Summer is Coming, Cars are Coming Out - Portland 2013 Car Events
Portland Summer Car Events
The rain took a short break today and had all of us fools with cars whose windshield wipers don't work headin for the hills in our jalopies. I personally took a quick look online to see where I could find other like minded individuals and landed upon the Westside Road Relic's Burgerville Cruise In.
Spring is just an awesome time for car guys, but it can also be a tough time; events are starting but the winter projects have to be wrapped up. I personally spent a rough month of April welding my inner tub and A and B posts (the frames for the door) back together (more on that at budgetmga.blogspot.com).
I read something last year that says Portland may rival any city in the US for car culture. The longer I live here the more I believe it. It seems everyone has a car in the garage; from the bizarre massive custom hearses (complete with halloween scene props), to modern super car machines you can find almost anything in Portland most weekends.
If you happened across this blog because you're looking for Portland car events and you're already tired of me yapping let me point you in the right direction.
This link for PDX Car Culture captures a lot of the events -
The Route 26 Cruisers also do a great job of capturing the local upcoming events as well -
If you're more into racing, I've been perusing this site looking for the upcoming autocross and road rally opportunities -
Spring is amazing because it's all still exciting. Tonight I saw a little pinstriping on a fat old pontiac and I loved it, I looked at every crusty old truck someone painted some scallops on. By September I'll walk through a car show with 500 cars and see three that interest me. I think wise old Solomon said it best, "If you have found honey, eat only enough for you, lest you have your fill of it and vomit it". In reality, it's probably best that we have winter to reset our expectations. Could you imagine living in L.A., with it's year around amazing weather? No wonder such bizarre and over the top creations come out of L.A., it's simply necessary to not die of boredom.
I did stop in at a Moon Speed Shop cruise in the last time I was in L.A.. I have to admit that the creations were amazing and sparked my creative side hard. I wish I'd see more extreme creativity here. There are a few Portland cars that even in September will still capture my eye, but I think the personalities of the two towns may also play into the cars you see out and about at the shows. Let's face it, Portland isn't quite as extravagant as L.A..
Then again I could be speaking out of my rear end. There's an MGA running around town here that the instant I saw sold me that I had to buy an MGA. I saw one of the best looking mustangs I've ever seen in Hot Rod magazine a couple months ago and was shocked to learn that it came out of a shop South of town here.
Beaches Wednesday Night Cruise Ins - So many cars come out to Beaches Cruise-In, of all types and variety, that there's truly something for everyone. I burn out if I go too often, but Beaches is a must hit during the summer. Take some friends that also appreciate cars and it gets exponentially more fun. And it's fun to park your own car in there and stand about 20 yards away beside another car and watch people's reaction to your baby; it's sometimes humbling, sometimes funny and sometimes heart warming (there's nothing better at car shows than watching from afar an old guy (70+) check out your car, like I saw tonight at the Cruise In). - http://portlandraceway.com/?/events/upcoming_events/cruisein
Cruise-In Sherwood - This is just a nice classic small town car show just outside of metro Portland. I enjoy the town and the cars. - http://cruisinsherwood.com/
And if you're like me, and quickly tire of things that are the same, you'll enjoy not only the cars but also the crowds at the All British Field Meet. Gone are all dentists wearing Harley leather, polishing their hot rods they spent too much money on, and instead you find the truly dorky car guys. In between the cars you find people picnicking with their vintage picnic set. There's odd campers pretending they're in the Sahara with lions as they sleep in genuine accessory Range Rover tents on top of their vintage rover. They celebrate odd things, like 50 years of the MGB, and saluting the mini-Cooper. The all British Field Meet is a great excursion into the not trendy. - http://www.abfm-pdx.com/2013
And while you're at it, hit up an SCCA autocross in your car, or a Friday night rally. Both are open to street legal cars on street tires, and are cheap ways to get a little competition out of your system.
SCCA AutoCross Schedule - http://www.oregonscca.com/content/view/1286/288/
Cascade Car Club Friday Night Rally (note check their calendar, these are not every Friday)
Oh, and if you're more into modern and modena, than muscle and mopar, check out the cars and coffee held at both the airport road shopping center, or the lesser known one behind the starbucks in the shopping center with sweet tomatoes and home depot in Tigard. I hear Oregon City has one too. I've seen a lot of exotica at these. I guess yuppies with Porsches like their starbucks!
Leave comments below if you'd like to let readers know about other upcoming Portland events.
All I can hope now is that in September I'll still have enough passion or vision to drive the projects through the winter. Looking forward to seeing you all out there keeping the scene vibrant!
