Grand National Roadster Show 2018

(Updated, Monday, January 29, 2018)

Mike Reeves hosted me again at the 2018 Grand National Roadster Show, continuing an annual  tradition of making the journey from San Diego to Pomona in his 1932 Ford Roadster.  Mike enters his car for display, making the drive up in the early morning hours (still dark outside) arriving at the Pomona Fairplex at 6:30 AM.

This year I decided to wear my matching shirt!

We spent the day looking at amazing cars.  Every year I come home reminding myself that some day I need to get a 1933/34 Ford like this one.  Herman and Darryl, what do you think???

Every year I also challenge myself by asking, "Is there a car here that I would rather have than my 62 Corvette?"  This year I found one!

The most amazing part of the GNRS is the competition for "America's Most Beautiful Roadster" or AMBR.  Each year about a dozen cars are entered for the judging, the $25,000 prize, a huge trophy, and bragging rights for the shop that builds the car and the car's owner.  This year there was a record number of entries -- 15.  

Each year Mike and I pretend we are judges and try to guess which car will win.  This year our favorite was the "striped car", a 1931 Ford.  Some of the entries have drifted a bit too far off from a traditional "Hot Rod" for our tastes, but this car held true to what a "real" Hot Rod should look like (in our opinion, anyway).  Here is the photo from my phone:

For the second time in three tries, Mike and I guessed the winning entry (maybe we should be judges?)!

America's Most Beautiful Roadster 2018



The best part of the day is the drive back home.

 It's a great feeling riding in the Roadster with the barest essentials of Crusin'!

Heaters are for Sissies!

Thanks, Mike, for another fantastic day at GNRS!  I'm looking forward to our next trip together.

Vettes for Veterans 2017

We decided to participate in the Vettes for Veterans Corvette show today in our home town of Carlsbad.

It took a bit of shuffling to get the 56 and the 62 out of the garage.

We drove the short distance from our house to the car show.

The organizers let us park Nan's 56 next to my 62.

There were more than 200 Corvettes registered for the event at the Shops at Carlsbad; the shopping center contained even more Corvettes for people who arrived too late to register.

Corvette friend Bill Connelly brought his beautiful 1957 Corvette.

Another Corvette friend, Vladimir Medvinsky, and his wife Rosie, brought their 60th Anniversary Corvette, but too late to register it.

Lots of friends and neighbors stopped by to visit and see all the amazing cars.

The Corvettes were judged in each Corvette generation with 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place prizes.  At the end of the day, the organizers announced the winners in each category.  We were shocked to learn that Nan's 56 won 1st Place for first generation!

  It was a happy drive home at the end of the day!

Time to put the Corvettes and Go Karts to bed!

Seaview Way Car Show

To celebrate my 70^th birthday in September, we decided, “What better way to celebrate than to have a party that includes a Car Show at the house?”

On the Sunday of the Labor Day weekend 85 friends, neighbors, Corvette Buddies, Information Sciences Institute Alumni, Scripps colleagues, Carlsbad Dance Centre Friends, and family members descended on the Seaview Way cul-de-sac for a party.  People came from as far away as Arizona and the Bay Area, and many friends and family drove down from LA and Orange Counties.

Nine Corvettes lined the curb in front of the house in our traditional Cary’s Corvette Party formation.  

We had three first-generation Corvettes (`56, `57, `62), two 50^th Anniversary cars (and another fifth-generation Corvette), and three new, seventh-generation Corvettes.

Our Seaview Way neighborhood has the greatest neighbors, and many of them have classic or performance cars.  Attendance included a 1969 Cadillac owned by neighbor Greg (who inherited his Grandfather’s Caddy!), a 1961 VW Bug that has been owned by neighbor Tony since 1993, and a 1952 MGTD owned by neighbor Tom.

The Porsche crowd showed up in force too with three very nice new cars.

Mike Reeves brought his ’32 Ford Roadster and Geoff Park brought his 1967 Pontiac GTO.

Once the cars arrived the judging began for “Best in Show.”  

There were two categories:  Classic and New.  After the ballots were tallied, Geoff’s GTO won in the Classic category and Don Kingery’s Shark Grey 2016 Stingray Coupe won for New.  

Here is Don (left) with fellow Corvette fans Bill Hatch (original owner of the 1957 Corvette) and former Corvette owner Mike Eddy. 

Rudy’s Tacos provided the food.  Former neighbor, Steve Landis, brought his band to provide the entertainment.

Everyone seemed to be having a good time!

When the dust settled the house was filled with generous gifts . . . 

. . .  and thoughtful cards

 It was a pretty sensational 70^th Birthday Party.  Thank you, everyone, and especially Nancy, Canon, and Jackson, for making it a very special day!