Festival of the Wheel

Fancy Phil strikes again!

@Lane Anderson posted:

Fancy Phil strikes again!

You beat me to it Lane.

Some pics from the car show. Nice day. Nice people. My car of course is by the food trucks and portable potties.

Bikes

What a terrific show, @550 Phil!

I am often amazed that, with the exception of purist "Porsche Day" shows, car show organizers really don't know what to do with Speedster or Spyder replicas.  Most of the time in general shows I've ended up in "Special Interest", too, and what does that mean?  I've even ended up in Special Interest at Volkswagen shows (They, also, don't know what to do with a Speedster replica!)  

Just before the Pandemic, Prarit Bhargava drove his Seduction Motorsports 550 Suby-Spyder to the "Porsche Fest" Day at the transportation museum in Boston, where they always get several hundred Porsches every year.  His 550 replica and my 356 replica were the only replicas at the show.  Neither of us were encouraged to join the local 356 club to park in their area.  Prarit won the Spectator "Best in Show" award and deservedly so - It's a drop-dead gorgeous car.  

The Porsche Purists of the PCA Northeast went nuts:  "But it's not a REAL Porsche!  It doesn't have a Porsche engine or interior!  It's Fiberglass!  It shouldn't get an award!" they cried.

The event organizer is a very nice lady whom I've known for some years and her response to them was the very same response that the Hilton Head Concours, club day organizers gave to the 356 Purists after I won the same award at their show (mine for best European convertible):

"This was a Spectator's Choice award.  The spectators based their vote on what they saw and overwhelmingly chose this car as the best in show.  They don't care if it's an original or not.  Get over it."   (Yah gotta love event organizers....)

I go to the occasional show, hardly ever want to be judged and usually leave before the awards are given.  I just go for the primo parking space and to see a bunch of other cool cars and people.  That's what these car events are all about.  The CARS.  Not the Purists.

My car was in the brochure. But I was the only car at the show with no placard. There was a spectators choice award given. Pretty sure my car would have had a good shot at that if I had had a placard with a number for voting. It was a little suspicious that mine was absent. Even being tucked away in the back of the event I had hundreds of folks check out my car. I was a bit exhausted after answering so many questions. It was funny when I was being positioned for the show  I drove buy the Porsche section the guy was waving me in. I told him that I was in the specialty vehicle section. He said no you’ve got to be with the Porsches. I said you might want me in there but the majority probably do not. I don’t care. I had a great time talking cars with people. One guy even said he was going to call Greg Leach and order a Spyder.

If it had been me, I probably would have joined the other Porsche guys and wheedle my way into a Placard, but that's just rebellious me.

Rich MacKoul, the owner of the 1955 Pre-A Speedster in town, sometimes goes to the same shows as me.  Years ago, we both went to a local PCA event, even though it was PCA members only.  He is a PCA member, I am not, which I told him but he said not to worry and just follow him right in.

So we pull up to the registration, he says something to the lady letting us in, she looks at me, grins and waves us both in.  I was really surprised, thinking I would be turned away, but no.

Once we parked, I asked Rich what he had said to the gate-keeper to get me in.

"I just told her that you were with me, but we weren't talking to each other right now, so we came in separate cars!"

Here's Rich:

We northeast Spyder guys have to deal with the snobbery too. We just don't care.

The Lime Rock Vintage festival has marque-specific parking(for $20). Porsche hangs out at the circular skidpad. The "special" parking entitles you to a couple "parade laps" around the track. We used to go on the laps, but now we just like the convenient parking near the exit.

Last year, there were four 550 replicas all parked in a row together. Lenny, my customer Mike and me all had Vintage Spyders. Also Al Baran came with his TR Spyder. Three silver and one white.

There was a crowd around them ALL DAY LONG.

Nobody even gives a glance at most of the real Porsches. The "real" owners don't like this. We don't care.

The bottom line is that YOU enjoy YOUR car. You didn't buy it to be recognized or get accolades, did you?

@Gordon Nichols That was FUNNY!

Most people were astonished that these replicas exist. By far most people thought it was super cool. There was one asshole who asked me if I was allowed to put the Porsche badges on it. I told him that the manufacturers are not, but it’s a free country and I’ll put anything on it I like.

@550 Phil posted:

Most people were astonished that these replicas exist. By far most people thought it was super cool. There was one asshole who asked me if I was allowed to put the Porsche badges on it. I told him that the manufacturers are not, but it’s a free country and I’ll put anything on it I like.

Don't answer that knock, P-lawyers are on their way

I have never been to a formal PCA event as I really would not feel comfortable there.  Realistically, my car is not a Porsche, so why should I try to join in?  They have every right to not let me be there.

I attend lots of C&C events, and there is no hassle.  Most people admire and appreciate the car.

At the Vintage Festival in Watkins Glen, we get to park on a large grassy area with all the spectator's cars.  I was surprised the last time I was there, as the fellow waving the cars in said he was so glad I was back, and he knew all about my car.  He started telling the other officials about the car - he knew almost as much as I did.  That was interesting to me, as I don't ever remember talking to him in previous years.

I go to places and events where I know I will be accepted, and that's good enough for me.

This is why Cory Drake wins the "Coolest Replica Guy" award: His car sports a Revell badge.

@Bob: IM S6 posted:

I have never been to a formal PCA event as I really would not feel comfortable there.  Realistically, my car is not a Porsche, so why should I try to join in?  They have every right to not let me be there.

I attend lots of C&C events, and there is no hassle.  Most people admire and appreciate the car.

At the Vintage Festival in Watkins Glen, we get to park on a large grassy area with all the spectator's cars.  I was surprised the last time I was there, as the fellow waving the cars in said he was so glad I was back, and he knew all about my car.  He started telling the other officials about the car - he knew almost as much as I did.  That was interesting to me, as I don't ever remember talking to him in previous years.

I go to places and events where I know I will be accepted, and that's good enough for me.

Maybe he saw Gordon's movie about your car on YouTube.

Yeah, I was thinking that, too.  I’m somewhere over 500 subscribers to that youtube channel and quite a few other non-subscribers check in there, too.  It gets a decent amount of traffic for a specialty sort of channel.

@Gordon Nichols posted:

Yeah, I was thinking that, too.  I’m somewhere over 500 subscribers to that youtube channel and quite a few other non-subscribers check in there, too.  It gets a decent amount of traffic for a specialty sort of channel.

You have some great videos there, Gordon. 

The best title is 'Lover under cover'...I'm sure it gets some transient views.