At Last

The first car show of 2020 (for me anyway), which took place last Sunday 16^th 2020 at Stonham Barns in Suffolk. It took me about twenty five minutes to get there at a gentle pace. I arrived at about nine fifteen and the sky was grey. Forecast was forty six percent chance of rain, I figured it was worth the gamble, I had to go. I parked up with the Bury Retro Car Club whom had a club stand on the tarmac and not grass which is always nice. As I always do when I park up, I wiped the little ol’ lady down with some quick detailer, paying particular attention to the windscreen with glass cleaner. I think the glass had collected more than its fair share of insects for the short trip.

I decided to go and get some photos before the promised rain was due to arrive just after lunch time. With no particular order some cars that took my interest as I wondered around. the sun even showed it’s face for a few minutes now and then.

A while ago I did a little article on the Ford Capri being the UK Mustang here, these photos show the comparison next to each other which was rather nice.

There seems to be a growing trend in the UK for half cars to be the trailer:

More Mustangs including this red ’69 done to concours standards.

VW were out in force and the patina on the beetles was a little extreme, when it’s flaking off.

The rest of the cars I liked:

There was a number of stalls there too, nothing to fancy just the usual auto jumble, which was on the grass just behind the club stand.

Bury Retro Car Club stand:

I thought mu car was quite a long car, when compared next to a stretched Caddy – It’s tiny. The front of the cars lined up more or less level.

Tim Greening let me borrow his video from his YouTube channel; https://www.youtube.com/c/AutoAddictuk/ Thanks Tim 🙂

You can just about catch a glimpse of me chillin out and chatting cars just behind my car.

I took a few pics while sitting in my chair of the new wax I have been using. I did notice the clarity of the shine while sitting there.

I thought I would play around with the colours a bit on this one, black & white with a little hind of car colour.

I left at three in the afternoon an hour before it was due to shut, the wife had text me to say there was thunderstorms at home. I wanted to get home before the car got soaked.

The clouds were blackening up as I did a very quick wipe over before I covered the car up in the garage. As I got out the car in the garage the heavens opened and it chucked it down. That’s what I call perfect timing, literally thirty seconds from rain.

For once I went to a car show and it didn’t rain, I was well chuffed. What could be better than than? I know – a pic of me in the review view mirror of the Jag XJ6 next to mine! I didn’t move the chair to take this pic I just happened to look up and there I was.

I needed that car show. I just had to get out and catch up with friends again, grab some fresh air and look at cars, lots of cars. I had two offers to buy my car during the day, one which was some bloke takin the p!$$ or trying to wind me up I’m not sure which, the other guy gave me his card just in case I wanted to sell, after asking me some good questions about the history of the car.

There are two more scheduled car shows this year that I have booked in to attend. Will the rain hold off for me so I can get to them? I hope so, with all the rain I got caught in last year, it’s the least mother nature could do for us considering the pandemic we have endured so far.

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On My Own

Last weekend was another double header car show, both of which I was looking forward too. On the Saturday was the Knuckle Busters shows at Stonham Barns for American cars to be held over the full bank holiday weekend, that’s four days if you read the leaflet. Then on the Sunday it was Lavenham Classics Car Show. Last year it absolutely poured down with rain, a show that I left early from as it was that bad. So this post is a double car show delight. The weekend was promised hot days everyday and they weren’t wrong.

Saturday: I got up a little late as the snooze button was to much of a temptation as the dogs couldn’t settle and kept me awake for a fair amount of the night. Everything was ready the night before and I just had to fall out the door and get in the car. Knuckle Busters is an all American affair which I was eager to be a part of. I arrived at ten(ish) thinking there would be a queue to get in. Driving closer to the main entrance no cars. They were doing well with the marshalling. Then I got to the main entrance, I was told it would be £10 to enter for the day, it was £10 each day actually. When I looked at the field it wasn’t full and they marshal felt sorry for me (I think) and let me in, free. I was told what area to park in and I could take my pic. The options were (not) limited.

I checked the leaflet to make sure I had the right day!

Yep, Friday, Saturday, main day on Sunday and leave Monday so it says. A little bemused I wandered around the only stall that was set up and listened to the conversation. People were supposed to turned up Saturday evening for the bands and not during the day for a pre show as it were. Well, apart from the odd car, I was the odd one!

The food stalls weren’t open so I was missing out on a bacon roll, people were wandering back to their caravans while pulling barrels of water which were dotted around the outside of the field with the odd American tucked up next to them.

After an hour nothing was happening, for the first time at a car show I was bored. I had read the news on my phone, checked my emails and posted a social media or two. I heard a nice v8 rumble and got excited, only for it to coast go back to the caravan. I was the only car on the ‘Show Field’. I played a little game – I decided that I was the judge for the day.

Obviously I won the (imaginary) trophy for ‘Best In Show’. 😂

I know this is a good show on the Sunday, but don’t post it as a weekend event if it’s not!! The funny thing is that I filled up with fuel on the way home, I had a couple of conversations in the petrol station about my car which was more than the whole time I was at the car show. 😀

Sunday: Up bright and early with everything being set out ready the night before. Not quite so local this show, but it’s a beautiful drive through the countryside with some wonderful scenery going through some tiny little villages. Lavenham Classics Car Show is a charity event and cost £10 to get in. I arrived at the gates as was marshalled in, there was no queue. I pulled into the field and people were parking up. I was shown to the American area and Again I had pick of the area as I was first there. I parked on the end which would be one of the first cars you see when you walk in and look to your left.

This is a unique show as it’s arranged in a circle and not straight lines. shortly after I arrived and messed around with the cleaners I started to chat with the other arrivals. A ’67 Convertible, and a lot newer Roush powered S550 Mustang. There was also some Corvettes who took up the rear of the area, we were all spaced out nicely. I took a walk around the relaxed and very friendly show, I just walked around clockwise.

This Renault was a huge car and a full nut and bolt restoration.

This very early MG had a rare kit for a bolt in super charger.

A few super cars turned up which were parked near the entertainment tent and the BBQ food. There was a guy on an acoustic guitar that played a long set which included a couple of Pink Floyd songs, one of which was Wish You Were Here, simply brilliant.

A Beautiful Bentley

The rest of the cars.

Then back to our Americana little section.

There are a number of behind my car shots, if you are wondering why; I had the luxury of finding some shade instead of keeping out of the rain. 😎

The overall view from my slightly up on the hill pearch?

This week I was going to post a little bit of work I had done on my car after the Stonham Barns show where I left early. That can wait till the next post now.

A great weekend with beautiful weather for a UK bank holiday for a change. 😃

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Double Wash Out (part 2)

Following on from the last post which was about the Fast & Loud show on the Saturday this is a post about the Sunday; Stonham Barns Spring Break. After cleaning the car from the stop home on Saturday I sat in the arm-chair slightly deflated and checked the weather app, OK I checked all three of my weather apps and one of which I even paid for. All of them said that the Sunday was going to be a better day with overcast conditions, only a thirty percent chance of rain at midday from just one app. I decided to take a chance for a second day, after all the odds were in my favour right?

So I got up next morning and the sky was clear, but a little breezy that’s all. I fired up the freshly cleaned beast and took a what is usually an enjoyable ride out to the show just a short half hour away. I jumped on the dual carriageway and started to relax and enjoy the drive. Then there it was, the first drop of rain. The air turned the colour of my car, the rain fell heavier and soon it was pouring, again. I had the choice to turn around in a few minutes at the next junction and go home or carry on hoping it would pass. I continued with my now somewhat ruined drive. The further I drove the less the rain fell, decision time. I continued on towards the clearer skies with a little hope. Some twenty minutes later I made the turn of to the show and I followed on behind the conga of classic cars waiting to get into the show. We can’t all be wrong can we? It was going to be OK. We were ushered in efficiently and I parked up, got out and the sun was starting to make a show itself.

A few tiny very fine spots of rain filled the air just a little damp, nothing to worry about. I dried the car and spoke to few familiar faces and we discussed the weather for a little while. Within the space of half an hour that thirty percent turned into one hundred percent rain. Within minutes the car was wet again and now so was I.

I was so miserable I even took a video of the rain sitting on my freshly waxed car! 🌧

Yet more of the same ol’ choices for the weekend to date, do I go home or stay and see if the shower passes. I decided to look around at the other cars as they all seemed to be staying too. I recognised a lot of the cars from yesterday at this show, many sitting inside them with a flask of coffee and steaming up windows.

There was a few Mustangs there too, including this distressed Mad Max look-alike, which has fake side up exhausts that were just plastic plumbing pipes just behind the real ones, even spotted a sweet wrapper a the bottom of one of them. But lots of time and effort spend on the car and fair play to them.

There was a strong showing of American classics at this show as there always seems to be.

There were some traders that had covered their tables with ground sheets to protect their stock, but the trouble is that you couldn’t see anything to buy. I didn’t even buy anything to cheer myself up.

After three hours of relentless rain I decided to go home. Which would involve a more thorough clean as the car was no going to stand until the next show. I used cloths to wipe inside the wheel arches to remove dirt and debris from the inner side bend of the wheel arch on each corner of the car. What a terrible start to the show season, it can only get better I guess.

Here’s the thing, I don’t need apps or Google as my wife said to me as I walked out the door; ‘you do know it’s going to rain?’ She was right, AGAIN!

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Americana Finishes The Season

Last weekend a Classic Car Show at Stonham Barns was pretty much the last car show for the year officially for me, unless I go on a winter organised cruise that is, providing it doesn’t rain of course. It seemed fitting to end this year’s season with a show just for American Cars. There was a nice mixture of classic, not so new and new with some real beauties on display. I arrived about nine in the morning I meet up with Yogi from Mustang Manic who had made a long trip for this show. We were shown into the main arena and parked next to each other, me with my ’66 and Yogi with his red rocket ’69 Mach1 that will run ten seconds down a quarter-mile!

After a quick buff over to remove the dusty road residue, we both found ourselves ‘broken down’ (in joke) with our hoods up. Yogi’s beast got a lot of attention for all the trick bits he has under the hood. Also it’s not often that he;

1) he opens his hood to the public to see his engine

2) he cleans his car

On the Mustang Maniac blog last weekend they had a rare photo of him cleaning it so I have borrowed it with their permission I might add, just to show that miracles do happen!

The other cars that followed us in the gates were parked around the main area until the area was pretty much full, then they filled the outside areas of the field.

My overheard quote of the day came from a woman who looked at my car and said to the guy walking next to her; “Look at the seats in that car, they are disgusting, I don’t like them, they should be taken out.”

To that woman; you came over to my car to look at it, if you don’t like it – don’t look at it, so kindly keep your opinions to yourself! Far from being upset by the comment, I just smiled to myself and thought; if I gave her the keys to my car, she would have happily driven it away sitting on those ‘disgusting’ seats.

Throughout the day there was ‘Uncle Sam’ taking selfies with lots of people and a beautiful bald eagle how much more American do you want to get?

There was the odd car for sale, this one for £8,000, a little bit to much of a project for me at that sort of money.

It was a good day and I even bought a couple of little bits for my memorabilia collection too. Great cars, great company and a great day.

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Making Up For It

Another car show yesterday, and this one was at the same place of the worst car show I had ever been to. Last April I was at Stonham Barns in Suffolk and there was just a handful of cars there. So what made me go back? Well the car club I belong to is Bury Retro Car Club, were at the last show I attended with them and they told me they were going to be having a club stand at Stonham with a limited number of cars. So I agreed to be there to support the club at least. The day arrived and the weather was good so I had nothing to lose, even if it was just for a drive out in the car. I was going to be half an hour early for the gates opening, as I got closer to the event I was caught in a traffic jam of classic cars. Things were looking up and the cars were moving at a steady pace to get in. At the gate I was waved through after showing my car pass and directed around the field to the top of the field to a prime location for the club. Excellent organisation by the guys who arranged this show. I said my greetings to the club guys and had a pleasant chat before I had a wander around the show. The club had managed a gazebo with a nice selection of chairs too. The cars all looked great with classics, to sports cars and a Spider Van which was hand painted by a graffiti artist.