Went to car show today and OMG

[Nedsel]

Can someone please explain these small stuffed urchins I am seeing more and more of at various shows? I don't understand their purpose. Some cars have a small family of them. I want to do nothing as much as kick them into the next zip code.

[mreid]

Are you talking about the crying kid leaning up against the car? If so, I thought they were outlawed! Should be anyway...

[392cobra]

Originally Posted by Nedsel

Can someone please explain these small stuffed urchins I am seeing more and more of at various shows? I want to do nothing as much as kick them into the next zip code.

+1
Good one.

[mreid]

Originally Posted by Jamo

...and wash behind your ears and wear clean underwear!

Yeah, just in case a board comes through your windshield on the way home and you have to go to the hospital. You always want clean underwear at the hosital. Oh, wait...if a board came through my windshield, I wouldn't have clean underwear anymore. Nevermind...

[392cobra]

From Jamo's avatar it looks as though it has taken a beating and went into hiding.

[Bill Bess]

We have 5 car clubs in Lake Havasu City, AZ, several putting on one or two car shows per year. In addition, there are numeros events thoroughout the state that have car shows.......Whoa!
Cobras are made for driving, going fast and looking good. The only good part of a car show is when you see the happy faces of folks looking at your car, smiling, pointing and asking you if it's real.

Bill

[bstuke]

Ratdog,

I hate to be the one to tell you this but a Factory Five Roadster won Best Of Show at that event...

[lamaluv]

Ned you need to get one of these to take of the urchins at car shows.

Dick

[slaga]

I enjoyed the show this year more than in years past. The weather was nice and there were more cars than normal. There was everything there from rust buckets looking for a new owner to restore them, to daily drivers (the 1988 Chevy pick up with a 305, oem paint, etc.), to nice cars that are driven regularly to trailer queens. Personnally I prefer looking at cars that are more about go and less concerned about "show". I have never been a fan of chromed, polished and detailed engine compartments, but that's me.

One of the cars being critisized is about 10 years old (MK1) and is a driver that has made a cross country trip NC / Vegas and back under it's own power (not trailered) and it has never had a top on it. Driving his car is more important to this owner than a detailed engine compartment, understandably so.

For many, this car show is a place to gather and have fun with people you know and let others see what you have. The majority of the cars being judged were in the grassy area between pit road and the track, you know, where the clean Mustangs, Corvettes and Camaros were. Most of the other 85% of the cars that were at the show were not interested in trying to win a trophy.

[Slick61]

I always struggle with this issue. I love going to car shows. If I go to look at the cars, I'll drive the mustang or the saturn. If I take the Backdraft, I make sure it's clean- yea, it's like the clean underwear thang. I have to admit, I have a hard time enjoying car shows if I take the Backdraft, as I always feel the need to "stand guard" & don't walk around much... too many inconsiderate clods who have no respect for your car. But any more, I get kindof irritated about the financial aspect, & wonder why I'm paying X amount of dollars so that others can come look at my car (for free). I could care less about getting it judged... and I didn't buy it so that I could collect trophies... I don't need that kind of validation. So I usually only attend cruise-ins, any more. But... to each his own. I know several people who drive the snot out of their cars... and it shows... but they're enjoying their cars. Nothing wrong with that. I probably drive mine a little less (and easier), & keep it a little better... that's MY thing. to each his own!

[Voyager]

Did a couple car shows when I first built my car last fall to get a flavor of the local hotrod/performance community. Thought is was too much show, not enough go.

I prefer the C&Cs. Just park and hang out with other auto enthusiasts.

Having said that...I try to keep my Cobra in showroom condition. It’s always clean, inside and out. And I don’t “drive it like I stole it”.

My 2 cents. Original Cobra…any condition is acceptable. Tracked Cobra…any condition is acceptable. Sunday cruiser…break out the bucket, paint brush, tooth brush, and rags & get to work.

Bob

[Zoom This]

Originally Posted by Dwight

I do a quick wash and drive to the show. I like, a lot of the Cobra guys, don't go for the trophies.

I have a lot of stories about car shows. Like the time Coach and I lost to a tractor in a Truck and Car Show. Long story, I will tell it later.


Dwight

Years ago I entered a car show at this uppity golf course and resort outside of Half Moon Bay, CA. The steering committee for the show agreed to let me enter the show as an Exhibition Only entry, so off we went to the show for a fun day on the green. It was a great day and the show was judged by the people...not dedicated judging. Even though my car had a large tag on the windshield saying Exhibition Only the votes kept coming in. I was assigned to the area reserved for European Sports Cars 1948 to 1982. Being parked next to a beautiful Ferrari Daytona Coupe and a Mercedes 300 SL made for a great day. Early Vette's were the next-door grouping. Gotta say, the Vette group did not like a fake SPF Cobra on site.

As the day progressed, voting was counted and all exhibitors and Car Show principles gathered for the award presentation. When it came down to European Sports division the award judges had to toss our second place finishing into the trash can and award the trophy to the Ferrari that I smoked in votes, since our car was a replica and not a REAL Cobra. It was a laughable turn of events. Be that as it may, I was not invited the following year unless I was willing to park our Cobra at the entry gate as a looky-lou exhibit on the way to the exhibitors green. Yes, car shows are very subjective and needless to say it was the last show I paid to enter.

[bstuke]

Originally Posted by Voyager

Tracked Cobra…any condition is acceptable.

WHEW!

[ratdog]

looks clean and washed to me and shiny and looks like fun!!!

[Snakebit]

I drive my car as much as I can, weather permitting. I keep it clean and polished except for a little brake dust on the wheels. If I am going to a car show, all it takes is a quick wipe down and I am ready to go. I take pride in my cars and in my self. As far as detailing and polishing, that's what I do on rainy evenings in the garage. Just like going on a job interview, you would not show up in torn dirty jeans and not shaven for 2 days. So why would I show my car looking the same way? If you built it, it's called taking pride in your work.

[bstuke]

Originally Posted by ratdog

looks clean and washed to me and shiny and looks like fun!!!

Just busting your chops a little..

And yes it is A LOT of fun. My view from Snakebit's perspective is a little different. I want to look good at the interview, but I also want to be prepared. I spend as much time working on the car to get it handling better as others do shining and polishing theirs.

[ratdog]

I think snakebit hit the nail on the head,just a little pride would help.

[ENTDOC]

Originally Posted by bstuke

Ratdog,

I hate to be the one to tell you this but a Factory Five Roadster won Best Of Show at that event...

I think that was a FFROGS award, correct? Factory Five Racing owners Group. So naturally it would be given to a Factory Five. Very nice car non the less.

[Sharroll Celby]

You cant hide "patina" and regular use. BUT, the interior should be vacuumed, the painted surfaces clean and free from bugs/bird droppings etc, the wheels should be wiped down upon arrival at the show, but the engine could and should show a little "use", as it were.

[JWilly]

I drive mine and I do occasional shows (2-4 per season). When we show it, We don't spend all day cleaning and detailing but my wife and I do make a good effort to make it presentable.

There is a special show near us that we do every year. We enjoy it. The first couple of years at the show when the car was in pristine condition, we won nothing (which was OK with us, no big deal). The third year we entered we took second in our class and the car was clean but certainly not pristine (road use was showing). The fourth year, they read the winners for my class and we were not one of the winners. That was understandable because the car is a bit pock marked in the front now. After all of the winners in our class were announced and we got nothing, we headed home. A couple of nights later, at a car club meeting, a friend bought me a trophy I had won at the show. We had won Best of Show. We had left before they named the BOS winner. We were very happy with the results but also very surprised and a bit ashamed that we left too soon.

We enjoy the shows but we try to not let our egos get too tied up in these shows. You never know how these things will turn out...good or bad.