Has anyone taken their COE to Reno Hot August Nights? Was thinking of making the trek this summer and was wondering of anyone's experience good or bad.
I went about 10 years ago. It was a good show, but not nearly what it was hyped up to be in my opinion. With 10-12,000 cars they're spread out throughout the whole city I had expected "more". Not more cars, just more "show" I guess. I don't recall seeing any COE's while there but I'm sure there were. In my opinion the best part of the whole event was the Friday (or was it Saturday?) night cruise. Cars three or four wide slowly rolling down the street under the casino lights. Really cool to watch. That said, I don't plan to return. It just wasn't worth the drive. Had it been a "hot rod show" (which it's never been purported to be) it'd have much more draw to me. It's a cl***ic car show and as such has anything and everything you could imagine. Dusenbergs to Pintos, Deloreans to Ferraris, tractors to go karts, lowriders to 4X4's. Few cars (at least that I saw) really made me stop and pay attention. Too many four door '57 Chevy's with a recent Maaco paint job, Nash Metropolitans and other cars that grandpa trailered to hang out in Reno. Lots and lots of mediocre cars, very few excellent ones. TONS of average cars with too much JC Whitney chrome add on doo-dads, fake burger trays and cry baby dolls. I think I just realized what the show really is... it's a gathering of people who have old cars that think they're car people just because they have one, with little p***ion for the actual cars. We all have a neighbor who has a 19** Something-or-another-mobile who thinks he's a car guy but couldn't hand you a 1/2 combination wrench if you put it in his pocket. That's what my experience at HAN was, I'm sure others can tell you a more upbeat version. I didn't have a "bad" time and I really don't have anything bad to say, it just didn't fit my idea of what a car show was.
KS, you get to FF also? I've got 2 can't miss shows each year, Frog Follies and Back to the Fifties. FF is crazy $15 entry fee, free t shirt, free meal Saturday night, free breakfast Sunday morning, and free bands FRi. and Sat.
HAN is a pretty cool event although not for everyone, even if it was 10 years ago some have attended. Last year had the biggest turnout in over 10 years and yes it is spread out as each major casino has there own show within the show as well with some paying over 50k in prize money (ie grand sierra/peppermill/nugget) and each night they close the roads downtown and it only open to registered car to cruise the loop. Last year they even moved the Barret Jackson auction in at the convention center and they have a huge swap meet at the fair grounds. In years past they even had one night when fully custom 18 wheeler semi's where in the cruise 50 plus big rigs. vet57air your truck would get plenty of attention in Reno just as it does everywhere I have seen it ! I recommend a side trip to lake Tahoe and take the cruise out to wizard island...well worth it.
I attended about 10 years ago and frankly had the same opinion as daddio211. But after watching last years event on youtube and Barrett Jackson I thought I may retry. On their application it says "open to 1976 and older cars, pickup size trucks and emergency vehicles. Any registered vehicle in violation of these defined criteria will be removed from the event and forfeit the $170.00 entery fee". Can my truck enter?
DANG that's a lot of money for an entry fee!!! You can send me $170 and park in my driveway for the weekend.
At $170. it is obvious they don't want any of us low-lifes there, just gold-chainers. Mine will be bigger than a pick-up, so I won't have to cough up $170. to play their game!
I wouldn't mind seeing it, not entering it though. Maybe fly down for the weekend on the cheapie gambling flights? Friend here locally went last year and said there were 10k cars? Had to be a few worth seeing....
The Jalopy Journal
