Why do some guys "abandon" their cars at shows?

I'll bring one of the '60's drag cars to the Dover Reunion mext month, the only show I bring a car to. I'll walk around and look at other cars and meet old friends "babysitting a car" in the hot sun is not my idea of time well spent. Noboby mentioned the fact that some cars are "abandoned" at meets by owners that are members of the host club, working to make the meet fun for others. If there is no Flea Market to go with the Car Show I'm not going to be there.

 

Unless you're completely lying and pulling our collective chain, I can't figure out why you bother to take your car to a show at all! Why not just leave it home and save yourself the misery of actually talking to someone who might be interested in the hobby and learning something. And completely avoid the trauma of winning a trophy. If I hated doing something that much, I sure as hell wouldn't do it.

 

Well if everyone left their cool car home there would be nothing to look at except for daily drivers!! The show for me is just a destination. It's somewhere to go in an old car. The fun is driving there with a bunch of your buddies. I grab my camera and check out the other cars. I don't bring chairs or hang by my car. If you want show and shine go to a vette show. Those guys never leave their car. They start polishing the minute they get there and don't stop until the judging begins and then hang 'round until the trophies are handed out. Then it's back to the vault until the next show..

 

When we get to shows like btt560's thet are over 10,000 cars to see over a square mile. The groups/clubs in sacred parking areas is little overdone..
We go back to our own when we have our hands full and to rest our feet or as ameeting place for friends then its off again roaming around until later when we sit down as they are all driven out past us ... . a rollin show is the best way to view/hear the cars we haven't seen and do double gazing on the ones we liked-wheel choices /color choices /funny vanity plates ..and of course " why did they goof up that car that way!""or "its for sale for what?"
Few people ask questions about our cars they just want them/had them or think we have too much money.
paperdog

 

Same here. Mines a Riviera, and I love to stand there and listen. Sometimes I'll even say "I think thats a Buick". and then they'll say "No I think its an Olds." LOL
I usually stand around for a little right after I park get the lay of the land talk to the neighbors and then start to hoof it and see everything else.

I really dont mind people touching, its a car. If I were worried about hands I should be scared ****less of the gravel and who knows what else that flies up off the road everytime I drive it.

Oh and now that I have my FatLuckys interior its cool to see people stick their arms through the windows pointing at stuff. I think thats flattering. But I dont like talking too much to people that I dont know well so I try to play it low key.

 

Well I guess it all comes down to how much you like cars. I don't have a problem answering questions about my car but I don't want to sit there at my car while all the cool **** is going on around me.

I want to look at other cars I have'nt seen in years, if there is a swapmeet I have to look for parts and other expensive **** I really don't need!

I have a 50' Ford ****box, and the point is there may be someone at the show that might want to see it, just like I want to see their 40' Ford coupe. If I left my car at home and the other guy left his 40 at home thats 2 less cars for everybody to look at! Any car show is all about numbers, usually the more the merrier.

 

Lets face it, at a lot of shows, the vast majority or the ONLY "spectators" are the people who did bring "show cars"
The problem that would occur at those functions if EVERYONE parked their **** behind their car to commence smiling and saying "I don't know, I didn't build it" is there wouldn't BE any spectators walking around!

I think all car shows from this day forward should start an "ODD-EVEN" policy where going by the calender date of the show, the owners of cars with license plates that are odd on odd show dates MUST stay with their cars to answer questions, and p*** out free beers to drunks, and the ones with the even number plate MUST walk or stagger around and ask "What year deuce roadster is this truck?" type questions of the "stuck" guys.
On two day shows, obviously the groups would switch because it would be an even day instead of odd, or the other way around.

(For those who seem to not be able to tell when one is one, the above two sentences have been a joke, I hope.)

I kinda found what Bad Bob said amusing because I've noticed the guys who always leave their own cars and go hunt out their friends end up hanging out around the same car or cars (that aren't their own) all the time because THAT group of guys are the ones who never leave their cars, like the thread author suggested!
Bob! Am I right or what?

Sometimes the lawnchair guys can be downright rude.
At one of those weekly diner parking lot "Cruise Nights" in North Town a few years ago, I got their early and helped the guy set up the raffle table even though I don't "gamble" on them or the 50/50s.
(I think the 50/50's destroy the "car cruise" aspect of the gathering because after it's given out you find out how many of the people were only there to gamble, and not there about the cars at all.)
I parked my truck next to a '66 Olds 98 2dr ht with my windshield even wth his because I think a row of cars looks best if the windshields are lined up.
Must be the way we did it back in the 60's when I was selling those 98's.
Well, a short while later, this guy who'd never been to this local cruise show'd up in a Superbird and proceeded to park the behemouth next to my long wheelbase truck.
Well, instead of parking "in a line" like everyone else was, he parked this monster so far out his windshield was even with my grill!
Then to top that off, he starts getting chairs out of the trunk, two, another two, and then another two.
Six chairs he got out of the trunk and about that time a Lexus pulled up out on the curb and five more people bailed out and joined him as he set up these six chairs right IN FRONT of MY TRUCK!!??!!
So, I'm usually of the "who gives a **** I just come here to talk to friends anyway" kind of guy but then I over hear te jerk say "NO, I wouldn't drive that old thing, I'm in the Plymouth."
I don't care if my daily driver, is just an "old thing," some ***wipe without enough couth to not have his **** be parked were it was just got my goat.
So I got in the truck, fired it up, reved it a couple of times, dropped it into gear and rolled it forward to within an inch of his chair.
Can you believe he ignored this?
SO I hollered out the window "Move it or lose it!!!"
So the women of the group had the sense to get up and move so the guys did too, I rolled it forward enough to line up with the front of the superturd and shut it off and walked away.
He started to say "Why...?" but I just shook my head and walked away.
And boy was he pissed when he found out it was "My Turn" to get the $6 plastic trophy that week!
I've never seen the guy anywhere again either.

 

As 327 said, I take my car to a show because it's fun to drive, and visit with friends. When I do go to a show (infrequent), I don't put the entry form on display, so I can't win anything. I have no problem talking to people, but I'm not going to sit around and wait for them at my car. I would feel bad taking a trophy from someone who really wants one.
Now drag racing is something else when it comes to trophies. That's a performance compe***ion of me and my car against another guy and his car - not having the cleanest tires.


Mutt

 

I prefer to go see all the other cars. I do check in on mine once in a while (Make sure nobody has stolen anything, or tampered with stuff. The second show I ever took it to, somebody stole my power steering cap, and fried the pump on the way home. The belt also went kaplooey. Lesson learned, never put on a chrome cap.

Other than that, I do go back to rest a bit when my knees start to hurt, or to get a drink. I don't mind answering questions, as long as they aren't retarded ones. I've been asked thousands of times now if I've got any bodies in the back of my car now. That question lost it's humour before I was asked it a first time.

My basic answer though; It's a car show. I'm there to see things that other people have done, and see something interesting. But I won't kid myself either. I want other people to look at my car and see what I've done too. I don't mind answering questions about what I've done to it, because I've usually done something new before each show. I'm also very easy to spot at smaller shows, so if I am walking around, many people can ***ociate me with my car if they have any questions.

 

Ah, so ya leave your cars? So ya are the freaks wondering around asking questions! HA!

 

" The show for me is just a destination. It's somewhere to go in an old car. The fun is driving there with a bunch of your buddies."

I agree with 327-365hp, most shows ****s, however we are into cars, which are made for DRIVING (not trailering), it's the getting there. While we're at an event, you make the best of it by spending time with old friends, meeting new ones, waiting for the next good time which is driving the car home. I'm hard into a rebuild because I was driving my car when it got crashed, but I will be dirving it again soon, because that is what cars are for, and that's what I love, driving "old" cars!

J.

 

I think it's funny to see how different people respond to this question, then look to see when they joined the hamb.

This would not have ever come up a few year ago.
Funny.


keven

 

One of my cars is a remake of a GM concept car. When I first got it, I loved to talk to people and answer their questions. After a year of this and answering the same questions one after another, my wife and I decided that after we parked the car we would set up our chairs a short distance away. We would still view the reaction of people and if a friend came by we could go up and talk to them. If someone showed an unusual amount of interest, we would walk up and get something out of the trunk, giving them the opportunity to ask any questions which we gladly answered.
TWOCHOPS

 

FYI- If you haven't figured it out yet, HAMBers are drivers, not show-ers. Who goes to carshows anyway? Why would you want to sit behind your car and field questions all day--boring! I don't need people to stop by and tell me how nice (or not nice) my car is. I don't build things to impress people, only to make myself happy.

 

Hahahahaha 2002p51... I think you are trying to start something here...

Here's an answer I've not seen...ever heard of "getting there is half the fun"??? Well, for me and my pals "getting there" is almost all the fun...it's a ball rolling down the highway getting thumbs up from everyone, "cool", "right-on", "awesome" yelled at us at 70 mph...little kids with their nose pressed up against the window...and Dad trying to stay in his lane as he sees the ear to ear grin on your face from driving a hot rod...instead of a ten-p***enger mini-van.

An event is just icing on the cake...standing by your car (sitting behind, answering questions for the millionth time) is not!

So 2002p51...you've not done any long distance rod running?

R-

 

Have any photos to send? Or maybe have a thread on here somewhere with some photos?

Sorry, just sounds *****en and I wanna see it

 

Couple thousand miles a year. Not as many as some, more than others. Because we don't have room in the car for even a small suitcase, it's not practical for overnight trips. We drove from San Diego to the L.A. Roadster show and back last year on both days. 123 miles one way, a total of 500 miles on the weekend.

Now that we live in Tennessee we're still trying to figure our way around. But I'll drive my car anywhere.

 

I do both.
I walk I set, I walk some more and I set some more. I love talking to people, and dumb questions don't bother me at all. I'm sure that I have asked a few dumb questions in my day. I usually go with a group of car guys and we just have a good time. If that means we're off looking at other rides, great. If that means were settin' in our chairs bench raceing , so be it. We like to eat, so we may be off for hours feeding our faces. We don't laugh at the "power parkers" or anyone else for that matter. This sounds like a bunch of women at the mall making fun of the way other women are dressed. Who cares if someone else is just sitting around their car (or not)? If that floats their boat, then more power to them. There are no rules, just do what is fun for you.

Doc.

 

Ditto... especially on "Good Food"... speaking of which... "Lone Star Roundup = The Best BBQ in the world"...!!! Plus live music shows keep me away from my car...!

 

Yes. And speculate on which ones will still be here when the current trends change in a few years.

 

I must not be cool at all..

I work 6 days a week in a crazy hot plant, and when I get home, we usually hook up with some buds and roll to a cruise.

Most of the cars there I don't care for, but we chat, BS with friends, eat and sit under a tree or our EZ up and chill.

Sit for awhile, walk some more, eat again....it's a big circle.

I answer alot of dumb questions, but in our area, we see 88% of the same people, so it's not so bad.

Oh wo is me. I thought I was cool...guess not.

 

Damn straight!

And luckily, all I ever own are pieces of ****, so I don't have to stand guard.

-bill

 

Great Reply!!!!

 

i get out wax polish, ,start shaking a old rattle can, ,..haha.. none of my stuff is nice enough to do that to yet, so i am about the same, see who i find, if i hang around my ride or theirs when the feet get tired, its about the show for me, i got my fold up chair plastered at the front of the garage when i feel like sitting and staring at all the stuff i could do. got two chairs and a cooler up there for when i got company. i seen cars i wanted to ask build questions on before and what part they used, if they are not their i mosey on back later, though part of the time they didn't even build it so they dont know what i am talking about anyways...haha.

 

I'm with you, kinda thought that was the way its done, and I hardly ever stay all day, sometimes I don't even park in the show area, but I'd feel like i'd wasted my time if no one asks me anything stupid or otherwise about my car, that's kinda how kids get started getting interested in old cars. I'm sure I asked some pretty dumb questions. There are a few guys at our local shows..... well, let's just say porcupines don't have the monopoly on *****s.

 

Cause you can drive in with all your necessities in the trunk instead of walking from the public parking area. Also, it's usually cheaper to enter a car for a multi-day event rather than paying the daily spectator entry fee. Compare prices for entrants vs. spectators at the NSRA Nats.

 

I know you guys hate talking about gl*** cars,but my friends '37 is the most attention getting car i've ever been near. Everybody thinks it's steel! Which makes for a great time listening to the people talk about it. What's funnier is when people say "I saw an article about that car was found in a barn". I just sit there and crack up.My friend who owns the car just parks it and leaves,no wiping,dusting,anything.

 

I couldnt think of anything more boring than standing by my ride all day i always go around chattin n mingling to others , if i go to a weekender i somtimes get out put up me tent then just not go near me ride till i take the tent down to go home ,as for the sittin behind the cars on chairs i cant work that out ....?

 

Re: Why do some guys " abandon their cars at shows?"

Because we can ...

It's just a car ...

Actually I sit by my car a good bit. By some folks standards ... because

I am a AARP member ...
I am overweight ...
I have had open heart surgery ...
The chairs and the cooler with Diet Cokes is at the car ...

At the smaller events ... it only takes a hour or so to see the cool stuff . At the larger events, I get tired so I go back to the car and rest. That's where tha awning is ... ( medical reasons ... cannot stand the sunshine much. I always WEAR long sleeve shirts and a hat )

Also usually park with friends ... and we hang out, socialize and make plans for where we are going out to eat later that night ...

 

I put a professionally painted sign by my car that states I'll be at the car every hour to provide a 10 minute presentation. I've attended cl***es at the local community college to improve my presentation skills. I've had a professional photographer take pics of areas of interest that are not easily visible. Now, I'm considering making a video tape presentation loop that would run continously, allowing me more freedom to wander the grounds, checking the compe***ion for Best of Show. I set a candy dish out for the kiddies and ask that they tell their parents to vote for my car. If my detailer isn't available prior to a show, I don't go because I wouldn't want the car to less than at its best.

Just kidding.

If I'm around my car, and someone shows interest in it, I take that as a compliment. It's nice to know there are kindrid spirits out there. After all, when you build the kinds of hot rods I build, Joe Average Rodder and Gold Chain Rodder aren't gonna GET IT!