Went to a local car show

[GetX'd]

Its been awhile for me and the GTX to get together and head to a car show so we tried one tonight. It was a short drive from the house so the six pack only drank about a half tank of gas getting there and back. Kidding - cars there and the show was at a local mall parking lot. Before anyone asks for pics - I didn’t take any because their was only one other Mopar there. She was a 66Charger. Met the owner - nice guy - hadn’t had the car to awfully long. The show was a haven for chevies and fords. Only us two lone Mopar owners in the whole lot. But I’ll tell you the thing that struck me was the age group I was hanging with. I’m 63 and by a good 10 years was the youngster of the group. I’m serious - if this is any indication of the average age in the hobby - yikes! They weren’t all that talkative either. I found a few people to share some war stories with but the pickings were slim. Can’t wait for Fall Fling in Los Angeles to meet some of the FBBO crowd. I’m hoping since it’s a Mopar only show it’ll be a bit more friendly.

 

[RT K_line]

I feel you X, at our local Saturday meet I'm usually the lone mopar too. On occasion an older couple show up in a Valient and once a 70 Challenger showed up. Of course there's a multitude of new chargers and challengers but they keep to themselves. Most of the old school hot rods are driven by older guys here too and the younger crowd is driving imports, mustangs challengers and chargers with a few vetts sprinkled in.

 

[The Rebel]

Some of these shows I see guys pull in, open the trunk, out come the chairs and that's it.

 

[Darius]

See you at Woodly Park!!

 

[Sonny Black]

Some of these shows I see guys pull in, open the trunk, out come the chairs and that's it.

What? no Beer!

 

[65hemi]

A buddy and I took the 64 and 65 cars to an all makes show put on by the local Ford & Mustang club. Lots of fords and chevies and a few mopars. There was a mix of ages with lots of young guys and their new Mustangs. It was a good time. The owner of real GT40 was telling me about the mopars he raced before moving to fords in 1965. It was a good day.
Best of all, I got Best Mopar.

 

[BeeKool]

Its been awhile for me and the GTX to get together and head to a car show so we tried one tonight. It was a short drive from the house so the six pack only drank about a half tank of gas getting there and back. Kidding - cars there and the show was at a local mall parking lot. Before anyone asks for pics - I didn’t take any because their was only one other Mopar there. She was a 66Charger. Met the owner - nice guy - hadn’t had the car to awfully long. The show was a haven for chevies and fords. Only us two lone Mopar owners in the whole lot. But I’ll tell you the thing that struck me was the age group I was hanging with. I’m 63 and by a good 10 years was the youngster of the group. I’m serious - if this is any indication of the average age in the hobby - yikes! They weren’t all that talkative either. I found a few people to share some war stories with but the pickings were slim. Can’t wait for Fall Fling in Los Angeles to meet some of the FBBO crowd. I’m hoping since it’s a Mopar only show it’ll be a bit more friendly.

Perhaps it's your locale, or the time of year.
Car collecting isn't cheap so people under 35 aren't typically well enough off financially.
Of the shows I attending thus summer I would say the average age of car owners was 50-55.

 

[Speedbird]

How old was the 66 Charger owner?
I know he could have been over 55.
But.
I ask be cause that is the one my son prefers over the second gen.
I'm thinking that younger people may be a blank slate in some regards.
I've run into several first gen owners in their 30s to 40s that missed the popular movies with Bullitt's descendants .

 

[mosquito13]

Maybe it is because most car show are just boring? What happened to Rev offs/cackle fests. Where is the burnout pit? Stereo blasting contest or a band? How about inviting a pin up troupe to the show. Bunch of old #$%&'s siting in lawn chairs behind their cars giving you the evil eye = boring. Everyone needs to go to the car show at Viva Las Vegas Weekender once as they set the bar.

 

[HEMI-ITIS]

Maybe it depend on your area.In these parts there is a cruze in every night with choices on some nights which one to go to.
Wed nights there is a large one with well over 400 cars and Friday night around 600.Then every weekend are a veriety of shows on the same day!

 

[GetX'd]

How old was the 66 Charger owner?
I know he could have been over 55.
But.
I ask be cause that is the one my son prefers over the second gen.
I'm thinking that younger people may be a blank slate in some regards.
I've run into several first gen owners in their 30s to 40s that missed the popular movies with Bullitt's descendants .

Charger owner was in his 70s if he was a day old. As also were most of the other owners. I’ve never seen so many bad toupees in the same zone in all my life. Probably not going back to that show again.

 

[TxDon]

I took my car to the Mopar Mini-Nationals show put on by the Mopar Club of Dallas on labor day weekend. I was pleasantly surprised at the crowd, plenty of greybeards like me but also many younger folks and families. Also a lot of spectators of all ages. They had a good turnout of late model Challengers, Vipers, etc. and that was where the millenials were.

 

[Sonny Black]

God was on our side...why we won....shined a light upon us!

 

[Dennis H]

Duster in hand.

 

[chtampa]

I have noticed that car owners seem to drive in, spend hours cleaning their car, sit for the duration and then leave. Most never even look around at other cars. It is almost like they aren't really car guys at all. They must remember that cool guy in school that had one and can now afford to buy it and don't realize there is more to the experience. My wife and I drive the car to the show, she gets out and cleans off the bugs while I get our chairs, canopy, drinks and set the sign out. Fifteen minutes later, we are walking the show looking at cars and just using our car as a home base. We stop by just long enough to throw away those cards that get thrown on the front seat. We get to look at our car all the time, we come to see other peoples cars and we look at anything uncommon. We'll just sit for a few when it get too hot to walk, and then we are off again. We still win at shows but don't have all the horrible swirls in the paint from the spray and wipe cleaners everyone gets addicted to. Maybe it's because I was born in an old people state.

 

[The Rebel]

I do the same thing. See way to many people show up & then sit for the entire show reading a book.

I have noticed that car owners seem to drive in, spend hours cleaning their car, sit for the duration and then leave. Most never even look around at other cars. It is almost like they aren't really car guys at all. They must remember that cool guy in school that had one and can now afford to buy it and don't realize there is more to the experience. My wife and I drive the car to the show, she gets out and cleans off the bugs while I get our chairs, canopy, drinks and set the sign out. Fifteen minutes later, we are walking the show looking at cars and just using our car as a home base. We stop by just long enough to throw away those cards that get thrown on the front seat. We get to look at our car all the time, we come to see other peoples cars and we look at anything uncommon. We'll just sit for a few when it get too hot to walk, and then we are off again. We still win at shows but don't have all the horrible swirls in the paint from the spray and wipe cleaners everyone gets addicted to. Maybe it's because I was born in an old people state.

 

[Sonny Black]

I have noticed that car owners seem to drive in, spend hours cleaning their car, sit for the duration and then leave. Most never even look around at other cars. It is almost like they aren't really car guys at all. They must remember that cool guy in school that had one and can now afford to buy it and don't realize there is more to the experience. My wife and I drive the car to the show, she gets out and cleans off the bugs while I get our chairs, canopy, drinks and set the sign out. Fifteen minutes later, we are walking the show looking at cars and just using our car as a home base. We stop by just long enough to throw away those cards that get thrown on the front seat. We get to look at our car all the time, we come to see other peoples cars and we look at anything uncommon. We'll just sit for a few when it get too hot to walk, and then we are off again. We still win at shows but don't have all the horrible swirls in the paint from the spray and wipe cleaners everyone gets addicted to. Maybe it's because I was born in an old people state.

Sonny will try to view every car...and stay 'till the end, and watch other's receive their awards .....AND NOT START THE CAR and LEAVE DURING THE AWARD CEREMONY .....

 

[Bruzilla]

All right... I'm going to throw this out there and suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune... your cars are boring. Yes, boring.

Going to a lot of car shows today is tantamount to going to a car dealership in the 1950s-1970s. Rows and rows of like-new cars sitting there... you have to expect a salesman with lamb chop sideburns and wearing a sky blue leisure suit to come out at anytime. Most of these cars looked boring when they were new and didn't look interesting until guys jacked them up, put goodies on them, put stickers on them, etc. Yes, if you're a big fan of 19XX GTXs, you're going to be interested is hearing about one, but 99.99% of people who go to shows are no more interested in a specific car than they are of a Ford Fiesta.

If you want people to be interested in your car, you need to give them a reason to be interested.

 

[Dennis H]

I have noticed that car owners seem to drive in, spend hours cleaning their car, sit for the duration and then leave. Most never even look around at other cars. It is almost like they aren't really car guys at all. They must remember that cool guy in school that had one and can now afford to buy it and don't realize there is more to the experience. My wife and I drive the car to the show, she gets out and cleans off the bugs while I get our chairs, canopy, drinks and set the sign out. Fifteen minutes later, we are walking the show looking at cars and just using our car as a home base. We stop by just long enough to throw away those cards that get thrown on the front seat. We get to look at our car all the time, we come to see other peoples cars and we look at anything uncommon. We'll just sit for a few when it get too hot to walk, and then we are off again. We still win at shows but don't have all the horrible swirls in the paint from the spray and wipe cleaners everyone gets addicted to. Maybe it's because I was born in an old people state.

Lot of truth to this. I might dust it, then make a pass of most aisles of cars. May skip the modern cars. To spend the entire time detailing, and not leaving the car doesn't make sense to me. Also, browsers tend to look at cars when owners are not right there. I do.

 

[big_shmoop]

Sonny will try to view every car...and stay 'till the end, and watch other's receive their awards .....AND NOT START THE CAR and LEAVE DURING THE AWARD CEREMONY .....

The world needs more Sonnys.