teuhl

I am puzzled on what judges are looking for when judging Corvettes. Yesterday, Vettes that had painted and chrome all over the car took honors. The only painted item under my hood are the fuel rail covers. Otherwise everything else is maintained with Protective 303. Seems like the more tinsel that you have under the hood and in the cabin gets the points no manner what everything else looks like. My car has no swirls in the finish and all other parts of the car look like the day it came off the assembly line. The cars were in the C5 and C6 class. All suggestions are welcome.

EDinPA

You have a good looking car. Please don't ruin it for a two dollar trophy.

iridelow

Your car is nice, but it's also the same car anyone with a little money can buy! The c6's are too new to be "car show winners" unless they are customized. You can spend a coupe of grand on your car and win a bunch of $10 trophies or keep it stock and sell it for even more down the road. A c6 vette is not a car show car! Leave it like it is, drive it and enjoy it. don't waste your money to win a few little plastic trophies!!!!!!

Raazor

I agree.

However, you can do the engine bay tastefully and still win.

It's weird, my brother and I will go to shows with our two cars (his is a mustang) and sometimes I win and sometimes he does. There's no rhyme or reason.

If it's a people's choice, it either has to be flashy, or old.... or both.

Racer

Any stock off the lot type newer Vette should never win a contest.

Luster

That's exactly why I stopped registering for car shows. If they'll let me just have my car there to show, that's fine, but I won't enter.

Most shows are alike in one way. The judges pick the cars they like. Period. There's no accounting for taste.

KX

The first thing I learned, the hard way: POLITICS...play a very big role. Me, I was new, no one knew me or my car, etc. I figured, why should that matter...I have a really great looking car in a very limited class. I participated in just one more local show, a big one, and that was it.....never won a thing and tired of cleaning inside the fuse box with Q-tips and all of that. Not for me. So, I took to the track and had a ton more fun and no longer had to spit and polish and sit on my **** like most do at shows...boring! Just my opinion and experience. Others may have or do find things differently...each to his own!

jpee

I'm NOT being a wise azz..... but IMO screw the car shows! If your not in the "IN" crowd you ain't gonna win... they are a JOKE!

Without even seeing photos of your car, I'd bet the ranch its "PERFECT" but you kept it "CLEAN" .. and not full of "BLING" looking like you just got it out of the "HOOD"

Or from a "Beach Dude" from the Ca. coast.. who would say "Wow thats like "happinin" cool wheels I like the chrome cover on the battery hold down.... I'm sure our club president would love it too

You get my point! Just to say this is my opinion or "COMPARISON" I'm comparing a car show to drag Racing....

In a car show you could and very well may have the cleanest car there, but is the "OPINION" of the judges and Joe slob might beat you....

Now if you were along side of me at the track, and you had a better RT (Reaction Time) and ran closer to the Dial in (the time) you expect to run.. you WIN even if I own the track.. its YOU vs HIM/HER

I'm 67 yrs old, and last yr I won over $4000 racing.. I beat 24 yr old guys who could kick my azz and I've been beaten by a 21 yr old girl who weighed 105 soaking wet... Here she is and was the Track Champ two years ago... there were NO judges just good timing equipment.. and her ability to drive..

I understand racing my not be your "thing" and thats fine, but remember shows are just the "Judges Opinion"....

Good luck in your next one!

johnodrake

It seems like the mo bling, the mo better.....

Raazor

there are some good points on here. In our little town (150,000 / largest in the state) there's a great car community. The Montana Auto Enthusiasts Club has members from the ages of 16 to 70. It's really cool to get together with everyone for the all the shows. It's pretty much the same people all the time. It's no longer about winning but looking at the cars and talking "shop". we have a good time and many of our shows are sponsored by churches and have no fees to sign up and offer free lunch.

saplumr

I love to show but I never get judged. I'll let someone else get the pat on the back if they need it...it's just not for me.

CH-Z51

What I don't get is people buying new cars and entering them in car shows and expecting to win something I like the mods I've done to my vette but I don't think its car show material. Just my 2 cents

MARSC6

Most of the shows I enter are participant judging and who wants to see whats sitting all over dealer lots.

RedVette84

After you accumulate a bunch of trophies then you wonder what you are going to do with them all. I enjoy watching others who haven't won many or not at all win. The look on a first time winner is usually priceless.

C7GrandSport

Let me explain how it works with The Silver Devil. The bling has a purpose, particularly on a sunny day. I open the hood and the judges just quickly give me a perfect score before they get severely sunburned


Then they give me these ...

Bill Dearborn

It all depends on the type of judging the show had and whether there were any rules for the judges to follow. Participant judging is a joke. None of the participants know what they are supposed to be judging and so the show turns into a popularity contest. Not really worth going to either as a participant or a spectator. If there are pre-selected judges with specific classes and rules as to what kind of cars are in each class and what to evaluate in each class you have a better chance of winning something if you take care of your car. If done right with knowledgeable judges these shows tend to neglect showy items like chrome or custom paint. The judges are looking for how clean the car is and most of the showy cars really aren't kept that clean. A quick look at the wheel wells, base of the inside of the windshield, in front of and around the places where the door hinges attach to the body, through the rear hatch glass for dust around hatch supports and heater wiring, around the license plate, etc can tell whether a certain car will be at the top or bottom of the class. Those are the kind of shows where you remove your floor mats because the judge may ask you to remove them so he/she can see the carpet under them and getting surprised by some lint you didn't remove because the mat hid it could knock you to the bottom of the class. I used to attend shows where a certain woman would show her C4 that had gold plated emblems all over. She never won anything because when you looked at the gold rear license frame you could see dirt spots in small openings on either side of the frame. She never bothered to take a Q tip and clean in the two openings. Since she was competing in my class I never told her she needed to pay more attention to detail.

In these types of shows new cars can win but it is hard since most owners don't realize how dirty they are when they come from the factory. It takes a couple of weeks of cleaning by the owner to get them show ready.

Bill

Raazor

sickness at it's best!

sam_b

I hate car shows that are cleaning contests. I made many mods to my car for me to enjoy, I hope others like it too, but if not I don't care. I have to agree that by entering a basically stock c6 in a car show it's not right to expect a prize just because it's clean. I took second place to a 07 c6 with the paper plates still on it and my car has 30k in mods. There is no reasoning in car show judging. I just go to enjoy the day and look at the other show cars.

BTW your car looks great, enjoy it however you want!

fivefingerdeathpunch

Up here in the northwest at the corvette shows we do people choice for C1 to C6 and the NWACC where each class is judge on

EXTERIOR: overall condition:,no cracks.chips other than small rock chips from normal use.no rust pitting.missing body parts paint should be shiny and uniform.glass should be free of chips.scratches and smudges. wheels,tires,and wheel wells should be clean and free of debris.tread must be at minimum legal depth. for max points: 55

INTERIOR:from outside the driver's window,look at the passenger side only.then switch side and assess the driver's side. no major wear,rips tears in seat, carpet.door panels,dash and console. no missing or broken components. judge fit of seat covers if used. check for visible dust. for max points:40

ENGINE:hood open is optional, but 0 points will be awarded if hood is closed) from 3 feet away. all visible components, including suspension. must be clean. neat,with no dirt, oil.or other debris. check condition of hoses. chrome. and paint. no broken components. no deductions for non- originality. max points 5

bluman

and their buddies