Friday, November 15, 2013

Cars My Father Loved

November 15, 2013
   Looks like we have a green light to do our second video documentary. Earlier this week Ken and I talked at length with our partners about the concept and shot list and what I took away from the meeting is, "It's the cars, stupid." They have a show that pulls a solid two-share and it's all cars all the time.

   With that in mind I motored out to Westworld after lunch today (with Wonderful Russ at Pita Jungle) and took in the polo field at the Good Guys Car Show, which was wall to wall rods, customs and assorted refurbished classics:

 
Wall to Wall Rods

Cars My Dad Loved
   For several years in the mid-fifties my father bought a new Ford every year. Here is the progression:



   A sweet '55 Ford that reminds me of my dad. As does this tasty '56 which I distinctly remember seeing on the showroom floor at Gabby Ford in Swea City, Iowa:


   And, of course, by 1957 we were in Kingman and my dad bought a '57 Ford Fairlane from Roy Dunton:


   Although my dad customized his '57 with a Continental kit on the back. That sucker was longer than a Hopi Snake Dance.

   The placed was slammed with people and it's only Friday. There must have been thousands of cars of all makes and models, including a row of these crazy, low riders:

 
How Low Can You Go?

   The paper this morning mentioned that the old guys (my age!) are dying out and these shows need to reach out to a younger audience, but this is your typical Woodstock encampment:


   Don't you know they all need hip boots because of the BS factor.

   Also, how do you get old gear heads to gather around your booth? Run videos of car wrecks, of course!

 

"That's nuthin'—one time I was in my old man's Olds and I flipped it comin' off Grapevine Road, you know where the culvert used to be."
—Actual snippet of conversation overheard