Event Coverage Hot Rods In Louisville

Been checking the weather looks like we'll need our umbrellas?

 

Went to Louisville about this time of year in the late eighties for the national Nova convention, stepped off the plane and it felt like someone through a hot wet quilt over me.

Yes, you may need an umbrella!

 

The first year in Louisville was 1988, it reached 104, also the first real road trip in my 31 pickup. Returned again in 1992 when the great flood occurred, was parked in the area that eventually flooded, it was a really heavy downpour, moved the 31 closer to the building, which unbeknownst to us got us out of the area that flooded.

 

yep, i was there also and still own belt worn in 88 . It is all water stained from sweat

 

Very wet times in Kentucky at the moment, flooding in the southeast part of the state is horrible, Lexington News website has a story about one guy losing his old car collection. Quick check shows 77% chance of rain Friday and 60% Saturday. 82 degrees for the temperature.

 

I remember hearing about the great flood at the Nat’s, rumor has it that part of the reason the area flooded was that blankets, and ground cover items from the car owners floated to the storm drains and stopped the water from flowing into the storm drains. It seems like Louisville is either too hot or too wet. When I was there it was like an oven, we spent most of the time in the building. (Not fun)

 

Seeing this photo I have to say, if it keeps on raining the levees going to break.

 

Where the expo center is now used to be part of the parking lot. It was also lower than the surrounding areas. Once the drains failed, it was high water time. Not only was everything floating around, the livestock area next to the swap meet washed straw and manure everywhere! The high water mark I saw was the side trim on a guys 46-48 Chevy! Lots of damaged engines and trans. Water ran through air cleaners and up in to vents on transmissions and rear ends. Piles of empty oil and atf cartons after the water went down. One person drowned trying to get through an underpass off the Watterson.
Between the heat, humidity and heavy storms, you really have to be lucky and really want to go. Not this year!

Here’s some video of 1992’s flood

 

I wasn't there, but I heard all the stories. By the way, in the very first seconds of the video two cars are slowly moving through the water. I'm pretty certain they are the BBC powered Studebaker convert owned and built by Paul Quesenberry followed by the Outlaw Performance Sedan of his best friend and co-builder, Ron Floyd. 2 local Maryland guys who I'm sure were there. Looks like they may have escaped the worst of it. Both, sadly, are no longer with us.

 

Yes, the weather forecast from Thursday to Sunday is heavy rain for Louisville. Almost everyone that I knew was going has cancelled. One guy is still going in his modern car because his hotel has a two week cancellation policy and he doesn't want to loose all that money. Check your reservation cancellation policy so you don't get screwed.

 

50/60 percent cane of ran does not normally mean heavy rain, at least not here.

 

I'll be there

 

Where were you in '92?








Wading through the horse barns in water up to my armpits. Finally made it into the exhibit building to see the water overflowing the interior roof drains and splashing on the floor inside. Getting 9" of rain in a half hour is a first for me.

 

My understanding was that they used that parking area as part of an overflow basin, and there was a sluice gate that was not closed for the event. It was a mess.

 

I was there in ‘92 , I was between Chemo treatments , driving a 37 Chebbie Coupe . The area where I was parked is what flooded , I had just taken a cruise around the fairgrounds when the rain started . I could not return to my parking spot , because of the high water . I have no idea why I choose to take a ride at that given time other than , God determined I had enough on my plate at that moment and had me move my car .

 

In the exhibit building for the worst of the rain. When the water started to come up thru the drains, we figured things were getting bad. I was parked by the amusement park where the water didn't get very deep. Had a buddy whose coupe got flooded. We spent the rest of the afternoon getting him going. Water got up even with his seats. Pulled the plugs and spun the engine to get the water out of it, changed the oil and transmission fluid, and he drove it home

 

I'll still be there, the rain will not be constant. A lot of the rain is projected to be overnight. Yes, any rain is a hassle and takes some of the fun from a big outdoor show. The heat and high humidity is what will suck worse in my opinion. Oh well, see you in Louisville!

I was there in 92, as a spectator. I was in a vendor's trailer when the rain hit. Back then before the big south wing was built, there were a lot of vendors with 18 wheeler trailers set up. I was fortunate the guys let me get up into the trailer, probably 18 inches of water accumulated around the area I was in. All the vendor awnings were filling up and needed to be pushed up to force them to drain off. That 18 inches was not the deepest water that some cars were in, I think around 30 inches in some areas. The one funny thing I remember is the cars driving through the water and the rear exhaust tips burbling like a boat with rear exhaust through the transom.

 

While I don't enjoy the heat and humidity, in all fairness there are a lot of other states that are suffering accross the south and midwest.....and even some to the North of Louisville. As for the weather forcasts........they are all over the place depending on which channel is trying to entice you to watch them. As a resident of the Louisville area, I can tell you that I have learned to take their "extended" forcasts with a grain of salt. The law of averages is that they occasionally get one exactly right.........will this be that one?
One thing I have learned is that when they make a forcast, it covers a large viewing area. Ours runs all the way from Indianapolis to the edge of Ky/Tenn border. Supposedly when they say 20% chance of rain, that doen't mean a 20% chance everywhere, but that "somewhere" 20% of the viewing area WILL get rain. So if it rains in Indiana, they got their forcast right.....statistacally speaking.

Yep, we probably will get some rain.....but how much is anybodys guess. Bring an umbrella and a tarp and I'll see you in the pavillion


When you watch weather forcasts, think about what the term 20% chance of "scattered showers" means. It means that it "may rain" and it "may not rain".........so what help is that? It means they don't know if its going to rain ...or not.

 

Yet another reason to ban "time out" dolls.

 

Did you ever have a job where you still got paid even when you screwed up 50% of the time!

 

If the weather guess folk got paid on a performance basis they would be looking for a regular job .
Hopefully the diehards that attend dont get drowned.

 

I will be there but definitely be parking in the highest elevation spot I can find.

 

How the turnout so far? Considering Saturday depending on the weather

 

Good turnout and good weather today.

 

Great day at the show. Here’s a few HAMB friendly rides

 

I see it this way the anchorman is talking about crap that has already happened the weather guy is trying to predict the future.

 

Thank you for the pictures.

 

thanks. If the weather looks good Sat. I will go over.

 

Don't know if you've ever been through Louisville. It's right on the river and the way the weather works around there is, if it's going to rain around Louisville, it's going to rain more there than anywhere else around. If it's going to snow, same deal. That comes from driving through that town for 22 plus years sometimes two or three times a week.

 

I have been there 4/5 times through the years and newsflash, yes it's Hot there, Thank God for the 2 huge A/C buildings on the fairgrounds, it rains there and everywhere in the midwest all summer but it's a show everyone should attend at least once IMO. My rain story, 2002/3 ?, had my roadster there ( a box trailer ride, did not drive that car over 100 miles one way, did drive it 20,000 miles in 8 years)) Around 5/6 :00 we leave show, weather was good and we go with group to a steakhouse, about half way through dinner we hear thunder, hell of a shower/storm, top was off roadster, so go back and finish dinner, when leaving I open roadster door and rain water ran out. It started, ran OK but for the next couple of days I rode to show on motel towels, changed underwear/shorts/ T shirt at show as the foam in seats, tweed material stayed wet, when home let cat set out in sun several days, dripped water from frame rails for a few days, I was lucky, no problems from this adventure and a memory, don't have any bad memories from hot rodding, a few PIA deals but as always "If it has Tits or Wheels, some PIA involved" LOL