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Hot august nights moves to Long Beach – comments Bruce Walters
What a huge disappointment in H.A.N. The announcement in the L.A. Business Journal is stating that THIS RENO EVENT is moving to Long Beach for 2012. You will NEVER see me at that place, nor will any of my friends attend,some of which are Northern Calif. residents. The residents here will continue this event under a different name and make it bigger and better than it now is…The last few years have been a disappointment compared to when Dave Seville was directing it. It is a real shame to see something that flourished and grew into something known world-wide to be moved to another city that has done NOTHING to deserve a venue such as this. I hope you are proud of yourself,Bruce.
Randy Becker
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In response to various media reports ranging from Hot August Nights is leaving Reno and Sparks to Hot August Nights is closing its doors permanently Hot August Nights has released the following statement.
From Bruce Walters
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As we have said from the very beginning we have had to seek additional sources of revenue to keep Hot August Nights alive and in that direction we are doing an event at South Lake Tahoe this year.
Next year and continuing through 2016 we will also be doing an event in Long Beach.
This is all being done to keep Hot August Nights financially viable.
Understandably there are some in this community who take exception to what we are doing, but the cold hard facts are simple…adopt these measures or perish.
It has always been our intention to stay the course in Reno and Sparks, providing that we can remain profitable. Everyone is suffering in this current economic climate and our escalating operating costs have forced us to look at alternative measures in an effort to sustain Hot August Nights in Reno and Sparks.
The dialogue that is ongoing over our decision to find alternative funding to sustain Hot August Nights is counter productive. Without additional financial support this event will go away…it is that simple.
Right now our full focus and energy is on the 2010 Event and that is the totality of the direction we are taking twenty four seven.
Share on Facebook Sphere: Related ContentHot August Nights moves to Long Beach
The following article by David Haldane appeared in the Los Angeles Business Journal, July 5. The recent announcement that Hot August Nights will not be held in Reno has caused a lot of local concern in the Reno-Sparks area. Those of us in the car community have supported HAN for years both as participants and volunteers but we have no voice in the matter. It appears the HAN board of directors does not either.
Bruce Walters has never been a car person or even a people person, he treats the volunteers with disdain. His only concern is with increasing revenue, a portion of which goes to support his private “Foundation”. That being said, the municipalities especially Reno bear most of the blame. The city has been cowing to the Reno police for years. HAN pays them overtime and a bonus on top of it and the police do nothing except stand around while the volunteers do the work. Reno has essentially killed the swap meet by requiring background checks and a $65 fee. A majority of the vendors have left and those that are left are selling tye dye clothing, wind chimes, and tee shirts, not car parts. It has become just another street fair. The police want to solve a perceived miniscule problem by cracking open a peanut with a sledge hammer.
The original Reno swap meet has moved to Sacramento and gets bigger and better every year while the HAN swap meet fades away. HAN is trying a swap meet in South Tahoe (California) this year in order to avoid some of the Reno issues.
It remains to be seen but despite Walter`s denials, HAN`s days in Reno are numbered. The only hope is for a smaller, better event under a different name.
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Ready to Roll
Rock and classic cars will hit Long Beach streets as the city has lured away Hot August Nights from a Nevada city.
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Monday, July 5, 2010 The city of Long Beach has lured a major national car event that promises to be bigger than the Long Beach Grand Prix and a bonanza for local merchants and hoteliers. Hot August Nights, an extravagant weeklong celebration of classic cars and music from the 1950s and ’60s, was parked in Reno, Nev., for nearly 25 years, but will move to downtown Long Beach in summer 2011. “We took a hard look and came to the conclusion that this city provides a very unique situation,” said Bruce Walter, chief executive of the non-profit of the same name that runs the event, one of the largest of its kind in the country. “We will have the ability to cruise along the Pacific Ocean and use venues throughout the city.” More than 6,000 classic cars, vintage 1972 or older, are displayed at the show, which includes a car auction, automotive vendors, seminars and concerts. Nightly classic car cruises along public streets are an integral part of the event, as is a large auto parts swap meet. Last year, the show, which was held July 31 through Aug. 8 and charges no admission, drew more than 800,000, said Walter, who claims it generated $350 million in economic activity in the form of hotel bookings, and food, beverage and merchandise sales. He believes the potential is even greater in Long Beach, where the show will be staged at the city’s harborside convention center and other venues. “About 60 percent of our people come from California anyway, and there’s a tremendous car culture in Southern California, which used to be the hot rod capital of the world,” he said. By comparison, the Long Beach Grand Prix, a three-day IndyCar street race for which spectators must buy tickets, is currently the city’s largest event. The April race draws about 175,000 people and generates an estimated $40 million for local hotels, restaurants and merchants, according to the Long Beach Convention and Visitors Bureau. Other large local events include the Long Beach Pride weekend, a gay and lesbian parade and festival in May that attracts up to 100,000 people, and the Long Beach Marathon in October, which generally gets about 45,000 spectators and participants. Hot August Nights was wooed by the Convention and Visitors Bureau, which negotiated a contract on behalf of itself and the city that will keep the event in Long Beach until at least 2016. “This is a coup for us,” said Steve Goodling, president of the convention bureau, which has estimated the event will fill 32,000 hotel room nights and generate up to $1 million in bed taxes over the life of the contract. Classic acts The Reno show is the outgrowth of a nostalgic concert featuring the Righteous Brothers, Wolfman Jack and Jan & Dean – classic acts of the 1950s and ’60s – at the Reno-Sparks Convention Center on Aug. 1, 1986. The charity concert was organized to fill a void in tourism during the hot month of August and culminated in a car parade that has since expanded into a premier national attraction. About two years ago, however, Walter said the event began feeling the squeeze of increasing costs associated with security as it expanded to Sparks, Nev., and involved county authorities. In all, there are three separate jurisdictions and each wants separate police, fire and emergency medical protection, as well as private security and other municipal services. Costs skyrocketed to more than $700,000 per year. In Long Beach, there won’t be a need for many duplicative services. “We look at the move as a matter of economic survival,” he said. “Our operating costs are horrific and we’ve reached a capacity where, if we’re going to grow, we need to move in this direction.” After being approached by several cities throughout the country, Walter said, Long Beach was chosen because of the region’s historic connection to the nation’s car culture, the city’s seaside location, and the close proximity of major venues such as the Queen Mary, Shoreline Drive and old Spruce Goose dome. Long Beach also has four major inns in the downtown area – Hyatt, Westin, Renaissance and Hilton hotels – as well as several midsize and boutique-style hotels. Long Beach Airport lodgings also should fill up, Goodling predicted. Hot August Nights plans to open a Long Beach office in September. Its 25th anniversary show will be conducted Aug. 3-6, 2011, in Long Beach followed by a similar event in Reno the week after that. Beginning in 2012, Walter said, the annual car show will be held exclusively in Long Beach. Buddy Pepp, executive director of the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles, said there is no doubt that the event is one of the biggest of its kind in the country. “This is huge for Long Beach and Southern California,” said Pepp. “To get a hotel or motel within 30 miles of Reno is impossible during Hot August Nights.” |
See the USA in your Chevrolet-Where is the 56?
By JuliaBerg in Uncategorized
Jun
15
See the USA in your Chevrolet-Where is the 56″?
By JuliaBerg in Uncategorized
Jun
14
See the USA in your Chevrolet-Where is the 56′?
By JuliaBerg in Uncategorized
Jun
14
See the USA in your Chevrolet-Where is the 1956?
By JuliaBerg in Uncategorized
Jun
14
PET PEEVES OF GOOD MECHANICS AND CAR ENTHUSIASTS
By Butch Chaffer, with thanks to HMM’s Ray Bohacz for excerpts & ideas
I, as do most of us, do expect those who swing wrenches for a living to execute proper mechanical procedure and exhibit a level of basic automotive knowledge. And the same standard should apply to an enthusiast who works on his own car. The following is a list of major peeves (or big no-no’s) that have been noted over time while observing work by professionals and enthusiasts alike.
DIRTY CARBURETOR: When not clean and varnish-free, air bleeds, emulsion tubes and passages do not function as designed, and performance and engine drivability suffer. A gummy, dirty carb is commonly seen on beautifully detailed muscle cars that are driven. The pros aren’t immune either, as many times I’ve seen mechanics replace air filters and ignore the filthy carburetor underneath. Carb cleaner is still cheap and easy to use.
HANGING BRAKE CALIPER: Any mechanic worth his salt recognizes that a brake caliper is not meant to swing from a rubber brake line during repairs. Use a wire, or rope, or bungee; anything to keep the strain off the hose. OK, some of you say “B.S., I’ve always done that with no problem”. Of course, the weakened crimp or slight hose stretch is never thought of when the hose fails a year later on a panic stop (musta’ been a rock or bad hose). But hey, you saved 2 minutes on the job.
HOISTING ENGINES: There are chains, straps, and steel cables meant to connect your prize to your hoist. OK, this is aimed mostly at the enthusiast, as most mechanics don’t want the liability. But using clothesline, fan belts, or romex house wire (yep, seen them all) to support a suspended engine really borders on gross stupidity. The obvious damage to the engine and/or vehicle when it breaks, and it will, is only surpassed by the potential injury to yourself or buddy (should one still be in the area). ‘Nuff said on that!!
WHEEL BEARINGS: Proper care is needed for long life of front wheel bearings; correct lubricant, adjusted to a specified pre-load, and kept in a clean environment when removed for brake service. Contamination by placing it on an old rag, inside a wheel cover, or around a dirty work area is a sure way to entice a future roadside replacement session, or worse. Wrap in a clean paper towel or virgin rag until ready for greasing and replacement.
TIMING LIGHTS: Unless you are working on a 1920’s, 30’s, or 40’s stocker, you have pretty much moved past mediocre ignition requirements on your ride. Modern automotive engines are amazingly efficient and powerful for their size. This is due in no small part to the precise spark control designed into these power plants. Long gone are the days of “timing by ear” for the best performance and drivability of your vehicle. Unless, of course, your expectations from that nice engine you installed is just “pretty close, good enough”. A decent timing light with a ‘dial-back’ feature is not expensive, is easy to use, and should be a part of every enthusiast’s tool box. Poor timing, even if not readily noticeable in your everyday driving, affects your exhaust emissions, gas mileage, plug life, oil life and even engine temp. Every decent mechanic and performance tech uses a timing light. It separates the winners from the losers. Even the experts aren’t that good at guessing.
DISTRIBUTOR CAM LUBE: Nothing wrong with that original classic that still uses points. In limited use of a few hundred miles a year they work fine. But a little maintenance knowledge is needed, especially for those who grew up with electronic ignitions and now have a classic with old school breaker points. The breaker arm on these points have, or should have, a felt pad that wipes the rotor cam ahead of the rubbing block. This pad contains lube that keeps the wear on the rubbing block to a minimum. Often this pad is missing or dry. It should be lightly coated with that grease in the little capsule that came with the points, as well as a thin film on the cam lobes, a must if the points have no pad. Point gap affects the timing and coil saturation, so maintaining proper gap over time is essential. The rubbing block can be worn away in a few hundred miles without proper lubrication. Lost that capsule? Auto stores such as NAPA have small tubes of distributor cam lube….a lifetime supply. Emergency alternative? Try a drop of engine oil off the dipstick onto your finger to apply a thin film in the cam lobe.
HAPPY MOTORING…..BE SAFE…..WORK SMART……HAVE FUN
Share on Facebook Sphere: Related ContentOld Car Emissions threat averted
Old Car Emissions Exemption No Longer Threatened
in 8 California Counties
Congratulations! The California old car hobby convinced California Senate legislators to amend legislation (S.B. 1549) that sought repeal of the state’s current emissions test exemption for pre-1976 vehicles registered by new owners in the San Joaquin Valley Unified Air Pollution Control District. The District includes eight counties in California’s Central Valley. Under the original bill, after Jan. 1, 2009, new owners seeking to register a pre-1976 vehicle in these eight counties would have been subject to emissions tests for the life of the vehicle. Under the amendment, the repeal language was removed and the bill instead now requires the DMV to study the state’s special license plate programs and recommend improvements.
Thanks to all of you for contributing to this successful resolution!
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