crossboss

Guys,
My experience with 'car shows' they are way too political. Their friends always win, even if the winning car might be a sh$tbox. I personally don't care for 'car shows' (anymore). Cars 'n Coffee, cruize nights, at the race track are my thing. I like to drive and race my junk. Everyone of my cars has been down the quarter mile or on a road course. FUN!

chip-powell

I still do about 3-4 shows a year. I don't "trophy hunt" though. I have more fun walking around looking at the cars, talking to the owners, finding who's working on what, where did they find that particular part, who's the best guy in the area to have do some specialized work, etc...that kinda of thing.

I still stay to the end of the shows. But it's not to see if I won any trophy. I'm more down to earth. I'm looking to win the 50-50 raffle. That's right. Cold, hard, cash. That's why I stay 'till the end. It's happened twice so far.

75 W-30 H/O

I don't know what's worse...

Vintage Chief

I’ve never figured out why so many people place stuffed animals & dolls all over their cars. I’ve never wanted to stop to ask any of them.

Koda

It's a 50s doo wop thing that needs to die. It's supposed to signify your car is so awesome that this kid wants and can't afford it and is crying on the bumper. It, and Betty Boop, and Rat Fink, and the older half of the Beach Boys catalog, should not be seen or heard at shows any more.

Of course, I wished that the obnoxious DJ would not play at the Newport Hill Climb in 2020. I got my wish, there was no Hill Climb that year. Oops.

Fun71

I am not a show person. My Father-in-Law was a show person and came away with awards for every vehicle he entered. It became obvious to me that “awards” were a very regional thing. He entered any classic car he had and won awards, and I entered my car for over 20 years and never won anything. I realized I was competing against (multi) millionaires from Scottsdale, Paradise Valley, and transplants / retirees from the Midwest / northeast / California with high dollar restorations whereas he was competing with average Joes with daily driver survivor cars. No comparison at all for my daily driver.

Fun71

Yep, nobody wants to sit out in a parking lot with these temperatures.

Dream67Olds442

As much as I love getting my car out to both shows and cruise-ins, there's no way in hell I'd be out in those kind of temps.

oldcutlass

Nobody would want to sit in the shade either.

Koda

This is true. It's a different kind of show. The best shows are local, once a year, shows put on for a cause by a church or something similar. They have nice trophies, a good DJ, good food, and the cars there belong to old guys that only own one classic car and it's a reasonable one.

Then you have the shows with a big budget, and the entry fees pay for the DJ, and the rich people with the perfect cars come and it's sponsored by Holley or something and you've got cars owned by either local business owners who are used to getting what they want, or kids from the hood side of town that brought tuners and cars with bass competition sound systems. Completely different world.

Dream67Olds442

Agree 100%

For what it's worth, my favorite car event in the greater St. Louis area is a cruise-in that is held on the first Friday of each month, April - September. It's held in a huge Church parking lot, and consistently draws 350 - +400-cars dependent on the weather. The best thing about it is only cars 1979 and older are allowed to display. Good food, good music, no entry fee, leave when you want, and no modern muscle or rice burners. It's an all around winner!

crossboss

One of the best shows I have seen was the annual Dr. George Car Show in Indian Wells (Coachella Valley), Ca. Its a blend of everything. And I always come away saying 'wow'.

Tedd Thompson

I've been competitive all my life and it's not the winning a trophy that turns me on, trophies are just dusters that take up space and I soon you forget which ones were important. It's the completion with in one's own head that makes me want to make it better, not necessarily but sometimes better than all the others but better than last time. I go to a lot of Cars and Coffees for the comradery, You go to shows for 20+ years and you get to know a lot of friends that play the same games you do. I meet and enjoy many old friends sometimes 2 or 3 hundred miles from my home area If they don't remember me they remember the 55. If I make a memory the whole trip was worth it. If I make a friend bonus... Lost in the fifties...Tedd

Az697175

While I enjoy checking out other people's rides at traditional car shows my interest in the hobby has changed over the past few years as I acquired different vehicles. Now my version of a "car show" is roaming the pit or staging area of the local drag stip and talking with car owners. You want to see somebody excited? Talk to a guy who just spent all week wrenching on his vehicle and just ran his personal best ET! I dabbled a bit in Autocrossing. Love talking setups with fellow drivers. Now Roadracing occupies my time (and finances). On days I'm not participating I chat with "competitors" about track tips and techniques. The automobile hobby is vast and diverse. Just get out and enjoy!

no1oldsfan

See that's exactly what I am talking about. I love damn near every car. I love cars and the love they get from their owners.

I am not just an Oldsmobile guy. I have owned damn near everything. I know of a 68 442 that has been sitting since I the late eighties that I know of. Nobody else knows it's there. Hoping I can talk to the owner and work something out. Then recently I found what I think is a 55/56 Ford Fairlane? on a dead end road that I walk my dogs on. Being the last of seven and having grandparents born in the late 1800's I was around everything. I love car shows with everything. I have had an exceptionally busy world lately and have not had the chance to get to any ugh. Thank you to everyone that posts their pictures.

redoldsman

I don't go near as many shows as I used to. One thing it is too damn hot this time of the year in Texas. The best show I attend is the Veterans Day Show in Bastrop, Texas. We always have 10-15 cars from NTOC that goe so there is a good contingent of Oldsmobiles. They limit the show to 400 cars. It is a great tribute to veterans including a ceremony and a flyover. We have a member and his wife who live there and have everybody out on Saturday afternoon after the show. It is about 235 miles each way which is as far as I have driven for a car show. I really look forward to this show every year.

matt69olds

I do the St Ignance car show every year I go to the Ducktail Run and James Dean festival almost every day it’s happening, since it’s basically in my backyard. I usually go to at least one Drag Week or power tour stop if it’s within a couple hundred miles. Woodward Avenue and Roadkill Nights most years.

I like the variety. Local shows are boring. I’d much rather enjoy the drive, scenery and different cars.

Toocool

I dont like most car shows unless there is something else to do in the area or I also like the cars shows that arent in the immediate area so I have a chance to drive my old cars a longer distance, I like to drive my cars a lot, I just need an excuse to do so. My opinion of certain cars winning is most Chevy's and Ford were just more popular "back in the day" so more people can relate to them. Every one knew someone that had or wanted one of them years ago. I see a lot of the prejudice in this thread that some of you are complaining about. If there are 2 or 3 cars that are equal in quality, I can see the more popular car winning because "whoever heard of whatever this Oldsmobile is".
I like just about all older cars as long as its 25 years or older, I just dont like "all Chevy" or "all Ford" etc, too boring. My Vista cruiser gets a lot of attention when I attend local cruise-ins but I really enjoy driving my Chevelle long distances . I would rather drive one of the old cars 100 miles for a hamburger than driving 5 miles for a trophy.