Mooneyes Christmas 2011 Car Show and Drags

Posted by GreaseGirl on Dec 21, 2011 in Featured, Shows & Events | 1 comment

Each year in December, Mooneyes throws their Xmas Party Show & Drags. Out of all the car shows here in Southern California, this is one of my favorites. Not only does it have plenty of cool cars and a great people – but it’s held at Irwindale Speedway and has a “run what ya brung” drag racing event alongside everything else!

Often, it happens to be raining during the Mooneyes Xmas Show – but this year was nothing but blue skies and beautiful weather! I loved the exhaust coming off this little pickup.

Walking past this bare-metal Volkswagon van/bus made me do a double take! I’ve never seen anything like it!

Not only for the fact that it’s a VW and is in bare metal – but because the body style was completely original to me too! With the front having 4-doors and looking like a VW van, but then it’s got this delivery-truck bed in back complete with awning above! Come to find out, this thing is called a VW Vanogen. I love seeing new and unique stuff…

…and Mooneyes Xmas Show always brings it on! For example, this line-up of slick Buick Rivieras. Most car shows have a fairly limited niche of cars attend. At the usual hot-rod show I’d go to, I don’t normally get the chance to see this sort of low-rider styled car. But all types show up for Mooneyes. The lines on these Rivieras are beautiful and it doesn’t take much to make them look custom.

Another lowrider styled ride I loved seeing sparkling in the sunlight was this 1976 Chevy Impala. Owner Miquel Zarate of the Strays CC says it’s all factory minus the tube grill, moonroof, lifts, rims, and paint. Even though I’m a hot rod girl, I’d roll in this any day!

Other then hot rods and lowriders, there were of course classics – and unique ones at that! Check out this cool Corvette Nomad – a 1954 GM concept car. If the Jetson’s drove a stationwagon, it should’ve been this one!

Then there’s this 3-wheeled early battery operated “car” if you could call it that. It’s a 1960 Electric Shopper put out by a company in Long Beach. More like a golf cart then a car, but it claims to have operated for only $0.01 a day!

While many people wandered around looking at cars and vendors, the stands were packed with everyone else watching the drag races.

A variety of cars – both very competitive and not so much – came out to play. This was one interesting roadster with an extremely stretched wheel base! I was surprised by how well he did.

The more competitive cars brought plenty of heat, noise, and wheelies (to my utter delight!)

Although this louvred-hood Cadillac wasn’t drag racing – there was another winged Cadillac that was. It isn’t every day you get to see such a sled of metal lurch down Irwindale’s 1/8th-mile strip!

Each time I see this louvred hood, I love it. A wagon might not be the first place you’d think to place louvres, but it sure does provide plenty of space to fit lots of ’em!

Getting this pickup as low to the ground as possible is a good advertisement for the “Bag Man.”

This five-window no doubt looks ready to race – but I think it stayed parked for the day.

My Studebaker didn’t come along with me this day, but I did show up with my fellow Gasoline Girls. Watching with the ladies was unlike any other drag strip experience…I think we were the loudest ones in the stands! We squealed and cheered each time a car noisily raced down the 1/8th-mile stretch!

Of course, we cheered loudest when our fellow car club participant (and veteran racer,) Rebecca, raced her Nova down the track! I hope to make it to the track sometime soon myself, but I’m still waiting to get my Studebaker race ready. When I do, you’ll be the first to hear!

Did you spend more time looking at cars or drag races at the Mooneyes Christmas Show? What did you like? Leave a comment and let everyone know!