Here's a 1st- I left a car show after 1 hour!

I do a show here in Indianapolis for charity and if some jerk was blowing everyone away with his million dollar sound system, he'd have to go. I can't stop the wind I've had to deal with in the past. But no dust bowl near by.

 

I've just about had it with car shows...

1. The $20-$35 entry fee I can deal with. Too many times "proceeds donated to **x charity" mean "we make a small donation after we take our cut".

2. Car show fliers carelessly thrown in my car. I take a lot of time to make the interior of my car presentable and neat. I don't like someone ****ting it up with sheets of paper.

3. Food. If I'm paying my hard earned money for hanging out at your car show all day how about not charging inflated prices for soft drinks and snacks.

4. Music. How many of you have been stuck by a loudspeaker and had to listen to 50's/60's music all day at 110db?

5. Rest rooms. If you are expecting a big crowd then have enough facilities to accommodate them.... And not 1/4 mile away.

6. Shade. Car shows should be in a location so the participants can find shade and still be able to see their car. Nothing worse than having to sit in a parking lot all day in July.

These are some of my pet peeves. I love showing off my car and hanging out with my car buddies but some things make it less than perfect.
I like cruises. Drive to the cruise-in, grab something to eat, hang around an hour or two and leave. No entry fee, usually in the evening.

 

If all drives you nuts..come to our show I can guarantee a $15.00 entry and everything else but the fliers in your car WON'T happen. Every dime goes to Huntington's Disease Society of America!

 

I never entered my car in a show, Id typically roll thru the parking lot, have to clear the carbs out since the cam was not the best at idle, let it rev to move against the steep stall speed, and made sure everyone knew they should just stay parked in the lot, cause I'd be on the streets

 

A 'donk' is short for 'donkey', I think. It's a 20"-32" diameter wheel that '***es' bolt to their mostly late model GM cars.

 

I can't stand em, but i just grit my teeth and keep thinking it takes all kinds,it takes all kinds, the phase will die out. i guess donks sounds better then stupid looking car with oversize tires that you keep waiting for bozo or a bunch of little dogs to hop out of.

 

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Heck, that's hilarious...so what if they're at a show? Different strokes for different folks. Do you leave when a ratrod comes in?

 

thats what i just said, it takes all kinds, they will die out, these are going to be the cars that bring the safety police down though, extremely unsafe, had someone here end up in the hospital after one of the wood block spacers he had put in popped out,and the car rolled.

 

A few years ago I had a run in with a similar clown who was actually in a somewhat HAMB friendly car. He thought it was great fun to have his "step back from the car" car alarm go off all day long.

I don't think I would have taken my old beater truck out in the conditions you described.

 

If there are more than 5 Corvette's from later than 1974 I leave.

 

I quit taking my car to those shows because I get in, park, walk around to see the cars and look at my watch - it's 9:20 AM - and they want me to sit there until 3 PM. Some have raffles, most don't have decent food or BEER, and some are charging the spectators to get in so there's no one even looking at the cars! They also have started letting in the PT Crusier club, Viper Club and Chrysler 300 or what the **** clubs along with those brand new Roush and Shelby Mustangs, anything to make a buck. Even Goodguys in Costa Mesa advertised "all years, all makes, all models" of American cars this year.

 

I drove the 71 beater over and checked out a little show (about 100 cars and bikes and I'll post a short thread later) that had the a full spectrum of cars.
A few really interesting and a number that I just walked past. I think one guy almost got his nose out of joint because I took about a dozen photos of the flat black car next to his and then walked past his because it wasn't a car that I found interesting.

There are a few things I find annoying at any outdoor car show or rod run

Blasting your sound system full blast at any show except a stereo sound off.

Firing up and gunning the engine on a regular interval attempting to draw attention good or bad.

Setting up a big honking showboard that blocks the view of the vehicle and ruins the chance of a good photo. those cars don't often get a photo Taken by my camera.

Setting the car alarm and walking off from the car.

Setting up camp around the car and having too much stuff and trash around the car.

Letting your kids play in the car. I won't walk up to a car with kids in it nor will I walk up to a car with some clown sitting or sleeping in it.

And, yes I'm an official old fart and at this stage in the game I'd rather be able to get a group of guys with cars together and do the "let's take an interesting drive somewhere" thing.

It looks like I won't have to worry about too many shows the rest of this year as I just had my work schedule changed and will be working weekends again. Sundays off mean too much missing spending money from the paycheck.

 

Hey Steve that was Pretzel City Mall show in Reading They don't judge cars there, my rod doesn't win trophys it ain't good enough for those kind of people, they want billet and I only have low buck traditional rod that reflects me. It couldn't compete with a car like yours.

 

I'm not sure what it means either , but around here I'm told it stands for dumb old _______ car . Third word is one I prefer not to use .

 

I find alot of people that don't like shows, don't really like cars as much as they like THEIR car. I'm not saying there's anything wrong with that, it's just my experience...

If your not looking for plastic, who really cares when you leave?

remember this is for fun. bottom line.

 

Personally I'm thinking about putting a hitch on the '50 so I can use it to haul a trailer of **** and set up in the swap meet with it the same as I do with my late model beater now. That's about as close as I want to get to actually showing a car.

 

There's one thing to be said about the Vette clubs around here. They meet in parking lots, nobody asks for money to sit around and talk cars, They show up in numbers, and with regulars every week that are dedicated to the meets. They show up in everything from 60's to 2010's and they all sit along side each other and talk cars. They have their cute little "corvette wave" they do to any other vette owners........ Basically the enjoy their cars and their meetings, they do it for the love of the performance car and tradition.

They don't meet my ideal image of someone I'd spend a day with as most just bought their car and keep the tires shiny, but they love their cars and they meet up for FREE in parking lots to support their community. They are gear heads, they like power, they like rods. They like AMERICAN IRON (mixed with fibergl*** ) with a lot of *** to it.

While they are not my style, they can teach some of the people a lesson about loving your car and supporting your community, instead of only showing up to shows where a trophy is available. The vette guys are no ricer honda club, they have a tradition and I respect the fact they do love american muscle. Other than that, not my style of group to hang with, but I respect them.

I actually had a C4 Vette less than a decade ago...... hunk of sh*t in my opinion.

 

Don't short change your car buddy. Looks pretty good to me! I have a soft spot for 37's. I have a project 37 coupe body sitting in my shop. All it needs is a frame & everything else! Looks better than mine!

 

I also had a Vette- a C5 but never did the shows with it. I sold it when my wife took a pic of me trying to get out of it w/ a sprained back. I rolled out right on the asphalt! You are right about these guys. They are quite p***ionate! A friend of mine bought a new Z06 couple of years ago & joined a Vette club. Talk about a family affair. This group was big into rallys & driving to tracks to run their cars. I'm talking close to 100 cars! He went on a few of these runs & dropped out because it was keeping him broke w/ all the driving, hotels, eating out, etc.
Whatever floats your boat I guess.

 

Is that actually real or photoshopped? Must have a nice smooth ride w/ all that sidewall. But look at the bright side...... if you got a flat, it wouldn't matter.

 

Unfortunately,it's real:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F_VImPZTI7I

 

they don't last long,you thought explorers had problems with roll overs. seen someone here with the giant wheels hit the gas trying to show off, car walked right up on the wheels,and flipped over backwards. I guess none of them have sen what happens to a monster truck with a super high center of gravity and big wheels when it rolls.

 

Here's what I heard it means. This trend started with impalas, and since most of the guys digging it weren't really car guys, just guys looking for ways to display their bling, they didn't know one car from another. They saw the little impala figure on the fender and thought it was a donkey, hence the term donk. At least that's what I've heard.

 

Driven by a jack***, apparently, then?

 

You said it all best, just had to pull it out in quotes.

 

What makes me leave a show is the general ******** that most shows and cruise events have devolved into. When I first started attending car shows in the early '80s, they were actually FUN! You cruised, the cops rarely har***ed you. You showed - you hung out with your car buddies and had FUN! You actually looked at the cars and walked around. No cutesy-***ed props that so many people deem necessary to display.

Nowadays, exactly the opposite is true. Cruise-ins and shows (at least locally), seem to have some hired jerk blasting out tunes from an over-amped system that makes conversation impossible, or some ****weed feels the need to "impress" everyone with the mobile equivalent. Someone mentioned the trash (show fliers) that get dumped in my car, that really pisses me off! Told one guy at a show that if he put his flier in my car, I'd break his damn arm...he went on to the next car and let mine be. I attend two or three events a year, period, and then only because the show or cruise-in is for a worthy event or charity. On a weekend, I am in one of my cars to just drive and enjoy the day, listening to the sound of dual exhausts and not the latest tune - in fact, NONE of my hobby cars has anything more than the original AM or AM/FM radio in it, or no radio at all!

Call up a few friends and just GO somewhere in your rides, whatever thay may be! Life's too fu*kin' short to spend at ridiculous car shows and "cruise events" that do not cruise anywhere!

 

There's a cool little cruise night(car show) in my area,about a block from my house that a few H.A.M.B.'ers attend that's thrown by Past Pleasures Car Club,open to pre-1980 vehicles,which most would frown upon,but about 150 cars show,with a DJ,vendors,contests for the kids,raffles,trophies,etc. surrounded by food places and stores,and best of all,it's free for registration and they have insurance that covers anything that happens to your car at their cruise night in the event that something happens(Hasn't yet,knock on wood).I have met a lot of hotrodders here and it's great to meet people i have never seen or known that are in to cl***ic cars,also a great way to find leads on parts or possible projects.98% of the people drive their cars in(A few drag cars have been trailered in) anbd a few PT's have shown up,at first blasting music,but me made a formal complaint and they obliged by not doing it again.Everyone gets along and there is no drama or BS there.If anyone is interested in it,check it out.It's the first Friday of every month in Yucaipa on Yucaipa Blvd.(nearest cross street is Live Oak Cnyn/Oak Glen Rd.) in the Vons shopping center parking lot near the bank.Family friendly,no trouble and free.Only time i leave that one early is when I have to go to work.It usually goes from 5 PM to 9 PM,but I have to clock in at work by 9 PM.

 

Usually a mid-70's to mid-80's P.O.S (think Caprice, Cutl***, etc.) with 20 or 22" clown wheels. "Ghetto Fabulous"