Town Overrun by Classic Car Show,Rats Everywhere-Cruisin' Sherwood 2015

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Following a Friday Night Rally I was back up early this Saturday morning to enjoy the Oregon "launch" car show  of 2015, the Cruisin' Sherwood show.  The thing about Sherwood is it's early enough in the year that people aren't actually tired of looking at '68 Camaros; we've all forgotten that we saw 112 Camaros at various shows last year.  On top of that, generally, the rain has stopped by the time the Sherwood show rolls around.  Like Mole from the Wind in the Willows, Oregonians in June just want to get out of our wet holes and see the world. The Sherwood show is a welcomed sign that winter is over and Oregonians come out in droves and literally completely take over this small town.

I wasn't going to drive my car, preferring to only spectate and hang out with family & friends,  but a friend owned a piece of property next to the show and he thought if there were some cars on it next to his realty sign it might draw people to check out the lots.  I was happy to help him out but there was a problem.  His lots were past the town closure checkpoints.  The volunteers were very grumpy about letting anyone in and out during the show.  On my way in I think I only won the argument because the gas and oil fumes from my British car caused the volunteer's eyes to water and he may have enjoyed a slight feeling of "high" from the fumes.   Later in the day I'd have to threaten to run over the rickety barriers, tell them I had appendicitis, claim I just pooped my pants, and was driving myself to the hospital before a different volunteer caved and let me out.

Once into the show I had about an hour before the family came.  That meant I had about an hour to look at the cars.  I have no idea why, but once family and friends arrive at these events I am no longer able to progress down a street and turn onto the next street.  You'll move 40 feet in an hour, but it will have been incredibly busy; someone new will arrive in the parking lot you'll need to go get, one of the kids needs their diaper changed, one of the adults will want to stop at the food stand/antique shop/etc, another kid will need food now, one of the adults will be chatting with a long lost friend, then suddenly you'll realize another child is crawling into one of the exposed engine bays on a '34 Ford, your wife will find an item in the antique shop she wants to show you, etc etc.  and hour later you're halfway down the street you started on.  I'm not complaining, I actually have more fun when  my friends and family are there, but I knew I had only one hour to truly walk around town and look at cars.

Some highlights included the cleanest MG motor I've ever seen!  This picture probably means little or nothing to you.  You might even dismiss it as a "little" four cylinder.  What you don't understand, if you don't own an MG, is that it's impossible to keep an MG from leaking and that this man must be practicing witchcraft.

The 4x4 section included the best looking 70s Camaro I've ever seen.  If Chevy had produced this car maybe the 70's Camaro wouldn't be so disregarded.... no, it still would have had only 120 hp from the factory as a V8.  I had a 76 Camaro and it would only spin an inside wheel if  you were in the middle of a corner in 4 inches of water.

This circa 1950 Ford has only one upgrade, Moon wheels.  It's a testament to Moon really.  With those discs he converted a total piece of junk into a truck where you can't help but wonder, "is there a massive big block hidden under the hood?"  I believe Moon wheels elicit subconscious considerations of 1950's SoCal racers and so it's genius to slap a pair on a total tanker and enjoy the association. Owner is probably a psychologist conducting an experiment.

This car made me feel old.  

It turns out, when Marty goes to the "future" in Back to Future II, he visits October 21^st 2015.  It's the future... and that means I'm old.  Sigh.  On a positive note, Nike claims that in recognition of this milestone movie date, they plan on releasing self tightening shoes like those in the movie.  Kinda cool.... kinda more, "I FEEL OLD".  No problem, I'll just console myself by turning up this Metallica on the classic rock station.  The "classic rock" station. OLD OLD OLD OLD AAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!! I NEED TO BUY A CORVETTE!!!!!!!

.... sorry, I'm back.

I asked this guy if his car was comfortable to drive.  His response was to the effect of, "I'm just happy my teenage kids can't touch the pedals."

Soon the whole town was overrun.  People were everywhere.  I ran into all sorts of people I used to know, and some I still do (we moved to the country several years ago).  I even ran into a guy whose organizational project I took over.  We were talking and he casually mentioned that if the project was ever back on it's feet he had new ideas.  Funny thing is, the project has been ongoing since he left.  I wasn't sure if he didn't know that the project was still going, or if I'd just been kicked.  I pondered that one for seconds after our conversation.  In the end, I realized he's either very talented at put downs the style of my wife's British melodrama's, or he genuinely didn't know the project was still alive.

One of the great things about the Sherwood show is it's truly a community event.  All the coffee shops are doing major business, the center of town is taken over by shops selling their products, kids showing off their dance school routines, car dealerships trying to get you to sit in their cars for the price of a free balloon for your child who desperately wants one (brilliant if evil, like stuffed animals on the bottom shelf at checkouts).  It's a lot of fun, even if by the middle of the day you're waiting in line 20 minutes for a snow cone.

At one point I wanted to get my daughter a little cup of water, only to be told by the coffee shop, "We're not giving out free cups of water today. You can buy a bottle."  It's been like 6 months since I wanted to hit a hipster but it happened again right then.

My oldest daughter is 18 months and she's always been on the smaller side.  She doesn't intake much.  This came in handy at the caramel popcorn stand when after a few "samples" of popcorn she'd had her fill.  I'll save that purchase for a future year when my kids can fight over a whole bag while mom and I beg for a few kernels.

There was a body shop advertising table on the sidewalk around the corner from where I parked my car.  I need some bodywork done so I started inquiring about costs.  There was more than one guy in the booth and I was the only one there. They told me they'd have to see the car to give any costs.  I said it's around the corner, "under that tree right there".  They said they'd have to see it. I repeated where it was.  It was worse than trying to communicate with my 18 month when she's crying.  What we had was a total communication failure.  What I was saying was "walk with me to my car".  What they were saying was, "I'm comfortable sitting here, drive it by the shop someday so there are no witnesses to hear how much I quote you."

Speaking of quotes, when my friends arrived their 15 year old son professed his love of Impalas.  I told him I'd seen one for sale for $2500 and he was excited to see a car in his budget so we trekked about 3 streets to see it.  3 streets when you're moving 4 families along at a car show is no small feat.  We arrived only to find a price tag of $12,500.  Oops, I thought it was a great restoration project at $2500, as did the 15 year old.  At $12,500 it moves it back into the territory of old man toy.  And we wonder why the youth aren't interested in classic cars?

I blame this partly on Craigslist.  I believe Craigslist has hyper-inflated the cost of project cars and perpetuated the American consumerism.  What sort of dork would pay $12,500 for a rusty Impala?  Now I know I have my rusty MGA for sale on Craigslist for $11k, and I might drive 24 hours this weekend to trade it for another car that's in pieces, but that's different because they're both British so I can't be suffering from consumerism can I?  Yes, I am a hypocrite.

Anyways, the Sherwood car show was great!  Always a nice launch to the summer.  A lot of fun cars, and interesting people.  I'd highly recommend getting some friends and family and walking around it next year.