#1 Politics...Get over it, it's always been there, always will be
#2 I definitely agree that McLean's Merc should have won (there's that bias again), but it is a previously shown car
#3 If we are trying to interest youth in the sport, and we put a limitation on year and modifications, are we not limiting their access?

#4 If we are trying to bring them into the sport, the best way is to take them for a little ride. They've probably never experienced good ol' torque...if we like it, why wouldn't they?

#5 If you have a specific talent and are over the age of 55, do something about it. Pass it on... to an eager/talented kid ( Yosemite Sam Radoff is delivering a Custom Painting course for us here at Fanshawe College, because he wants to do just that, "Pass it on")

#6 I hope the rain gods are with us this summer.

Wayne Rochon

George Withers
P-Town Street Rods

I agree with your thoughts on Speedorama. It will never be all things to all people, myself included, but it offers a venue for people in our hobby to showcase their talents. Whether or not it's your cup of tea, you should try to be open-minded enough to appreciate those talents, and not condemn them, or dismiss them outright.

While Speedorama was a little disappointing, I try to be open minded about all facets of our hobby, but I thought Speedorama had just a few too many imports (OK, so shoot me), and not enough just plain nice rides (like the ones you see at cruise nights during the
summer). I would also have liked to see some cars that would provoke some different ideas (late model or not). Maybe Performance World will be better. I hope so.

Anyway, thanks again for a great site. Keep up the good work. Hope spring comes soon.

Jeff Hazelhurst

Frank, good job, hope you fire your comments off to the Post. Speaking of
comments I've got a couple to add:

About 3 or 4 paragraphs into the article I started feeling nausea and couldn't continue.This guy,s great with the camera, but lousy with the pen. I think they picked the wrong guy for the show.

I've been trying to imagine how the owner of the Blown Model A felt when he first saw the picture, and the size of it, in the Post. He probably jumped to a real high, and almost immediately dropped to an extreme low (talk about shifting gears) when he read "Freak Show" in the middle of the deuce grill. This reporter is pretty much telling us if we drive a car like this, or similiar, were pretty much freaks in his eyes.

Hopefully the Post will stay out of our hobby in the future and leave it to
the Star. The Star may not be as wild with the pictures, but their reporter "Jil" knows what she's talking about.

Moe Loveless

Great article on the show Frank but let it be known that as a participant in this show several times with my cars over the years,I can say that the promoters should focus on attracting fresh ideas and fresh cars into this show.

I have been invited repeatedly year after year to bring my cars back to this show.My thoughts to Gary Wallace was why not convert the back building to a 1959 and down type of venue instead of boom box blowouts with so much junk you could fill a land fill site.We are trying to bring back the true meaning of what Hot-rods and Kustoms are all about.This is no laughing matter when you get down to it.

The Time-Bombs started a trend back in September of last year, and all who attended agreed that we were on the right track. 1959 and older ONLY and modified to a degree that would be obvious to anyone that it is indeed a Rod or a Kustom.The problem with Speedorama is that the focus is on the "gate". Lots of people are bored in Toronto at that time of year so you get a crowd that would rather spend 40.00 bucks and go for a walk for an hour and not even know what their looking at. I know from my experience that if things don't change radicall,y and soon, I think the people in the know will always think of Speedorama and the promoters as a "'JOKE".. Just like the writer for the National Post. Wouldn't know a good car if he got hit by one. Probably takes a cab everywhere.....Shame on the POST.............Time Bomb John
p.s. I just voice my opinion as to the way I see things. Maybe someone can tell me why they invite our American brothers and pay them a healthy sum of money and all we get is hydro for the booth. When a car is shown twice in as many years and walks away with all the gold [No offence to u-no-who], I question the ability of all the people involved. That's why you don't see any of the original guys who supported this show for many years in the past say anything good a bout it. Talk to Ed McLean. Here is a guy who goes to the west coast with a killer contemporary Kustom and comes in 2nd place for the "KING OF MERCS" and gets beat out by an unfinished late model right here in is own backyard. I`ve been part of the politics in these shows and it will never go away as long as you have promoters who don't give a rats--ss about the cars or the people - just the gate.So print if you will and maybe someone will step up to the plate for Speedorama...My only suspicion is that it will probably be someone on their payroll.

John St. Germain

I attended Speedorama, last month, for the first time in, probably 15 years, simply because I saw that transition happening then. It was not "my cup of tea". The only reason that I was there, was to promote this years show of the C.S.R.A. I had the opportunity to take my 14 year old son and two of his buddies. (I have a '34 Dodge, which my son has 'loved' ever since he can remember).

As you first walk in the door, there were some impressive 'hot rods', which my son checked out right away. I went to our booth and the 'boys' took off. During their time of carousing they would come back with pamphlets of speakers and sound systems. Naturally, these units were found in the preverbial, 'Honda'. Also, at the end of the day he 'had' to take me to see the Lamborguini (his favourite car). They did not want to leave the show. This is the first time that any of them have seen any show like this.

My point is; the youth of today have been brought up in a different automotive realm than the traditional 'hot rodder' has. Cars of today are computerized throw-aways. My son, I think, is one of the lucky ones; I will never sell my car and we are going to build a '37 Chev. pick-up, together, I hope. The only way to capture the young is to (as a Star Treker would say) 'asimilate' them into the old stuff.
Thanks for your great involvement...

Bruce Mason...Rodmasters Car Club

Like it or not, "custom" car shows have to reflect the current attitude of car enthusiasts. You are correct that the "dark side" is represented compared to a show like the Toronto International Auto Show. The enthusiasm and effort put in by the cars on display at Speedorama 2001 were every bit as intense as when you and I attended our first "SpeedSport" and that "spirit" of rebellion - a modified ride is more alive today than ever.

I love street rods, restored muscle cars and I also appreciate other forms of Automotive art & performance. The fact that a '"sort of " Pro-Street car won seems to really irk you.(editor's note: the point was whether a pro-street Cuda was considered by many to be hot rod. Either way, It's a fabulaous car) Getting a front wheel drive Civic to run 13's is a major accomplishment and they handle to boot. The "Freak" show comments are typical of mainstream media writers that do not understand the hotrod culture - I would have thought you would.

John Connery