Bigmikey65

I have personally never entered a car in a show for judging. I have no idea how it works or what the standards are. Do you need an invite to the Oldsmobile Nationals ? How does the judging work at the Oldsmobile Nationals ? How are points accumulated/deleted ? Is there a judging sheet with a set of standards ? Just curious.

harwooddan

I attended the OCA regionals the last two years in Brookfield, Wi. and St Charles Ill. You should be able to look at a judging sheet on the OCA website or if you haven't yet joined you should. I have a 55' super 88 sedan correctly restored to factory but its a high quality driver. All cars start out at 1000 points and deductions follow from there. The judging sheet will give you more info on your class and the deductions that follow are up to the discretion of the judge/s. As my car is a driver I entered in Junior class and did quite well to my surprise. I however can be a liitle OCD liking original so I even had a re-pop delco battery and spring loaded hose clamps. The most important thing to remember is that you'll learn how to improve your car's appearance, make new friends, and have fun. Hope this helps you !

Charlie Jones

You don't need an invitation to participate in an OCA meet .
You will need to be an OCA member to register .
The next national meet will be in Murfreesboro , ( Nashville ) Tennessee on August 3rd thru 8th , 2021 .
If you want to attend , make hotel reservations now . Reservation instructions are on the OCA websight .
OCA members get a special rate .
Unless , of course , you live within driving distance of Nashville .

joe_padavano

Car show judging is all over the map, so be sure you understand the rules and process for each show to avoid disappointment. AACA is one of the most stringent in terms of judging "correctness" against how the factory built the car. AACA judges are relatively well versed in the years and models they judge, but have documentation to prove that your car is correct. If you have any non-original parts or modifications, expect to lose points. That gets down to minutia such as correct T3 headlight bulbs and tire types. OCA classes are primarily stock-type cars, but there are classes for modified and race cars. Obviously there are no objective standards for the latter, so judging tends to look at workmanship, etc. Other local shows can have rules that are all over the map, including peer-judging where participants select the winners. These tend to be beauty contests (the red Camaro with all the chrome is usually the winner). I've served as a judge at a couple of OCA Nationals now. I've been somewhat unimpressed with the process, as there still isn't a good factual baseline as to what is "correct" for judging. The classic was the 2009 OCA Nationals at Seven Springs. The Best of Class in the 68-69 Performance Open class was a 68 "W-30" that didn't even have the W36 stripes or emblems in the correct location.

Personally I don't bother with getting my car judged. I attend for the social interactions with the other owners and participants.

Bigmikey65

Wow...seems like politics can come into play (who knows who) and the teachers pet gets an A. Any opinions on how winning your class at the Oldsmobile Nationals can add value/reputation to your car ? Thanks guys.

joe_padavano

I really doubt that. I think it's more a case of the fact that there aren't detailed judging standards for each model and year.

Koda

It won't add much. The people who don't care, still won't, and the people that would care already would because they can recognize a stock restoration on its own. It might get me to be a little more serious about coming to look at one for sale, but wouldn't affect my offer.

oldcutlass

Not counting National points shows that have specific parameters to judge a car and most judging is on an equal basis. Attending local car shows should be based on having fun and associating with like minded people that enjoy cars in general. If you go to a local show with the only hope of winning a trophy, 95% of the time you will be disappointed.

KW5413

Perzactly.

I laid out of entering most local car shows for a few years due to the judging. Until the last couple of years most shows were judged by the participants...carte blanche. They were given a the list of entries, by class, and selected their "pick" across all categories. Normally that would be fine except "Enthusiast" Clubs would block vote for their own members. No matter that the quality of other entries may have been better. I saw it time and again. I had joined one club and left them after the 1st car show...for that very reason. Independents never had a chance. All for a $ 5.00 plaque or $ 8.00 trophy.

Then about two years ago the promoters finally got tired of it and started changing the vote slips up. First, you received slips with a handful of entries spread around the different categories but, not all of them. Typically, you would not receive a slip that had your own category. That helped but, didn't really solve the block vote problem. To press it further they color coded (with colored dots) the entry slip placed on the car windshield and the voting slips. You can only vote on the cars that match the color codes. So if your vote slip had an orange dot you could only vote on cars with the corresponding orange dot. There maybe (15) '70s entries. (5) with Blue dots (5) with Red and (5) with orange. Same with each categories. This approach has done a pretty good job of leveling the playing field. Non-club entrants now had an opportunity to pick up some hardware. And lets face it, even though many of us are there to "Show & Greet" it is still nice to be acknowledged for your work / investment.

Even though my cars have been rewarded with a number of trophies, it is the cars and people that I go for. Met some damned good folks. In addition, my almost son-in-law often takes one of the cars allowing us to enter both and it gives some time to speak of manly things. LOL! But, the best is when my Grandson goes with me and I get a chance to 'splain things about the cars that are there.

My cars are drivers. I wouldn't dream of entering them in a "points" show. If either of my cars were to hit Barrett / Jackson they would probably cross block on Thursday night or Friday morning...

Tedd Thompson

I've been showing this car for about 16 years in every conservable type of show ,National, concourse, peer, bring what you got type and the car has done well. I like everyone else likes a little bling and recognition but if you go with the thoughts of kicking *** on the rest of the field you will be disappointed and no fun will shortly be had . Even with great judging there will be times that subjective points will be deducted or obvious points missed. These guys are doing there best and it pretty much a thankless job often in bad weather and rushed.

I now go for the comradery and socializing that's what makes it fun for me I've got enough bling but still enjoy watching others get theirs. My first shows were a eye opener and it showed me just how much I didn't know. Things I thought looked neat on my ride cost me points. sometimes you are better off not putting those non original sharp looking floor mats in or that chrome air cleaner. Change out those screw type hose clamps for the tower type the car came with. Things like these don't matter in the real world but you want to play the game you got to play by their rules. Read up and learn it will make you respect others who have gone the distance on there ride and help you sort the wheat from the chaff and why some get bling and others don't.. Most of all have fun, meet people swap lies and make your ride better....... Lost in the fifties Tedd

Bigmikey65

Lots of good information and constructive conversation. I was fortunate to attend the 2003 Concours d’ I have way too much money at Pebble Beach. It was a work trip - personal security. The debuted the Bugatti Veyron. Did the Ferrari show. Best was the vintage Cobras and Mustangs ripping around the track at Laguna Seca. But I remember taking my client to his friends house. There was a regular Joe detailing the owners 37c Bugatti. Getting it ready for Sunday on the 18th green. We talked small talk. Well for 3 days work this guy got $4300 for detailing the car. Sunday was totally ridiculous. This wasn’t a car show. It was a flash of who has the most cash. Talked to Jay Leno for a second - seemed liked a nice guy. It is a great weekend if you can swing it. I was very fortunate to get paid to do it. If you can get over the nauseating amount of money present you will enjoy it. I would have to have loved to have seen one of those vintage Cobras do donuts the entire length of the 18th fairway on Sunday - open pipes screaming in front of those 1 percenters

Bigmikey65

I agree that the best part of car shows is meeting great people and just listening to the old timers.

oldcutlass

Some of the youngsters are fun also.

rustyroger

I have attending American car shows in the UK for thirty years or so, I have had my cars judged, I only ever won anything except by pure chance or picked up a hard luck or project trophy.
Which is entirely fair, I don't have cars in anything like showroom condition, although that is what I aspire to.

Recently I have been asked to help judge at some of the big UK shows. I can tell you it is difficult and thankless task.
I made it clear I couldn't possibly make an objective judgement, I would be looking favorably on the kind of cars that I liked, and may well over compensate by by marking them down.
However the idea was to make a panel of judges with different preferences to try to even things out.
Sometime cars I favored won trophies, sometimes they didn't. So perhaps in the long run it was a fair way of doing things.
But inevitably some with cars deserving recognition went home empty handed from some shows, and had a trunk full of trophies at others.

My take is that if people really like your car they will say so, worth every bit as much as the judges opinion I think. Go to the shows to show off your pride and joy, even if it isn't an immaculate classic, talk to the people who's cars you like, and be open to others not necessarily sharing your opinion. We all have our own views,
I find the people I most enjoy talking with are those who have put in time and effort on a limited budget to make the best they can of their car, whether it be a top class car or merely roadworthy.

Roger.

matt69olds

For the most part, I avoid local car shows. I do enjoy the out of town shows, so those are what I attend. For one thing, you’re not seeing the same cars you have seen a 100 times before, and people are seeing my car for the first time as well.

My car isn’t nearly nice enough for a judged show. It’s just a decent looking street car that I occasionally race. It has all the typical street car rock chips, dings, etc. I have zero interest in a full race car (and couldn’t afford the money even if I wanted) and a show car that I’m afraid to drive appeals even less.

rustyroger

My car isn't good enough to have a hope of winning anything at a fairly judged show either.
But I don't care, I go anyway to enjoy the atmosphere, talk with others in the same position as me, and admire the cars that do deserve recognition. If the only cars to show up were contenders for prizes most shows would be very small affairs.

Roger.

KW5413

'Round here, Dallas, any show within 30 - 60 miles is local but, I feel the same way. The farthest I have been is 70 miles but, that's kinda cheating because its less than 10 miles from the lake house. It still has me in a show once a year that folks mostly haven't seen my car and I haven't seen theirs. I go to some of the real close shows but, typically don't enter. In and out in an hour or so.

I really like the spring shows away from the BIG city. Those old farmers have the winter to work on their trucks and hot rods and they do some beautiful work. Some of the nicest truck restorations I have seen have been at the countryfied shows.

But...you have to be careful. I was at a rural show a couple of years ago and they parked the cars in a field. It had been shred but, not mowed....and we were in a drought. One of the cars, with low hanging exhaust, caught the grass on fire. Nothin' but, ******** and elbows on that one. A few hits with fire extinguishers and the crisis was over.

Dream67Olds442

I've only had my car for one show season, but we were fortunate enough to have several cruise-ins and some judged shows here in the St. Louis area during the 2nd half of the summer. My best experience to date was at the last show I entered on 17 October. A teenager in a wheelchair came up to talk with me and he told me he had voted for my car in the "Peoples Choice" portion of the show. He explained he was there with his Dad and their family's 65 Chevelle convertible. He then proceeded to tell me more about my car than I even knew and how 67 442s are his favorite 60's muscle car. We talked for at least an hour about my car, other, entries, and cars in general. At the end of the day I placed 3rd overall and received a small trophy and $50. The discussion with the young enthusiast was priceless!

Tedd Thompson

I have received quite a few strange awards in the las few years , best make out car, most likely to get stopped by the cops on the way home, Best 55 Chevy? and the one I liked the most was for the longest car driven to the show(1359 miles). They thought for sure I had trailered it and tried to steel a award but I explained it was just my vacation car and It would be another 2,000 miles before It would find it's way home. Pretty quick awards become just dusters and the memories fade, It's the people that have the lasting memories they out bling the shiniest trophies....Tedd

Koda

Best 55 chevy, lol.

Tedd Thompson

It was at a show that I frequent often and there were no 55 Chevy's at the show , they had this award already made up. It was given as a joke at the awards prestation as they knew it would get a laugh from the crowd and it did, me too.....Tedd