Triple H Weekend in NSRA York

Cool Hot Rods from York NSRA Car Show

Hazy, Hot, and Humid was the only way to describe the weather at the 2008 NSRA Street Rod Nationals East in York, PA. What few shady spots were available were taken shortly after the gates opened to the York Expo Center and Fairgrounds. Luckily the buildings, where most of the vendors were located, were air conditioned which provided some relief. We wimped out and parked our ’48 Ford rather than cruise around the fairgrounds since the only AC is provided by a cowl vent and the windows down. There seems to be quite a change going on at the NSRA shows. While there are still a large collection of high dollar builds more and more jalopies (like my car), beaters, and dare I say rat rods are showing up. I think people are getting back to just enjoying driving these old cars rather than the stress of worrying about dirt and scratches.
It doesn’t appear that the price of gasoline has reduced the number of people attending these large shows. Close to 4000 vehicles gathered around the fairgrounds. Dozens of vendors and manufacturers crowded the main hall. This is always a good time to pick up the latest catalogs for your parts suppliers since they are free! Other than the typical June heat, this is always a great show.

Photos of these Hot Rods and other event photos can be found in the Hot Rod Images gallery.

Written by Bubba Harmon (bubbastoybox)

Spring Carlisle Swap Meet

Aaah, spring in the Northeast. Time to take the covers off the hibernating beast in the garage and do some car stuff. The beginning of the season up in the Northeast has been marked for the last 31 years by a five day event simply known as Spring Carlisle. The event is held each year in April at the Carlisle Fairgrounds in Carlisle, PA. During this event, the 81 acre facility is just stuffed full of cars, parts, supplies, and collectibles for sale. If it is for sale on the East Coast it will more than likely be here. Finding it may be a problem though. Even if you arrive when the gates open at 7:00 AM you will have a tough time seeing everything by the time the gates close at 7:00 PM.

Making it even harder is the fact that, if you are looking for cars, many of the nearby neighborhoods allow cars to park on their lawns (for a fee of course) and sellers take this opportunity to display cars for sale. Looking to buy shop equipment? With several large vendors present ordering ahead of time and having the vendor bring the item to the show can save you a lot on shipping charges. Just be prepared arrive early in order to actually get to the vendor with your truck to pick up your goodies. My suggestion would be to pick it up before 9:00 AM. After about noon even on a weekday the crowds will make it almost impossible to drive onto the fairgrounds.

Even if you are not looking for something specific this is a great place to step back, relax, and remember the past. Someone is always selling that old toy you used to have. Or maybe a lunch box or poster of your favorite old TV show. In this EBay era, it is still nice to be able to touch something before you buy it. Check out more pictures in the picture gallery. And don’t forget about Fall Carlisle!

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