BILLETPROOF 2003! The lowdown of what went down!

Hey everybody,

First of all THANK YOU. That's all I've been saying for the last three days and I still can't say it enough. THANK YOU. The show was a huge success, contrary to .05% of the opinion.

FRIDAY NIGHT:

Friday night went off without a hitch. No problems with cops or the city. Everyone was mellow and had a good time. We drained the bar of all it's Bud, Jack and other booze. They even ran out of food they had set aside for the next day's business. If this is something that people want to see next year we'll do it again and probably need a bigger location.


SATURDAY:

What do I say about Saturday? I'm a little bias but it was the biggest and coolest show I've ever been to. And everyone I spoke to had the same feelings. There were, of couse, the small percentage of the wrong cars there. But, like I've said, we had them around the first year and every year since. The bottom line with that is the amount of KILLER cars far outweighed the lame ones. The guys at the gate told me the last registration they did was 671. 671? HOLY CRAP!!!!! The dream for this year was 550. But 671? Come on. The place was a sea of great people and great cars. There were a few funky ass characters that came in as spectators and I'm sure pics of these freaks will turn up sooner or later. Then there's the Kustom Kompetition. The two teams were Cornerstone Customs from Fremont and the Weird Oh's from San Jose. These two teams busted their asses all day in front of a huge and amazed crowd on a '63 and a '64 Ranchero. Chopping, slamming, shaving and fabricating until the deadline. The winners were the Weird-Oh's with their chopped, dumped and shaved '64. I loved that they cut up the VW roof we supplied into bubble skirts. They won $100, a trophy and got to keep the Ranchero. Thanks to both teams for putting on an awesome show for the crowd! So the final official count is 670 vehicles and over 3000 people. I'm still not able to comprehend it all.


SATURDAY NIGHT:

Billetproof was able to swing 1/2 price tickets to the dirt track races last night and I saw a bunch of Billetproofers having a good time watching the roundy round cars. The dwarf cars were especially cool. I know I was in a daze most of the time.


So, in my opinion, the show was a complete success. That success is due to the people that show up and the people who help. It's just an empty lot without you. So THANK YOU. My hat's off to everyone who came and to everyone who helped (The Swanx, their families, Jason and Marilyn Fredriksson, Rog and Abbie from Detroit, everyone else and my wife Christina).

THANK YOU all and see you next time!

 

Awesome show, Kirk. I only caught a bit of the 2001 show, and the one this year was a blast. Thanks for putting it together

 

Billetproof rocked. Did anyone get photos of the kustomizing kompetition? I was so focused on what the teams were doing that I flat out forgot to take a single picture! I'm wondering how the swimming pool Ranchero turned out in the end...

 

I took over 100 digital photos. What's a good service for posting images? I got some of the kustomizing compitition as well.. pretty damn cool.

 

Kirk,
Thank you for a great show, and for thinking enough of the SWANX to ask for our help! We all had a great time, as did everyone I talked to.
671 cars, countless spectators, and only a small handful of people bitching on the computer??? Sounds like a successful show to me!! -Gunar

 

kojack - might want to try starphoto... never actually used it, but you can try a google search. wish i could have been there, but the man insisted on me staying put.

 

Kojack.........click on this.........

http://starphoto.starblvd.net/

It will take you directly to the StarBlvd reqistration site.



It is free......(first 150 pictures)

 

Thank You Kirk. I drove down with my Father and we had a great time. I actually saw Howard run at one point when he caught a glimpse of some greasy heap driving away on him that he hadn't yet oogled.
We have alot of great car shows in Canada if your into street rods, fairgrounds and lawnchairs but nothing like BP.

 

Thanks Kirk I had a blast. Got home this afternoon 3:15, 9.5 hours from the middle of Livermore to south west Portland and no tickets..YYYAAAA.....Danny

 

Hey, it was good to meet you. We'll talk about that secret stuff soon.

 

being my first year attending bp i had a blast!!!! it was a great show and the swanx did a rad job on holding the place down...thanks

 

Kirk,
Great event! Like I said in the other post, Great cars, people, location and music. Bigger is not bad. Bigger just means more cars to check out, more people to meet and a bigger budget for the bands. Seems like a good thing.
Thanks Again for putting it together
Chuck

 

I just got one question? How long was it before all the water ran out of that ranchero? I gotta say this was my first year going to billetproof and I have a f*ckin blast. The kustom competition was an awesome idea and I spent most of the day there trying to figure out what was going on with that teams front end. The cars were awesome the people were great, I only wish that the bands would've had a little more playing time. But plan to see me in attendance at next years schindig!

 

Great show Kirk, thanks. It's sure grown since the bowling alley days, but I'm with Chuck, bigger isn't necessarily bad -- you're still drawing the cars we want to see. My only request is to move it closer, my son and I got a helluva sunburn driving back to SC

 

Bah! I'm quick, ya know. Well, I'll be uploading pictures here... http://photo.starblvd.net/thevisorshop?st=album&pg=0 for the next day or so. I've got some from a card I'm uploading tonight, then tomarrow I'll get the rest from another friend's card. Just taking FOREVER to upload them. Only one shot of the Kustomizing Kontest, but the other card has a few more. Take a look

 

hey kirk!
i had a great time, and wanted to compliment you on the show. i'm bummed i didn't get to share a beer with you! maybe next time!!

p.s. no complaints about us i hope?

jeff

 

Hey Jeff, I saw you guys roll in in force. I didn't know which you were so I just kinda waved to all of you. Not a complaint at all and thanks for showing up.

 

ya we had a great time! i was on the $150 rust bucket, triumph chopper. next time i'll have to make a better effort to get in touch with you. thanks for all the fun.
jeff

 

Was my first time to BP and had a great time!! Kirk great show but a bummer I didn't meet anyone from here.

Renae

 

<font color="purple"> I know I missed a lot of people, but glad to see the people I did. Bunny, many were wearing HAMB shirts, just go up and say hi to them. I was the short guy wearing purple, most of the time I had 2 cameras with me. </font>

 

I had the best time I have EVER had at a show - great job Kirk!
Since no one's got pics up yet, I'll start.

 

I just loved this 5 window 31

 

the general setting was perfect - lotsa shade - which was good since it was in the mid-90s

 

That kustom kompetition thing sounds interesting. Any pics?

(but man, bubbleskirts on a 64 Ranchero? )

 

Purple don't remember seeing you but did see one guy with a hamb shirt on buying something at the CK Deluxe booth but he dissapeared to fast. That's where I spent most of my day selling mags and hanging out at the hotel at night.

 

<font color="purple"> That was you at the booth, the one signing them for the ooglers? </font>

 

Yep that was me!! So you know who I am at least.

 

[ QUOTE ]
I had the best time I have EVER had at a show - great job Kirk!
Since no one's got pics up yet, I'll start.


[/ QUOTE ]

Nice pics. There are some more here: http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/showflat.php?Cat=&amp;Board=UBB1&amp;Number=166033

...and here (if Starphoto is working): http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/showflat.php?Cat=&amp;Board=UBB1&amp;Number=165026

BTW, I didn't see the finished version, but the bubbleskirts were actually working on that Ranchero. Who woulda thunk it?

 

Kirk,
THANK YOU for putting on a great BIG show. Still keeps the same flavor of the alley shows just with more great cars and people. See ya next year.
Brad

 

yea, great show kirk! i think it was the best one yet. a long drive for us, but it was worth it! we hauled ass sun. &amp; made it home in 13 1/2 hrs. we ain't no 80/90 mph boys like dondano......bunny, i thought that was you, me &amp; greaser girl talked to you, when we were sitting at the ck booth talking to giz, were you at the ramada inn? we had the purple chevy with green flames in the parking lot.....again kirk, not a perfect anti everything show, but pretty close good job!!!....chip