Event Coverage What the hell happened to Hershey

Just got back from a trip to Hershey. I haven't been there for a long time, last time was early 90s before my Dad passed away. He was an AACA judge and we used to spend all week there, had three spaces in the Chocolate field and if the weather was bad it turned into a chocolate mess. Back then all the flea market was on grass and the show car field was on blacktop, and there used to be a ton of show cars there. Now all the flea market is on blacktop and the show car field is in grass, and if you know Hershey at all that is not where I would want to park any of my cars. The weather is notoriously rainy and this year was no acception so the field turned into mud. there weren't as many cars there as I remember and a lot of the cars there where definitely not what I remember. I realize that the the cars get one year newer every year but I don't care if a Pontiac Fiero is an antique or not it just doesn't look right there. I suppose I am getting older. I wanted to show my son a steam car, not one there. They still stick to the no hot rods or customs in the car corral or show field though. I personally would love to see a class for those. OK I'm done ranting. How was your trip to Hershey? Lets hear some stories from the past and see some pics from the better days there. I remember that Dad used to meet up with a bunch of guys he knew and would stay up late playing blue grass right in the middle of the flea market.

 

Joe, I have not been there since 91, and went every year from 71 to then.

So, I hear what you say about modern cars. People complained way back when Model A's finally were allowed in

I read all the Hershey threads each year here on hamb, and some say they can walk the entire swap in a day. That took 3 or 4 days when I went.

If you want to see how it used to be, maybe look on google image search like : "AACA fall meet 1976 view"...or whatever year. The AACA has huge pics from a plane each year going way back. Those are a blast to look at, because you know you are in that pic SOMEWHERE

 

Sadly, nothing ever remains the same. Time marches on.

 

eBay happened. It is still a lot of fun but much different than 20 years ago.

 

in the last thirty years that i have gone [missed a few] it has changed but it still takes multiple days to "see" it all, and it would take longer to go through every box and pile on the field. there is still lots of cool stuff to see, and every year there is something i haven't seen or heard of. there is lots of interesting people to meet, and lots of good stories.
i like looking through the car corral, although i am getting a little suspicious of the 20-30k mile cars that keep popping up.

 

I went every year from '75 to 2005 and the Saturday show was the best car show in the world. You could walk to the beginning of the show field a see automotive history from it's infancy to the last 25 year old car. The steam cars were one of my favorites.

I bought this '37 Chevy sedan delivery there in '75 and drove it 500 miles home. They are great memories.

 

I went and walked around the flea market on wed....made some good buys...saw a lot of "old" cars driveing around in the flea market (teens/20's)....rain came and washed a lot of dreams away...my friend wanted to take his 32 Buick to the show but left it at home....he did not want to wash mud off it for the next 2 years....stan

 

It was my first time there I thought the swap was great found more than I should have bought.

I did see a stanly steamer driving around on weds


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never heard of that. how many zero's on the price sticker?

 

I've never been to Hershey, but for decades I've read coverage and seen the photos of swap spaces underwater. Without a doubt, it always seems to rain. It's like booking a cruise during hurricaine season.

My question; why haven't they ever bumped up the date by a month or two so the event isn't so prone to rain!!??

 

Nothing stays the same,look in the mirror 20 years makes a difference. HRP

 

I saw steam cars driving around all day Tuesday and Wednesday. They were there.

 

or worse than a hurricane....

I remember a long time ago when the showcars were on the big parking lot by the stadium, and the loudspeakers kept anouncing the tornado warnings for the area.

the desire of a Hershey first place winner badge for each class, left some megabuck full classics out in the lot covered in plastic sheets, tossed by winds and light rain.

I saw one lone Duesenberg dual cowl pheaton sitting there awaiting victory

 

Still the best! Got there Tuesday and found everything on my list by Thursday

 

Now thats the first thing i've read on here that is 100%,, I wonder what happened every morning i shave.

 

i was there friday & saturday. the rain on friday was so bad that almost everyone had the stuff covered or they were packing up because of the thursday rain storm. i did have a poncho and umbrella but my boots were so soaked i did not hesitate to walk thru 6" of running water. i could not get any wetter. saturday (today) was beautiful but almost all the vendors were gone. i did get lucky and find what i was looking for. the car show was great, lots of stuff there.

 

If they are walking it in a day ...Thats all they are doing. You can't stop and look ..and see everything . 1day for chocolate and red fields. 1 day for orange and green. 1 day to skip a round and check on things I do tues till sat. not what it was but still won't miss it.
Any one catch the restored Allison they also had 13 restored antique air craft for sale.

 

This was my 44th Hershey in a row, they are always great! This year was a bit special, my Son in Law went last year for the first time and had a good time, so he borrowed an 18 foot enclosed trailer from a firend, I covered the floor with unwanted stuff and off we went Tuesday. Got on the Chocolate field at 9:30, set up and moved some stuff. Wednesday was our best day, selling and buying. Thursday the rest of the family and our 18 month old Grandson arrived. I had a HAMB sign in board and I think 25-30 members stopped by, always nice to put a face on a name. Rain Thursday and Friday really killed any walking aroud. Found some great T speed equipment pieces. Meet some really nice people for the first time, all in all another great Hershey meet. Bob

 

funny....I moved "old blue" around today after putin' another engine in the it to store in 'er....it's still wearin' a "Hershey83" sticker on er'....those were good times....

 

I went to the Hershey meet over a decade ago...I remember it was huge...tons of cars, huge swap meet area. In the show car section was a REAL Tucker Torpedo...it was blue...the guy who owned it would let you sit in it and take pictures. I was in my early 20s and just had to get my picture taken in a real Tucker. One of my favorite car show memories. Its sad to think that a Fiero now shares the same field as a Tucker.

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Man, that's not what I wanted to hear. After being nagged by my buddy for years, I finally went to Hershey for the first time in 2009 and I haven't missed a year since (until now).
I'd heard from my neighbor (via his buddy who has a vendor space there every year) that the rain was torrential and almost all the vendors packed up on Friday, so I stayed home and watched the Mecum auction on TV. Well, hopefully next year the weather will be nicer.

 

Every year I've gone (2009-2012), there's at least three or four Stanleys there.

I wouldn't judge Hershey on this year, as I'd imagine the rain scared a lot of people away. Usually it's awesome and I end up taking about 600 pictures, on average. As far as hot rods go, the past few years there's been a small class for historic hot rods, sprint, and race cars. I'm talking real-deal El Mirage and Bonneville salt flats cars; the cars you'd see in Hop Up and early issues of Hot Rod.

I'll try and post a few pics on this thread sometime this week (I'll be at a British car show tomorrow).

 

That would be like buying a '75 suburban today

 

Wednesday was a good day at the swap meet areas. Saturday was a fantastic day at the car show. Then there were the other 2 days that were not so much fun in the rain. All in all I had a great time, The Hershey Region members and other volunteers did their usual outstanding job to make everyone feel welcome.

Dave

 

all that, and no pics?!

 

I want to attend it someday but its probably like all the swapmeets around here,all the old guys who have set up for years are dieing off or too old to get out and the younger generation is selling on the internet which I have been guilty of too.

 

lame excuse. If you haven't been there you owe it to yourself to go. Yea the vender's are getting older thats why we need to work on the younger set and get them interested. Working with my 2 1/2 year young grand son.His dad drag races harleys his mom my daughter grew up around cars and I plan starting this winter taking him to the AACA museum once a year till I can"t and have him involved with projects in the garage in the next few years. He already loves to fool with an erecter set. Doesn"t know what he is doing but has an interest. We do that on pap day.

 

Were there any "PINTOs" there? Ahhhhh the times they are a changing.

 

I find humor in thinking that you could go out and find a mint 1980 Chevy Citation for $2500 and AACA would let you in Hershey with open arms. If you had a mint 1955 Chevy with an alternator and aftermarket rims and tires they would tell you to get that hot rod outta here!
Still love Hershey though. Every car person should go!

 

I showed my old T-Bolt there the first year it was eligible in '89. I heard comments then that cars of the Sixties were ruining the show.