It's Dream Cruise time!

[stinkytofu]

Your welcome! Since you are annoyed you join the move to another area group!

Nah, I live a couple blocks from Woodward and will be sure to drive my 2004 Pontiac Vibe in the far right lane during next year's cruise.

[p69rrh51]

Nah, I live a couple blocks from Woodward and will be sure to drive my 2004 Pontiac Vibe in the far right lane during next year's cruise.

Cool! One more car to run off the road next year! Which side does not have any dents?

[Wheels]

For anyone interested in what a cruise should be, the second annual Hines Drive cruise will be this Sunday. Only cars pre 1987 and some modified later motels will be allowed to register and cruise from Outer Drive to Ann Arbor Trail. Last year there were several thousand cars and this year should be even bigger!

More info here.

http://www.donnicholson.net/cruisinhines.htm

[softailrider]

Nah, I live a couple blocks from Woodward and will be sure to drive my 2004 Pontiac Vibe in the far right lane during next year's cruise.

Next year is a long way off, maybe by then you'll trade in that Vibe for a used Chrysler Neon or something.

[softailrider]

I live two blocks from Woodward, and, at least where I live, none of this is true. And I'm in Birmingham, which isn't even the worst part [[Royal Oak gets the peak congestion).

Beginning Tuesday, Woodward was a slow-moving parade of cars that was essentially useless for day-to-day commerce. Passing through on 14 Mile and Maple meant both ridiculous multiple-light waits. 13 Mile, I gurarantee, was much worse.

And the nonsense doesn't begin at 7. I'm on the road around 6, returning from work, and Woodward was already a mess at 6 on Tuesday.

My neighborhood is a crappy occupied zone of police barracades and drunken idiots from out-of-town. Granted, I wasn't here on Friday/Saturday, because I purposely go up north [[most of my neighbors also leave town, to avoid the nonsense).

I'm not seeking to end the cruise or anything like that. But I don't enjoy it, all the local residents I know don't enjoy it, and I think it's a net economic negative. I also find it distasteful and rude to celebrate giant gas-guzzling clunkers by polluting the area. Do it out in Holly or something, where you aren't poisoning everyone.

Nope, I drove Woodward every night last week. It was somewhat heavier then normal but very passable up to about 7 pm, was there a wait for an extra light cycle here or there? I suppose. However, you would have had no problems getting to any businesses before 7pm with the possible exception of Friday night.

Didn't see any drunks that I could recognize, I wasn't really looking for any though. Saw some rowdy people, most were very well behaved. Didn't see anybody going to the bathroom out in the open either. Don't remember stepping on any bodily fluids [[or solids)

If you don't enjoy the cruise, that's fine. Northern Michigan is beautiful in August, I'm sure you had a fun weekend.

We have friends who live by Shrine Of The Little Flower [[they live right across the street from the church) stopped by and saw them on Saturday, they've never mentioned that they didn't enjoy the cruise. It's part of the flavor of living in that area.

[p69rrh51]

Bham1982 judging from the date you were not around when Woodward was busy every friday and saturday during warm weather. You would have never survived as it was pretty much similar to Thursday or Friday last week every nice weekend night from May through Oct. So you whine about a couple nights during one week, try dealing with that for five months. Its much better how its set up now. Also there are plenty of areas you can move to and whilne to someone who gives a shit.

[noise]

Bham1982 judging from the date you were not around when Woodward was busy every friday and saturday during warm weather. You would have never survived as it was pretty much similar to Thursday or Friday last week every nice weekend night from May through Oct. So you whine about a couple nights during one week, try dealing with that for five months. Its much better how its set up now. Also there are plenty of areas you can move to and whilne to someone who gives a shit.

You're pretty passionate about driving back and forth down a street. Relax.

[Bham1982]

However, you would have had no problems getting to any businesses before 7pm with the possible exception of Friday night.

Totally disagree. Woodward businesses take a massive hit all week long.

No one is going grocery shopping at the Maple/Woodward Kroger, or buying a car at the dealerships, or buying furniture at the Art Van. No one is browsing at Birmingham Wine or getting takeout/delivery at Dominos. The notion that it's "businesess as usual" is very different from my experience.

The only people making more money than usual are the out-of-town bootleg t-shirt/junk dealers, and the coney island drive-ins. For everyone else, it's a lost week.

And the Dream Cruise isn't really "part of the flavor of the area". It's a relatively new event, hosted and attended by outsiders, and those outsiders don't share the values of the community. This isn't a community of drag strip wanna-bes.

A truly Birmingham Dream Cruise would be a parade of Priuses, Audis and expensive bikes, anyways.

[Bham1982]

Also there are plenty of areas you can move to and whilne to someone who gives a shit.

Again, my problem with the Dream Cruise is the location. People along the Dream Cruise route aren't the same people who lived here in the 50's. Those people now live out in Livingston County, Florida, Up North or God knows where.

There are obviously plenty of people who love to sit on lawn chairs and watch a slow-moving parade of loud, polluting, old cars. I'm suggesting that those people don't live along the route in 2012, even if they did 50 years ago.

[p69rrh51]

Again, my problem with the Dream Cruise is the location. People along the Dream Cruise route aren't the same people who lived here in the 50's. Those people now live out in Livingston County, Florida, Up North or God knows where.

There are obviously plenty of people who love to sit on lawn chairs and watch a slow-moving parade of loud, polluting, old cars. I'm suggesting that those people don't live along the route in 2012, even if they did 50 years ago.

You just don't get it. Everyone wants to cruise the ACTUAL route not some seudo place that just suits you. And the demographics have not changed that much. Just the names. As with most ignorant non-Detroiters high performance cars were not designed or marketed for "rednecks" as everyone assumes but for the children of middle to upper middle class families-guess what that is the demographic for the cruise area! As for polluting I bet if you tested most of the cars would come within most recent test standards as they are very well tuned and most are now set up to run unleaded fuel. Your lawn mower pollutes more than they do so that whining does not hold water. The cruise is not going anywhere so its time for you to go, one of the places you suggested earlier will work much better for you.

[Bham1982]

You just don't get it. Everyone wants to cruise the ACTUAL route not some seudo place that just suits you.

Right, they want to cruise the actual route from 50-60 years ago, to relive their youth.

Back when men were men and cars were turbocharged expressions of Cold War hubris.

The problem is that, for better or worse, the people living here now don't share those values. This is Whole Foods and Prius country. No one wants to be near the yelling, the belching exhaust and the screeching tires. It's not that it's "bad", but it's totally alien to the Woodward corridor in 2012.

Most people weren't even alive when Woodward was some hot rod mecca. It's like saying Jewish people should all have some big week-long Dexter-Davison throwdown, because their grandparents all used to live there. There's nothing wrong with such sentiments, but the locals aren't going to appreciate the significant inconvenience.

[Cincinnati_Kid]

Who wants to drive a Prius? The cruise is actually for iconic american made iron from the past, not rice burners.

[Bham1982]

Who wants to drive a Prius? The cruise is actually for iconic american made iron from the past, not rice burners.

That's my point. You don't see "iconic american brands from the past" in Birmingham. You will see 10 Priuses and 20 Audis before you see classic American cars.

The community doesn't value these brands, for better or for worse, so they don't appreicate a week-long celebration that's irrelevent to their values.

[p69rrh51]

That's funny if you go into many of the garages in Birminghman I bet you will find quite a few classic American muscle. Nobody drives them daily! That is what the Audi is for. Plus from a purely performance standpoint the Audi and its other german cousins more than meet the qualifications to cruise Woodward. But then I do see in Birmingham more current generation Mustangs, Camaros, and Challengers than I do Priuises, also SUV's out number the hybrids. All the above mentions are American iron. Also if you polled residents of Birmingham I bet you find most grew up cruising or are offspring of those who do they just moved to nicer digs! Take the blinders off people still prefer fun over non-cars! Its your values not real Detroiter's values.

[antongast]

Back when men were men and cars were turbocharged expressions of Cold War hubris.

Turbochargers on passenger cars were basically nonexistent 50-60 years ago. Back before oil shortages and air quality regulations were a thing, there wasn't much incentive for carmakers to turbocharge when they could just build bigger and bigger engines.

[Kathleen]

Every year we hear the same arguments for and against The Dream Cruise.

It's just not worth the effort to rebut the various reasons and misstatements mentioned above.

Those who enjoy the Dream Cruise like myself will continue to attend and enjoy. Those who don't will stay away.

I think it is time to just agree to disagree.

[antongast]

Every year we hear the same arguments for and against The Dream Cruise.

It's just not worth the effort to rebut the various reasons and misstatements mentioned above.

Those who enjoy the Dream Cruise like myself will continue to attend and enjoy. Those who don't will stay away.

I think it is time to just agree to disagree.

This applies to approximately all the discussions I've read on DetroitYes. I'm curious as to why you're a member here if you don't enjoy endless, pointless back-and-forth arguments about the same twelve topics in perpetuity.

Me, I like to think it helps me refine my arguments or something.

[65memories]

Agree with Kathleen. The Dream Cruise has taken place the last eighteen years, yet from the discussion you would think it is a new event. For the record, I enjoy the Cruise and attend 2-3 nights during the week, but I was a part of that era. If you don't like it, that is your opinion. The Cruise is highly successful and will continue next year and the year after, etc. Hopefully, next August we won't go through the same retreaded arguments.

[webband1]

As a resident just off Woodward in Royal Oak, I can deal with the slam of traffic on Saturday. Yes, its inconvenient, but I've found ways to avoid/deal with it. It's the yahoos that play speed racer for three weeks prior until 2 AM that kill me. And the people that illegally park - on the sidewalk, blocking my street, even blocking my driveway!

I don't mind if people want to cruise during the week before - but drive the speed limit. It shouldn't take me an extra twenty minutes to make it from 696 to 12 mile because you're pre-cruising. And you'd be just as pissed if me and my neighbors all came to your neighborhood and did 20-30 mph below the speed limit.

In general, some of the cruisers need to show a little more respect to the community they're cruising in.

[Detroitnerd]

I think 18 years ago, it was like, hey, they're bringing this interesting enthusiast's event to a sleepy part of town and adding to the economic activity. I mean, think of Birmingham, Royal Oak and Ferndale in 1994. Sleepy. Graying. The Joke's main attractions were an Army-Navy store and Gus's. The Magic Bag had only recently opened.

Now Ferndale is already a major dining destination. Same with Royal Oak. Birmingham has more restaurants and nightlife than ever. And it's of a class that doesn't really get into the dream cruise.

I never quite thought of it that way before, but this thread has showed me that side of it.

[Thruster315]

Who wants to drive a Prius? The cruise is actually for iconic american made iron from the past, not rice burners.

Who suddenly made you King of the Cruise and determine what the Cruise is about? What young people are working on now to be the future hot rods of tomorrow are those little souped up Hondas, Toyotas and what you call "rice burners". Twenty years from now seeing a really nicely tricked out Honda cafe racer is going to be a joy at the Cruise.

Look at some of those quirky cars that people enjoy seeing as part of the Cruise now. They make up a goodly amount of the day's event and make it fun. I see AMC Pacers, Gremlins, Buick Riviera Boattails, Edsels, Ford Pintos, Chevy Chevettes, AmphibiCars, BMW Isettas, WWII military vehicle, the ambulances, old police cars, home made rat rods, "toy" cars, odd shaped service vehicles, and every model under the sun participate in the Cruise. Some of these cars weren't exactly great sellers, muscle cars, or even great feats of engineering- but they were somehow preserved by someone who adored that care for whatever reason.

Not everyone is enamored with the 1957 Chevy Bel Airs or the Mustangs or the Corvettes during the Dream Cruise.

The Cruise a celebration of the automobile. If you think it's other wise, I think you're wrong and it just speaks of snobbery to what it is you think should be a "classic car".

[Kathleen]

This applies to approximately all the discussions I've read on DetroitYes. I'm curious as to why you're a member here if you don't enjoy endless, pointless back-and-forth arguments about the same twelve topics in perpetuity.

Me, I like to think it helps me refine my arguments or something.

Actually I'm here on DetroitYES because I want to learn more about the history of Detroit and how we've gotten to this point....and share it with others who share the interest and passion.

That's how I got interested in the Dream Cruise....I enjoyed learning about the early days of the auto industry and the men who created the companies and designed the cars and built the factories and how we still benefit from the money made in those early days of cars. Then I wanted to see the cars from those early days. And so on.

If you know anything about me from my past posts, you'd know that I like the facts...I want the facts. Opinions are fine, but you need to have something to base them on.

So when I read posts with sweeping generalizations and no facts to back them up, all I can say is we're never going to come to a consensus here....about the Dream Cruise.

[Kathleen]

The Cruise a celebration of the automobile.

I couldn't agree more!! Seems to me we should be celebrating the car....period. No more bickering about what is classic and what isn't...what should be on the road and what shouldn't.

Anyone who drives Woodward during the cruise...in the vehicle of their choice....is there because they want to "feel" the Cruise. There is no way to describe the feeling of being on Woodward Ave. surrounded by cars of all types and ages, celebrating our automotive heritage. For me that includes past generations of my family who moved her to work in the factories...and recent generations of my family who worked on the assembly line and in automotive design for the Big 3 as well as for automotive suppliers. By participating in the Dream Cruise, we are celebrating all of that and more!

[Cincinnati_Kid]

They make up a goodly amount of the day's event and make it fun. I see AMC Pacers, Gremlins, Buick Riviera Boattails, Edsels, Ford Pintos, Chevy Chevettes, AmphibiCars, BMW Isettas, WWII military vehicle, the ambulances, old police cars, home made rat rods, "toy" cars, odd shaped service vehicles,


BTW, I'm not the King of the Cruise, but thank you for backing up my statement. All those cars you mentioned are from a by-gone era, not 1980's to 2012 Hondas, Audi's Toyota's etc... I'm sure those cars will have there place in automotive history at some point, but IMHO that time is not now. Tuner cars should have their own cruise. I've been to cruises that won't allow foreign cars and cars newer than 1990. So what I'm saying isn't out of the norm. The Woodward Cruise is so large, it's impossible to segregate certain brand of cars from not participating.

[black gold man]

JDM prowls WOODWARD.
This is one of the rarest cars to be on Woodward.
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