Intro: When I was selling this run to the misses, I said what an amazing site it was and it promised to be a bazzing weekend of Rods and Fun.. We did the 2nd Nats in 75, I did the Nats at Bruntingthorpe in 86. We did the Nats in 2002, that is the sum of our Nats experiance.
This year as we were away for the Supers, we agreed on the Nats. I was more than happy as I really wanted to see the new site and see the Nats be about the cars again. I'll let you into a secret, me and the wife are just getting back into the scene again so we don't know any of the politics of it all, but we describe the Nats as the rough one and the Supers as the Posh one. With this in mind read on, as its all about to change I am sure, for us the Nats came of age this year. It was about the cars, there were a lot of Rods there, sure many didn't go. But we came away more than happy we had been to a Rod Run not a party weekend full of people with no interest in Rods and felt totally safe.
No point writing about the drive down this time, as we went in the wife's daily ( 4 x 4) with the caravan in tow. Just as I would of done, had I still owned the 34 Sport. I would just like to say though, I filled the 4 x 4 up at the same location as I did in the 34 2 years back and the 34 used just £1 more than our modern 4 x 4 did. Though it has abs, aircon, power steering and a DVD player, the Rod towed just aswell as this did.
Friday
We arrived in the rain Friday around 10.30am ish just a small
queue that didn't seem to move much. Once we made it to the crew (volunteers) on
the gate, we were told to just wait a bit so they girls in the reception cabin
weren't over run with people signing in so they could cope better.
We waited a bit then went in, to be greeted with smiles and received our wrist bands and info and were asked to park within the showground (HSE) rules, 16ft away from the next caravan.
I heard later the queue wait was up to 2hrs for some whooo !
Early Riser's already pop'd in and camped
Before it filled up Friday morning
Once on site it became apparent just how massive and well laid out this place was. I had heard how superb the site was, but I wasn't expecting it to be so massive. whoa hoaa I thought this is gonna take some filling.. I prayed it would be Rods and not Sods that filled it aswell... Now my misses has not been the greatest lover of Rod Runs and to be fair I can see where she comes from, as before this hobby took hold of me, we travelled to hot foreign climes for a fortnight sometimes 3 weeks. It would be Florida, Greece, Spain etc etc now it was caravanning in England and this was looking like a wet one. I mean I get excited, all them Rods all them people into what I am into. all them people who know why we do it, the wife sees another week less in the sun. But she was here she was happy, the girls in the back (my daughter and friend Katherine) seemed well excited. We drove round the site first until we found a pitch we were all happy with and..
If you got there early you got chance of one of these cool Rod shelters
Low and behold the sun came out (well it stopped raining) and it pretty much stayed like that, the rest of the weekend bar a wee shower or two.
Once pitched I got out the chair in pure American Rodding fashion and just sat and watched the Rods roll in I was in heaven. Al Williamson was pitched across from us with his Hot 50's Strip pounding Chevy Truck, take a good look round this one if you get chance, it is built to do the business for sure must be one wild truck to drive. Al has done a couple of 700R4 Transmission in already with his heavy Track action. So now it sports a supposedly unbreakable TH400 which he is managing to break just a little already so he was telling me *rough arse Midland'er ;>)*
Al Williamsons Bad Chevy Truck
Just up from me was this neat Belgium Volvo and a couple of cool Harleys
I snapped away to my hearts content and there was some real superb material rumbling in, saw a lot of European cars trundle by. Saw a lot more Rods towing caravans aswell, which I like to see. You know I get all tingly when I am at a Rod run, I am like a kid at Toys R Us or similar, I don't know where to look next or where to be, I feel I am missing out on some things happening elsewhere on site and I really should be over there, not here, when I go over there, I think I bet I am missing something going on over there, Ha Ha its mad, I just want to do and see it all in one go... I wonder if that feeling ever diminishes ?
Even some celebrity Rodders turned up in the rain. one even bought a rain Mac
for his car though it only fits on the front ;>)
Real Nice A sedan I have admired for years arrived early Friday, blown and
not scared of a little precipitation
The Rods they just kept a coming
Real nice 50's Lincoln looked bang on, this turned out to be my daughters
favourite car of the weekend she took a photo on her phone and called it her car
and sent it to all her friends.
It must be because I am building one that I notice them more, but there seemed
to be quite a few F100's about.
Now that is showing off, Home from Home and a cool Burnham built F100 for the
weekend sir! yes please!
Looked like the rain wasn't going to put off the dedicated Rodders.
The weather was brightening up and brought the Cars out to posse
The site was so well set up, the drainage was excellent no boggy bits unless you went to the far extremities were there were just a couple of small patches but it didn't take long for it all to dry up and the place took on a whole different feel as the Rods just kept cruising and cruising and cruising.
Looks like a Dooster with Biff's just finished (ish) wild 70 Camaro in the
background. Blown and Bad all the way from Cumbria (trailored shhhh but don't
tell anyone, he will use it once its sorted), even further north of the county
than me. Probably little known fact, Steve Enright, Biff, John Listey, Gary
Leece and all
their families are from Cumbria and they always volunteer their Help at the NASC
runs, this one being no exception, without their Help some much needed work
would probably not get done, they put their money were their mouth's are. They
don't moan the Run would of been much better if.... they actually do all they
can to help. These guys put the whole of the stage area up and back down again,
so we can see the bands and the games that are the NATS weekend entertainment.
Steve doesn't even drink all weekend, so he can help with a clear head. So
a big round of applause for these guys eh!
Whoo where was I :>) The Rods were coming in thick and fast now and plenty of different takes on our scene, there was Cars there for all tastes. The roads were drying up fast and the show ground was now taking shape as one seriously massive UK Rod Run.
On the suggestion of the miss's, we would now go for a look round the site, see who and what was here and also get our bearings. I didn't really see anyone I knew, so we got round without the usual gassing from me. Yoda was having fun as he had a small tent but a very large air bed and they needed to be the other way round, a large tent and a small air bed.... He was somewhat perplexed when we walked by, he was resplendent in a nice fetching black German helmet and some fine body art. In his usual graphic way with words, he put over to all present that there was not much chance of said large airbed ever fitting inside said small pup tent.. *Hum?* we left him to his dilemma as he slowly went up in a cloud of raging steam! I think the NASC should have Yoda on stage telling all present his thoughts, I am sure it would be great entertainment.
Pro Steet is dead? tell it to these guys, two state of the art Pro Streeter's
looking sweet. Boxy cars seem to suit this look well.
Just what can you say, Mike Nobles brace of 32's, his red one after loads of
work is now out after the removal of them ugly fenders and used daily by
his girlfriend, who is into it now as much as Mike. Must be mighty satisfying
having your partner into the scene as much as you, must make things so much
easier and so much more fun *nice one Mike* :>) Mikes Gold 32 had UJ problems,
though he only found it was the prop UJ after some friendly local Rodder took
his half shaft to put a new wheel bearing on it, as that was what was first
suspected as being the wobble Mike had felt on the run up from Plymouth. Next is
Ian Burton's smooth as silk Hi-Tec 34 just awesome the finish is mind blowing,
you just must smile every mile you drive it! *for sale aswell* You knows you
want it so just buy it!
Johnny B's B and Duksville built baby Blue 32 B sit in the glorious rain shine
on the Friday afternoon, looking like they are gonna jump on anything that dares
drive by!
Oh look who is just about to Drive past a blast from the past will they show respect?
Hi Riding Zody drives by the beer tent/building/entertainment room... ooohh I
feel a thirst coming on and it is getting sunny.. think I may just have a cold
one and kick back for a while *yum* *yum*
Its now positively Sunny
I bet he is telling him a right tall tale
Hey look not everyone with crossplies, beam axles, buggy springs and steel
bodies went on the reliability (Anti Nats) run, now aint they so cooool
*respect*.
Whoooohoaaa such a stunning looking Caddy owned by Mark Churcher looked good on the move or sat still. I'd even
listen to Rock and Roll to take a drive in this one.
Gus Patel drove his Hi Buck Chevy Truck all weekend and did it ever look mighty
fine. What a magnificently put together piece of work that is, just faultless.
You know's I am the worst Rod Spotter in the world ( I wish someone would do
this who knows what they are doing) but I think this is a 39 er 8? Ford coupe
what ever, it looks perfect, Torq Thrust D's, sat sweet, with a hint of Pro
street :>) no hood and finished in deep Matt Black skin oh yeah baby! What more
could you want! Update: It's Matt Key's
(Mike Key's son) Plymouth. This is the one that lunched its gearbox on the drive
to the ESRA. A little secret dickie bird has told me that Matt's ride will look
slightly different soon as he intends to Gasser it.
Maybe this hammered French? ( I don't know number plates either Hell I am
gona be dangerous once I do know what I am doing) Chevy just needs to come
down a Tad and it is gonna be Killer!
Rear suspension travel is for Pussies.
Well it was pretty much that all day really, just sitting, cracking open a few tins, watching the Uk and European Rodding scene cruise slowly by, having a crack having a walk round. The Sun shone, all was well in the land of the Rod. The evening consisted of, (after a drive to the local Sainsbury's, who incidentally didn't know what had hit them, especially the next morning when hoards of hungry Rodders descended on the place for Breaky to stocked up with barby fodder) was spent being entertained by the NATS disco D.. I.... S...C...O... and having a gas, I met some people for the first time, one being Martin Palin one of the new owners of Dooster who is partners with Brian sorry Crusty who I do know. We Crashed out early....ish, what a great start to what was going to be a blast of a weekend... more to come!