Event Coverage Juding @ car shows??

I usually avoid reading the "Car Shows Suck" threads (which is what they usually turn into), mainly because most of the whiners are just closed minded and don't get it. Just because someone gets a different type of enjoyment out of their car than you do doesn't make them wrong, or you right. If a guy gets enjoyment from showing his car, good for him, at least he has a car that didn't end up in the scrap yard, and he's having fun. I used to be a professional judge for a large organization - did everything from Motorcyle to VW to Hot Rod events, I have seen it all from both sides of the fence.
The local Friday night gathering type shows with trophy's don't mean much to me, as they are rarely serious about why they are even giving trophies - it's many times the Every One Wins mentality (that I blame youth soccer for, everybody plays and we don't keep score - life isn't like that, but I digress). I don't mind going to these shows, but don't really care who wins or loses. I was told at one show that they were really glad to see me show up and if I came a few more Friday nights I would win a trophy - I just smiled. I was at that same show with my 29 RPU, a two time GNRS winner. A guy with a stock RPU with every bolt on accessory known to man, comes over and asks if I saw his. Not a word about mine, that's OK. I said "No I hadn't". He said "well, I have over 200 trophies from shows like these. How many do you have?" Again I smiled and said "just two 1st Place, from the Grand National Roadster Show". He said, "I don't show there, it's fixed". One more smile. He felt the need to make excuses as to why his pickup couldn't compete on the big stage, that's OK too.
Don't assume that every car in a big time show is a trailer queen either - I would have thought with all the hubbub about Holenbeck's win this year for the AMBR, after having put 10,000 miles on the '32 it would have opened some eyes around here, I guess not. The 2nd time we won at the GNRS with the RPU, I stuck the 3' trophy in the pass seat and drove to Red Robin for dinner where it sat out in the parking lot while we ate (I heard some pretty funny comments about the red truck in the lot) and then hopped in it and drove the hour or so home.
But back to the original question - NO, there shouldn't be a Home built Class and a Pro Class. The line between is too fine. I know more than a few home builders that are world class. And what about the Home guy who farms out everything except "assembly". And where would you put my cars? I used to own a shop, built many Big Show Award winners, but now I work in R&D for a company and build my cars at home, in my garage - kind of skews the lines huh?
Here's the way I see it, If you are Joe Average builder, that does his car at home, you shouldn't expect to win in a Big Show - But you shouldn't NEED to either. Just enjoy your car, and appreciate the other ones as well.
Just my two cents

 

Sorry that you misunderstood my intent: You started this thread looking for some advantage to get a better chance of getting an award, by discriminating the pro-built cars, and much later you brought up the fact that you would like "car age discrimination", 20 years or older, only. That certainly was not my intent, my intent was a survey of the people here. Look, I know I'm not in the ball park with this car as it won't measure up for awards and I knew that when I started it. As I said I have had dozens of "A's" when 25 years ago and ongoing with the '66 Rivi GS until I got bored with it and saw award chasing for what it really is, STUPID and egotistic. If I was really into that self serving passion today I'd have not sold the Rivi and still been in the quest for praise. As for showing a new car at shows that really is the ultimate in self serving egotistic need. End of comment on both subjects.

 

Went to a small show recently sponsore by a local VW club, The Low Lifes. Fun bunch of guys. One of the trophies awarded was a clear plastic women's shoe with a plastic fish in the heel. They called it the Stripper Award and went to a local "gentlemen's club" to recruit a stripper as judge. She wandered up and down the aisles and picked something that tickled her fancy. All shows should have awards like that.

 

I go to local shows to meet other car people in my area, mainly so I can buy/sell/swap parts with them. A lot of the cars dont fit my taste, some are just horribly executed.

Most people want to talk about their cars, you figure out real quick who built their car and who doesn't know shit. Almost everyone that actually built an old car has left over parts on the shelf, or another project.

 

Sometimes a point gets made for you. Stupid and egotistical. And yet that stupidity has set sale price records with a couple of my examples. The ego was the right amount of mine needed to challenge myself to excell beyond the last one. To be in demand within my market, and to earn the respect of my peers vs faceless adoration. Sometimes a comment gets close to deserving a hearty Singlefinger Salute, but that might add merit to it. Good bye to this topic and its cranial fecal matter.

 

Hi .. A $5 donation to local institution is OK ....there is a lot of shows run by these scumbags wanting up to $30 to park and charging public $2 to get in ....rather do a cruise nite...

 

theHIGHLANDER..........Where can I get that "titty pink" paint?

 

Face it, trophies are here to stay. A lot of guys in the hobby love them and want them. They DO make car get togethers (whether cruise night, or car show) more varied, more attendance, and more popular with the public. Which, in the case of cruise nights, keeps them going, as long as the business putting it on, makes more profit.
There's so much anti car show attitude here, I wonder why. Is it because people are too lazy to keep their cars clean? Don't have enough money/time/talent to make it run well, and nice looking? Yeah, I like to drive my cars (put 160K miles on my 55 Olds), but I also like to hang out and relax, meet new people, appreciate their workmanship (even on newer cars), and talk to folks about MY car, as well.
Trophies are a nice thing to win, it shows someone appreciates your work, but you have to know where it's coming from. I tell this to guys I build cars for all the time. If you get a trophy, or compliment, or guy actually laying on the ground looking at your car, and that person is a real car guy, you should be proud. If you don't win anything at an Elks club, PBA, Fireman's, Hooters, car show, most likely the person judging it doesn't even know what they are looking at! I go to shows more to see old friends and make new ones, than anything else. I already have a few hundred trophies in my garage. I don't even register for judging any more, if I have a choice!
To make my point: After building the Kopper Kart, which took Grand Champion of Kustoms, Custom D'Elegance, and other prestigious awards, I had the chance to drive it up to a local car club's cruise night. These guys have been putting the show on for many years, and have some pretty nice cars themselves, in a variety of types, but mostly muscle cars. I decided to register, to see what happens. Didn't win one of the 20 trophies they gave out that night, out of maybe 200 cars, at most. Didn't upset me, it was pretty funny! Only ONE person recognized it as a Barris custom, and he was a spectator. The car club guys did not have a clue as to what it was ( I did hear Studebaker being mentioned, though.
If you like trophies, fine, if you don't, either dont' go, or go and have a good time doing other things!

 

I don't mind the trophies, it's the trophy whores I could do without....

 

If you attend car shows with the intention of winning an award you will probably be disappointed!!

 

As has been pointed out, it may be impossible to completely distinguish a particular car as being home-built or pro-built, therefore creating such categories for shows is pointless.

But it is easy to determine with whether or not something is pro-built. If someone is being paid for their time, they are a professional. Period. If the best professional hot-rod builder in the world builds himself a hot-rod, then it is not pro-built unless he paid himself. But he probably wouldn't build it at home anyway, since his tools are likely mostly at work. And if you paid some meth-addicted welder, who hung out a Hot-Rod Shop sign next to his wooden shed, your car is still technically pro-built.

 

Life in general is a show. if a car gets my attention it is getting judged, the likes the dislikes the things I would have done different, the Hmmmmnnnn I wonder how they did that.

I wonder if I should start carrying trophies around with me.

 

I just take pictures. No on the two classes.

 

Well everyone like I said, "Probably opening the preverbal can of worms here", and I did. Very interesting comments, thanks all. I will hither forth not ask any more polls such as this. Sorry I created such a controversy.
My final comment on this subject.
I will continue to attend the occasional weekend show, pay the price of doing so but only if it is under $20 and that goes to charity and the occasional Friday night cruse-in I'll post a note on the car, " For display only, leaving early" at paid entries.
Here is wishing everyone their desires in this matter. 99% of the cars that show, deserve to be shown mainly for the creativity and hard work building and maintaining. The remaining 1% are the new Mustangs, Camaros, Hellcats etc. that belong in the spectator's parking lot outside the show area.

 

No controversy here at all or it would have been deleted or locked.

I can't speak for everyone involved but I for one had a good time. If someone didn't have a good time they will probably get over it, if they don't they may have bigger problems than if they win awards or not don't they.

 

It's all good.

 

I'll echo the sentiments of the many that local show trophies are meaningless and do nothing but clutter up the shop. If that's what you're into, great. But I, and you should to, take the recognition or lack thereof in the context of where it's coming from.

As far as the the different classes based on "professional" versus "home-built" cars, that sounds like a load of crap to me. Work is either quality or it isn't, regardless of who performed it. People who perform substandard work shouldn't have the bar lowered for them simply because they had the balls (or stupidity) to do it themselves, and similarly, people who pay a professional to do professional work shouldn't have the bar raised for them simply because they elected to outsource work to more capable hands. We don't build cars on a curve. If work isn't performed at a high level, then it should have been performed by someone who is a pro or the DIYer needs to improve their skills. While I appreciate the home-built spirit, I'm not a fan of rewarding mediocrity. Gaining experience and knowledge to be able to perform professional work as a DIYer, and striving to win awards on a high-level, is one of my favorite aspects of this hobby and part of what drives me to always improve.

 

Best award for me was in the Whole Foods parking lot. 20 something taking a picture of his girlfriend standing by my car.

 

I've never had a car in a show... but model cars shows, lots of them. I have walls of plaques and trophies. One show I went to in 2011, I won 8 trophies, 2 best-of awards as well. My brother was with me and he won a few too. We really had to arrange them so it all fit in my Nissan for the ride home.

But real car shows, you have to sit and hang out all day.. and wait to see if your car made the grade. I'm fine with going and looking, get out when I've seen enough. Maybe buy another black t-shirt....

I was at a local show this past weekend, we got there after 12, paid our $7 and started out looking at parts, which was with 3 guys looking at stuff and took a while. By 1:00 the vendors were packing up... by 2:00 the show cars were leaving. I think the trophy awards were at 3:30. We were long gone by then.

 

OK after reading this thread and being a home builder who attends a lot of local shows. I have been awarded many trophies some of them mean something to me personally while others are just there. My question is what to do you do with the trophies after you receive them is there a place you can donate them for future use? I would love to help some charity or youth league with the trophies that I have as well as free up some space. Hobo Jim

 

Best award I ever won was at Goodguys KC. I was off on an adventure and left my old '65 Galaxie parked with the windows down and the doors unlocked. I came back and there was an elderly couple snuggled up in the back seat. they told me that the first car that they ever owned was a 'new '65 galaxie, midnight blue 2 door hardtop. They had been married several years and first thing that they did was take it out for a romp in the back seat. I reached in the glove box and tossed them a roll of TP and told them they may as well try this one out.

 

I don't do a lot of shows, only because I get a little antsy or bored after the first hour at a small show. If I do make it all day of eating, and talking to friends, and eating, and looking at the cars,and eating,and walking around, and eating, and then I do receive a trophy. I always thank them for it. But if it were up to me, I would just save the money spent on the trophies and have a cheaper registration. just say en. But it doesn't really matter either way. As long as we' re haven FUN! Ron...

 

The most meaningful trophy I have ever won (@ Stray Kat 500), so much so that I wear it everywhere I go, just like Flavor Flave! Just call me Arkie Ark!

 

One thing that always had Me puzzled with judging is when they want to see the trunk? WTF for??? All they will see is a spare, jack and lug wrench and tools for making repairs. I personally don't open Mine. I don't care about trophies either, I just go to shows to enjoy old cars

 

One of the questions that was brought up, was, what do you do with the trophies? I buy all I can when at auctions, they are very inexpensive, and give them to my friend to give away at his grandsons pinewood derby events. They can put new plaques on them and repurpose them. The young guys LOVE them, and the smiles are GENUINE!

 

^^^^^^^^^^^^ This.
And- when I attend a "show", I can accept a "peoples choice"= ballots filled out. That's ok because I never sit around the car anyways, even if I go solo. Other than that, I pay the fee's, and put a "do not judge me" sign in the window, and never display the numbered card you get. I'm there to see cars, not hope I'm better than the guy next to me......I've still gotten some awards, and am thank full, but I always insist on talking to the person giving it.
Just to get their vibe and why..........

 

I hate Trophies!! Cause I never won one!! Pete

 

You beat me to it, Blue. I have friends who go to shows and expect a trophy. I don't hate them. Hell, I've helped them get their rides ready. They're doing what makes them happy. I just got tired of the same old, "where's my prize", bull shit. So, I don't go and could give a rats ass if others go. Free country and all that other bull shit.

My tolerance for shows was a pretty quick regression. I never could see the point of spending all day in a lawn chair behind my car. It used to bug the fuck out of me. I'd go with friends and 30 minutes in, I was ready to leave. But for the guys that get a joy from that? Carry on, man. I'm not programmed to own a car that only gets driven to and from shows. My best days were shooting through downtown Houston, during rush hour, and seeing some poor sap who just did 8 hours in a cubicle, crack a smile and give a thumbs up. No fucking trophy can top that.

 

i make sure when i show up I'm able to get out of my parking spot. I'm always gone way before they hand anything out. i don't want trophies. a few times the show people mailed them to me. i just want to go for a ride park the car see some friends eat some greazzey food then drive home. drama free fun. i have preferred lately to go to shows were they don't give anything out. i did go to the detroit autorama only because my son was going to collage in michigan. i figured it would be a fun father and son weekend. much to my surprise the coupe won best overall street car. we still laugh about it.

 

Telling it like it is! Ooooh, thats gonna leave a mark!