[camaroman7d]

This is something I started about 6 months ago. I was tired of car shows, just sitting in one place all day paying $30-60 and dealing with the drama to win a $2.00 plastic trophy. So what I do is organize cruises, get a group of cars/people together and we go for a nice drive to some pre-determined location. No fees, no meetings, no club, NO DRAMA.

Here is our event from this weekend. We went to the Marin French Cheese Factory, in Petaluma, CA. We had several real nice Chevelles show up. Sheck out the pictures: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.728374887178105.1073741841.621145067901088&type=3

Let me know what you think.

 

[wjspindler]

IMO it sounds like a great idea. Definitely more fun to drive em than to look at em. Sitting at the shows all day does get old at times.

 

[jullsplv]

The time lapse photo is awesome...

 

[TMIproducts]

Awesome idea! I really like that. That's a big reason I don't go to a lot of shows...I get bored. I like some fun and action. I think that's a really neat idea you came up with!

 

[rick]

Terrific that you can organize and attract that many different types/styles of gear heads. From the late model T-Bird to the Metropolitan and the ratrod, all cool. Variety is the spice of life. Looks like all had a good time.

 

[Professor_SS]

I hope this catches on around here.... I took the car out... 5 times this year, to the mall cruise... geez put just under 60 miles on it.... I'd hate to
calc the cost per mile with, gas, oil change, insurance and the engine trans, interior update for this yr. hundred bucks plus a mile at least. I wanna drive

 

[camaroman7d]

Everyone that has attended one has loved it. If you are interested in doing it in your area, let me know I would be happy to help you or even have other "chapters" of Drive Your Junk. The page is already set-up, stickers, logo, and basic info already in place. It takes a little foot work to get it started, but what I have found is more and more people are getting tired of sitting in a parking lot or at the fairgrounds all day long. There were a lot of couples and the women really liked going for a ride seeing the country side. I am not making any money at this, it's a lot of work to schedule and plan a cruise route, etc.. I love cars, so it's worth it to me.

If you go to www.facebook.com/driveyourjunk and like the page. You can post (if you are a FB member), if you're not on facebook, you can still see everything, you just can't comment or share pictures.

I plan to have T-shirts soon, to help promote the idea. Still thinking of a motto. The mascot's name is Nutz.

The last cruise had over 30 cars and 50+ people.

I forgot to put the battery back in my GoPro or I would of had some very nice videos.

 

[bdr66]

I hope this catches on around here.... I took the car out... 5 times this year, to the mall cruise... geez put just under 60 miles on it.... I'd hate to
calc the cost per mile with, gas, oil change, insurance and the engine trans, interior update for this yr. hundred bucks plus a mile at least. I wanna drive

So drive! Head out of the neighborhood and just take random roads then see where you end up.

 

[oktunes]

The group of car guys I run with around here (10-20) usually all go to a cruise pretty much every Fri nite and Sat every other week or so. No charge to drive, park in a lot and get out chairs, walk around and talk, eat in a close by place. NO charge at any of the cruises and you leave when you want. Most of these cruises draw 100-300 cars and are within 30 miles or so.

We do go a to a couple car shows, but all but one is free and the other is for a local charity. Several of us do not let our cars be judged.

Back in the 80's our rod club used to make every rod run around here. I realized I was paying $20 or so to park my car, sit in a chair and look at the cars I saw the week before. I quit all runs except the Street Rod Nats.

 

[camaroman7d]

The group of car guys I run with around here (10-20) usually all go to a cruise pretty much every Fri nite and Sat every other week or so. No charge to drive, park in a lot and get out chairs, walk around and talk, eat in a close by place. NO charge at any of the cruises and you leave when you want. Most of these cruises draw 100-300 cars and are within 30 miles or so.

We do go a to a couple car shows, but all but one is free and the other is for a local charity. Several of us do not let our cars be judged.

Back in the 80's our rod club used to make every rod run around here. I realized I was paying $20 or so to park my car, sit in a chair and look at the cars I saw the week before. I quit all runs except the Street Rod Nats.

Matt,

That's exactly it, I will do a show here or there if it supports a cause/charity, but no more lining the pockets of people.

We have a ton of local cruise-ins, burger runs, but I prefer to actually drive/cruise, not park for longer than it took to get there. All the cruises I plan are to a destination and that is usually a small business of some sort. They really appreciate the business and it makes a difference to them.

 

[70RAIII]

I hate car shows....they're boring. I know a few people around here and we get together for a cruise once in awhile....not often enough though...

here's a couple of pics

 

[camaroman7d]

Nice Joe!! What part of California are you in? Guessing southern?

 

[oktunes]

I think most guys forget what we did when we were 16-10 years old. We drove thru the one fast food place we had, "Frischs". You went thru about 2 mph behind a line of cars. Than you would pull out and maybe hot rod a little, drive a few blocks around the downtown and drive back thru. Maybe even drive 5-7 miles to another drive in at the other end of town. If you were really adventurous, you would drive 10 miles to the next town and cruise the "Ranchouse", another drive in. All the while trying to make your car lope when you were idling thru, or hot rodding around when you hit the downtown streets at nightime.

It was all about driving around in our cars! We have double decker bridge that goes into the west end of Louisville. When it opened, around 67, guys would set up races in the Frischs lot and drive the 2 miles down the street in front, then up on the bridge to race. It's a nice 3 lane each way bridge. Lots of racing on that bridge back in the 60's. Those were the days. It's pretty much the way all the guys in my generation got into the car hobby.

 

[camaroman7d]

We use to cruise every Friday and Saturday, I knew all the hot cruise spots most of which not do not allow "cruising". We went everywhere from San Jose, Sacramento, Reno, Woodland, Richmond, San Fancisco, etc.. Cars bumper to bumper, guys looking at all the pretty girls etc.. Good times!!

 

[70RAIII]

Nice Joe!! What part of California are you in? Guessing southern?

Central Valley...Modesto area..

1st pic was taken in the mountains....around hwy 88
2nd pic was taken out by Mines rd...just outside of Livermore

 

[71350SS]

We use to cruise every Friday and Saturday, I knew all the hot cruise spots most of which not do not allow "cruising". We went everywhere from San Jose, Sacramento, Reno, Woodland, Richmond, San Fancisco, etc.. Cars bumper to bumper, guys looking at all the pretty girls etc.. Good times!!

The local cruise street around here got shut down with tickets too.I think thats when most of the cruisers went to the chairs.
Camaroman thats a great idea,I hope it catches on around here too.

 

[Tod74]

I am really glad so many of you enjoy showing your cars , because I love to look at them. I love to go look at car shows just never thought I would enjoy sitting there all day with a car. I can't say for sure since I have never done it. I suppose it's like anything else....you have the fellowship with other car people that you make friends with....bug dont you get bored sitting there all day?

 

[camaroman7d]

Central Valley...Modesto area..

1st pic was taken in the mountains....around hwy 88
2nd pic was taken out by Mines rd...just outside of Livermore

Oh cool, you are close enough to cruise with us. I want to plan an event down your way next season. I may pick your brain, if you don't mind.

 

[Professor_SS]

I should add, our two local towns enacted no cruise zones, the majority of the parking lots that used to be the fri/sat night parking spots have run the car guys off or the cops have, even the mall cruise is now limited to 5 until 8:30 and security starts breaking it up just after, while the local police hang on the side roads to pick up the odd cruiser leaving the mall.

 

[camaroman7d]

I am really glad so many of you enjoy showing your cars , because I love to look at them. I love to go look at car shows just never thought I would enjoy sitting there all day with a car. I can't say for sure since I have never done it. I suppose it's like anything else....you have the fellowship with other car people that you make friends with....bug dont you get bored sitting there all day?

When you have been away from car shows for a while or bring out a "new" car, it can be interesting for a season, maybe two. You will soon realize you are seeing the same cars over and over and over. What I did to combat that is travel to shows that were further away from home, so I could see cars that were different as well as let people see my car that normally wouldn't see it. I have traveled close to 200 mile each way just to see different cars. I am not knocking people that like car shows, I don't have anything against that if you enjoy it. I have done my fair share. I have a pile of dust collecting trophies (they are really just piled in a corner), I just don't get excited about "winning" a trophy, that's not what it's about to me. I respect everyone's build no matter what the quality is. Who am I to judge? On that same note, I really don't care who likes or doesn't like my car as long as I enjoy it that's all that matters. The silly questions at car shows get old too, I recently (August) had my all time most silly question. The guy (grown man) was as serious as a heart attack and asked me if my car "came like that from the factory or if it was modified". Now if you haven't seen my car this question isn't so bad. If you have seen it, then anyone would know it isn't something that is factory stock (it's the blue/white blown 1961 Buick Skylark in the pictures).

Yes, car shows do get VERY boring, some are better than others. If there are things to do and see it helps. You can only sit in your chair baking in the sun and answer questions for so long. You will typically find a group of guys that you will hang with at events, but that gets old too (same stories over and over). You spend more time cleaning the car than driving it.

This is my take on car shows. I do get it, I enjoy some of them. In either case driving to and from is the best part to me.