Car show

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Steve welder

Steve welder

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Took the car to a annual show, the only one id go to. I find these shows too long a day and I dont like leaving my wife home alone all day.
Met a lot of nice folks and many nice cars, saw a lot of guys I know. Met the son of a guy I worked for who had a old Mack tractor beautifully restored, haven't seen this guy in decades
Guy in a really nice 65 Corvette parked next to me, bought me cup of coffee, all in all great day
But it was one guy checking out my car that stood out.
He was a older man, well maybe not much older than me but the guy was rail thin skinny and walked with then use of two cane crutches. He was with his daughter middle aged woman and im guess her son
The guy was obviously in poor health
The guy really carried on about my car and was excited to see it. Turned out he had a 69 convertible like mine he bought new way back when.
His smile was ear to ear and although I couldn't understand every word he said I know for those brief moments looking at my car, he was a young vibrant man again, prime of life and my car for that little bit of time took him back to those days
I spent a little more time with him and his family and they thanked me and left
Made my day that I could make someone smile like that man did
Maybe its just me but while I like talking about cars to other car guys its the interactions with people strolling along looking at all the old cars and the short conversations we share
No bullshit no current events, just enjoyable stories that centre around happier times and involve cars
 
That's probably my favorite thing about mine - I can't count how many conversations strangers have started with me that began "I remember..."

I love seeing the memories brought out in my car. I was born almost 2 decades after my Dart, but I am honored to be the current curator and I hope the next person loves it just as much as I do.
 
Steve welder said:
Took the car to a annual show, the only one id go to. I find these shows too long a day and I dont like leaving my wife home alone all day.
Met a lot of nice folks and many nice cars, saw a lot of guys I know. Met the son of a guy I worked for who had a old Mack tractor beautifully restored, haven't seen this guy in decades
Guy in a really nice 65 Corvette parked next to me, bought me cup of coffee, all in all great day
But it was one guy checking out my car that stood out.
He was a older man, well maybe not much older than me but the guy was rail thin skinny and walked with then use of two cane crutches. He was with his daughter middle aged woman and im guess her son
The guy was obviously in poor health
The guy really carried on about my car and was excited to see it. Turned out he had a 69 convertible like mine he bought new way back when.
His smile was ear to ear and although I couldn't understand every word he said I know for those brief moments looking at my car, he was a young vibrant man again, prime of life and my car for that little bit of time took him back to those days
I spent a little more time with him and his family and they thanked me and left
Made my day that I could make someone smile like that man did
Maybe its just me but while I like talking about cars to other car guys its the interactions with people strolling along looking at all the old cars and the short conversations we share
No bullshit no current events, just enjoyable stories that centre around happier times and involve cars
Click to expand...
You hit the nail on the head. "My dad had a 340 Duster and..." (even though mine's a Demon) or "I had a friend that had a 340 and that car was so fast it..." or "I had one of these and sure wish I had never sold it as..."

Eyes light up and big smiles and no BS just genuinely friendly discussions take place. And if we're there with our car, it must be decent weather so makes for a good time.
 
Every time I have been to a show with my 70 Dart or more recently my 76 Pontiac Ventura, there are people who have come up and said they had one, or a relative had one "just like that, and boy does that bring back some great memories".
That's why I enjoy the shows, not for a cheap trophy that is only going to collect dust on a shelf for a few years before ending up in a box. For the interaction with the people who appreciate the time and effort that it has taken to get the car to the point it's in.
 
Those are the type of people that I ask if they want to sit in it as well. It's usually younger kids, but when they get to sit inside and take a picture, the smile on their face just shows how excited they are..
 
Yeah, you hit it... it's the conversations with complete strangers that make the day as much as the cars. They remember things they probably haven't thought of in years and share that time with you. I like the old guy in his eighties, and the kids who look like they're seeing something out of a time capsule, guess they are, sort of. NO pics ??
 
I couldn't tell you how many kids I've let sit in my car and have their parents take pictures, I don't know who's happier, the kids, the parents or me.
 
I especially like to invite them to sit in the avatar car when I've driven it to a "cruise/show". They look at all the buttons and switches and I set the harness straps on them and have their mom or dad snap their pic. And then I tell them to be sure and have mom or dad show that pic to their friends! BIG eyes light right up!! :thumbsup:
 
Last Saturday I went to a little local nursery with my wife to buy some fall plants and also attend a small car show they were putting on for charity. We pulled into the parking lot and we were the only ones there! Well of course we got the date wrong. We were just sitting at the back of the parking lot thinking about what we were gonna do next when an employee started coming across the parking lot towards us. I thought, now what's going on. Turns out he just had to come and see our car and talk about it. I was truly flattered. It was first time we had our car out since I painted it. He made my day and we made his. These cars do bring people together. Best pictures I have for now.
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Enjoy going , see old friends and meeting new ones ! And spending time with my Son! His is the yellow one mine is the blue one ! Never was one for trophies , but 50/ 50 draw that is another story...lol

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When I take my 53 Dodge truck to car shows, it gets LOTS of attention. Most have never seen one and they damn sure never saw a flathead engine that they know of. I ask if they have a lawnmower with a B&S engine...

I can't hardly walk away from the truck to look at other cars because I spend so much time telling folks about it, Dodge, and Mopar "in general, from back in the day."

When asked why I have an old truck, I usually respond with, " I don't, I have a Time Machine."
 
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