Friday nite at VA BBQ....most of the regulars were there, Paul & Evelyn, Kim, Sue & Pop, Pete, Ron, Jim & Maria. Then Anita brought her....HER 35 Chevy Master 4dr seedan in....it's the red and black smoothie. A very cool ride indeed....Paul had to ride in the passenger seat, I think it doesn't fit him very well! The red 54 Ford custom that doesn't cruise in every week was there, check out the many details in this car....like the rounded corners on the hood....subtle to the max. Stuart brought his 94 Mustang Cobra Indy Pace car out....I wonder how many of these there are? A very noisy (did I say that?) yellow race car came in, it was different but very noisy! I don't think it was the loudness of the noise but rather the frequency of the noise....it sounded like an old 2 cycle dirt bike, a piercing noise, very annoying.... The lot filled up and some were parking on the side street.... The evenings oink oink contest was performed and then the car awards were given out....suprise....Anita's 35 won a piggy trophy! Way to go Anita! As always a nice Friday nite cruise.
Saturday we went to the Radley Chevy show. I usually don't like to attend shows that are held at business, they often turn into a commercial deal and this is what I felt this show could turn into. The parking lot needed to be cleaned in some areas and we had to be careful where/how we parked. The Hawaiian shirted guys (dealership) were very friendly and attentive. The show had about 108 cars which was very good attendance for this year so far and for the weather that was forcasted. And it WAS hot! There were some unusual pieces, the Blazer camper, the silver Bronco, the Sunbeam Tiger....DJ Ron's Camaro is always a welcome addition to any show....I think that blower gets higher every time I see it! Ron Cumming's red 60 Chevy was very nice too and I hadn't seen Ron for 14 years! The 34 Coupe that won best of show is a very nice car....it deserved best of show! Ed and Dan & Ramona won 'top' trophies and the Staford Classics won club participation. A couple of the cars that won were very questionable, there were so many better cars there....I think the judging was very weak, it looked like someone didn't have any good help with it. The dealership also distributed a flyer " Thank-you for displaying your gorgeous Chevrolet in the Radley Car Show." I didn't know I drove a Chevy and that it was a Chevy show? Then I heard a comment....we spend $40K on advertising and get one customer on the lot.....or we buy a few trophies and we get a parking lot full of potential customers....???? I don't think I will attend next year. The rain started sprinkling just as we left the parking lot but we outran it home! Whew....did I mention it was HOT?
We went home, took a shower and 30 min power nap and headed to Bruster's for the cruise. I consulted the weather site and saw a lot of bad weather coming our way....I figured we had about 3 hrs to play before the rain got here! A lot of nice cars showed up....another 'herd' of Mustangs and I have to admit I'm not up on Camaro's, they all look the same to me! hehehe but the yellow one with the mirrors in the hood is very interesting. The bronze 69 Cougar conv was very special. Paul rumbled in with his 34 Lakester....it sounded louder than normal....is something broken Paul? The rain looked like it was very close so Ron wrapped up the night by handing out the awards. We packed up and beat the rain again....whew
Sunday, a small group of Stafford Classics left Bob Evans to attend the Prince William Cruisers show at the Occoquan Regional Park. Rain was in the forecast but we drove to the show anyway. When we got there the clouds were looking bad but we set up camp near the edge under trees and got comfortable. Ray and Terry from the Wounded Warrior Project race car was set up near the vendors as was Jim & Maria of Digital Photique. The cars started coming in and the sky cleared up....it also started getting hot. The quality of the cars was above average and about half were new to us. The PW Cruisers always put on a good show....in fact the first show the Princess and I attended when we got back into hot rods was the 9-11 show at B.J.'s in 04! And we have attended most of their yearly shows since then. John Ennis's purple 34 Willys is special, you need to look it over when it's at a show with you. The orange Superbird and Superbird clone were neat, I think that makes 3 orange Superbirds I have seen in the last month! The orange Willys with the Hemi won best of show....it's a real special car, ask the owner about the dependability of that motor! There was a brown 67 Barracuda that was restored to very original condition. The PW Cruisers shows always attract a high percent of pre 60 hot rods and this show was no exception. The 32 Deuce 5w with the 348/409 2x4 had an intake thingie near the distributor on the right side? What is it? Part of the breather system? Tim was there with his jeep and there was a 60 Caddy with scallops....real Kool. I took pics of almost all the cars, some came in late and were clear on the other side of the lot so they didn't get taken by me. Dan did go over and take some of the late arrivals. One of the late arrivals was a new Challenger! They had over 130 cars registered....so much for weather forecast, or the economy, or high fuel prices keeping people home! The show was going to be cut a little short because of....potential rain....what a surprise! The PW Cruisers always give the proceeds of their show deals to charity....this year they announced they were giving their half of the 50/50 to Wounded Warrior Project! That amounted to $339....a very good thing. WWP is a very worthwhile project, please check out the link on this blog for WWP and if you feel moved to donate you can use the link on this blog. They support the men and women that support and protect us.... The awards were given out, Dan & Ramona and the Princess & I got a 'top' award and then we gathered up our stuff and left. We were going to go to Glory Days for the PWC cruise....I wanted to give Steve some grief....grin....but the weather was too ominous so we headed home. While getting on the Interstate the sky fell, it rained for about 1/2 mile then stopped! It didn't rain all the way home, neat deal. That was a good thing, my wiper is still in Falls Church!....hehehe A great day with good friends doing something good for others....what more is there?....uh ice cream....
Monday, June 30, 2008
Monday, June 23, 2008
Rain or Gas prices?
The Princess decided that we should go to VA BBQ and ‘socialize’….huh…. I had to sit 4 light changes at the Falmouth light….I almost got stuck for another light change. This time the engine temp was between 212-220! I think that there is a garage under the Falmouth bridge that specializes in overheated engines....and they control light! Little pictures of steaming engines with arrows pointing under the bridge….trolls live under bridges…. We got to the cruise early but Jim & Linda was already there! We set up our stuff and saved a place for the Queen and Dan. The parking lot filled up quickly we ended up with over 65 cars! We had entertainment provided by an unnamed girl in a red late model mustang….she was revving up her engine in traffic next to the cruise parking lot and put it into gear and promptly ran into a PU in front of her….2 Police cars, one fire truck and one ambulance later both cars drove off. So much for showing off with your stock Mustang? Stuart brought out his red and white GT-40….a flat black 32 5w with a TPI came in and a couple of vintage Triumph bikes were there. A very nice yellow 1970, 429 Mercury Cyclone was parked in the yonder parking lot close to the Karb Kings. A red 39 Ford 5W with tribal flames was next to a red 57 Ford pro street….which was unusual. Across the lot was a real Austin Mini, I had forgotten how small they are! Then a nice blue Pontiac that Jim said was as big as Connecticut! A different early 50’s green Dodge and a blue 60’s 427 Vette. Then the high point of the evening....In a two round oink off, Gary won the oink contest for the evening, he got a coveted oink oink pig trophy, he now communicates in little grunts and smiles….like Tim the Toolman! Someone, it wasn’t me Ed, hung a little reminder on Ed & Carolyn’s coupe traffic light reflector so they won’t forget what people say about their car! The mother ship left a Pork-e-Pine behind in Dan & Ramona’s 55….It may be here a while! The cruise closed and we had an uneventful cool cruise home. I love to drive that car....the grin machine!
We waited till noon to call off the cruise to BK in Orange….there were just too many storms popping up and if we had to run in the rain I didn’t want the run to be over 50 miles. So we opted to visit Bruster’s in Stafford. We got there about 5PM, set up and visited with others as they arrived….a 68 Chrysler was cool as well as the Lotus & Ferrari. A black Ford truck drove through, it looked different but I couldn't figure out why? A herd of Mustangs galloped in (I couldn’t resist that!). There were four VW powered machines, all different! Paul brought out his dark blue Avanti, a rare car! Around 7PM the rain clouds could not be ignored….we all broke for home….we just got the Princesses car in the garage when it poured! HA….I don’t have to clean underneath the cars this week, a good thing.
Sunday....we had committed to work the Ted Britt show in Chantilly and help the Wounded Warrior Project….the rain was forecasted to be very bad but we planned to go anyway. Too many others had invested so much work in the show we had to go, rain or shine, but we did take the truck! We arrived at 7AM and the sky was clear….clear...like in NO clouds and blue sky! The weather forecaster is the only job you can be so wrong and still keep your job….is something wrong with that picture? Ray & Terry, from Wounded Warrior Project, began setting up their racecar and trailer so we set up our canopies next to them. The yellow shirted Custom Cruisers were running around like ants getting the final touches ready for the show. The show cars started to arrive around 8AM and continued till 12:30. The attendance was about half what last years was. We couldn't tell if the attendance figures were low because of the aggressively predicted rain forecast or high fuel costs….or something else? As always the Custom Cruisers put on a quality show. John, who quietly moves in the background and makes things happen, makes sure the club's events run like a machine. Everyone in Custom Cruisers puts so much effort into their shows and this one was no exception. They were at Ted Britt Ford the night before to rearrange the cars at the dealership and begin the setup for Sunday. They arranged for meals and drinks for the workers as they worked the show, a class act! That Ted Britt opens up his dealership to a car club is astonishing but that they also actively support the clubs goals in charity giving is phenomenal. It’s a good relationship that is nurtured by Bobbie. The Princess and I tried out our ‘new’ counting board….it worked, as advertised….sometime new ideas are slow to be accepted by some, but I think when John & Betty saw the boards in ‘action’ they better understood their usefulness….
Of the 70 cars that were there about 50 of them were new to us. All but a few were drivers....very little trailer trash here! The yellow Vette that we saw last year at the Culpepper show was there, with a lot of new modifications, including a blower!….a very nice ride (Jim take notice!) The Vette is owned by a Vietnam Veteran....a Marine Aviator....which kinda explains his need for speed! Bill was there with ‘Bad to the Bone’….this truck gets nicer every time I see it! The blue 39 La Salle was….different, it’s ‘under construction’ but it’s way out there right now! The red 57 Chevy conv was almost pristine; this car deserves a second look. So many nice cars....check the pictures.
The new President, Richard, presented the awards and then the show was over! The Custom Cruisers do something that no other club does when their shows are over….they line the exit route and wave and thank all the participants as they leave! This is a very cool thing….maybe other clubs will catch on to this?
We said goodbye to a few people in the Custom Cruisers after the show, as we are leaving the club….we have a very busy show schedule and we have too much to do in our Stafford club, Stafford Classics, to stay in a northern club too. Custom Cruisers needs ‘active’ members, not just names on a roster….so the Princess and I will say goodbye to this great club….we will stay in touch with some of the members and will undoubtedly see some at different shows. Be sure to attend their Clifton show on Labor Day….It is a real hoot!
We waited till noon to call off the cruise to BK in Orange….there were just too many storms popping up and if we had to run in the rain I didn’t want the run to be over 50 miles. So we opted to visit Bruster’s in Stafford. We got there about 5PM, set up and visited with others as they arrived….a 68 Chrysler was cool as well as the Lotus & Ferrari. A black Ford truck drove through, it looked different but I couldn't figure out why? A herd of Mustangs galloped in (I couldn’t resist that!). There were four VW powered machines, all different! Paul brought out his dark blue Avanti, a rare car! Around 7PM the rain clouds could not be ignored….we all broke for home….we just got the Princesses car in the garage when it poured! HA….I don’t have to clean underneath the cars this week, a good thing.
Sunday....we had committed to work the Ted Britt show in Chantilly and help the Wounded Warrior Project….the rain was forecasted to be very bad but we planned to go anyway. Too many others had invested so much work in the show we had to go, rain or shine, but we did take the truck! We arrived at 7AM and the sky was clear….clear...like in NO clouds and blue sky! The weather forecaster is the only job you can be so wrong and still keep your job….is something wrong with that picture? Ray & Terry, from Wounded Warrior Project, began setting up their racecar and trailer so we set up our canopies next to them. The yellow shirted Custom Cruisers were running around like ants getting the final touches ready for the show. The show cars started to arrive around 8AM and continued till 12:30. The attendance was about half what last years was. We couldn't tell if the attendance figures were low because of the aggressively predicted rain forecast or high fuel costs….or something else? As always the Custom Cruisers put on a quality show. John, who quietly moves in the background and makes things happen, makes sure the club's events run like a machine. Everyone in Custom Cruisers puts so much effort into their shows and this one was no exception. They were at Ted Britt Ford the night before to rearrange the cars at the dealership and begin the setup for Sunday. They arranged for meals and drinks for the workers as they worked the show, a class act! That Ted Britt opens up his dealership to a car club is astonishing but that they also actively support the clubs goals in charity giving is phenomenal. It’s a good relationship that is nurtured by Bobbie. The Princess and I tried out our ‘new’ counting board….it worked, as advertised….sometime new ideas are slow to be accepted by some, but I think when John & Betty saw the boards in ‘action’ they better understood their usefulness….
Of the 70 cars that were there about 50 of them were new to us. All but a few were drivers....very little trailer trash here! The yellow Vette that we saw last year at the Culpepper show was there, with a lot of new modifications, including a blower!….a very nice ride (Jim take notice!) The Vette is owned by a Vietnam Veteran....a Marine Aviator....which kinda explains his need for speed! Bill was there with ‘Bad to the Bone’….this truck gets nicer every time I see it! The blue 39 La Salle was….different, it’s ‘under construction’ but it’s way out there right now! The red 57 Chevy conv was almost pristine; this car deserves a second look. So many nice cars....check the pictures.
The new President, Richard, presented the awards and then the show was over! The Custom Cruisers do something that no other club does when their shows are over….they line the exit route and wave and thank all the participants as they leave! This is a very cool thing….maybe other clubs will catch on to this?
We said goodbye to a few people in the Custom Cruisers after the show, as we are leaving the club….we have a very busy show schedule and we have too much to do in our Stafford club, Stafford Classics, to stay in a northern club too. Custom Cruisers needs ‘active’ members, not just names on a roster….so the Princess and I will say goodbye to this great club….we will stay in touch with some of the members and will undoubtedly see some at different shows. Be sure to attend their Clifton show on Labor Day….It is a real hoot!
Monday, June 16, 2008
The madness continues....
Saturday the 14th....The Mt. Ararat Baptist Church Show....The Stafford Classics are helping the church youth group put it on. Since The Princess and I are members of the car club and past members of the church we got there about 6:30 to set up the coupes as part of the club display and begin helping. We knew what the youth group had in front of them, we knew what the youth leaders had in front of them since we had been youth leaders a long time ago too! Brent got there soon after we did and the organized chaos began!
Please refer to the pictures I took to get a flavor of the event. I usually focus on individual cars and take a few overall shots at each event. This time I reversed it for reasons I'll explain later. The first show car rolled in at 7:38, it was a maroon early 50's Ford Pick Up....and the cars kept coming in till 12:30! The youth/leaders ran around and got everything set up....at one point Brent started to look a little....stressed....that's the way it usually works out. Whoever is in control of the event has to answer a volume of questions and make decisions about everything....and it doesn't stop until they leave the event when it's over! Then you have days of second guessing your decisions and formulating how to do better next time! So Brent had about 12 hrs of high stress time he was going to be dealing with today and a few days of Monday morning quarterbacking next week! Brent set up the music and the oldies began to waft through the fabric of the event! Another reason I like car shows! The Princess and I had shade, a cool breeze, good music, we were sitting in chairs....bring on the "work"!?
The Princess and I worked at the registration table and got to meet everyone that brought a car to the show....which was cool in itself. The judging began as soon as the cars were registered and ready to be judged, as defined by the car owners. The judging went on all morning which is a good way to do it, that way the judges don't have to do all their work in a narrow time frame. It really helped today. Mark, Brandon, Andrew and others I don't know did the judging....the Princess was glad our cars were not judged....she said those guys were way too picky! Since the judging was a go-no go points based system it was very fair....like 'engine clean' If it was clean then you got points if it wasn't then no points....very simple and fair. Brent's team have developed a laptop based points tabulation system that makes the 'counting' of the judges votes very easy and effective. Applying technology to solve a problem....what a concept, usually it's the other way around! The Princess and I had begun to worry about Andrew's girlfriend since we had never met her....Andrew keeps talking about her but we never saw her....we thought maybe Andrew had one of those inflatable dolls or something....But Saturday we finally got to meet Angela.... she is a real girl....HOORAY....Andrew is normal!? Now if he just had a normal car like a Ford or Mopar....we still have some work to do with Andrew....grin
Ray Phillips and his wife Terry brought the Wounded Warrior Project race car to display and raise awareness of the Wounded Warrior Project to all that were there. They were able to accept donations on site as well as provide a website for donations. If you don't know about this group please visit the link....Regardless of your political leanings these people have sacrificed for you and me and we need to take care of them! http://www.woundedwarriorproject.org/
The day evolved and the cars kept coming....in the end there were 108 registered cars! Not bad....all of the shows the Princess and I have attended this year have been down in attendance....Last year this show had 67 cars, this year 108! I think this speaks volumes about what people think about a show! As I was sitting at the registration table I watched the event unfold....it was turning into a different kind of car show! Instead of the structured parking and uptight tense individuals we see at most shows the cars AND people were beginning to gather in groups and chill out. Some were in lines and some were in little pods, under trees....like a giant family picnic! This was turning into a FUN event, not just an event where people are smiling....think about it! The participants were directed 'generally' where to park but they could park as close or as far away from the next car as they wanted. This changed the flavor of the whole deal for me. As I said earlier I usually take individual pics of most cars at an event....but today I wanted to capture the feel of the event as a whole....so there are a lot of general views of the event....you can see/feel the homeyness of the event in the pictures. The only event we have attended that was close to this was the NHRA Reunions at Bowling Green, KY, but that's another story!
Sometime around 1PM we got notice that the rain was coming up I95 so Brent got the award ceremony going early so we wouldn't be caught with show cars on wet, hilly grass....not a good deal! The awards were given out, everyone seemed happy with the results....very nice trophies....every show car got out before the rain....and it DID rain about 3PM....The youth group swarmed on the fields and got everything put away....a good group of kids with good leadership too....Thanks for your work! I got a 'Spirit of the Hobby' award, a cool piston with a bent rod....what is the message here? Anyway the Princess didn't get anything so she wanted to go home and pout....so I fluffed up her Princess pillow and we went home! Tomorrow is another day....Be sure to look at the pics!
Sunday the 15 and the Stafford Classics were represented at the Goldvein Fathers Day show by; Ed, Ray, Jim & Linda, Dan & Ramona, The Princess and the Slacker....The quality of the cars was above average and most have been seen before, some at the show on Saturday mentioned above! But still....the blue and white 62 Chevy 409 was there....we haven't seen it all year! The car is stunning and it was appropriate that it got 'Best of Show'....Please do yourself a favor and look this car over if it is at a show where you are. Bill's 'Bad to the Bone' was there and very cool red 67 Goat....driven by the lady in the family, right on! And the periwinkle 32 Ford PU, again, he doesn't like me to call it periwinkle but he won't tell me what the name of the color is....so I'll keep calling it periwinkle! hehehe No matter what color you call it, the car is drop dead gorgeous, check it out! The ice cream truck came around and a Stearman from the Flying Circus buzzed us a few times....a great day. Paul was acting a little lose....I hope he gets his wife's car going soon, she may be able to keep him under control....maybe not! The awards were given out and since the Princess got one it was going to be a good day....she said she might even consider doing the laundry next week now!
We left the show for our oldest daughters home and a 'Fathers Day' dinner....we always enjoy visiting them and we do have fun driving them hot rods!
Please refer to the pictures I took to get a flavor of the event. I usually focus on individual cars and take a few overall shots at each event. This time I reversed it for reasons I'll explain later. The first show car rolled in at 7:38, it was a maroon early 50's Ford Pick Up....and the cars kept coming in till 12:30! The youth/leaders ran around and got everything set up....at one point Brent started to look a little....stressed....that's the way it usually works out. Whoever is in control of the event has to answer a volume of questions and make decisions about everything....and it doesn't stop until they leave the event when it's over! Then you have days of second guessing your decisions and formulating how to do better next time! So Brent had about 12 hrs of high stress time he was going to be dealing with today and a few days of Monday morning quarterbacking next week! Brent set up the music and the oldies began to waft through the fabric of the event! Another reason I like car shows! The Princess and I had shade, a cool breeze, good music, we were sitting in chairs....bring on the "work"!?
The Princess and I worked at the registration table and got to meet everyone that brought a car to the show....which was cool in itself. The judging began as soon as the cars were registered and ready to be judged, as defined by the car owners. The judging went on all morning which is a good way to do it, that way the judges don't have to do all their work in a narrow time frame. It really helped today. Mark, Brandon, Andrew and others I don't know did the judging....the Princess was glad our cars were not judged....she said those guys were way too picky! Since the judging was a go-no go points based system it was very fair....like 'engine clean' If it was clean then you got points if it wasn't then no points....very simple and fair. Brent's team have developed a laptop based points tabulation system that makes the 'counting' of the judges votes very easy and effective. Applying technology to solve a problem....what a concept, usually it's the other way around! The Princess and I had begun to worry about Andrew's girlfriend since we had never met her....Andrew keeps talking about her but we never saw her....we thought maybe Andrew had one of those inflatable dolls or something....But Saturday we finally got to meet Angela.... she is a real girl....HOORAY....Andrew is normal!? Now if he just had a normal car like a Ford or Mopar....we still have some work to do with Andrew....grin
Ray Phillips and his wife Terry brought the Wounded Warrior Project race car to display and raise awareness of the Wounded Warrior Project to all that were there. They were able to accept donations on site as well as provide a website for donations. If you don't know about this group please visit the link....Regardless of your political leanings these people have sacrificed for you and me and we need to take care of them! http://www.woundedwarriorproject.org/
The day evolved and the cars kept coming....in the end there were 108 registered cars! Not bad....all of the shows the Princess and I have attended this year have been down in attendance....Last year this show had 67 cars, this year 108! I think this speaks volumes about what people think about a show! As I was sitting at the registration table I watched the event unfold....it was turning into a different kind of car show! Instead of the structured parking and uptight tense individuals we see at most shows the cars AND people were beginning to gather in groups and chill out. Some were in lines and some were in little pods, under trees....like a giant family picnic! This was turning into a FUN event, not just an event where people are smiling....think about it! The participants were directed 'generally' where to park but they could park as close or as far away from the next car as they wanted. This changed the flavor of the whole deal for me. As I said earlier I usually take individual pics of most cars at an event....but today I wanted to capture the feel of the event as a whole....so there are a lot of general views of the event....you can see/feel the homeyness of the event in the pictures. The only event we have attended that was close to this was the NHRA Reunions at Bowling Green, KY, but that's another story!
Sometime around 1PM we got notice that the rain was coming up I95 so Brent got the award ceremony going early so we wouldn't be caught with show cars on wet, hilly grass....not a good deal! The awards were given out, everyone seemed happy with the results....very nice trophies....every show car got out before the rain....and it DID rain about 3PM....The youth group swarmed on the fields and got everything put away....a good group of kids with good leadership too....Thanks for your work! I got a 'Spirit of the Hobby' award, a cool piston with a bent rod....what is the message here? Anyway the Princess didn't get anything so she wanted to go home and pout....so I fluffed up her Princess pillow and we went home! Tomorrow is another day....Be sure to look at the pics!
Sunday the 15 and the Stafford Classics were represented at the Goldvein Fathers Day show by; Ed, Ray, Jim & Linda, Dan & Ramona, The Princess and the Slacker....The quality of the cars was above average and most have been seen before, some at the show on Saturday mentioned above! But still....the blue and white 62 Chevy 409 was there....we haven't seen it all year! The car is stunning and it was appropriate that it got 'Best of Show'....Please do yourself a favor and look this car over if it is at a show where you are. Bill's 'Bad to the Bone' was there and very cool red 67 Goat....driven by the lady in the family, right on! And the periwinkle 32 Ford PU, again, he doesn't like me to call it periwinkle but he won't tell me what the name of the color is....so I'll keep calling it periwinkle! hehehe No matter what color you call it, the car is drop dead gorgeous, check it out! The ice cream truck came around and a Stearman from the Flying Circus buzzed us a few times....a great day. Paul was acting a little lose....I hope he gets his wife's car going soon, she may be able to keep him under control....maybe not! The awards were given out and since the Princess got one it was going to be a good day....she said she might even consider doing the laundry next week now!
We left the show for our oldest daughters home and a 'Fathers Day' dinner....we always enjoy visiting them and we do have fun driving them hot rods!
Monday, June 9, 2008
A weekend at the ZOO....pigs, rats, cows
Friday night finds us at, where else?, VA BBQ in Fredericksburg. I don't know if we got there late or others are beginning to arrive earlier to get better parking....anyway....Jim & Linda saved us some parking spaces so we got our regular spots. An old friend was already there, we hadn't seen him for a few years. We used to run with him when we rode Harleys....but that's another story. He is building a Chevy PU....he is a hands on guy and has the running gear done so he brought it out, see the video. There was a silver early 70s Olds....we see more Oldsmobiles at cruises and shows than ever before? I don't know why? Then our friend that normally drives a green 39 Chevy brought his red Caddy convertible....I think that car can be in two time zones at the same time! I also would rather take it on a long drive than most other cars! Stuart brought his blue Ford PU....this vehicle has a story, you need to talk to Stuart when you see him....he loves to talk about his cars. Then a bronze late 30s Buick came in, it is a real hot rod, a no excuses driver. Most of the Buicks you see are large ponderous vehicles, not this one. Then Paul was holding court telling us about his adventures with his 34 Lakester and the cruise was winding down. I heard some hollering but didn't think anything about it. The Princess evidently knew she wasn't going to win anything with her car, and she was getting desperate! When she found out Sue and company was giving out a trophy for pig oinking....she entered the contest! Pig oinking....oookaaay....I wonder if she really thinks these things through? Anyway since Dan wasn't there she decided to give it a try....I heard the hollering but just thought someone was getting run over by a car or something....NOT the Princess doing her pig oinking and calling! She said she just survived a sinus operation so she could 'oink' real good!....remember I have had to live with this for over 43 years!....feel very sorry for me....on the way home I reflected on my sobriety 43 years ago....
Saturday we left Bob Evans at 7AM to head to the Virginia Bizarre show in Ladysmith, VA Dan & Ramona, Andrew, Linda and the slacker took off in the fog....see pics. When we got to the show the fog was gone and the heat had started. The show was for the Caroline County Sheriff's DARE program. Cars continued coming in till about 11AM. The Sheriff's deputies did most of the car judging/picking. I had not seen most of the cars so we took time to study them....most were very nice. There was about 30 or so cars....not a very large turn out....it could have been the heat, It was very hot! It was so hot that the show was supposed to end around 4 but they ended it at 2PM! Thank you! The Bizarre's A/C offered some temporary relief from the heat but you always had to come back out in it and sweat some more!....
We packed up and headed for the BB&T in Stafford for the Circuit Cruise. We waited till about 4:05 and we left. There were 11 cars that left BB&T for Sonics. Somewhere we lost a red Camaro and then Andrew disappeared.... we knew they would catch up at Sonic so when we arrived there we waited a little while and picked up a Mustang and Ford PU. Then someone said they saw Andrew heading toward Fosters. We gathered up and headed for Foster's....a new way. When we arrived at Foster's Andrew was there but the red Camaro wasn't! The FC&MCC had their cruise in full swing with 20-25 cars coming in and out. There was a green Austin Healy that was real special, I need to find out more about this car. We started getting reports about the severe storms on the radio and TV that were in the area so we left for A1.
The Late Night Cruisers had their cruise in full swing at A1 and we parked to get ready for the evening's contest....
We milled around trading pleasantries, smiling, shaking hands and then decided to get down to what we came for....racing. I have to tell you I was more than a little intimidated by Dave & Ben....after all they have a major sponsor, and it's a speed shop! And I'm just a retired slacker on a fixed income.... Plus we were racing on their track, nothing like home field advantage! So I got out the CaddyCow and then in what I thought was a real bait and switch deal these Ford guys brought out a Chevy racer!....Why did they bring out this weak sister to race me? Were they going to bring out a Mopar next? Were they trying to wear out the CaddyCow racing all these lesser racers then bring out a real racer, a Ford? Why was Ben not talking much? Why was Dave talking too much? Why were there little cow 'kill' markings on their racer? Who knows the mind of speed crazed hot rodders? With so much at stake I was getting a little worried. Finally the dust settled and the race was run and the CowCaddy spanked the Chevy thingy. THEN their racer disappeared and Dale brought out his VW racer....nice try but against the CowCaddy? Yeah right! No one else brought a racer? I guess if you aren't a player you can't loose? After a few more runs against Dale, Dave appears again with their weak sister, they modified it! Surprise? He kept putting stuff on his racer and I kept waving the scale I brought....Dave frowned....we raced again. This time when the CowCaddy was ahead almost half a length the Chevy broke hard right and spun the CowCaddy out, it crossed the finish line going backwards, but still won! Dave reluctantly conceded defeat....but vowed to be back next month....hopefully with a Ford....something worthy to race against. Then Dave said they would have to keep the CowCaddy to tear it down to make sure I wasn't using some sort of cosmic motive power? I think they just wanted to see how to make cars go faster! I saw Ben studying on the Internet getting secrets for next month, see pics....I gave them a clue how to be competitive.... the word is CD! So the Princess was unhappy because she didn't have a racer....so next month there might be a pink racer, who knows....I told Dave to remember that if your not a winner you are a loooooser! Dave was laughing but he then told me that my AN fittings were back ordered and wouldn't be in till....December?....I think he is a bad looser.....grin. I asked Dave what did I get for winning? He said something like....it's enough to know that you have earned the respect of your peers and you have the satisfaction of knowing you have bested your fellow competitors in a fair contest and that is better than money in the bank!? I bought it and thought that was nice....so I called Countrywide Mortgage today and told them that I would not be sending a payment to them this month because I know they will be satisfied with the knowledge of knowing they are respected by their peers and I told them how much I liked them and my friendship is better than money in the bank! I couldn't keep track of everything they said after that, they were talking real fast and way too loud....even though I'm not sure of everything they said I think the word 'attorney' was mentioned a lot....I thought I was being fair! It worked for Dave.... We left for Stafford and home, it was too late for Brusters and we had some bottles to open after winning the race....Geratiol & Pepto-Bismol.
Sunday we left Bob Evans for the Orange County Cruisers show in, where else, Orange, VA! We didn't go to this show last year because it conflicts with NSRA York. This year I wanted to go back, the show is so neat. It's on grass, which I like, and run very efficiently. They have built an addition on the stage that allows about 60 or so cars to be under roof! The restroom facilities are very pleasant and the distraction of sky divers landing behind the show is always interesting. There were about 80 cars, half of which were new to me. DJ Ron was MC-ing and DJ-ing....He is really good at this....if you need a DJ you need to consider him. He also drives a nice docile Camaro.... There was a Ford PU that had more money in the suspension and electronics than both of my cars are worth! It's pretty impressive. A very dark blue 60s Barracuda was a unique ride as was the orange Superbird. The....rat rod had a different parking brake! see pics We are seeing more of the 70-71 Ford Torino/Rancheros lately....I wonder why? There was a nice orange Torino next to a very pretty 57 Chevy PU. There was a 23 T bucket that is special, check out the engine height and short wheelbase....this has got to be a wild ride! It looks a little like an old Awful Awful! I was having trouble taking pictures in the under roof area because the sun was bright outside and inside it was so dark....I'll get over this next time. The orange (what's with orange cars lately?) 37 Chevy roadster PU was there, I've commented on it before, it's just a real nice car. Dan & Ramona, Linda & Chuck, Andrew, Henry, Jim and Marla all got top 40 awards. The awards are neat, something different. And Stafford Classics got the club participation award....we need a place to display the club participation awards....we need to work on that, we have 3 or 4 so far this year. The place could be an old garage that someone could donate to us for a clubhouse because we are such nice people....are you reading this Ed?....grin Orange County Cruisers president, Walt Barfield, thanked us all for coming out in the heat and admonished us to have a safe journey home. Marla's 55 Chevy PU cooked the electric system so we waited with her for the roll back to pick her Chevy up. Then I went to the burn out box and the RedRat made a few easy passes....that car is so sudden and quick, I must be too old and slow to keep up with it....we'll see. We took a route less traveled back to Stafford....a nice weekend that we drove for 274 miles....it was hot!
Saturday we left Bob Evans at 7AM to head to the Virginia Bizarre show in Ladysmith, VA Dan & Ramona, Andrew, Linda and the slacker took off in the fog....see pics. When we got to the show the fog was gone and the heat had started. The show was for the Caroline County Sheriff's DARE program. Cars continued coming in till about 11AM. The Sheriff's deputies did most of the car judging/picking. I had not seen most of the cars so we took time to study them....most were very nice. There was about 30 or so cars....not a very large turn out....it could have been the heat, It was very hot! It was so hot that the show was supposed to end around 4 but they ended it at 2PM! Thank you! The Bizarre's A/C offered some temporary relief from the heat but you always had to come back out in it and sweat some more!....
We packed up and headed for the BB&T in Stafford for the Circuit Cruise. We waited till about 4:05 and we left. There were 11 cars that left BB&T for Sonics. Somewhere we lost a red Camaro and then Andrew disappeared.... we knew they would catch up at Sonic so when we arrived there we waited a little while and picked up a Mustang and Ford PU. Then someone said they saw Andrew heading toward Fosters. We gathered up and headed for Foster's....a new way. When we arrived at Foster's Andrew was there but the red Camaro wasn't! The FC&MCC had their cruise in full swing with 20-25 cars coming in and out. There was a green Austin Healy that was real special, I need to find out more about this car. We started getting reports about the severe storms on the radio and TV that were in the area so we left for A1.
The Late Night Cruisers had their cruise in full swing at A1 and we parked to get ready for the evening's contest....
The Valve Cover Races!
We milled around trading pleasantries, smiling, shaking hands and then decided to get down to what we came for....racing. I have to tell you I was more than a little intimidated by Dave & Ben....after all they have a major sponsor, and it's a speed shop! And I'm just a retired slacker on a fixed income.... Plus we were racing on their track, nothing like home field advantage! So I got out the CaddyCow and then in what I thought was a real bait and switch deal these Ford guys brought out a Chevy racer!....Why did they bring out this weak sister to race me? Were they going to bring out a Mopar next? Were they trying to wear out the CaddyCow racing all these lesser racers then bring out a real racer, a Ford? Why was Ben not talking much? Why was Dave talking too much? Why were there little cow 'kill' markings on their racer? Who knows the mind of speed crazed hot rodders? With so much at stake I was getting a little worried. Finally the dust settled and the race was run and the CowCaddy spanked the Chevy thingy. THEN their racer disappeared and Dale brought out his VW racer....nice try but against the CowCaddy? Yeah right! No one else brought a racer? I guess if you aren't a player you can't loose? After a few more runs against Dale, Dave appears again with their weak sister, they modified it! Surprise? He kept putting stuff on his racer and I kept waving the scale I brought....Dave frowned....we raced again. This time when the CowCaddy was ahead almost half a length the Chevy broke hard right and spun the CowCaddy out, it crossed the finish line going backwards, but still won! Dave reluctantly conceded defeat....but vowed to be back next month....hopefully with a Ford....something worthy to race against. Then Dave said they would have to keep the CowCaddy to tear it down to make sure I wasn't using some sort of cosmic motive power? I think they just wanted to see how to make cars go faster! I saw Ben studying on the Internet getting secrets for next month, see pics....I gave them a clue how to be competitive.... the word is CD! So the Princess was unhappy because she didn't have a racer....so next month there might be a pink racer, who knows....I told Dave to remember that if your not a winner you are a loooooser! Dave was laughing but he then told me that my AN fittings were back ordered and wouldn't be in till....December?....I think he is a bad looser.....grin. I asked Dave what did I get for winning? He said something like....it's enough to know that you have earned the respect of your peers and you have the satisfaction of knowing you have bested your fellow competitors in a fair contest and that is better than money in the bank!? I bought it and thought that was nice....so I called Countrywide Mortgage today and told them that I would not be sending a payment to them this month because I know they will be satisfied with the knowledge of knowing they are respected by their peers and I told them how much I liked them and my friendship is better than money in the bank! I couldn't keep track of everything they said after that, they were talking real fast and way too loud....even though I'm not sure of everything they said I think the word 'attorney' was mentioned a lot....I thought I was being fair! It worked for Dave.... We left for Stafford and home, it was too late for Brusters and we had some bottles to open after winning the race....Geratiol & Pepto-Bismol.
Sunday we left Bob Evans for the Orange County Cruisers show in, where else, Orange, VA! We didn't go to this show last year because it conflicts with NSRA York. This year I wanted to go back, the show is so neat. It's on grass, which I like, and run very efficiently. They have built an addition on the stage that allows about 60 or so cars to be under roof! The restroom facilities are very pleasant and the distraction of sky divers landing behind the show is always interesting. There were about 80 cars, half of which were new to me. DJ Ron was MC-ing and DJ-ing....He is really good at this....if you need a DJ you need to consider him. He also drives a nice docile Camaro.... There was a Ford PU that had more money in the suspension and electronics than both of my cars are worth! It's pretty impressive. A very dark blue 60s Barracuda was a unique ride as was the orange Superbird. The....rat rod had a different parking brake! see pics We are seeing more of the 70-71 Ford Torino/Rancheros lately....I wonder why? There was a nice orange Torino next to a very pretty 57 Chevy PU. There was a 23 T bucket that is special, check out the engine height and short wheelbase....this has got to be a wild ride! It looks a little like an old Awful Awful! I was having trouble taking pictures in the under roof area because the sun was bright outside and inside it was so dark....I'll get over this next time. The orange (what's with orange cars lately?) 37 Chevy roadster PU was there, I've commented on it before, it's just a real nice car. Dan & Ramona, Linda & Chuck, Andrew, Henry, Jim and Marla all got top 40 awards. The awards are neat, something different. And Stafford Classics got the club participation award....we need a place to display the club participation awards....we need to work on that, we have 3 or 4 so far this year. The place could be an old garage that someone could donate to us for a clubhouse because we are such nice people....are you reading this Ed?....grin Orange County Cruisers president, Walt Barfield, thanked us all for coming out in the heat and admonished us to have a safe journey home. Marla's 55 Chevy PU cooked the electric system so we waited with her for the roll back to pick her Chevy up. Then I went to the burn out box and the RedRat made a few easy passes....that car is so sudden and quick, I must be too old and slow to keep up with it....we'll see. We took a route less traveled back to Stafford....a nice weekend that we drove for 274 miles....it was hot!
Sunday, June 1, 2008
On the road again
We got a late start to VA BBQ Friday night, when we got there Jim & Linda had saved us a place....just in time. As soon as we parked our cars many others started coming in and they didn't stop for an hour or so. As usual many of the same cars stop by, that's what a 'cruise' is supposed to be. But as usual there were some new cars....The silver 60's Ford Convert, I didn't get a chance to talk to the owner but it looked special. The 60's blue Vett conv also looked good as did the red 67 Dodge Charger....that Charger is a very nice car and the owner has an interesting story that goes with it, stop by and ask him about the car. The Black 66 Pontiac Conv was special too and then JV showed us how Mickeys can double as chairs! That's why he never has a chair with him! See the pics...
Another....incident....Why do people think it is alright to do burnouts in crowded parking lots? There are children and other people walking around in between the cars, it just isn't safe! These people need to go somewhere else and do their childish, dangerous driving. We don't need them at the cruises or shows! This kind of activity is what correctly gets us a cop at the cruise! Think about it!
The rain was forcasted on Saturday so we chickened out on Louisa HS show. We figured it would rain about the time we were on the way home and we just didn't want to deal with that. So we went to Mountain View HS in Stafford. The jail deal was fun and Marshal brought out his AMC cars. There was a red vett 'show' car....with, I'm told, leather brake pads! So the chrome rotors wont scratch! OK The ice cream truck was there and that kept the Queen happy for a little while. Many got awards but the Princess didn't, she says she should have stayed in jail! It was an OK show.
Sunday....The cruising contingent of the Stafford Classics, decided to make a run to Williamsburg for lunch. Jim & Linda, Dan & Ramona, The Princess and the slacker met at the BB&T parking lot at 9AM and departed for Capt. Georges Seafood Restaurant in Williamsburg. The route we took is in rural VA and very picturesque in places. The road was good, except one small stretch of Rt.30, and the cars just hummed along. There were some tree branches and leaves on or near the road that had been recently ripped from the trees by storms, we had to dodge some of the debris. The food was, as I remembered at Capt Georges, very good, and I think the Princess went back too many times....our waitress clicked a hand counter whenever the Princess sat down with another mound of food! Too bad we can't have 'to go' boxes with wire handles like drywall buckets! I like the seafood but I really like the baklava....they make it almost right with the little nail like clove stuck in them....don't forget to take them out....I don't know what would happen if you ate one but it probably wouldn't be good. We gathered up and headed back to Stafford. We had 225 miles of sunny clear nice weather, unfortunately the trip lasted 233 miles! The last 8 or so miles were in a torrential downpour....again....This was the worst yet in the RedRat....coming up the hill to Walpole St on 630 it was raining so hard the RedRat just spun from side to side trying to go up the hill, like on snow or ice....I'm glad no one was coming the other way....I finally got to the top and lost communication with the Princess! I found out later that her walkie talkie's battery ran out....I have the industrial strength, NASA approved, extended life, nuclear powered battery in her walkie talkie, but the darn thing just won't last...maybe she talks too much? I didn't say that. Then Dan & Ramona ducked in the shopping center to put on their windshield wipers?....wimps....my wiper is still in Falls Church! Soooo we got home and cleaned off the outside and inside of the coupes.... tomorrow I'll start on the underneath....I need to get a 'road' car methinks. So we went 233 miles today and the RedRat gets about 14 mpg....when I'm driving it nice and easy....like that always happens. That calculates to about 16 gallons of gas for the day. Today's price is about 80 cents above what it was last year. And that means I spent $12.80 more on gas this Sunday than I would have last year.... $12.80 to spend a day with friends driving our cars, eating a nice meal, sharing our life's experiences with each other....I think it was a well spent $12.80!
Drive them cars....
Another....incident....Why do people think it is alright to do burnouts in crowded parking lots? There are children and other people walking around in between the cars, it just isn't safe! These people need to go somewhere else and do their childish, dangerous driving. We don't need them at the cruises or shows! This kind of activity is what correctly gets us a cop at the cruise! Think about it!
The rain was forcasted on Saturday so we chickened out on Louisa HS show. We figured it would rain about the time we were on the way home and we just didn't want to deal with that. So we went to Mountain View HS in Stafford. The jail deal was fun and Marshal brought out his AMC cars. There was a red vett 'show' car....with, I'm told, leather brake pads! So the chrome rotors wont scratch! OK The ice cream truck was there and that kept the Queen happy for a little while. Many got awards but the Princess didn't, she says she should have stayed in jail! It was an OK show.
Sunday....The cruising contingent of the Stafford Classics, decided to make a run to Williamsburg for lunch. Jim & Linda, Dan & Ramona, The Princess and the slacker met at the BB&T parking lot at 9AM and departed for Capt. Georges Seafood Restaurant in Williamsburg. The route we took is in rural VA and very picturesque in places. The road was good, except one small stretch of Rt.30, and the cars just hummed along. There were some tree branches and leaves on or near the road that had been recently ripped from the trees by storms, we had to dodge some of the debris. The food was, as I remembered at Capt Georges, very good, and I think the Princess went back too many times....our waitress clicked a hand counter whenever the Princess sat down with another mound of food! Too bad we can't have 'to go' boxes with wire handles like drywall buckets! I like the seafood but I really like the baklava....they make it almost right with the little nail like clove stuck in them....don't forget to take them out....I don't know what would happen if you ate one but it probably wouldn't be good. We gathered up and headed back to Stafford. We had 225 miles of sunny clear nice weather, unfortunately the trip lasted 233 miles! The last 8 or so miles were in a torrential downpour....again....This was the worst yet in the RedRat....coming up the hill to Walpole St on 630 it was raining so hard the RedRat just spun from side to side trying to go up the hill, like on snow or ice....I'm glad no one was coming the other way....I finally got to the top and lost communication with the Princess! I found out later that her walkie talkie's battery ran out....I have the industrial strength, NASA approved, extended life, nuclear powered battery in her walkie talkie, but the darn thing just won't last...maybe she talks too much? I didn't say that. Then Dan & Ramona ducked in the shopping center to put on their windshield wipers?....wimps....my wiper is still in Falls Church! Soooo we got home and cleaned off the outside and inside of the coupes.... tomorrow I'll start on the underneath....I need to get a 'road' car methinks. So we went 233 miles today and the RedRat gets about 14 mpg....when I'm driving it nice and easy....like that always happens. That calculates to about 16 gallons of gas for the day. Today's price is about 80 cents above what it was last year. And that means I spent $12.80 more on gas this Sunday than I would have last year.... $12.80 to spend a day with friends driving our cars, eating a nice meal, sharing our life's experiences with each other....I think it was a well spent $12.80!
Drive them cars....
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