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2020 Katies Cars & Coffee Thread - Great Falls, VA

11K views 44 replies 5 participants last post by  rcollum 
#1 ·
#2 ·
Katie's, 01/04/20

The first Katie's C & C of the year, and it was foggy, but mild - over 50F at 5:00AM! As often happens here, the crowd was sparse, until people woke up and realized it wasn't raining, and wasn't cold. By 7:30AM, there was a decent crowd, though nothing really exotic.


The guy that owned the Challenger had a strategy to avoid door dings you hadn't thought of! Yes, they were on both sides!


--Bob Collum
 

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#5 ·
Katie's, 01/11/20

Quite a good turnout at Katie's today. Plenty of interesting cars to see.

--Bob Collum
 

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#6 ·
Department of Bad Ideas

I saw this Renault 4CV at Cars & Coffee yesterday. That chrome detail on the back is a fancy surround for the fuel filler. REALLY? While it certainly looks nice, and dresses up the otherwise plain-Jane rear, why would you think it's a good idea to position it above the hot engine?

It reminded me of the VW bug we saw in Cancun a couple of years ago... 5 happy guys in the car with a gravity-feed, jerry-rigged gas canister on the back engine lid. They smiled and waved as we took pictures of them driving off. I was just hoping we weren't going to hear an explosion, followed by the flaming gasoline trail coming back towards us.

--Bob Collum
 

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#7 ·
Katie's, 01/18/20

A common question I get is, 'when does the season for Katie's Cars & Coffee begin and end?' The answer is, there is no season - people will show up driving 'something', as long as they can get there!

Today was a good example. The weather forecast has snow starting between 6AM and 7AM. I went at my normal time, and had breakfast before anyone else (besides Katie's staff) showed up. By the time I left, there were a few other cars in the lot. During the winter, Katie's becomes more of a social event than a car event.

--Bob Collum
 

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#9 ·
Katie's, 01/25/20

It warmed up for the weekend, but we had fairly heavy rain this morning. That meant a small crowd at Katie's.
Chuck showed off the new 'bling' on his Macan - the blanking plug for his tow hitch. Of course, it has the Porsche crest.
I'm guessing the official option name is 'PTHC' - (Porsche Tow Hitch Cover)

--Bob Collum

P.S.: I had a 5+ mile detour on the way home from Katie's, because of a flood on Hunter Mill Road, near the bike trail crossing.
 

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#10 ·
Katie's, 02/01/20

A cool, clear morning. While the parking lots were not packed, we had plenty of cars and people, as well as a good variety of both.

--Bob Collum
 

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#15 · (Edited)
Katie's, 02/08/20

Clear skies and dry streets mean a good turnout at Katie's - even in cold weather! Here's a few examples of the variety there today. (Note that the Charger is NOT stock. It's been completely rebodied as a wide-body, the tail is extended, and the door handles have been relocated, and made flush with the body.)


--Bob Collum
 

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#17 ·
Katie's, 02/15/20

Because it was so cold this morning (18F), attendance at Katie's was later, and smaller. As often happens in cold weather, the cars were mostly German. (There were three Porsche 911 GT3s there today.)


--Bob Collum
 

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#18 ·
Katie's, 02/22/20

What was new at Katie's today? There's always something... A 'perfect' VW bus, fresh from a complete restoration, a Jaguar shooting brake, and classic American muscle.


--Bob Collum
 

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#19 ·
Katie's, 02/29/20

Cold weather does not keep the cars away. That last car is a Porsche Taycan Turbo S.


--Bob Collum
 

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#20 · (Edited)
Katie's, 03/07/20

A pretty good turnout for a cold Saturday morning. There's always a good variety of vehicles at Katie's.

--Bob Collum


P.S.: If anyone is interested, there's a charity cars & coffee at Two Silos Brewery, on Sunday, 03/08/20. There will be a $20 entry fee. Benefits St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. Two Silos is at 9925 Discovery Blvd. Manassas, VA. The even runs from Noon to 3:00PM.
 

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#21 ·
Katie's, 03/14/20

A special day at Katie's. In recognition of public concerns about COVID-19 contagion, Mike, the owner of Katie's, removed some tables to create more space inside. He also brought in a couple of extra people to serve food & coffee outside, which was greatly appreciated! Were there any good cars there, for those who came out? You be the judge!

A friend came all the way up from Barboursville, with his new Evora GT. My friend, Pete, just bought a Sebring Sprite. Somebody brought a Suzuki Cappucino, a Japanese Kei car.

Have you ever seen a McLaren Senna?

--Bob Collum
 

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#22 ·
Medical advice from a professional: (not me)


A friend, who is both a Car Guy and an ER doctor, helped me make sense of the seriousness of limiting personal contact: If we continue to travel and socialize at our normal rate, the number of COVID-19 cases will skyrocket. If that happens, the healthcare system will not be able to keep up. If, under the load of massive increases in patient loads, nurses and doctors get sick, this can very easily spin out of control. While contracting COVID-19 may not kill you, it might spread to your friends and relatives, through you. If they are 60 or older, or have existing health problems, it could kill them!


If people can just avoid close contact outside the home, it helps a lot. Local weather is such that it's pretty nice to be outside, which also works, keeping a sensible distance from others -- (social distancing). If we can extend the spread of the virus out to, say, a few months, the load on the healthcare system will be less, the supply of the masks and testing items can catch up, and everyone will benefit. No need for panic, but lots of reasons to help lessen the load on the system.


Hope this helps - the explanation was a help to me, in ways that what I see on news and social media has not been.
 
#23 ·
Katie's Cars & Coffee CANCELLED for 03/21/20

All:

In case you were thinking about going to Saturday Cars & Coffee at Katie’s, don’t. I just got a call from Mike Kearney, owner of Katie’s. Fairfax County and the State of Virginia are insisting that any establishment that serves food must limit the total amount of people in their space to 10 – including employees. Mike will be putting out signs around his property, declaring that there will be no Cars & Coffee tomorrow.

I intend to make it a point to order carryout lunch or dinner from the Brogue several times in the coming weeks – I have a lot of sympathy for Mike & his employees. Mike says if we call ahead to (703)759-3309, they will let us know when we can pick the food up to take home. Here’s Mike’s message, from his website:


–March 18, 2020–
Dear Old Brogue & Katie’s Coffee House Patrons and Customers,

It is with a full heart that I write to thank you for your patronage and support on St. Patrick’s Day 2020. It was 39 years ago on St. Patrick’s Day that we opened our doors to begin serving our community. Over these many years, we have been through a lot together — we have celebrated life’s special events, mourned losses, and supported each other through personal, local, and national crises. The Coronavirus crisis sweeping our nation caused us to have to close our doors this St. Patrick’s Day. But you showed us that there is still the possibility to do some business while our doors are shut — a way to keep serving the community and to provide work for our employees, many of whom rely on their jobs at the Old Brogue to support their families.
Our pop-up Food & Brew Thru was patronized by over 400 customers yesterday. Thank you for showing up for us. Thank you for caring. Thank you for keeping the tradition of St. Patrick’s Day alive. The generous and caring spirit of the community that we are a part of was very much present yesterday, and we can’t tell you how much it means to us.

For the near future, we will remain open for takeout service (food, coffee, beer and wine) only. In the days ahead, we will be working to put new systems in place to efficiently and effectively run as a take-out business (we had a few tough lessons yesterday!).

Our current hours are:

Katie’s Coffee House will be open from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m.

The Old Brogue will be open for takeout service from 11:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. for our updated menu including nightly specials, beers and wine to-go.
You can either drive up to our Food and Brew Thru or you can call in your order to 703-759-3309. We will take your order in advance to be ready at a future time as well. We are all in uncharted territory now, and would appreciate your patience and feedback as we figure out how to best serve you. We will keep you updated on developments via our website. Please call us if you have any questions, concerns, or feedback.

With sincere thanks – stay healthy!


Mike Kearney
 

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#24 ·
BEST of KATIE'S, 03/21/20

When I was growing up, Johnny Carson was the king of late night TV. He was a fixture in every American home. When he was off, NBC selected a highly-rated, memorable episode from their archives, and aired that older episode. It was always funny, and very entertaining. It was called 'Best of Carson', and was very popular. I hope people enjoy reminiscing, like I do.

During the current COVID-19 pandemic, we are missing the socialization that we have taken for granted. Over the years, I have made many lasting friendships via my Saturdays at Katie's. Medical experts insist that social distancing is critical to prevent crushing our medical infrastructure, so for the time being, cars & coffee events (as well as other social gatherings) are not a good idea. To help fill the gap, I am asking everyone to share pictures and stories from past memorable Katie's Saturdays.

My contribution: This coming April 4, 2020 will make 10 years of the 'official' Katie's Cars & Coffee weekly event. I was notified by an Elise owner, Mike in Alexandria, about a new event that popped up in Great Falls, VA. I first went, long before it was an official gathering, on Halloween 2009. Attendance was modest, but there were some marvelous vehicles there. Peter Garahan brought out his antique fire engine, while Mike and I drove our Elises, and there was a beautifully-restored Mini. Bob Morris, who saw the big cars & coffee in Southern California, brought the idea of establishing a Katie's Cars & Coffee weekly event to Katie's owner Mike Kearney, drove his Kaiser Darrin.

What pictures and stories do you have to share?

--Bob Collum
 

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#26 · (Edited)
BEST of KATIE'S, 03/21/20

When I was growing up, Johnny Carson was the king of late night TV. He was a fixture in every American home. When he was off, NBC selected a highly-rated, memorable episode from their archives, and aired that older episode. It was always funny, and very entertaining. It was called 'Best of Carson', and was very popular. I hope people enjoy reminiscing, like I do.

During the current COVID-19 pandemic, we are missing the socialization that we have taken for granted. Over the years, I have made many lasting friendships via my Saturdays at Katie's. Medical experts insist that social distancing is critical to prevent crushing our medical infrastructure, so for the time being, cars & coffee events (as well as other social gatherings) are not a good idea. To help fill the gap, I am asking everyone to share pictures and stories from past memorable Katie's Saturdays.

My contribution: This coming April 4, 2020 will make 10 years of the 'official' Katie's Cars & Coffee weekly event. I was notified by an Elise owner, Mike in Alexandria, about a new event that popped up in Great Falls, VA. I first went, long before it was an official gathering, on Halloween 2009. Attendance was modest, but there were some marvelous vehicles there. Peter Garahan brought out his antique fire engine, while Mike and I drove our Elises, and there was a beautifully-restored Mini. Bob Morris, who saw the big cars & coffee in Southern California, brought the idea of establishing a Katie's Cars & Coffee weekly event to Katie's owner Mike Kearney, drove his Kaiser Darrin.

What pictures and stories do you have to share?

--Bob Collum
 

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#27 ·
BEST of KATIE'S, 04/04/20 (10th Anniversary of Katie's)

It's the third week of going cold-turkey from Katie's Cars & Coffee, and this is a special week. The first-ever, 'official' Katie's Cars & Coffee happened (according to my info) on 04/03/2010. That makes this the 10th Anniversary of our favorite weekly car gathering! I will start with a selection of some pictures I took on that day, 10 years ago -

--Bob Collum
 

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#28 ·
BEST of KATIE'S, 0404/20 (10th Anniversary). Pt. 2

And now, for some pictures from friends. We will not be going back to Katie's for a while, so if you have some pictures of Katie's cars or people (or just general cars or people), please send them to me at - Robert_collum@hotmail.com. I will post what I can, each week.


--Bob Collum
 

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#29 ·
BEST of KATIE'S, 04/11/20

Still another week of Social Distancing, so - no Katie's Cars & Coffee. I hope everyone is well. I drove over and picked up lunch at the Old Brogue. Thanks to Mike Swiek for his pictures.

--Bob Collum
 

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#30 ·
BEST of KATIE'S, 04/18/20

Some memorable cars from past Katie's Saturday mornings:
 

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