I think a lot of it has to do with people bad mouthing the show. You get a group of people that say "the show stinks dont go", then you get a larger group that says " I heard the show stinks I'm not going to go". Before you know it you have 200 people from a certain web site that arent gonna show up.

The show is only going to be as good as people that are attending. Dont complain, just go and have a good time. The more people that go, the more venders will show up the following year and the more E-Town will put in to the show.

I have looked over some of the posts here and some of the problem maybe the location. In Jersey. Taxes,traffic,sound ordinance. I don't know who promotes these shows but maybe a change in venue is in order. Maple Grove Raceway in Pa is a much nicer drag strip with a large grass area for car show cars. Just an Idea. It would be nice to keep this Mopar show on the East Coast. The only other large show we have is Carlisle.
I don't know if Englishtown can be revived. I could only get one person to go with me to the show this weekend. 15 years ago every Mopar I knew in the area would go to this show.

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They're checking for alcohol as well, it's against the law to have it at a race track in NJ.

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I had a cold one in the beer garden.

I went as a spectator on Saturday. Went with my father and took my daughter. One of the swap guys was kind enough to let my 2 year old sit in the Mopar Jr. Dragster for pics.

I enjoyed it. I liked that I didn't have to walk all the way around the track to get to my car, maybe they could have swapped the pits for spectator parking.

I saw more mopar vendors than any local swap meet. Prices were high but they are mopars right?? I bought a bunch of stuff.

Bathrooms were neat, burger girls were pretty, things seemed sorta organized. I was able to drive in to pickup some seats and a couple trannies and then I kinda forgot where I was and left my truck parked over in the huge empty pit area by the fuel station. Ooops

Yeah the line at the gate sucked, easy fix for those interested in doing something about it.

All in all, I drove 2 hours one way and had fun.

I agree with BigEd, all badmouthing it is going to do is kill the event. If you don't like it, don't go. Sounds too dam simple.

I just noticed responses that some people won't attend because they have heard others didn't like it. That might be partially true, but I don't think that's a good reason for someone to avoid the show. They need to base it on their own experience, & not follow the herd like sheep. Opinions vary, so I personally never take an opinion too seriously on a show's quality.

I've been to a lot of different shows since I first started going to them on my own around 1980. The ones that were the best were the ones that didn't treat you like they didn't care if you came back. My favorite place to go for any show is Carlisle, I just wish they had a 1/4 mile track there or nearby. (Sorry, 1/8 mile tracks don't do it for me.)

I like the Englishtown show much better than the Mopar Nationals in Ohio because it's better organized & has a less chaotic feel as you roam around. There is also a distance factor for me, but in general the E-Town show is better. A lot of the bigger shows should take a lesson from Carlisle when it comes to creatiing an excellent atmosphere for a show.

As for car show food, well, they all taste like overpriced garbage when you let a low bidder for the concession operations cook dogmeat. You want to taste some good food? Go to the fall show in Hershey where individual vendors set up, & not one vendor does all. There was a vendor there selling real crab cake sandwiches, & not dried up hockey pucks wrapped in foil.


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I am just amazed at how many people have been bashing the Mopar event at E Town. I for one am glad that someone puts on such a show for us Mopar fans.

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I didn't go this year because of weather once again.

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but you didn't even go.... saturday the weather was pretty good i thought... what did it drizzle for 10 min a couple times? other then that it was sunny...

couldn't go on Sat Joe, and I saw no sense in trailering the car 2.5 hrs through the worst section of I-95 only to get caught in Sundays rain. I thrashed all week to get the tranny in and everything all finished. I was all set to make the trip, even bought a new trailer recently. Ain't worth burning the gas to sit in the rain, plenty of other weekends to run the car. I could care less about the swap or car show as they are not a draw for me.

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I agree with BigEd, all badmouthing it is going to do is kill the event. If you don't like it, don't go. Sounds too dam simple.

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yea that will work.... the show will definatley be dead then... it is stupid (in my opinion) to just go to a show blindly just because its there... the only way the people that run it know somwthing is wrong with it is if they hear complaints... heck before the show i got bashed because i said the show has really fallen. well i ran into a ton of guys that i have been seeing there for years and they all said the same thing... "man this show really died remember back when...." and i didn't even say anything to bring that on... they said it to me.... some serious changes need to be made and even then it may never recover.. heck they really didn't even promote it.. i never once heard anything on the radio about it.. i used to always hear it on the radio years ago... why be loyal to it if they aren't gonna try to make it better for you?? heck it cost a small fortune to get in and buy some lunch... i think the show should atleast be worth it....

I was happy with the show, sure it has room for improvement but I'm glad I didn't heed the warnings. I had a good time and plan to go next year.

I think the show used to draw a lot of spectators who came to see the cars for reference in their own restorations. I don't think the race is going to draw spectators from much distance. There were a lot less high quality restored original cars than I remember being at this show in the past. This is billed as a National Meet. There should be some prestige in attending and doing well which will bring people from further away to participate. I like to come up from Virginia to visit old friends. I am also proud to have won several beautiful Show Winner jackets there in the 1990's with a car I used to have. But, after spending $53.00 on tolls, $125 on fuel, $100 for the room (stayed at a friend's Fri. night), the expensive food and $8.00 for a bag of ice, and getting beat for 1st place by a driver with an aluminum radiator in 68-70 Plymouth B-body stock, I probably won't bring my car back to share with spectators like those who really enjoyed my car being there this past weekend. The head judge said that they were short-handed and he told his guys to give it their best guess without regard to the judging sheet just to get it done as fast as they could. The judge looked at my car for about a minute as it started to rain. The guy who won the class was nice and his car was cool but the best two cars got really slighted (Jimmy, your green GTX is super sharp). I think bad judging= less returning showcars=less spectators=less vendors. Again, this is the Mopar Atlantic Nationals, there should be some prestige in participating.

Hi Everyone,

I should just copy and paste what I wrote in the "E-Town" thread, but I'll just sum up and add a few thoughts...

My friend and I have been vendors together for the past four years at E-Town - this year was the WORST in terms of spectator/people traffic in the swap meet/vendor area - Saturday afternoon (after 1PM) the area was - quite literally - a ghost town. I spoke with several other friends/vendors on Sunday morning, and they all commented on the number of people being SIGNIFICANTLY down from just last year. My friend and I had our best year (in terms of being a vendor) last year - this year was the pits (no pun intended!) - even compared to the "rainout" of 2003. I don't know if we'll get the same size vendor spot or not next year - I doubt it - but until traffic increases, I would suggest to the E-Town management to drop the price of a vendor spot (I wonder just how many vendors there were, compared to last year), and - if at all possible - move the event back to June. Also, send out promotional mailings to EVERY Mopar Club up and down the East Coast, and west to the Mississippi (I'm exaggerating, but everyone gets the idea here). Also, advertise in MCG, Hemmings, Old Car Price Guide, and every other associated publication/website 4-5 months BEFORE the actual event. Just my 2 cents - but, if something isn't done, this event won't be on life support in the near future - it'll be 6 feet under, pushing up daisies...

Glenn
67 Barracuda Convertible
68 RoadRunner

Hi, I think you need to move the date to a later date in June. It used to be in June in its hey - day, but now the threat of rain every year is making it difficult to plan and attend for many people - ie, gas, tolls, traffic, hotel, etc. It just might not be worth it for some people to attend if it is scheduled during the rainy season. Also, you need to do whatever it takes to bring in more vendors! You certainly have the space to do so. I know from viewing Moparts.com and listening to friends who used to sell there that the tax thing is what single-handedly killed the show for vendors. There is no reason the show can't attract the same people/vendors that attend Carlisle, but it is going to have to offer some kind of attraction to off - set the taxes. Finally, you need to advertise more. I never see the add for the show until it is almost upon us. Start advertising in January - yes - January in all of the Mopar mags - Mopar Collectors, Mopar Muscle, Mopar Action and put something in the add that makes people/vendors want to attend. I love this show and will continue to attend every year ( I live on Long Island), but I go for only one reason - to buy parts. Thank you, Rob Adolfsen

seems there is know another mopar the first weekend in june:
Mopars at Indy, June 2, 3 and 4

I agree with the advertising issue. I did a search a week before the show for "Mopar Atlantic Nationals" it seems the most you will find are links to peoples pictue posts all over the net and vendors show schedules.

And the point made about questionable judging of the show cars driving off returning participants is certainly valid.


Hey, ya gotta hope someone is listening and willing to change some things.

I went to E-town a few times in the mid-'90s and I can sympathize with a lot of the spectator issues. It's a six-hour round trip for me--360 miles--so if the weather is iffy I can't take the chance. I have pictures from 1996 that show a beautiful, sunny day and a huge number of show cars, and I remember a pretty sizable swap meet, too--but that was ten years ago.
When I've gone, I've made it a Saturday day trip, because I usually have a commitment on Sundays at this time of year. So that means the E-town weather forecast has to be favorable for Saturday, and I have to get out of the house by, say, 8:30 AM to make sure I have enough time at the show to make it worth the drive (one year the cat got out as I was getting my stuff together and eluded me just long enough to make me decide to stay home).
The last time I actually made it up there, by the time I'd paid the tolls and the then-$15.00 spectator admission, and gotten some food (eight bucks for a burger, fries, a coke and a bottle of water), I didn't have enough cash left on me to buy the heads I found in the swap meet.
This year, I had commitments both days and couldn't have made it regardless of the weather.
And, sadly, the negative stories I keep hearing every year about dwindling attendance and the disappearing swap meet are a powerful disincentive to make the trip. I don't want to drive six hours round-trip to see a showfield smaller than I see at Mason-Dixon, which is only 75 miles away and charges $15 to show your car ($20 to race!).
The door prize doesn't make a difference to me--I never win those things, anyway.
I'd love to see more Mopar shows that I was closer to--but, then, I imagine everyone else here would like to see more shows that were closer to them.

Long post, Sorry....

I went to the E-Town show for the first time in many years even though I was told "the show has gone downhill", "it's dead" ...etc. It was much smaller than I remember from the early 90s, but I still had a blast.

Price of admission, attractions, judging, promotion, organization, time of year, all combine in the decline of the show.

COST...$25 each day to show, plus $12-$15 for the passenger/spectator. Carlisle is $35 pre-register for the car and 2 people, for the WHOLE weekend. I'm not sure what the gate price is for Carlisle.

JUDGING...I heard there were problems with judging or lack of it after the show. (although whoever judged the 68-70 B body light mod class was very thorough.) I am sure if they made it known that they were short-handed, there would be plenty of volunteers. Even if it were just to help tally up votes.

Promotion, attractions, organization...Ads in magazines, 4-5 months in advance. Post to websites, forums, etc. With the web it is not hard at all to get the word out. I know there was a tent with survivors, but get cars in advance and promote what will or might be there. Have a special theme tent. Certain years or something. I'm sure some people will complain about "copying Carlisle", but if it makes the show better, so be it. I'm not sure what retrictions E-Town has on racing now, but if there are some famous cars about to run or if some F.A.S.T. cars are running, announce it. Get people in the stands.

This thread is a step in the right direction. The promoters need to let us know what they want. If they want a certain type of car, ask us. If they have an idea, throw it out there and see what the response is.

Just some thoughts....

Copying...? I'll give ya copying... take a look at this show link (a flyer for which was also being given out at this past weekend's E-town event)

Musclecar Madness

The reason I think it's funny to suggest that copying Carlisle events/attractions would be tacky is that the promotion for the show above looks just like what the MANats was about seven years ago...! Seems like E-town had the formula for success, and somehow lost or didn't maintain it to this level - obviously, the attractions are still out there for the signing if called upon.

I appreciate all the comments Members are making on this topic - believe me, I'm in no way looking to bash or criticize the MANats out of existence - far from it - I love the show, been going ever since the first one (have the dash plaque to prove it...! ) and am really glad to be able to attend with my six-year old son, who really seems to enjoy going to the "big car show" with Dad - I think it's an important social event too, as not everyone can haul out to Carlisle or Ohio for some of the bigger meets - so I for one would like to do everything possible to "shore up" the E-town Mopar event for years to come.

Thanks again for all the good thoughts, hope the "powers that be" are indeed reading our comments.


- Alan