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The car hobby is very alive here in Minnesota. The "Back to the Fifties" event brings as many as 13,000 cars, all 1964 and earlier, to the state fairgrounds in St. Paul. The Street Machine Nationals, formerly The Car Craft Summer Nationals, brings in a few thousand cars also at the St. Paul Fairgrounds. World of Wheel was just this last weekend. The Donnie Smith Motorcycle and car show is a great show with a lot of people. There are several other great annual shows too. Then of course there are tons of local weekly drive in shows at different cities and towns all over the state. There is even a weekly local drive in show at an old former A&W that has been the Minnetonka Drive In for decades. It's only 3 blocks from my house. A lot of gorgeous cars show up there.
Then for racing you have the Brainerd International Raceway with road racing and drag racing including the NHRA Lucas Oil Nationals. Several roundy round tracks. There is an autocross club that has events all summer. Another active dragstrip in Litchfield. There's a lot of truck and tractor pulls during the year too.
If you can't find something to do that is car related here, you have your head stuck in the sand!
Right, just what i was thinking special big shows bring people out even if it is once a year,
This really doesn't change the point BJ was making in the stangnant thread that many cars just sit...they do.
Thanks for pointing that out Bats . The point of my thread was not to say that the cruises and car shows are dying but that there is a problem for someone to jump in with new projects if they are looking at the ridiculously priced project cars . I am one that thinks that it will continue to grow with the cars that are already done and even think that some of the younger people can be persuaded to jump in but will most likely be looking for something that is already done because it is cheaper unless a family member has a car to donate . That would probably make it practical .
I posted this thread because I wanted to make a point that your buddy did not make, but there was another thread that discussed this topic last week. Your pal was disappointed that he could not buy cars fix them up and sell them to make money anymore. I don't care anything about that. I posted this thread to discuss the fact that there is still a lot of interest in old cars.
Since you are not a moderator I suppose this topic is OK to discuss.
Why do you insist on arguing about everything I post? This is not a controversial subject.
I can't seem to get through to some of you that I never said that I personally want to buy any projects to fix up and sell . I specifically said that I am retired and have no interest in doing any more projects so go back and read it again !
Daytona still seems to be drawing large crowds every year. Thanksgiving Turkey Run boasts upwards of 7000 cars, plus 2500 vendors in the swap meet.
The Spring Run in March is about half that size though.
I can't seem to get through to some of you that I never said that I personally want to buy any projects to fix up and sell . I specifically said that I am retired and have no interest in doing any more projects so go back and read it again !
Last edited by crawfish333; 03-20-2017 at 08:14 PM.
Daytona still seems to be drawing large crowds every year. Thanksgiving Turkey Run boasts upwards of 7000 cars, plus 2500 vendors in the swap meet.
The Spring Run in March is about half that size though.
Goat, i went two years ago, the swap meet was huge, walked miles but weed out new dollar store junk, arts and crafts, and other flea market type tripe and what was left of car stuff was surly vendors with prices higher than ebay,
Look at old town was a huge weekly event 100s of cars now well have you been lately....
car stuff was surly vendors with prices higher than ebay,
Oh, no doubt there are a LOT of those.... but I`m usually still able to find some pretty good bargains over there. But then, for me, the hunt is part of the fun! And IF I was in the market for a "project".... there are plenty of those over there as well....and among the over-priced junkers, there`s usually at least a couple of them that are affordable!
Like already pointed out, there is the two Daytona events, the spring event (March 24-26) and the Turkey Trot Rod Run over Thanksgiving.
There used to be a Good Guys show at Orlando at the fairgrounds in the summer. Not sure if they still do.
Every first Sunday except July and August is the big swap at Sumter County Fairgrounds at Bushnell, FL. About a mile down the road is Webster which used to have a large bike showing but I've heard they are increasing the car show side significantly.
Then there is the swap meet at Mount Dora the second Sunday each month.
March 31st - April 2nd at Florida State Fairgrounds in Tampa is expected to have 1300 cars.
On the 3rd Saturday, go to Dam Smoker Barbecue at 36721 County Road 19A of on the 4th Saturday, go downtown Eustis to the cruise there. Ask the ones running it for a Mike Kelly's Cruise News magazine. You'll find a schedule of show events and weekly cruise events.
The National Street Rod Association has an event at Florida State Fairgrounds in Tampa on 3/31, 4/1, and 4/2. There should be well over a 1000 cars. It used to be limited to pre '49 but now they allow 50s, 60s, and 70s cars.
When you adjust for today's prices versus yesterday's prices, today really isn't that bad.
Back when I bought my '67 coupe (8 years old), it took about 14 weeks of my pay to pay for the coupe. My '63 convertible (13 years old) was about 11 weeks.
Today, I could buy a C4 and some C5s for 5 to 10 weeks, so it is actually cheaper to buy old Corvettes today than back then. And I could get about the same performance for the buck.
The problem is parts. But we are buying new reproduction parts for about what used parts were costing then, based on money earned. So really, we aren't that far off. I remember in the late '70s at Bloomington seeing midyear front ends complete for roughly $2000. It was amazing considering just a couple of years before, you could buy whole cars for that. But the one-piece front ends new were $600 to $800 based on who was selling.
Today, you get a reproduction match-molded assembled front end for about $4500. That is a little more than double, but my weekly pay is much more than double what it was in the late '70s. So really, a front end is cheaper, and it is new.
This is why the hobby can continue in spite of rising prices.
What is necessary is to get younger people involved. Many simply aren't into Corvettes. Sad, because many could buy a C4 for $5000 or $6000 and have a great car with a lot of potential. Today, it is hard to buy any decent car for that price.
Last edited by Procrastination Racing; 03-21-2017 at 12:10 AM.
From the South Oceanside Elementary School car show last weekend.
The second shot is a future C-3 fan. He told me he prefer's the chrome bumper ones over the 75 parked behind my car. I like this kid.
In two weeks, my car is at the GG Del Mar California show expecting over 2500 cars. I will count how many C-3's I see there.
Every year SEMA gets larger and larger. They ran out of room inside and moved outside for the extra room and now that is filled. Hersey, Pa keeps growing as does Carlisle, Pa car shows. The car hobby has a lot of upside potential, just remember the auction prices 10 years ago for MOPARs, high end Corvettes, Shelby and Cobras.
I wasn't being sarcastic, I really do have a thing for station wagons as my first car was a station wagon.
And you`re not alone! One of my "dream" cars was always to build a 1966 Pontiac Tempest wagon.... with GTO front clip, badges, and 389 tri-power with a 4 speed!
As a MUCH younger man, I had a 66 Catalina wagon for a few years. Talk about a "land yacht"!
And you`re not alone! One of my "dream" cars was always to build a 1966 Pontiac Tempest wagon.... with GTO front clip, badges, and 389 tri-power with a 4 speed!
As a MUCH younger man, I had a 66 Catalina wagon for a few years. Talk about a "land yacht"!
I wasn't being sarcastic, I really do have a thing for station wagons as my first car was a station wagon.
I hear ya but the only station wagon that really catches my eye when I see them is an olds "Vista Cruiser" , the one with the glass roof panels in the rear. Wouldn't mind owning one.
03-20-2017, 03:33 PM
