Why do you enter car shows?

[Old Henry]

Most of all I like to see people smile and know that I contributed to their brief moment of happiness. These are candid shots of "ooglers" of my car at today's car show to illustrate.

I always tell the kids to climb in and honk the horn (two big trumpet horns) they love it. Parents are always telling their kids to be careful and not to touch. I tell them, "For this car, you can touch, you can feel, you can pat, you can rub, you can climb inside and honk the horn." The parents are a bit shocked. Heck, what's the harm of a finger print or two in comparison to the joy of a smile on a child's face?



I get as many smiles from women as from men. I think they are more attracted to the aesthetically pleasing than the men.



Men get a bigger kick out of the machinery.



Some are agog at everything. (This guy wanted my car real bad. He offered his wife and child in trade.)



Gotta love the photographers.





It's also the one time that I don't mind just sitting and talking to someone, even strangers, (which I'm usually pretty loath to do) because we talk about something I know about and love talking about. The rest of the time I'm a more of a social introvert.

[Fe26]

Well done Old Henry. Nice to see those smiles. And nice to see a photographer taking pic's of the bling. My wife takes close up photos of other cars parked next to ours reflected in our hubcaps.

[Gary Tosel]

The people you meet at car shows are the reason I show my car. The cars are only there to get people together and enjoy the "good old days". Keep them running and driving!

[ccnelson]

Prof. Henry: I enjoy your posts and pictures. Hard to believe you are a social introvert after reading all your posts, keep them coming. Always enjoy seeing pictures of your car as I have a Maroon 1947 Ford also. We paid $200.00 for it in 1963 when I was 19.

Craig

[Mtn Wudy]

Thanks for your post...I too find it hard to believe you don't talk that much to strangers.....Love all your posts....Last Saturday we sat by the car all day at a "Woodies on the Lake....Wooden Boats and Woodie Cars too....I saw a friend that I went all through school with and hadn't seen him for Forty Years!!!! We talked about our old neighborhood and we got photos of him and I by the car......

[Walt Dupont--Me.]

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What color is your car? I always thought it was black, here it looks like dark maroon. Walt

[eshaver]

I haven't entered a car show in years . Mostly it's on account of my health . Still, I built this Ford panel from an abandoned , torn up an left for dead . I did my own body work, built an engine for it , re wired it , shoot did everything except paint it . I primed it though and prepped it for the painter . Then, drove it from Dallas Texas to Richmond Virginia and then drove it pretty much as a daily driver for several years . I showed it a couple of times . I got a second place first time out . Hey, that was really a big deal as I was still doing professional fender work then, ( 1989).



This shot was from 1997. I still have it . The problem now is finding some transmission parts for it or I'd still be hauling the parts needed to build other Early Fords I still maintain for a private collector .........

[4dFord/SC]

I'm actually a fingerprint collector, and car shows are s great source of new additions to my collection.

[Bums F-1]

To have people say WOW and smile when they see your car or truck at a show is better than any trophy you could get.

[Fibber Mcgee]

I agree with you Old Henry, heck with the fingerprints the smiles make it all wothwile. I personally love the smiles when it brings back memories to the older generation ,that's my trophy.

[Shadetree]

One reason I go to car shows is to see old friends and talk cars. But I will never forget my first big car show after I got the `35 roadworthy. I took it it to a show about 40 miles from home. I actually towed it because I wasn't sure it would make it that far and back, shame on me. Since, I have driven it hundreds of miles and it only failed once and it was a bad condenser and yes, I have a spare and the tools to change it in the glove box. Anyway it was a big hit at this car show. I think a lot of people believe they can buy my car because of the patchy primer and unrestored condition. Sometimes I will put a sign on it that says "PLEASE TOUCH"

This evening I took the `51 F1 to a local car show and several people asked me about my `Roadster'. (It is really a Cabriolet but I don't correct them.)

This was taken in 2007.

[Mike in AZ]

eshaver, have you checked with MacVP or Charlieny(sp?) for your transmission parts??.....Old Henry, kudos to you for sharing your car with kids, etc....tho i think i would put the keys in my pocket, rather than in the ignition??....hate to see 'em disappear....or worse, somehow the car gets started....otherwise, a great car and glad you share with others.....Mike

[47COE]

I encourage people to climb into the cab of my truck. It's something that most people have never done. It is common for people to not be able to climb in the cab because they put their left foot first. That doesn't work.

At this local car show last summer a guy walking slowly with a cane stopped to take a look at the truck. Talking to him I found he was a retired trucker. So I asked if he wanted to climb in the cab. His wife said she didn't think he'd be able to make it. But once he got to the side of the truck, he handed his cane to his wife and in a blink he was up and into the cab. With a big smile on his face.

As you can sort of see in this photo, I display large panorama prints taken at past All Ford Picnics. People enjoy looking at them, and it advertises the All Ford Picnic.





The panorama prints are 10 to 14 feet wide. Just right for the 15 foot truck bed. Here's part of one from 2010:




Anybody that is in Western Oregon the second Sunday in August is invited to attend the 42nd annual All Ford Picnic at Champoeg State Park.


Tom

[Willit Stop]

Hey Shadetree....Are all of those guys in the picture related? They all have beer-bellies and smeared faces. They might be My relatives.

[Grandadeo]

Old Henry, a man after my own heart. I've never cared much for car shows with judging. I'm talking about your basic local shows with first, second, and third place trophys for every possible category known to man. A lot of the owners are so up tight about winning another 10 cent trophy that they forget to have fun. On one of our New England trips in my roadster I happened on a show held at a local amusement park. I think ever car there had at least one "Do Not Touch Or I'll Kill Ya" signs on it. They we're not real happy with me when I pulled out my "Touch Me Feel Me, I'm Here For A Good Time" sign. Like you, I much more enjoy talking with folks and letting kids sit behind the wheel while their parents snap a couple pictures. Give me a no judging gathering or even better a driving event like last week's Deuce Run and I'm a happy camper.

Lee

[felix37]

Henry is right!! the car shows are for meeting people and bringing new people in to the car hobby. I love letting kids and people interested in my car to sit in it, touch it... you don't make many friends with "DO NOT TOUCH" signs.... I usually walk right bye the car that has multiple do not touch signs and who's sour puss owner is sitting in his lawn chair with arms crossed, baby sitting his car the entire show.
(I hope I didn't insult anyone)

[Old Henry]

Originally Posted by Walt Dupont--Me.

What color is your car? I always thought it was black, here it looks like dark maroon. Walt

Monsoon Maroon - original color - changes with the lighting. In bright sunlight it looks like a chocolate brown, in shade - what you see in these pictures, at night - black. Most of the pictures I take of Old Henry on road trips are darkened to bring out the colors of the scenery better. That makes Old Henry look black in most of the pictures. The closest I've heard someone call his color to the true shade is "Eggplant". That's my favorite.

[Old Henry]

Originally Posted by Mike in AZ

. . . i think i would put the keys in my pocket, rather than in the ignition??....hate to see 'em disappear....or worse, somehow the car gets started....otherwise, a great car and glad you share with others.....Mike

I'd love to see someone try to start my car with the starter button on the dash and my kill switch up above the rear view mirror that's always shut off. I'd probably leave the keys in all the time except someone would decide they could break a window and get in and start it.

[Mike in Mass]

Car shows are a special time for my family .Each year we make the trip to Burlington VT,for the annual NSRA show up there 7 years ago my oldest brother Carl passed away .He would go with my dad every year ,so as a memorial to him, we all make the trip. My dad ,an us 5 remaining kids , No wives ,no kids ,just us the way it used to be . great time to be together if for only one weekend a year , we meet great people every year and seek them out (an there cars) just to say hi . my favorite is when we are walkin along an spot a little crowdof old guys around the hood of a car, shootin the breeze , an my brother says Hey ,have you seen my dad? he,s old ,kinda bald and has a streetrod shirt on ?? gets them everytime Henry I thought you car was black too that is a nice color !

[Bob/Pa]

To meet nice people, lots of old timers enjoy talking about the Rumble Seat and the fun they had in them way back then. Some older ladies giggle about it and I comment theres not much room back there and their comment was did'nt need much room???