Antique Cars - Phasing Out ?

Yes, There is little more to the running of these things than a lawnmower.

Your lawn mower doesn't run 14hrs a day either. You change oil in a lawn mower maybe twice a year, You'd have to do it twice a week at a park. Also they have clutches and rear ends and I have even seen some that had water cooled engines.

It's not cheap but it also isn't really rocket science either like these New tech launch coasters that are costing fortunes to keep running.

Chuck

One thing I think these may rides have going against them is some have set ups that require quite a few attendants, yeah? Like those guys who have to meet you at the end of the circuit.

I remember when the KW Turnpike has gas cars and the staffing requirements were huge. So many operators were needed to stop the cars at the end of the ride for unloading and loading. Also, several observers were needed around the track to prevent stopping and collisions from occurring. The electric cars allowed a much reduced staff to be used.

Gold Manufacturing still makes them, if they are in business. I missed IAAPA last year. (see trip report-30 days in Vegas).

Anyway, they sell gas and electric, but mostly they make a car that is hollow, and holds a cotton candy machine and a sode cooler.

Lakemont's cars from 2002 are from Gold, fyi.

You guys do realize that you're talking about the lines at these rides without considering capacity? You're comparing a ride that can take 2 people every 25-30 seconds to one that can take 32 people every 1 1/2 - 2 minutes. Capacity monsters these rides are not. I think that, combined with the manpower requirements mentioned above, and the fact that any of the large corporate parks trying to market "we have Antique Cars this year!" would get laughed at by most folks does not bode well for a large park installing a cars ride.

Now a Mom and Pop park is another story, but they're always the exceptions to the rule.

Edit: most of my post didn't actually post ... *** Edited 7/2/2006 12:22:55 AM UTC by Impulse-ive***

No, A large park cannot market them, However at parks like CP and other corporates they help round out the experience. What other ride In coney mall at PKI could the whole family ride together?

They also help spread the crowd out. So do several other rides that some parks seem to have forgotten.

Chuck

Right but let's not overestimate the popularity of these rides solely because the relative capacity of is low and the lines are long.

I think these are wonderful, important rides, that every park should have, but I also agree with Impulse-ive, wait time doesn't really tell the whole story.

Canobie Lake Park has TWO car rides, Canobie 500 and the Antique Cars, Both always have a nice long line too, very popular rides in the park.

Some of the parks take these rides out because they're in a really bad spot.

Like PKI. That was a huge chunk of land that those cars were using, enough to build on and improve the park.

Some cars will probably never go, like SFOG's. There's are in a place where nothing else could really go, except maybe a kiddie coaster, and they already(amazingly) fit one in there. Plus something loud wouldn't benefit that area of the park.

As long as they're not in the way of anything, and they benefit the park, they'll stay.

I believe some of the parade vehicles that came from SFAW and The Moons cars at SFSTL have in some of them a John Deere Engine and Drive train.

It is surprisingly tricky to drive one of those things up and down hills in a parade while keeping spacing as best as possible.

I am impressed at how simply they are mechanically. No back, no clutch (well true clutch). Just a peddle attached to plate around a drive wheel and a throttle.

Knoebels has the best car ride I've ever seen, really long, through the woods, over long wooden bridges and through the Phoenix. If you've never been on it, I suggest it. They keep the line moving very fast too.

I like the ones at Cedar Point and Hershey too. But, I think Dorney's is horrible, just a short figure eight through empty grass and sun. It literally looks like they just said, heck we have some extra cars now because we shortened the ride at CP to put in Raptor, so let's just slap down a track and send them to Dorney.

I can see where alot of you are saying "why ADD a car ride"....agreed it's not really a *marketable expansion*. Then again, there's Lakemont... :)

But seriously, what I *am* saying is in these days where everyone (at least those in the accounting offices) cries out for FAMILY attractions...isn't this one of those rare rides where the whole family can, and do, ride...esp. the well-themed ones.

Car rides, interactives, and 3-D (or 4-D, LOL) simulators...maybe not geared toward the thrillseekers you'll find on web boards, but they're ATTRACTIVE....attractions...when you want something that draws grandma and grandpa as well as the rest of the family... :)

*** Edited 7/4/2006 8:44:00 PM UTC by rollergator***

I think the Turnpike at Kennywood is pretty too. Lots of landscaping and some bridges too. Even though it is electric, it can have its share of issues. I worked on that crew and fuses would blow out and carriages (came in contact with the track that carried the juice) would go too. Sometimes after it would rain, even though we would blow dry the track, some cars' carriages would spark going around the first time.

The Auto Race there is a good, faster alternative :)

I like being able to steer the can but hate all to fumes put out by the cars in front of you. I like the electic powered but most of them you cannot steer the car.

^The fumes are worth it for that antique engine sound the gas powered ones have though! :)

Add Opryland's and MSAP's to the defunct list. OL's was nice, with a bridge/tunnel, and was somewhat wooded. The cars were big, and to a kid, seemed like the real deal. Supposedly OL's cars went to Libertyland. With Libertyland closed, anyone know where they'll go?
http://thrillhunter.com/TinLizzies.html

Hopefully in the future, if parks need the space that their cars are taking up, they'll move them (as SFOG did) instead of getting rid of them.

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Raptor Pilot said:
Hopefully in the future, if parks need the space that their cars are taking up, they'll move them (as SFOG did) instead of getting rid of them.

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Amen! Or is it "witness"? Witless? Whatever....these things are low capacity, no argument there. But the cost:benefit ratio for car rides, be they antique, sporty, or otherwise, is VERY high.

(LOL, I guess this is where that "crazy math ability" part comes into play). Sure, I'm a half-wit...but don't doubt my skillz... :)

I totally less than three the Kennywood turnpike. Second coolest thing ever!

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Raptor Pilot said:
^The fumes are worth it for that antique engine sound the gas powered ones have though!

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I totally agree!!!!

- J