I can't believe anybody hasn't posted about going to the Back to the Fifties yet!
I know a lot of you go the entire weekend. I've gone a couple of times to walk around and get overwhelmed after a few hours, but all day is too much for me. Guess I'm a 60's and 70's muscle car guy through and through.
Not that the rods and cruisers aren't cool tho!
dashboard said
Jun 22, 2012
I might stop down there Friday for a bit to check out the swap meet stuff
bowtie said
Jun 22, 2012
Swap meet is on Sunday.
I go on Sundays mainly fr that. I got a little overplayed with this show having worked it for 4 days every year for 15 years through work and GM. I typically just try to focus on one certain type, style, or model vehicle now just because of how overwhelming the show is. I do like to see all the vendors and stuff inside the buildings too. I don't mind the crowds which makes it easier too.
chevelle said
Jun 22, 2012
i will be going, even though my 59 Chevy Wagon is still apart. picked up my registration tonight. drove my "new car" (the 1971 Malibu) up there. it was a prefect night for a cruise.
Chris R said
Jun 22, 2012
SShink wrote:
I can't believe anybody hasn't posted about going to the Back to the Fifties yet!
I was going to post something tonight. I just cant go one day without feeling like im missing something. I just have to go both weekend days to see everything. Saturday is usually the day you shop at all the vendors and sunday is for the swap meet and looking at the cars.
Jon H said
Jun 22, 2012
We spent the afternoon there today. I am always amazed at the paint on the huge body panels of the older cars even compared to the late 60's muscle cars. There are a lot of very talented painters out there. The only disappointment was all of the LS engines being put in the older cars, it just doesn't seem right. Nothing like an old flat head!
-- Edited by Jon H on Friday 22nd of June 2012 10:16:19 PM
Lost in the 60s said
Jun 22, 2012
I'll be out there Sunday. Looking for a DONE '37, '38, '40 Chev coupe.
SShink said
Jun 22, 2012
Now that Porky's is gone, is there any cruising on University, did it move somewhere else, or is it dead?
Lost in the 60s said
Jun 23, 2012
I doubt anyone's going to want to drive a street rod on University Ave. this year. It's a MESS. I would suspect Wagners in Brooklyn Park will be packed. Possibly the Sonic east of St. Paul on I94 too. I may swing by the Dairyette Saturday evening, if it isn't raining.
Chad said
Jun 23, 2012
me and Logi are going! Can't wait!
OscarZ said
Jun 23, 2012
Took my nephew there today. Awesome weather! There is a blue 72 Malibu in the auction tomorrow that's supposed to be a 22k mile car. Blue, black vinyl top, blue cloth bench interior, 350 2bbl. Looked pretty nice will be curious to see what it goes for price wise.
frank said
Jun 23, 2012
that was the busiest friday i have ever seen. as of 7pm 11,755 registered cars. ate well, bull**** a lot and only bought seat belts. got in at 6:05am left at 8:00pm
chevelle said
Jun 23, 2012
went out last night, saw some really nice 64 Chevelle's, along with tons of great older cars. always like to see the creative talent that goes into the cars, even those i would not personally want to have plan to be back Sunday for the swap meet
gearlube said
Jun 23, 2012
Had a lot of fun at the 50's show. Overwhelming!! Met my new best friend though!! Mr. Chip Foose
-- Edited by gearlube on Saturday 23rd of June 2012 11:29:31 PM
-- Edited by gearlube on Saturday 23rd of June 2012 11:30:08 PM
Chris R said
Jun 24, 2012
I was there all day today. Ill be back tomorrow for the swap meet and pay more attention to the cars instead of the vendors. I did pick up a cool sheet metal cutter/nibbler device that attaches to the end of a drill from the vendor in one of the corners inside the grandstand.
I did see the blue 22K 72 Malibu there that Mike mentioned. As well as a black 69SS. Didnt hang around to watch them go through but returned a few hours later to see they both were run and had stickers on the windows saying they were still available. 69 had a bid up to 24K and the 72 was bid up to 16K according to the stickers. At that point it appears it becomes a silent auction.
The 69 was in good condition but not a show car, needed a lot of detailing under the hood and the paint was good but could use some attention. Not original motor. But it was a 4 speed bucket Interior but it was green. The car had a nice vinyl top with no tears or damage that I could see. So it was a black on black with green gut, headrests didnt match the green seats so they were likely repros, the seats were the green color but the headrests were black. Kind of a unusual combination with the black/black/green, however, im guessing if it wasnt sold at 24K, it didnt meet reserve. Which IMO, was about tops what a car like this is worth.
As for the blue Malibu. 16K and unsold tells me it didnt meet reserve either. It was a nice low mileage car, but still a small block, bench seat car. 16K was about tops for the current market for a car like that IMO.
This tells me that either sellers arent doing thier homework on the current market or they were banking on the atmosphere of a collector car auction or hoping some high rollers were in the audience ready to spend. Even though this is the biggest car show in the country. Its still St. Paul and not an auction in somewhere like Scottsdale (meaning much higher profile). Most of the unsold cars had high bids that were right were they should be in todays market for stuff any of us have seen for sale.
Lost in the 60s said
Jun 24, 2012
About the same tactics as ebay sellers. Put a high buy it now or reserve on it and when the bidding stops, negotiate with the high bidder for more.
Chris, where do we park for the swap ? I was going to try the north lot off Larpentuer, or is that the north campground. I was all over the msra website trying to get parking info but they don't have 1 word about were spectators should park....
67ss said
Jun 24, 2012
The swap meet is usually down in the parking lot by the horse barns. I would recommend you park off of como on the south side of the fair grounds and go in the gates there.
Lost in the 60s said
Jun 24, 2012
67ss wrote:
The swap meet is usually down in the parking lot by the horse barns. I would recommend you park off of como on the south side of the fair grounds and go in the gates there.
Thanks Chris. I've never been to this swap and had no idea it was way on the south end. Can we get into the show from there too ?
Chris R said
Jun 24, 2012
Lost in the 60s wrote:
About the same tactics as ebay sellers. Put a high buy it now or reserve on it and when the bidding stops, negotiate with the high bidder for more.
Chris, where do we park for the swap ? I was going to try the north lot off Larpentuer, or is that the north campground. I was all over the msra website trying to get parking info but they don't have 1 word about were spectators should park....
Chris nailed it. Thats what I do too. Park in the lot along Como ave. Right across from the Coloseum. The swap meet is always on the west end of the fairgrounds where the midway and all the rides are during the actual state fair is, and your a block away when you come in this entrance. This is the south side of the fairgrounds, otherwise you have to walk all the way through the fairgrounds to get to the swap, meaning if you bought something, you have to either carry it all the way back, or get permission to go all the way back, get your truck and come to get it, then go back and park again.
I remember about 7-8 years ago, I bought one of those plastic moulded mock up big block engines with all the correct accessory holes to mount actual parts on to and had to carry it from the north side of the show, to the south side, across como and another 100 plus yards into the parking lot where I was parked. That thing weight a good 50 plus lbs and I had to make several stops before I made it and my arms were screaming after that trip. That thing still sits waiting for my plans to make a coffee table out of it.
Yes, you can get into the show, actually, your entering the show in order to get there anyways since its essentially set up in that huge lot on the west end. Its actually a fairly nice sized swap meet and there is always something there you dont typically at all the swap meets around here every time that hadnt sold at the prior one before it.
dashboard said
Jun 24, 2012
See you guys in the AM.
frank said
Jun 24, 2012
saw kevin, stan and mitch today. i was tired i didn't even offer you something to drink. sorry
Lost in the 60s said
Jun 24, 2012
Fun to see people I know in a crowd that huge !!
I dang near bought a '35 Dodge coupe today. Still pondering it....I'd rather have a Chevy but that Dodge is cute...
Considering a '40 Chev coupe too but it's all stock and would need the transformation to a rod. Not ready to commit to that.
SShink said
Jun 25, 2012
frank wrote:
saw kevin, stan and mitch today. i was tired i didn't even offer you something to drink. sorry
No problem Frank. You were in the shade, so that was what we really needed.
Had a good time walking around with Kevin and Mitch, and we had some great garlic fries at lunch. That swap meet was HUGE! Walked it for over 2 hours looking for a pair of short stock small block Chevy valve covers, and wouldn't you think there'd be a bunch of them around? Nope. Oh well. I'm sure I've got a pair stuck back in my shed.
Got home, power washed the house, mowed the yard, put gas in all the cars for the week, and took a shower. Man, are my dogs tired! It's a good tired though from all the fresh air today.
Saw Mike (Oscar Z) and Bryan there too. Chad was there with his family, but we were at opposite ends of the fairgrounds.
Got me excited to go to Car Craft!
bowtie said
Jun 25, 2012
Well, I saw about 1/2 the NCC guys. Missed Mitch, ChrisR and OscarZ, Frank, and Chad, but I saw Ian and Lori, Brad, Stan and Kevin, John Sinna, and a ton of other people including my old boss, my dealer owner, and former co-workers.
Anyone else buy something from the CNC plasma cut metal guy? I'll post a couple pics tonight of what I got.
SShink said
Jun 25, 2012
rgoble wrote:
It was a great Back to the 50s. The following is a link to some photos I put on youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=16JZFfwy8FM.
-- Edited by SShink on Monday 25th of June 2012 09:17:33 PM
-- Edited by SShink on Monday 25th of June 2012 09:23:27 PM
Chris R said
Jun 25, 2012
I didnt run into anyone myself.
rgoble said
Jun 26, 2012
It was a great Back to the 50s. The following is a link to some photos I put on youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=16JZFfwy8FM.
Tim H said
Jun 26, 2012
Chris R wrote:
I didnt run into anyone myself.
I drove by you in the parking lot you were headed in and then saw you a couple minutes later walking back out to your car. I was going to say hello but you were across the lot.
Chris R said
Jun 26, 2012
Tim H wrote:
Chris R wrote:
I didnt run into anyone myself.
I drove by you in the parking lot you were headed in and then saw you a couple minutes later walking back out to your car. I was going to say hello but you were across the lot.
That must have been sunday morning. Realized I forgot to grab my ticket out of the console of the car and had to go back and get it.
I did see Rich driving in the red convert actually. Also, I did see Frank's 37 and the blue 64 parked next to it, I "think" I may have seen Frank as well, but I wasnt sure enough it was him so I didnt approach to say hello.
bowtie said
Jun 26, 2012
I saw the red vert too, looks very nice!
Bungy L-76 said
Jun 28, 2012
I was there all three days with my rusty 53, but didn't see anyone from the club. I did see Franks 64 parked.
Anyone get any good deals or interesting stuff at the swap? I found a mint hood for my 53 for $35.
Lost in the 60s said
Jun 29, 2012
Bungy L-76 wrote:
I was there all three days with my rusty 53, but didn't see anyone from the club. I did see Franks 64 parked.
Anyone get any good deals or interesting stuff at the swap? I found a mint hood for my 53 for $35.
I DID see your car. I was walking by and did a double take thinking I had seen it before but thought it may have been one I looked at on ebay last fall. That was Sunday and it was parked in front of the beer garden. I was looking at the orange '40 about 12 cars farther down.
bowtie said
Jun 29, 2012
Bungy L-76 wrote:
I was there all three days with my rusty 53, but didn't see anyone from the club. I did see Franks 64 parked.
Anyone get any good deals or interesting stuff at the swap? I found a mint hood for my 53 for $35.
I got a couple older emblems (Camaro, Malibu, Pro Street), a 55/56 4 speed cluster with gauges and wires, and about 20 older 1980s car magazines. $21 for everything. Was teetering on a gas pump that was in a trailer there for a decent price, but decided no after thinking about carrying it to my car.
bwild70ss396 said
Jul 3, 2012
I was there all three days and made many trips out to truck hauling parts. The only club people I saw was at swap as Byran mentioned
I can't believe anybody hasn't posted about going to the Back to the Fifties yet!
I know a lot of you go the entire weekend. I've gone a couple of times to walk around and get overwhelmed after a few hours, but all day is too much for me. Guess I'm a 60's and 70's muscle car guy through and through.
Not that the rods and cruisers aren't cool tho!
I go on Sundays mainly fr that. I got a little overplayed with this show having worked it for 4 days every year for 15 years through work and GM. I typically just try to focus on one certain type, style, or model vehicle now just because of how overwhelming the show is. I do like to see all the vendors and stuff inside the buildings too. I don't mind the crowds which makes it easier too.
I was going to post something tonight. I just cant go one day without feeling like im missing something. I just have to go both weekend days to see everything. Saturday is usually the day you shop at all the vendors and sunday is for the swap meet and looking at the cars.
We spent the afternoon there today. I am always amazed at the paint on the huge body panels of the older cars even compared to the late 60's muscle cars. There are a lot of very talented painters out there. The only disappointment was all of the LS engines being put in the older cars, it just doesn't seem right. Nothing like an old flat head!
-- Edited by Jon H on Friday 22nd of June 2012 10:16:19 PM
I'll be out there Sunday. Looking for a DONE '37, '38, '40 Chev coupe.
Now that Porky's is gone, is there any cruising on University, did it move somewhere else, or is it dead?
I doubt anyone's going to want to drive a street rod on University Ave. this year. It's a MESS. I would suspect Wagners in Brooklyn Park will be packed. Possibly the Sonic east of St. Paul on I94 too. I may swing by the Dairyette Saturday evening, if it isn't raining.
me and Logi are going! Can't wait!
Took my nephew there today. Awesome weather! There is a blue 72 Malibu in the auction tomorrow that's supposed to be a 22k mile car. Blue, black vinyl top, blue cloth bench interior, 350 2bbl. Looked pretty nice will be curious to see what it goes for price wise.
that was the busiest friday i have ever seen. as of 7pm 11,755 registered cars. ate well, bull**** a lot and only bought seat belts. got in at 6:05am left at 8:00pm
always like to see the creative talent that goes into the cars, even those i would not personally want to have
plan to be back Sunday for the swap meet
Had a lot of fun at the 50's show. Overwhelming!! Met my new best friend though!!
Mr. Chip Foose

-- Edited by gearlube on Saturday 23rd of June 2012 11:29:31 PM
-- Edited by gearlube on Saturday 23rd of June 2012 11:30:08 PM
I was there all day today. Ill be back tomorrow for the swap meet and pay more attention to the cars instead of the vendors. I did pick up a cool sheet metal cutter/nibbler device that attaches to the end of a drill from the vendor in one of the corners inside the grandstand.
I did see the blue 22K 72 Malibu there that Mike mentioned. As well as a black 69SS. Didnt hang around to watch them go through but returned a few hours later to see they both were run and had stickers on the windows saying they were still available. 69 had a bid up to 24K and the 72 was bid up to 16K according to the stickers. At that point it appears it becomes a silent auction.
The 69 was in good condition but not a show car, needed a lot of detailing under the hood and the paint was good but could use some attention. Not original motor. But it was a 4 speed bucket Interior but it was green. The car had a nice vinyl top with no tears or damage that I could see. So it was a black on black with green gut, headrests didnt match the green seats so they were likely repros, the seats were the green color but the headrests were black. Kind of a unusual combination with the black/black/green, however, im guessing if it wasnt sold at 24K, it didnt meet reserve. Which IMO, was about tops what a car like this is worth.
As for the blue Malibu. 16K and unsold tells me it didnt meet reserve either. It was a nice low mileage car, but still a small block, bench seat car. 16K was about tops for the current market for a car like that IMO.
This tells me that either sellers arent doing thier homework on the current market or they were banking on the atmosphere of a collector car auction or hoping some high rollers were in the audience ready to spend. Even though this is the biggest car show in the country. Its still St. Paul and not an auction in somewhere like Scottsdale (meaning much higher profile). Most of the unsold cars had high bids that were right were they should be in todays market for stuff any of us have seen for sale.
About the same tactics as ebay sellers. Put a high buy it now or reserve on it and when the bidding stops, negotiate with the high bidder for more.
Chris, where do we park for the swap ? I was going to try the north lot off Larpentuer, or is that the north campground. I was all over the msra website trying to get parking info but they don't have 1 word about were spectators should park....
The swap meet is usually down in the parking lot by the horse barns. I would recommend you park off of como on the south side of the fair grounds and go in the gates there.
Chris nailed it. Thats what I do too. Park in the lot along Como ave. Right across from the Coloseum. The swap meet is always on the west end of the fairgrounds where the midway and all the rides are during the actual state fair is, and your a block away when you come in this entrance. This is the south side of the fairgrounds, otherwise you have to walk all the way through the fairgrounds to get to the swap, meaning if you bought something, you have to either carry it all the way back, or get permission to go all the way back, get your truck and come to get it, then go back and park again.
I remember about 7-8 years ago, I bought one of those plastic moulded mock up big block engines with all the correct accessory holes to mount actual parts on to and had to carry it from the north side of the show, to the south side, across como and another 100 plus yards into the parking lot where I was parked. That thing weight a good 50 plus lbs and I had to make several stops before I made it and my arms were screaming after that trip. That thing still sits waiting for my plans to make a coffee table out of it.
Yes, you can get into the show, actually, your entering the show in order to get there anyways since its essentially set up in that huge lot on the west end. Its actually a fairly nice sized swap meet and there is always something there you dont typically at all the swap meets around here every time that hadnt sold at the prior one before it.
Fun to see people I know in a crowd that huge !!
I dang near bought a '35 Dodge coupe today. Still pondering it....I'd rather have a Chevy but that Dodge is cute...
Considering a '40 Chev coupe too but it's all stock and would need the transformation to a rod. Not ready to commit to that.
No problem Frank. You were in the shade, so that was what we really needed.
Had a good time walking around with Kevin and Mitch, and we had some great garlic fries at lunch. That swap meet was HUGE! Walked it for over 2 hours looking for a pair of short stock small block Chevy valve covers, and wouldn't you think there'd be a bunch of them around? Nope. Oh well. I'm sure I've got a pair stuck back in my shed.
Got home, power washed the house, mowed the yard, put gas in all the cars for the week, and took a shower. Man, are my dogs tired! It's a good tired though from all the fresh air today.
Saw Mike (Oscar Z) and Bryan there too. Chad was there with his family, but we were at opposite ends of the fairgrounds.
Got me excited to go to Car Craft!
Anyone else buy something from the CNC plasma cut metal guy? I'll post a couple pics tonight of what I got.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=16JZFfwy8FM
Cool slide show Rick!
-- Edited by SShink on Monday 25th of June 2012 09:17:33 PM
-- Edited by SShink on Monday 25th of June 2012 09:23:27 PM
I didnt run into anyone myself.
I drove by you in the parking lot you were headed in and then saw you a couple minutes later walking back out to your car. I was going to say hello but you were across the lot.
That must have been sunday morning. Realized I forgot to grab my ticket out of the console of the car and had to go back and get it.
I did see Rich driving in the red convert actually. Also, I did see Frank's 37 and the blue 64 parked next to it, I "think" I may have seen Frank as well, but I wasnt sure enough it was him so I didnt approach to say hello.
I was there all three days with my rusty 53, but didn't see anyone from the club. I did see Franks 64 parked.
Anyone get any good deals or interesting stuff at the swap? I found a mint hood for my 53 for $35.
I got a couple older emblems (Camaro, Malibu, Pro Street), a 55/56 4 speed cluster with gauges and wires, and about 20 older 1980s car magazines. $21 for everything. Was teetering on a gas pump that was in a trailer there for a decent price, but decided no after thinking about carrying it to my car.