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Gentlemen, start your engines
Good Guys car show returns to Fairgrounds

by Glenn Wohltmann

From Packards to parts, everything automotive will be headed to the Alameda County Fairgrounds next weekend, when the Good Guys Rod and Custom Association presents its 17th annual Summer Get Together.

The event is scheduled for June 5-6, and Good Guys Spokesman John Drummond said there will be some new events, along with the return of an old favorite.

"The Pleasanton Fairgrounds was a hotbed for autocrossing in the 1970s. We're bringing that tradition back," he said." It's really a hot trend right now. It really adds a lot of motion and excitement to the event."

Autocrossing is a timed performance course testing drivers' skills and cars' limitations.

The Get Together will also feature a concourse exhibit with classic cars from the 1930s and 1940s, larger cars like Packards and Bentleys.

The Northern California Packard Club and the Blackhawk Auto Museum are getting those cars ready now, Drummond said last week.

Quarter racers will be racing, too. Those are one-fourth sized racing machines driven by 5- to 16-year-olds, with speeds up to about 30 miles an hour.

Among the old favorites are the car corral, where restored or modified cars will be available for sale -- everything from a 1923 Ford to a 2010 Camaro, according to Drummond. He also said the event will feature a swap meet.

"You can't beat a Good Guys swap meet and car corral -- they're utopia for gearheads," he said. "You can find everything including door handles for a 1962 Corvair. They're a treasure hunt."

As many as 2,500 hot rods, custom cars, muscle cars and trucks of all years, makes and models will be on display, and Drummond said there will be kid-style entertainment, too.

"These are family events," he said. "It's great family entertainment and it's affordable."

Cost is $17; children ages 7-12 are $6. Tickets are available at the event or online at www.summergettogether.com.