Is it normal to take your project car to a local show?

[fla 66 cuda]

Anyone who does there own work should be proud over it, its hard and its time consuming.. Most don't start out as "pretty". If people go to a show and tell everyone they did it all wouldn't it be something if a guy from the shop who worked on the car was there and heard it. I don't imagine he would keep quiet over someone taking his credit. I do all my cars and im far from a pro, but i like it and its something i can look back on, even if not perfect. You have a nice looking Barracuda there!

Thanks, our other project is in the works and i'll be the first to say it ain't gonna be perfect but it will be a hell of a lot of fun. I'm no body man but i'm trying ,but i will never do another i would rather pay someone to do the bodywork,i'm more into the mechanical aspect of hot rodding altho i can do interior stuff as well. When my cuda gets the resto it deserves everyones name/shop will be airbrushed on the inside of the trunklid as a thank you to them for all to see.

 

[Donny]

I take umbrage with the notion that we are not pros in our craft. I support this with how many other hobbyists tear into our cars to the level many of us in here are doing to our cars. Perhaps many of the wandering people at shows do, or have done this level of work before, but, my bet is that 80% don't, and they just appreciate this craft/hobby, which is no less important in the grand picture.

I ran it by one of my MOPAR buddies here in San Antonio, he said that I would likely get some work from having my GTX on 'display' at the upcoming big MOPAR car show in October, which, upon thinking about it realize he's right. I'm not against it at all!

So, to bring it full circle we are, all of us are professionals in our craft and field. What makes us professionals is that we do it as good as we can, and, or do it like it was our own vehicle. Sure we make 'mistakes' but, the mistake is most of the time only revealed to ourselves. And, the nit-pickers at the shows that will find a wave, some fault, or whatever I will just say "Thanks, I didn't see that" and wonder where their 'display car' is!

 

[ramairthree]

I am just happy seeing the cars on the road and not crushed, parted out, etc.
I love the drivers level cars, these cars on the road just get me excited. I understand some cars do belong in an enclosed trailer and in a museum due to rarity (which is why I am cool with clone drivers).

Some people in the car community go out of their way to be mean though.
Lots of great people out there, but I would rather have someone tell me straight up my car is a low buck bottom feeder than act all superior and make snide comments masked as questions but just meant to be mean.

Some examples of questions I answer, and that is on my nicest car.

Yes, it's a real GTO.

I know the scoops and spoiler did not come black from the factory. But that's how I like them.

Yes I know those are Trans Am exhaust tips. I think they are Bad Azz.

Yes the rear wheels are wrong, I went to 15 inch rims. That's cool you had paint custom made to match factory overspray on the underbody and found a set of NOS 14x6 rims for your car, but you should see the Realistic underdash non-factory 8-track player I mounted. Got it for 20 bucks and I have a sheet ton of tapes for it. How freakin' cool is that? I get a ton of attention for that and people love it. But it must be nothing compared to how psyched people are when they notice you used a NOS gasket for your side mirror instead of a repo like mine. Can I check it out? Oh, your car is not here.

Umm, sure it's the 'big block' 400, you are quite the expert.

No, actually all 69 Judges were not "orange."

Yes, it would be cool if it had a RAIV engine. And the one you had did 12 flat quarters? Too bad it's not here. Oh you sold it. Not even a picture to show me?

Yes, I do wish it was a HO428, 455, etc. etc. Can you show me yours?

I am driving in the rain, at night, running errands, with the kids who are eating and having ice cream in the back, after going to the drag strip, burning rubber, and blowing donuts. Do you really think it's numbers matching all original factory RA/Judge car?"

 

[Ron 73]

Tell them to hit the road! Most of them just envy ya, thats all, they want what you have without the work the time OR the money. That is a nice 69, I really cant remember the last one i seen quite that good looking.

 

[68 Roadrunner]

I actually went to one after finishing mine and looked at the local clubs mopars and was snubbed because I wasn't a member and didn't join. Can you believe that? Really P---- me off. I stayed a whole 20 minutes. Finally said Later and never went back. I am happy driving mine and if people want to look, and they always do, shoot the crap for a few and hit the road. Last comments are always very nice car man. Good enough for me.

 

[Greg68RR]

Taking My Car, Too!

As soon as I get my car moving under it's own power and street legal, with enough dependability to get me there & back, I'll take it to Big Easy Mopar's cruise night. Those guys are pretty laid back and don't come over to nit-pick your ride to death. It's a good, fun car club. I'm telling you now that at the first night at the cruise, someone (probably a Chevy dude) will notice something "that ain't done yet", and ask about it. I'll just tell them, "Yes, I'm still working on it".

One year, I took my Hemi engine, only, to Big Easy Mopar's big show with cash awards. I asked the organizers and they said "Sure". I paid a normal entry fee for my spot (didn't have to, but I considered it a donation to the club) even w/ no chance to win a trophy (how you win Best B Body w/ no body at the show?). I just wanted youngsters to see it and get interested in Mopar musclecars. It was a chore loading/unloading, etc. I had a home-made sign that looked pretty cool, said who did machine work on motor (Jeff Ferguson in Metairie, LA) + a "Not for Sale" sign. I don't know how many times I was asked, "How much you want for it?" After a while, I just wouldn't reply to those people & chug another gulp of beer down the hatch. I brought some rope & stanchions but left em in the truck. After realizing that people couldnt keep thier freaking hands off it, pulling plug wires, checking oil w/ the dip-stick, undoing the chrome dome air cleaner, etc, I put them up. Geeze! And these were adults w/ thier hands all over it! Anyway, I had a blast w/ the young kids & teenagers showing them how the 2x4 carb linkage works. I hope a few of them became Mopar fans, like myself!

Car shows, cruise nights, etc. are to have fun and to admire people's rides. My 68 J code Roadrunner dosen't have the original date coded points-type distributor in it. If you want to know what I'm using (Mopar Perf dist w/ MSD) and ask me about it, cool. But if you're acting like you're some kinda car show judge expert, well, DAMN, we ain't at the Mopar Nationals OEM tent! At one non-Mopar car club show, I saw this guy pick apart someone's ride, loudly, to someone who was with him (it was a 68 GTO, a very, very nice car). I thought the Goat's owner was going to kick that dude's *** after he overheard him rant with his friend for a solid 5 minutes. Later, I heard that car club was run by a "clique" group & that someone in the "clique" group always won at thier car shows. Needless to say, I will not take my car there. They are a bunch of ...


So, what will I do if some dude is "dissin" my ride? "What's in your J code Roadrunner?" sounds good to me!

Greg

 

[Budnicks]

Greg68RR that's a good story, I would some times bring my projects to races & park it outside my pit area, roped off, fishing for buyers usually, to support my racing habits... It was amazing how many people would come up & look at a half finished race car... I even won a trophy for best project 1 time, not even intended on being in the show at all, I ended up giving the trophy to a kid in a trick flamed out wheel chair, he was more deserving than me, I thought...

 

[Ron 73]

budnicks, That was a great thing you did for that kid, he wont ever forget that..