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Been thinking over Thanksgiving.....

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by Roothawg, Nov 30, 2003.

  1. Roothawg
    Joined: Mar 14, 2001
    Posts: 25,907

    Roothawg
    Member

    Uh oh, he's been thinking again. Well, after a 2 hour drive in a car with no radio, I had a lot of time to think.
    It seems that the sport or art of hot rodding has come full circle.

    Thinking back on the 70's as a preteen, I went with my parents to "Rod Runs". The non-carshow show, if you will.
    I don't remember when it happened but it seems that a lot of guys quit driving their cars and started only doing "car shows". Then the cars would be quickly dusted off and stored under a soft cushy cover until the next big trophy hunt.

    Now, it seems that everyone is tired of sitting in the sun all day propping up their crybaby dolls and waxing their chrome.

    I see a lot more pics of guys on the salt, at the track and on the cruises. Even though I think the Americruise deal has kinda grown tired, but I still like the idea of it. A convergence of cars upon a stretch of road, all with one final stop in mind.

    I am glad to see this ever so slow turning of the tide. I actually think that we as "rat rodders, death rodders,nostalgia guys, traditional rodders" or whatever title you want to don, have some influence on this peculiar transformation. I like to see the "run what you brung" attitude.
    Not that this has any point whatsoever.....just an observation from a guy who had a long boring drive with no radio. Sorry for the novel.

    Root
     
  2. Good ponderings. I think the fun-factor of actually using your cars is what is driving this as well. I too remember back when rodruns were for the owners and driving and not to display you car for the locals to gawk at.
     
  3. Detonator
    Joined: Jun 25, 2001
    Posts: 1,751

    Detonator
    Member
    from santa cruz

    I did the Americruise thing in '98 and it was probably the most fun road trip I ever had. Five of us drove together and then we'd hook up with other groups as we headed east. Met a lot of great folks. Yeah, there were gold chainers along, and guys with car trouble that didn't even know how to open their hoods, but all-in-all an event like that is what YOU make out of it. With some 2000 or so HAMBers here, a mid-country HAMBfest could be a reality.
     
  4. Roothawg
    Joined: Mar 14, 2001
    Posts: 25,907

    Roothawg
    Member

    That's kinda what I had in mind.......

    I was thinking along the lines of a sortof HAMB car clubs exchange. Find someone in a nearby state that is putting on a function or event and make the trek to their outing. Kinda like the kontinentals drags deal. There were a lot of people from different areas. All had a good time.
     
  5. quickrod
    Joined: Nov 5, 2003
    Posts: 394

    quickrod
    Member

    curly and i were trying to get a bunch of HAMBer's to meet in july at a gasser/nostalgia drags we have here every year,cause like you we drive our junk like we stol'it.thought it would be fun to get together and drive the wheels off these lumps...just a thought though.
     
  6. I've noticed in a lot of the old 70s Aussie rod mags that the runs used to feature a lot of 'khana kind of events, you know, tesing of speed, driver skill, etc. The type of stuff where nobody was just sitting around. Public liability insurance would be the problem here with a revival of this type of activity, methinks. Unfortunate.
     
  7. Roothawg
    Joined: Mar 14, 2001
    Posts: 25,907

    Roothawg
    Member

    What the rod runs of the 70's in the US consisted of was just kinda informal hang out. May meet at a lake and have a picnic, some had games, but mostly it was about driving your car.
     
  8. DRIVE YOUR CAR? Man, Root, you're talking like a crazy person!! [​IMG]
     
  9. Crease
    Joined: May 7, 2002
    Posts: 2,878

    Crease
    Member

    I don't like to drive my car. I may find out something is wrong with it. Then it may become reliable. Cant have that, I live in SA.

    Know what ya mean Root. I grew up amongst the Model A crowd. Don't remember dad ever showing his A's much. I do recall alot of riding around sun burnt in the back of them.

     
  10. i think it's hard to judge how someone else should use their car. alot of different things should be considered. one thing that makes a big difference is that in the early days most people showed their car on sunday and drove it to work on monday because it was the only car they had. it's not that way anymore. expence is a big factor also. as everyone here knows it cost a lot of money to build a nice car. i think when most people build a car they have to preserve it because they can't afford to repair it all the time if somthing were to happen to it and they hate to see all the effort they have spent on the car go to waste. the reason people hate "trailer queens" is because thier "show car" can't compete for the trophy at the end of the day. i for one have never cared about trophys so they don't bother me at all. i don't understand why someone would want to build a beutiful car and drag it around in a trailer, but it's not for me to understand. so i figure i'll just enjoy old cars the way i want too and try not to pass judgement on how others enjoy them. i'm with you root i'd like to see them driven coast to coast everyday. but i just don't see it happening. no offense meant towards anyone.
     
  11. hotrodladycrusr
    Joined: Sep 20, 2002
    Posts: 20,765

    hotrodladycrusr
    Member

    Unlike the Americruz which has many "mini tours" converging in one spot, which has been Lincoln, NE the last few years, Hot Rod Mag's Power Tour has a different start and stop point each year with all it's participants traveling in the same direction on the same day. There is no sitting around during this 10 day period. This event is for the true driver.

    For 2004 the tour starts in Ft Worth, TX on June 5th and ends in Green Bay, WI on June 11th. Off the top of my head I know the tour will be stopping for the nite in Tulsa, OK which was a cool stop a few years ago. The venue was at a drive-in and they showed a couple of movies after the sun went down. A true treat for a city gal with no more local drive-ins available to her. Another stop will be St Louis, MO. I know we have HAMB folks in both locations.

    Hot Rod Mag you say?? Yuck, I'm not interested in traveling with those type of people. Not traditional enough for your taste? Well, the tour "flavor" won't change unless more traditional hot rods and customs actaully do the tour. Give it a shot, you won't be disappointed.

     
  12. DrJ
    Joined: Mar 3, 2001
    Posts: 9,419

    DrJ
    Member

    A couple hours ago I needed some things at the grocery store.
    There's one around the corner, maybe a 100 yd walk.
    So I parked the Honda in the street, and moved the van out of the drive way too and opened the gate and got ot the old GMC.
    Drove past the local store and four more before feeling like I'd had enough of a hotrod drive, went in the fifth store up the road and cruised back home.
    Comong home I was stopped at a light.
    When it changed I heard a roar and saw a last model, the big one Sedan Deville winding out like it was running from Godzilla ate New York and the old white haired dude looking through the steering wheel pulls over in front of me in my lane at the next red light.
    Acting just like a damn kid, I'm thinking!
    So I just for fun I stay on his tail when the light changed and he pulled over a lane to the left and I pulled over a lane to the right and we sped down the blvd side by side pretending not to see each other.
    What a blast!
    (someone on here said)
    If ya ain't driving it it's just junk in the garage.
     
  13. Roothawg
    Joined: Mar 14, 2001
    Posts: 25,907

    Roothawg
    Member

    Denise, I have always thought that would be fun. I like the idea of a caravan of hot rodders traveling across country. The only downfall is they tend to stick to major highways due to time restraints. I like to travel backroads and look for cool stuff in the fields and in the old shops.
     
  14. DrJ
    Joined: Mar 3, 2001
    Posts: 9,419

    DrJ
    Member

    [ QUOTE ]
    Denise, I have always thought that would be fun. I like the idea of a caravan of hot rodders traveling across country. The only downfall is they tend to stick to major highways due to time restraints. I like to travel backroads and look for cool stuff in the fields and in the old shops.

    [/ QUOTE ]

    I'm with ya there. hey seem to want to cover 6-700 miles a day and I like to do about 300 and spend most of the day sightseeing at the sights there are to see along the way, or by-way if that's the case.
    I remember one time Wife and I thought it would be fun to drive up to Santa Monica and see Venice, well along the way we decided to go t Malibu instead, and then we thought it would be fun to see the old California Mission in Ventura... Well, about Sun down we figured we wer too far from home to go back so we got a Motel room...In Big Sur!
    That's the kind of "Road Trip" I like.. [​IMG]
     
  15. hotrodladycrusr
    Joined: Sep 20, 2002
    Posts: 20,765

    hotrodladycrusr
    Member

    Times are a changin. They cover about 300 miles per day now. Instead of the San Berdoo to Florida trips like the past which entailed a few 500-700 mile days, they are much shorter now to appeal to more folks. They do not stick to the highways. Most days are actually spent on the secondary roads now and they encourage you to stop and sitesee along the way. There is no time frame to adhear to. We took many side trips over the years.

    Three of the legs of the tour that I know of for 2004

    Ft Worth to Tulsa 305 miles
    Tulsa to St Louis 395 miles
    St Louis to Chicago 293 miles


    A couple of years ago, while on PT, the days run went from KC, KS due east to St Louis, MO via a secondary highway. Well that Sunday just so happened to be the last day of the NSRA Springfield, MO show. So what did I do? From Kansas City I headed south to Springfield, MO, spent the day there, then headed northeast to St Louis, MO. and caught up with the other power tourers there. Others wanted to join me but because their cars weren't pre-49 they chose not to do the side trip but there is always many folks that wander in different directions and meet up later.

     
  16. [ QUOTE ]
    What the rod runs of the 70's in the US consisted of was just kinda informal hang out. May meet at a lake and have a picnic, some had games, but mostly it was about driving your car.

    [/ QUOTE ]

    That's pretty much standard procedure down here. Meet somewhere in the morning, drive somewhere nice taking the long way, then just hang out, BBQ, drink beer (very important) and have a good time. Best thing is, it's fun for the whole family. [​IMG]
     
  17. Fat Hack
    Joined: Nov 30, 2002
    Posts: 7,709

    Fat Hack
    Member
    from Detroit

    Weird, Root...I was just remembering some footage from 'events' in some early 70s car mags...and the whole point of the rod runs of the day was to have fun DRIVING your car!

    Typically, they'd all drive to a designated area...then stage competitive drivng 'games' which usually involved one guy driving through a marked course while another guy speared hay bales or something...a chance to show others that you could wheel your rod with a degree of skill and work with your co-pilot effectively!!

    All of this friendly 'competition' amidst a backdrop of family-oriented bar-b-que, campfires, music and games such as sack races and lawn darts (we used REAL:, POINTY darts back then, too!!).

    Actually, the van guys were doing much the same thing...only they called 'em "Van-Ins" rather than "Rod Runs"! Still, the focus was centered on a people-oriented good times with cars (or vans) as the common interest binding the group together!

    The couple 'shows' I went to as a kid in the 70s didn't involve judging catagories, lawn chair rodders or cutsey displays around pristine cars...it was a festive occasion designed to get EVERYONE involved...the adults entered their cars in the driving competitions, and us kids had to race each other on foot while balancing eggs on a spoon or something...there wasn't much time for sitting around in lawn chairs...too much FUN to be had!!

     
  18. Haulin....
     

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