Cars & Coffee Pics - 5/23/09

Right, sure, so if 20 Enzos, or even 20 F-cars together, showed up you would tell 19 of them they are being disrespectful and to park in the parking structure? Yea, sure ya would.

So why don't they make signs of the "New Rules" and post them for a few weeks for all to read? Or maybe hand out flyers of the "New Rules" for several weeks and then enforce them? I am sure once the "New Rules" make their rounds there will be plenty of people like me who no longer have the desire to attend. That should free up some space for the exotics so that you can photograph the "more worthy cars" and not have to mingle with the lowly solstices, 2000s, and vettes who obviously think their cars are interesting enough to mobilize, organize, and arrive at 6:30 am just to get spots together.

Since the organizers are to weak to enforce their rules, and since they call for "self policing", why don't you (Frank) go over to the next group of cars that show and tell them they are disrepsctful and their cars are not worthy? I would suggest that you leave your camera behind, if not you may find that the next series of pictures after your discussion with the group may be of the inside of you colon.

 

What is a Solstice/Sky anyway?????????

 

This hole thing is dum

 

Please take the tone of this discussion down a notch or two. Thanks.

 

I find it ironic that we're all arguing because too many people with the same interest all want to come to a great event. What a horrible problem to have, LOL.

The reality is that Crystal Cove and now Cars and Coffee were meant to be shows for more exotic vehicles. For me that means vehicles that are produced in relatively low numbers that you don't see everyday. I love my Cobra, but to most people it's just a Mustang and I would never think of bringing 50 of my Mustang friends with me to Cars and Coffee without clearing it with organizers first.

Having said that, everytime I have gone to C&C as a spectator it's been a great time. All of the owners of the various vehicles are quite approachable and it's fun to talk to them about the cars I dream of owning someday. I hope everything gets sorted out before something bad happens and the show ends up being canceled.

 

C&C has become a great event why? I think it is the combination of things. A very active car culture mixed with an abundance of affluence (yes, people with lots of expendable income lavish it on special and rare cars) And special cars show up that appeal to many interest groups. You might see an F1 car or one that raced at Indy in the 20's, you might see a Veyron, an Isetta or the rarest of muscle cars. I've seen Hummers with 30"+ wheels and a hopped up barstool. Not everything is my taste, but whether I point and giggle or swoon, it is fun because it is diverse and special in its way. Special is the operative word, not expensive though they sometimes go together. Nobody has to pay each Sat morning, and everyman (I count myself in that group) has a chance to see a car that might be a once in a lifetime experience and learn from its owner.

If I bring a bunch of my friends with the same car to C&C, and virtually the only people who "ohhhh and ahhhhh" are the same folks who own the cars, well, its probably not special in a reasonable sense. Doesn't mean I have bad taste, doesn't mean I don't have as much money as Donald Bren , and it doesn't make other folks better than me, it's just that many don't share my passion except the other owners. But to cram it down the throats of others and risk ruining something so many even travel many miles to see out stubbornness?

Some have asserted that it's first come first served, that the rules aren't clear, yada yada yada.

Guess what? Continue to have rows of cars you can see in most showrooms just because a club"s alarm clock goes off early enough, and unique SoCal event will be over soon enough. If C&C continues to move away from a gathering of special cars to a used car lot, some will be saying "why isn't this event like it was in the beginning?" Don't ask the few narcissists with the extra early alarm clocks and a lack of common courtesy (you may be threatened with a colonoscopy, anyone can see that John and Linda don't need that aggravation), but the party will sadly be over just the same.

If anyone one is confused and wants to know the "secret code": it's common courtesy and unselfishness. As Frank said, "pass it on".

 

I understand your point of bringing 10 or more of the same vehicle being disrespectful. And I agree. But I don't think it's a matter of passing the word and asking/hoping for cooperation. C&C has grown to the point of no longer being able to function efficiently by this system without certain folks becoming unhappy. Monopolizing space is a problem highlighted when groups like the Solstices and Corvettes show up as they did. However, I saw a large number of Camaros taking space, albeit the did not arrive as a group and therefore did not appear to monopolize space. They were spread out, as were a smaller number of Ferraris, Cobras, and Mustangs. The main difference is that the Solstice and Corvette groups organized and showed at the same time.

I am not arguing against you. I am simply trying to make the point that the event has outgrown its space.

 

Maybe, maybe not. But if you and the C&C organizers agree that this is the case, than you'll have to do more than complain about a problem and ask it to go away (or not to show up).

You can pass that along all you want. I'll even help you do it. But the reason why it isn't like it was in the beginning is because it's not. The reason is simple. C&C has grown; it's been on TV and cable and in magazines and on the Internet. It has moved far away from a gathering of special cars and will continue to do so. You can't have your cake and eat it to. Something has to give. Either a fee must be charged (not to make money, but as a way to thin out the cars), or space must be increased, or someone must post up at the entrance (just like at a trendy nightclub) and decide who enters and who doesn't. But lamenting, complaining and just expecting things to go back the way it was won't help.

 

Compromise: http://jalopnik.com/5266084/believe-it-or-not-this-isnt-a-ferrari

 

First, I did not issue any threats. As I said, I no longer attend C&C because of the discussed changes. So not only will you most likely never run into me at C&C, but more importantly I would never resort to violence over something so silly.

Posting my objection to your words is a far cry from any threat. If i was part of a group that showed up together and someone told us arriving in a group is disrespectful, or our cars were not worthy, I would not care of their opinion one bit. Now if organizers of the event came over and explained they had rules/criteria/preferences/?? regarding groups and would appreciate the group moving to an outside lot I would be the first to respect their request. If I showed as a single and the organizers came over to tell me they would rather I park my car outside the show to leave room for a different brand/make/model/??? I would respect their request and most likely leave the venue. But since the organizers only whisper their desires and do not let people know directly I hardly see cause for you to speak so poorly of these groups that show or the type of cars people bring. That is what bothers me, not my allegiance to any make/model/era/genre/etc.

Instead of posting comments about the sol/sky guys lacking respect or class why not walk over, introduce yourself, and just let them know the desires of the organizers? I bet none of them had a clue that those desire exist. I know from several of the other forums I am on that people have no ideas about these new rules (desires, requests, call them what you will).

I agree with you about the diversity of the show, but until the organizers formally let people know it will continue. I stopped going because I respected the organizers criteria of my 2008 Corvette not being what they want to see in their show and I do not want to park it in the parking garage. I guess I could bring my 66 Mustang restomod as it is pretty unique, but then I doubt the spectators to C&C would find it interesting either so I just stopped going.

Sorry if I came across as harsh, but i think you hammer people for violating "desires" that they don't even know exist.

Also, since you have been around the same shows as I have, what killed Crystal Cove? Was it the lack of diversity? Was it large groups of similar cars? Or, was it all of the things you listed (driving recklessly-burnouts/flybys/crashes exiting onto PCH, loud stereos, people selling stuff)? The point is that these things are not common sense and people will do these things unless instructed otherwise.

 

Frank

Tell John to charge a $5.oo donation to charity to park in the "show lot". If a big group wants to come in....a few bucks more...for charity of course.....

 

I think this line of yours may have been seen as a threat?

"I would suggest that you leave your camera behind, if not you may find that the next series of pictures after your discussion with the group may be of the inside of you colon."

 

Jon...didn't you post that picture some years ago?

 

Back by popular demand...my colon.
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well, looks like someone did shove a camera up your colon.....Frank, lookout!

 

I'm no doctor but I'm glad that's not my colon. Few years old , you're overdue for another colonoscopy there.

 

I thought I had 5 years between visits?

 

when do you see 20 enzos or 20 f-cars ever showing up together??? its a funny thing that the only people that are arguing with frank are the ones that are new to the forum !!

 

Frankie does a lot for the community and is generally right on! He gets a big A+ in my book.

 

Just for clarity the entire quote was:

You will see that I was suggesting Frank inform the "next group" of the rules in the same tone he had here and how "the group" may react. So it was more of a warning than a threat.

 

September 2005 is considered new?

 

I apologize as well. I think we all agree that the organizers need to do something as they are the only ones that have the control to enforce their desires for the show.