Event Coverage Is this dying out, what's next?

yeah, it's good go get kids into this stuff.

 

What is amazing is that the last buggy sprung car is now three quarter's century old and we can still find parts lying around to build these things.

 

That’s a cleaned up version.
I think “you guys worry about some stupid shi+“ is more accurate.
But the candy, lace and flames thread gets visited a lot.
Last year a student found germs threads and comments extremely “interesting”
We visit several car sites and this might shock many…….but a large number of young folks dig old rides. However, most old rides they see in class are foreign to them, they never see these rides in real life.

 

I think Germ looks back on his own threads and thinks the same thing.

 

Jeez @SDS look what you've done, hahahaha!! Everyone chiming in on here.
Locally here the hot rod scene is not dying, it is steady if not flourishing. The hot rod shops are busy, metal fab shops are slammed, the cruise nights are packed.
We live in a time of change, as stated many times above street rods are just not en vogue anymore. The Burlington, VT show is proof of that sorry to say. No skin off my butt.

 

All these cars were built by younger guys, some in their early 20s. All taken within the last month or so and unfortunately do not include the English boys pick up and a couple more of their teenage friends. I'm not worried about "our thing" dying out. . . . Yet

 

All kinds of small shows here. The same cars every year. Some old some new.
I tried to do a rod and custom show. Tried twice no one understood the concept .
This year was a low count because of all the shows. 10 total shows on that day within 100 miles.
I've decided next year to go to more events that have something to do.
I like vintage drags and Dragweek is always fun.
Thinking about doing Dragweek in the truck. Hot rod class.
The younger guys have rat roddish shows around here. Burnouts and dirt racing. Mini bike races are getting popular. Looks like fun but don't like beer and tattood chicks.

 

Most people see traditional cars as rat rods around here. I get they don't want to show them.

 

I don't see how having 10,000 cars at the NSRA nationals as dying...just because the majority of the cars are outcasts to most here, means nothing.
https://www.wdrb.com/news/more-than...cle_be7c35c8-15db-11ed-9127-6b45ee0c79b0.html

 

I stole this screen shot @Hothead_Lou on Instagram

Of... drum roll please....

A 16 year old kid racing his daily driver 32 sedan this weekend at RPM.



There is also a 19 year old kid that just built a killer 32 coupe in like Michigan or some where too.

 

NSRA and Good Guys shows are slowing down, that took a lot longer then I expected. With the entry fees topping $80+, inflated hotel rates for "special events" are higher for a couple of nights stay then the home mortgage used to be, and food costs at restricted venues sky high for "fair food", it doesn't really surprise me. Gas prices rising does not help, but I'd much rather buy gas then sit at a car show all weekend. Even at todays pump price, that $80+ entry fee is worth a 320 + mile ride in the coupe.

We did 4 or 5 local shows this year, mostly to support the charities the shows support, but even the $20 entry fee is getting to the point I'd rather put it in the tank and drive, then sit at a show and wait for the trophies to be given away (I don't expect to be getting one), so we can go for the ride home. The drive to and from the shows are often more fun for my wife and I then the shows are. A couple shows may be on the chopping block for next year.

We put somewhere around 4,000 miles on the coupe this year (and about 3,000 more on the 49 pickup this year). I met more people that asked more questions about the car (and the truck) when we stopped for a break from just cruising around then I heard at all the shows we attended combined. People on the street don't tend to look for defects, and usually don't have a prescribed definition the car (and truck) should fit into.

I'd love to see a "modernized" section on the HAMB covering HAMB era vehicles with more modern underpinnings, and wheels that may not be "period correct".

 

Out here, every show I attended this summer had a good turn out. There's dozens of smaller parking lot type shows too, every weekend, all summer long. So I think the car hobby is still in good shape. (Even here in ultra 'green' Oregon)

 

Lots of cool rides there! Thanks for posting.

 

Spoken like one of "those spectators". If you approach a show participant, who actually built/drove a car, with a "know it all" attitude, you are gonna get written off as an obnoxious spectator...maybe it's you, not them.

 

I went to the Good Guys event a few weeks back in Pleasanton. I swear it was the most packed fair grounds I've ever seen!

 

Young dude with the Maroon 32 is on here.

 

One more time….
For all you bitching about the days of
“pre 49 only” why not quit whining and drive and enter the 46th annual Color Run in Quincy Illinois hosted by the Early Tin Dusters.
IT’S FREE! Money raised by contributions etc
is to support Camp Callahan. Rant over, drive your cars.

 

I went to the local fall auto parts swap meet at FireBird Raceway Saturday 9/24/22. They also have free parking for Hot Rods & Customs at this event. There is also drag racing on the drag strip. The place was packed, weather was great. I had a very good time! The hobby here is very much alive! Note: no pictures, I have an antique flip phone, receive calls & make calls only!

 

CORRECTION:
the red 34 5 window in my previous post is owned by a younger guy, not built by him. However, he does have a nearly done 3 window he is putting together

 

My granddaughter was raised around my old street rods. She married a guy who was into cars. She had always wanted an old truck, so he surprised her last Christmas with a 53 Chevy 3100 truck he built for her. Nice body but in patina, air ride all around. Ls Chevy motor, with aod trans. & Ford rearend. Mexican blanket on the seat, but she loved it. She got to drive it one time, because he kept telling her he needed to do more work on it to make it reliable. Glass & hood hinges was the main thing, but she wanted air conditioning, & he didn't want to put another $1200 or so in for that. Along comes a 4th kid, & he decides her truck is not practical for the future, so he puts her truck up for sale for $20,000. In the meantime, he goes out & buys a couple of rice burners to play with. That is the young people of today. He puts a stereo in, some big speakers, & a big loud muffler/ tailpipe combo on his Lexus & he has a hot rod. Her truck hasn't sold yet, but with her forced to quit work because of all the kids they now have & him the only one working, she lets him decide what they keep & what goes. Hell, they don't even have a vehicle big enough to haul the whole family around in. that is the future of Hot Rodding.

 

You don't know @Robert J. Palmer, this guy is the salt from this earth. He is a family first, racing second, young guy who is one of the friendliest guys I know in this hobby.
Admit it, some of us are elitist, self absorbed, look what I brought, don't touch it, dicks..
If you don't think you are I'm sure you know a few who are. . . . Get it?

 

"Robert J. Palmer said: ↑ As I got older and was trying to learn and ask questions about people's cars I got condescending why are you bothering me attitude.
Why would anyone want to an event were they were unwelcomed, and shunned?"

Never met a know-it-all who wanted to learn anything. How could they? They already know everything.

 

I think another reason the fairgrounds type events are dying off again goes back to when I was a little kid.

The car shows back then had swapmeets there were activities, creeper races, valve cover races both Ford Motorsports and Super Chevy Show at Maple Grove PA had bracket racing.

There were other things to do besides looking at cars, I enjoy cars but can only look at cars on static display for so long.

I can't speak for all GoodGuys events but one at the Dutchess County Fairgrounds in Rhinebeck NY the swapmeet was almost nonexistent maybe half a dozen to a dozen vendors. For me Rhinebeck GoodGuys was an hour and a half drive and a show with little swapmeet (in some cases no swapmeet) or some form of racing is not very interesting.

Many other people I know feel the same way, as far as lawn chairs go, I always ask people "I know what the truck lid and quarter panels look like on my 53 Chevy, why would I want to look at them for hours at a time?

 

I couldn't agree more! The old rod run type shows were a hell of a lot more fun...games and activities all day...and some even had a beer truck.
Sadly, insurance and liabilities has taken all that fun stuff away. Insurance co. says we can't even do the water balloon toss at our show anymore...someone might fall down and get hurt. Sheesh.

 

We used to be young and have little kids of our own at the car shows to do those activities....three decades later, huh, everyone grew up.

 

Yeah, so I found out after I got back. Would have liked to met ya!
Rich

 

We will eventually meet. You’re not that far away.

 

I've never even heard of it.

Do they advertise?

And to make things worse, I don't even know what the NSRA is. I've never heard of that, either.

I've been working on old cars since I was 13. I'm 42 now.

Whatever method they use to get the word out, ain't getting the word out.

I expect I will continue to not attend msytery events for the foreseeable future.

 

NSRA is a 70s thing.....