Car shows

[pgerhardt]

Originally Posted by 34pickup

I also have to agree with the others complaining about the LOUD music. If you want to have music, make it low key. If you want to hear it, park closer to the speakers. I hate the loud PA systems that are loud enough that people 100 yards away can't even hear themselves talking.

And the prices to participate are too high. Some of us older retired people are on fixed income. Spending $20 or more every weekend to let someone look at a car we spent thousands of dollars and years of labor to restore is just too expensive. Why do the spectators get in for nothing and we fit the whole bill? Drop the entrance fee and charge everyone so it isn't so painful to participate.

A swap meet area just makes the show to me. I get bored seeing the same cars every time so a stroll through the swap meet area is a nice treasure hunt. And if you charge the swap meet people less you might get some locals wanting to clean out the garage to show up.
Finally...having it in an area with shade is a real plus. Here in the south, it gets intolerable out in the sun after a few hours. Thats one of the reasons I always cut out early.

Agreed. I could never understand paying to show your car. It would be like a concert where the spectators get in free and the performers have to pay to perform.

My favorite local show used to be The "Roaring Twenties" car show held in Southbury CT. They were very organized with all the cars parked by class and year, making viewing a pleasure. And they had a big flea market.

This year they moved their show to Bethlehem CT, and last weekend I attended with great expectations. Unfortunately I was disappointed. They did not supply windshield ID cards to show the year, make, and model of your car. And this year the parking was just a big "miss-mash". As a spectator viewing was not fun. I would not have wanted to be a judge! Imagine a museum where all their exhibits were just randomly thrown in a big room without any information, and visitors had to sort through it all themselves.

Cost was another issue. The admission fee was advertised as $10. While philosophically I am opposed to making cars pay to show, I can "deal" with $10 seeing it as a donation. However when we got to the table to pay, they were charging $5 extra for every person in the car besides the driver. So our REAL cost to enter was $15 not $10. IF you had a big sedan and filled it with friends & family, it might cost you $30-$40 to get into the show so they could make more money charging others to look at your car! Outrageous!!

The car corral was mostly empty ($40 to put your car in), and the flea market (also $40) was also not as good as in prior years. Can you spell GREED!

I hope they get their act together next year, or I will be no longer attending this show.

BTW If you go to our club's (The Fairfield County A's) website:

fairfieldcountymodelA.club

You will find links to club video's (including my trip to this show). An if you click on the "Photo Archive" link you can browse albums of all the local CT shows I have been to.

[Tom Wesenberg]

Originally Posted by 40 Deluxe

"Terrible comment"?! Well, as they say 'The truth hurts, doesn't it'!
No, I don't listen to Lawrence Welk but my wife does. I prefer artists like Denis4X4 listed, and others from that era. Not the noise making freak no-talents that started popping up after those English mopheads somehow got on the Ed Sullivan show!
Most of those in your list are from the era of Chevy Vegas, Pintos, Citations and K cars. Oh, and Pontiac Azteks, too!

I always said that ugly car looked like it was designed by the Aztecs.

GM was so ashamed of it, that they dropped Pontiac altogether.

Lawrence Welk had great singers in your grandmother's day, and they still are great singers today. Not only lots of good talent, but how can you not like seeing all those beautiful gals.

[deetz]

Amen to the revulsion of loud "50's" music. Not a fan of the "muscle car" culture either. Good car show? The curmudgeon in me just wants to see pre-WWII stockers parked on grass, with no music and no judging.

[BILL WILLIAMSON]

I do shows mostly for socializing & learning NEW stuff.
I pick out Guys sittin' ALONE, in their OLD YELLOW & BLACK lawn chair. "Sometimes" they're the most interesting folks.
I see a FINE finished & painted car with some small, empty "ornament" holes & say, "That one must bs a BITCH to find"???---THEN, the conversation warms up!----OR, ask them, "What was the HARDEST part to find"??
REMEMBER, whatever kind of car it is, to HIM, it's the greatest thing since PEANUT BUTTER!
Main thing is NOT to be an OPINIONATED SHIT HEAD!!
Bill Fun

[Lona]

I agree with others regarding judged shows, especially when an event has such a huge variety of years and makes. People's choice awards are ok provided one guy doesn't bring his whole family and friends to vote. Went to a judged show once with both of our authentic 1931's and the trophy for the oldest car was given to a '27 T Bucket street rod. Only thing old on it was the bucket itself.

Glen

[George Miller]

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one time I had a 1929 Model A roadster at a car show. It had a fiber glass body and fenders, it looked like a real Model A. I guy came along and give me heck because it had 16" wheels.

[KGBnut]

Originally Posted by pgerhardt

My favorite local show used to be The "Roaring Twenties" car show held in Southbury CT. They were very organized with all the cars parked by class and year, making viewing a pleasure. And they had a big flea market.

This year they moved their show to Bethlehem CT, and last weekend I attended with great expectations. Unfortunately I was disappointed. They did not supply windshield ID cards to show the year, make, and model of your car. And this year the parking was just a big "miss-mash". As a spectator viewing was not fun. I would not have wanted to be a judge! Imagine a museum where all their exhibits were just randomly thrown in a big room without any information, and visitors had to sort through it all themselves.

Paul,

I was at the "Roaring Twenties" show in Bethlehem as well. I didn't see you, or any of the other Model A guys I usually chat with. I was parked between a Mustang and a Fiat. My buddy and I were referring to it as a "Car Salad."

My father is 88 years old. He would always meet in Southbury and we would start at the lower fence. Together we would look at all the Model Ts and go up through all the pre-war cars. They were all in the same area. At that point, he had seen what he wanted, and was pretty worn out. He would sit and I would go off and look at the other things I was interested in. Had he joined me this year, he could not have made the hike all over that field trying to find the cars that interested him. I'm glad he didn't come.

I really like that show, and I appreciate all the work that those guys do to put it together. I hope they get it straightened out for next year.

Ken

[BILL WILLIAMSON]

My BUCKET'S got a "HOLE IN IT"--LOL
Bill Stupid

[Oldbluoval]

No judging.....
Allow flea market....
Agreed on no super loud music and minimal entrance fee if any.

[captndan]

Originally Posted by bill williamson

i do shows mostly for socializing & learning new stuff.
i pick out guys sittin' alone, in their old yellow & black lawn chair. "sometimes" they're the most interesting folks.
i see a fine finished & painted car with some small, empty "ornament" holes & say, "that one must bs a bitch to find"???---then, the conversation warms up!----or, ask them, "what was the hardest part to find"??
remember, whatever kind of car it is, to him, it's the greatest thing since peanut butter!
main thing is not to be an opinionated shit head!!
bill fun

here here!

[Scottio57]

As noted earlier the local cruise in seem to cater to the same old cars getting trophies all the time. Recently they put a limit on how many trophies one car can get to help include other cars and new comers. Now everyone can be included not just the folks with lots of money to throw at their cars. I have noticed that those same folks that always got trophies every weekend for years are now huddled together off in a corner away from the activity, pouting I suppose. They won't even come around and cheer on the same folks that cheered them on all these years. I enjoy going to the local shows and cruise ins to see the cars and talk shop with other car guys but I rarely bring one of my cars.

[wingski]

Originally Posted by captndan

What makes a really good car show? What makes you want to show your car?

The best car show is when a small town devotes a day or a weekend to cars of all types. Fortuna, California does a womderful job. So does Troutdale, Oregon and Oregon City, Oregon. The people in these towns devote their main streets to showing cars and not playing loud music of any era. They usually have a parade on a Saturday evening and it is wonderful to see an original T or A followed by something that is outrageous like a rat rod. I saw the most beautiful car that I’ve ever seen this year at Fortuna. That ’46 Olds convertible was modified in such subtle ways that the average person wouldn’t know how many hundreds of hours of work, love, and ingenuity had went into it. The owner lives in Eureka, Ca. and put 13 years into making it what is today. If you ever get a chance to see this Olds do it. I consider it to be the equivalent of a Da Vinci painting.

[P.S.]

Good point about towns going all cars for a weekend. Sorta like Monterey car week? That was amazing this year.

Ready for the Ironstone Concours now. Last year, Wayne Carini was schmoozing around the patron's tent. He was very nice, and was interested in my Model A. There were also some other car related TV show celebrities schmoozing about, but I didn't know who they were until they told me.

[rowens55]

Originally Posted by pooch

Wow, I do not think I would like meeting most of you on this topic,

I like a bit of 50/s music, I hate concourse check book cars, I like hot rods.

You n me pooch!! Buncha cranky old farts here!

[asapguy]

Great weather makes a great car show especially here in the NW. This Sunday is the annual Snohomish Classic Car Show. They normally have 500-600 cars & close off Main St. & surrounding streets to park cars. Only 1st 150 registered can park on Main St. Yes, they do have 50's & 60's music. I've shown cars in this show for 30 yrs. & got several 1st & 2nds with the 31 68C & 35 5W cp. The last couple yrs. I've taken our 55 Chevy B/A 4dr. It's turquoise & white, 3spd. V-8 & gets lots of attention.

[Terry, NJ]

That's what I love about Jacktown ( Blue Mountain Steam and Gas engines Assoc. Mt Bethel, Pa) NO entrance fees, no parking fees. They make their money on food and home made ice cream. But it's tractors, not cars, oh theres always a car or two around. It's a anything goes type show. The steam shed, tractor pull, miniature railway, flea market. Some C and W music with low amplification. Just a great day in the grove!
Terry

[Y-Blockhead]

I only enter car shows with a cause. And those I don't mind paying to show my car because it is also helping the cause. Don't care about winning any plastic trophies but FREE T-Shirts are nice.
I DO wish they would charge entrance to spectators tho to increase their take... Opertunity Drawing are fun.
Our club recently entered 10 Model As in the Wounded Warrior Car Show. Had a great time with the other members. I also will be showing the Town Sedan at the Redondo Beach HS Car Show that benefits the RB PSTA.

Harbor A's @ Wounded Warrior Car Show

[Jeff/Illinois]

Interesting thread and the songs and music! I'm 63, so anything pre-Beatles sounds weird to me, the doo-wop stuff makes me cringe Music got bad after at least 1973-'74 and the disco stuff,,,, what were they thinking?? Yes it is ALL about marketing today's singers and songs are the worst ever. Follow the $$ and you will find the answers. Of course they did that in the 60's too,,,, GM went out and bought up hundreds of thousands of copies of 'Little GTO' just to get it playing on the radio and make the Top 40 and get that exposure. To sell cars.

I too tire of the usual 'car' songs how many times can you listen to 'Little Deuce Coupe' and 'Spring Little Cobra'? (insert barf icon here) and yes the volume.... geez turn it down or turn it off my hearing is about gone anyway. The Beach Boys---- they stole their stuff from Jan and Dean anyways.

I took the '36 Ford to the first car show I've been in, in years, this summer actually had a good time I'll be back. Meeting the car people was the best part and there was a bit of everything so it was interesting. Big crowd.

[SeaSlugs]

im with the others that say the 50's music needs to be toned down. ours plays it and im sick of it. most people but the club organizers tend to park far away from it or off to the side of the speakers so its bearable.

[Bill G]

We really lucked out on a car show a couple weeks ago. Several blocks long with speakers up on towers at intersections. We were right at the center of a block and so the music was pretty tolerable. However a few months ago, I was at a show where there were very loud (extremely loud) mini racers on an adjacent street that was just terrible. I do not know why anyone would want to listen to that as a spectator, but it was very popular. Drove me nuts.