Woodward Cruise

[Bill Howell]

After much debate with a conflicting planned engagement, I think I really want to do Woodward this year. How many others plan on attending? Any reservations made yet? If so where? Is this something that could be a mini gathering for local and visiting members. Surely we could do a small tour outside the realm and traffic of the offical cruise area. I hear traffic is a bit*h in areas, but some of you locals could help here.
Tony (Trapin), others, what do you think?
All those who plan to attend, why not post here and let's sort things out.
Thanks,

BTW, the GTO will not be finished but I will drive the malibu there. No trailers for me!

[CAMAROBOY69]

I was going to start a thread about Woodward but you beat me to it.
I will be there for sure. Hopefully with my 69 Camaro just like I did last year. I never plan on missing Woodward ever. I picked Woodward over the power tour this year.
I will be on the outskirts of town where all the good action is. Constant driving and no traffic jams at all. I think a couple people saw me last year but I did soo much driving I hardly stopped to talk to anyone. A whole lot of this.. :3gears:

[Bill Howell]

Adam,
Great start. Sounds like you have good input for the visitors. One of the hardest things for locals to do anywhere is tell you good Hotels. Funny thing is wherever you live, chances are you do not spend much time at the local Hotels ( most of us anyway-LOL). I am not wanting to head anything up neccessarally, I just want to get with everyone at some point in the week.
Thanks

BTW: LOL- did not mean to beat you to the punch. You are more than welcomed to take the reigns here.

[CAMAROBOY69]

There are several places that usually have FREE food and drinks so you really wont have to buy anything besides gas. If you do get a hotel I would ge one outside of Detroit since most of them will already be taken and you dont want to spend the night driving around looking for one.

[deadcarny]

the hotels in waterford usually have rooms available and it is only a short 5 minute drive to pontiac (beginning of woodward). Just a tip....

We usually park up near birmingham. We leave my parents at about 5am and get a good spot and just walk everywhere to look at everybody else's cars.
I actually talked to my wife today about going. We are undecided. I am supposed to take the kids to busch gardens.

[hotrodgary]

I used to go every year but havent been in the last 2 years! Been thinkin about goin this year...undecided still as of now....I get really tire of sittin in dead stop traffic!!!

Like Adam said, find a place on the outskirts and its still alot fun!!!

I like goin on wed. and thurs. nights, ALOT of people and you can cruise around alittle more freely!!

Later, Gary

[shessel]

I'll be there. A car club Kristie (my fiance) and I belong to has a lot at 11.5 & Woodward. We'll be taking both the Camaro and the Nova this year.

Steve

[Pro-touring towncar]

I need to make it back there one of these years. I still have family there. I grew up cruising telegraph. Maybe once I get stated in a new carreer I will beable to finish the Towncar and bring it.
Steve, which club do you belong too??
Tim

[aero7minute]

Planning to head down again.
Still not sure which car as my camaro is in pieces.
Might take my dad's 89 Camaro.

This would be our 4th year as a team, and my 6th year going.

Look for an 89' camaro Charcoal grey, with a wide, single bright silver stripe on the hood,roof, and deck. That's us.

And quite proud of the paint job I did for dad.

-matt

[BB69]

If you guys can, come before Sat. The best cruising is done every night the week before. Pontiac is better than the southern cities for cruising as well. On Sat, cruising stops by noon. After that, it's a parking lot. However, after they shut the streets down for a while, Woodward is opened up again, and many of the local law enforcement disappears. This happens every night of the week before the cruise. I have spent many a late night (after 10:30) on the street. There will still be plenty of muscle cars, but much of the regular traffic will have gone home.

I'm not sure where I will be this year. I normally camp out in front of the Border's bookstore just south of 15 Mile. We set up our blue tent and park the cars on the side street or the Border's parking lot. The nice thing is the Border's has a real bathroom (wife really likes that). It is also right across the street from a hueg GM display. Our motorsports team from the university is also going to have some cars on display further south.

By the way, if you guys do end up coming out, and you need to work on the car, let me know. I am about 20-30 minutes from Pontiac (to the north). I wouldn't mind helping people get back on the road is something happens. I don't have a nice, huge, clean, garage, but I do have a decent selection of tools, and a MIG welder if you break something big. Also, let me know if you come before Sat, and I will cruise with you. Many of my buddies have cars that will be out. I just need to try and get the Camaro done now.

[Hartz]

We'll be there. We're fortunate to have friends who live just north of Maple, so we cruise a bit, park there, walk around, and make a day of it. I'm going to try to head out a few nights the week before, too, although to hear them tell of it on the news channels, it sounds like they shut it down pretty quickly. :(

[BB69]

We'll be there. We're fortunate to have friends who live just north of Maple, so we cruise a bit, park there, walk around, and make a day of it. I'm going to try to head out a few nights the week before, too, although to hear them tell of it on the news channels, it sounds like they shut it down pretty quickly. :(

They normally shut it down about 10PM. The police close Woodward at the major cross streets for about half an hour to 45 minutes. After that, the police pretty much pack up shop and disappear. While they're shutting it down, you can still cruise by just using the turn-arounds and going between the roads they have shut down. The other alternative is to park. Just about every parking lot is full. It's like having a hundred car shows going at one time. Many are larger than the weekly shows.

[63SW]

Hey Bill .

I'll be there , a friend of mine and i are going up but if you come up early let me know , we can hook up .
And if you want a break , your welcome to stay here at the house.
No mints on the pillow but its free LOL.

[trapin]

Bill...I don't know much about the hotel rooms in the area. Metropolitan Detroit is pretty much split into two areas. You have your west-siders and your east-siders with Woodward serving as the geographical boundary between the two. I'm an east-sider...a WAY east-sider (I'm 6 minutes from Lake St. Clair).

I usually park around Duggan's Irish Pub; it seems to be a pretty good area in there. I like being by the GM Experience and Paul's Hydratech Booth because he always has some cool PT cars there.

I definitely want to hook up with you when you come. Pity the Goat won't be there but there's always next summer right? Even if I have to come down there and ride in the car with you, holding a gun to your hip.

This year my cousin bought a condo in Bloomfield Hills and I'll be parking at her crib and walking to the show. I might bring my Gary Fisher with me so I can get around the show faster and easier.

You got my cell...don't forget to call me when you get into town. I definitely want you to come by my crib to meet the family and check out my infamous project in the garage. With any luck it'll be in color for your visit. I would advise that you and the Mrs. start the journey to the 'D' early Thursday. That way you'll be there Friday night to do some night cruising on Woodward the night before the cruise and stake out a spot. I'm really glad your coming Bill; it'll be an experience you won't soon forget. With over a million people in attendance and thousands and thousands of Hot Rods, it is quite frankly the largest car event in the world. Period!

Talk to you soon, looking forward to it.

[Roger Poirier]

Bill,

Congrats on the SEMA show. I may just have to get plane tickets and go out to gold country this fall and see the show.

Att. All pro-touring members. I live in Novi, MI which is about 20 minutes from Woodward and 11 Mile (696 freeway). This is the major freeway to get to Woodward from either the east or west side of town where the cruise is being held. Bill, I will PM you and verify your schedule and see if you and other guys would like to meet some time during this event at my home, I could host a luncheon. Pool table, swimming pool etc. We could all go over to www.motorcitysteel.com which is 5 minutes from my house and take a personal tour of their facility and show you the status of my car and future mods that are planed for it. What do you guys think? Wifes and children welcome.

R.P.

[Bill Howell]

Dang it! I hate to post this after I started the thread and I hope that all those planning to come will still get together. However, it looks like I will be headed to Orlando to pick up the goat that weekend instead of heading north. Woodward is closer to me than Orlando, but since I have to have the car ready for SEMA now and Bristol is the following week, I am going to have to bow out guys. Roger, your offer sounds great and believe me it pains me to have to pass but I promise next year. Tony, thanks again for the invite, but I know you will understand. If I let the car sit another two weeks that could mean the difference in finishing or not finishing in time. I will make it up, the next one is on me.

[trapin]

No problem Bill, maybe next year. No...not maybe...definitely.

Roger, I just found out I'm going to be at a wedding the night of the Woodward Cruise (funny how the communication between a man and a wife breaks down through the course of a marriage). However, maybe we can hook up on the Friday before...I'd like to check out that facility you mentioned. Let me know.

[BuddyP]

I was also just going to make a post about Woodward. Anyway I just realized it was the 20th this year (had the 13th in my head). I now have some conflicts but nothing major. Like BB69 said, they cops shut it down and shoe everyone out of there starting at around 10pm, but after it clears up they leave and it's back to normal. Duggan's is a pretty cool pub on Woodward near 13miles I believe?? Woody's in Royal Oak is a pretty neat place also.

As far as the cruise itself (on saturday), I've always had way more fun parking and walking around the Birmingham area vs driving in the cruise (setting in 8 (4 lanes each way) lanes of bumber to bumber traffic just isn't my idea of fun). If all of us wanted to meet up and park somewhere, anywhere between 16 mile and Pontiac would probably be best at this point. Anything between Royal Oak and 16 mile will pretty much be already reserved.

Who all thinks they would want to get together Friday evening? Maybe all hook up at a restaurant somewhere near the Woodward hot spot around Birmingham. There's a T.G.I.Friday's not too far from Woodward on the corner of 16mile and Crooks that would be easy access and parking for everyone. The Friday night deal may work out good for me because then I could pursue my other conflict on Saturday. If there's enough that may come down for Friday evening I would definatly make the trip over for sure. Firday is deffinatly a good time to watch all the smokey burnouts!!

As far as hotels, being this late in the summer most fairly close will be filled up I'm sure. There are a few hotels just south of 696 right off from 275. And it's only about a 20min. drive from those hotels to Woodward/Royal Oak.

[BuddyP]

RP, I just throurouly read your post again... that sounds like fun to me in case anybody else was interested!

[CAMAROBOY69]

Another Michigan pro-touring meeting going down the d rain.
I will still be there even if I am the only one representing the pro-touring scene. Probably go thru 3 tanks of gas again too like last year. Hopefully I dont shatter a pushrod again or rocker arm.
It does not get much more fun than Woodward as long as you stay on the last few miles of the congestion. You get to close and its just a traffic jam.