sep 3, 2002
    Posts: 5,626

    atch
    Member

    not only was i there, i met sherry, the lady who is now my wife, that day.

    what pix i have are at home in photo albums. maybe digital pix were around back then, but i sure didn't have a digicam.

    hope someone has pix they can post.

    i've got lots-o-memories of that day, but unfortunately i don't have any way to get them down to a computer.

    oh, yeah; i was parked on the west side too.
     

  5. Crestliner
    Joined: Dec 31, 2002
    Posts: 3,013

    Crestliner
    Member

    We were there, first time out in my newly built 28 sedan delivery. Luck was with me, as we had been parking on the east side. Didn't want to drive my fresh black car in the down pour. Stayed at the hotel until it quit and had to park on west side.

    Sat in the car waiting for it to quit, wife said look at that chevy down there (south of us) water was up to the bumpers. Walked over to main road and ol my god, couldn't believe all the cars under water, If we would have got there early as usual, we would have been in the same boat.
     
  6. lstwsh
    Joined: Jun 4, 2008
    Posts: 440

    lstwsh
    Member
    from Dayton,Oh

    I don't have a scanner so i can't load pics.I was parked in Mopar country in my grey primered 1934 Airflow.I was getting wetter inside my car as it leaked quite a bit.My friends had a dining fly on the east side so i walked over to it.By the time i got there water was rising fast.The people around me couldn't believe how high the water got.Before it was over the water was over my waist and i am 6ft 2in tall.I pushed a lot of cars that day.I wish we could have saved them all.Some cars were locked or had late model columns that locked.My friends were all inside the building except for one.Helping Rodders is one of the best memories you will ever have.My old Airflow is owned by a friend of mine and i am going to make him park it at Mopar country this year before the Street Machine Nationals come next year.
     
  7. onedge
    Joined: May 25, 2006
    Posts: 999

    onedge
    Member

    we did sat morning...my pics are pre digital. i have said it before "those plastic cars sure float"...they just got hammered with a bunch rain today too.
     
  8. VonDust
    Joined: Oct 6, 2008
    Posts: 246

    VonDust
    Member

    I was there, I was also four years old then and I do remember some of it. My whole family was there (mom"RunAround Sue", dad"MercDeuceman", me and my older sister). We were parked right on the circle in Dad's pro-streeted, chopped and flamed '48 Studebaker. Mom and siss went inside Freedom Hall while dad and I sat in the car and noticed water running through the true-spoke wheels of the car next to us. Back then, there wasn't any landscaping to keep vehicle off the middle of the circle. So, we started the car up and inched our way up the circle on the grass to higher ground. By the time we reached towards the top, the water level stopped rising. I know I lossed my shoes, couple of chairs and a cooler. Dad also won one of four PPG best paint award that year... probably because the officials lost most of their records in the water lol.
    Sorry, no pics yet.
     
  9. My 37 ford was parked at the circle and by the time I got out of the building and to the car The water was over running boards but not inside . I jumped in got it started pipes were under water sounded like a motor boat. Drove it up the circle lane and shut it off. A police officer said get that outta here it's parked in the fire lane. I said see the flames on car it's on fire right, he smiled and said let it sit and walked away. The 34 parked next to me had a new interior the water was half way up the door some below that were up to the windshields in water ! Those that had Sneed's Insurance were taken care of before end of show.
     
  10. I was going in my '32 5wd but decided not to at the last minute. Shoulda gone, you only live once right?

    I have a pic of Sorchik's Jersey Suede with water half way up the headlights. A friend who went that year took it. He knew how much I like the car & gave me the pic a few years ago.

    JH
     
  11. vert1940
    Joined: Aug 10, 2006
    Posts: 395

    vert1940
    Member

    i remember that day also my pics are packed away as well.what i remember,was after the rain stopped,the water backed off,and the temp went up to about 95 with about 150% humidity.the smell was awful with all the fluids that had been pushed out of the cars.the give away car from a few years previous was a model a woody built by springfield street rod.the humidity was so bad the doors were swelled shut.
     
  12. Pscott
    Joined: Jul 10, 2008
    Posts: 244

    Pscott
    Member

    No pics here either. When that storm hit where I live (one hour east), lightning struck a transformer in the yard. Between having no power and not wanting to drive in the rain, we didn't get to the fairgrounds til after noon. My friend Bud said there was over 6 inches in his rain gauge, just a couple miles from the Nats.
    We done went the whole month of July without hitting 90 degrees. That aint likely to last into National weekend.
    Wasn't it the very next year when floods in the Mississippi river valley kept attendance way down? Seems like the Nats was at Columbus that year.
     
  13. SKRTCHSR
    Joined: Feb 1, 2007
    Posts: 483

    SKRTCHSR
    Member
    from Cincinnati

    I was there with my Jams!
    [​IMG]
     
  14. 40Standard
    Joined: Jul 30, 2005
    Posts: 5,963

    40Standard
    Member
    from Indy

    I was there but never power park. I should have brought a fishing pole!
     
  15. peckerhead
    Joined: Jul 2, 2006
    Posts: 119

    peckerhead
    Member

    wow. thats a lot of water...
     
  16. I was there, and that picture is AFTER the water had receded. There is a pic around of a Memphis guy's 48 Chevy coupe with the water level just below the side trim!! :eek:

    The water was filthy, as the flood washed out the livestock pavilions down into the parking lot. There was a lot floating beside coolers and chairs. :eek:

    Afterwards the place was full of debris and piles of ATF cans, from guys changing their tranny's in the parking lot. Lots of locked up motors from water running in the carbs.

    A women drowned after taking an exit off the Watterson to get out of the storm and her car was trapped at the bottom of the ramp.
     
  17. Chevguy37
    Joined: Oct 9, 2007
    Posts: 172

    Chevguy37
    Member

    I was there. My MOdel A had water up over the running boards. We were actually floating cars on the water and pushing them to higher ground. I remember a roadster with no top that was completely under water. The closest parts store did a landslide business with oil and transmission refills. The way that rain came down nothing could have drained it off quicky. I saw there were some floods there today. I am leaving tomorrow. My photos are all slides as that is what I took at that time.
     
  18. 32Rules
    Joined: Mar 17, 2007
    Posts: 202

    32Rules
    Member

    I was there. No pics. Who could think about taking pics. Wished I would have. I was in my 32 roadster. My buddy broke the motor mount on his 34 Chevy coupe. Helped him change his motor mount and got to the fairgrounds late. I was parked at the edge of the asphalt and the water stopped right at my front tires.
    What a mess. As soon as it cleared, I decided to head home. Man there was flood waters practically to Colombus, Indiana on 65.

    Was in the building during the rain and it sounded like someone throwing buckets of water on the roof.

    Funny, Today i was cleaning my 32 5 window for the trip south on Thursday, when my buddy with the 34 Chevy called and said "Did you hear they called off the nats because of rain!"
    I said your kidding and he started laughing.

    Going anyhow!!!

    See Ya There
     
  19. SKRTCHSR
    Joined: Feb 1, 2007
    Posts: 483

    SKRTCHSR
    Member
    from Cincinnati

    I can scan more pics, but It's funny to see all the easter egg colors.Glad thats over
     
  20. el Scotto
    Joined: Mar 3, 2004
    Posts: 4,698

    el Scotto
    Member
    from Tracy, CA

    <object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/Oumv0EGoM5A&hl=en&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/Oumv0EGoM5A&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>

    Video....
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oumv0EGoM5A
     
  21. 48stude
    Joined: Jul 31, 2004
    Posts: 1,314

    48stude
    Member

    I remember when I first walked over to the lake, some guys were pushing a roadster,but all you could see was the windshield. I walked by a 37 Chevy sedan (I think) that had just been pushed to higher ground and the guy was trying to start it, it didn't sound to good,I think the block was full of water. When we left Sunday it was still up on four jackstands in the lot towards the amusement park . I was fortunate to be parked in that same lot that Saturday. I remember running over to check my truck between the storms and my tonneau cover was sagging because the rain was pooling on it and undoing the velcro,later when I saw all the damage other people had suffered , I was thankful that was all I had to worry about. I have some VHS film but I'm not savvy enough to put it on you tube . Bill
     
  22. brandon
    Joined: Jul 19, 2002
    Posts: 6,368

    brandon
    Member

    i was at a gas station in florence later that night , when a guy came in to get gas....said louisville was closed down due to flooding. then said something about the show being partially under water. crazy talk , i thought at the time....2005 had people getting antsy with all the rain and winds.
     
  23. sawzall
    Joined: Jul 15, 2002
    Posts: 4,721

    sawzall
    Member

    I was 17 and at that event with my folks and their 40 chevy delivery. luckily we were far away from what is shown in the video. so no damage..dad has some pics, perhaps he'll add to this post..
     
  24. kool32
    Joined: Nov 9, 2006
    Posts: 330

    kool32
    Member
    from Kentucky

    I was parked at the "B" parking pole where it was deep. I had a aluminum holley 4 barrel that leaked. It was early and I saw people at the Holley tent and decided to move car to the Holley tent and see if they could fix my Holley. Missed the flood because of the Holley, held onto the damn thing for 8 years after until I finally sold it. Only time I was happy to have a leaking holley..............
     
  25. I was parked in "D" and had about a foot of water inside our 40Chevy. Where we had parked before it rained was 2 Lincoln's. By the time the water had came up & gone down those 2 cars had water almost up to the windows.
    If you look in the chopped pic I posted I would swear that is our blue canopy tent.....joe
     

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  26. dontlifttoshift
    Joined: Sep 17, 2005
    Posts: 652

    dontlifttoshift
    Member

    Just had a call here at the shop. This guy had heard a rumor that they had canceled the Nats. I politely laughed and told him everything was fine.

    It seems to me that this is an important part of hot rodding history. I know its not the first Bonneville or NHRA nationals, but its important none the less.

    These are great stories, a guy met his wife there and the guy that missed being soaked by one POS Holley carb. I love it, keep em coming.
     
  27. Django
    Joined: Nov 15, 2002
    Posts: 10,198

    Django
    Member
    from Chicago

    We went in my Dad's '36 3 window and fortunately we were parked on the high ground!
     
  28. -DMC-
    Joined: Dec 8, 2008
    Posts: 278

    -DMC-
    Member
    from Ohio

    Wow, I have never seen video of this. Music went well with the situation too...

    Was this flood due to a river, lake or just the location? I know it poured, but damn...I bet many cars had to be towed and many were damaged, but what a memory that day was. I am sure many dont like that memory though...Atleast no one was short of hands with needing pushed.
     
  29. millersgarage
    Joined: Jun 23, 2009
    Posts: 2,294

    millersgarage
    Member

    I have seen many photos, but the video really shows it. I was not there, but many friends were.

    Looks almost like the Nationals North in Kzoo last fall (kidding--it was bad, but not as bad as this)
     

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