Dave,
THANK YOU for the pictures and description of the seat belts. These are very helpful!
Regarding Carlisle:
Thursday is setup day (and the day that "professionals" scour the site for great deals and snap them up). Friday is the main day for parts hunting and cars - all folks selling parts are set up by Friday AM. Saturday gets more crowded with the less serious people to enjoy the cars and the show. Sunday is where vendors begin packing up, and the "professionals" try to get some bargains for cars or parts that have not sold and the seller is motivated to sell.
A major influence is also the weather. For example, this year on Friday the rains opened up around 11AM and was very heavy. Most vendors covered up and shut down during the rain, which lasted several hours. The vendors that have covered tents get very busy during the rain! If the forecast is really bad for the weekend, some vendors pack up and leave early.
Since I live close, I do not stay over night and cannot comment on hotels. I generally park along Clay Street. (Google maps "Clay street, Carlisle, PA") It is on the southwest corner of the fairgrounds and is close to the main parts selling areas at the Southern part of the fairgrounds. You can park in the field on the West side of clay street for $10 US. There is also a school on the East side of the fairgrounds that is immediately South of the grounds.
I am sure others have suggestions and opinions as well and can chime is also.
Hawk
