We got back from the Gilmore museum this morning, stayed on the grounds last night (all weekend actually) all by ourselves. We plugged into an outlet in a small mechanical room under the ramp of the loft of the big barn, very peaceful. For us, it made up for the REALLY crappy, rainy Saturday morning.
We’d been to the “Elvis Memorial Run”, hosted by the Rod Benders car club on Saturday. This has been a long running show, but they announced they’re done as of this year. The club members are getting old, it’s a lot of work to host an event, they’ve been doing it for 25 years and it’s time to hang it up.
The turnout for the show this year had to have been disappointing for them. They have a hot dog roast and cruise in on Friday night prior to the show, usually well attended, but this year very few people came. Saturday was cool and very rainy untill noon, and as a result very few cars, and a very light spectator gate. By three there were a few people checking out the (maybe) 100 or so cars that were there, but it was not a good day. I’m sure the light attendance made the club members feel they’d done the right thing by calling it quits. Even two Elvis (Elvii?) impersonators didn’t draw much of a crowd. Surprise, surprise…
Bad weather, too many other shows the same day in the same area, and, I think shows like this run their course. There were very few people under 40 that I saw, either participants or spectators alike. There are so many events now to go to, I believe people think, “We’ve been to that show before, let’s go to X and check that out.” In addition, the Wed. night cruise night at Gilmores draws ALL the same cars, the same people, and usually a bunch of spectators, so why pay admission to the same stuff on a rainy Saturday that you saw on Wednesday?
My friend Nick got a top 25 pick for his little Model A coupe, just completed and driveable last week, so we were happy for him. His dad Mark was also along with his own Model A coupe, which I really like. Nice father and son combo. 
We visited with lots of old friends, so it was fun for us, but had to be very dissapointing for the hosts, and the museum as well. Not a very big draw.
I think we got some good pics of the roadster, although we certainly have a bunch, it’s always fun taking more. Here are a couple…
So, that was our weekend. I’m rapidly running out of summer for getting the Diamond T painted, and it’s still not even in primer, nor anywhere near being ready for that. Ah well, If I hit it hard next week…
Here’s a link to a video I shot passing Kim on the way home. Man, I hate getting stuck behind some big old RV…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Axcz8DBvXRc&feature=channel
Untill next time!
Cool McCool's Garage 
Hard to compete against the Woodward cruise i guess, Which is the Walmart of car shows. Well it isn’t a car show, It’s a corporate marketing opportunity. My dad and I did the elvis run in my ’51 back 15 yars ago, and i remember it being a good show. Sad to see it pass, but when it’s time, it’s time. A lot of smaller old shows have died off. I heard that NSRA even relaxed their “pre-1948” stance in recent years to maintian attendance.