Okay so my brother is thinking of planning a trip out to Lead East this year... Is it worth it? Is it a good show to travel to? I will be staying here to cover the Primer Nats. Any input would be great! Thanks! -Juan
Havn't been in a few years. LOTS of Poodle Skirts,'50 iron,and non-stop Do Wop music. Worth attending at least once,if you are into that sort of thing, not sure I'd drive across country for it. The following weekend in the Rockabilly Rumble in Willmington Delaware. Havn't been there,but have heard good things. Maybe try and squeeze in both ?
good show but EXTREMELY expensive- (from what Ive been told) you could easily drop $2K just on the show and attending any events like the concerts or stuff. Hear Terry Cook runs a nice show though- if you have the dough. Id hit another larger show on the East Coast first- like Syracuse Nats (NY) (although i am biased being a member of the organization) or the Eastern States show in Berlin CT-Syracuse has 6500 + cars, burnouts,flames, concerst (Included in your p***) truck pulls etc etc etc - I could go on but then I would get tired. All that for under $50 bucks. http://www.rightcoastcars.com
Ashley raises a good point,rooms are expensive in NJ, and that weekend books everything up early.At least they did.
I'll tell my brother about the Syracuse show... he wants to go to the east coast atleast once this year. He's thinking of also going to Billetproof... We'll see. How's the lodging for Syracuse? and I don't think he's driving, flying most likely. Thanks a lot guys! -Juan
well if youre already going to be on the East Coast you have to hit the Hot Rod Hoedown in Wilmington, Delaware on Sept 8,9,10. Great music, cars and cheap beer www.hotrodhoedown.com
Thursday Aug. 31 thru Sunday Sept. 3, 2006 Parsippany, NJ Hilton Hotel http://leadeast.net/ You guys can camp in my backyard if the hotels cost too much. I'll loan you blankets and guns It's a hell of a party. Lot's of geezers. Last one I went to was about a thousand years ago. People have told me it is getting better. It's kind of a 'mustgo' thing in NJ. Me being the curmugeon ***** that I am, has refused to show up for ten years. I'm going this year.
Its cool, some real nice cars and nice ppl. Its not rockasilly and doesnt have flamethrowing and yadi yadi yadi, but youlle in my opinion see some of the East Coasts most well thought out/well executed customs. Very few cobbled together junks. It is expensive, but $2k is outerspace...Id say $100 for a day there if ya eat like a pig and get wasted. Spectator is prolly like $25 or so to get in. I snuck my Merc in a few years ago...so many of em who will notice 1 more? Id go if youre in the area. Im in the area, and Ill go!
Hands down one of the best shows of the year, and totally worth the money. Is Terry Cook a *****? without a doubt. But the price isn't outrageous when yopu realy stop to think about it. Register your car for $90 for 3 days. You'll get a space for free if you get a room at the Hilton. At least you'll be staying in a nice hotel. $2000 is outrageous. I've gone the past couple years on like $300 and drank like a fish. Granted that's with splitting a hotel room with a few friends, but maybe you coule split a room with a HAMBer attending? Bottom line, there are like 1600 cars, LOADS of awesome kustoms, hot rods, stockers, you name it. Live entertainment, lots constant doo wop, a couple rockabilly bands. If you're not a rockasilly ***got you'll be able to appreciate the atmosphere and appreciate all the high dollar, but beautifully finished kustoms and rods cruising all day and night, as well as a good number of in progress cars too. The Hot Rod Hoedown is not even in the same catagory as Lead East. Yes it's cheaper, but it's one day, and at least half of the cars are muscle cars.
WOW!!!...I couldnt have put it better myself Joe..All in all, GREAT show, none better on the east coast...Should you attend???HELL YEAH, without a doubt.
The last time I attended was 6 or 7 years ago.The host hotel was $119/night with a 4 night minimum.Just offhand I'd say the price has probably close to doubled so you're talking around a grand just for lodging.I doubt any of the hotels nearby are much cheaper.Three bucks a gallon for gas and probably 50 a day for food if you like to eat something other than tube steak and ground cow carc***es.Two grand doesn't sound too far out of the ballpark. Is it a good show? I've been to a lot better for a LOT less money.The Ty-Rods show is one.
Lead East goes until well past Midnight,if you are so inclinded. Many of the attendees stay at the Hilton,where the show is. Thursday is a waste,nothing going on,even the food vendors are not open yet.If you arrive early Friday,you won't miss anything. I heard they didn't have a minimum stay,any more. And if you expect to get ice out of the hotel machines, you better wake up early. Syracuse is at the Fairgrounds,and it starts to empty out around 5 or 6. Similar deal at Billetproof Michigan. I'm sure there is more in the archives here.
I'll beat the drum for Lead East. Been to EVERY one! Of course over the years it's been getting a bit less attended, and a bit less quality of the shows, concerts, and "other" stuff. But it is still better than almost any other show I've been to, IMHO. Why? The largest gathering of customs in the East, besides Sledscene East in Gettysburg. Best selection of oldies groups in concert. (extra cost) Doo Wop all day Sat and Sun. More groups that you;ll see anywhere else. Parking lot PARTY! Lots of folks stay at the hotel (expensive!) so they stay up late, watch the fake drive in movie (actually pretty cool) and drink! Cars cruise around all day and night! You don't see that at the NSRA events, or KKOA either. Yeah they might be a bit older, but it's still fun! Other stuff...small 50's swap meet, record, clothes, juke boxes, seminars sometimes, other attractions in the past, Pinstripers (not now, sadly), acrobatic dancers, roving acapella groups, rockabilly bands outside, muffler rap offs, flame contests (outlawed now), cheesy 50's movies in the bar. So, if you even get slightly bored at "just a car show", there is more to do at Lead East. Or more for your girl friend, or mother, whatever. You can stay at a hotel within 20 miles for about 75 a night. The entire 4 day package is a bit expensive, but god damn, I've spent $15 ir 20 to get into a local indoor car show during the winter, and see everything in a half hour. Lead East is an 18 hour a day party. I'm not quite "geezer age" but older than most of you. I still dig it. get over the ''I hate Terry Cook" act. At least he's there, and puts on a great show. Ever meet any of the other characters that put on other major events? You probably don't even know who they are. Terry is part of the scene, like him or hate him. I give him credit for putting on this great show, I was there at the first one, and he blew everyone's mind with the innovative, exiting things he included at a car show, like the concerts and doowop, and the showmanship...including a REAL drive in movie, reserved solely for old cars, and a REAL drive-in burger joint (the White Swan). You should see it at least once in your life if you're into the 50's and/or rods and customs.
When I said "lot's of geezers" I meant it as a good thing. I feel silly standing around a bunch of 30 years olds talking about the 'good ol' days' -Before we were born? I'd rather talk cars with a guy who has been doing it 40 years than another hack like me who's had less than half of that experience! Lead East has always been a trad show, long before it was trendy.
I went to Lead East several times, it costs too much and i do not need to ,make Mr. Crook any richer. Go if you like to spend money.
Syracuse is under $50 for the entire weekend p*** and you can be at the show from 6am until midnight because there are flames, burnouts and truck pulls as well as concerts on the show grounds at night. So yeah- there are others out there- just depends on what you want to see...
Do you guys think Terry Cook knows how people feel about him? I for one would hate to know there are so many (from what I can see here) true hot rodders who thought I was less than nice (How PC was that?!) I cant imagine he doesnt know.... but anyway never met the guy in person, so I cant judge...
Don't worry about Terry's feelings. He has a good grasp on reality,and realizes not everyone likes him.
jalopy showdown is perhaps THE best show on the east coast. maybe not from a seeing nice kustoms perspective, but from a having fun (and im not talking about stupid get wasted burnout and cuff jeans fun) but a great time, especially if you camp out....and this year the 2 day event with the drags on the air strip? you could show me 1000 kustoms that ive seen 10x in a row at lead east i would still choose to see a few real hotrods and good people take laps around a dirt track and drag race on an old airstrip.............with a bunch of douchebags(tm) depends what your into...if your really into kustoms, go to lead east. if your into having a good time, with less but some more QUALITY cars...a cool museum, hot laps around a mudd track, camping, and drag racing heads up. hit up the jalopy showdown. (hey larry, can i get in for free now? )
I went last year for the first time in 15 years and i gotta say if your into kustoms its about the best show around.I like kustoms ,street rods,antiques, but dislike "rat rods".I would go again even though i work weekend nights.mike
Alot of people continue to go to Lead East in spite of Terry Cook!!! It's a good time, period. You can stay at two or three hotels within a mile of the place for reasonable rates (Hanover Marriott across the road - $99/nite). The cars, and the characters you get to see there are a trip. The all nite fun is unlike any other car show. There may not be burnouts, but there's Gup!! If you can take it, there's something to do almost round the clock. Everyone who knows Terry, knows Terry. And like him or not, people go for the car show and a good time. You've got to do it at least once.
Ditto to Chopolds. Missed one in the last 18 years. I just ignore TC and enjoy the PARTY. It's the only big show I do. Not for the faint of heart $$$. Tony
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