[1965gp]

Glad to see this post come back up. I decided the other day I really need more car buddies in my life. The two guys I hang out with have kids in their teens just like me and stay pretty busy.

Just want to hang out, tell stories and come up with cool ideas. And eat.

[Jeff Hamlin]

Like many who have done the Show scene for so long, it gets old.
Nowadays it seems every local club is competing for the same dates and asking for 25$+ to sit in a parking lot. NO THANKS.

I try to take a cruise every weekend if possible and only attend a few local shows a year and only if they are for a known charity.
I much rather cruise around and/or over to one of the local C&Cs and shoot the **** for an hour then be on my way.

The funny thing to me, is we are now the Model A's among the current car scene
but I still love the passion these younger guys have and unless you talk with them you'll never find this out.

I will keep cruising until my knees say otherwise

[TAKerry]

I went to every show I could for the first couple of years my car was finished. Last year I went to the first 2 of the season. The first big show of the year is about a 45 minute dr. I got there, looked over the cars, many the same I have seen at every show. Decided I had more fun driving there than showing. I went to several shows last year and parked in the spectator lot, looked at the cars then went for a nice afternoon drive. Had a show this past weekend, I decided to put mulch in the yard instead. I was saving myself for a good show this coming sat. where I meet up with a couple of buddies. Now they are calling for rain!
I am an AACA member and started to participate in the driver class. I am planning on a couple of longer drives this year for that.

[82-T/A]

Originally Posted by Jeff Hamlin

I will keep cruising until my knees say otherwise

Jeff, that Pontiac is gorgeous... really pretty color.

Can I also ask, any idea what that car is behind you? I know I've seen that car before on an old DOS game I played as a kid... "Street Rod 2" ... but I cannot remember what it is... maybe a Chrysler? Any thoughts? It's got some really gorgeous lines... maybe early 60s like 60-62... ?

[burd]

I like cars and coffee, your home by 11 am, and you did a car thing without wasting the whole day or baking on the lot in the hot sun. The one at 14 and Woodward sat morning is the best around, and I do my own at my place once a year.

[Formulajones]

I never understood the morning cruise thing. I'm generally too busy trying to get things done morning and early afternoon.

Cruising was always an evening thing growing up so I just can't wrap my brain around it. I'd rather get my work done and then unwind later, get the car out and go to a cruise.

[71GP76TA]

Originally Posted by Formulajones

I never understood the morning cruise thing. I'm generally too busy trying to get things done morning and early afternoon.

Cruising was always an evening thing growing up so I just can't wrap my brain around it. I'd rather get my work done and then unwind later, get the car out and go to a cruise.

I don't get the early morning thing either. I normally get up at 8am everyday. I get up any earlier my eyes don't focus and I'm falling asleep by 10am. These people that get up at 5am so they "can get a good spot" amaze me. They make what is supposed to be a good time out to be a job. What do you do when you arrive at the car show at 6am??? Fall asleep in your lawn chair? Leave at 10am and go home and go back to bed???? WTF??

It'd make more sense to me to get there at 10am... walk around... have a nice lunch... walk around some more... and leave at 2pm. Problem is... When I get there at 10am.. everybody is leaving or there isn't any place to park. I quit going to things like that a long time ago.. isn't worth it. I'm not a social butterfly... and could careless about "showing" my car. Different strokes for different folks I guess....

[kingbuzzo]

definitely a lot of early birds in the hobby...pun intended

Aside from the club shows here (on a specific date/time) there is a longstanding all evening gathering on sunday nites that is much more casual.

After that gathering, some folks cruise well into the nite and there are even spectators all along the main street.

[Formulajones]

Originally Posted by 71GP76TA

I don't get the early morning thing either. I normally get up at 8am everyday. I get up any earlier my eyes don't focus and I'm falling asleep by 10am. These people that get up at 5am so they "can get a good spot" amaze me. They make what is supposed to be a good time out to be a job. What do you do when you arrive at the car show at 6am??? Fall asleep in your lawn chair? Leave at 10am and go home and go back to bed???? WTF??

It'd make more sense to me to get there at 10am... walk around... have a nice lunch... walk around some more... and leave at 2pm. Problem is... When I get there at 10am.. everybody is leaving or there isn't any place to park. I quit going to things like that a long time ago.. isn't worth it. I'm not a social butterfly... and could careless about "showing" my car. Different strokes for different folks I guess....

I'm an early bird, get up at 3:30 every morning, but not for a morning cars and coffee. When daylight hits at 5am in the summer here, I've got outside work to be doing, especially on weekends while I have daylight and beat the heat. So the morning cruise things just never made sense to me.

They do have a lot of cars and coffee cruises around here, more than the evening cruises which just makes no sense. Especially when it's a weekday. They get a half dozen retired guys show up, lol. Some of us have to work for a living. Don't know how they expect that to ever take off and be popular.

They'll also do nightly cruises on weekdays, again doesn't make much sense as some of us have to go to work the next day so I'm not interested in staying out late on a weekday.

Friday and Saturday nights have always been the time to do something like that. Plus we have year round cruising weather here so it becomes a bit saturated when you have so many cruises.

[vertigto]

I would love an early evening cruise here in NC, but they appear to be non-existent except for a few that are late in the evening and appear to be for modern muscle and less law-abiding.

Funny...in upstate NY they had many organized (and some not) that occurred in the evenings. Used to be a cruise on most nights (weekdays even), as I recall unless that has changed with the latest generation.

[Formulas]

stand in the middle of all those cars scream my GTO cant take all you slackers key the door closest to you then run like hell

you will have more friends than you know what to do with

[jhein]

To me, car shows (as an owner/show-er) are painfully boring. Driving it is fun. My car is a driver.

[scott70]

I enjoy heading out on a saturday afternoon and driving 50 miles to the local 1/8th mile track. Talk to my friends Ive known from there for years,,grab a burger and friies at the concessions stand,,rip off a half dozen passes or so down the track and then have a peaceful evening cruise back home with the radio going . I dont change tires or unhook my exhaust so theres basically no work to be done other than taking my cooler,spare tire and lawn chair out of the trunk

[Formulajones]

Originally Posted by scott70

I enjoy heading out on a saturday afternoon and driving 50 miles to the local 1/8th mile track. Talk to my friends Ive known from there for years,,grab a burger and friies at the concessions stand,,rip off a half dozen passes or so down the track and then have a peaceful evening cruise back home with the radio going . I dont change tires or unhook my exhaust so theres basically no work to be done other than taking my cooler,spare tire and lawn chair out of the trunk

My favorite

[71GP76TA]

Car shows can be fun..... if there's a bar close by...

[fyrffytr1]

Originally Posted by 82-T/A

Jeff, that Pontiac is gorgeous... really pretty color.

Can I also ask, any idea what that car is behind you? I know I've seen that car before on an old DOS game I played as a kid... "Street Rod 2" ... but I cannot remember what it is... maybe a Chrysler? Any thoughts? It's got some really gorgeous lines... maybe early 60s like 60-62... ?

62 Plymouth Valiant v200 I think.

[goat69SD]

Originally Posted by fyrffytr1

Our car club's annual show was this past Saturday. After working on my car for the last two weeks having a new windshield put in, the A/C compressor replaced and a new battery installed I washed and waxed the car, polished all the trim and detailed the interior. That about wore me out but the car was ready for the big show.
I got to the show about 6:45am to help set everything up, then I put my car in it's usual spot. I walked back up to the entrance to watch the other cars come in and snap some pictures.
When I went back to my car, it was surrounded by Mopars! There were two on either side and pulled out enough to make my car all but invisible!
That is when it hit me. I was alone, not only car wise but people wise as well.
All my close car buddies have passed away and as I sat there by myself for the most part of the show I came to the conclusion that it wasn't as much fun as it used to be.
Hopefully this feeling will pass because I love driving my Goat and still enjoy the comments people make about it. But, things aren't the same without my buddies. We used to have a friendly rivalry because they drove Chevrolets and I miss that.

I know just how you feel. I don't have more than a couple friends here. I have a shop full of cars but we live 25 miles from town. Last car show I went to not a single person talked to my wife or myself. That was 5 years ago. I have a shop full of cars and I love them. But some don't get driven even once a year. I like the hobby and love restoring cars. But lack interest in shows anymore and even in driving them. It was different back in the day when there were a bunch of us doing it together. We would get together and drive 500 miles to a weekend show. It was a fun time for sure.

[82-T/A]

Originally Posted by goat69SD

I know just how you feel. I don't have more than a couple friends here. I have a shop full of cars but we live 25 miles from town. Last car show I went to not a single person talked to my wife or myself. That was 5 years ago. I have a shop full of cars and I love them. But some don't get driven even once a year. I like the hobby and love restoring cars. But lack interest in shows anymore and even in driving them. It was different back in the day when there were a bunch of us doing it together. We would get together and drive 500 miles to a weekend show. It was a fun time for sure.

We are also more busy today, and our lives are filled with so much more stress and unnecessary "stuff."

I have a 2002 Ford Crown Victoria LX, which... I realize is not really a classic. But I inherited it from my Grandfather back in 2004 when he passed away, and I just keep it in the garage. Sometimes, I'll go ~6 months without even starting it. On a rare occasion, I might take it for a drive. I hadn't driven it in almost 2 years, and took it for a spin to dinner and a movie with the family, and by the time I was on the way home, the rear-right caliper seized, haha. It has only 40k some odd miles on it, and looks pristine, but again... I just never have time to drive it.

[kingbuzzo]

I've never had a too many cars problem - I can't even keep the one on the road lol not lol

Maybe the answer is to start yer own club!

I'm tempted to do just that as the local Pontiac guys seem so snooty...especially around trash ams...lol

[Formulajones]

Originally Posted by goat69SD

I know just how you feel. I don't have more than a couple friends here. I have a shop full of cars but we live 25 miles from town. Last car show I went to not a single person talked to my wife or myself. That was 5 years ago. I have a shop full of cars and I love them. But some don't get driven even once a year. I like the hobby and love restoring cars. But lack interest in shows anymore and even in driving them. It was different back in the day when there were a bunch of us doing it together. We would get together and drive 500 miles to a weekend show. It was a fun time for sure.

But you're in Black Hills, South Dakota.......is there even anything up there???

Correct me if I'm wrong but I can't imagine that area being a car mecca....