[BRENT in 10-uh-C]

Originally Posted by newshirt

IMHO... as a newbie and outsider with only the slightest knowledge of this topic... it seems there are several factors challenging blue ribbon judging. Arbitrary rulings are just one of many.

1. Cost. Back in the day, you could restore and judge a car for $5,000. Now, it's probably $30-40K. Yeah right!! To have an A400 interior & top professionally done to meet the fine-point expectations will cost ½ of your guesstimate alone!!

2. Drivability. Spend $30K on a blue ribbon trailer queen, and you're not likely to drive it a million miles. You just own it. No club member drives their car a million miles a year. Heck, most Model-A hobbyists struggle to log 2,000 miles a year on their Model-A. If truth were told, more Model-A hobbyists just own a Model-A that sits than hobbyists that actually use them with frequency.

3. Camaraderie. How many in your local club are actually still doing this? One or two? Big club, maybe ten. It's still a small crowd. I'm not sure this is accurate either. The crowd is not small who are striving for authenticity or bettering a vehicle. If your thoughts were actually true, then why do they sell as many Judging Stds. books a year? As far as Judging goes, the largest car club in the world has their main focus on Judging. Therefore it is NOT about judging as that side of the hobby is still very popular.

4. Politics. Every mature organization evolves into elitist classes. Common folk just can't break through. Clergy and laity. Politicians and taxpayers.

When I bought my car in 2010, I really wanted to be a purist and go to the judging meets. That dream seems too elusive now. But hey... I could hit the lottery.

........