Hot Rod Power Tour

[GrabberGT]

Originally Posted by Shmoov69

That track is TINY! Looked like it would be small for a Miata! LOL!

Agreed. Seemed like they hardly enough room to blip the throttle before having to get on the brakes. Couldnt have been much fun to drive. On the other hand though, the speed stop challenge looked like it was a blast.

[DTM Racing]

Had a total blast on the Power Tour and at the Optima Qualifier. From the Detroit GP on Friday to sitting here in the airport waiting for my flight home, I'm sunburnt and smiling. Can't wait until next year!

[ScotI]

We just went to the finale' on Friday. Cars were @ the park already by 9am & still coming in later in the afternoon. The common complaint I heard was the show 'route' was very poor (basically taking people on a loop around Dallas to see some of the city). As someone that lives here, the last thing you want to do is be on a freakin' highway driving around the city.

Lots of cars & the autocross did seem small-ish vs other venues. The show 'set-up' was kind of weird as well where participants parked vs where the auto-cross, speed/stop challenge, & vendor trailers were.

All that being said.... You gotta' love it when this many cars of all years, makes, & types show up @ one time/one place. Heaven for a gear-head. We also went to the Optima qualifier challenge @ Eagle Canyon Raceway on Saturday. That was a NICE place & it was cool to be there & see the action.

[Northeast Rod Run]

Originally Posted by hifi875

I like late model stuff but don't really seethe fun in taking a 2010 vette or similar on the power tour

Originally Posted by GregWeld

So absolutely right.....

Taking the classics are always more fun, but I'd rather take a newer car on the tour then not go at all. I've done it twice, once in a '69 Camaro that was lucky to get 9MPG and once in a 2004 GTO that banged out around 24MPG and had A/C. Both times were a blast and I had just as much fun in both cars

It's about the experience, the people and the cruising, much more than which car you are driving

[GregWeld]

Originally Posted by Northeast Rod Run

Taking the classics are always more fun, but I'd rather take a newer car on the tour then not go at all. I've done it twice, once in a '69 Camaro that was lucky to get 9MPG and once in a 2004 GTO that banged out around 24MPG and had A/C. Both times were a blast and I had just as much fun in both cars

It's about the experience, the people and the cruising, much more than which car you are driving

When it becomes a sea of late models - it will cease to exist. The name is HOT ROD power tour - not 2002 and newer tour...

It's like Hot August Nights... which has turned into nothing more than a "local show" of the same crap you can see any Saturday at the burger stand... Instead of the best or latest builds... People stop going when the stuff stops peaking your interest.

The draw for Columbus GoodGuys show is that if you want to see the top of the top that's where you go - and you're willing to put up with hot and humid and spend money on flights and hotels etc... if it turned into 1999 "custom" Corvettes and '83 Monte Carlos... would you go?

IMHO the more people that think it's just an "event" and you can drive your new car... the quicker it will become a non-event.

[Flash68]

Originally Posted by GregWeld

The name is HOT ROD power tour - not 2002 and newer tour...

[hifi875]

Originally Posted by GregWeld

When it becomes a sea of late models - it will cease to exist. The name is HOT ROD power tour - not 2002 and newer tour...

It's like Hot August Nights... which has turned into nothing more than a "local show" of the same crap you can see any Saturday at the burger stand... Instead of the best or latest builds... People stop going when the stuff stops peaking your interest.

The draw for Columbus GoodGuys show is that if you want to see the top of the top that's where you go - and you're willing to put up with hot and humid and spend money on flights and hotels etc... if it turned into 1999 "custom" Corvettes and '83 Monte Carlos... would you go?

IMHO the more people that think it's just an "event" and you can drive your new car... the quicker it will become a non-event.

What he said

[GrabberGT]

Originally Posted by GregWeld

When it becomes a sea of late models - it will cease to exist. The name is HOT ROD power tour - not 2002 and newer tour...

It's like Hot August Nights... which has turned into nothing more than a "local show" of the same crap you can see any Saturday at the burger stand... Instead of the best or latest builds... People stop going when the stuff stops peaking your interest.

The draw for Columbus GoodGuys show is that if you want to see the top of the top that's where you go - and you're willing to put up with hot and humid and spend money on flights and hotels etc... if it turned into 1999 "custom" Corvettes and '83 Monte Carlos... would you go?

IMHO the more people that think it's just an "event" and you can drive your new car... the quicker it will become a non-event.

Anything newer than 30 years should be excepted by application only. I wouldnt mind seeing any number of cars out there as long as theres been enough done to it. Hot Rodding is Hot Rodding no matter the vehicle.

I had my son out there with me looking over the sea of vehicles. To keep his interest (he is 6), I told him to pick out his favorite cars and I'll take his picture with it. Do I have to tell you how embarrassed I am at the number of pics I have of late model Vettes, Camaros, and Mustangs? Power Tour is working on the future of the hobby as well with this. So let them come but within reason.

[Paladin]

Me and my buddy went on the first three cities in my 1965 Fastback and we had a blast! now that I understand how it works I would do things a little differently next time, but it was great. It is all about meeting people, and the brotherhood of hot rodding. Seeing these old cars thunder along the highway and through small town America brought a smile to everyone's face. Rolling along past all the little houses with flags on their porches waving at us while listening to John Cougar Small Town with my friend for 35 years is something I will never forget. The Power Tour is a huge boost to these communities, It reminds them of better times, and seeing these works of art in action is better than any car show. My hero on the way to Muskegon was a lime green 1970 Challenger with blacked out 20's. He was a few cars ahead of me and he roasted the hides for a 100 yards at every 4 way stop no matter how washboarded the pavement. Behind me for 75 miles in a red 1965 GTO was a 75 year old woman by herself! rowing the 4 speed with just the windows down to cope with the heat. Thats a tough old bird, and seeing her made my day. How many 20 year old girls today would do the same??? I ran into guys in their late 50's who had battled cancer, and got in a chevelle with 3 high school buddies and said **** it! no more tomorrow, and did the Tour. These are just some of the memories I have, and it was a wonderful experience. As for the old vs. new, of course I am in favour of the old, and if its new, you better modify the hell out of it to be different, cuz thats hot rodding!

[Ron in SoCal]

Great post Paladin