Cheers and Gears goes Back to the Futurliner!

[Drew Dowdell]

Cheers and Gears goes Back to the Futurliner!

Hershey, PA - Today I visited the AACA meet in Hershey PA. The last time I managed to get out there was in 2006. In both instances the General Motors Futureliner was there. The first time I visited, I was unable to get up into the cab. This time would be different.

[Drew Dowdell]

I didn't get many pics this time around because my camera was acting up..... so I concentrated on getting shots of logos and hood ornaments.

[Drew Dowdell]

I got this video of an Oldsmobile Curved Dash being started up:

And this video of a Detroit Electric being started up:

[Drew Dowdell]

I'll post more pics tomorrow evening after I get back from The East Broad Top.

[balthazar]

Look at that "Cadillac Motors" logo : there's the mesh grilling that Cadillac 'stole' from Bentley !! :wink:

[ocnblu]

Nice so far, Drewbert!

[A Horse With No Name]

Awesome!

Chris

[Camino LS6]

Very cool!

[GMTruckGuy74]

Is this the official place to post AACA Fall Meet (aka Hershey) show pictures? If yes, then I'll add some of mine later.

I saw the Futurliner earlier in the day when it was still cloudy out (no rain at all, got there around 8:00 AM and it rained before that though; was cloudy until about 10:30 AM). My pictures of it didn't come out too great because of the cloudiness. But I think it's funny that both Drew and I took similar pictures of the gold "GM" letters (mine's attached below).

Edited October 12, 2009 by GMTruckGuy74

[Drew Dowdell]

I've got some video that I know you'll appreciate GMT. I have shots of the Mack trucks firing up and taking off for the end of show parade.

[GMTruckGuy74]

Thanks Oldsmoboi! I saw the '70s Mack COE (Magnum), the old '16 (or was it a '21?) Mack Paddy Wagon (police truck) and the pair of '27 Mack touring buses last weekend at the Gerhart's All-Mack show in Lititz (near Lancaster), PA. Pretty awesome stuff! Do you have video of the '64 Mack B-series 'Republic Services' garbage dumpster truck? That was an awesome Mack truck I haven't seen before and was drawing a big crowd.

So, should I go ahead and post pictures here then?

[Drew Dowdell]

Thanks Oldsmoboi! I saw the '70s Mack COE (Magnum), the old '16 (or was it a '21?) Mack Paddy Wagon (police truck) and the pair of '27 Mack touring buses last weekend at the Gerhart's All-Mack show in Lititz (near Lancaster), PA. Pretty awesome stuff! Do you have video of the '64 Mack B-series 'Republic Services' garbage dumpster truck? That was an awesome Mack truck I haven't seen before and was drawing a big crowd.

So, should I go ahead and post pictures here then?

Absolutely. The video I have is of the paddy wagons and the tour buses.

[GMTruckGuy74]

Thanks, I'll include some in the next post.

Just FYI, you need to fix the name of the truck in the headline - it's spelled F U T U R L I N E R (only one 'E', not two <get rid of the first>). But I know you're a smart guy and maybe you wanted it to be with two 'E's anyway

[GMTruckGuy74]

Here's my first batch, more to follow...

[GMTruckGuy74]

More to follow...

[Drew Dowdell]

Thanks, I'll include some in the next post.

Just FYI, you need to fix the name of the truck in the headline - it's spelled F U T U R L I N E R (only one 'E', not two <get rid of the first>). But I know you're a smart guy and maybe you wanted it to be with two 'E's anyway

That's what 12 hours of turnpike driving will do to you......

[GMTruckGuy74]

More to follow...

[GMTruckGuy74]

More to follow...

[GMTruckGuy74]

More to follow...

[Robert Hall]

Thanks for posting the pics, guys. Looks like there were some very cool cars and trucks at this event.

[GMTruckGuy74]

More to follow...

[GMTruckGuy74]

More to follow...

[GMTruckGuy74]

Final batch of my pictures...

(Note - I have some I didn't post, and I have some rear and/or side shots of some of the pictures posted here. If you want to see anything else, please just ask!).

[Camino LS6]

Wow!

What a broad spectrum!

[GMTruckGuy74]

Just some notes I'd like to share....

- The Tucker Convertible was a nice unexpected surprise. Lots of controversy about the existance of this car, but it's cool to see in person. 5 million dollars is a lot though for this *undocumented* car (no official Tucker plans or drawings have ever been found). Seller was passing out a small two-side professionally done brochure, which shows the car with the top down.

- The Futurliner drew a crowd all day, and it was a great thing to see. Driver's cockpit was open for you to climb the steps up into and to sit in either rear passenger seats or the more desired driver's seat (Oldsmoboi's pic on page 1 is a great representation of what it is like to sit there). I've attached a picture of my son in this seat to this post

- Weather was so-so this year, but at least it didn't rain (some small drops/drizzle was felt briefly around 9:30 AM, but it was only for less than a minute). Breezy throughout the day, low 60's tempature, cloudiness with brief occaisional sunlight/blue skies. Not the best weather I've experienced there, but not the worst either. From speaking to a few shoppers in the vendor fields and also to some vendors, Wednesday most vendors couldn't open or set up due to 50 MPH winds, Thursday was the nicest day of the event, and Friday was rain & wind.

- This was my 20th year (anniversary) to the AACA Fall Meet. My dad took me as a 14 year-old back in October, 1989. My dad asked to join me and my 4 year-old son this year and I of course said 'yes'. In hindsight, I should have asked someone to take a picture of the three of us (three generations of my family represented), but I did take a picture of my dad and my son - my dad's 20th anniversary since his first time there (he took me in '89, '90, & '91, then joined me last in '03), and of course Justin's 1st visit. Attached is the picture of "pop & Justin taking a break".

- Vendors: my biggest gripe every year. Seems more and more leave before Saturday, and many others start packing up early Saturday morning. I of course look for literature, odds-and-ends stuff, and diecast/toy venodrs. Some of the usual vendors I visit every year there weren't around this year (disappointing to me), and I overhead many vendors say that starting next year they won't be sticking around for Saturday ("the people coming on Saturday are here for the show fields only", is what I hear a lot).

- If you notice, many of my pictures are not from the show field. Since I go for only one day, I like to see the vendors and the cars for sale (car corral) more than walking the show fields. I will go there to see the trucks (now two separate areas this year; light-duty in the middle of the cars and heavy-duty/commercial still in the back). I'd love to be able to walk & take pictures in the show field, but there's so many people and it's hard to get a shot. It is a goal of mine to attend the show for two days - one day (likely a Friday in the future) for the vendors & car corral, and one day for the show cars (has to be a Saturday, since show cars are this day only).

I hope you've enjoyed my experience at the AACA Fall Meet and feel free to ask any questions you may have.

[ocnblu]

The two blue 70's fullsize Pontiacs are MINE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

And the '73 Century Gran Sport ain't bad, either!

[Blake Noble]

I'm diggin' the white colonnade Cutlass, the gold T/A, the black G-Body Cutlass, and the colonnade Century GS.

[Robert Hall]

Lots of interesting cars posted.. I noticed the '70 Buick wagon, pretty rare car, a one-year only body (IIRC, Buick didn't have a B-body wagon from '65-69) with a vinyl top.

[Z-06]

Motherload of priceless pictures - even my T1 line went on snooze mode while downloading.