Thread: Last trip to nats?

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Louisville is a very nice facility............but I guess I'm sick of the sameness of it all.....especialy the drive.......my wife hasn't gone lately, she got sick of the sameness sooner than me.

If it's on the same weekend as Bonneville again (ridiculous), for sure I'm not going there.......some real hot rod guys running the show????..... Bonneville should be #1 on every hot rodders bucket list..........Louisville maybe#5.

Goodguy's Columbus has a 1972 cut off date, (better than 1980), so maybe I'll go there!....it's their Nationals.

Or maybe Back to The 50's.......the fair grounds in St. Paul has lots of shade trees.

I just enjoyed the second day of the 2009 Richmond NSRA Nationals which has the "up to 1979" rule now. There were a lot of amazing high quality cars there, some so amazing one can wonder what amount of work and money went into them. It would be easy to be discouraged after seeing so many fine machines, but I will plug on to do my best with my own build. Here a few of the cars I saw. The first is a 1979 Z28 who a guy bought recently with only 9000 miles on it and he was merely cleaning up an almost new car but would you really deny such a perfect car that is now some 30 years old and in fantastic condition? The second picture is my favorite of a real 1932 Ford Cabriolet, the third is a short row of '32s, still the king of rods(!) and a very interesting '26 T coupe with model A wheels and a neat 17 stud Ford V8-60, a popular conversion in bygone days. In my opinion there were still a LOT of pre-48 cars there and most of the post '48 cars were very well prepared muscle cars including a lot of nice '55-57 Chevies. The last picture is of a very rare Nash "tub" convertible sedan!

Don Shillady
Retired Scientist/teen rodder

Nice pics Don. Nice mix too! Thanks for posting these and post some more if you have em!

Stovens, I took 26 pictures but wish I had more. In keeping with the idea of a mix and guessing some of the interest on this Forum here are some that might be of interest. There was one car I did not get a picture of that had plates from Hawaii, which made us wonder how it got to the East Coast. Interestingly my wife really likes these events but she ignores all the "modern cars" and looks for the Model A-type which is why we are building an A! My wife offered up a new interpretation of Rat Rods of which there were only a few along with some sporting the black primer look; according to her those cars are "unfinished"! Next to the Nash tub was a nice Stude and you can see the front of the Nash. The Nash did not seem to have any performance enhancements beyond cosmetic chrome acorns on the head bolts but it is nice; the Stude was a full house setup but I did not get a picture of the engine. There were several nice '36 Ford coupes and here is one. The next picture is one of several very smooth shoeboxes with a Pontiac grill and a flathead engine. There seemed to be more flatheads this year than I remembr from other years and here is a very well done '32 with polished Fenton headers. Finally here is one of the most elaborate paint jobs that I saw, although it is "too much" for my taste.

Don Shillady
Retired Scientist/teen rodder

Originally Posted by Don Shillady

The first is a 1979 Z28 who a guy bought recently with only 9000 miles on it and he was merely cleaning up an almost new car but would you really deny such a perfect car that is now some 30 years old and in fantastic condition?

Yes I could deny it ...

Nice enough Camaro but it should be at a Camaro/Chevrolet event ... not a street rod event IMHO.

The place looks like a GoodGuys event

Well, I talked to a friend of mine this morning who attended the NSRA event in Knoxville over the weekend. He came home saying there was no love there for the change. There was a lot of complaining going on to the NSRA reps and one of the reps told him that as of the time they were talking only one person had expressed to him they were doing the right thing. One of the things most people didn't like is that they aren't changing the name of the organization. According to what people at the event were saying, they don't want to redefine the term "streetrod". I don't know that people will "boycott" NSRA events, but I do believe streetrodders desire to have a streetrod only organization. According to my friend there was a lot of talk going on about having smaller local events. There we go.....spark some interest in street rodding in our local areas and keep street rodding alive. We can't keep all the people alive, but the cars are still here and more rods are being build every day. I know in my area, the interest in streetrods is low but at the same time there are no local shows, and the market has been driven to where the youth can't afford it. If it is wrong to have a streetrod only organization, we need to do away with all the Corvette clubs, Camaro clubs, F100 clubs, and Mustang clubs. This has been definately driven by greed and not by the love of street rods. We were talking just this morning about getting together as street rodders more in our area. I teach a High School auto shop class and we have three streetrods in the shop right now. I'm only 34 and all streetrodders are not dying. I own a '66 stepside Chevrolet pickup and my current daily driver is a Florida Highway Patrol unmarked special service Mustang, one of only I believe 137 Police units made. It's a rare car and I'm proud of it but 14 years from now, when it is 30 years old, I will still have no desire to take it to a "streetrod" show....that's what I own a streetrod for.

What would NSRA members think if the cost to go to an event was raised to about$200 or $250 and once you get there it bascially is a parking lot?
The reason I say this as a vendor I help keep the cost down by spending in the tens of thousands for my spot at some events. Once I get there you have 600 or 700 cars some times less due to the cost of street rods or the older crowd not getting a yonger group involved.
As a vendor I want to get my product in front of as many people as possible or take the money it cost for the setup, crew, space , meals and , travel and put it in TV or print ads
35Chev you say you are 34....how many guys do you see at events with cars that are our age?
You see many more at GG

I have both a streetrod and a 50's kustom, so this change means I can now choose which one to take. I used to go an take tons of pictures of a lot of cars at the York Nats each year, but after a while I stopped. Same cars, different year. Got kind of boring. Adding some flavor from the 50's and 60''s might be nice especially if they had a pre-73 cut off.


I've been to a couple of the NSRA events where the pre-73's were there, but they were still out numbered by the rods. So I suspect it could be several years before the word gets around about the new age limits. I mean, how many people who are not NSRA members actually read StreetScene? Not a helluva lot I would guess. So it might take a little time to see the ugly hordes of late 70's cars make the shows. I was really glad to see more and more "traditional" and "ol'skool" rods beginning to show, but with thirty year rule that might end too.


If you really don't want to deal with the change, there are still pre-49 events out there. Frog Follies for one, and I am sure there are many more in every state. So find out where they are and attend. I'm sure they will be very pleased with your participation.

Originally Posted by iceburgh

I cant believe how many people dont like change....what happens when the NSRA members are to damn old to fix or drive their cars and the younger crowd could care less becuase they were never involved.
Part of getting older folks....time to deal with it. Cant stay young forever and the show must go on with or with out you.
NSRA members can blame them selves on this one just like they can blame them selves when they are sitting home on weekends

I haven't posted here in months, but after reading this thread, I gotta agree with Iceburgh 100%. I'm 34 too, and can tell you that when I go to the NSRA East Coast Nats in York, my brother (29) and I are about the youngest guys there that didn't ride in the backseat of grandpa's sedan. My 59 year old dad even made note of this as we stood in line for registration credentials last year, laughing that even HE was one of the younger guys.

I also know that as alot of rodders get older they tend to go to less events, and spend less time there when they do go. On the flipside of this is the "other" event I take my 32 to every year, Columbus Goodguys... here is a TOTALLY different mood and feel, with lots of innovative stuff, younger guys mixed in with the older guys, hot rods, traditional cars, exotic customs, musclecars, etc... with something for EVERYONE, and the place is bustling with activity all weekend long. I'm not knocking the NSRA, or older rodders at all, in fact, I love hanging out with the guys who've been doing this stuff since they were my age or younger, but the fact is... they are not my age or younger anymore, and it's time to get the new generation involved and interested in this stuff too.

When you guys who have been into this stuff for 30 years were just getting interested, did you have cars that are 30 years older than the ones you're into now? Probably not, you were into the same cars then as you are now... so its not hard to understand why people 30 years younger than you are into a different era of cars than you were at their age.

I comment the NSRA for not just sitting around and watching fewer and fewer cars attend each event each year and instead doing something to involve a new group of enthusiasts who are just as passionate and interested in the hobby as anyone. Now my buddies who own classic Chevelles, Camaros, Cuda's etc. can attend events with me, and everyone can have fun together instead of having to go to different shows alone simply because of the year of our cars. My Deuce isn't really "pre-48" anyhow, as there's probably not a part on it that was made earlier than 2005, so why say it's acceptable but a totally original sheetmetal '62 Bel Air is not? Never really did make sense... glad others are finally realizing this also.

Its also funny to note that when an event is big people b*tch that its too crowded and has too many cars and say they won't go back...but if car registrations fall off one year, then they b*tch that it wasn't as big as before, was nothing to see, and they aren't going back... i guess you can't please everyone regardless of what happens.

My son and Me went to Springfield for the mid america nats. and what a show. we are planning on going every year now. I have to admit that I like the older rides and not seeing the corvettes and camaros. (dont be hateing). we like nsra because they let the hot rods cruise the pits unlike goodguys. I guess I really dont care I just want look at the newer stuff unless it catches my eyes then i will. Cant wait for next year

I have attended every Goodguys Columbus and have attended every NSRA Louisville Nats since 1988. Louisville Nats is a spectacular event and adding years would greatly change personality of the event. Last year, I think there were over 12,000 1948 and under! Ohio Cruisin Times editor said it best: We are not dying off that fast to make this huge change of adding 30 years of cars. The older guys really hate this. NSRA was one of a few places where 1948 and under were allowed. Maybe NSRA should have made the change in smaller increments. Say, go first to 1954, than to mid 60's, then 1970. Yes, lately, more baby boomers are dying off. We should be working harder to think of ways to get the young people interested in the old cars NOT just add newer cars. When the old cars get sold, another younger crowd gets involved. I think Eastern Nationals York, Pa will be telling. The Eastern Nats have more traditional hot rods, 7 out of 10 are black with white sidewalls, DooWoop, etc.

Originally Posted by heatwave

I have attended every Goodguys Columbus and have attended every NSRA Louisville Nats since 1988. Louisville Nats is a spectacular event and adding years would greatly change personality of the event. Last year, I think there were over 12,000 1948 and under! Ohio Cruisin Times editor said it best: We are not dying off that fast to make this huge change of adding 30 years of cars. The older guys really hate this. NSRA was one of a few places where 1948 and under were allowed. Maybe NSRA should have made the change in smaller increments. Say, go first to 1954, than to mid 60's, then 1970. Yes, lately, more baby boomers are dying off. We should be working harder to think of ways to get the young people interested in the old cars NOT just add newer cars. When the old cars get sold, another younger crowd gets involved. I think Eastern Nationals York, Pa will be telling. The Eastern Nats have more traditional hot rods, 7 out of 10 are black with white sidewalls, DooWoop, etc.

Enough said

Originally Posted by iceburgh

Enough said

I'm 40 years old and I really hate this change too!

DooWoop,

I can only assume you mean Doo-Wop. York has a growing "traditional" crowd, still less than 5 percent of the total cars. Actually, I really enjoy seeing the old school rods (but not the rats). There is a greater number of trad hotrods at places like NSRA Tampa, which has been open to newer cars for 2 years. Even with the addtion of the newer cars, the growth has only been about 300 cars (1300 rods to 1600 rods and customs).

That's about a 23% increase, I am sure NSRA at York would love to see a 23% increase in participants. That would bring them up from 4400 last year to about 5400. Back in the late 90's, there use to be 5400 - 6000 rods at York. Then changes occur (new buildings, smaller swap meet area, no RV/camping, etc) plus higher gas prices and a recession. Most likely opening the door to newer cars is the way that they see it happening.

When I registered in May last year my number was 2864, this year it is 1857. Hopefully the numbers will increase by show time. If NSRA York continues to lose participation, there is no doubt in my mind that NSRA will begin to look for "greener" locations. Just like Goodguys did when they left Carlisle in 1998 and went to Columbus.

I just wish they had made the cut off year 1972, at the end of the muscle car era.

In case any of you intend to boycot York in 2010, I'll let you know how it turns out. I have every intention of going. Just got to choose between the 34 Plymouth and the 57 Olds.

I read this elsewhere on the net ... it was from the NSRA

Questions & Answers On The Plus Years

Why did you pick 30 years and not 20 years? Why have it roll up a year every year?

Why NOT use a cut off date instead like 1972 or 1975. At this rate it won’t be long and we’ll have all the Rice Rockets out there with us!

#1 – 30 YEARS

#2 – CUT-OFFIn 2004, when the National Street Rod Association announced the current Richmond Nationals and the former Milwaukee Nationals. It was decided to use a thirty years and older entry requirement. At the time eligible vehicles were 1975 and older. It was also chosen for the 2007 Golden State Nationals, Northeast Nationals and Southeast Nationals. For 2010 the same thirty years and older entry requirement has been chosen making all of our events the same.

For information…

As points of reference: In 1970, a twenty-two year entry requirement was used (1948 and older vehicles). The eligibility requirement has been in increased by eight years when comparing beginning (1970) to beginning (2005, 2007 and 2010).Of twenty-six states randomly selected, but to include states we hold events in, twenty-one states are at twenty-five years, one is a twenty-six year, two are at thirty years and two are at thirty-five years for DMV issued antique license plates (called classic in one, collector in one, historical in two and pioneer in one).

A cut-off date was discussed but not chosen. Eventually, in another twenty, thirty or forty years, a change in the entry requirement would have to be made again.Having nothing to do with our decision, mention is made that the
respected Syracuse Nationals has a 2009 eligibility requirement of 1980 and older.

Was this decision based on Money?

　#3 MONEY

Money is not the issue. If it was we could…

…Increase any and/or all fees (entry, membership, exhibitor, spectator, swap meet, womens world; et cetera).

… discontinue the event tumblers, Fellow Pages, Safety Program, SRN Top

Participant Prize, Sunday Sweep Stakes and /or Super Prize Program.

Aren’t Street Rods Pre-48 cars?

#4 – STREET ROD

For forty years NSRA has recognized a vehicle 1948 and older or manufactured to resemble a vehicle 1948 and older as a street rod. Others have and will continue to broaden the definition. Knowing our past, is why our event names will change to include the word "Plus". An example is: Street Rod Nationals Plus.

What are we going to call this new organization now?

#5 – NAME

The same as/since 1970- National Street Rod Association and /or an acronym of

NSRA.

How come I wasn’t asked about this decision? How come I didn’t get to vote on this?

#6 – NOT ASKED, NO VOTE

We have been hearing from our members to make a change and what was once the minority has become the majority. Asking not "if" but "when".

Is this decision set in stone? What changes can I expect to be made?

#7 - SET IN STONE

For 2010- vehicles thirty years old and older will be accepted for participation. NSRA has not had any issues with this requirement since we began using it in 2005.

Has NSRA sold to new owners? Is that why these changes have come about?

#8- OWNERSHIP

NSRA’s ownership has not changed.

9. What will happen when the Boom Boxes show up? What about the cars that jump

up and down?

#9 – UNDESIRABLE PARTICIPANT ACTIVITY

Will be addressed as it has been for thirty-nine plus years. Examples include but are not limited to burnouts, open headers, flame throwers, high output stereo systems and street rodders showing pornographic movies by the headquarters hotel pool in 1976.

Where will I park when all the newer cars show up? What if there is No Parking?

#10- PARKING

Participants will be able to park in any area available for participant parking, the same as now and in the past. NSRA has never had an event where a participant was turned away for lack of parking. We will continue to use our event facilities to optimize space for our participants.

I have heard that if I bring my newer car to the fairgrounds it will be vandalized?

#11- VANDALIZED VEHICLES

We cannot prevent damage to anyone’s personal property due to the willful intent of an individual. We have, to our knowledge, never had this occur. We also believe and hope the high regard we have for our members/participants will not be diminished by any act of vandalism.

I am ok with opening up some of the events, jut NOT the Nationals!

#12 – NOT THE STREET ROD NATIONALS

We do not believe it would be proper to ask someone to be a member and attend any or all of our events with the exception of the biggest event we produce.

Will we allow foreign cars in to our event?

#13- FOREIGN VEHICLES

Foreign vehicles have always been accepted at our events. Four example would be Anglias, Jaguars, Mecedes-Benz and Rolls Royce – of which some have been at our most recent events.


To which I say ...

BULL feathers

which is a polite way of saying BULL $^!#