The Penultimate Day

          Here is the next to last day of my photos from this year's Cavalcade of Customs. With that in mind, I'll just shut up and let the pictures do the talking.

Week Two, Hump Day

          As I move through the second week of my picture postings from the 52nd Annual Cavalcade of Customs, I'm finding that I'm running out of things about which to write. Oh, I'm not totally out. I have something already planned for Friday. But for today and tomorrow, not a lot.
         One fun thing about the Cavalcade and other large shows is the people that you get a chance to run into. It seems as though just about every year I run into a handful of friends who are either showing their car or are enjoying the many great cars on display. This year two of the people I saw were folks whose cars I've written about this past year. Tim Klein drives a great 1968 Dodge Coronet 500 (http://turnerbudds-carblog.blogspot.com/2011/07/tihs-ho.html#comments) and was showing with his car club. Jamie Schworer has an actual movie star of a car that has been in her family for years (http://turnerbudds-carblog.blogspot.com/2011/10/star-of-car.html). I haven't added pictures of their cars because I already have them on line. But it's always fun to run into people you know at a car show.

Only Four More Days Left

          Some companies will use a car as a form of marketing. Take for example this first car. Most people have probably seen that logo before. This year's Cavalcade didn't have very many cars like that. Not to say that the vendors weren't out. There were all kinds of custom shops who were showing off their wares. Plus there were the folks wanting to sell you everything from custom wheels to a new amazing polish that will make your car or chrome literally shine. And, of course, there were the custom paint shops showing off as well.
          There were also a lot of things for the kids. Everything from stunt cycling demos to a Hot Wheels race track. Add to that the opportunity to meet and greet and get your picture taken with some "celebrities" and this is a show for all ages. I put "celebrities" in quotes because the term can mean different things to different people. For example, this year the two celebrities who were meeting fans while we were at the show were professional wrestler Rey Mysterio and someone named Billy the Exterminator. I had no idea who Billy the Exterminator was until I looked him. up. He stars in a reality show on cable's A&E Network. And, believe it or not, he is an expert in exterminating bugs. No wonder I felt a little itchy walking past him.

Week Two of the Cavalcade of Customs

          While the Cavalcade of Customs is mostly about customized rides, there are always a number of restored classics and even a good assortment of new and newer cars on display. Those unique custom rides tend to be the ones that attract the most attention. Not always, though. A couple of years ago, just inside the front entrance, was a display of some modern super cars. There were several Ferrari, Lamborghini and Porsche masterpieces that were drawing viewers in numbers as impressive as they were. Josh, who at the time was 15, and I were looking down at one of the bright red Ferraris when he turned to me and said, "You know, even you could get laid if you drove one of those." A couple of guys who were standing behind him had a hard time not bursting out in laughter. But the truth is, he was probably right.

End of the First Week of Cavalcade of Customs

          As I mentioned in an earlier post about the Cavalcade of Customs, I'd been going to this event since I was a teenager. It seems as though car culture was more prevalent back then. Maybe it was because I was so young or because of my environment but being around fast cars, going to drag races and oval and figure eight races was something that always seemed to be going on. So going to the Cavalcade of Customs just seemed to be a natural outlet for that passion.
          Another thing I remember from my youth was collecting bubble gum cards. Like most kids my preference was for baseball cards (hey, the only game in town back then was Topps) but I collected a few other kinds of cards as well, including the now classic Odd Rods cards (http://www.oddrods.com/index.html) as well as something I remember as Hot Rod cards. I may be a bit confused about these being two separate collections. It's a shame my parents threw all of those old cards out (along with all of my MatchBox and Hot Wheel cars). I would love to have them today. But, alas, the best I have are memories. (Cue the soundtrack for Cats)

So Much to See at the Cavalcade of Customs

          I can think of a number of problems with the Cavalcade of Customs. One, obviously, is that I don't get to test drive any and all the cars that I would like to. That's problem number one. Come on, people, let me go for just 15 minutes with your car.
          The second problem I always encounter is the fact that there are so many people there. Why do all of these people have to be in my way when I want to see these magnificent machines? Obviously I love the fact that so many people turn out to enjoy the cars. It's great to see how many people are there, especially families with young kids who may be experiencing this world of cars for the first time.
          But the problem I have the most trouble with is the fact that there are so many cars on display and they are crammed in so tightly that it's very difficult to get good angles for pictures. Add to that the fact that quite often the throngs are crowded around a car and it can make for a photographer's nightmare. Oh, well, I endure. Hope you are enjoying the pictures I did manage to get.

The Cavalcade Continues

          I began going to the Cavalcade when I was a teenager (and so was the event for that matter). I didn't make it every year as there were times I had moved out of town or had other responsibilities. When Josh really started getting into cars and car shows eight or so years ago, I began taking him. Together we haven't missed one since. Next year, when he starts college, may change that. Only time will tell.