16th Annual
LLESA Vintage Vehicle Show
Sep. 15, 2005
 Lynn stands with Bugsby at the show (photo by Andrea Baron) |
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Lynn's First Vintage Car Show
The flyer announcing the car show
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One of the uses for the 1924 Kissel Speedster that Lynn used to justify its acquisition was to participate in vintage car shows. Imagine Lynn's thrill when he got the announcement in the company mail, the Livermore Laboratory Employee Services Association (LLESA) was hosting their 16th annual Vintage Vehicle Show. Sure, this was a local show, and it looked like the judging would be by the "people's choice." Still, you have to start somewhere and this looked like a perfect, low-risk opportunity for Lynn to get his "feet wet." Lynn registered to participate as soon as he received the notice.
There will to be 11 categories and Lynn entered Bugsby in the "Vintage Cars - Pre' 55" class. He asked the person who took his registration info if he would be the oldest car in the show. Apparently, when Lynn registered, the next oldest cars were a 1932 and a 1939 vehicle. Even if he had the oldest car in the show, it was not certain that Lynn would be competitive with the other cars. After all, Lynn had only been "freshening" Bugsby for about a month now, and there were lots of items on the car that were not yet up to Lynn's standards. Still, Bugsby is a handsome vehicle so Lynn didn't expect to be embarassed even if it might not be up to the condition of some of the other cars in the show.
Lynn thought that he'd try some value-added extras to help enhance his presence at the show. He would
- Prepare an information display to help educate people about Bugsby's background -- most people he has spoken with have never heard of Kissel cars,
- Acquire a few articles of "period" apparel to wear at the show that would be appropriate for the owner of a Kissel Speedster in the 1920's
- Create a "business card" that provides some information about the car.
His friend Steve lent Lynn a vintage wooden shafted golf club. Lynn added the single club to the old leather golf bag that he got with Busby.
On a whim, Lynn used some miniture bungee cords to attach a wicker "duck" basket to one of the spare tires. He will use this to hold a supply of business cards. Lynn's friend and neighbor Brian named the duck "Handy," and the name has stuck. Lynn likes Handy Duck so much that he's left the basket on the car full time. Lynn plans to leave a few business cards in Handy when he leaves the car unattended in a parking lot, further extending his educational outreach efforts.
Business card prepared for the show, part of Lynn's efforts to education people about the Kissel
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A single wooden shaft golf club, lent by friend Steve, sits in an old leather golf bag.
Bugsby has holders for two golf bags, one on each rear fender.
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Handy Duck, named by neighbor Brian, is likely to become a permanent fixture on Bugsby
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The Information Display
Lynn considers a "poster" display, but rejects that based on his earlier experiences with AtomAnt. Lynn's had bad experiences with large posters in out-of-doors settings, where stabilizing the stand can be difficult if there's any wind. Lynn builds a "stand" that is reasonably compact and close to the ground. He will prepare a viewgraph-type presentation that will be put in a loose leaf notebook, and the notebook will be clamped to the stand. He will use a sandbag to add weight to the stand to keep it stable. Here's a copy of the presentation and some photos of the stand that Lynn built out of 1/2" PVC pipe and connectors.
This 12-page presentation (PDF), Kissel sales brochure, Kissel Model 6-55 specifications, Instruction
Books 7 & 8, and other materials are in Lynn's information display
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The new display stand holds presentation, business cards and a framed picture
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Lynn decided to add four "ears" to the stand to hold a picture or other flat item
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A sandbag adds stability to the stand, which should be able to withstand moderate wind
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At The Show
The first 60 participants got one of these neat 2"x3" metal dash plaques
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A small group gathers (photo by Andrea Baron)
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This window sticker identified Bugsby as #4 (of 4) in the Vintage (Pre'55) car category
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Lynn 'splaining the finer points to friend Randy (photo by Andrea Baron)
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Did those eyes just blink? (photo by Andrea Baron)
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How many wheels does one car need? (photo by Andrea Baron)
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Looks like Lynn's hours spent polishing the nickel brightwork was worth it (photo by Andrea Baron)
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Lynn donned his new spectator shoes, derby hat, sweater vest, bow tie and sleeve garters and headed for the show, arriving before 10 am. From 11 am until after 1 pm, Lynn and Bugsby received a steady stream of visitors and friends. In his usual rare form, Lynn sallied forth and explained the finer points of the Kissel to all who didn't run away.
He didn't have a count of the business cards that he printed (probably about 50), but Lynn ran out before the show was over. The display stand and notebook full of literature was a success. Individuals looked at the information while Lynn was busy talking, and Lynn was constantly referring to pictures in the notebook to help make his discussion points.
Lynn noted one area that he could improve for the next show. For the casual visitor, the information in the notebook was too dense. Lynn thinks that a single-sheet summary handout would be a good complement to the notebook, and another bit of information that the visitor could take away with them. The business card, one-page summary and the detailed information in the notebook should offer something for visitors of all interest levels.
First Show, First Win
Award certificate showing that Bugsby placed first in the vintage car category
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Yes, it was a small local show, and there were only four participants in the vintage car category, but Lynn was still happy that Bugsby placed first. This first car show for Lynn and Bugsby was a very rewarding experience and will serve as a good foundation for future efforts.
As Lynn was unpacking after the show, he found a flyer for the Nostalgia Day car show had been stuck in his display notebook. Lynn had vaguely remembered someone handing out a flyers at the show, but he had been distracted with visitors and didn't remember receiving the flyer. Maybe the individual saw that Lynn was busy and just thoughtfully left the flyer for him, hoping that he would find it later. Sponsored by Altamont Cruisers, this will be a larger local show that will be held in downtown Livermore on Sunday, September 25 -- just a little over a week away. Lynn will enter Bugsby in the show and see if they can further build their experience and exposure in the community. Wish them luck!
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Last updated: May 24, 2009