Car Show Gripe/Rant

[Moparfiend]

Went to a car show this weekend for the first time with my car.

I arrived at the car show I was able to park right next to another Mopar. It was a 1970 Hemi Cuda really immaculate professional build. He should have taken the best Mopar award. We even said they should have just given the award to him when he registered.

Well when they announced the best Mopar it was a 2019 Challenger. I don’t understand but they only had one judge apparently.

How the heck……….does that happen?

 

[Billccm]

I used to question that, but changed my mind. I'm happy to see some new young blood get into the hobby. I have a new respect for those guys in newer LX cars participating in the hobby.

Other than awards in how was the show?

 

[cr8crshr]

Right there is the main reason why I gave up shows back when I had my 66 Ply Sat. Not what they once were, and even though the new cars are something to enjoy also, it ain't the same as the old muscle is...cr8crshr/Bill

 

[Nutso]

I’ve never had a nice enough car to win any trophies, but the winners are usually not the cars I would have chosen.

Most shows have a modern class to prevent what you’re describing, how much needs done to a 6 year old car? I totally appreciate modern hot rod soup ups and modifications, but it’s a different type of judging than looking at a restored car from 55 years ago.

 

[Dennis H]

As a modern Challenger owner, that shouldn’t have happened. I appreciate being allowed in to get-togethers but Classics should always trump.

 

[LowBikeMike]

Forget the shows, just drive the wheels off it!

 

[Kern Dog]

Some guys are trophy hunters. They want the trophy as validation for the hard work they have done to their car.
I can understand that. The second show that I was at, other cars that I thought were not as nicely done as mine won 1st, 2nd and 3rd and I was shut out.
It pissed me off. I found out it was an event with participant judging where the people that brought the cars got to judge them.
You guys ever had a teacher that let you grade your own homework?
When a car club that hosts the show also has their member's cars there AND they use participant judging, you'll get collusion and the winners will often be the club members even when nicer cars are in competition with them.
You could get ahead of this by asking the event coordinator before the show how the judging is done and make your decision based on the answer.
Many enthusiasts bring their cars to shows just to display them and have no desire to take a trophy home. They may think they are not competitive enough to win or are simply there to be around other car people and share a few stories.
Seeing late model cars at shows that are primarily featuring the classics does pose a problem. Even if you're not itching to get an award, it does suck to see a car that isn't rare or unusual win an award. When most, if not ALL of the work on the car was done at the assembly plant and not the owner, you'd be awarding the owner of the car that simply bought the car, washed it and rolled right in.

 

[Dave6T4]

Shows without trophies are more fun to go to. Whole different atmosphere.

 

[khryslerkid]

Sometimes it's a club voting for one of their members. I've seen it a time or two.

One show I attended a car took a trophy and he wasn't even there until they started handing them out. All of a sudden there it was. He was from the sponsoring club putting on the show. I never attended that show again.

I just go to check out the cars, have a few conversations and share my car with the public.

 

[Dennis H]

At judged shows I put a sign on the windshield “Do not judge. Give any potential points to car next to me, which is always nicer.

 

[62Dodge_]

Howdy I stopped putting my cars into carshows a long time ago. As most winner's were friends of the club running the shows. On the other side I have judged cars at shows, Mopars at the Strip in Vegas, and I believe that when done fairly the correct cars will win.

 

[Kern Dog]

At judged shows I put a sign on the windshield “Do not judge. Give any potential points to car next to me, which is always nicer.

You're being humble. That is commendable but in your case, I don't agree.

 

[Dave6T4]

I have been at shows with participant judging, by whatever show class the car is entered in. The car show classes are split into two groups, and a separate voting sheet is supplied for each group. If your car falls into a class in Group 1, then you are given a voting sheet for the classes in Group 2. This way, you never get to vote for your own car. Shows that offer an event dash plaque may not issue it until you return your voting sheet. This ensures that the participants actually go out and look at the cars.

 

[T2R9]

At our club shows members are not eligible for trophies. Some may wonder why a really nice car did not get an award, it was likely a club member.

 

[Runcharger]

Shows are a get together to talk to old friends and make new ones. I do have tons of car show trophies and I look at them every couple of years or so, so they don't really mean that much to me. A lot of times the guy with the most friends wins, just don't take it too seriously. Winning does means something at the race track though.

 

[hanks73340]

I attend all shows whether being judged or not. On our cruise-in, we hand out 26 plaques for Best Manufacturer, Engine, Paint, Interior, Orphan, New muscle, and Peoples Choice. As one of the judges, I always make sure my sign is on the dash to not be judged. We also have different year classes so as the newer muscle that are in their own classes, does not compete with the classics. This definitely helps with keeping from pissing off certain individuals from losing a piece of 3 ft plastic statue. We also do this for the Harsens Island show. Everyone is happy.

 

[eldubb440]

later model stuff should be exempt..... set a year for cutoff, like 1980

 

[dadsbee]

When you've sat all weekend in May in -2C and snow, drinking whiskey to stay warm and lose a best of show to a car that's not even there and still in the body shop "because the judges know the caliber of the car"... then you can get pissed off !

 

[Don selleck]

Not my idea of fun sitting around all day at a show, I usually stay for a few hours and then leave, not sure if I ever won anything, And a car has to be a classic for a car show IMO.

 

[mmissile]

I don't register at drive-in car shows.