Yes, it was the Chrome Czars out of the Chi-Town area. Magnet, Django and others.............beer interupts my memory of the whole club!
The Iron Invasion started this year and it was a great start. I can see this being a suitable replacement for the future.
Traditional Hot Rods floated back to the surface with the help of this show. Alot of Ratty stuff came thru as a result, but with the help and insight of the Hamb.... All is well. I never made it, but saw the pics. Carry on.
My understanding the club consisted of only 9 guys, but that they had about 150 volunteers...drove out over 2000 miles to attend last year. One of, if not the best run car event I've ever been to, and the best venue "Progress City" Decatur, Ill. There were lines, but due to all the voluteers, you didn't wait in them very long. And the only car event I've ever seen an armored car show up for the gate receipts. Well done.
Guilty. Although, the first one was a joint effort by several HAMBers and not really club specific beyond our club and the Emperors. After the 2nd show in Sycamore, it was clear that it was going to grow way beyond what was planned. At that point, our club took ownership and the rest is history. Yes, we had a great group of volunteers, that were dubbed the Red Shirt Army, without whom, the show could not have been possible, led by Catherine (Dumbwhore). Is there something specific that you wanted to know?
The first one originally was at Marty and Sons body shop. Andy Didio... the Emperors, some friends... "The Chrome Toms" I believe, that was in Sycamore for a couple of years. Then "The Chrome Czars" as Django stated.
The best show ever. Period. HCPU influenced other shows like the Rust Revival, Vintage Torque, etc. Hoping the Iron Invasion really takes off. Sounds like they had a good start this year.
The Iron Invasion was great and Im sure (because I had never been to one before) that it has that John Wells feeling about it with the featured cars and the "do it yourself stunt show"! HCPU was a great time for all that had the chance to experience it!
It's not the size of the show that matters, it's the quality of the people there. I still count those first two shows as the best car shows I have EVER attened! 100% car people and no gawkers....the good ol' days.
was just thinking the other day, man i should be heading to ill. soon for the hcpu...... sad to See it go away, but i completely back the czars decision for leaving on a high note. might i add they did it all for charities. i know they donated some to a local youth autism center here in town i worked with after the tornado. thanks czars for the memories...
Thanks for remembering it so fondly! We killed it for a number of reasons, but mainly because it had run its course. It was a lot of fun, but a ton of work for the few of us who organized it. Here's what I wrote when we first announced its demise: "This was a very hard decision to reach. The Chrome Czars have devoted 10 years of their lives to this show, and we have an emotional attachment to it. We debated (and argued) about what to do, but finally decided that ending the show was best. It was time. There are a variety of reasons behind the decision, and we struggled with it, but we feel the show is going in the wrong direction. It's becoming more about the spectators and it's getting harder to keep out cars that are not truly traditional. Fun for all, sure, but no longer the original intent of the show. The show’s “vibe” has been dimming and drifting as a result. We'd rather kill it while we still respect it, than let it go down in a smoldering wreck. 10 years is enough, and there are several other traditional car shows now that can carry the torch. Furthermore, as the show grew, it became harder for us to manage it, even with the help of the Great Red Shirt Army. The strain on our day jobs and families started to turn the show from a Labor of Love to just Labor. We are not professional promoters. A long time ago, we decided that we would rather stop doing the show, than to see it lose “the vibe” that made it so special. So, we would rather end it now while that vibe is still flowing through the show, and maintain its integrity. " The full explanation can be found here: http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=613366&highlight=pileup