Mopar Nats or Carlisle?

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WARFARE

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Hi guys/gals, hope you can offer some advice. I want to attend either the Mopar Nats or Carlisle this fall. Flying from Western Canada so can't do both.

In your humble opinions which one is a better bang for the buck? (ie. more muscle vs classics and vendor/swap areas)

Thanks for your help.

Pat Shortland
 
Chryslers at Carlile is far and away the greatest mopar swap meet on earth, There are plenty of show cars there too and there is drag racing but its off the location of the show. They also have a burnout contest and a bikini contest and a few celebrity guests. If your looking for parts Carlile is probably your show

The Mopar nationals has lots of racing and plenty of show cars and about half as much swap meet. There is also some cruising at the Nats in a couple of spots after the show ends. They also have a burnout contest. There are a lot more Vipers at the nats than in Carlile. So if you like drag racing and cruising the Mopar Nationals is probably the one you want.
I have been to both of these shows almost every year since they began and I would highly recommend both of them, it just kind of depends on what your looking for.
 
WARFARE said:
Flying from Western Canada so can't do both.
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I hear ya Pat. It's tough for the guys (and gals) on the "left" coast with these two events being over on the other side of the continent. I often lamented that at least one major national show was more in the center of the continent - someplace like Minneapolis or Kansas City - to make it easier for everyone to get to it. I digress.
 
Carlisle BY FAR is the better show/swap!!!!!!!! 2000 cars last year, all organized so if your looking for only '67-'69 Barrcudas they will all be close together, not like the NATS where they are all spread all over the place and you will miss some. Carlisle has burnout contest, Miss Carlisle contest(nice gals), 1/8 miles drags not far away. Great food, clean restrooms all over. To see it all at Carlisle you will need the 3-4 full days!!!!
 
I'd have to agree with our members Pat. I've been to the mopar Nat's nine years. If your looking for drag racing, that's the place to be:) Now that I'm building my car, looks like Carlisle is in my future:)
 
Carlisle also has the Hotchkis auto cross event. Anybody can run what you brung. A whole lot of fun at no cost (upgrades and repairs not incluced, LOL).
 
However, if you go to the Mopar Nationals in Columbus, the next weekend is the Woodward dream cruise in Detroit. The biggest one day event. Over 40.000 classic cars and 1.5 million people cruising up and down Woodward Ave from Detroit to Pontiac, MI. The die hard local Detroit guys cruise all week before the cruise. If you have enough time off, you can make both. The Dream Cruise is always the weekend after the Mopar Nats.

http://www.woodwarddreamcruise.com/?page_id=79




I've never been to Carlisle, but I hear that it is great also.
 
WARFARE said:
Hi guys/gals, hope you can offer some advice. I want to attend either the Mopar Nats or Carlisle this fall. Flying from Western Canada so can't do both.

In your humble opinions which one is a better bang for the buck? (ie. more muscle vs classics and vendor/swap areas)

Thanks for your help.

Pat Shortland
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Good Post!
I am also north of the border and would like to attend one of these this year.
Sound like Carlise! Would love to drive to take the car, but I think it would be to much of a drive.
cheers
:burnout:
 
Unfortunately the ecoveted Mopar Nats or Nationals as they are referred to today have taken a very seedy side .The parking lots that used to be gatering places for devoted mopars owners have become drunkin gathering spots for people that wonna do nothing but get drunk and high and do burn outs till there cars blow up. Its really sad cuz back in the day the Nats were alotta fun . As for Carlisle the event is just like everything else they do there , its a class act. they do a great job of putting on the show there for 4 days . If you wonna bring your familiy to an event stay away from the Nationals .
 
"I found it at Carlisle" is their catch phrase. Stands true. Clean, well organized.BUT if you are into watching some fine,fast cars racing,,Nats. (My pick is Carlisle)
 
"If you wonna bring your familiy to an event stay away from the Nationals "
I totally and respectfully disagree jimmie. I live 20 minutes from the Nats and bring by daughters (10 and 12) with me every year. I have never had, nor seen an experience that there that I would be uncomfortable with my daughters seeing.
 
I've been going to the Nat's since 95. I've never been to Carlisle. I'm hoping to hit them both this year. I don't think I'm going to like all the cars organized by make/model but we will see. I like looking at a variety of cars. Having all the A-bodies together...all the E-bodies together seems like it would be easy to overlook something.
 
mccoymail said:
"If you wonna bring your familiy to an event stay away from the Nationals "
I totally and respectfully disagree jimmie. I live 20 minutes from the Nats and bring by daughters (10 and 12) with me every year. I have never had, nor seen an experience that there that I would be uncomfortable with my daughters seeing.
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I have been bring my son to the Nats since he was 4. Never seen anything inappropriate in the parking lots. He's 22 now...
 
Like I said earlier, I have been to almost every Carlile and Nationals since they started. Over the years the Carlile show seems to be pretty steady in what it offers. The Nationals over the past 10 years or so in my opinion has declined a little with not as many vendors in the swap meet and over half of them will pack up and leave on Saturday. The other problem is that Brice Road used to be a fun cruise spot but now its a police hot zone so you have to be careful what you do. There has always been a seedy undercurrent at the Nats of people getting drunk and doing burnouts in motel parking lots but that's not a show sanctioned event and we cant hold that against the Nationals( just don't stay in those motels) I have always been a swap meet vendor so I look at everything from that angle. I know over the last 10 years that carlile has really gotten harder to set up at because of the Tax people lurking around the show like the gestapo. The Nats is an easier place to be a vendor but the volume of customers is less than half. As far as taking family to the Nationals, my son has been going to them since he was 18 months old. We never had any problems with kids being at the show, they always seem to have a great time. Now he's 21 and hangs out at the Viper tent with his buddies in the Viper club and they are a tight knit group of people who always treated him with a great deal of respect.
 
Sorry if this is high jacking but, I'm going to Florida next week. The Winter AutoFest is on in Zephyrhills. Ads says its the start of the Carlisle schedule. Any opinions appreciated. Thanks.
 
hemichuck said:
I know over the last 10 years that carlile has really gotten harder to set up at because of the Tax people lurking around the show like the Gestapo.
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I'm not a vendor, but with that analogy I really get your point!
 
RzeroB said:
I hear ya Pat. It's tough for the guys (and gals) on the "left" coast with these two events being over on the other side of the continent. I often lamented that at least one major national show was more in the center of the continent - someplace like Minneapolis or Kansas City - to make it easier for everyone to get to it. I digress.
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I couldn't agree more!
 
hemichuck said:
As far as taking family to the Nationals, my son has been going to them since he was 18 months old. We never had any problems with kids being at the show, they always seem to have a great time. Now he's 21 and hangs out at the Viper tent with his buddies in the Viper club and they are a tight knit group of people who always treated him with a great deal of respect.
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We should get our kids together. I've been bring my oldest since he was like 4 years old. Now he's 22.
 
I've been to that Nats from 2000-2012. Had lots of fun. It's a little dusty over in the swap area. I liked the burnouts at the hotels, but I like to act immature from time to time. Brice Rd is DEAD! The cops killed cruising and everyone goes to Heath now. Still fun, but not the same.
I would like to go to Carlisle, but haven't had the chance yet.


RzeroB said:
I often lamented that at least one major national show was more in the center of the continent - someplace like Minneapolis or Kansas City - to make it easier for everyone to get to it.
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There is always the Farmington show south of Minneapolis. Clean and organized. No racing though :(
 
If I had to pick between The Nationals and Carlisle I would pick Carlisle. Carlisle is a 10 hour drive for us, The Nats is only 3 hours. I got tired of the spring break attitude so we switched gates at The Nats. We use the gate off of Refugee Road. Carlisle is better run and cleaner and I'm not much for the racing. I also like the swap meet and Carlisle better people seem happier. If I wanted to watch racing I'll go to Monster Mopar weekend.
 
I stayyed at Brice last year and saw a little bit of the "spring break attitude" in a parking lot about a half mile down from the red roof inn. Other than that it seemed pretty calm. Unless your against te burnouts at heath but I like that. Never been to Carlisle so I can't say which is better but I don't miss the nationals no matter what!
 
Carlisle! Although I moved to Tampa so Pa is not so close anymore. I used to be in Va!
 
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