No big prizes at Billetproof, just cool people and cool cars! I go to shows to see buddies and cars...period. Screw trophies and prizes.
I do not go to shows with car cl***es. Only peoples choice or my favorites Anoka Mn Saturday night cuises along the river behind city hall - up to 800 cars. or North Saint Paul, Mn Friday night History cruise downtown - over a 1000 cars. Both: no entry fees, no trophys, dj playing oldies, a few door prizes, lot of food places, Antique shops, lot of neat people,and wide range of cars. The cl*** shows bring out the GOLD CHAIN crowds, not near as much fun.
I've seen grown men pout like the dolls leaning on their cars over trophies. I never understood how anyone who could afford a $5o thousand dollar car could get so worked up over a $5 trophy. I also see a lot of guys 'shop' cl***es at a car show- you know, maybe their car will possibly fit into 2 or 3 different categories. They'll check out the compe***ion before they even decide to register. I went to a show last year where a guy with a new bone-stock SSR had put himself in the 'commercial vehicles' cl*** because it only had 2 other entrants. There was a cl*** he clearly fit into better but he would not have won a trophy in that cl***.
Here's how the small, fun, low key deals go down 'round my area. No admission fee, 50/50 raffle to benefit a local charity, DJ, discounts for the local eatery, (Your folk's Mexican joint) and that's it. My club usually slinks in late, looks at the cars and slinks out. We stay and BS if we find people we like to hang with. I'm embarr***ed because my lawn chair doesn't match my car. So i don't pull one out. Sometimes I do pull out a lawn chair and go sit behind someone elses car. That tightens some of the stuffed animal crowd's wigs right UP. I love that!! I never go to pay to get in events unless they are really exceptional. Paso is the only one, so far. I go to the Good Guys events that have drag racing because that's what spins MY propeller. My drags, no Phil. I might hit Billitproof this year, but that's because I hear it's exceptionally good, has live music and lots of HAMBers. Keep it low key. Invite HAMBers. If you have to issue trophies, make them for Hard Luck, Biggest Oil Puddle or things like that. Make sure it's fun for you and the merchants that share the place. The cool car folks will have their OWN fun, believe me. chili, more opinions than actual knowledge.
I go to car shows to sweat out the previous nights hangover...and see what every one else is doing. alot of inspiration comes from y'alls cars. (yep, i'm FROMTexas) and unfortunatley, alot of "well, now I know that looks like kaka," too. I guess my point is it's all about the cars. I think there should be a rule against crybaby dolls. not to be an elitist, they just creep me out a little.
Biggest show around here is the Spring "Dustoff" in Rhinebeck NY. Saturday is Hot rods & modifieds and Sunday is the Antiques. I park my cars on the show field and spend both days at the thousand or so vendors scofffing parts and ********ting with the vendors. In the fall , at the Goodguys show I park in outside in the lot and do a quick parts reconnoiter but there ain't much there - other than billet and gold chains. Some pics from Rhinebeck last year: My "old" Sunday antique car caught the interest of Hemmings and they did an article on it's unrestored original condition in the January issue.
is BS&G on the 22nd or the 26th? (the 26th was mentioned in another thread) just making sure, i missed it by a week last year too... Stone, good luck on the show. if you need some help let me know, i'm not too far away from Smithfield.
But don't be fooled by people in "our" type of cars though. There are whiners that show up to cool shows, including Billetproof. Whining about parking, food, what time the gate opens...you name it, there's a whiner for it. Luckily, there are far fewer of these guys at "cool" events.
True story: A couple years ago I was commuting to work on a chilly March day, probably 50 degrees. in the oncoming lane, off in the distance, I see a fenderless red primer 28/29 Model A roadster that's turning into a office complex parking lot. Naturally I had to turn in too, to check it out. The driver was an older guy, probably 60, wearing a leather aviator helmet and goggles. He politely obliged all my questions; the car just got cooler the closer you looked. Real steel, wire wheels, 8BA with two 97s on an Edmunds, original frame, laid-back windshield, awesome patina. "When did you finish it?" I ask. "1973," he said. Other than tires and sparkplugs, it had been completely unchanged for 30+ years... a note perfect 40s traditional hot rod homebuilt in the 70s, from swapmeet parts am***ed over ten years. Said he had been driving it to work weekly since then, Chicago weather permitting. Curious, I asked the guy how come I had never seen it at one of the local cruise nites or car shows. "I don't like car shows," he said. In all the years he had this awesome weekly-driven hot rod, the guy said he had never taken it to a single cruise, show, event of any kind... not once. For him it was all about the solitary pleasure of driving it. Man, talk about humbling. One of the best car shows I've ever been to, and it only had one car.
Zenor has a point. We started the Hunnert Car Pileup because we were sick of the way car shows around here were. We tried something "new" and lo and behold, the cool cars came out of the woodwork... all guys who were sick of going to car shows; cars we hadn't seen at other shows. We have strict entry criteria (and stick to it), NO trophies, goodie bags, prizes, or any of that ****. The 2005 show had almost 900 traditional rods and customs show up from over 10 states and it was 40 degrees out. So, no, you don't need trophies or prizes.
I have always thought that car shows (if you are only going to win a prize) were over rated. I like the picnic atmosphere small shows also. In fact I have always thought that if you are bringing a car to a show you ought to get in free and the people who are coming to look should pay admission. But most shows I have been in you have to pay for the privelidge of showing your car.. The best ones I have ever been to are the Rat Rod shows where you get to see rods that were built years ago, a lot better than seeing $50,000.00 rods which were bought and paid for without the owner ever even turning a wrench....
All I ever want to do at a car show, is talk about cars. Unfortunately in my area, it's all about the "tricky tray", and trophies for just about everyone that shows up. I'm 32 and I'm about 30+ years younger than 80% of the people that I see there... they don't want much to do with a whipper-snapper like me. Prizes are lame. Good people, a nice mix of trailer queens and trailer trash and some decent music is all I need. A few beers wouldn't hurt either.
A good car show? Probably not the last one our digger was in. Indoor. As one of the guys said, "you could drive a semi-truck around the ouside the ring of cars in there." It gets bad when they had a bunch of stock SUV's on dubs just to fill space. Maybe it was just an off year, beats me. Indoor car shows, to me, are just a tease to get us midwestern folks through the long, cold winters. So, outdoor all the way. I'm all about the drive-in type shows. Every Friday night damn near 750 cars show up not too far from my house. Nothing better than drive through, tons of people, cars parked everywhere, street vendors and usually a band. So, count me in for outdoor, good time, driver-minded car show. Oh, those ones that take a day or two to drive to are good too. Nothing better than rolling cross country to a show. To sun and no snow... BossMan
According to the Vendettas website, it's the 22nd. (And that jives with the flyer I got from Shannon last weekend). http://www.vendettascarclub.com/shows.htm Hope you make it out this year! -murph
Stone, The latest trend is a cruise get together at a mall or any large parking area where you can get the business to let you use the space. These cruises take place in the early A.M. before stores are open or after most close in the evening. Most places will work with you if you follow their rules. The cost is "0" ! Everyone comes on their own so there is no need for prizes of insurance. The cruises usally last about two to three hours and you can come and go at any time. If you go to a full on car show like in a park or down town get insurance. The cruise is the better way to go now days. Cruiser 49
when used to got to shows & cruise ins every weekend, i used to save fliers,if i kept getting the same flier all the time i knew theses folks where working hard to get people to the show, so id plan on going to it .wether it was at the local high school or a tire shop or wherever. just promote the show if you got nothing to give away so what just plan on having a good time people will show up. i think you cant expect to have a huge car show the first year 60- 100 would be a good number for me. just my 2 cents
Let me tell you about an awsome car show. No trophys,no music,no raffle,no entry fee,no cl***es,unorganized,Hotrods,customs,sports cars,old bikes,muscle cars,random parking,and it lasts about two hours. Happens every Saturday around 5:30AM. "Doughnut Derilics" in Hunington Beach. Just a bunch of "gearheads" walking around talking about cars. If you come to So Cal,it's a HAVE TO,attend affair. Ask anyone who has been there. OH,and by the way,the doughnuts are pretty good too!
I have been going to car shows/cruise nights for over thirty years. I like small hometown type shows, preferably with live music, a swap meet is a bonus, and food is good too. But, a bigger show is ok as well, although I burnt out long ago on the NSRA nationals. 1500 - 2000 cars is more than enough. I go to shows for several reasons. I like to drive my car when I have one on the road, I enjoy getting together with old friends, and I really enjoy going to a new show just for different scenery. When I do drive one of my cars to a show, the main reason I enter is to get a good parking place! I hate walking a half a mile to be a spectator. And I do like winning one particular trophy, which I have lots of times, and that would be the long distance trophy. And I did once win a trophy for having the cleanest trunk, which was a tie breaker for the real trophy. Fun events like that one are what it's all about for me. When you have to be serious about it, and have judges lookin under your fenders, I could give a hoot about winning anything. Keep your event simple, keep the trophys and giveaways to a minimum, and you will have a successfull show/cruise. Trophy chasers will only take up more room with their multi room canopys and lounge chairs, while they sit around waiting for their name to be called for their major award. To them, the best show is the one that rewarded them with goods, and the worst show is the one where they came home with nothing more than an empty can of polish and dirty rags.
I was in the show circuit in the early 90's before i started riding harley's more and getting involved with the weekly deals there, now i'm back to attending what ever i can find. I would rather meet a new friend and admire someone work than i would winning a trophy. I would love to have a weekly meet here in the DFW area. I found one but it is about a 70 miles round trip so i won't make it every week but i will attend as much as i can so i can just hang out and talk shop. The thing i can't understand is someone , and i saw this this weekend is someone trailering to a local event .... WHY, if you can't drive them why build them. Big Tony
I go to car shows to have fun, but most of the show have restrictions as to what time to show up and what time you can leave.....so i found out its more fun to go to cruise nights.....you meet more people and have more fun.......who cares about trophys.....they only collect dust........stan
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