Cruise Ins????

[73Chally]

So whatever happened to the old fashion Cruise-In, where you just drive up, park your car, walk around and talk with other enthusiasts, then leave when you're done?  Now adays it always seems to be about entry fees, trophy's, and sitting around for 4 hours with nothing to do.  I live in Dallas, and it seems like every single show in the area is competitive.  It took a BMW dealership to actually start a Cars and Coffee show last month.  I don't mind a nice judged show every now and then, but I just want to take my car out for a drive, park for an hour or so and let others enjoy it, then go home.  I know of a couple real small get togethers, but nothing like it should be.

[Oldschool]

I live north of Atlanta and we have cruise-ins every weekend from March-October.  Only a few have entry fees or donations.  If you prefer to not pay, there are always plenty of free ones around. I am at a cruise-in every Saturday evening....   

[mcgheejt]

My cars are in no condition for cruising at the moment but there are cruises every couple of weeks in Nashville.  Sounds like an opportunity for you get one started in your area.   

[torredcuda]

Plenty free ones arounf here but they are just really car shows as most of the people just sit around for hours.I`m like you 73-I drive in,hang out for an hour or so and take off.I got bored of sitting around at car shows all day after the first couple years.

[JH27N0B]

There are dozens of different cruise ins around the Chicago suburbs and I have yet to hear of one that charges admission.
That being said, they are sort of like car shows these days.  Everyone gets there, sets up a few chairs and sits around talking.  Some of them have DJ's or even live bands.
However, you can come and go as you want, and they are late afternoon into the evening so you are not sitting out cooking in the hot sun like a conventional car show.
Many of our local cruises are getting way too popular.  You have to get there before 6 or parking spaces run out!   One of the ones I attend is getting 500-600 cars on Friday nights when the weather is good.
There is one I know of that is a little different and somewhat more entertaining, called "Scoop the loop" or something like that.  But it is one day only, and the town (Waukegan IL) shuts off a number of roads and people park in parking lots and then drive slowly down the designated roads in sort of a parade.  Spectators yell for the drivers to do burnouts but if they do, the police tend to be all over him.
The ultimate cruise I have been to is Heath at the Mopar Nats.  Hundreds of cars going up and down the main drag, guys doing burnouts, and the police being cool about it with drivers unless they get too carried away with their smoke shows!

[73Chally]

Am I just missing something here in the DFW area?  It sounds like there are still a good number in other parts, but I only know of 2 here for sure (one monthly, one weekly).  For all you other locals here, I'm on the northeast side of Dallas, so let me know if there are others I haven't come across, yet.

[bentpshrods]

   Here in Boise they have a cruise every Saturday night at a local burger joint called Pattys Burger Time.  Last Sat. they had a band and they also had a track set up like the boy scouts pine wood derby---only they were racing valve covers with wheels on them.  I got there kinda late and only saw a couple run.  One valve cover was all crusty and rusted out and was done as a rat rod valve cover.        They even gave out some home made trophy's.  You get a wide variety of cars each weekend so it's always fun to just go down for a couple of hours ---just can't wait till I get my car back on the road.  It also seems to bring in quite a lot of buisness for the place also.

[BB73Challenger]

Here in Cleveland you can hit a free cruise any night of the week...

They do them at all kinds of places here, fast food, auto parts stores, even strip clubs.

I like to pop in just for an hour myself at times, grab a bite and find another. (when there's more than 1 a nightt)

[73Chally]

I just talked to my father-in-law and he said there are a bunch of them up in New England also.  Why not in Dallas? 

[BB73Challenger]

Are you a member of a car club?

Start your own!!

Or if you like cruises enough do your own... but they are a lot of work.

There must be a place of that would like some cruiseres to come in their place of bussiness.
( IE Burger joint, coffee shop, parts store )

[72hemi]

There are a few here in the Bay Area every week. In fact I am going to one tonight that usually gets 200 plus cars every Wednesday night.

[loco340cuda]

Here in Phoenix there are plenty of cruise ins.  Most are the type where you pull in and park, walk around look what's there and then sit around shoot the breeze talking about cars.  They are fun but I personally get board after an hour or so.  We do have on cruise in on Saturday night in Scottsdale at the Pavillions that gets about 150 cars on average over 250 on a good evening.  This particular cruise in is cool becuase it is not uncommon to see some really rear E-body's, real 70 and 71 hemicuda's/challengers, e-body verts, small blocks, etc. There are also other rare mopars at this show as well.  Plus other cool brand X muscle cars.

My favorite cruise in here in town is in downtown Mesa on the 4th Saturday of the month.  This is your typical cruise with a mile up and down stretch in the middle of down town.  There is parking along the cruise street as well as in parking lots where all the people park and walk around.  People are lined up along the street to watch the cars coming up and down.  The cops are pretty cool too, as long as you are not getting stupid they don't mind burnouts.  There are resturants and shop all along the streets so there is a little something for everyone.  I usually like to go with a couple of buddies and we usually do a few laps of the cruise and then go park and hang out on the street edge watching all the other cars come by. After a while we will do a couple more cruise loops and go home.

The thing about Phoenix is our weather is opposite so our cruise in season is from October thru May.  Right now it is too hot to go out and do anything.

[autoxcuda]

Here in Phoenix there are plenty of cruise ins.  Most are the type where you pull in and park, walk around look what's there and then sit around shoot the breeze talking about cars.  They are fun but I personally get board after an hour or so.  We do have on cruise in on Saturday night in Scottsdale at the Pavillions that gets about 150 cars on average over 250 on a good evening.  This particular cruise in is cool becuase it is not uncommon to see some really rear E-body's, real 70 and 71 hemicuda's/challengers, e-body verts, small blocks, etc. There are also other rare mopars at this show as well.  Plus other cool brand X muscle cars.

My favorite cruise in here in town is in downtown Mesa on the 4th Saturday of the month.  This is your typical cruise with a mile up and down stretch in the middle of down town.  There is parking along the cruise street as well as in parking lots where all the people park and walk around.  People are lined up along the street to watch the cars coming up and down.  The cops are pretty cool too, as long as you are not getting stupid they don't mind burnouts.  There are resturants and shop all along the streets so there is a little something for everyone.  I usually like to go with a couple of buddies and we usually do a few laps of the cruise and then go park and hang out on the street edge watching all the other cars come by. After a while we will do a couple more cruise loops and go home.

The thing about Phoenix is our weather is opposite so our cruise in season is from October thru May.  Right now it is too hot to go out and do anything.

There a bunch around here in So Cal. Some even specialize like the Supercar Cruise In on Sunday's in Calabasas. That one starts around 7 am and end 9am on Sundays and get tons of ultra exotics.

On Friday we have Camarillo, Woodlake, Burbank. 1st of the Month in Fillmore. Van Nuys blvd cruise now 2nd Wednesday in Van  Nuys...

List of the So Cal Cruise In here: http://www.socalcarculture.com/cruise_nights.html

[Bullitt-]

You poor slob...Guess everything isn't bigger in Texas....
Know anything about the Dairyette at Ferguson and Oats in Dallas?

[whitesatinmopar]

The old cruise in times do seem to be basically forgotten, however around this part of Ohio even the organized shows will allow you to drive in and park your car. If you decide to not register the car you of course won't receive the customary dash plaque or have your car judged. That way you can stay as long as you want and then leave. We have registered and left and then later been called wondering when we could pick up our trophy  they don't like ya doin that    But personally who gives a hoot about taking home a dust collector, it's usually what kind of car the judges like anyway, not the caliber of workmenship, in it's own way it's politics as usual.