nsra 30 year venue

I guess I can add my 2 cents. Maybe I am missing the point. I grew up in So California in the hey day of hot rodding. I spent my nights cruisin' Harvey's Broiler, Oscar's, Bob's Big Boy and all the hot spots in the LA area. In the early 60's, the cars on the streets weren't all 32's and Model A's. I remember driving into Harvey's and seeing full on Buick Riveria's , on the ground with Watson Paint Jobs in 1963, the year they first came out. Drive into Oscar's on the Long Beach Traffic Circle about any night and see a candy purple '61 coupe de ville parked in the spotlight. It was 1961. Larry Watson was driving his square bird, or his '58 Cadillac. These were practically new cars then. It was cool because of the way it was done not because it was old or met some age criterion. I was driving a 56 F-100. This was in 1961, It was considered cool and it was 5 years old. Do the math. No one said you had to have a car 10 or 30 years old to be considered "in" back in the day. I still drive my F-100, my 35 roadster and my 53 chevy and I own them for the love, not because I fall into someone's guidelines of what's right or wrong. If you dig it, you gotta do it, if its a drag, don't do it. If it's fun, do it twice. If you gotta ask, you ain't never gonna understand. There was recently a post about a '58 ford fairlane that was customized right off the showroom floor, a brand new car. It was cool. Bottom line, time moves on. We wish it was like it was, but it ain't. But the age thing is a more recent at***ude.

 

Yes, it is about the cars, but it is about '49 and older cars.

I have a '54 Ford F-100, but I would never ask someone to open a show up to '54, if it was a "street rod" event. I also have had a dropped S-10, and a soon to be dropped Astro, but they aren't "street rods". These are while still owning my '40 coupe.

The bottom line response, from all the NSRA folks that I have heard, is that the old guys (street rodders) are dying off, and the young guys don't have enough money to get in the game, so we have to open it up to the late models. Some have even said that they hope to attract the younger guys interest in the '48 and older cars, after they get them participating in the "new" events.

My complaint is more on how they are choosing to open up the events, as a wholesale sweep next year. The fact that they are going all the way up to 1980, versus something less drastic of a change.

I would still much rather see them open up the "street machine" division, or something like that, for the 'late models'. Heck, I would even support them doing 'late models only' events, if they would keep with the '48 and older events.

It will be interesting to talk with Bubba, when he gives me a shout back.

 

Were there any Yugos left in 2008?

 

At places like L'Ville and York, where will they find room for many more cars?

 

EMS customer Service, Going from 1948 to 1980 doesn't sound like they are "easing into it" to me.

Frank

 

Well said.

 

As an old hotrodder from the 1930-40' let me say when you look at the pictures of the lakes, you see new cars and old cars, when you go to the club meets you see new cars and old cars, but the people are the same inside the cars, at that time.

It appears to me that the problems stared when they got away for club meets and speed meets, but went into cars shows where everyone could see how good their cars looked.

Bang, you get into discussions of what is a cool car, not what is a hot rod.

So we now object when people bring a new car, an old car, a perfect car, a junk car, and think about the cars, and not the people in the cars.

Perhaps if we look at the drivers of the cars and decide if we want to ***ociate with the drivers and not the cars it might solve the problem

If you don't want to ***ociate with the people in the cars try not to go where they are!
Whether that will help NSRA or not, who knows.

I know when I joined the club 60 years ago, it was I that joined and not my car!
The club had to agree that I was worth having in the club whatever car I had, as long as it was a roadster.

But things change, and this will too.

traderjack

 

Haven't attended a NSRA event in ten years and you know all that about them? Too bad; you've been missing out.

To the contrary of your view, I see a lot of lively, progressive, proud, dedicated, artistic, craftsmen with mostly outstanding, beautiful, well built, and superior performing cars at the NSRA events I've attended every year since 1995(that's 13 years). Most of them have invested more money into the bling on their car than I have in my entire jalopy. When a well heeled professional can take, what's pin money to him, and put together a car worth 40K(with a lot of them surp***ing that!)and take a week off from work to drive 2,000 miles every year to show off his ride, I don't envy or resent them. Most of them that I am personally acquainted with are decent human beings pursuing a honorable hobby. I'll never build a Street Rod that could compete with them because of the cost involved, but I ain't no ***** that resents what they have just because I can't afford their upgraded hobby. That don't stop me from going to the shows, 'cause I enjoy seeing well built cars. They're in a different league from my chosen favorite, the traditional rod, actually chosen partly because of my modest means. Added to that, the obvious fact that many well-built traditional(so-called) builds use technology that is rooted in the street rod industry, with the trad-rod owner using the parts/technology, purposly ignoring the fact that some of those parts/technology would have never have even been made available by suppliers, absent the Street Rod movement.

It's my opinion that the venue expansion won't change much of that. Sure, I could sit around dreaming up reasons I don't like the new rules, but I'm anxious to see how the ch***is mods will evolve with the newly included venue(s), confident that we will see exciting development there(many with the mind-set of a traditionalist paving the way). I'm quite certain that adaptations otherwise absent, will surface for us to admire, bringing to fore the ["I wish I'd of thought of that!!!"] comments.

Time will tell. If it don't, if it does, in the grand scheme of things it's all happenstance anyhow. I try to go to every show within 30 miles all season long. I'll stay home when I'm disabled and can't drive myself and can't find anybody else to drive me.

 

Good Point, however I exptet that any vendor will welcome the possibilities of expanding their customer base. I also doubt that this change will "alienate their(NSRA's) core membership", that is, most will not even notice the change, they are too busy enjoying their nitch in the hobby, and don't really care if somebody else is going to be included. How many of us build something for historical signifiance? I chose my Hot Rod Nash, because it became available to me, not that I was looking for such?

The NSRA guys that I know didn't stop working on the current project when the news was announced. **** fire to save matches! Is it possible that I can buy a nice Street Rod (cheap) from some disgruntled member?

One guy I know that has a harem of beautiful SRs acquired a '49 Merc this week, and we're all anxious to see that when he's done with it. No doubt in my mind that it will stand out!

 

I don't like being around some people, some are street machiners, some are street rodders, some are rat rodders and some are hambers. Some people don't like being around me. The cars owned by them and me does not have anything to do with my or other peoples feelings as they/I have earned the dislike with our personality and conduct. The same goes for going to events. If I want to go to some events I have to belong to their organization and so I join. If I don't like an event this year I probably won't go/join next year. Yes money runs lots of this stuff but mine doesn't support what I don't like, be it a local or national event

 

I sent this to NSRA;
I have been hearing and reading that the NSRA intends open up to 1980 cars. I understand that changes have to be made to keep up memberships but 1980 is going way too far. I would think 71 or 72 would be much more reasonable and members would be more understanding of the changes. I believe that a change this drastic will result in the alienation of the core of your membership. Please reconsider.

 

I think the clubs who volunteer their time to the NSRA to help with registration, tee shirts ,gate duty ,games ect should NOT VOLUNTEER!!! Why give them free labor when they won't listen to the members.Lets contact the clubs who make up the NSRA.

 

Don't think that will be a problem. From everything I've read here and many other places on the net it sure sounds like for every post 1949 vehicle that shows up at least two pre 1949 cars will stay home.

 

About 10 years ago I had conversation with my older brother and made a reference to my '65 fleetside as a "hot rod". I was promptly told that it wasn't a hot rod; it was just a truck. He said it wasn't old enough. (it was 34 years old). Didn't matter that it started as a bare frame project. I reminded him that when he got his first '40 Ford sedan it was only 28 years old and that his first (and only) '29 rpu was 34 years old when he got his hands on it. I asked what "category" my '55 Chevy fell in and said it was a "street rod". It was a bare frame project also. Both those projects were a hell of lot more complicated than either my A sedan or my '36 pickup, so I always had a hard time with the issue of categorizing old cars based on model year vs what the car represents in terms of accomplishment, fun/enjoyment, etc.

Moral is (I guess)that the whole age thing is relative. What makes one person tic just annoys another. I let my NSRA membership expire around 1976 for reasons that are a dim memory now. I guess my opinion is that if NSRA doesn't "do it" for ya, let it go... One thing that America is not laking (yet, anyway) is variety in Hot Rod events. Stick to the ones that make you happy.

Rich

 

i myself would have added only 10 years and after 10 years go buy keep adding 10 years to it. just a thought.

 

...x2

 

Your not going to change the nsra, they only care about the money. It's a busness.
I know what some folks went through when they cut out the camping at York. The NSRA didn't care. My kids loved it there, now we only have the ***berland WMSRA run to camp at and thanks for that. The ***berland guys opened their run up a little and in my opinion it didn't hurt too much. I could whine about the reasons not to go to York, but I still go. I was not going to re-join, but I did, because you have to, so it costs me 55 bucks to go to York. Too much in my opinion but I go. My friends will be there, my family likes to go, I like the swap meet, I still like most of the cars, and some folks enjoy seeing mine, so I go. I dig the vintage stuff the most but I also like a little of everything. Talking ideas and telling stories is great. Looking at the new parts is fun even though I mostly choose to make my own MoParts or scrounging them. If anyone is interested in starting a new run or group I'm interested in going as long as there's good fun happn'n!
The guys at WMSRA ***berland still know how to have a good time. Camping in a beautiful place, all weekend, free food, bands beer and more for about 50 bucks. Ask any HAMB member whose been there. We need more runs like it. Well I'm tired of hearing myself gab so, later!

 

the Burlington VT show chanced to 30 years back in 2007, attendeance has doubled. Without this the show was going to be cancelled, 2006 was about 900-1000 cars.

 

If the NSRA is really trying to cover all the bases, to bring in newer cars so they can sell more tickets and encourage aftermarket mfg / sales to a wider variety of vehicles, perhaps the NSRA should just merge with SEMA? Call them ***** shows? Gary

 

I will still go to NSRA events unless they get to pricey.When i go to Goodguys events i just don't look at many newer cars.So when is the new club stating for 1948 and older only?I believe Frog Follies will get even bigger now.

 

I'm reminded of the old addage: "to each his own";....The NSRA is free to do as it wishes, BUT I don't have to drag myself along for the ride! Like most older organizations they became MONEY;.......period. Now it's a BUSINESS more than anything else, and money will dictate where they're going and how they're going to get there. IMO, the cut-off should have been 1954;....why? because Chevy, for example, stretched their bodies out, introduced the small block V8 for standard production, etc; That year marked a radical and significant change for ALL the makes and models coming out of Detroit. I will never follow any trend or movement or what-ever-the-hell you want to call it that emulates vehicles that resemble cartoons with 20+ wheel sizes sitting 24 inches or more in some cases measuring up to the rocker panels. IMO, they all lack any plausible aesthetic;.....the rest are all no-brainers;;;;79 Malibus jacked up in the *** end, etc;...I could go on forever with examples of how ludicrous the 30 year rule is! I didn't renew my membership last year because I saw all this coming. It's a free country, but I'm not attending events that include eras of cars that turned me off when they were brand new! ....end of story. I'll drive my vintage-appearance hot rod, Thank You.

 

WOOHOO...exactly!

 

I divorced NSRA years ago because they turned their collective noses up at the chopped '49 Merc I had at the time.

 

***** and complain all you want. NSRA wants more cars= more money. If you dont like the rules just stay home. I dont like it either.

 

I agree.

 

After 20 years of going to York I decided not to go this year . The show is getting boring with all the hi priced billet rides I have been looked down on when parking along side of money. I just had it give me shows like the Jalopy Showdown where owners talk to each other and not run your ride down. the HAMB is where it's at today!

 

You have an opportunity to "vote" the next time your membership comes up for renewal. I know how I will vote and I will send a note explaining why there was no check in the envelope. If I want to see late model cars I will go down to the supermarket parking lot. It is a lot cheaper and I can do my shopping at the same time.

Charlie Stephens

 

Why stop at 30 years? Allowing motorcycles could bring in more attendents than a year change. Hell, add an esquitarian element, too. They will spend $$. Maybe hoverounds that are over 3 years old. Gotta keep it vintage while targeting the market, ya know.

 

I will move to get our club out of N.S.R.A.