My beloved girl Rocky, 1997-2014

One week!!!

Please also see our Facebook page for Cow Creek Jalopy Jam photos and videos. https://www.facebook.com/cowcreek.jalopyjam TWO WEEKS! And we've got a real PA system this year so you can hear the cool music. Psychedelic and Garage - NO DOO-WOP! Think Wo-Fat:

CCJJ - Bigger and Better Than Ever!

THE MYSTIC TIDE - Stay Away

Good news! At this year's Jalopy Jam we'll have a REAL PA SYSTEM! Music will be '60's garage and psychedelic, ie Love, Electric Prunes, The Smoke, Mystic Tide, 13th Floor Elevators...okay now I'm just name dropping! Dig this...

Cow Creek Jalopy Jam 2014!

Cow Creek Jalopy Jam, Saturday, September 13, 2014

I finally got off my lazy duff and selected a tentative date for this year's Cow Creek Jalopy Jam: Saturday, September 13, 2014 Check back for updates, photos, posters, etc!

Cow Creek Jalopy Jam 2013

The Cow Creek Jalopy Jam turned out surprisingly well, thanks mainly to the great car owners around whose vehicles the whole thing centered. The 45,000 acre forest fire burning just a few miles to the west could have shut us down with smoke, but it did not. The previous day's massive nickel-sized hailstorms could have shut us down, but the weather was perfect. Heaven On Earth restaurant provided outdoor seating, catered BBQ, dessert prizes and lots of people power and organization. Almost the perfect number of cars showed up as we filled the parking lot to capacity.  Here are some pics:

YES, this anti-show is ON! There has been no smoke at Azalea. The restaurant will be having an outdoor barbeque. Turnout looks good. We have cars coming from Medford to Roseburg. Don't forget, it starts at NOON! And it's FREE!

One Week!!!!!

The Cow Creek Jalopy Jam is just one week away - I thought it would never come!

I'm thrashing hard to get the '29 sedan ready for the event (bottom). It won't be driveable for a few months yet, but I at least want to get it there on a trailer (like I did with the Scrap Rod at the 2012 Ratrod-o-rama).

The PA system will be me yelling as loud as I can and the music will be a cheap ghetto blaster. But hell, it's free entry and there's lots of shady park-like seating available (see below). And anytime car lovers get together a good time is assured!

TROPHY BURN!!!

I am exited to announce the latest event scheduled for the Cow Creek Jalopy Jam...

TROPHY BURNING!!!!

Did you build/buy your car to please yourself and don't give a crap what anyone else thinks about it or whether or not it gets awards? Do you have old car show trophies, glittery symbols of competition among car owners instead of camaraderie? Bring them to the Cow Creek Jalopy Jam for a good old fashioned trophy bonfire! Who knows...we might even roast marshmallows over the flames.*

*Note: Local regulations may prohibit actually burning the trophies. However, we will definitely find some suitably satisfying method of destruction.

Rat Rods, Art Cars and the Anti-show!

It looks like this will be a GO for summer 2013, with the full sponsorship of Heaven On Earth Restaurant.

Please note that this is an ANTI-show. What does that mean? It means we hope to depart from the traditional car show format of registration, raffles, doo-wop music and trophies. We hope also to lure some different sorts of vehicles than you might see at typical car shows.

First, the music: '50's to early '60's music has long been the staple of street rod events. Personally, I am really sick of hearing "Peggy Sue" played repeatedly at a volume so loud that you can't even talk to the person standing next to you. Surf Rock is the new soundtrack of the rat rod movement, ie Dick Dale, The Ventures and the Diamond Heads. That's pretty cool but we want to go even a step beyond this to include what is now known as "garage rock" from the late '60's to early 70's - the precursor to the psychedelic era. It's a combination of rock and roll, with a heavy dose of hallucinogenic influence. Some names you might recognize would be The Electric Prunes, Love and The Standells. But we're going to play much more obscure stuff than this and I think you'll find that it's a cool synergy with the cars.

Secondly, the cars:  Or more correctly, "vehicles."  We'd love to get a more unorthodox crowd at this event, hence the open invitation to "art cars."  I don't know any of that group, but if any read this blog, by all means please attend! Rat rods are on the vanguard of creativity these days, so we're begging rats to show. Gassers, T-buckets and lead sleds are cool too. Clampett-mobiles, come on down! Unfinished projects can be trailered in if you want. We reserve the right to summarily evict any particular vehicle, unless it features something really innovative and unique, on an individual basis. Ya got a '53 Chevy with an XKE engine - COOL, bring it!  But if you're struttin' a PT Cruiser with pink daisy paste-ons, perhaps another show would be more appropriate. Wait a minute...that would be kinda different...okay, you're in too!  Generally however, nothing later than 1969, except on an individual basis. 

As for food, Heaven On Earth is famous for it's unique menu and desserts. That is sufficient draw in itself.

Our philosophy on trophies: Awards foster an unhealthy competition among vehicle owners. There always is camaraderie at shows until the trophies come out. Then there is resentment. At least half the car owners go home disappointed because they didn't win. Someone, with or without any automotive knowledge, has declared that car A is not as good as car B. Therefore, we want to have some kind of "rewards" for attendees, but not typical trophies. At this stage we're leaning towards "edible awards" of Heaven On Earth's famous desserts! 

Activities are still in the planning stage, but we'd like it to be more interactive than sitting in lawn chairs. Burnout contests are a possibility. One of our locals has expressed interest in hosting a swap meet. But we believe the most entertaining thing we can do at this event is gather with like-minded people and marvel at one another's creations.

This is a long way to ask people to drive. We think it will be a unique gathering that will be well worth it!

Email: CowCreekJalopyJam@gmail.com

Early-morning car shows - JUST SAY NO!

An antiquated vestige of the street rod era is 8:00 AM car show registration. To illustrate how carried away this has gotten, we point in particular to a couple of the largest automotive events in southern Oregon where cars are lining up at 5:30 AM for a registration that is advertised as opening at 7:00 AM, but in actuality starts at 6:00!  This is ridiculous way to ruin a weekend.

The Burnouts Car Club believes that real hot rodders have a night life. We are not melatonin-deprived geezers who have dinner at 5:00 PM so we can be to bed by 8:00! Hot rodders are a younger crowd, who may be out cruising or carousing till the wee hours. Some of us are working people who arise to an alarm clock all week long, and on weekends may want to sleep in a little.

Early morning car shows: JUST SAY NO! 

Hence the Cow Creek Jalopy Jam will be scheduled to start at 12:00 PM. That's NOON, just to avoid confusion. This start time also should enable long-distance participants to have a leisurely Sunday drive and arrive refreshed. Even church goers can make it if the reverend doesn't drone on too long! While we can't stop anyone from arriving prematurely, early arrivals will be ridiculed mercilessly as "old farts" and be forced to buy everyone else breakfast!

The end time of 4:00 PM, while not strictly enforced, will prevent the event from becoming an endurance contest. Show up, eat some lunch, check out the cars, go home happy!

Email: CowCreekJalopyJam@gmail.com