Stray Kat Kustoms (intro?)

Sorry for the long rant but I'm ready for an alternative.

I'm concerned about the trend of national car organizations raising the years to allow
more participants with in their events. Like a lot of us on here I’m a diehard Real Hot Rod
and Kustom guy and if we allow newer cars to participate, it will end up diluting our hobby.
Look at other events all over the country and the traditional side of our hobby is going
strong. Because of the Big Two including muscle cars, guys are already starting to believe
that our hobby is on the down-hill trend. I’ve argued with my older friends until I’m blue in
the face trying to convince them differently. I tell them, go to the local store and check
out the magazine racks. There are more kool traditional Hot Rods and Kustom magazines on
the shelf today then ever before. If our hobby was not alive they wouldn’t be printing and
selling these issues.

This post is not a rant on any national organization (I’ve been a member). I think someone
should step up and continue to build on this kool tradition. Why? I don’t want to watch our
hobby drift away. At a local car show I talked to one of the ole (diehard) “Street Rodder”
guy. Next year he is going to drive his ’67 Camaro to next year’s event. Aaaaaaahhhhhh!!
Prime example how the event is going to change.

A week latter I had a conversation with a fellow kustom guy. He told me that there are too
many car shows competing against each other for participants and it is killing everybody.
I told him yes I agree, there are too many car shows. But we have a need for “Kooler” Hot
Rods and Kustom Shows. He disagreed. I had to ask why? He said, “there’s no money in
it…..” Hummmmmm. He also blamed guys like me diluting the market by adding more car
shows. I replied back, the reason that we are doing the Stray Kat shows is to promote the
Traditional Hot Rods and Kustoms to the youth. We’ve been successful by getting younger
builders involved with our hobby. I want to see them continue to build in popularity. I don’t
want to be that guy with the only traditional Kustom at a car show. If we don’t do
something now, it won’t take long before it is gone. He looked at me like I was nuts…..
My conversation was over.

When I got home I started to read one of my favorite magazines and I read an article trying
to justify to the readers about NSRA’s changes. It just made me sick. You cannot justify
the change and their has been many posts on the HAMB concerning the issue. Like
mentioned above there is no money in it….

Years ago I started a club years ago called Stray Kat Kustoms. The reason for the club?
I was going to a “typical” car show and not like what I was seeing. The true real blue collar
hot rodder was being over-looked. Because my car was not shiny, had bugs on the
windshield and had some road rash, I was treated like an outcast. Treated like I wasn’t
worthy of being there. Today, I feel more like a Stray Kat then ever before.

Anybody else out there feel like I do?


Happy Trails,

Mick

 

RIDE ON BROTHER........We need an organization devoted to preserving the traditional hot rod and kustomes we all so dearly love.Its not that i don't like those "other" cars, i can truly appreciate the hard work that goes into them , but traditional is where its at. I'll be the first to admit , been there done that,been showing cars since late sixties but have never had has much fun or met so many great people as i have since i attended the first Stray Kat show in Dewey , been hooked every since then.

 

Well, I agree with you to a certain point...first of all, your definition of "newer cars"...what is that...??? '80's, '90's, foreign cars...???

Second, the hobby is not dieing off...no matter how many people say it is...the only reason NSRA opened their doors is because ever since GoodGuy's came on the scene and allowed up to 1972 cars in, they've been burying NSRA...GG's recognized the muscle cars were coming on strong...guys that lusted after them in high school but couldn't afford them now can...very seldom do you see a '70 Falcon, a '72 Capri, a '71 Gremlin, a '72 Pinto or a '72 Honda or Datsun at a GG's event...they just aren't accepted...!!!

Remember, us "old" guys don't get younger...a '67 Camaro sure rides better than a Model A...my '40 Stude sure rides better than a Deuce roadster...and is a hell of a lot more comfortable...and my '55 Caddy rides like "The Standard of the World"...smooooooooooth...!!!

As for a "kooler" organization, it'd be tuff to launch and keep going...there's not enuff "younger guys" that step up and pay dues to keep it going...just read some of the negative GG's comments on here...too expensive ($65.00 for the weekend) but they've yet to break it down as to what they get for that money: 2000 cars (+) cars to look at, a super full color magazine, for a year, and a chance to see and be seen.

The hobby is NOT going away...for a long time...it's just that you must figure out how to KEEP younger guys involved...you're competing with rice rockets (that'll run circles around most V8's and get better mileage to boot), the high cost of building a hot rod (and finding the raw material), interactive (and expensive) computer games, gasoline that takes a paychek to fill a tank, insurance/registration/license costs that are not cheap anymore and a myriad of other things...

Unless I'm reading all of this wrong...the hobby will survive...it just has to adapt...

R-

 

Well said Mick. Lets just do our own thing and screw the lemmings. They will follow the percieved "cool thing" anyway. If that means the lemming drives a Camaro instead of his 48 Nash StreetRod so be it.

 

Y'all heard of BILLETPROOF, right? I think they got it straight.

 

"Years ago I started a club years ago called Stray Kat Kustoms. The reason for the club?
I was going to a “typical” car show and not like what I was seeing. The true real blue collar
hot rodder was being over-looked. Because my car was not shiny, had bugs on the
windshield and had some road rash, I was treated like an outcast. Treated like I wasn’t
worthy of being there. Today, I feel more like a Stray Kat then ever before."

Maybe you were treated like you weren't "worthy" because you were there with a poor at***ude. I'm not judging you, I don't know you. Go to shows you enjoy, stay away from those you don't. I personally don't care what these big national groups do for their so-called "shows".

 

my head hurts...so much reading...where's the pics?

I hear ya Mick, but I think anything nsra, goodguys, sema, hamb, and others can do for our affliction can only make things better for us in the long run.

The more the merrier, equates to more members of society that own custom vehicles = means we have more of a voice with the G-man...

 

I agree.One of my local favorites is the Ty Rods show but now they upped the cut off to '72 .I don't go to shows to look at muscle cars and '71 LTD's.It also was on the first Monday after Labor day so you got mostly hard core rodders,now it's on a Sunday.The show has lost something but I still go.

 

Sounds to me like you need to stay away from the local open car shows and just go to the ones you like that cater more to the traditional guys....

 

I know from where you speak. Have always felt like I was somewhere between a Stray Cat and a Lone Wolf. Things are changing faster than I like, everybody seems to be after the almighty dollar. There used to be places I enjoyed going to, knowing acceptance was never a question. Those places are disappearing.

One of the best East Coast events is changing their registration requirements this year. There are many members here who go to the annual Turkey Run in Daytona Beach Florida at Thanksgiving. Well, heads up guys and gals, the host club has changed their entry rules. It is now totally open as long as you have a customized or modified vehicle. That''s right, you can now register your 2007 Jeep or Surburban if you have customized it or modified it to their liking.

What kind of Bull **** is that?? This has always been one of my favorite events. Now I have to drive 1100 miles to park next to a 2007 PT Cruiser with lakes and flames?

I don't think so.

 

The twist-off rules are loosely based on the billetproof formula. It works, but, you have to have some sort of eye on the gate and registrants.

 

I've never been to a car event out there in the middle of the country where you guys are from, so I have no idea what your scene is really like.

But, the way I see it out here, it is the 'traditional' scene that is growing.

If the billet streetrodders and muscle car guys want to hang out together, who cares? It has nothing to do with me or the cars that I'm interested in - I wouldn't be attending any NSRA (or similar) events regardless.

I don't see it as a threat, so much as it is the guys who's idea of style that's still stuck in the '90s grouping together. Good for them - I hope they have fun.

 

I agree with everything that has been said, but this discussion comes around over and over and over...............E

 

......what is the cut off year for the Stray Kat 500?

 

Kool it is growing out here, Thankfully we have a lot of kool events like Lonestar Round up, Billet proof and others (that I kan't think of right now) to keep it going. I'll use KKOA's Salina for an example. It is so kool to see a town consumed by Kustoms and Hot rods it becomes a time warp. I love it when that happens.

Ha,ha,ha, the 80's and 90's were not good for Street Rods or Kustoms. You know that hasn't been that long ago.......

Thanks for the feeback guys. Maybe it is that time of the month for me and I'm a
little bit cranky.

Happy Trails,

Mick

 

Starting next year pre-62.

 

Mick...I think you're right but I look for Traditional/Kustom get togethers because of the people who generally attend them. I find those guys are down to earth and fun to talk with. They come for the comradery of Hot rodding and nothing more!!...Steve

 

Compe***ion is always a good thing. ****py organizations will die and the better ones will rise to the top.

 

no offence, but I've seen it as a bit elitist - here on the East Coast, at least in the DC area, a good deal of the traditional scene is either non-existant, or down right hidden from plain view. Combine that with the fact that good buildable cores are near non-existant, or when they can be found, are fetching exhorbinant prices, I can understand why alot of kids go for the Muscle Cars - they're still everywhere, and they're in much easier shape for a kid with dust in his wallet to salvage - especially when the average person doesnt have a garage in which to work here and the county busy bodies get to harr***ing you about your heap in the apartment parking lot.

at 38, I'm a newbie to the traditional scene, although I've wanted both a "sled" and a hot rod since I was around 8 or 9, and since joining here in 2007, I lurked for a long long time, not having a car or heap, other than my OT 70 Monte - not much I coulda contributed so my choice was read read and read some more and not get in anyones way(lets be perfectly honest - some here can be down right brutal with their responses, and I consider myself pretty thick skinned, and I aint no virgin when it comes to online BBS communities).
I went to Sled East this past weekend, and of all the HAMBers there, only two were approachable IMHO, chopolds and slowandlow63 - maybe it was the heat, but most people werent all that interested in talking about their cars for some reason(I bathed and used deodorant and my GF doesnt think I'm freakishly ugly) - despite getting sunburned really good, I woulda stayed longer had more people been in a chatting mood, but most only wanted to talk to people they knew. Thats cool, maybe I need to be seen more before I can be heard - I've paid my dues with other circles, and I can do it here too. Sooner or later somebody is gonna let me chew their ear and welcome the praise, and endless amount of questions I have.

 

I guess they're at***udes in everything. I'm thrilled to hear that you hadn't been
discouraged. We put on the Stray Kat 500 and its always been not open but not
closed either. The reason was to convert guys into our hobby. We have been
successful because guys see that its not about the cars it is the guys that the
show attracts. We converted many muscle cars guys and a mini truck club into
the Hot Rod side of things. Keep cruzin the Monte Carlo in style and some day
your young enough to be able to have a Kustom or Hot rod. I was in my mid
thirties when I bought my Merc.

Keep the faith brother.

Happy Trails,

Mick

 

I go to all kinds of car shows, some I like, some I just look but for the most part I find a true car guy is friendly & cool to talk with no matter what they are driving.

 

I see these car shows,not unlike the tattoo conventions of twenty years ago,it used to be maybe three really good ones a year,and you had to travel,to see the good stuff,and it was worth it,then the money thing got involved and every month there is at least 5 or 6 shows,in every ho dunk town,with really ****ty stuff going on,I like the big traditional shows,but being in minnesota,the pileup is maybe the only big show i can rrealistically make,other than back to the 50's which is great,64 and earlier...I guess what Id like to see is maybe one traditional show a year in every state,or maybe tristate areas,I think they are getting more and more popular and acceptable,not going away anytime .around here ,like most places I ***ume,theres a local show almost every week in july,with plenty of muscle cars and 80's stuff and even import cl***es.I dont mind going at all if im not doing something else.they are all car guys and proud of their cars,and good for the car hobby,without them,can you imagine how many auto parts stores and other things that we need would be under?I know small shows and places have been growing every year for only traditional cars,like I said I dont think its gonna dissapear,I only think theyll pop up more and more,and some will grow,like the pile up and the rust revival..I just hope the money ****ers stay out of the way,so it doesnt get as bad and ****ty as the tattoo conventions,and sleeze ball promotors who have no buisness being in the buisness...

 

Here is the problem. we all want shows that cater to the genre' of car that we own. Unfortunately, that doesn't happen in every market. I would like to goto Kustoms shows. I could care less about rows and rows of 32 fords (puts on flamesuit). But, where are the Kustoms shows in Florida or Georgia? They don't exist, and on top of that, NSRA didn't want me either. what am I suppoed to do?

Now muscle cars (1964+)...well there are alot of shows already out there for them. They don't need more. Hot rods? Thats covered. I want a show that features sleds and kustoms in the southeast.

So how are you going to please me? you aren't. and there in lies the dilemma.

BTW: Billetproof rocks!

Charles

 

Sad commentary that I don't understand. I made more lasting friendships at 80s KKOA events than any other I ever attended, and we were out there every weekend during the spring and summer. What's with the negative at***udes?

 

Thats nice to hear for my taste, ofcourse really you didn't have to many cars entered that was over that(that I saw).

 

You're right David, we are 95% already there....

 

Thats how we(THEM! Tx) felt.... that there just we'rent enough shows that catered to our scene...... No Billet pre-1963 Rods and Customs .... so we started a show.... and since our scene is still small compared to most other metro areas.... we're doing what we can to promote some positive interest and growth....

 

im down. im sick of seeing kids trying to make 60s cars into hotrods. pre 58 no higher n keep it thatway !

 

I'm with you, Brother!

I used to think the 1948 cutoff at NSRA was stupid; what about all the great 1950s cars? But to change it to 1980? I seriously can't figure that one out. I don't see the guy with a pro-built '34 Ford wanting to park next to the guy with a really hopped up Ford Fairmont??
1962 is a great cutoff year. 1964 is pushing it - you start to get a lot more "mag wheels and loud mufflers"-type cars, rather that customs (or kustoms). 1980 is ridiculous.
Keep the faith and they will come.

 

sounds good to me mick