Sad Story...

[MrNewportCustom]

May 3 and 4, 2008

Forgotten Man, and anyone else interested, Chrysler Performance West's Spring Fling is coming up. Mark your calendars for May 3 and 4. Woodley Park, in Van Nuys, CA.

It's an all Mopar show and parts exchange. I go every year (also to their Fall Fling - same show, but only one day). Spectators are free. Go to CPWCLUB.com or call (818) 759-1779 for details and registration info.

I saw these beautiful vehicles there last year.

Lee

 

[Forgotten Man]

"Rat Rods" are another animal entirely... those guys take rusty cars (for the most part) and turn them into working machines that really are kinda cool... they only use older parts and are kinda fun.

My gripe is when someone buys a nice stock car, that's 99% ready for restoration... then strip it and paint it satin black and try and "Rockabilly" it. You'll see Oceans of those at Viva

What gets me is that some feel that a stock car is "un-cool" because it reminds them of their grandfather or something... Well, if you think about it, most people's grandfathers did this stuff in the 50's and 60's so, any old car done anyway is GRAMPY STYLE!

 

[Forgotten Man]

Forgotten Man, and anyone else interested, Chrysler Performance West's Spring Fling is coming up. Mark your calendars for May 3 and 4. Woodley Park, in Van Nuys, CA.

It's an all Mopar show and parts exchange. I go every year (also to their Fall Fling - same show, but only one day). Spectators are free. Go to CPWCLUB.com or call (818) 759-1779 for details and registration info.

Lee

OH BOY! Now, I've been wantin' to go to this show! And I think my little P-15 will be ready for it! I'll mark it down and I'll try and be there!

By the way, I've seen that '32 Chrysler at Bob's one night... I couldn't believe it! And it was parked in-between an 80's Volvo wagon and a late 70's Corvette... lol... talk about a pearl cast between two swine!

 

[MrNewportCustom]

What gets me is that some feel that a stock car is "un-cool" because it reminds them of their grandfather or something...

Funny you should mention that. Shortly after I got my car, I met my brother and a few of our friends at the Santa Anita mall because they wanted to see it. We were going from there to a restaurant, so I offered a ride to anyone who wanted one. One gal refused to get into it, because the old car scent reminded her of her grandparents.

Go figure!

Anyway, be there if you can and we'll meet up. Afterward, we'll go to Autobooks/Aerobooks - an after-show tradition for me - and we'll see if Jay Leno shows up again (It's almost certain he'll visit the show).

Don't worry about "ready." ALL cars are ready for show.

Hope to see you there.


Lee

 

[59Lark]

cool cars from the past

40s chrylser products were cool, but i have always been fond of the orphans, studebaker, which i own one. HUDSON, NASH, etc, something about the last of the independents or the fact that you have one of the few left. Ask the man that owns one packard. I once sat down at a gathering of studebaker owners and the comment was made can you see someone collecting in the future 1975 honda civics. Sitting behind the wheel, the large wheel, no power steering wearing your fedora because this car has enough head room. The glow of the tube radio, harlem nocturn playing on the radio. Going down the road slowly in the evening and people turning twice to really believe what they just saw going by. The whine of the generator, tappet sounds, waiting for the radio to heat up, the smell of the old interior. Even if its old junk its rock and roll to me. Its not wrong to be different, as my late father would say dont be sheep boys, you know what the wolfs do to the sheeps. mike 59 lark.

 

[Twitch]

I must say I wonder what makes us folks become brand loyal to cars and what did it in the old days. I mean besides the huge Ford and Chevy sales Chrysler did pretty well, but there were so many other independents with loyal followings, at least for some years.

Hudson, Nash, Packard, Essex, Hupmobile, Willys, Graham and others had customers. Packard was mainstream by the late 1930s, is why I included it with the average brands.

As we today perhaps wish we had more car brands I guess there's no way for that to work but it is interesting to look back and wonder what attracted customers to Hupmobiles or Grahams.

 

[SamMarlowPI]

"Rat Rods" are another animal entirely... those guys take rusty cars (for the most part) and turn them into working machines that really are kinda cool... they only use older parts and are kinda fun.

absolutely...no two are alike...

 

[Flivver]

I must say I wonder what makes us folks become brand loyal to cars and what did it in the old days. I mean besides the huge Ford and Chevy sales Chrysler did pretty well, but there were so many other independents with loyal followings, at least for some years.

Hudson, Nash, Packard, Essex, Hupmobile, Willys, Graham and others had customers. Packard was mainstream by the late 1930s, is why I included it with the average brands.

As we today perhaps wish we had more car brands I guess there's no way for that to work but it is interesting to look back and wonder what attracted customers to Hupmobiles or Grahams.

I would guess that brand loyalty back then was formed in much the same way it is today...through past good experience with the brand.

Huppmobile, for example had a long standing reputation for building solid, reliable cars. Their slogan in the mid thirties was "Hupp has always built a good car". Other brands that built on their good reputations with slogans included Packard..."Ask the man who owns one", Buick..."When better automobiles are built, Buick will build them", and Dodge..."Dependable".

Just as most Toyota owners today are fiercely loyal to their favorite brand, I suspect that in the Golden Era, Dodge owners were similarly loyal.

In some cases, distinctive styling can play a role too...