The first annual Summer Midwest Willys Reunion is done.
Jeff Petrowski (jpet) did a great job. Everything ran smoothly and a good time was had by all (I hope). Three cheers for Jeff and much encouragement to do it again next year.
There was talk about doing it in July so there'd be Ohio in May, Effingham in July and Jeff City (or wherever) in September. Nicely spaced out over the summer and throughout the Midwest. I like the idea.
The Location:
For me the location was great. Just a little over 3 hours drive, all interstate. I talked to many who were equally happy with Effingham as a location, including vendors. The only down side is that it's in the middle of Nowhere, IL. No cool place to do a Sunday morning convoy. Oh well.
The Venue:
The Holiday Inn was quite good. There's a huge area behind the motel for rallies such as ours. There was room for easily twice as many Jeeps as we had this weekend. I counted about three dozen Jeeps as well as the vendors.
The Banquet:
The food the Holiday Inn served was very good. Stuffed pork chops, boneless chicken in a sauce I don't know what was, mashed potatoes, green bean almondine and cake for desert. The only dissapointment was the beans - a little tough, probably too long in the warmer. Vegetables are the most difficult to serve en masse. The rest was very good. Waaay better than in Jeff City in 2011.
There were over 100 people at the banquet yet the food lines went quickly and smoothly as there were four (4) serving lines. The Holiday Inn gets my praise for a well done setup.
The Band:
I'm a musician and going in, I had serious doubts about the Willys Nelson Band. I really don't like lame, amateur bands at banquets. What could I expect from a bunch of old Jeeper types? Well, I was impressed. They all were more than just competant on their instruments. Especially important to me - they played in tune. Wow. Jeff's songs were clever and well done. His singing voice is pretty good and a really good fit for the musical style. I enjoyed it where I feared I might be wanting to plug my ears. And the sound level was exactly right for the room. Well done guys.
The Banquet Spotlight Presentation - The ElectroWillys:
Mike's talk and slide show on his electric M-38 was very well done. Just the right length, clear, concise, articulate, well organized. I enjoyed it immensely. I've been following his story and had talked to him Saturday afternoon so already knew most of what he presented but still found it enjoyable. The best part was he let me drive it Sunday morning before he loaded it up to leave. That was a kick. Thanks Mike.
The Weather.
Bright sunshine or light cloud cover all weekend. No rain - woohoo.
But
It was HOT! Over 90 degrees the whole time. Hey Jeff, can you order more moderate temps next year?
I'm glad I took my pop-up canopy. Shade was mandatory.
The SWAG:
The SWAG bag was pretty slim this year. Harry (Midwest Willys) donated popcan coolers again and there were a couple packets of GoJo wipes. The rest was just advertising. Oh well.
The Swap Meet:
For me it was a bomb. I felt I priced my parts reasonably - I only brought good stuff, no junk. I only got three offers the whole time - all three insultingly low.
Sigh. Better luck next year.
All in all, I thought it was a great first shot at a new time and location. Jeff (and all his help) did a great job. The entire thing ran smoothly. I had a good time. It was worth the trip.
So where were all you gys? There were only three Wagons/Trucks at the show. A beautiful, blue pickup from Iowa with a drive train from other vehicles. He drove it to the reunion. There was a 2WD Wagon there very briefly. And a '53 Wagon on a trailer that looked like a rust bucket, but up close it was solid in all the normal rotten places. The rust was a nice, even patina of surface rust only. A couple of us thought it should be matte clear-coated as-is to preserve the patina.
Thanks Jeff and Company. Let's do it again next year.
