I think the Vanning Days of the 70's were what the Mini-truck group was of the 80 and very early 90's and what the newer lifestyle HotRods shows are today. The younger the group the wilder it is. The two above mentioned usually had wet T-shirt contest then went over the edge, campouts with lots of beer and just plan good times, no at***udes... I think the camping out helps loosen things up and the beer doesn't hurt.
Peoria was the First one....we started goin in about '75.went about every year thru the 70's -St Paul was mY personal favorite.......some good times were had there and also in the VANN'IN days too![I am older now and also no longer belong to NSRA.]my membership number was 5306 or near that -I believe now they have 60,000 members?anyone know for sure the total?
There were cars built with their sole purpose to win the driving contests. I remember a Pontiac powered Fiat Topolino with auto cross tires and wheels that almost always took the gold. The big NSRA events weren't as family oriented as the local club sponsored runs. The local runs had kids games and ladies event going almost all day. Just ask the ladies that spent all day maning the different events. Rod jousting was and still is a big hit. If any of you did rod jousting at Memphis in 1980 I was in charge of the second ring.
Sounds like the VW/Minitruck shows of the 90's... "Not that I ever went..." He says as he walks away mumbling "Funky Cold Medina..." and "Dude, you know where I can get some Cisco..."
Boones would bring up the mini-truck runs. I think I met Boones for the first time in Beaverton, Oregon at a mini-truck show in the early 1990's. It was totally an alcolol fuelled weekend. Oh, the stories I could tell about that trip!
[ QUOTE ] BUT the NSRA Nationals were kinda tame compared to Gatlinburg... [/ QUOTE ] OH yeah....I remember Gatlinburg My first time there was '77.... wasn't it about 79 that they broke out the riot gear, helicopters and German shepherds?
[ QUOTE ] OH yeah....wasn't it about 79 that they broke out the riot gear, helicopters and German shepherds? [/ QUOTE ] 1979 IT WAS........ My first Gatlinburg was 1969.........about 500 - 600 cars. I thought I had gone to Heaven.......
[ QUOTE ] i was little,but i remember thinking that my parents went nuts everytime we went to one...LOTS of drinking and drinking related games....put a bungee cord around yourselves and see who the first person to stretch it enough to reach a beer on the other end ...i still laugh at some of our old photos [/ QUOTE ] whats scarry is that I have photos of my dad's buddies doin the same damn thing in the late 70's. whats even more interesting is that george and i were prohably at the same runs when we were like 5 or 6 years old... that just goes to show what an influence this hobby can be..
Pre 49 ONLY, Ya I still have a 48 ***le for my 51 F-1, used to stick it in the W/S!!!!****ers...........OLDBEET
HAiRY PUSSieS,****s liberated,cut off LEVIS, pull tab beers, beards, white letter tire L60's, dish mags, and having a KILLER time.... .. iwasnt born till '73,but im just guessing,.,,
[ QUOTE ] .. iwasnt born till '73,but im just guessing,.,, [/ QUOTE ] jesuschristmonkeyballs! I got my license in 73...... I must REALLY be old I coulda been Sammy's DADDY haahahaha!!
Alright if were all sharing . . . here is a picture of me and my buddies from '74. Girls could get pregnant just from sitting on that carpet, man.
Man, My favorite part of going to car events is when my dad and a couple of his buddies break out the stories of "the good ole days" My dad said once he led 27 club members to St. Paul, 15 with roadsters, Now a newer club members usually leads about 5-8 of us to different things. About half of them 27 guys are still in the club and about 2 still go to events (including my dad). The others are dead, arent in the club anymore because they got burned out of the car scene or just pay dues because theyve been in so long even if they dont have a running car. My dad always tells stories of when they were at the Nationals or When they drove to California and got into bar fights and stuff. Those are the funnest stories. And everytime i break out the projector from his 70's pictures half the pictures are of ***s and *** and the other half are of cars. Even though things may not be as exciting as they use to be i think its cool that Rod n Custom and Streetscene and stuff have a place for the younger rodders. At least they are taking some leap towards the next generation. Nick
ahhhhhh..Gatlinburg BITD..wondered if anybody was there..Lived there in 70,71,73,and never missed it until they threw the hotrodders from hell out of town..Besides the steel 32 roadsters for 5K,the 5 windows for 3K,,what I miss are the burnouts on Airport Road,the crowds,the overturned police cars,the helicopters hovering over the crowds with the spotlights turned down to alert the cops to where everybody was,the killer race cars from Knox area that came up to raise hell.The year I saw the kid recruits ridng around with riot shields in a flatbed,more scared than anything,was the year i realized that G-burg really did want this to go away.The night that my me,my wife,and my baby girl stayed out on the street while the lone guys were getting chased away ( my daughter meant they left us alone)....trying to drive through town in my 39 to get away,and running over some poor dumb***'s foot..Helluva time driving through town....I STILL think all shows in Pigeon Forge **** compared to Gatlinburg..Think the town loved it,except for having to fix burnout damage on lawns,but the occifers couldn't handle it..Lucky they didn't shoot us all..
[ QUOTE ] ahhhhhh..Gatlinburg BITD..wondered if anybody was there..Lived there in 70,71,73,and never missed it until they threw the hotrodders from hell out of town..Besides the steel 32 roadsters for 5K,the 5 windows for 3K,,what I miss are the burnouts on Airport Road,the crowds,the overturned police cars,the helicopters hovering over the crowds with the spotlights turned down to alert the cops to where everybody was,the killer race cars from Knox area that came up to raise hell.The year I saw the kid recruits ridng around with riot shields in a flatbed,more scared than anything,was the year i realized that G-burg really did want this to go away.The night that my me,my wife,and my baby girl stayed out on the street while the lone guys were getting chased away ( my daughter meant they left us alone)....trying to drive through town in my 39 to get away,and running over some poor dumb***'s foot..Helluva time driving through town....I STILL think all shows in Pigeon Forge **** compared to Gatlinburg..Think the town loved it,except for having to fix burnout damage on lawns,but the occifers couldn't handle it..Lucky they didn't shoot us all.. [/ QUOTE ] i want to here a full story about this street rod event!!!!!!!!!! sounds wild ..... like the hollister no one heard of???????
Yeah **** Reynolds pussies were a lot hairer back then. At least the ones I got to see. If anyone wants to build a traditional 70s hippie van I got a 77 Chev that I use to store motorcycle projects and cow feed. **** carpet is gone from the walls & ceiling, rear mounted sofa/bed is gone but the 2 plexigl*** windows are still in place. No pot top though. My 25 yr old daughter says it looks like something a dirty old man would drive. If she only knew. Actually, she might have been conceived in one!!
My Dad built this panel truck in 74. him and my mom went to Memphis in it in 75. everybody had a red or black car back then. Makes me wonder whay pops was smokin'. We still own this truck and it still has the multi colored **** in the back. Street Rodder did a centerfold on it and nicknamed it the HAPPY HAULER! thinkin about reviving it for some runs this summer. What do you guys think?
I remember Gatlinburg,,,Most of the trouble was started by locals,,,,,,,,,then we all got caught up in the riots. How about the fire trucks turning on the hoses on the crowds?.....The fire hoses would knock ya on your ***!,,, Most of all I remember driving my primered model A,,,Jacked up cars, big front and rear tires hanging out in the breeze,,and it wasn't about how much money you put in you car people were happy to drive what they had! The swap meet in the Gilette parking lot off airport road always had nice projects.Gatlinburg outlaw rod run/Free spirit run. HRP
HOTRODPRIMER---I thought I was the only one who still had one of those! Since we're bein nostalgic about G'burg.....remember the slime green coupe with the Hulk mural on the trunk("my incredible dodge")? Or the yellow 28-9 hiboy sedan with the track nose? I'll always have a soft spot for that car..... I'd rather remember that stuff than the firehoses and riot cops
Yeah, I saw the hulk at Piegon Forge last year,,,,It still looks the same! I also remember a sweet little black 30/31 vicky,,,apple green wires and a state of the art(for that time) chrome jag rear end! HRP This is the truck I drove to Gatlinburg in 79
The wife and I were at the Memphis 75 and the Tulsa 76 Events. Recieved the long distance award for both after driving down from Anchorage, Alaska. The Alcan hiway was pretty poor back in those days. Drove a 40 Ford Opera Coupe w/ a 327 Vette and powerglide in it, raked w/ Red steelies, baby moons, beauty rings and wide whites. Primered of course due to the Alcan. My original NSRA number was just under 100 as I remember but when they came out with Lifetime memberships, I requested # 222 as it was the entry # we always requested for the events. Back then you could get a lifer and "wifer lifer" for $50 bucks and got a real nice lifer plaque Still have the the 40, 331 Caddy powered now. Was the AK NSRA state rep for a number of years. They made real neat, one of a kind br*** belt buckles for the event winners at Tulsa and they were presented by Norm Grabowski himself, still wear mine to a lot of the events we go to now. Things got a little rowdy but everyone had a "BLAST" No major problems. One thing we enjoyed about those days was that there were very few aftermarket items then, no 1 800 kit cars, and BB, (Before Billet). You could buy a "REAL STEEL" Deuce roadster reasonable then!! Alas, I too, long for the "GOOD OLE DAYS", however they are just precious memories!! But we still miss them. Davey and Wife,Sue!! <font color="red"> </font>
I didnt get to go to any of the events back then...I was in Kindergarten in '76, every time we went to the store, I immediately went to the magazine rack where I stayed until mom would grab me and scold me for looking at "those ****ty girls in those magazines"....strange, they were car magazines...i need to dig through my old collection from way back when and see what she was complaining about...I do remember seeing a WHOLE LOT of vans back then...could be what influenced me in my choice for my first wheels...a 1963 Ford Econoline, yellow and white, metallic green naughahyde seats, brown **** carpet, pop-top, kraco radio 8 track...the monstrosity was bought from my dope-fiend 1/2 sioux ex-bro-in-law that still had his 1970's white man afro in 1985... does anyone other than myself still have their collection of the "Truckin" trading cards? just when I started thinkin about building another mini-truck..I read here they are going or gone the way of the "Van craze"....hrm...good.....I will be early for when the nostalgia crowd "discovers" them again. I think im gonna dig out my mini truckin mags and read wyatt strange's stuff for old time's sake...
The guy in the black model A with a chrome Vette rear it was,nt a Jag stll goes to events. He and I are leaving for Bowling Green on Wendsday morning. He now drives a deuce roadster without a top and had crossed the country in same roadster without a top. He has a deuce 5 window getting upholstered as we speak. He is retired now and still puts 5000 miles a year on that roadster going to shows. I watched that vette read for many a mile and I am now watching the quickchange in the roadster going on 40,000 miles. Bowling Green will add about another 1500 miles to that total and hope to do another 75,000 together He,s 65 and i,m 56 God willing. My daughter is Action Girl and we have been doing this car thing for 35 years. I would'nt change a thing.
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