OT: Talking Cars Tuesday - Woodward Dream Cruise

Submitted by JeepinBen on

Well, Tuesday again. Also coming up on the 3rd Saturday in August, that means crawling traffic, sprawled humanity, and the smell of unburned hydrocarbons and burnt rubber.

Who's heading to the Woodward Dream Cruise this weekend? Also, if you could have ONE car to cruise on Woodward, what would it be?

JeepinBen

August 11th, 2015 at 12:29 PM ^

This is a bit tricky for me. I'm a Porsche fan, but if I'm cruising Woodward I want to buy American. I wouldn't want a Corvette... just like everyone else has. Mustangs, Camaros and Challengers seem a bit overdone. I've seen the occasional Ford GT, and Vipers always bring a bark and a bite... I think that if I had to pick one thing I'd want it to stand out a bit, be somewhat unique, and really be able to "lay down the elevens".

I'll take a Ram SRT10 for the uniqueness factor. Is that a bad answer? I mean, otherwise I'm in a '69 Camaro SS 454 black with white racing stripes. Either way.

Steve in PA

August 11th, 2015 at 12:35 PM ^

I have a long way to go before I'm ready

 

My wife saw that last weekend and said, "I can't ever see that being a car again".  I work on cars as a hobby.  This is going to be a pro-touring firebird.

mGrowOld

August 11th, 2015 at 12:37 PM ^

This one has always been my personal dream car.  1969 GTO Judge - In my dreams it has a white interior (like the one below), 4 speed and a RamAir IV and the exterior is carousel red just like the one below.

Yes I know not the fastest muscle car ever produced (but certainly in the discussion with the RamAir IV) but in my mind it was DEFINITELY the coolest.  Ponchos rule.

Steve in PA

August 11th, 2015 at 4:03 PM ^

He has a bodyshop and has done a few magazine restorations.  The Judge came up for sale when it's original owner died.  The very same car he lusted over as a kid.  40k miles and completely unmolested.  He's fretting because the original laquer paint is starting to crack.

Right now he's doing a 70(71?) Torino SCJ.  One of (insert ridiculous low number).  There are no repop parts so he's actually cut up 2 other cars just to get what he needs.

BlueMan80

August 11th, 2015 at 12:49 PM ^

if I could pick a car to drive down Woodward, it would be something like a 1973 Baracuda.  Very American. A bit funky because it was before the fastback roof line was introduced.  Best driven in a straight line.  Available in Hot Wheels colors like purple, orange, and lime.

CGordini

August 11th, 2015 at 12:50 PM ^

My Pony and I will be there.



Spent 5 hours polishing her on Friday with a DA to get all the swirl marks out.



Took her to a paintless dent repair place in Livonia to get her factory-new (been long overdue). Freakin' miracle workers, them.



Gonna spend this week doing touch up paint and clearcoat and whatnot, and then Saturday, cruise; Sunday, Mustang Meetup at Ford Proving Grounds.

CGordini

August 11th, 2015 at 1:07 PM ^

Methinks you get a bit better gas milage than I do ;)



Navy ("vista") blue '07 Mustang V6, Michigan plates and alumni plate surround; no stickers. ever.



Come say hi if you see me, I'll probably cruise up and down once and then park it and walk.



#SaveTheManuals -- were you at Cars & Coffee last Saturday at Car and Driver?

JeepinBen

August 11th, 2015 at 1:15 PM ^

I'm averaging a little over 30MPG with mixed /commute driving. When we head out to Michigan I'll get 36-38MPG.

The Alumni sticker is the window peely kind, easily removed, and the Save The Manuals is a magnet for that reason.

I haven't yet attended a Cars & Coffee as we live in Chicago, but it would be fun. We'll do the same, maybe drive up and down once, walk around a lot more.

CGordini

August 11th, 2015 at 1:28 PM ^

The (2015+) Camero, new Vette, AND the Malibu all have similar taillights.



GM recently (like when they started cranking out the Camero en masse again) went through a design philosophy shift where they kind of skip the "lets take away the concept away from the concept art" step.



All their cars now look like Hot Wheels. Which theoretically is cool, but I feel they lose some soul in the process. Really aggressive angular lines.



Ford's Mustang and Dodge's Charger have also fallen "victim" to this design philosophy, much like the 80's were boxy, and the 90's became well-rounded.



Hence why I bought an '07 Stang instead of a (at the time) 12.

123blue

August 11th, 2015 at 12:59 PM ^

If you're inclined to attend the "Dream Cruise", don't forget to spend money in local (non-chain) businesses on and near Woodward.  Those businesses that don't sell gasoline, cigarettes or hot dogs lose thousands during Cruise week.  The biggest myth of the Cruise is that its good for local business when it's truly awful.  

But if you really like old cars and enjoy driving them...go up north and take a nice drive through the woods.  The Cruise is a celebration of traffic (and spaghetti stains).

123blue

August 11th, 2015 at 1:40 PM ^

Well, I'd disagree on what the Cruise really is (having lived and worked near Woodward), but having a beer at Duggan's is the opposite of supporting local businesses impacted by the Cruise.  Book stores, art galleries, banks, toy stores, nice restaurants, florists, etc.  The vast majority of Woodward businesses (and their employees) get crushed by the Dream Cruise. Duggan's is one of very few that profit.

JeepinBen

August 11th, 2015 at 1:47 PM ^

C'mon man. It's ONE DAY out of the year. There are 51 other saturdays to go to the bookstore. Your comment reminds me of the bars near wrigley field that bitch about how Cubs Night Games impact their profits. They wouldn't exist without the cubs!

Woodward - the stretch of road - has years of business thanks to automotive culture. And it can't handle one day celebrating that?

My wife bought her wedding dress from a shop on woodward. They close the 3rd Saturday in August. You make it sound like companies are going out of business thanks to a one-day-per-year festival that's been happening in some form or fashion for decades.

123blue

August 11th, 2015 at 2:45 PM ^

Spoken like someone who doesn't live near the Cruise and has little understanding of its impact.  The Cruise used to cost my small, local business (which existed prior to the Cruise) about $15-$20K each year.  My employees also lost out on wages when we had to shut down. 

It's absolutely not a one-day event. Clowns begin camping out in lawn chairs to watch traffic as early as May.  Crazy Cruise traffic begins about one week before the scheduled event.  If it were truly just a one-day event, it wouldn't be so bad...but it's not even close.

Beyond that, you've got the issues of trash, drunks urinating on lawns, etc.  The only good thing I can say about it is that it's slowly dying.  The size of the Cruise has reduced a ton in the last decade.  May it only continue to shrink and disappear one day.

Last note...the Woodward businesses (many of which existed before the Cruise) owe zero to the Cruise and they certainly don't exist because of it.  "Automotive culture" supports a place like Duggan's (and maybe some auto repair shops); your impression of the Cruise and the region is far out of line from reality.

123blue

August 11th, 2015 at 3:22 PM ^

The Cruise is now concentrated between 11-14 mile, where it used to be packed from Ferndale to Pontiac.  Saturday traffic in Ferndale is lighter than a decade ago on Cruise Thursday.  You can cite any article, I can look at my personal video (though it was mostly taken to goof on the toothless clowns in lawn chairs).

csmhowitzer

August 12th, 2015 at 8:19 AM ^

Your comments make no sense and I can't tell if you're trolling or not so I'm done with this discussion after this, but really, video? So do you count heads in your video every year to come up with numbers?

Last year I spent a good chunk of time on foot in Ferndale because it was so packed. The median is packed with lawn chairs and then there's Mustang Alley. In Pontiac you have the same. I really don't know what your point is but you clearly are feeling hurt over something and you're venting or you just don't like cars and you're trying to make fun of people on this site.

123blue

August 12th, 2015 at 1:31 PM ^

Video...yes, because when your business is empty because customers can't get to you (due to Dream Cruise) you might decide to take footage of the hillbilly carnival outside your door.  That's so odd to you?  Do you not have a cell phone? 

Bottom line is you've gotta ask yourself if you'd spend $15,000 on the Cruise.  That's what it cost me as a small local business each year (and that doesn't even get to my staff's losses).  I'd say that's a reasonable gripe.  Given that the average Cruise customer spends more on lawn chairs and styrofoam coolers than locally, it's a pretty shitty deal for local business.  Enjoy it all you want, but keep in mind that you're hurting the businesses who do business all year...and not just one week.

The Mad Hatter

August 11th, 2015 at 2:15 PM ^

When the event was a lot smaller. And if it was just one day as advertised, I'd be completely fine with it. But it goes on for most of August. Especially the week before the actual event.

Also nice are the people using Coolidge as a turn around and drag strip. Because there aren't houses there or kids playing or anything. Totally cool to go 100 mph there.

CGordini

August 11th, 2015 at 2:18 PM ^

Those people are idiots who are just asking for the hammer.



Lot of cops in Royal Oak. Lot of cops in Royal Oak during Dream Cruise Week. Lot of cops with 0 tolerance in Royal Oak during Dream Cruise Week.



Especially since Royal Oak is a wealthy community. 

NamedMyDogWoodson

August 11th, 2015 at 3:50 PM ^

Have to imagine repaving Coolidge between 12 mile and Woodward will only exacerbate the problem.

I certainly can't relate to the business interruption costs associated with the Cruise, but I enjoy the festivities while only a few blocks removed from Woodward. It's a good excuse for me to have friends and family over for the weekend / evening.

Rafi

August 11th, 2015 at 1:01 PM ^

The point of cars is to drive them.  I don't get parading them down a major road, at all.  Not that I hate it or anything, but I would never waste my time by participating.

I do understand the people that collect cars because as they get older, and other owners drive the mileage up on theirs, or wreck them, they can appreciate in value.  So, while not being appreciative of "LOOK AT MEEEEE" car owners who participate in such parades, I can appreciate collectors such as Jay Leno who have more cars than they can drive (and thus don't get driven often enough).  

CGordini

August 11th, 2015 at 1:09 PM ^

Some of us see cars as something that just looks good. 



We know that we "lose money" and they "aren't an investment at ALL", but they are considerable amounts of money, and we feel if we're dropping that much money on anything, it should look  amazing and turn heads.



If I wanted a car to "just drive", I'd buy a beaten, dented, automatic Honda or Toyota with 200mi on the odometer.



Woodward is a chance to show off our mentality and get some heads to turn.