Forget poetry and prose…today, I’ve been in a pretty screwed-up mood. Everybody has one of those days where the sun is shining and all is right with the world and they’re looking for a reason to go off like a cannon…today was my day. I’ll admit that. Part of it had to do with the fact that I missed out on shooting some neat racing going on in town for CamaroFest. My excuse for missing that? I was elbow-deep in the Imperial’s 360 again, and when I realized something was going on, I was too late…I pulled into the track’s parking lot just in time to see the last guy leaving. I almost decided to go home, but remembered the one saving grace about Bowling Green: if there is an event, there will be cars at the Holiday Inn Express. I’ve shot numerous galleries there, and you’ve seen the area in burnout videos and such.
Pulling into the show made me instantly regret my decision. Here’s the breakdown: One first-gen Camaro, an white-and-orange 1969. One second-gen, an orange-and-white split-bumper. One third-gen, one fourth-gen. After that, the entire parking lot, from one end to the other, was virtually all fifth and sixth generation Camaros. And maybe it’s just me or was just my attitude, but there was something about the cars present that really turned me off. Maybe it was the amount of halo ring headlights present. Or maybe it was all of the tires with stick-on lettering. I don’t know. All I know is that after walking one end of the parking lot to the other, nothing stood out as BangShift-worthy. It was like a one-model Cars and Coffee, and I wanted out of there. But there was one saving grace, in the form of what I can only describe as a V8-opwered go-kart. Sit on the air cleaner, grab ahold of the steering wheel, and if you dare, tickle the throttle pedal.
In a field of polished, waxed and pretty Camaros, this was what I felt was BangShift-worthy. I don’t know if that makes me an asshole today or not, but at least I’m being honest about it.
Ahh, someone finally describes the feelings I get these days after decades of going to events. If there’s a thousand cars at an event, maybe ten to twenty of them will be worth a second glance. How can so many people be driven to build stuff with just another SBC in it? It’s boring as hell. There’s probably more ’69 Camaros running around today than there was in 1970! Boring! As you mentioned stick on tire letters and halo headlights, it goes the same for pre packaged customization. The cars that stand out are the one’s built by someone with a true vision for what they want, and build most of it themselves. They don’t need halo headlights or stupid tire letters.
I know the feeling – it’s easy to get jaded at a car show if you’ve been in the industry too long. Lots of guys would be excited to see a half dozen 1st gen Camaros with small blocks, but at my day job I often get emails that begin with something like “I’m putting a Ford 5.4 SOHC motor in my VW Microbus, and…”
I’d love to know what he’s using for a transmission/drivetrain.
I know what he’s using for a motor – the usual small block Chevy pile of shit!
But the real question is…
Will you drive it? To be honest…I would at least sit on it while it’s running. Drive it a drag strip? Well…you see…I’ve got this thing…
Here hold my beer
This is why i love my hot rodded 73 chevelle or my 72 charger. I am the only one at the show that has one, and it stands out in the sea of camaro/mustangs. I get more attention with my oldschool chevelle than the highdollar camaros get. I have always loved the cars that no one else like just because they are different. I like a Nice camaro but once you have seen 10 of them it kind of gets a little boring.
My charger always have people asking what car it is,cause it is not a model there is alot of at the shows, and the best part is i have less money in both my cars than the guy driving a 68 camaro has in his one.
This years Ford Carlisle was Mustang city, but thank God, BS has pics. of all the good stuff & left out all that late model crap. BTW, I could be wrong on this but I think the sbc bar stools were made by or sold by the Boss Hoss people. I saw them at Carlisle years ago & if memory serves me correct (yeah, good luck with that one), they were 5K to buy one.
Stacey David built one of these on Gearz several years back. Hoss Fly kit