Dick380185

I can't help identify it, but for a homebuilt design, save for the many lumps and bumps...what was finished is a rather pleasing design from 10 feet away. (looking at the 2nd photo)

Well, HERSHEY 2012 is not too far off, and I was wondering if there has been any movement to provide closer parking for motorcycle haulers...perhaps in the PA American Water Co. lot? (same lot as race-car haulers) :confused:

Mike, Thanks for helping us out with our problem. We're assuming the highlighted area above refers to our haulers & cycle trailers. It's nice to know some folks understand the special needs of those showing 2-wheeled vehicles! ~ Now, if we can prevail upon the Hershey Region to make similar arrangements for their fall show...

I would too. Water is a real "Gremlin" to Mopar metal!

I know very little about Franklins, other than they were considered a luxury car, and they were all air-cooled.

I used Google Earth to scope out the Reading Show field area and the Vanity Fair trailer parking area. Truthfully, the entire place looks very urban and quite unfriendly for driving old cars and certainly not a place I would consider riding a vintage motorbike. Having to do this dropping off of motorcycles, returning to the Vanity Fair parking area via 3 miles of city driving, waiting for the shuttle bus, then wait for it to make it's way back through traffic, and to then do it all over again after the show sounds like a great deal of fuss and may not be worth the effort. With all the parking areas in and around the Expo Center, it's hard to believe an area can't be procured to accommodate small cycle haulers. I'm about at my end worrying about this ongoing problem. It's apparent which vehicles are given the cold shoulder in this club.

Thank you, Mike. We're depending on you folks to help us out a bit. Very few people realize how difficult it is to get a motorbike onto a show field with all the things we will need for the day, and it's especially hard when showing a vehicle by one's self. Many of the smaller bikes are not even able to be licensed in PA, so riding them on public streets is not legal, (just like the race vehicles) therefore we need trailer parking adjacent to the show field.

Two weeks ago, we were informed that the show field, trailer parking and "everything" else was very close together! Now, after my plans have been made to attend, I am finding out that the trailer parking is 6 miles away! Well,apparently those folks planning on bringing a number of motorcycles are not really that important to the club, because I simply will not attend, and I know at least two other exhibitors of motorcycles whose plans will be changing as well. So those of you who are not fans of anything other than 4-wheeled vehicles won't have to be irritated by having to look at motorcycles, motorbikes, mini-cycles, mopeds and scooters. :mad: Motorcycle haulers are very small. You would think there could be a way for these tiny trailer rigs to be located in a small area close to the show field. Ever try to ride a motorcycle from your distant parking area balancing a lawn chair, a fire extinguisher, some detailing products and rags, manuals and other proofs of documentation,... all this plus holding your show card in your teeth to verify you're an entrant, then try to motion the person handing out dash plaques to stick it in your coat pocket??? Then after all that you get to "find a way back" to your trailer and get your second show vehicle. Of course after the show, you once again have to pack up your chair, heavy fire extinguisher, cleaning supplies and play the balancing act again in slow traffic back to the trailer parking area miles away, then somehow get back to the show field to get your other vehicle. Think you guys in the 4-wheelers have it hard?

I don't think tire dressing should be about the "shine" on the tires, but use of the product should be to enhance the clean appearance of the tire. (BLACKNESS of the rubber) Nothing spoils the appearance more than dull BROWN and/or splotchy, scuffed tires on an otherwise spotless vehicle, PLUS, new cars did not come with brown tires! Those who think the shinier the better, are a bit out of touch, IMO.

The light affixed to the side of the car is actually an aftermarket back-up light. I had one just like it on my 46 Olds, and I've seen them on many other 40's era cars.

This is just my opinion, but I would expect (perhaps not all), but most old car enthusiasts would be pretty accepting of mini-bikes, scooters, and mopeds due to the fact that so many of us had one of these vehicles early in our lives. For a lot of us, these may have been the first gasoline motor-driven vehicle we had enjoyed, beyond a bicycle. From these little vehicles, we developed a "motorhead" love that grew into automobiles. Being able to relate to these little vehicles should be of interest to many of us, as viewing them should bring back memories of when we were young, and to the beginning of our motoring enjoyment.

Do you happen to know if the show field is close to the trailer parking? Any help would be appreciated.

Hmmm. I'm not sure about that. I think you guys get more recognition than we cyclists do. I've been seeing a respectable number of articles and/or pics in Antique Automobile showing those neat little Vespa (cars), Autobianchis, VWs, Bantams, Crosleys and Amphicars. I'll admit, a number of those may not be shown in class4, but turn up in DPC and HPOF classes (as do a few motorcycles). We hear you though....We cyclists feel for you "little guys." Personally, I very much enjoy reading about the little cars, and at the shows, I seek them out to photograph.

I've always admired the early teardrop-designed Saabs with their unique 2-stroke engines and their distinctive sound. Who can forget the success these tough little cars had in the European winter rallies? Those little suckers always reminded me of great determination. ~Love to have one of those little cars to show! (Would they be in class 4?)

Unfortunately, the motorcycle entries seem to be waning in number. Perhaps because some non-motorcycle folk seem to think cycles, motorbikes, mopeds, scooters, and mini-bikes are not to be included in an automobile club. I can tell you the motorcycles in the club do not get due coverage in the magazine or on this website. Another reason is that the show fields are located too far from trailer parking (ie:Hershey) making it too difficult to get small cycles from the trailer to the show field.

Larry, The Honda Mini-Trails would be shown in class 05G....same class as my Suzuki MT50's (Trailhoppers).

Normally, I'm one that likes odd cars, but this one is an exception. The nasty unfortunate paint color certainly doesn't help. I realize it may have "matched" the interior at one time, but I think a better color choice could have been made. Then again, I'm not sure a different color would help that 'design' much.

I can tell you from experience, that Hershey is hands-down, the hardest place to show a small motorcycle due to the ever-present parking/unloading problem for those of us who come alone. The PA American Water Co. parking lot "unloading area" is of no use to me because I'm not permitted to unload without having another person to drive away the truck immediately as per AACA rules. Previously, we were allowed to park on the blacktop next to the roller coasters along with the very old cars and trucks. This year they expanded the handicapped parking to include this area, which was now not open to me either. I then tried to park my trailer in this years "pumpkin patch" parking area for all other trailers, but it was too far away from the show field. I could not push a mini cycle 2-plus miles along the busy Rt39, nor could I ride an unlicensed vehicle on this road. My only alternative was to park my trailer at my motel for the 5 days, then load my cycle onto my pickup the morning of the show and pay $35.00 to park on the blacktop at Chocolate World and push my little vehicle to the show. There were NO Cushmans entered, and there was only 1 Whizzer. Class 5F had 1 entrant, and he did not show. I recently looked at a 1994 Hershey Show list and guess what I counted? A total of 20 Whizzers and 17 Cushmans alone. The 1994 total count for motorcycles was a whopping 74 entrants! This year we had 24 entrants. At least 4 did not show up, so we had 20 bikes on the show field, if that. I would have appreciated a parking spot for my pickup (for the day of the show) in the same area the race vehicle trailers were allowed to park. One pickup truck doesn't take up very much space when compared to a large rig with trailer.

I agree with this fellow. Reconfigure registration cards for: VEHICLE: (Ford, Dodge,etc); COLOR: (red, gold, etc); MODEL: (Fairlane 500, Starfire, F-150, etc.) VEHICLE CONFIGURATION [bODY TYPE]: coupe, convertible, panel truck, motorcycle, race car, etc.) * Posting the MODEL and possibly COLOR on the RESULTS page would be well-appreciated by all members. * I'm sure this would take a huge amount of work. But ask yourselves if you are looking for an improvement in this area, or are you content with the way it is now? Improvement takes time, but it has to start somewhere. Just some things to think about.

WOW.....Edsel's original car was beautifully turned-out. This (unfortunate) re-design is just plain nasty. The proportions remind me of an early bump-'em car. Let's hope the right person ends up with it, and returns it to the original style. It'll take deep pockets and an eye for design.

Aye! I was wondering to myself if Kate's parents would somehow be able to use some of their party supplies (they own a successful party-supply business, as you know) into the wedding somehow. They did!.....The mylar balloons and the huge ribbons adorning the Aston Martin! :)

I'm inclined to agree with you, preferring the blackwalls with those beautiful disc wheels. The blackwalls seem to exude a more stately appearance, whereas the whites hit you with an immediate WOW factor. I can understand his enthusiasm in always wanting to own a WOW-vehicle wearing WWW's though. IMO, if one wants to use blackwalls on ANY car, they must be treated with a good preservative/tire dressing to keep the black, well, BLACK! Nothing destroys the stately image of blackwalls worse than having them appear a weathered, dull brown.

If you're anything like me, nearly every time I showed my old cars, it would rain. I never trailered them....always drove them. So upon returning home, I HAD to wash the car. Always wash in the SHADE and start at the top (roof) and work down. Wet car good first, then using a bucket-full of warm water with a good car-wash product (Meguire's Car Wash, Turtle Wax Car wash, etc) and most importantly, a GENUINE lamb's wool wash mitt. (Do NOT buy a faux/fake wool mitt) They actually sell genuine ones at Wal-Mart. (HINT: LOOK INSIDE of mitt to see if it is real lamb's wool...it will look like suede-leather on the inside.) Completely submerge mitt into the wash water until mitt is fully saturated, and begin on your roof. Rinse roof, and work downward. Swish your mitt frequently. Do not let surface dry on it's own. Water will spot on dark colors. Wash wheels & tires last! Use SimpleGreen on whitewalls with a natural-bristle brush rather than a plastic-bristle one. I used to use Wesley's Bleche-White, but you must be VERY CAREFUL not to overspray onto painted wheels or any chrome. It DOES get whitewalls white, but try to use it infrequently as possible, because it breaks down the rubber over time. SimpleGreen does a good job, and is safer. The best drying towels are the micro-fiber ones. Use several, rather than one. Remember to wash inside your doorjambs too. Dress the black part of the tires with a good rubber protectant from Stoner, Armor-All, Mother's or Meguire's. IF you need a CLEANER-wax, use Mother's, or Meguire's, then finally use my favorite wax, Meguire's NXT Generation2 WAX to make the shine DEEP. I've had 2 black cars, and these worked the best for me. I also used Mother's Carnuba waxes too, and they are excellent. Use #0000 steel-wool lightly on weathered chrome to take off any MINOR rusting, then a good chrome polish and finish with NXT Generation Wax. If you drive to a show and your car needs a dusting off/detailing, use a product like Meguire's FINAL INSPECTION with a soft cloth. Spray on surface, then wipe off immediately. Use 100% COTTON baby diapers (if you can find them - - I get mine from a fellow at Hershey behind the stadium), or MICRO-FIBER cloths to do this. I actually prefer the microfiber cloths for this, and they are easily available. FINALLY: NEVER use dishwashing detergent. Never put your vehicle away dirty. Wash it, dry it, invest in a GOOD custom-made cover for it. I also ran a dehumidifier nearby to take care of the places you cannot dry.

I'm drooling! Two very beautiful and desirable motorbikes. The Italians are the masters of these smaller bikes. It's nice to see that someone very obviously appreciates them.

Thanks for elaborating on your feelings about class 05D. Some very good points here. I can certainly see and appreciate your specialty is of very early bikes, while mine is of the 60's and up cycles. Of course we are expecting the judges to know (within reason) the differences between these vehicles whether they be from the teens or from the mid 80's. I know it has to be hard for them, but what's to do, other than make more classes? Should Mustang Cycles have 2 separate classes as they do now? I had no idea class 05D was made exclusively for pedal-only vehicles. For several years I have seen scooter-type bikes without pedals in this class. That is why I thought my 47cc Suzuki M-31 step-thru would "fit" better into that class, rather than in 05H. So this is why my bike, now in class 05H (along with other step-thru's, the Honda 90 Cubs, etc.) seem to fall into "No Man's Land." I have very recently contacted Herb Oakes about considering a class revision or at least a review of classifying such vehicles in the near future.