Is the n.s.r.a. doomed or do they just need to retrench and rethink some things?

You are correct. I'm just trying to address the people who say that Goodguys is overcharging for food.

 

I think you can enter a NSRA show without being a member. They just charge you more, and the membership is included.

It's 12-15 dollars to go as a spectator.

I have paid 15-20 dollars a pop this year for the "parking lot" shows. So what's the big deal about spending $ 50 or 60 for a three day event. Do the math.

 

I've been an NSRA member since 1991 and I was hooked by my buddies who started attending York when it was in Timonium,Md. Back in the 80's there were maybe three good car shows in the northeast a year.
Then thru the 90's more events came on; Goodguys/ Rhinebeck;NSRA /Burlington; Right Coast/Syracuse,Berin,Ct,Gunstock,NH; not to mention the hundreds of local shows and cruise nights.
In 2002 I noticed all of my old buddies were burned out and not going with me to shows anymore. Some bought Harleys; some just stopped going to shows . You know why??? Because shows now are BORING !!!!! It's the same old same old. Pull in,dust off the car,pull out the chair, visit with the guys you saw last week or last month at the last car show. Sometimes a new car or an old acquaintence shows up to add a little excitement but mainly, these shows / cruises are boring as hell.

Goodguys and Right Coast add some "****e" with drag racing,demo derbies,truck / tractor pulls. That's cool. Remember attending antique car shows when they had "driving " contests like the slow race, blindfolded driver obstical course? Those were fun to participate in or to watch.

You young guys got the right idea with live music, driving on old dirt fairgrounds tracks, the HAMB drags,etc.

Nowadays, I attend two big shows a year and that's it. I drive my roadster as much as possible,but it's about driving it not where I'm going in it.

I maintain events have got to have more entertainment for the car people or they are all just going to die out, but NSRA,Goodguys, Right Coast have to pay their bills,so they cater to the spectators which are more numerous than the cars.

Glenn.

 

How about all the other events weare fortunate enough to have now?

VLV
Paso
Billetproof...multiple shows
Roundup
Hunnert
Hamb Drags
Day of the drags
Jalopy showdown
Texas Thaw
Jalopy drags
Pistons n Paint
Stray Kat

probably a hundred more...

There's a lot more to do now since the NSRA and Goodguys started. I bet that has a lot to do with attendance. A couple years ago Day of the Drags was on the same weekend as Goodguys. A lot of people who might have gone to Goodguys went to the Drags instead. Even when these things aren't on the same weekend as another event, there might be stuff the weekend before or after. When money is tight people are forced to choose, and the big events loose out over the smaller close knit events.

Cruzer beat me by 10 minutes on this one...

 

Good points! Who wouldn't "kill" or pay good money to talk with Ed Roth? With his culture creation and enthusiasm and knowledge,N.S.R.A. is probably still kicking themselves? They don't turn Norm Grabowski away,trike or not?


I would really like to know how they obtain insurance to cover an event with so many ''members?" No vote or say on how things are run,why be a member?

 

Isn't that the same as having to be a member....once you pay you are a member..

CC

 

..

Cc

 

My wife and I have been to the movies 2x in the last 3 or so years. I can wait till they come out on video and thenget them through netflix. Don't do amu*****t park stuff either. I am all about saving my money so I can afford to do the car shows. I know GG/NSRA does not have control over food prices, hotel and gas but it does add to the overall cost.

If anyone goes to the BSC in Norwalk, stop by and I will give you a MD to drink and save you $3.

 

Yeah what Ryan says I agree with. The last time we showed at Starbirds the street rod guys wouldn't give me the time of day,and I've built engines that are in a lot of their cars. However the hot-rodders and the custom dudes were glad to visit and compare stories. And the #s matching shows really blow ***. I'm really glad to get back to hot-rodding with the hand built cars>>>>.

 

Well, whatever happens...there will be someone there to pry the deuce ignition keys out of our cold, stiffening fingers, and we won't approve of whatever they're up to! Damn punk hydrogen fuel cell delinquents, no doubt.

 

Nail on the head!

 

The biggest problem with the NSRA is they are all "Lawn Chair" events. There's nothing else to do. At least The NHRA Hot Rod Reunion, Hamb Drags, GG Indy and Bowling Green, KY all have nostalgia drag racing. Just remember the only reason for GG and the NSRA is to make bags of money for ones who run it. Don't know about you but $5 hamburgers and drinks piss me off.
What a novel idea, charge the car owners a high registration fee and then charge spectators to see the car owners cars. Somehow that just seems wrong.

 

i do not have enough knowledge or experience to argue any of these points, but i can and will speak for myself:

i'm 21, and though i'm still working on completing my first hot rod, i have been obsessed with the idea of this hobby since i was 7. i can honestly say that the sole reason i am still very excited and motivated to continue spilling my money and blood all over my 54, is because of the encouragement of the "white beards" like you. it's the simple fact that when i stop to look at your car, you come talk to me, and share ideas...and hell, i've even received multiple business cards and phone numbers, with an offer to help over the phone when i get back home. it's that at***ude that will spur on a younger generation. some of you are making it sound like there will be some instantanious extinction, where the older generation will all die off and it will be up to us newbies to carry the traditions on. please don't forget that we actually will have many years to co-exist, and it will be in the relationships and interactions therein that may bear influence on the next wave of hot rodders.

on the carshow topic, i would like to first say that i have faithfully attended the frog follies in evansville, indiana for hte last 6 years, and am fully convinced that this is how every major event should feel. if you've never been, GO. it's as simple as that. and secondly, there is a cruise in up the street from my house in the K-Mart parking lot every friday night, and in the past month has been bringing in upwards of 200 cars. cl***ics, street rods, muscle cars, imports, and motorcycles alike, all congregate every friday night. it's getting to the point where people who want to shop at k-mart are driving around looking for a place to park. but it sparked a conversation with a buddy, and we were wondering, with the aforementioned observation that gas prices may have an influence on people travelling to car shows, would it seem reasonable that perhaps we are entering an era where we'll see more local cruis-ins, and less big timey events?

you would know better than me, so whaddya think?

 

It's a new concept called a "business". Apparently you work for free. Thanks for volunteering.

 

Minority??? I would think (hope?) it would be the majority.....
I for one will never understand the FACINATION with entering yer car and going to a car show.....while I do go and enter at times, I go for fun, no *****in' about what is there, etc (I just dig old cars man)....the most fun is the drive to and from said show with good freinds anyway...

And what does the NSRA have to do with BUILDING traditional hotrods anyway....

 

I know you are young BUT since you have been attending the FF the past 6 years you have therefore missed the HAMB Drags the same weekend. Don't think for a minute that the FF is even close to what a true traditional event should "feel" like. Anyone who choses to attend the FF over the HAMB Drags is certainly on the wrong message board.

 

boy named sue..
Great to hear a youngster with the right ideas and I agree with every point you have made.
Frog Follies.... In the past, I was so Louisvilled' out I never wanted another road trip. Sounds like I need to get there if any other show next year.
Thanks for expressing your thoughts. PJ

 

Just because he doesnt want to or can't make a long trip to the Hamb Drags doesn't mean he doesnt belong here.
I didn't know that was a pre-requisite for membership?

 

Take it easy on him, Denise. After all he is only 21. But at least he is here. Let's try to work with him and get him headed in the right direction.

 

I never said a word against Mustang ,ok. or El Reno or Norman or Moore. I said OKC ****s. I don't like being bullied around by a bunch of hard **** redneck fu*king cops who block off streets so you can't get to your hotel without driving ten miles to turn around. Who ever heard of blocking off the Interstate to keep people from exiting onto a street just because it's busy? Thats what stop lights are for. If they are so concerned would it not make more sense to put a cop on that exit and direct traffic.
The fact is that the OKC show draws fewer and fewer cars. Why not move it to a new city to try to draw some new interest?
_________________________________________________________________
Like I told the kid, "Your music's not too loud, it just ****s and so does OKC!"

 

hahaha...lest i give you the impression that i intentionally shot down the idea of the hamb drags, my family lives in evansville, and it's free room and board (not to mention home cooked meals every night!). also, no one's ever invited me to the hamb drags. you got an extra seat this year?? i'm in

 

I should have elaborated more. I stick by my comments this site is constantly moving in new directions and if it just stayed with the 50's stuff it would not have the traffic it does now. I also should have added besides g***ers, notice the increased interest in 60's style rods? Hardley ever saw these cars a few years back on this site. Now guys are asking to post pics for build ideas for later 60's stle rods.

 

Shame on us for buying parts 40 years ago and having enough parts for 400 projects. We should have just walked past all those parts! 400 projects? Boy, that's alot! We should realize we are supposed to give half our **** we work for to someone that sits on their *** and does nothing? (At least some folks would like that) Opps, this is supposed to be about NSRA. Okay, I'm an NSRA charter member (and GG for 20+ years) and still go to the Nats and Tampa because it's right next to Del Boca Vista but I'm so old that I can't go anywhere else, at least that's whats being said in this thread. I can see the Vultures starting to circle over my garage full of parts. Gotta go now so I can get to the Early Bird special------
Oh, I'd like to go to a Goodguy show down this way, what happened to the one that was in Jacksonville last year?

 

Free is good, trust me I LOVE free.
The point I was making is there is certainly a HUGE difference in the two events and the FEEL of the two is as far opposite as you can get (trust me I have been to the FF) and to attend one over the other on the exact same weekend when it would just be a couple of hours further for you was my point.

There is a HUGE group of early 20 something guys that attend the HAMB Drags that you would fit in wonderfully with....Nick32Vic, LoBrow, Johnny Sparkle, and their whole posse. They all share a room therefore saving on expenses. On second thought I'm not even sure if they sleep at night, they are hanging out in the hotel parking lot all night.

As far as fitting you in Big Olds, Megan and I could barely fit our stuff in him for this 12 days adventure, there was no way we could have taken a p***enger BUT in the future I'll keep it in mind if we are p***ing by your area with less stuff. After all we could always use another cabanna boy

 

I doubt that's the reason they "share" a room.......

 

I was trying to cover for them but I guess their secret is out.......poor boys

 

Maybe if I worked for Gary Meadors, I'd have different opinion of Greedguys.

 

In this thread, it seems to me that Kirk has done an excellent job of responding to people's complaints.

 

What businesses don't try to make money?

It's always funny to me that people seem to think that because I work for Goodguys that there is some sort of wool being pulled over my eyes. I have worked for WAY larger corporations and have made WAY more money than I do at Goodguys. Most of the people here can say the same. Most here do what we do because we are hot rodders to the core. Hell, I go to car shows and hang out with hot rodders having a good time doing what they love, for a living. As rad as that is, I have a house payment, a 4-year-old to raise and bills to pay just like everyone else. I wish I could be like you and work for free, but I can't.

Goodguys is a business and must make money to pay its employees and to continue to provide car shows and magazines. No money, no car shows, no magazines. It is every employees responsibility at every company to make money. That's what I have always done for my employers and always will. That's called a job.

Don't you think every store, gas station, restaurant, swap meet vendor, garage sale, etc that you go to is trying to make money?

If there were not larger en***ies like Goodguys and NHRA there would be no hot rod aftermarket. Yes, some will say that they'd love it that way, but think about the fact that if large numbers of people didn't understand that there is a value to old cars and old car parts, they'd just go to the s****per and not to the swap meet. Lots of people on here don't seem to grasp that reality.

What would the hot rod related magazines in the '50s and 60's have been filled with if there were no car shows or organized races. I guess people have some sort of magical view that hot rodding back in "the day" was a bunch of rebels who didn't go to car shows or races.

Guess what, the guys putting on car shows in the '50s and '60s were out to make money too. Do you think the Grand National Roadster Show or Detroit Autorama would still be around if they didn't make money?

Thankfully people were in the BUSINESS of car shows back in "the day" and created our desire for old cars today, and in turn the hot rod aftermarket.