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Car shows are awful, and I would never be caught dead at one, and the Corvette community at shows are some of the worst. Guys will rice out a Corvette worse than the fastest, most furious Honda Civic at the local high school parking lot and think nothing of it. They'll load it up with shitty stick-on chrome, horrible looking airbrush work (usually of skulls, checkered flags, or cartoon characters) and think they somehow improved the car.
And when you look closely at most of these cars they're an absolute joke. They want the observer to THINK the car is capable of being driven properly fast. Forget the obvious issues of causing damage to their precious decorative stuff and polish work-- lots of the "go fast" stuff on those cars is strictly for looks. They'll have brake rotors with more holes than surface area, and caliper covers to hold in all the heat. Then you look at the "wide" tires and notice that they're 10+ year old all seasons. Suspensions are almost always stock, maybe with some paint or chrome bolt heads, and the same theme continues as you examine the rest of the car.
And then there are the owners, they're the worst of all. It's almost always some old guy in jean shorts just DYING to talk to you (probably because they're starved for attention anywhere else). But the kicker is they rarely want to talk about the car behind them that you can actually see---- NOOOO they want to tell you lies about the car they USED to have. That way you have no way of objectively calling them on their obvious bullshit.
Car shows are awful, and I would never be caught dead at one, and the Corvette community at shows are some of the worst. Guys will rice out a Corvette worse than the fastest, most furious Honda Civic at the local high school parking lot and think nothing of it. They'll load it up with shitty stick-on chrome, horrible looking airbrush work (usually of skulls, checkered flags, or cartoon characters) and think they somehow improved the car.
And when you look closely at most of these cars they're an absolute joke. They want the observer to THINK the car is capable of being driven properly fast. Forget the obvious issues of causing damage to their precious decorative stuff and polish work-- lots of the "go fast" stuff on those cars is strictly for looks. They'll have brake rotors with more holes than surface area, and caliper covers to hold in all the heat. Then you look at the "wide" tires and notice that they're 10+ year old all seasons. Suspensions are almost always stock, maybe with some paint or chrome bolt heads, and the same theme continues as you examine the rest of the car.
And then there are the owners, they're the worst of all. It's almost always some old guy in jean shorts just DYING to talk to you (probably because they're starved for attention anywhere else). But the kicker is they rarely want to talk about the car behind them that you can actually see---- NOOOO they want to tell you lies about the car they USED to have. That way you have no way of objectively calling them on their obvious bullshit.
Car shows are awful, and I would never be caught dead at one, and the Corvette community at shows are some of the worst. Guys will rice out a Corvette worse than the fastest, most furious Honda Civic at the local high school parking lot and think nothing of it. They'll load it up with shitty stick-on chrome, horrible looking airbrush work (usually of skulls, checkered flags, or cartoon characters) and think they somehow improved the car.
And when you look closely at most of these cars they're an absolute joke. They want the observer to THINK the car is capable of being driven properly fast. Forget the obvious issues of causing damage to their precious decorative stuff and polish work-- lots of the "go fast" stuff on those cars is strictly for looks. They'll have brake rotors with more holes than surface area, and caliper covers to hold in all the heat. Then you look at the "wide" tires and notice that they're 10+ year old all seasons. Suspensions are almost always stock, maybe with some paint or chrome bolt heads, and the same theme continues as you examine the rest of the car.
And then there are the owners, they're the worst of all. It's almost always some old guy in jean shorts just DYING to talk to you (probably because they're starved for attention anywhere else). But the kicker is they rarely want to talk about the car behind them that you can actually see---- NOOOO they want to tell you lies about the car they USED to have. That way you have no way of objectively calling them on their obvious bullshit.
That kind of "I'm better than everyone else" attitude is exactly why Corvette owners are believed to be snobs by most other "car guys".
That kind of "I'm better than everyone else" attitude is exactly why Corvette owners are believed to be snobs by most other "car guys".
Most of the gearheads I know aren't Corvette guys. Due in particular to the negative image the rest of society has garnered from guys like brother in law. Over the years he's owned 6. All looked great from10' but they were truly POS; which also made matters worse he kept repeating that negative, tired old line " best American Sports Car" I darn near threw up every time I hear it. And the gold. Don't forget the necklaces and chains. He has fake chrome Z51 badges, always dirty chrome spoke wheels, GS fender stripes and Corvette windshield logo on his base C7. He tells anyone who'll listen at car shows he's getting a C8.
So unfortunately yeah; if the shoe fits...
Although I don’t have a car worthy of showing, I enjoy car shows and always have lots of fun there. Looking at the cars is just part of the experience. It’s fun to talk with the owners and learn the stories associated with their cars, the work they’ve done to personalize them, and see the pride they have in their vehicles. I’ve really not witnessed the widespread Corvette snobbery that others here perceive. Normally it’s just a bunch of car enthusiasts getting together to enjoy the shared brotherhood.
My car is more go than show. However, I do try to keep it looking as nice as I can. I've never gone to an actual car show that was judged. However, I do really enjoy car meets where a bunch of car guys just get together to look at each others cars and talk. Everything that I've ever done to my Corvette, I've done to make myself happy. It doesn't really matter what a judge thinks. It would be cool to win a trophy, but I guess I would need to actually enter a show for that to happen. The closest I've come to doing that is the C5 of the year competition on the forum.
My club puts on a car show every Veteran's Day weekend. It takes months and over 120 people to put on our show. We close 8 city blocks downtown and host between 350-450 cars every year. One of my jobs every year is to chose the best Mopar out of the top 5 or 6 scoring Mopars. ( I'm primarily a Mopar guy, although I do own a modified C-5 which shares the garage with my '64 Super Stock Dodge.)
What I look for when judging is not necessarily how nice the car looks but how much effort was put into the car to get it to score in the top 10. Simply having a polished, detailed stocker is not going to impress me that much... unless its an extremely rare car. I look at how much work has been done and how well it was done. I like to talk to the owner if he's there just to see if he's really a "car guy". I also take into account whether the owner did the work, which is a plus in my book, or whether he just wrote a check. Anyone can buy their way to a trophy but I feel that trophies need to be earned, not just bestowed on the guy with the biggest pocket book.
All that said, when I attend shows I never expect to earn a trophy. I really couldn't give a damn if I get one or not. I'm there to meet new people, enjoy the cars, and have a good time. My ego doesn't need to be stroked by a little piece of plastic with a gold car on top.
I'm like you when judging..
How much skin in the game,,, is what
I'm looking for.
Just got home from my first car show in almost 4 years. Just been too busy. My 03 Z06 mostly just in storage for a while. Spent every day over the last week cleaning it, polishing, waxing, tweaking, clean, polish and wax again. The car was immaculate, paint great, engine near spotless. Open car show with probably 150 plus cars, separated into decades. Got there early, picked a prime parking place. Over the day, tremendous response from lookers. My car probably had more attention than anything parked around me. I enjoyed the conversations. Prior to judging, I overheard one of the club members telling another club member that several judges were no-shows and "Go find somebody to judge." Well, they found somebody, and that judge may have spent 30 seconds if that long looking at my car. Didn't even look at my custom leather work for speakers or look at the trunk, or stick his head inside the car. So, I walked over and asked "Did you notice the custom stereo install?" He said "Yep." No trophy for me, but had a fun day, until I noticed that while I was away at the award ceremony, somebody wasn't watching their kids and they drew hearts all down the drivers side of my black car in the pollen that had settled since judging. Oh well....... I've heard others say, just go for the fun, not the trophy. Probably won't go to this club's show again, though. Gotta go polish out some hearts.....
Been there many times. My 02 gathers more public attention than most cars there but a lot of times that doesn't reflect votes as they vote for friends etc.
Sux about the heart drawings. At a show I was out looking at other cars and when I got back to mine the couple next to me said kids were trying to hang from the lambo doors. WTF? As a kid, if I was to even get to close to someone's car, my Dad would have had me by the ear. We were taught to respect other's property.
Originally Posted by The Former
I entered one show in my life. Around 1990 I had a 69 442 W-30, buckets with a column shift. Kind of an oddball. Anyway, the car was really nice and I entered it in a local show.
A Chevelle parked next to me and he got out all his stuff and sat down. We of course were shooting the sh*t. His car was a 2 out of 10. Rust had eaten part of the quarters, etc. Not show worthy IMO. He said, "I'll get second today but maybe first." I was thinking this guy is highly delusional. He then went on to explain that his car club goes to shows en masse where they have already designated who will win or place. They enter enough cars that if it's participants judging, they win.
At that I packed up my sh*t and left to enjoy the day instead of sitting there watching a rust bucket POS get a trophy.
This happens too much. I went to a show in Clinton Iowa and I overheard the Mustang club leader telling the members who they would vote for. Needless to say, I never went back.
Originally Posted by lewislgZ06
Every show is different. Some are poorly organized, some have people judging that don't know squat about cars, some are like mentioned above, the results are already determined before the show begins. It's hit and miss when you've never been to a particular show before.
And yes, it's aggravating some times when you've worked your *** off preparing your car and spent a lot of money. I remember one time a judge walked by the front of the car and never looked at anything else, and one show where a young girl was judging Corvettes and told me she had never seen one up close before.
I have found that the fellowship is what is most enjoyable. I like to go with friends and just shoot the breeze and pick on each other all day.
Most of the shows I attend locally are for charity, so that's always a good thing too.
Yup.
I have made a lot of friends at car shows so yeah, fellowship is most enjoyable. And yes, I think every car show I go to is for charity.
Just got home from my first car show in almost 4 years. Just been too busy. My 03 Z06 mostly just in storage for a while. Spent every day over the last week cleaning it, polishing, waxing, tweaking, clean, polish and wax again. The car was immaculate, paint great, engine near spotless. Open car show with probably 150 plus cars, separated into decades. Got there early, picked a prime parking place. Over the day, tremendous response from lookers. My car probably had more attention than anything parked around me. I enjoyed the conversations. Prior to judging, I overheard one of the club members telling another club member that several judges were no-shows and "Go find somebody to judge." Well, they found somebody, and that judge may have spent 30 seconds if that long looking at my car. Didn't even look at my custom leather work for speakers or look at the trunk, or stick his head inside the car. So, I walked over and asked "Did you notice the custom stereo install?" He said "Yep." No trophy for me, but had a fun day, until I noticed that while I was away at the award ceremony, somebody wasn't watching their kids and they drew hearts all down the drivers side of my black car in the pollen that had settled since judging. Oh well....... I've heard others say, just go for the fun, not the trophy. Probably won't go to this club's show again, though. Gotta go polish out some hearts.....
I used to take my antique BMW motorcycle to shows and most of the time, you get the experts commenting on how "incorrect" your bike is. My standard line was always, "gee, you must have the same bike. Can we go see yours so I can see what a 100% correct model is?"
Cars and Coffee events are much more fun. We have one each Saturday morning in Tecumseh, MI and everyone there just comes to drive their cars, and share in some good conversation.
Just got home from my first car show in almost 4 years. Just been too busy. My 03 Z06 mostly just in storage for a while. Spent every day over the last week cleaning it, polishing, waxing, tweaking, clean, polish and wax again. The car was immaculate, paint great, engine near spotless. Open car show with probably 150 plus cars, separated into decades. Got there early, picked a prime parking place. Over the day, tremendous response from lookers. My car probably had more attention than anything parked around me. I enjoyed the conversations. Prior to judging, I overheard one of the club members telling another club member that several judges were no-shows and "Go find somebody to judge." Well, they found somebody, and that judge may have spent 30 seconds if that long looking at my car. Didn't even look at my custom leather work for speakers or look at the trunk, or stick his head inside the car. So, I walked over and asked "Did you notice the custom stereo install?" He said "Yep." No trophy for me, but had a fun day, until I noticed that while I was away at the award ceremony, somebody wasn't watching their kids and they drew hearts all down the drivers side of my black car in the pollen that had settled since judging. Oh well....... I've heard others say, just go for the fun, not the trophy. Probably won't go to this club's show again, though. Gotta go polish out some hearts.....
For me it's more about the car comradery now. Been a while since I have done a judged show. I did many when I bought my car 19 years ago. I have my share of trophies boxed up somewhere. I know some people live and die by them. I do enjoy the car and coffee events as well as different cruise nights around my area. Having great conversation and sharing ideas is worth way more to me than a trophy. Just my 2 cents.
I took a brand new Challenger R/T with zero mods to a car show and parked it next to some of the most beautiful restored vehicles owned by people who put their life savings into them. I got a trophy while they didn’t, most car shows are a joke, I now pay the entry fee but don’t fill out the registration card.
I enjoy going to cars shows. I don't enter my C5 and in most cases won't drive my C5 to the show. I'll spend an hour or two looking at cars, grab a burger, and then leave. I'm driving a C5 so I'm already a winner.
It's totally worth it though when you walk up to get the 1st place award for your C5, look out at the participants, spot the owners of the C6Z, C7Z, and C8 that were in the same class, and then notice the look of defeat, anger, and disgust come across their face. True story.
I feel ya OP. I went to my first show in over a year, and they had soccer moms judging since it was for a PTA charity. I had easily the most attention and onlookers, but didn't get a single mention, and the judges never went passed the open hood. They didn't even look under the hood...inside the car (ironic since I was entered in the Interior class as well), or anywhere else. Not surprised when nothing was won. In the end I didn't care...every show is different and I still love going to them. If it's an "Annual" event that is well established, I'll enter it. If it's a "First Annual"...keep your money and don't enter. LOL!
Car shows are awful, and I would never be caught dead at one, and the Corvette community at shows are some of the worst. Guys will rice out a Corvette worse than the fastest, most furious Honda Civic at the local high school parking lot and think nothing of it. They'll load it up with shitty stick-on chrome, horrible looking airbrush work (usually of skulls, checkered flags, or cartoon characters) and think they somehow improved the car.
And when you look closely at most of these cars they're an absolute joke. They want the observer to THINK the car is capable of being driven properly fast. Forget the obvious issues of causing damage to their precious decorative stuff and polish work-- lots of the "go fast" stuff on those cars is strictly for looks. They'll have brake rotors with more holes than surface area, and caliper covers to hold in all the heat. Then you look at the "wide" tires and notice that they're 10+ year old all seasons. Suspensions are almost always stock, maybe with some paint or chrome bolt heads, and the same theme continues as you examine the rest of the car.
And then there are the owners, they're the worst of all. It's almost always some old guy in jean shorts just DYING to talk to you (probably because they're starved for attention anywhere else). But the kicker is they rarely want to talk about the car behind them that you can actually see---- NOOOO they want to tell you lies about the car they USED to have. That way you have no way of objectively calling them on their obvious bullshit.
I like going to car shows but do not bring my cars as I get bored fast and rather not sit there all day for a trophy I couldn't care less about, especially participation trophies. Anyway, around 2002 or so I won second place in a corvette show that I was not even participating in. It was a show at the local drag strip. I was drag racing...it was pretty funny when a friend brought over a trophy fir my car....however, fast forward many years and while my car actually looks better now I will probably be overlooked in a show....it is what it is...
I like going to car shows but do not bring my cars as I get bored fast and rather not sit there all day for a trophy I couldn't care less about, especially participation trophies.
Same. I've entered my c2 and buick in a few shows over the years, never made it through the entire day... Just can't do it.
Have never liked the politics of the car show culture. Competition brings out the less desirable side of folks sometimes. I have a friend who is deeply into the show/trophy scene and he is frustrated at times about the partisan behavior. Forty years ago I joined a well-established club and found out the rigidity wasn't for me. These days my friends come out to the shop, work on their cars, maybe have a cookout, and catch up on 'important stuff' without rules, dues, lists, officers, commitments etc.
In my experience, the fairs/festivals/church/charity benefit/vineyard shows are the worst in terms of the risks associated with a public that at times may not appreciate or respect the equipment. I've found it illogical that perhaps the only people who end up paying for these sideshows are the folks who bring the cars and pay 'entry' fees, while spectators get in for nothing (yet feel they can put their kid in your car without so much as asking) - seems it should be the other way around but I understand the necessary economics.
I do enjoy the local cruise-ins where one just goes to listen to good music and chat with others. I'm not one to pull out a chair and sit beside the car waiting for folks to come and interact. There's a cruise every night of the week somewhere locally - bring a car and just walk around with the wife, grab a beverage and maybe a sandwich from the food cart. There are some nice cruise-in venues around here including lakes and parks where you can set up your chair and enjoy the event and the sounds. Just relax and chat with the local folks a bit.
War story: Years ago I built a T-Bucket from scratch. Took care of it and drove it for thousands of miles before selling it to a fellow in Virginia. I never entered it into a show but the new owner did and won more than a few trophies with it judging by the pictures he sent me from the shows. Never knew I had a potential trophy winner because I just wasn't interested in competing lol. To each his own.
True story.
