I may get flamed but... Do any HAMBers go to the Woodward Dream Cruise? I have been a few times and it is a cool event. 40,000+ cars, hundreds of thousdands of people. Me and a few buddies with HAMB friendly cars are thinking of going this year. What the chance of a HAMB hangout/meet and greet? the date is August 15th.
LOTS of HAMB folks go. In fact the Shell station at 13 1/2 Mile Rd has HAMB folks hanging out on Friday and Saturday nights all summer long. I'll be in B'ville though for Speed Week during the whole week long Dream Cruz action here in Detroit. I doubt anyone here in Detroit will organize a HAMB Meet & Greet this year as no one has ever done so in the past and I can't see that changing.
I know its turned to a madhouse, but i still cruise for the hell of it. from the week befor to the main deal, its just a fun time to be had.
We'll be out there cruisin', probably head out fri night for burgers on the strip again. Seeya there!
Lots of people go out. I think the best time to go is the few days before the event on Saturday. I hate crowds and my ride doesnt do well in 20 mile traffic jams , so I tend to avoid it.
It IS a bit of a madhouse. It's more of a parking lot than a cruise as stated earlier a few days prior is the best time. You may want to check out Back To The Bricks which takes place in downtown Flint at the same time. It's about 30-40 minutes north of the dream cruise. Alot of people are attending this event due to the over crowding and parking lot kind of conditions. This event is growing by leaps and bounds.
I went last year and it was my first and last time as a participant. I'm sure if you have connections, rent a space or whatever it's probably fun. However just rolling in and expecting to cruise probably isn't going to happen. I made it from Pontiac to 13 Mile and back twice and that was it. The strip is so fucking crowded with POS four doors on 30" rims, Cavaliers with Lambo doors, mini trucks, commuters, and latemodel ponycar garbage. I had to pull over three times and shut it down from overheating. I tried to do that once on Woodward and got chased from in front of this tanning place. It's nothing but a slowly rolling parking lot. When I wanted to eat I had to park in this grass field five blocks off Woodward and hope nobody fucked with my car (which nobody did.) I guess if you have a place to park (Like the Shell station) or somebody's house/lot you'll be okay but going in there with no plan like I did wasn't the way to go. This year I'm staying closer to home and doing Back to the Bricks in Flint. Here's a shot of me and LuckysGal's dad that Weaverville Studios took.
so.. Will i get to meet you this year at b-ville?? We must have been standing right next to each other in '08. My avitar pic was taken right after i pushed gene to the line for his "too fast license pass"..
I go every year. I park in Pontiac, not as hip as Royal Oak, but plenty of parking and plenty of BURN OUTS, which WONT happen in R.O. Friday night is better down by 13 mile, in fact we usually go all week down to the shell station. Saturday is crazy, if you want to see the sights, park in Birmingham there are spots just off woodward, and walk. It's easier.
Been there done that..to go just to watch is cool..but in the heat of the day and trying to drive a modified car its a pain in the ass..and at times dangerous..idiots that are right behind you doing burnouts to impress the ladies on the sidelines, with 1/2 a car length between your rear bumper and their front bumper.. Ive seen some cars get fucked up..anytime you get that much humanity jammed in one place..it gets to be a handful. maybe im just getting to old for acting that way?..IDK,,i like to cruise..but when i do it I like to move, and with as heavy as that traffic gets at this event..most of the time your sitting and moving an inch or two and than sitting again..people get pissy, no place to park and get out of the madness.. its been blown way out of proportion and all the fun has been sucked out of it.. not to mention the fucking minivans, and the normal commuters jammed right up in there with everyone cruising..it can be a potential recipie for disaster.. I guess its like anything else , you have to go to see it for yourself and make your own decission if you want to be there or not.. I'll be out on the country roads rolling along with my windows open, cruising along at 50 MPH or better..enjoying the view its just my view of it..your results may vary
A good alternative to Woodward that weekend is Back To The Bricks in Flint Mi. Its a great show on Saturday with cruises each evening leading up to it. Quite a few HAMBERs in and around Flint as well. The last couple of years I've gone there instead of Woodward. Flint is an old car town with lots of GM history. Its a fun time.
well i might have to check out the Flint gig..i generally go to WWDC with my buddy old skool from DUB..ya the big rubber band wheel guys...but they leave them cars at home,,,CHrysler is one of their sponsors and we get ring side at the Chrysler corner..forget where it is...another good cruise in the same general area is Fort Street...but it is getting closer to a "rolling parking lot" the last couple of years...hopefully i'll break out of the money slump here soon, and might have a shot at getting Lil Beast rolling by then...time will tell..........
Yes, Speed Week will once again be part of my 2 1/2 week summer cruzn adventure. I'll arrive the day of Tech Inspection. Last year were you hanging out with Gene in the evenings? We said hi to him and chatted just about every night in the Nugget Hotel parking lot. We need to make sure we meet this year and take a few photos. For those that are interested in cruzn, and not sitting parked at a car show, Woodward Ave cruzn is AWESOME the whole week prior to the actual Saturday of the event. You can cruz at normal speeds or slower in the right lanes if you want to see and been seen by the folks sitting on the sidelines. If you prefer to watch from the sidelines there is free front row parking all up and down Woodward at just about any spot you want. The area between 13 and 14 is probably the most popular with lots of folks around Duggans and Red Coat Tavern waiting near their hot rods for tables in the restaurants. On Friday starting at 7pm is a 700+ car parade that stages in then leaves the cemetary at 12 and Woodward and heads west on 12 Mile for a couple of miles. Must sign up for being in the parade way ahead of time. Very cool to see these cars rolling or to be in the parade with thousands of people waving at ya. Me and my girlfriends have gotten on TV a couple of times in a number of my convertibles. It's alot of fun doing something like this with friends, especially non-car friends. They really get a kick out of something so special as this....at least my girlfriends do. Friday night after about 8pm and Saturday after about noon are when Woodward gets way too crowded to cruz at speed. Any other time I haven't had a problem. As far as parking goes, if I see friends and want to stop, I haven't had an issue BUT I live here so there is a difference. I know who is parked where year after year and can usually pull into an area, make my own spot for Big Olds, chat with pals, walk around abit, then pull out and cruz more. Alot of the parking lots are organized by car clubs and their members pay a fee. My folks car club has part of the lot in the Kroger lot at the corner of 13 Mile and Woodward. I pay $5 for a spot there on Saturday. I maybe hang out there for a couple hours total, usually 1/2 hour at a time. The Oldsmobile Rocket Club rents the Wendy's parking lot. Another spot I've pulled into from time to time. There is a car club there for just about every make/model and if you notify them ahead of time that you're from out of town and will be on Woodward, I do believe most would welcome you to park in their area. I guess it's really about planning. If someone on here had alot of engery and organizational skills, they could obtain an area for HAMB folks to hang out at. Till that happens, alot of us can be found Friday and Saturday nights, all summer long, in the Shell parking lot which if you've never seen it is HUGE and can hold probably 50 cars on the property with lots of spillover going in both directions. There are five entrances/exits to the station so there is always folks coming and going. Very rarely have I pulled in and not been able to find a place to park. The dude that owns the place is the coolest so I always make sure I fill my fuel tank there to show him that I apprecaite him letting us hang out there. Lots of folks do the same plus purchase their drinks and snacks from him. Tommorrow is suppose to hit 80 degrees here in the Motor City, even though it's only April Woodward will be hopping this weekend. Megan and a couple other Ohio pals are coming into town this weekend. We'll be out there after a BBQ dinner at Slo's downtown. Big Olds is still in TN getting paint work done so we'll be hoofing it around checking out the cars. Random shots at the Shell station all year long. HAMB guys chatting, Roadstar, ProEnfo, Ol Drippy, Beatnik
Denise, it was great meeting you down at the Roundup. I may try to make it out to Woodward this weekend. You going Saturday?
Great meeting you too. I'm working on my post from last weekend so hopefully sometime this weekend I'll have some time to post it. Yes, will probably be out there on Saturday as well. We're going to the RM auction in Novi on Saturday morning, then some yard work, then the Sidetrack in Ypsi for dinner, then out to Woodward. Normally I would go to the Red Coat Tavern for burgers if in fact we planned on cruzn afterwards but Megan is coming into town and she really want to go to the Sidetrack. No big deal really just more cruzn time. Too bad it won't be in Big Olds or her '53 Chevy or model A roadster. We'll see you out there then.
went to woodward every year until 06,got to be to much,we parked right across the street from the shell gas station at uncle eds oil change,(don't know if its still there) woodward ave was good then......richie...........
It is still there and the south side of that lot is rented by a HAMB friend's employer, Timkin Bearings, so that is another spot that I have pulled into to from time to time. They put up that big white tent, have food and seating for guests with easy in and out of that lot. Great spot.
ive been going with friends since 99, the first few years were awesome. It has gotten a little out of hand over the past few years with vendors showing up pedaling crap, and every energy drink company known to man handing off free samples, most taste like shit, and protestors and anti abortion groups etc. However, it is something to experience though atleast once, you see all sorts of cars there, things youll possibly never see anywhere else. We still go, because it is more of a guys weekend of drinking. But the trick is if you go saturday, go early and do the loop atleast once, in the morning it still moves well and you get to see everything. If you go in the afternoon expect to sit in a giant traffic jam. Parking however is a joke, we go down in a few old mustangs that way we can park in the mustang coral they have there in ferndale every year for free, and walk around.
I highly doubt it. I mean did one certain company sponsoring something effect whether you attended or not. I'd actually rather NOT have the huge sponsors taking up large parking lots and areas. What might effect it is that folks from out of town that don't have jobs won't have the money to spend on a weekend here. A few thousand less cars might be a good thing and if the media quit broadcasting the event then perhaps we'd have less daily drivers too. Ford has quit leasing Shane Park in Birmingham which has lead to more parking and places to hang out for regular folks. Less revenue for Birmingham but I think that community can handle it.
You should take some of your friends and meet with some likeminded people this year. Sounds like a good time and it's always better when shared with those of similar interest. Frank
That is my hope, I hope it IS smaller, not from people not being able to afford it, but like you said from the huge sponsors taking up spaces. Maybe there will be more room (parking) for single cars. And maybe oh please maybe, not so many mini vans! I know it's an open road, but there are plenty of other ways to get around town that day! I wouldn't mind seeing all the side attractions scaled back some. And yeah other then Pontiac, I'd say the rest of the communities can handle it.
Ive been going for 7 years. The key is to wear yourself out Mon through Fri then park and rest on sat the "official" day of the cruise. For the rod people its all over with about 2am sat morning. If you complete your cruising around 11am sat morning you will enjoy the day. I rent a great spot at 12 and woodward, theres always open spots so if anyone is interested send a note and i will line you up. Dream Cruise is a wonderfull summer event, i recommend anyone who can make it out to do so.
The Woodward cruise is awesome - but in my opinion its best during the week, Tuesday - Thursday after about 6 PM. There is real cruising going on, at night, and there is room to drive. Saturday is cool too - but its more of a car show atmosphere. I would much rather spend 4 hours on Wednesday night driving on Woodward than 8 hours sitting on Woodward on Saturday. Mike
I've been to car shows & cruises all over the country, and Woodward is the biggest. Friday night and Saturday are difficult to cruise. I usually just do pass through and then park. Most years I've been able to park on a side street within the first block of Woodward, but lately it seems there have been motorhomes parked in those spaces. I usually walk several miles down and back. There is just about anything out there, even seen a Stanley Steamer that looked like it was stored for years puttering down a few blocks. If you want to cruise, as the others say, you need to go earlier in the week. As for pulling into any parking lot or spaces, they are all privately owned and everyone wants their fair share of money for prime parking spots, don't expect to park on Woodward without paying.
yea,98 99 00 01 we went up wed,man you could cruise all night,park any you wanted,no pay,it was great...richie.............
FYI, Megan's in town and we'll be cruzn Woodward tonight. If anyone else will be out...in this AWESOME weather, make sure you stop in at the Shell station for a cold beverage and some kibitzing.
We went last year and doubt we will go back unless it's to go to Flint. We had a parking place right on Woodward and were able to sit under an umbrella, but as mentioned here, there are way to many stockers that get in the way of good viewing. Not mentioned yet, but on Friday and Saturday nights the police begain shutting Woodward down at 9pm. We were flagged off and routed down a side-street. Looking for road signs in a chopped Merc at night in unfamiliar territory made for an interesting trip back to the hotel. As one gets closer to Pointiac, the burn-outs are crazy and makes one sweat when the guy is behind you. I saw one Nova lose it when he let up and it kicked back on him. He hit the curb and bounced off which saved the guy sitting in a chair at curbside. Certainly worth going to once though, esp if you take in the Henry Ford Museum while in the area. Ol Blue
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