chip-powell

I enjoy shows. I usually go to 3-4 a season. Once a month is good enough for me. I don't go expecting trophies though. I enjoy walking around, talking to other guys about their cars, and get ideas.

I have to say though one thing that I enjoy more than shows are cruises. We have one down in southern Maryland that raises money for a local VA retirement home. We start the cruise in the morning stopping at 2 different sites (at the 2nd we have lunch) and finish up at the Charlotte Hall Veteran's home. Once there, the vets come out and they are the judges. But the cruise is the fun part. There is just something about being part of a 150 classic car line cruising with the top down,100+ miles through southern MD on a sunny Saturday. Great times.

70W-32

I enjoyed the large car gatherings like the Car Craft Street Machine Nationals of the 80's. 3000 cars and 100,000 people, spread out over a fairgrounds, for 2 or 3 days. Cars constantly cruising the fairground roads, or you could walk the sponsor midway ogling all the speed parts you couldnt afford.
Those shows, if they are still held, are run by production companies not associated with the media companies( cause they shrunk to nothing), and its all about the profit margin instead of the cars and people. I'll stick to the local cruise-ins now

vCode442

Go for the atmosphere and fellowship. And the dunking booth.

no1oldsfan

I said it before but I absolutely love car shows. All the diversity is what makes us all family. Don't matter what make model year decade custom full factory etc etc. Car People wanting to hang with Car People. That's all me.

no1oldsfan

Couldn't let this pass. Agreed. That's a cool spirit right there.

Andy

I like to stop by now and again, take my car maybe once a year at most. Mainly to see some new and different cars, around here its a lot of the same cars over and over again..I am not much of a lawn chair guy, so I try to find people that built unique cars and learn something..Hate to say it but I rarely stop by perfectly restored cars, like the survivors and the more original unique rides.. if I see another 68 camaro in my life it will be to soon.

jmos4

Hi,

I go to my local free shows, keeps me off the couch and get a little exercise, and catch up with the usual suspects aka regulars. It does get a little old seeing the same cars, but most around me have several different cars and trucks so a little variety.

I don't go to the judged or pay money to attend as my cars all look like rat rods and not by intention more like lack of funds, LOL. Also most of the judged shows seem to be too much cronyism as a buddies second cousins sbc voted best engine...

Regards,
Jim

solly

My take,
I enjoy cruise ins we have one here locally every week that draws any where between 75 -100 cars weekly, I find it interesting , there are venders that attend for example pin stripers, die cast guys , chromers etc... there is no judging just like minded folks with vehicles in different stages of restoration some pristine, some drivers, some survivors. I could care less about trophy's or plaques I just enjoy the cars !!
in fact I just came back from the cruise in where I got a interesting history lesson from a guy with a 1971 boat tail Rivera it was quite interesting what I learned about 71 Riviera's !!! next to him was another guy with a Ford Cortina (not sure what year) that was beautiful it had a 429 Cobra Jet stuffed under the hood !!! it was so cool !!! I know our hobby can be expensive (I'm lucky not to bad for me) but I see some of these cars I cant help but wonder what they have in to them, I have heard stories about wives saying it's the car or me and the husbands say
it's been nice knowing you !! I bring the Olds up there about every 6 weeks or so, some times I see familiar cars some times I see new and different ones. I enjoy the casual non judged cruise ins.

fleming442

I got no interest in sitting on a yawn chair behind my car all day. I may cruise in, do a couple laps, then I got to go- too much other stuff going on.

Dream67Olds442

The day you won the 1st one.

72455

So if I understand what you're saying..."one and done", correct?

matt69olds

Just like so many other things in life, the almighty dollar screws it up.

Dream67Olds442

Kind of. What I am trying to say is, if you are entering your car in shows solely for the purpose of wanting to win a trophy, you're probably missing out on the real joy of owning a classic car. From everything I've read in this thread, most of these guys go to events for the camaraderie of being around other "car guys" and enjoying seeing the other cars, not for the purpose of wanting to win trophies. That is why many here enjoy cruise-ins more than shows, where the focus is on what I'd call car fellowship. As I said before, being relatively new to owning one of these cars, I'm enjoying both shows and cruise-ins, but I'm not entering shows for the purpose of wanting to win anything. I just enjoy the people and the cars.

oldcutlass

The one thing I've never understood about car shows is that the participants are charged to provide a product that the general public can come view for free. The entry fee in my area for a lot of these small shows is up to $25 from what used to be $5-10.

72455

Hmmm...good point.

Dream67Olds442

You're certainly right about that. Unfortunately, nothings getting any cheaper these days! That's why I try to go to shows sponsored by organizations, or for charitable causes, that I would have otherwise supported anyways. I especially like the ones put on by Veterans organizations and those to support families of fallen first responders (Backstoppers). I have a son-in-law that's a fire fighter/paramedic.

oldcutlass

I agree and try to do the same thing in the scheme of things.

fleming442

You're paying for the trophies.

chip-powell

I make a point of attending shows where after the trophies have been paid for, all of the registration money goes to some local charity.

Inline

Not interested. Too over-restored examples of 10's of Chargers, Mustangs and Camaros which have more even panel gaps than new cars.

Im interested about the hobby-car park, where people get free parking when they arrive at old cars. 99 times out of 100 they are not over-restored examples of garage-queens, indeed they are cars driven at regualr basis with their flaws. Those are interesting.

Tedd Thompson

It's all in what you want to get out of a show for yourself or the charity. I have three cars that I show two of which I have never won anything and I show them the most. If I want to win a duster I'll take the Old's but I don't need to prove anything with it, it stands on its' own. I can see people getting in to the competition thing been their myself but it soon becomes a money race or a popularity contest and you lose a lot of the comradely in the seriousness that you create for your self that to me makes a car show fun.

The entry fees to me are the price I pay to be part of this game we play. The spectators especially the young ones are what feeds my enthusiasm and gets me back for the next show with something a little different to show and talk about..... Tedd

Dream67Olds442

Oh, and by the way guys, I went to a cruise-in just yesterday evening at a DQ in a smaller town about 20-miles from me. Great weather, tons of cars, bunches of spectators, and everyone having a great time! I posted several pictures this morning on "The *New* Good Morning Thread" if anyone wants to check them out.
https://classicoldsmobile.com/forums...7/#post1339041

no1oldsfan

I saw your pictures. Looked like there was a little of everything. I love shows like that. Be cool to post those pictures on a car show thread.

Dream67Olds442

no1oldsfan - I will try to create a separate thread later today or this evening. Where would you suggest would be the most appropriate place, "General Discussion", or "The Clubhouse"?

no1oldsfan

I would guess here.

Koda

General discussion is all things cars. Clubhouse is non-car stuff.

Koda

Three kinds of car shows.

Sponsored shows. These are the indoors, MCACN style where the vendors pay for most of it so they can get business. You may pay a small fee yourself, and it's often invite only. I think OCA nationals have a fee, but I've never been.

1-off charitable events shows. You pay a large registration fee of like $40, you get a t shirt, a goodie bag, and maybe win a trophy. Many trophies are donated by a shop as a write off. The 50/50 benefits the cause.

Cruise-ins. No cost. The business lets you use the lot to get business. The 50/50 supports the DJ if there is one.

The charity event one seems to be decreasing, and the cruise in seems to be increasing. This is good. I do think it kind of sucks charging the people bringing the show for the show. The spectators can chip a little.

Vintage Chief

Ageless variety.

Fun71

It’s a personal thing it varies drastically from person to person.

If someone just completed a 10 year restoration it may take quite a few awards before the allure wears off.

FStanley

Yep! too many people are trophyhounds. and if they don't win the big prize they are cry babies..

the other grip I have is with deep pocket owners who don't do an damn thing other then write I check.. compared to the person who fixed everything by themselves but not be quite as clean a resto.. something to be said for them..

matt69olds

Most of the trophies I have win at the local shows could have been paid for with one or 2 entry fees!!

I don’t mind paying to enter if it’s for a charity or in support of an organization. I understand most show need to pay for the use of the property is being held on.

Cosmic Charlie

Wow THAT is the largest gathering I've ever heard of
Where can 12,000 cars drive in, park, and then leave without hours of traffic ?

chopolds

I've been going for over 40 years, and still enjoy them. I usually specify 'don't judge' on my cars, because I am there to see other craftsmanship, styling, talk to fellow enthusiasts, and maybe have a milkshake while I sit by my car and answer questions about it. (my cars are usually 'customs' and even so-called car guys don't know what they're looking at!) I do enjoy seeing little temper tantrums by guys who only come for the trophies. The only think that's been going down hill since I've been 'showing', is that less and less car owners actually know anything about building car. So less guys to talk to about what was done, and how. More check writers, and number matching guys who can't turn a wrench.

David Sloop

I enjoy casual cruise-ins, road rallys, poker runs, and those types of events more than the judged car shows.
My Mustang has never been a show car, even though it is pretty nice for an 85.
My Vista Cruiser is many years from ever having a chance of a trpphy at a car show.
Also enjoy swap meets, with a little car show on the side...

JohnnyBs68S

THIS^^ is what it is all about. 2 years ago at a nearby Cars & Coffee event someone had a car from the '30s and my now 11 y/o son was infatuated by it since it looked like nothing else there. The owner let him sit behind the wheel for a few pictures. What a memory it created for my son. Anytime you can enhance the interest in cars in a younger generation is a GOOD thing. After all, who are we going to sell our old cars to when we die?

68442

people are what ruin car shows

OLDSter Ralph

I had trouble believing 12,000 cars at a car show until I went a couple times. Its a THREE DAY family friendly event. The 12,000 cars are just the 1964 and earlier cars that are allowed to enter. There is a huge parking lot and streets around the State Fairgrounds for spectator parking.
There is some camping on the fairgrounds, so it never empty. Yes, it does take time to enter and leave each day, even though there are several entrances. Cars come and go all day long.
The show is being postponed to 2022 because of Covid.
Here's a video to watch and listen to. Look at the number of people and cars in the background.

Fun71

I agree. It's boring when there's no one with a similar level of hands-on wrenching experience to talk to. The most depressing thing I heard at a show was one fella telling another one about having his mechanic replace the thermostat.