I, too, hate car shows. Even though I have won a number of trophies over the years, the last one I went to cured me forever. Of the 150 cars entered, there were two Tasca Fords. Every bit as unique as anything Yenko ever sold in my opinion. One was a 427 Fairlane and the other was a 65 Falcon sprint. Both were totally unmolested and nearly 100 point cars. They didn't even place! A 67 Nova with a 350 (sigh) crate motor won first place.
I packed up and swore off any more car shows.
If you must go to one, the best run I've gone to was at Hemming's. They know what's unique and how to judge!
Tim