GM Nationals this weekend

[real61ss]

An event called the GM Nationals is being held this Friday thru Sunday at the Carlisle Pa fairgounds. Does anyone here go this?
If so, stop by and say hello, my 61SS will be on display in the Invitational Section inside one of the buildings. This will be my first time at this event so I don't know what to expect but I'm looking forward to it.

:cheers

[bobs409]

Looks like Friday for me Tommy. I'll be sure to find ya and check out that '61. :)

[bjburnout]

Hey Tommy

The GM Nationals is a great show, I was hoping to make it this year again but have been busy buying a new house and selling the old one. :deal

You won't be disappointed...... :love

Have fun and don't keep Bob out too late..... :rofl

bj :cheers

[bobs409]

Have fun and don't keep Bob out too late..... :rofl

bj :cheers

:D :D :D Looks like it's just you and me so far Tommy. (and a few thousand others) ;)

No one else gonna be there? I know we have at least a few "Easterners" here. :p

[Rockfish39]

An event called the GM Nationals is being held this Friday thru Sunday at the Carlisle Pa fairgounds. Does anyone here go this?
If so, stop by and say hello, my 61SS will be on display in the Invitational Section inside one of the buildings. This will be my first time at this event so I don't know what to expect but I'm looking forward to it.

:cheers

Tommy,
Ive heard many good things about this show and this is my first time at this event as well, but fortune has it that I'll be parked right next to you this weekend... (Bob, I'm looking forward to finally meet you face to face as well!!!)
:hug


Anyways, you (and that awesome '61 of yours) reputation preceeds you. :bow

However, I wasn't planning on letting you walk with ALL the awards this weekend though ;)

Ive been burning some midnight oil to give you, at least some, challenge :brow

I got your message from Roger, and "I'll see YOU at the Nationals" :cheers

Rock :cool:

[real61ss]

Rock,

Great!!! look forward to seeing you.

[bobs409]

It will be a few days until Tommy and Rockfish get back to tell us how their cars did but I have to say it was nice to meet two of our upstanding members face to face today. Both very nice people and it made the trip memorable.

And I gotta say, if you ever put your car in a show with either of these guys cars, you better polish EVERYTHING extra good. :D Both are beautiful machines!

The other cars there were really beautiful too. Lots of eye candy. More 348's than you could shake a stick at! Funny how a show brings these beauties out of the woodwork.

I really don't see how a judge can do their job around such fine examples of classic iron. Most are just flawless!!! A red 58 convertible 348 w/AC sticks out in my mind. What a rare and pristine unit that was! :love


Bob

[JimKwiatkowski]

Hey Bob,were's the photos,did you forget your camara :dunno

[real61ss]

Bob,

It was really great to meet you today!!!! Thank you for stopping by. Also, I got over to Rockfish's car this afternoon and spoke with him for a little while, really nice 65 '09. Also, Gar who's on this site and some others from the other Chevy site came by to see me.
As for awards, Rock is in a judged show (I think). I'm not, my car is just on display for the weekend in the invitational section. In this section, there are several Royal Pontiac's, a '60, 61 and a 63 Swiss Cheese car along with some GM concept cars and some unrestored original cars along with some race cars that were driven by Dale Earnheart. All in all, a pretty good show.
I took some pictures yesterday after we got set up but I'm working off a lap top in a hotel room, I'll have to wait until I get home to be able to post them.

[Tom Kochtanek]

Tommy, Bob and Rock:

Glad to hear you guys connected!

I can't wait to see the pics. I bet Tommy was drooling over those 1961 Royal Bobcats, and I suspect one will turn up in his garage in short order, right? Wouldn't that be nice? :) :) :)

Cheers,
TomK

[bobs409]

I hope someone else took some pics of the cars to post because I didn't take my camera. I knew I'd be carrying alot of parts out so couldn't have any excess baggage. :brow (and I was right, I almost didn't make it out with everything as usual!) A large box, 4 bags and a sewer pipe. Yep, a sewer pipe! I bought some rocker moldings from Hubbards and that's what they had em packed in. :D

Tommy, incase you didn't get one, pick up one of those free magazines they give at the gates. There is a small pic of some of the cars in it and yours is one of them. :clap Oh yeh, sure glad I'm not there today, it's gonna be a scorcher! Keep cool if you can. :cool:

[real61ss]

Bob,

It was hot today but not to bad inside the building. I didn't realize until today that my car is on the dash plaque and also on the T shirts that they are selling. That was pretty neat.
We get out of here tomorrow, I guess Rock left this afternoon, never got a chance to see him today. Hope he did well in the show.
I'll post some pictures when I get home.

Tom,
You bet I've been drowling over that 61 Ventura!!!!! Sooner or later, I'll find one.

[real61ss]

Guys,
I just got home, it was a good weekend, saw a lot of people that I had "talked " with over the internet. I took a bunch of pictures, for those that may be interested, I have attached a few and will post some more.

[real61ss]

I didn't get any pictures of the cars outside the building, perhaps "Rock" took some pictures over in the Impala Nationals Show.
Rock, I came back over to your car Sunday morning, still missed you.

[Rockfish39]

Bob,
I certainly was nice meeting "the man" behind the scenes here!!!! ;)

Im glad that I had the opportunity to meet you, and tell you face to face, what a terrific job you do with the web-site. Unfortunate that we couldn't chat longer than we did. You had to go, and my kids were EVERYWHERE! :eek: so I had to run too ...

Tommy, I was also priveledged this weekend in meeting you as well!!! Sorry that I was not able to talk longer with you either. The kiddos tuckered out, so I left a little early and headed for the pool in the hotel...

GUYS, dont let the photos of Tommy fool you... THIS MAN is A BEAR !!! :D

Much bigger in real life than you would expect, but a true sportsman and real Virginia gentleman! ;)

There was alot of confusion when I got there on Friday. But things finally got straightened out. Seems like the Carlisle folks did not know much about who needs to go where. Tommy was is a special non-judged display area in one of the buildings sponsored by the GM folks...

I was is a special "W" section out on the showfield. However, I was under a tent all weekend, so that worked out really well for me too. My car got judged.

Overall I did really well I think... Judged at 981 points (Diamond Award), a first place in the '65-66 Stock Class, and a Participants Choice Award from the Mid-Atlantic Impala Association. The GM voting was participants choice too, but I only got a third place with them :?

Reason I think: was that I was not parked out in the hot sun with the regular '65-'66 big cars out on display, so I guess that I missed alot of votes by people walking by that way... No big deal, I was most happy with how things turned out!!!!

Tom Ward and his crew are a great bunch too and they put one a good show!!!!
Hats off to them too :bow

I did manage to snap a few pics of the "W" display area where I was, so Ill post those in a couple of days.

Rock :cool:

[Tom Kochtanek]

Tommy:

Wow!!!!

Those are some mighty fine cars, and that '61SS fits right in there. What a quality array of fine cars, along with appears to be either experimentals or one offs. Must have been rarified air inside that display :).

Looks like I've got another to set my sights on for the future!

Glad you guys could get together for the first of many, and thanks for the great pictures. It motivates those of us trynig to get one of these done a some point in our lives :).

Best,
TomK

[real61ss]

A few more photo's from the GM Nationals

[Rockfish39]

Bob W.,
Too bad about your leg.. BUMMER !!! I hope that things heal for you fairly quick... I was hoping that you could make the show, I would have liked to have seen you there too...But, MD is not that far away. I'm sure that there will be other opportunities in the future.

Rock :cool:

[Rockfish39]

I didnt get a chance to take too many photos, but I did capture a few snaps of the "W" display area. This is the first set of photos. Check out the "perfect" '60 I think that one was the Grand National Champion this year, and the owner was a really nice guy too!

ENJOY!

Rock :cool:

[Rockfish39]

I can only attach five pics at a time, so these are the last ones that I have. The others are of my kids , which also had a great time !!!!!!!!

ENJOY!

Rock :cool:

[bobs409]

I saw that '60 and it was b-e-a-u-t-i-f-u-l!

It wasn't under the tent when I looked at it so I got to see it with the full sun hitting it. The word perfect does come to mind. :brow