My first trip to the Seaside run, and to tell the truth I had no intentions to go till I found out that it was "By Invitation Only!" first time I'd ever heard of an outside cruise that was by invite. and to be fair there were at least 3 cars in primer and only one $500,000 41 Willy's. I parked a couple blocks away from downtown and there was no charge for spectators but I'm sure that would change if they start getting the wrong element coming in, lol I took 281 pictures talked to Russ Meeks and Chris Ito had good food, and talked all day with some very nice people, the day was overcast and had about three drops of rain that was enough to make about one third of the cars there to get moved back into there trailers LOL. I don't think I'd put it on my "A" list but I'd go back again, unless Dan Cyrs buys it too!!
So, did they have it at the turn-around? Don't EVEN tell me they let the cars on the beach. When I was in high school [uh-oh, here comes another Rocky, windy story] it was the rage to drive to Seaside for spring break....get good and drunk around a bonfire on the beach and hoop a few donuts on the sand with your high-school car. Mine was a giant 56 olds 98 rag-top.....I lived in fear of getting the behemoth stuck in the sand...at 16 I had no tow money... I'm sure the tree huggers prolly have made it illegal to cruise on the beach anymore, right? You shoulda gone to the event promoter and showed him photos of your Pontiac 4 door streamliner or your 48 Ford 3 window and weasled your way into next year's show. Then, slowly get your friend's in ..............maybe one more car a year until we have taken that event over and it can be the "West Coast, Seaside, Oregon Hamb Drags On The Beach And Blitz-Beer Drink-Off"....
Rocky, in 1959 they used the life guard tower to start the bonfire. It was quite an exciting weekend, playing hide and seek with the cops. Brings back memories.....OLDBEET
I have read about that seaside show, but I didn't know it was invatation only. I lived in Astoria in the early 70's. WE used to go to seaside all the time. It was a great place to be young. And Cannon beach just down the coast had some great parties too.
Rocky, the spring break at Seaside ain't what it used to be. Every year, about 4000 rice burners converge on the city, there isn't room for many cars down there, and the whole thing is a clusterfuck. As recent as 10 years ago, you could still go have a good time, but not now. gang bangers, fights and drugs have ruined it. I heard that they closed the turn-around to vehicle traffic last year during spring break. They also closed the beach to vehicle traffic about 15 years ago.
I think that their thoughts go, if they control the entrants that the crowd will follow suit! I know that it won't be an annual trip for me
By invitation only, ZAPATO received an invitation this year but passed it on to someone who really could put it to use. Its a very succesful run that takes over most of the downtown core area. Would be impossible to charge admission or even consider it. Most of the show is on the streets and parking lots and really extends the summer by one weekend for all the motels, shops eateries etc....the local businesses would riot if you denied anyone access.Lots of gold chainers but also lots of just plain great cars that most of us would be proud to own. To get an invite all you have to do is drop by their info/registration booth and sign up on their roster. And in a couple years as people drop or don't respond you'll get an invite.Great show that doesn't deserve to be badmouthed. Only drawback is that it competes with the Barons show up in Long Beach, but as someone who used to attend that show every year have to admit that it has gotten a bit lame, and its hard to enjoy oneself when you have to deal with a Rogue police department that thinks it needs to boost the local economy by waging war on hotrodders and handing out hundreds of bogus tickets which end up in their Kangaroo Court. My 2 cents,
Reading this gets me to thinking about the lack of old cars and rods and customs in the Great Northwest. Load of crap I say! Man! There is a ton of old iron up here!!! Just adding a comment here in response to the Seaside cruise and seeing all of the Northwesterns here.
Zapato, don't put me in the "bad mouth" catagory I wasn't sure how to title this post. If you read my post, I said I took hundreds of pictures and talked with some great people. BUT--- I feel that screening cars and people before entry may be a coming thing as a way of controlling attendance and Quality of cars and its a thing that will ruin the fun of rodding. everyone I talked to is upset with the "end of the world run" and I feel that rodders and spectators alike enjoyed the beach barons format till the police decided to take control before it turned into another "Hot August Nights" Tom's Fun Run has always been limited to size, Paso, the Barons had a 1500 car cut off I can see that but not "INVITATION ONLY" I think thats the point that I was trying to convey. there are always going to be different factions in this hobby turned business,(yes I use this hobby for my business)I was told a long time ago that "if you find a job that you LOVE,you'll never have to WORK a day of your LIFE" I will go to Seaside before I go back to "the beach" the cops aren't going to bust me but I resent their over bearing police force and I also hate to see the control of "INVITATION ONLY' I saw your buddies 40 there looks great with paint and upholstery not my style but great work of art. a friend of mine was there with two cars and his nephew wanted to drive the shop truck (a tricked out slaammed and very cool sixties step van. when they called they were told that (quote)" they weren't going to allow piece of shit cargo vans into the show" without ever seeing a picture. my friend really took offence at the piece of shit remark. shop trucks or vans would have been understandable but PIECE OF SHIT was rude!! another nice stranger that I was talking to said that a fellow club member with a high end 57 chev convert was told that they had to many 57 chev's already did he have anything else to drive. over all there was only one channeled, primered model A flathead powered car and I'm sure he snuck in or belonged to a shop owner. the show was good but the format stinks! IMHO that all I meant to say
I'm not done with my Rant. the more I think about it. the more it pisses me off, this is Social Screening! do you think people pay 50-100,000 a year to join a country club just so they can play a round of golf and drink scotch? hell no they want to limit the riff raff my thing has always been I want to make enough money that people will call me eccentric instead of fucking nuts my 2 cents K.C. I'm on south end road by 99E and the river. Spooky, you right there are tons of old cars here. a lot are in my orchard come on by and take a few home Zapato, I consider you a good friend so please don't take offence at my remarks. and if the find out you don't have a car that runs and you let someone not approved go in your place I'm sure your name will go to the bottom of the list and be placed in the oval file cabinet lol
no offense taken,Jim. the beauty of this show is the same as the Beach, they block off certain areas of town but there is nothin' to stop those of us that may not be desirable enough from parking on one of the adjoining streets. Or hell rent a room in one of the hotels in the core and grab a primo spot, w/out being part of the show.great thing about this show IMHO is that if my significant other is getting bored or even if I'm reaching "auto overload" can always sneak off to a shop or go antiquing/whatever and then go back to it. And it beats eating at restaurant and not eating some overpriced slop off a trailer after standing in some line forever as happens at the "beach". Well if I got roundfiled I'll survive that, and find other ways to play. Back to the "Beach" often a lot of great cars don't register and one has to leave the grounds in order to check them out. Jim, surely you must know I'm a bit more thick skinned to even start to get offended. We need to get Brootal back in town so we can hit the Pub.
Glad to here its not a IN CROWD ONLY event, we made the End of the World run but stayed far from town cus we likes to have a beer of two while tellin lies. It has been kinda lame the past few yrs so we all decided we were havin fun no matter who didnt like it, over all it was a good time.
[ QUOTE ] no offense taken,Jim. Jim, . We need to get Brootal back in town so we can hit the Pub. [/ QUOTE ] Yeah! I could use a good nap
[ QUOTE ] [ QUOTE ] no offense taken,Jim. Jim, . We need to get Brootal back in town so we can hit the Pub. [/ QUOTE ] Yeah! I could use a good nap [/ QUOTE ] Hahaha... beat me to it Jim, but you knew that. Is the '40 you're referring to the Chevy that Zapato and I went and had a look at? I wouldn't mind seeing what that looks like painted. Get any pics?
That's the one we're talking about. I haven't seen it in paint myself ever since Steve retired he's been on the road driving the wheels of the 40. If you've got a shot Jim am sure lot of us would love to see a great example of a homebuilt that rivals that which is usually pro built for those guys with chains.
[ QUOTE ] we made the End of the World run but stayed far from town cus we likes to have a beer of two while tellin lies. It has been kinda lame the past few yrs so we all decided we were havin fun no matter who didnt like it, over all it was a good time. [/ QUOTE ] End of the World was the best run I used to attend. The date change forced on them by the local governments put it in direct competition with the Seaside run. Seaside pulled off a lot of the big dollar cars with its percieved exclusiveness. And having an indoor show limited to what 30? cars draws some of the flashiest cars from the area and beyond. I will go on record as saying that I always had fun at the "end", just starting to see the big runs as lame and not much bang for my buck as a participant. Believe the future of rodding is in the small runs such as the ones put on by the Checs and hosted by Hepkats and Greaser Girl. And as long as I get an invite I'll show up and support them as much as possible. Its a good way to stay in touch with friends and see some different cars and not the same bunch of cars that go from one trophy hunt to another every weekend. Enough ranting its time for a nap.
The Jalopy Journal
