25th – 27th May 2013 Enfield Pageant
Busy weekend for me as I paid a well deserved visit down to the Enfield Pageant. I was given my day pass out to play on my own, the good lady wife even gave me some “pocket money” and a couple of drinks to take. The journey took just over an hour and half to get there and I left early to get there before the rush. Wrong! The world and his mate was there. It was a big car park field next to the event field itself. I was certain I was going to lose the car, so I set my phone GPS app to pinpoint my car location and saved it for future reference to get home. I was still full of cold but the excitement was overtaking the misery of the sniffing all the way down there. I paid my money to get and started the walk around. There were hundreds of stalls there with everything from flower pots to front bumpers, toilet cisterns to track rod ends. Why would anybody want to see a toilet cistern at a car rally? Come to that, why take it there to sell it? It worked obviously, because somebody was walking around with it like a new-born baby cuddled to their chest! Anyway the tables had all sorts of things on therefrom tools to tins of car paint, and rear lights to front wings. It was mostly UK stuff there but it was impressive display no less. In my enthusiasm when I got there I started to Tweet a few pics of the cars. I obviously forgot the time difference to this side of the pond to the USA. Sorry If I woke anybody up. But hey, it was worth it. Hover the mouse over the pics and little box should appear with some quick details for you.
British:
I saw many British old cars there such as old Austins, MG’s, Minis, Jaguars: a couple of gorgeous E-types, various Fords: Escorts, Anglia & even a Jensen Interceptor. The Ford Anglia is my very earliest memory of driving in a car, My late Grandfather owned a grey one just like this and the memories flooded back. I remember chuckling and giggling like mad when we went over a bump. The bench seat in the back would make us fly up in the air! Couldn’t do that sort of thing now days.
Exotic:
There was the exotic Ferrari or two, one bloke was standing there with a big gold medallion open shirt next to his Ferrari, when I got near his car he got ready for me to take his picture – err. no! So sorry folks, I reserve the right not to have pictures of that sort on here. lol. There was an interesting v8 bike that looked pretty awesome that started up and drowned the music out. There was a Pontiac Dragster that had BIG bottles of NOS inside it and some pretty heft fuel lines! The Hot Rod pics I took just for my friend Debbie at http://hoodscoop03.wordpress.com/
Vans:
There was some vans that had amazing paint jobs on them. Then the went a ruined it by hanging dolls out the back in a cage just like the film it was named after – Pirates of the Caribbean. Was it over the top, bit of fun or tacky? I thought the later as the van’s paint was incredible.
American Cars:
This is what I was hoping for and I was not disappointed. We had Chargers, Oldsmobile, Pontiacs, Mustangs, Chevys, Trucks all sorts in fact. Perhaps somebody could give me an idea as what some of these are and I will add the details to the pics. Please feel free to correct me as I am starting to learn the cars.
Best till last? – The Mustangs:
I found Mustang Maniac and I was impressed with the Motorhome they had to speak to potential customers and existing customers. I was treated to a Sausage sandwich when I got there, Thanks for that Adam. The guys were there Terry, John & Adam. I got speaking to a guy called Yogi, unusual name but he has been reading my blog. Now he has a face to the “man” with a Mustang. 🙂 Moving swiftly along then, Adam did indeed get the Indy 500 hundred Pace Car out for the first time in three years so I am told. The pace car understandably had a constant stream of people looking at her. There were Mustang Maniac customer cars there too, one guy called Martin even drove up from Stockport to support Adam at the show with his ’67 Fastback. His car was a bit of a head turner to say the least. Mustang Maniac has a full set of Photo’s from the day and has updated his blog with some new pictures too. Quick link to his blog http://mustangmaniac.org/
Other Mustangs around the show:
There was this signed ’68 with all sorts of names all over it. I don’t know why but it looked amazing. Unfortunately I couldn’t quite get the pictures to work with the ’68 Bullitt car, they had a dummy inside holding a cigarette with a face mask on of Paul Newman. Shame it didn’t come out.
Other Views:
The advantage of getting there early, you can see a lot of the cars coming in. When this picture was taken the place was just starting to fill up. A lot of the cars were dirty from their journey down and a some frantic cleaning and polishing was going on. along with topping up of fluids and head scratching!
When the show was getting late I decided to go home and you’re wondering if I found the car? The app was perfect and I was directed to the car within feet of it. The funny thing was my car was all on its on own, and I spotted it yards away. But I wanted to test the app regardless. I was asked what did I buy with my pocket money? I purchased some Imperial small stubby spanners, some cans of spray primer & some Redex. The journey home was a real pain, there was a major traffic jam on the M25 motorway and everything ground to a halt. I was sitting in the traffic and hot, I didn’t care to much as I was still glowing over the cars I had seen and new friends I spoken too. After a few minutes we crept forward and I decided to turn off the motorway. The SatNav was havin’ a mental and wanted me to “Turn around when possible”. I reset the route home from the little town I was in and the trip home was through some glorious countryside in the evening sun. Maybe next year I could be in my Mustang, maybe, just maybe. I got home without any trouble thanks to the SatNav and to add to my cold I do believe I got a touch of hay fever too. Mind you I couldn’t tell the difference between the cold and the hay fever. But I do say the sun done me the world of good, not to mention the smell of old car, burning oil and rust metal that also helped. The advantage to an old car rally? I was standing next to bloke he was buying a top hose to his ’60’s mini, it had blown on the way to the pageant, he was chuffed as he was going back to his car to change it and drive home again. Just how cool is that?
Thank you very much to ladyinredagain for identifying some of the American models. I appreciate it. Thank you.
I’m pleased Owl has been to Enfield show, does he have any picture to share too? Same cars maybe but only earlier?
I have updated the photos with the correct details 🙂
What great pictures and an even better recollection of the day. I am quite sure you will be pulling up in your Mustang next year, however, if you are like me you will get there even earlier and park ever further away so as not to let anyone park next to you. Glad it was a great day!
Hi Debbie,
Thanks for the comment about the pictures. I was pleased with them myself. Some real great cars there. I was only interested in the American Classics and was taken with the big red Caddy. I had never seen one in real life. It’s huge!
We refer to classic cars of that size and demeanor as ‘boats’. 🙂
“boats” lol. I have never heard that expression before but it has been added to American-asims (is there such a word, or have I just invented one?) vocabulary. I assume it would be correct to say “that Caddy is one gorgeous boat”.
wow I had no idea this was going on. We drove for nearly 2 hours yesterday to look at a Holden Monaro yesterday that was just a few junctions away from Enfield. Anyhow we got our fill of vehicles of a differnt type on Sunday. I shall post the photos soon. I shall get Owl to have a lookat your pics and see if he can supply any of the missing info for you.
Hi,
If there was any Holdens there I would certainly of had a look as I have never seen one in the flesh (or paint) as it were. I was to excited about all the USA cars I have never seen in the paint before.
we have just been having another look at your pics and Owl is well excited. He has been to Enfield Pageant himself several times in the past.