At Carlisle This Weekend? We’ll Be There, So Stop By and Say Hello

See you there!

Every year when this rolls around I think I am going to be there...and I haven't made it yet.   This year my arthritis is really bad so without a motorized wheelchair it looks like the best I will ever hope for is a virtual tour.

I so wanted to take a look at and perhaps pick up a vintage Euro Ford.

Another case of woulda and shoulda when I had the chance back when.

I'll be there with my R53 MINI, although I'll mostly be in the North American Spitfire Squadron area.  Unfortunately, work needs will have me doing a late run out there Friday after work and then back home Sunday morning, so I can't take my Spitfire as I was originally planning.

I have seen a couple of Euro Fords, but it's not common to see them at the import show.

I usually manage to find something to buy in the vendor area and I'll bring some cash, but I'm not expecting to find much I need this year.  

Dangit.  I will try to stop by, but I'm frustratingly going to be at work about 8 miles away for most of the day.

Plus, I just got paid for a huge contract, so I'd probably come home with a Spitfire or a Spider, thereby nullifying said income.

I should work on the project this weekend, but this is tempting...

So I was wondering a few things. I went to this many years ago with a former friend and GRM member. I remember it being a long ass drive, and a lot of fun. Could one just go there without having a ticket to enter a car in the show? What is the situation with hotels? None available? Sleeping in the RX-7 isn't going to work.  Sleeping in the Chariot might work, but I don't know if I want to do that as it really should have the timing belt replaced before making that long of a drive.

Mazdax605 said:

So I was wondering a few things. I went to this many years ago with a former friend and GRM member. I remember it being a long ass drive, and a lot of fun. Could one just go there without having a ticket to enter a car in the show? What is the situation with hotels? None available? Sleeping in the RX-7 isn't going to work.  Sleeping in the Chariot might work, but I don't know if I want to do that as it really should have the timing belt replaced before making that long of a drive.

You can certainly go as a spectator and not have a car to show or sell.  I live right down the road from Carlisle and I can always tell when its going to be an event weekend.  Hotels are open and available in this part of Pennsylvania.  

The import show isn't as big as the Spring and Fall classic shows. Still impressive, but the Spring and Fall shows... good luck getting a hotel within 30 miles.  You should be able to find a room not too far away.

I think you have to register a car ahead of time, but walk-in spectators are highly encouraged.  It's a big swap meet, so the more the merrier.  Years ago they used to offer on-site parking for the smaller shows and maybe they still do.  I used to go with my buddy to the Corvette show and he would always park his 73 ragtop on the fairgrounds with a For Sale sign and a ridiculous price.

Weather report from Tim for Friday morning: It's beautiful. 

If you have an imported car of any type, it pays to do day-of registration for the show field.  It basically gives you a great parking spot in the middle of the activities. This is assuming you plan to get there early in the AM and stay all day.  Since I rarely know what car I'll be driving, I typically don't pre-register.

The import show is more of a "car show" than a swap meet.  The vendor area is substantially smaller.  Thank the internet for that anymore. But if you have a pile of stuff you just want "gone" then it can still pay to be a vendor. But I also think a lot of vendors attend purely out of habit and to see and hang out with other vendors they've known for years after the spectators leave - many camp out at their booths.