Yep! I should also mention all the work that goes into advertising the show. Other than an ad every year in Gearhead News (local hot rod/racing newspaper) and a poor decision to make a trade for an ad in OSR a few years ago, ALL of the advertising for the show has been on the HAMB, word of mouth at shows, and passing out postcards by hand. Just us and our friends and the Red Shirt Army passing out postcards and talking about it. Grassroots. DIY.
Dude well said and we did miss alot of friends this year at the pileup. I really like the decatur area and the burgers at scooters rocked! Thanks Guy for putting on a killer show and to the HAMB for bring us all together .
I missed the first pile up and the third one due to family needs....all I can say is I've had a blast at all of them! As Plowboy said, You can't turn back the clock. Their will be other shows to attend, cool hotrods and sleds to see and new people to meet. Thank You CZARS for the great shows and memories you have given us!
...I made it to the first 8 shows. I enjoyed every one. The Pileup is the very reason our club, the Tin Butchers, decided to put on a similiar show in the Rockford/Belvidere area. ...part of your legacy is all the other shows that came about as a result of your efforts. You guys should be very proud. Hope to see you around.
I know this threads been on for a while now,but I need to add that if it werent for the first pileup,No doubt my life would be different now.I made the first three,The first one at martys was like hearing a new metal album for the first time,My eyes opened up,I had been on the hamb for a few months prior,and was still unsure,but like that fateful day that you meet your future wife,My life and direction forever changed.I had always liked cars,mostly muscle cars,but this was a new movement in my eyes. add to that the fellowship,non biased opinions,and it was like a damn twelve step program.All I can say is thanks to the early guys,those that plowboy mentioned,and many others,randy and roadstar from detroit,and guys that I met through my buisness in the tattoo industry,At age 46, this past ten years of car stuff has totally steered me in a different direction that I wouldnt have gone if it hadnt been for this place.Thanks to the czars for taking it to level that no one expected.Most of you guys probably dont even know me,but the impact,hellfish,magnet,hell the hotrod hucksters have found a permanent place in my hundred disc player at the shop,have made an everlasting impression on me,that I have passed on to people that have never been to the hamb,or the pileup,and im sure Im not the only one. So thanks for that time in my life...Patrick
As a long time HAMBer and several time Pile Up attendee I have to toss my opinion into the ring (I rarely post on the HAMB anymore but I read alllll the time). I agree a lot with Magnet on much of what he says. On the other hand I disagree with saying that ALL corp. shows suck. A car show is like pizza - even a bad one is better than getting none at all. Let's face it the majority of folks who participate in the show are car guys and there is at bare minimum a thread of kindred-ship there. I agree with Plowboy the most. I have somehow attended most of the shows he referred to and I agree with the overall sentiment he has listed. The early shows at Marty's were unlike any event that I have ever been too (aside from the biker rallies my dad used to take me to when I was little) let alone car show. It was about the cars, yes, but it was also about the people and the fact that back then we were the few - and this whole traditional rod thing had not blown up yet. It was a time before people were purposefully building rough cars and doing a shitty job doing it. Everyone was putting real craftsmanship into their rides - but they were just not as polished and sanitary as what you'd see in the magazine racks. Hell the first few PUs were like a fucking rock show! There was something in the air - electric - tangible coolness. There were very few cars that had to be turned away and those that did were turned away because there simply was no room on the site. People who did get in were all walking around shaking one another's hands and talking cars while drinking beer. It was quite literally like going to a buddy's house and hanging out - and watching more buddies show until it turned into an all out party. My dad and I walked around that show all day and didn't pay a dime for a beer because everyone had their coolers open right next to their rides and in general there was an almost unspoken "hey grab a drink" kind of thing going on. I missed a show (or two for whatever reason) and showed up when the show was in Morris. It was still bad ass. Bigger, less intimate and less "hanging out in a buddy's garage", but still pretty fucking rad. This show did leak a few cars that I felt were too much about the new "rat rod" bandwagon. But overall I was still giving the PU the best show in the midwest nod. I went to another show - maybe while it was still in Morris? And the usual suspects were there but the show lacked something intangible. This show also had "rat rods" and I felt like there was an unsettling number of builders who were either building cookie cutter rat rods or building shitty cars with no skills. There were horrible chop jobs with bird shit welds and fucking cobwebs and skulls on everything - and even some 4 door sedans with gull wing doors and weird wacky bullshit (how the fuck is THAT traditional?). I feared for the whole sport we love....I think I finally understood what GERM was saying in all of those rants.... Anyway. I had to let a few more shows go by (and I attended a few new ones - as well as some GG shows and the like). Then I went to the PU last year and was pleasantly surprised. It was huge... which is nice but with large volumes comes a lot of cars that simply don't make the cut (IMOHO). The large draw brings cars from longer distances and the ones that did make the cut were jaw dropping good. From this I get the feeling that you take the good with the bad. I'm sure trying to work the gates and give the pass/fail to that many drivers would wear your ass out.... It did make the show come off kind of corporate-ish, kind of main stream? That takes away from that electric feeling of the early shows. Of course I realize what our hobby has evolved itself into - and I understand the draw to traditional hot rods (I still don't dig rat rods though, lol). You can't afford a musclecar anymore - I gave up the dream of ever owning the GTO of my dreams (or a 63 421 SD). You'll never be able to build a car in your own humble garage that can stand next to a guy who hires a team of master craftsmen to do his car for him. And let's face it when a car show grows to the point where there are over a few hundred cars and then rolls into the 1000s - it not only gets complicated - but it is hard to please everyone who has their own idea of what is or isn't cool.... Would I pull the plug? No. But I don't have to do all the work they've done. So how would I make it work? I'm not sure. Maybe I'd take it back down to the roots. I'd go to a smaller venue and ratchet up the guidelines/rules - make the show more exclusive. No shitty built rat rods, no crazy do dads and what nots. But I will not be picking up that torch so no need for me to bullet list my ideas here. Bottom line - I understand why you'd bow out while it still rocks. I will attend any car show that I can - when I can. Even a "corporate" show. I love cars and I can get ideas from anywhere and that's why I like to go to shows. I love grass roots shows and they are still out there too. So there you go. I beat that fucking horse like Sea Biscuit - even if it's heart stopped days ago..... ~Bro
I followed the HPU on line for years. My wife & I drove from Western Pa. to the "last" show in Morris. We were blown away! The whole thing from pre-party to watching the line of too cool hotrods was nuts. Once the the show shut down the interstate, I knew we witnessed something "woodstock-ish". Ladies & gentlemen, Thank you, just plain , Thank you. If you'd like to come to a "club run, club owned simple hotrod show, please stop in Pittsburgh, Pa. on the second Saturday of September and visit our club's show www.SteeltownShakedown.com. We've been doin' it for 6 years now and I think we're getting good at having fun. ( on the cheap $5 spectators/$10 hotrods)
I think Broman gets it and understands the reason we killed it... but I have to add that going to smaller venue would and going even more exclusive than we already are would turn the show into something snooty, and still would not keep the spectators down. We had to move to Decatur because of spectators, NOT hot rods. The number of show cars dropped by a few 100 when we moved, but we still filled over 30 acres of spectator cars. A smaller venue would have even less parking, resulting in more traffic jams.
i've been saying that for the last 4-5 years. i also believe they were the source of alot of the ratrods. they saw a rough looking car, had a different understanding of it and built something shittier in an attempt to top it.
I think KIRK! wrote an article recently about this point. Now we got the traditional car guys trashing the rat rods and gold chainers. The high end guys trash the rat rods, etc etc. Its about the cars, whatever they are. Hobbiest who work on their stuff, drive em, and enjoy the hobby. The wealthier guys who cant do all their own work pay a shop to do it. They are still as passionate about cars as the rest of us. Ive had bikes for over 40 years, seen the life style bikers who have the tee shirts and all the stuff, but cant ride worth a shit, wouldnt know a shovel from a flathead, ride a mile to the tavern, and theyre bikers. Not in my opinion. But they play the part.I see this in the car hobby too. Like KIRK! said, support all the events, preach the gospel of having fun with cars, whatever they are, and enjoy.
Guys who pay someone to do most of their work and guys who trailer to shows are NOT car guys in my book. They are just guys who like the idea of being car guys. FWIW, Django has pointed out many times that we now reject rat rodz (note the "z") the way the street rodders used to reject traditional rods, or at least flat/primer paint. There is definitely room for personal expression and the love of cars, but many rat rodz are far closer to art cars than real hot rods and they have their own shows for that kind of thing. Not to mention that many of those cars are unsafe and spread the wrong message. There is definitely a place for high tech/modern rods. They are an extension of what was done "back in the day", but there are shows for that kind of thing, too.
Just so people don't get the wrong idea about the Czars, no matter how many people try to give them the wrong idea, I'll take the hit for this. I denied this truck. Let me tell you, it wasn't easy for me, a custom guy, to turn down a truck like this. Craftily enough, the NEWB who signed on just to bitch, showed us a picture of why the truck SHOULD get in the show. If he wanted to be real honest about it, he would have showed a picture of what kept it out. The dash. When the rules say "No Billet Anything", it's pretty cut and dry. When you look inside an otherwise awesome truck, and the first thing you see is one of the worst things to come out of the 90's, it sucks. It sucks to tell the guy in the seat he isn't getting in, it sucks to be the guy in the seat. An some would ask, "what does it matter? You don't see it." But *I* did see it, and I have already turned other vehicles away for the same thing. So it is what it is. And if it means I screwed up, then, yeah, I screwed up. But not as bad as the dude who put THAT dash, in THAT truck.
Curious Rash I spoke out of turn . You saw the dash I did not. Based on the fact that all aluminum parts are not billet and post #81 I made my comment. Was at the Pile Up three years ago & had a great time.
Sorry, I deleted it. I was afraid I would stir up more crap instead of answer more questions... Maybe I was wrong? I put it back. I realize it is easy to comment from what you read but no one knows what goes on unless they are in the thick of it.
Rashy, let it ride. Maybe it will give people somewhat of an idea of what it's like to be an inspector at our show or other shows with criteria. It's never as cut and dry as it looks 5 states away behind a keyboard. I think it was 4 years ago, a steel '32 roadster with an ARDUN pulled into line. I flipped out because it's my all time favorite motor. His buddy in front of him told me to give him a hard time. I knew right away that he wasn't getting in. His buddy thought he was being funny until he realized that I was serious. So I go back to the guy... an old hot rodder. Says he had the car for 30 years I think or more. I explained to him that I thought his car was awesome, and I was a big fan of the Arduns, but he was not going to get in. Why? Because he had ZZ Top style wheels. He argued with me that they had been on the car for 30 years, which I'm sure they had been, but I had to explain to him why. Then he drove off in a huff. It killed me to turn him away, but that's the way it goes in the inspection line.
Chad, that guy was Dick Blaine. He has driven that car across the country as well. He still talks about that incident to this day, and hasn't been to a pileup since. I told him to just show up, surely they would let an Ardun in. ha ha I guess instances like that these are the main reason there is no more pileup...... I would have let both Dick and the truck in just because, and not let some rat roddy pice of crap in even though they met the criteria. I would rather piss off the guy with the fake rats and the spider webs than the guy with the Ardun. ha ha Anyone who wants to throw a stink about it can start their own show though, I am sure it ain't easy......
I still feel bad to this day! But every time we ever made an exception, like the Zettle Bros '65 GTO, we got tons of grief for it the day of and in years following.
Then you have the guy with the red`32 roadster with a billet steering wheel who has covered it with tape and some white shit. He gets in, only to take it off as soon as he gets parked. Other who did not work inspections and don't know this pitch a bitch, and I don't blame them!!
Yeah, I'm sick of defending decisions made at the show. Mistakes happen, but the rules clearly state no billet. I've let people in for billet parts they whittled themselves. That's different in my opinion. Billet/modern wheels are the most obvious modern component and it's visible from a block away. I'd be more willing to let a billet dash insert in, than billet wheels because they are so blatant... even with an Ardun motor.
And I would stand by on both decisions. No billet dashes and certainly no billet wheels. Billet wheels are the #1 biggest reason I would kick a car out of line. #1. They say the wheels make or break the ride. I say that goes double for (especially 1980's vintage) billet wheels. Hideous. It could be the Tardel/Cochran coupe and I'd boot the fucker if it was wearing that shit. ...then again I am a vintage kind of guy. And I don't know why, but inevitably someone will pipe up and try to shoehorn SOME instance where you should let billet in - or point out that "technically, anything carved out of a block of..blah blah blah".....fuck you, now you're just being an asshole. I can match that and trump that with a dickhead....... Point here is - you've done a tremendous thing for our hobby. You've brought a lot of entertainment. And you made people talk about this show that never even liked cars before hearing about it....I know you've probably inspired some really young kid to want an old car to fix up. For that - there is no better reward. Good job & congrats. Enjoy your free time and drive them old cars around now!! LOL!!! ~Broman
Broman.. Amen. Plowboy.. wow.. that was long.. and awesome. Next year.. i am planning on hitting Rust Revival, Blacktop Barons Roadblock, Cheater Show, Scrap Drive, Torque Fest, Symco, Iron Invasion etc etc... 10 years... heck 5 years ago.. i wouldn't be able to do more than a couple traditional shows in the midwest. Now look at us. It rocks. flat out rocks.. It means allot to us guys.. thanks for all your support and kind words.
Magnet- I only made 2 Hunnerts, one as just a participant and one as a participant and volunteer. To say that I enjoyed both of them would be a big understatement. Fantastic job by all of you. Thanks for putting up with all the bullshit fot 10 years. Kick back and enjoy. Later, Dick
Thank you for having strong shoulders and letting us be center stage at Morris. That is something will never forget.
The only thing I hate is that I only made it to the last two shows. The Czars have done an amazing job providing the midwest with real hod rod shows (including those who have spun off of the pileup). If your car didnt make it in, go cry about it under your umbrella at a goodguys show... Thank you all who have helped give the midwest car shows that rock!
We have Pileup hoodies up for sale now http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?p=7120276#post7120276
I have the 10th Anniversary Poster for sale. $5 from each poster goes to the USO. Click the link to go to the classified listing... http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=647910
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