Shades of the Past....what's wrong with these guys??

I agree- thats why I don't bring up my '71 Riviera (not Torino!) on the HAMB.....

But the show in question is not only about traditional hot rods- its about hot rods in general. The elitism of guys saying a show is "ruined" because it doesn't cater exactly to his or her tastes anymore is just silly. And there is no year cut-off for a car to be considered a hot rod. If its been modified for better performance, then its been hot-rodded.

Cars all get older as the years go on & whats a cl***ic "old" car changes along w/ it. The shows either change to accomidate(sp?) that change or go away due to lack of revenue. In case you haven't noticed, pre-'65 or so cars are getting harder to come by. Not impossible- just harder.

Do I consider a Starsky & Hutch Torino a cl***ic? Yep.

 

Last time I went to the Shades with a car, the Pigeon Forge police made it clear that my participation wasnt necessary. And It ****s to watch thhe motels go back to 69.99 after I just paid 189 or more a night. Jay

 

I went to the Shades this year for the first time since they started letting in the late models. Don't know if I'll go back again tho. I agree with the guy's that say "it's not about the cars, but the money anymore". Seems like everyone has their hand in your pocket these days. Haven't been to the Nats in about 5 years, too hot, crowded and the little motel we were staying in tripled the price for that weekend.

 

sounds like an adverti*****t for the NSRA to me....I got so damn tired of the old *******s sitting around talking about the chrome this or shiney that all day for three days that i built my 55 to go race and cruise and get your parking spot occasionally.. but you will have to share with the gold chainers as they are mostly pre 49 too ..............I like em all . but after about 70' i just quit looking but that is just me............

 

Deuce,

Ya' know how to solve all this?

Take that piece of paper they sent you and toss it in the trash.

That weekend go someplace ya' haven't been to before with Mrs. Deuce and have a good time. I can sense that you won't have a good time up there.

Last time I went up to the "Shades of the Past" I was stuck in what I thought was a New York City traffic jamb. A giant Charlie Foxtrot for several miles.

I got tired of listening to that damn helicopter take off and land (they still do that?). I left and never went back. Don't miss it. I have a better time at a local cruise-in, BSing with folks like you and HRP.

I only have so much more time on the face of this earth. I'm sure as hell not gonna' spend what little money and what little time I have left doing something that should be fun but isn't.

I was in a rut for a long time, but not anymore. I thought because I did a certain activity every year that I had to continue and perpetuate it, almost like a yearly ritual. (Example: Attend the Daytona 500)

Well ya' know what? I quit going because I wasn't having a good time anymore. Things change and good things can get more complicated and bigger. But is bigger always better?

I say blow the Shades thing off and try something different .

 

Good advice......and that's what I did this past year for the Daytona Turkey deal.....just too many Turkeys....

Not really, but I do go to their event in Knoxville TN....where THEY have more pre 49's than the Shades has with their 48 and backs and their 49 and ups.....PLUS ......Pigeon Forge is a better town to draw to than Knoxville....

 

I,ve been going since Gatlinburg. I,ve been going everywhere since then .There all changing. There is Runs that are no longer. New ones come along and are great fun. Go to the runs that you enjoy and go look for yourself. Don't not go because someone else said it was bad. In my opinion the ride getting there is the best part of the trip. Me in my 3 window with five other buddies in Hot Rods chasing the white line, it don,t get any better than that.

 

'Been there a few times. Sadly,it just isn't much fun to sit in traffic,at .0003 m.p.h. to 'cruise' And John,the Bulletboys,are going to have another get together at the 411 strip this spring,you betcha' I'll be there rain or shineSparky

 

Deuce, you know where I stand on this one. but you are correct, it has alot to do with age, type of cars you are into and what you are used to.

The East Coast pre-49 car guys I know are of the same opinion you are... it isn't a hotrod unless its 48 or older...but my older West Coast 'pre-49' friends are more open minded, (they typically like up thru 54 or 64). Most would not want to see anything newer then 64.

The West Coast Nats in Pleasanton is a great example, open to 54 and you get a number of cool 49-54 rides and it does not hurt the attendance of pre-49.

This is a debate that can not be won or lost, its of personnel option, and ya I have not attended the Shades of the Past, primarily because i heard it was very difficult to get a hotel room (and at one time I was not welcomed in my wagon...).

 

I agree with you about the later models. My personal cut-off is 1954, but I get more bummed when I see kit cars like this making the cut by being called something they are not. If this is a 1937 Ford, I'm skinny.

 

I wish was as cool as you guys. You know it would be pretty damned boring to go to a show where there was only 32s. I love'em, but damn, give me some variety.

There are alot of guys that would love to have old iron, but can't afford it or find it so they buy what they CAN find, or afford, and have fun with that. So it's not as old as yours, or as 'cool' as yours (in your mind), their having fun with it and that's what it's all about.

You guys get a burr up your *** about years, it seems to me your pretty closed minded and that YOUR NOT HAVING FUN anymore. Maybe you need to take a sabbatical and take your wife to Tahiti or something. Get this off your mind for a while and come back with a new outlook. We all know the 'new outlook' thing ain't gonna happen.

You talk about 'traditional'...........Hmmmm, what's traditional? You guys are looking at this from YOUR side, maybe your side isn't what it's all about.

All I can say is Geees lighten up!

I wish I was as 'cool' as you.

JayD

 

I believe I heard that the Shades show has been sold to Good Guys, effective in 2007. Can't remember where I heard this, maybe on this board? Anybody know anything about this? ...Agree with the comments about the traffic, crowding and general difficulty getting around town. Maybe Greedy Guys will move the show to Bristol Speedway?

As for moving the cut off date up, it's all about demograhics. Businesses (and it is a business) who doen't pay attention to demographics do so at their own peril.

 

I agree that the more "established" events' evolutions are moving further and further away from what the majority of the HAMB is all about.

That's why I love events like the run at 4.1.1. last year.

Turnout? It was fair.

Weather? - It ****ED!!!

Attendees? - They ROCKED!!

Maybe it was just a group bonding experience with the weather, but everyone tuffed it out and made a good time of it. The boys from Bristol, Frank pinstriping my wagon at the gas station, it's all memory making and that's what community is all about.

The only drawback was that the weather wouldn't allow for runs down the track.

You can bet I'll be back to this event and more like it (like the ***berland Run).

As for "traditional", a 435 horse 427 big block from a two-year old car in '69 was a rarity I'm sure. Traditional? Prolly not. Cool? HELL yeah!!

 

Maybe they should change the rules all together. Say,... Only cars with Factory AM radio's. NO aftermarket AM&FM&CD. 6 Volt cars only. Only A/C cars with R12 Refrigerant. Only cars with GREEN radiator fluid.... The list could be endless!!!!!!!!

 

The muscle car geeks are prolly askin' the same thing. "Who wants to look at a bunch of ****py old Fords from the '30s?" Or "Those STREET RODDERS are so hung up on themselves."
I will not attend Goodguys Indy anymore because of the invasion of Camaro fever. Same thing.

 

The way to sort out genres in a restricted show is the way they do it at the Hartford Jalopy show--an aesthetic Nazi with absolute power at the gate, no appeal allowed, AND a segregated parking lot so that all interesting cars not meeting the restrictions go into what amounts to a show area of the parking lot. Extra Nazis do this sorting, so there's a kind of continuous gradient of cars running from Deuces in the show to '57 Chevies in the close parking and datsun minivans out by the road.
Our opinions and notions of genre are all subjective and individual, so appoint an individual to do the sorting. Anyone who doesn't like the sorting job can go to a show sorted by a different individual. If you go to a show sorted by money and market demographics, don't expect to see any evidence of sophistication or taste...

By the way, anything made after 1934 is a custom or something, right?
And the death penalty should be reserved for IMPORTANT crimes--aesthetic ones.

 

JayD
There are alot of guys that would love to have old iron, but can't afford it or find it so they buy what they CAN find, or afford, and have fun with that. So it's not as old as yours, or as 'cool' as yours (in your mind), their having fun with it and that's what it's all about.


***And that's the problem, with a lot of people - some guys can't afford old iron, but they insist on being included with those that can, whether they are wanted, or not. They use the argument that it's an "old" car, so what's the problem? Why is there no right for anyone to exclude anyone else for any reason. You can't have a club that likes only one year, or several years, to the exclusion of others. AS I said before, why does someone insist on bringing a Chevy to a Ford show, and demand to be allowed in? Why do all events have to allow anyone who wants to come, whether they qualify or not? It's not just car shows (which I don't bother with anymore) - go to a nostalgia drag race, and there's always someone who shows up with a new car, and demands to be allowed to run because it's a drag race. I couldn't believe that the NHRA allowed Pro-Mod cars to run at the reunion. Just say NO. To those that don't have the year or model to qualify for a show, go to the ones that include you, or start your own.******


You guys get a burr up your *** about years, it seems to me your pretty closed minded and that YOUR NOT HAVING FUN anymore. Maybe you need to take a sabbatical and take your wife to Tahiti or something. Get this off your mind for a while and come back with a new outlook. We all know the 'new outlook' thing ain't gonna happen.



****The reason some are not having fun is that not that they are closed minded, it's that others keep telling them how to think.***



You talk about 'traditional'...........Hmmmm, what's traditional? You guys are looking at this from YOUR side, maybe your side isn't what it's all about.



***Like this board? In the past year, there have been a lot of new people who seem to want to decide what this board should be about, and demand that it change to accomodate what they think, not what it was. Why do people who want to change something seem to feel that they are right, and someone who likes things the way they are, are wrong?****


All I can say is Geees lighten up!

I wish I was as 'cool' as you.


****Cool is in the mind of the beholder*****

JayD

 

I agree...so you must be fattt...

 

And in the spirit of that statement, if you don't like the years that are allowed into a show, stay home.

I understand the HAMB is about traditional hot rods & customs ONLY. But these big shows in question are NOT. They are about hot rods in general.

Why cry about having a '69 Cougar parked next to you at a show? Are you a better person because you chose to build or could afford to build a flattie-powered Model A? Is he beneath you because he built a car made after your automotive interests? Thats exacly what some of you are implying: "I built a better car, an older car, & I'm a real hot rodder...because I say so".

There are plenty of shows suited to what the HAMB is all about. Kirk has a couple going. ScarryLarry has a nice one. The Kontinentals put on a great one every year in Austin. So why come on here & waste bandwidth *****ing about a show that never has catered to the HAMB in the 1st place?

 

Mutt

It's just that I know guys that own a certain vehicle, whether it's a 70's Chevy pickup, or a pre-48 rod, or a muscle car or what-ever, and they all look down on one another because they are stuck in their own little world and think that what they own is all there is.

I understand what that HAMB is, but that's not what is at issue here. We are talking about shows, cruises or other avenues concerning cars.

I'm not into 'muscle cars' or basically anything 'new', but I don't mind wading through a herd of them to see something I do consider worthy of my attention. Although,once in a while I will see one I like. It does give me a thrill listening to a 396 Chevelle gett'in with it.

Do I like them at shows? Not necessarily, but I also know that it's a coming thing, like it or not. These cars aren't 'old' to me, but they're 'old' to somebody.

What it boils down to, is, that shows are shows, they are there for the spectators, not necessariliy the participants. Cruise nights are for both. Clubs are for the participants.

[QUOTE Mutt]***And that's the problem, with a lot of people - some guys can't afford old iron, but they insist on being included with those that can ***

Wow, are YOU the king of snobhill???

****The reason some are not having fun is that not that they are closed minded, it's that others keep telling them how to think.***

It seems the other way around to me........Mexican stand-off.

***Like this board? In the past year, there have been a lot of new people who seem to want to decide what this board should be about, and demand that it change to accomodate what they think, not what it was. Why do people who want to change something seem to feel that they are right, and someone who likes things the way they are, are wrong?****

See above bold type

****Cool is in the mind of the beholder*****

Methinks the beholder doesnt think the 'cool guy' is as cool as the 'cool guy' thinks he is.

JayD

 

The last time that I attended the Shades of the Past show was in 1996. I carried my youngest son who was 11 at the time. The show was ok, the cruising was better(but crowded), but what got my attention was what David mentioned to me on Sunday at the awards circle.
We were walking and looking at all the cars in the award circle and he asked me if I had noticed the odometers in the cars. I said no, I was looking at other things. We went back to the first car and started looking at the miles that were on the cars. Out of 25 cars that were picked for awards, the most miles on it were 650.
I do not go for awards, but I think that you MUST drive your cars to even be considered for an award.
Needless to say, I have never been back and have never regretted it.
The HAMB drags is a better "show", hands down.

 

Life Cycle of the American Car Show

Year 1: 30 hoodlums get together for beer and garage talk. "Hey, we should do this again next year."

Year 2: "Wow, what a blast! Do you believe the **** Bob was doing? Can't wait 'til next year."

Year 3: "Man, 200 cars from 3 states! And did you see all those chicks? But maybe we should move it to the fair grounds to avoid problems between Bob and the cops."

Year 4: "We made local TV and had two magazine photographers!"

Year 5: "Okay, now that we've divided up the money, we need to talk about who's in charge of what. We need an advertising and promotion committee, insurance, security, community relations... Bob! Get out of the beer cooler!"

Year 6: "Good news! The lawyer says the sponsors will still stay in if we ban Bob."

Year 7: "1500 cars... at $25 each... and 4000 spectators.... somebody get me a caclulator..."

Year 8: "Okay, who's been tipping into the t-shirt till? And will somebody deal with the guy who's still complaining about the trophy judging?"

Year 9: "Break 0-3, facility crew... we've got a port-o-san problem in quadrant A subcluster 12..."

Year 10: "If those ***holes from the Groovy Guys think they can schedule a show in Townsville two weeks before, we're gonna see them in court."

Year 16: "The winner of the 3rd annual Display Theme award is Mrs. Dorothy Jenkins for 'Forever in Poodle Skirts.'

Year 20: "Now that the shareholders have approved our proxy merger with the Groovy Guys, the judge dismissed the lawsuit."

Year 23: "If you look at this powerpoint chart, you'll see that attendance is down 16% from same period last year. Our market research indicates that customers are looking for cleaner restrooms and more RV and trailer parking."

Year 28: "Frankly, in order to stem any further revenue erosion, we need to appeal to the growing import tuner and muscle car consumer segments."

Year 30: "You know those 30 beer drinking hoodlums we kicked out last year? Says here they started their own car show."

 

BRILLIANT!

~Scotch~

 

****IN BRILLIANT!

Needs to be printed on a t-shirt

 

I have the 427.....it's in my pinto....see ya there!!!!!

 

We went to all the Gatlinburg runs in the late 60's. Back then there was
half a dozen good runs a year, now that many on about any weekend.

 

NO........ I know where it is and it ain't in no Pinto


I do not start this thread to start a POO storm......new VS old ..fibergl*** VS steel....Trailer VS non trailer .......kind of thing......

It just looks to me like the Shades could make more money with a pre 49 show...... There are enough folks who think like I think to make it profitable....$$$

The Grand ( which is always the week after the Shades )......lets in all the later stuff and it does not have the numbers of the Shades.....so why would I as a sucessful event promoter copy a less sucessful show ?? It is short sighted to me......

Some of the shop owners and restaurant people tell me that NOW the Shades event and the Grand event weekends are their WORSE weekends $$$ wise. All the NEW people do not spend money like the old Shades crowd....10 years ago or so. I am not talking about Mickey D's, Burger King and Wendy's either..... They say all they do is sit by the road, drink beer that they bought at home and leave a mess.... They take up all the parking so paying customers cannot find a place to park and make the traffic so bad......most folks do not want to risk it...

I do not consider myself a elite or uppity person.....just a old retired government worker with a retirement check......but I would like to go to a event where the cars appeal to me.....and I believe there is enough people like me to make it a good business decision...

pre - 49.......for me.....

 

"I do not consider myself a elite or uppity person..."

Yeah, I agree that deuce owners shoud soft pedal the fact of our eliteness... it's not polite to continually remind the rest of the human race that the Deity in his inscrutable divided mankind into deuce owners and...ummmm...can't think of a safe word...

 

What's the HAMB coming to when I have to look up the meaning of a word in someones post??

 

...Hot Rodders?...man, I don't want to be elite...Bruce, wanna buy a coupe?...