Grand National Roadster Show.

[one finger john]

I just got back from the GNRS and I have to say that I am tired of seeing perfect cars, perfect interiors, perfect paint, perfect chrome, perfect engines, perfect weather, perfect everything !!! Even the food vendors were perfect what with Pinks Hot Dogs, some sort of pastrami place that had meat loaf sandwiches, and beer booths every 20 feet. A complete hot rod overload. Three of us went and one of the guys got lost for an hour and a half and we didn't even miss him. Even the cars in the suede palace were period perfect. In another few minutes I'm going over to Bob's in Toluca Lake to see what's over there. I'm a glutton for punishment ! Tomorrow the rumors are that another 1400 cars will be let into the Pomona Fair Grounds as filler between the exhibition halls with the attending crush of people for the show. Which of course will be held under more perfect Cali 70* skies. You can go to the HAMB for the pictures (I don't have a digital camera, maybe next year). Even that rolling, fair grounds, slow paced waddle had a purpose because you had to dodge people taking pictures, people zipping around in those Rascal scooters, people eating every thing you could think of and a few other things I cant even relate to. Stick a fork in me, I'm done!

What did you do today?

John

 

[Allen]

That was so weird today. I was also down there. Way overkill and too many '32 Fords. I went into the second building and guess what was there? I wish I knew what you looked like. I would have been looking for you. Anyway, I just got done working on one of the fishing boats, actually a crab boat, so I went from rust to shine. Hee, Hee!!

 

[Gerry]

Ah
John John John
Its the modern world. Everything has to be perfect and then when it is they want to make it even better. Its a lost cause....
There is no where left for individuality, no where left for the eccentrics, no where left for the one offs, even if we dont like them

have you not realised yet, they (as in the man) just want worker bees to do their bidding for them.
Collapse and join them or become an 'outlaw' so they can do what they want to you. So VERY glad Im now past the point of caring, and tooo old to worry about a 20 year old with an attitude and a ticket in his grasp.
Just hit them with experience, knowledge and philosophy and they are are lost in the wilderness.

This is a T Bucket.
Whats one of those?
Its a Hot Rod and I built it.
OK Then, who made it... Toyota, Lexus, Honda????

Nope. I did

Oh you cant do that, youre not a car manufacture.

Yes I can. I studied and qualified as an engineer in 1974.

Whats an engineer and 1994 was in the last century


AND so it goes on.

Gerry

(See Mike I can rant just as good as you)

 

[one finger john]

Compared to what's been happening lately, that was a rather civil statement, not a rant. I checked as many t shirt booths as I could find and no FadT replicas. I have to say that if I lived close by and had a couple of days to see everything it would be different. There was just so much to see, and sadly only four hours to see it. It was that overwhelming. And let me say that for my eye, there were virtually no hot chicks to check out. Tattoos are not my speed so just regular, ordinary good looking women were few and far between. Food? Again too much and too expensive. It seems that the unofficially agreed upon price per item was $7.50 to 8.50 per entrée and extra for sides and beverages.

There is more, John

 

[Allen]

Same old thing there is no inividuality -G!

Ah
John John John
Its the modern world. Everything has to be perfect and then when it is they want to make it even better. Its a lost cause....
There is no where left for individuality, no where left for the eccentrics, no where left for the one offs, even if we dont like them

have you not realised yet, they (as in the man) just want worker bees to do their bidding for them.
Collapse and join them or become an 'outlaw' so they can do what they want to you. So VERY glad Im now past the point of caring, and tooo old to worry about a 20 year old with an attitude and a ticket in his grasp.
Just hit them with experience, knowledge and philosophy and they are are lost in the wilderness.

This is a T Bucket.
Whats one of those?
Its a Hot Rod and I built it.
OK Then, who made it... Toyota, Lexus, Honda????

Nope. I did

Oh you cant do that, youre not a car manufacture.

Yes I can. I studied and qualified as an engineer in 1974.

Whats an engineer and 1994 was in the last century


AND so it goes on.

Gerry

(See Mike I can rant just as good as you)

 

[Ted Brown]

Gerry, I think this is what is going to really bring out the Ratrods, but well built, not unsafe chassis work, no fancy stuff at all, just a super fun, darn good runner, that has a ton of great new ideas...

 

[Mike]

It's just like everything else, the excessively wealthy are trying to make the hobby their own. It makes no difference what the hobby, sport or activity might be, there's always going to be some wannabe with a big wallet trying to buy his way to the top. Or trying to buy his child's way to the top. Look at the people that drove in the perfect car, you'll never see banged-up knuckles or any grease under their fingernails.

Back in the late 80's, we were at the NHRA Springnationals, over at Hebron (Columbus), OH. We always stayed in a Red Roof Inn, in Reynoldsburg. It was a clean place and not too exorbitant. We were sitting on the tailgate of the duallie, drinking a beer, when we noticed an incredible tow rig pulling in at the La Quinta Inn, next door to the Red Roof. An Aerolite Top Kick conversion, pulling a stacker trailer, both done up with custom paint. The driver slides out of the truck and sees us, so he walks over to shoot the breeze. After exchanging all the pleasantries, he asks what kind of car we're running. I told him it was a Comp Eliminator gas dragster and he just shook his head. He told us there was no way he could afford to run Comp, the class was just too expensive for him to even consider. I didn't know how to explain to him that his tow rig was worth more than our entire operation, by about triple. He then went on to explain his wife drove a Super Comp dragster and he had an ex-Pro Stock, Don Ness Cutlass he ran in Super Gas. His wife, who had apparently been checking them into the La Quinta, walked up and asked if hubby wanted her to go ahead and mix up the martinis, or if he wanted to unload the Blazer and go somewhere for dinner. Dale Creasy, who owned/drove a AA/FC, was there with us and his jaw was hanging slack. This couple had no clue what they were doing, they just had a huge bank account.

But hey, if they're having fun doing it, what difference does it really make? Nearly everything in life comes down to the people that love to do something and the people that can actually afford to do something. I imagine we would all have chrome and polished billet everything, if we could afford it. Just because some people can afford it and I can't doesn't keep me away from doing what I want to do.

 

[Old Rotor Flap]

Not too long ago I attended an aircraft auction where a similar situation unfolded.

One obnoxious guy bid on everything is site and outbid most of the rest of the group. One of my pals said this guy was trying to get into the aviation business the hard way.

This guy proved to many of us he didn't know much about aircraft when for example, he would be the high bidder on his choice of two boxes of parts and he would pick the one that was worth less than the other. Of course, we just laughed because it meant one of us would get the other, better box for less.

This guy also lit up a cigarette inside the hanger and was quickly told to get out.

I probably shouldn't add my own prejudices, but I overheard him talking to his wife in what was later confirmed to be Arabic. If that was profiling, yes I was and I'm in favor of it.

 

[T-Odd]

A few of my friends remember a time when they along with "Anonymous Guy #1" would drive to NSRA shows, sleep in the station wagon, have fun and come home.

Somehow "A.G.#1" was lucky enough to find fortune and now spends a LOT of money having beautiful cars built, racing on the salt for a red hat, and generally enjoying this automotive hobby.

Can't say I'd be much different if the situation was reversed. Give me a ton of money and I'd have some of the craziest ideas I have ever dreamed up built faster than I could dream up another.

I'd be out there racing for that red hat, and probably driving a beater pickup on the Hot Rod Power Tour and some of the other long distance cruises.