jaunty75

Ha! This makes me laugh. You're absolutely right. Then, at Olds shows, they make it even worse by playing "Rocket 455" every 10 minutes.

I think djs just assume that old cars=oldies songs. I think they have a point to the extent that they play songs that are contemporary with the cars present. You get A LOT of '60s and '70s, plus a few '50s cars at Olds shows, so they play music from those years. If we start seeing a lot of Achievas and Auroras, then maybe we'll start hearing some rap.

jaunty75

You're right. It is anecdotal. Any ONE person's experience is not a statistical trend. It's not based on a large enough sampling of the entire population that any conclusions drawn can be extended to that population.

Anybody can point to an experience where they had a good time at a car show that didn't have trophies. It doesn't mean that having trophies isn't important, especially to some people. Anybody can also point to experiences where they had a good time at a car show that DID have trophies. It doesn't mean that having trophies is important, especially to some people.

On balance, and based on 10 years of helping to organize the Mid-Ohio Chapter's shows and looking at the entire history of the OCA Nationals, which I think IS more than anecdotal, I would say that, for the majority, having some kind of award to compete for IS important.

TK-65

For a national even like OCA it IS expected. Thats why some clubs, like the GTOAA and the Bloomington Gold shows exist. You know that going in and thats why you attend. Now the backyard local church show is a whole different animal. Its usually for charity, doesnt cost much to enter, and has the crowd or a sponsor club judge cars. Thats where the trouble starts. Maybe its the car owners fault for expecting a national concourse judging at such events. Either way we get way more cars (St Ignace, Frankenmuth, etc) up here at shows that arent judged.

gearheads78

The best car related events involve driving your car. Goodguys does the autocross. Hot Rod Power Tour the daily drive is much more fun than arriving. The street races that are negotiated at the Saturday night hangout used to be fun too.

If I was putting together a local car show it would be a poker run or something similar.

silverriff

Yeah I agree with TK-65....you can only hear the "American Graffiti" soundtrack so many times. I am not a big fan of the peer judging. Case and point, my first and only car show was about 10 years ago at my grandfather's first annual (and to this day only) Elk's club car show. This is when I had my 1972 Monte Carlo. It was a great little show, right on the Chesapeake Bay, everyone had a great time. But to judge " best of show" they handed out ballots to all those attending, and the winner was a 17 year old guy who had a 1987 Ford Bronco with some ground effects. He beat out an original 1967 442, Super Sports, Corvettes, a Judge, you name it, it was up there. But he came with a whole carload of punks that voted and of coarse they all voted for him. I am not bitter though. But I still got my little plaque and even won a raffle and got some Miguire's (spelling?) tire shine out of it. It was a good day! Bottom line for a good show.... LIMIT THE AGE OF THE CARS/TRUCKS!!!! You are going to limit the age of the people attending, but if I go to a show and see rows and rows of mid 80's 5.0 hatchbacks, I am going to run into traffic. I would say anything from 1981 or older....28 years just like me

jaunty75

Every year in Columbus they run the "Earth Angel" Cruise as a charity fundraiser.

http://www.earthangelfoundation.org/

(the link for this year's isn't active yet)


Everyone gathers in a mall parking lot at one end of town and has a car show. Then everyone gets in their cars around mid-day and drives in a caravan to the other end of town (maybe 30 miles total) to another parking lot or fairgrounds or something and has another car show. Two car shows in one day, and you do see a few different cars because not everyone does the actual cruise, and so cars come to one end or the other but not both. But it's pretty cool.

henryk8398

AMEN! Oldies music is great, but there is lots of music relevant to the car hobby that came out after 1965! Mix it up. Not hard to do. That's pretty much the reason I can't stand to be at any show for very long. There was one in particular, where I heard every well-know Beach Boys song at least twice in a 3 hour span.

dingusboy

Sounds like the car show in my neighborhood. It happens every Monday evening at the shopping mall parking lot. Grows each year. It's a lot of fun each Monday even if I can't get my car there in time. Contact clubs in the area. I notice that many of the kiddies hang out at an air filled bouncer while mom & dad look at rides. Maybe something simple like that for the kids would bring more families. I would suggest that you don't compete with the end of the week activities. Don't be put off by an initial low turn out. Things like this take time to grow.

442much

Old cars = memories, old music = memories so they seem to go together. At our show, we play 60's 70's music as background, not to take over so you can't hear the guy next to you and no repeats. This year we're also having participant judging. You see a car in a certain class and pick the one you like. 68, 69 442's and 70, 71 442's are in different classes because that's the majority of cars we get so more trophies for those that choose to be judged..

We hand out to the first 75 participants, mini-Oldsmobile artwork with a 3" easel to display. Everyone who participates goes home with a door prize. There are also free hot dogs and soft drinks for everyone not just participants.

We have a 50-50 engine endurance. You pick a time you think the engine (on a donated car) will seize since all the oil and coolant has been removed. Winner gets $120 if all the time slots are taken, club gets the other half. The place that donates the car delivers it ready to go, no oil, no coolant. Last year he asked if I wanted an Olds. I told him it was a one day show and didn't have time to wait around. We got a VW.

We have two long distance awards. One is for the member that drove the longest distance to the show. The other is for the non-club member who drove the longest to our show. I think you have to support your members who drive a long way to come to the show, but you have to recognize that there are people who are not club members but have come a long way too. The longest distance ever was 3,472 miles when a fellow from New Bruswick drive in.

We hand out the Oldest Oldsmobile at Olds Award. Last year it went to a 1939. This is to thank someone for taking their old car out. The oldest ever was a 1905.

The mayor of Olds comes to the show and picks the two cars she likes the best. She has not picked the same cars twice and this year a Mayor's Chioce Plaque will be awarded to two cars.

We had the RCMP show up to show the kids a police car, try the siren and hear the chatter over the radio. The older ones get to hear the evil's and tragety of driving drunk. The police also tour the show and hand out a certificate "The Car I'd Least Like To Chase". This costs the club nothing and the winners loves to show it off the following year.

After the show there is a banquet at the Royal Canadian Legion. For $20 you pick Beef or Chicken and a free raffle gives more door prizes to all on top of the door prize you won at the show...yes even the son's or daughters or friends who has come with the participant. You eat until you're full . Lat year some batchelor's were given "Doggie Bags" to take home by the waitresses.

Everybody at the banquet gets a prize. So at our show, some get trophies (some perfer not to be judged), we even have a Best Daily Driver and Best Project to be inclusive of everyone who owns an Oldsmobile. Everyone gets a door prize, everyone gets lunch and free soft drinks, all participants get mini-Oldsmobile art work with easel (up to 75 cars)...two will receive the mayor's award and one will get the RCMP certificate. Oh yes, sometimes the RCMP shows up in his Reds and stetson. this is a hit with any Americans at the show. We had to bring the cop a hot dog and soft drink last time because so many wanted a picture with the guy that he couldn't get away.

After all is said and done, we make about $1,000 and put that toward the show next year. This year people will really be getting their moneys worth (Members $10 / non-members $20) as we have an excess of money (is that possible) so we will be buying some really cool door prizes and spending more.

Although this is a car show, in reality the cars only bring us together...it's the people who keeps us coming back. If people go home happy, then it was a good show.

aliensatemybuick

You are entitled to your, OPINION, of course. But don't oversell it.

lshlsh2

At our car show we have a 50/50
1 ticket $1
6 for $5
wing span for $10(finger tip to finger tip across the back)
car length for $20 (guys in 98's and fleetwoods like this but it p*sses the guys in minis off)
Larry

BOOWAH

I've seen it from both sides! When I used to compete, I had many wins and some painful losses. In one show I didn't even get a third and came back the next year and got "Best Of Show" Ten years ago I decided to go for the AACA awards. Now that I have them all ,I park in the National Winners Class, where we all get a token award when the winners are announced and, best of all, we get to leave first. Although I miss the anticipation of winning, I enjoy the pressure being off more!

jaunty75

Kind of funny!

yammiman

I guess I need to throw this question out there after all of this discussion - do guys ever get together just to show their cars and talk cars without the motivation of winning something? - can you have an event that does not charge an entrance fee, does not have judging, give out awards or any other recognition, but has great food, good music, alot of car guys, and sweet cars to look at? - would that make for a good show? - or would that be classified as a cruise? - I'm looking to create an atmosphere where people that are in to cars want to come and hang out at and possibly make it and every Sunday afternoon event - thoughts?

wmachine

That's exactly what what I was describing in post#29. But that is not a car show or a cruise. That is what is called an "anecdotal evidence" (look it up)
And it will make your attendance shrink!

johnspd22

Always seems like the organizers buddy(ies) always win the show etc.

ZZZZzzzzz...

Plaques are cool though.

gearheads78

There is an on going get together every thurs night buy my house. Ive seen as little a 10-20 cars to 75+. Nothing formal just sit around and BS till time to go home. There is another place Keller's (were we used to set up street races years ago) a burger and beer joint 50-75 cars every Sat night.

jaunty75

You can do anything you want. Does it matter if it's called a "show" or a "cruise-in?" There is a bit of a difference, though, in people's minds as the former is where you might have goodie bags, dash plaques, door prizes, and trophies (which DO cost money and which is why they charge an entrance fee, even though some of this stuff might be donated, particularly the door prizes and goodie bag fillers) whereas the latter is just as you describe, show up but don't pay anything, buy something to eat at the restaurant, and hang out.

There are hamburger joints and drive-up restaurants around here that do this sort of thing, not surprisingly to help generate business as much as anything else. I don't know if weekly is the best idea, at least if it's always in the same location, because there's only so many old cars around, you'll start to see the same ones very quickly, and interest might die off after a few weekends. Make it a little less often to keep it fresh. Many of the restaurants that I've seen do this do it monthly during the warmer months.

442much

We call it a cruise night. We usually park around a fast food place (A&W promotes this and gives out food vouchers around here), about 125-175 cars show up. No cost, no trophies, no nothing except car people looking at and talking cars.

66ninetyeightls

Ditto!!!

Oldsguy

X2 on that! Most local car shows have anything from a brand new HHR with aftermarket chrome wheel covers and a deodorizer hanging from the rear view to classic split window vettes. But the commonality is that most of those cars are local and you see them often if you are a car type. What I like in a car show is a swap meet area!!!

jeffreyalman

several things:

a nice parking spot
shade to park under
a chair
food, drinks closeby

I do not remember how many trophies I have won, but I know exactly how many Hess gift cards I have won

I would rather see the trophy $$$ go towards door prizes or raffles

I won/received a (once $50!!) gas card 2 or 3 times though OCF and local shows

Olds64

"Back in the day" there was a local show n' shine every Saturday evening during the summer at the Independence, MO Hooters restaraunt. It was excellent!

Now the Hooters restararunt is gone.

66ninetyeightls

You miss the wings right!!!!

Olds64

Jamesbo

r-i-g-h-t :d

citcapp

first time I've heard them called wings

Our car show is low key, with door prizes, drawings, free lunch, soft drinks, seems to go over great. Music spans the 50's to the 70's kept low as background. Also allowed to set up and sell limited parts behind your car. This is very popular

yammiman

Guys, I'm kind of bummed...I just read through all of the posts and NONE of you are from Michigan!!!...so, when I pull this off, none of you will be here to enjoy it!!! - I guess that is the luxury of the internet - I'll be able to post up pictures of the event so you all can see how it went!! - wish me luck and thanks for all of the input and ideas!!

bcracing

Yammiman, When are you thinking of having it, I havn't decided yet, if I going to fly or drive my 71 to Mi. on May 11, I will be in Brownstown visiting the daughter for a couple days, then going on up to visit the parents just outside of Mt. Pleasant.

yammiman

bcracing - probably won't happen until late June or early July - got one graduating this year so my spring will be shot!!

Oldsmaniac

IMO the generic "Car Show" sucks....I am talking, show up at 9Am with your ride, a nice driver but not quite show quality. Pay the 15 bucks for entry. Look at the other cars (all brands) there and listen to all the BS coming out of the owners mouths. Hang till plastic trophy time, say 3PM then leave and realize it was not fun and you wasted a day. I will only attend an Olds show or cruise nite and yes they are fun.

442much

Hey, if your long distance award is a $2,000 gas card, you never know!! Good luck with it.

yammiman

....if your long distance award is a $2,000 gas card....

LOL! - I'll work on that!!

Rdrokit

Try to get a local merchant to sponsor the event. When I lived in the States we had a car show/cruise-in at the local Bowling Center. It was a win win for the bowling centers as it drew people that would not have gone. The car owners got 50% off coupons for food in the bowling center coffee shop and 3 free games of bowling so many stuck around to bowl after the show. We had trophies made from bowling pins put on a wood base. Got local merchants to donate raffel prizes or at least sell them to us at cost and they got advertising at the show. Had a DJ and 50/50 rafffel. We gave out flyers months in advance at other local shows, local merchants and at the bowling center. And do some investigating when other shows are happening so you do not schedule yours the same day. Try making it a regular event every month or evry 2nd month. The more effort you put in the better event you will have. Hope this helps.