Today I went to the Grand National Roadster Show at the Pomona Fairplex, drove my Electric MINI E, (asked at the gate if they had parking for Electric cars, the attendant laughed, said NO) parked outside the NHRA Museum. Entering through the Museum, I passed the dry lake "Challenger" record holder etc etc, and all the famous racing, drag racing and Lakester cars of my youth (the 50's).
The Grand National Roadster Show is an event that has been running annually (originally in Oakland California) for 61 years or since I was 6 years old. I've been to a few over the years.
Today there were more than 800 absolutely beautiful, privately owned and restored cars, gassers mostly, a few steamers.
The finishes and materials, creativity, time and effort that goes into these labors of love are simply astounding.
You see, I also have this affliction in that my 'other' project
(begun years before I came to the realization that Electricity IS the immediate solution to one of the planets many problems) is the ground up restoration of one of those Hot Rods.
I came today to find parts and some input as I am nearly finished with what has proven to be a nearly five year project.
My 54 year old Hot Rod will be one of those labors of love, a work of art in metal, unfortunately powered by gasoline but intended only for weekend fun outings, the Electric Car serving very well as my Daily Driver and actually just as much fun to drive!
The Gasser has been relegated to it's rightful place, a functioning sculptural piece of great beauty, to be admired and driven only on a few special occasions.
It felt really good that I had driven the 40 miles each way, 80 mile round trip, on about 30 KWH of Electricity at a cost of about .07 cents a KWH ($2.10 total, less than the cost of a gallon of gas) to view a mind boggling display of absolutely beautiful metal sculptures and mechanical ingenuity from a soon to be bygone era!
My project isn't quite ready to reveal just yet, so I'll put a few other pics from todays show here for your enjoyment.
Make this one Electric it would be cool!
It's a Cadillac!
Boyd Coddington's 1939 Lincoln.
Won't it be cool when people discover the fun of driving an Electric Car and they have been around long enough for the backyard metalsmith to get hold of them and begin to work their magic and turn the Electric Car into a Powerful thing of Beauty.
Today, I saw a lot of "Circle/Slash Green" symbols, I don't know why, It's all about fun, appreciation and celebration of the creativity and ingenuity it takes to create these things and ultimately, I think, enjoying the drive, what's wrong with doing it in a "Green" way?
That's it for todays foot in the past, movin on!
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