Syracuse Nationals and the Carlisle in 2026

[Jim Kueneman]

So this is early in the planning.. We think we are going to spend a few months in NY next summer.. It appears the Syracuse Nationals and Carlisle Chrysler Nationals are a week apart in July. Anyone here be at either or both? The question is what car to bring. Each has its own appeal unique to me. Either the '66 Valiant or '63 Dart. Help me decide... which one would you like to see? Likely this will be the only trip that far east.

Dart on My Classic Car...

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[circlepilot]

The Dart is gorgeous, It has my vote. The 66 is cool also, I've had one. But I love the slant. I just finish building my slant. BTW you didn't mention the exhaust manifold. Did I catch a glimpse of headers?
Norm

 

[Jim Kueneman]

The Dart is gorgeous, It has my vote. The 66 is cool also, I've had one. But I love the slant. I just finish building my slant. BTW you didn't mention the exhaust manifold. Did I catch a glimpse of headers?
Norm

Dutra Duals with the "Y" behind the transmission crossmember for peak torque at 2800 RPM.

 

[Jim Kueneman]

View attachment 1716483614

Well that could happen too if I can convince my daughter to let me borrow it for 2 months...

 

[tom999w]

I went to the Syracuse and Carlisle shows, they're both worth seeing. Regarding which car to take, since there are a zillion cars at each show, I'd take the car that stands out most, so it doesn't get lost in the crowds of lines of similar cars.

 

[Jim Kueneman]

I went to the Syracuse and Carlisle shows, they're both worth seeing. Regarding which car to take, since there are a zillion cars at each show, I'd take the car that stands out most, so it doesn't get lost in the crowds of lines of similar cars.

The Dart draws a crowd with the ragtop and hot rodded multi-carb slant 6 for sure. I think the Valiant is better for a Mopar judged show but the Dart has that something different that draws a crowd.

 

[mopowers]

Both are very nice, but I'd walked by the Dart to check out the Valiant.

 

[Jim Kueneman]

I went to the Syracuse and Carlisle shows, they're both worth seeing. Regarding which car to take, since there are a zillion cars at each show, I'd take the car that stands out most, so it doesn't get lost in the crowds of lines of similar cars.

Also tell me how many similar cars there are to a 63 Dodge dart and a 66 Plymouth Valiant at any car show!

 

[nutz]

didn't know about syracuse ...carslisle is about 2 hrs syracuse under 3 might need to try both problem is july 4th is my vacation week hard to take extra days off
love nj everything is only a day trip away
both are cool ,dart is my vote

 

[tom999w]

Also tell me how many similar cars there are to a 63 Dodge dart and a 66 Plymouth Valiant at any car show!

Well the Syracuse website says they have over 8,000 cars at the show, which is complete b.s. overinflated by about 6,000 cars, but there are a lot of cars there.

 

[nutz]

Think they are counting the spectators too

 

[WV64Signet]

So this is early in the planning.. We think we are going to spend a few months in NY next summer.. It appears the Syracuse Nationals and Carlisle Chrysler Nationals are a week apart in July. Anyone here be at either or both? The question is what car to bring. Each has its own appeal unique to me. Either the '66 Valiant or '63 Dart. Help me decide... which one would you like to see? Likely this will be the only trip that far east.

Dart on My Classic Car...

[


View attachment 1716483596View attachment 1716483597View attachment 1716483598View attachment 1716483599View attachment 1716483600View attachment 1716483601View attachment 1716483602

Early As are usually underrepresented at these events.

I'd go 63

 

[circlepilot]

So this is early in the planning.. We think we are going to spend a few months in NY next summer.. It appears the Syracuse Nationals and Carlisle Chrysler Nationals are a week apart in July. Anyone here be at either or both? The question is what car to bring. Each has its own appeal unique to me. Either the '66 Valiant or '63 Dart. Help me decide... which one would you like to see? Likely this will be the only trip that far east.

Dart on My Classic Car...

[


View attachment 1716483596View attachment 1716483597View attachment 1716483598View attachment 1716483599View attachment 1716483600View attachment 1716483601View attachment 1716483602

So this is early in the planning.. We think we are going to spend a few months in NY next summer.. It appears the Syracuse Nationals and Carlisle Chrysler Nationals are a week apart in July. Anyone here be at either or both? The question is what car to bring. Each has its own appeal unique to me. Either the '66 Valiant or '63 Dart. Help me decide... which one would you like to see? Likely this will be the only trip that far east.

Dart on My Classic Car...

[


View attachment 1716483596View attachment 1716483597View attachment 1716483598View attachment 1716483599View attachment 1716483600View attachment 1716483601View attachment 1716483602

 

[str12-340]

Take the Valiant. Write up a good background story on the car - where it came from when you got it, details on what you've done with it, what's been done to it. It can really set a car apart in a big field like Carlisle. I can't tell if the Plymouth is shown in Stock or Modified. My last list of classes (2023) shows "Dodge A body 1960-1969 Modified" but "Plymouth A-Body 1960-1966 Modified". Unless they split up the Dodge Class (have no idea why they didn't) you would be in a less crowded class that was more like your car. The class for the Plymouth if stock I would bet would be the least crowded since the tend to be fewer A body stock cars than Modified. DOES SOMEBODY HAVE THE 2025 CLASS LIST FOR CARLISLE TO CHECK THIS???

 

[Big_John]

I went to both last year. Both are huge, Syracuse is bigger, but Carlisle is run a lot better. Syracuse has a lot of different cars too.

With Carlisle, you have a specific classes with assigned areas, and Syracuse is park where you find a spot. Sunday is a bust for both shows, so Friday and Saturday is choice for either, but I see Syracuse has added Thursday and eliminated Sunday, which is probably a smart move. There's no real class structure at Syracuse either and they have awards that are "Best of" or "Celebrity Choice" rather than classes. Expect to see a lot of hot rods in Syracuse, and they have a rolling cut-off that the car has to be 25 years or older.

Syracuse also has more going on after the show, but the cops have been cracking down on burnouts. Since I'm 15 minutes away, I can't tell you the best place to stay in Syracuse, but like Carlisle, you want to get reservations early. Don't stay in downtown Syracuse. Syracuse does have camping available (reserve that early too) and you can park a trailer on the grounds.

Both have good and bad points and both shows are very different. A lot of Mopar guys do both. When the shows have fallen on the same day in the past, I've gone to Syracuse, but that's more because I can sleep in my own bed.

 

[WV64Signet]

DOES SOMEBODY HAVE THE 2025 CLASS LIST FOR CARLISLE TO CHECK THIS???

Winner list

2025chryslerwinners.pdf https://share.google/6A9rsHGZfsQbd7Ne3

 

[str12-340]

I'm missing the significance of all the drag cars posted in this thread?

 

[Jim Kueneman]

I'm missing the significance of all the drag cars posted in this thread?

You are not alone ;)

 

[Jim Kueneman]

I went to both last year. Both are huge, Syracuse is bigger, but Carlisle is run a lot better. Syracuse has a lot of different cars too.

With Carlisle, you have a specific classes with assigned areas, and Syracuse is park where you find a spot. Sunday is a bust for both shows, so Friday and Saturday is choice for either, but I see Syracuse has added Thursday and eliminated Sunday, which is probably a smart move. There's no real class structure at Syracuse either and they have awards that are "Best of" or "Celebrity Choice" rather than classes. Expect to see a lot of hot rods in Syracuse, and they have a rolling cut-off that the car has to be 25 years or older.

Syracuse also has more going on after the show, but the cops have been cracking down on burnouts. Since I'm 15 minutes away, I can't tell you the best place to stay in Syracuse, but like Carlisle, you want to get reservations early. Don't stay in downtown Syracuse. Syracuse does have camping available (reserve that early too) and you can park a trailer on the grounds.

Both have good and bad points and both shows are very different. A lot of Mopar guys do both. When the shows have fallen on the same day in the past, I've gone to Syracuse, but that's more because I can sleep in my own bed.

Thanks. I’ll be in Oneonta so I’ll just trailer it up Saturday morning and head out that afternoon. Not interested in making it a multi day thing. My old 68 Coronet lives there too so I’m hoping to get him to show up.

 

[tom999w]

Thanks. I’ll be in Oneonta so I’ll just trailer it up Saturday morning and head out that afternoon. Not interested in making it a multi day thing. My old 68 Coronet lives there too so I’m hoping to get him to show up.

Oneonta is a nice country town. Me and the wife day-trip there every now and then because they have a ten-plex movie theater. Big movie theaters are hard to find these days. It's fun to re-live the olden days, buying popcorn and walking into a real theater for a movie... We were just at Oneonta last weekend, looking at a Porsche for sale..

 

[Jim Kueneman]

Command Decision by the boss.

Ok, stupid baseball camp make renting in the Oneonta area stupid expensive. Have a place in Cobleskill rented for the half of June and all of July.

We are taking the Dart Ragtop and the Valiant will be at Moparty in September (probably).

Jim

 

[85glht]

I'd take the one with A/C. Carlisle can be hot as the surface of the sun.

 

[tom999w]

I'd take the one with A/C. Carlisle can be hot as the surface of the sun.

I agree. I (and many other old fogies) almost passed out at Carslisle this year. It was about 2 zillion degrees there, in the morning...

 

[Big_John]

I'd take the one with A/C. Carlisle can be hot as the surface of the sun.

I agree. I (and many other old fogies) almost passed out at Carslisle this year. It was about 2 zillion degrees there, in the morning...

The Syracuse Nationals can get hot too, but it wasn't as hot as Carlisle this year. More blacktop in Syracuse, but there's a couple buildings that have AC. The "Expo Center" building is big, has some custom cars and is almost cold, so you can cool off in there. There's a restaurant on the grounds that has AC also. I was with the local AACA club so I got to park with their display in one of the buildings. No AC in that one, but still out of the sun.

Carlisle was brutally hot this year.... Yea, about 2 zillion degrees is right.

 

[85glht]

I had to miss Carlisle this year... I was spared from the brutal heat.... this time