I do not understand car shows...

[psdenno]

Speaking as someone who organized national car shows for many years, the awards tend to be won by either people who buy a very nice car that someone else lavished time and money on (a hollow victory at best), or by someone who has channeled their anal retentive tendencies to the car hobby (a life altering obsession).

To clear the way for others to win, and feel good about their cars, we created a "Senior Class" for cars that had won three consecutive shows. That pitted the best against the best and opened up the other classes new competition.

Dennis

[Oiluj]

I know what you mean. Last show I was in, there was only one award for import cars. A pristine XKE that was "professionally" restored won the trophy. The cost of the restoration work alone was probably three times as much as I have in my Z. It was absolutely beautiful, so I didn't mind losing to it. I did win a "vendor's choice" award in that show, which was a complete surprise. My car is for driving, and will eventually show a sight patina of repaired paint chips, seat wear, etc.

At a clubr gathering, a brand new, "off-the-showroom" GTR won the top prize. To me, that's just completely wrong. It seems to me that there were many cars, (mine not included), there that better deserved "best in show". But that's how car shows go...

As I did with the 1960 MGA I replaced with my Z, car shows for me are about chatting with folks about my car, and seeing other nice cars. I'm just not anal retentive enough in my restoration or preparation to win a best in class trophy. I appreciate those that do it, but for me it's just not worth it.

[Diseazd]

Here another trophy..............[ATTACH=CONFIG]57330[/ATTACH]

OJ........You are definitely something else! I love your enthusiasm.......you really are a Z phanatic. Good job on the trophies and the girl.

[72 OJ]

OJ........You are definitely something else! I love your enthusiasm.......you really are a Z phanatic. Good job on the trophies and the girl.

Yes , the Z addiction is in full force and the Zweet babe is ....................that is for me to know and you to figure out

[280~Master]

I have hit a few local shows this month and won nothing. Zero nada zippo but have had people coming out of the wood work taking pics and talking about the Z. How they love it and remember all about it. The last show I lost to a 69 camaro that has been ground up restored buy a shop in town. Then brought to the show by the shop not even the guy who paid for the restro. Trust me it was beautiful and deserved to win. For me its not about the trophy but the cause. Help out cancer kids or breast cancer and even wounded warriors. Would I like to win? sure for bragging rights only thats it.

What does bother me about most of the car shows around my area is the way trophies are awarded. I have seen a car take home 6 trophies at the same show. They let one car win several classes and I think this is wrong. How do you win best paint, best interior, best wheels, best stance ect then take home best of show to top it all off. Judging should be on a points system from 0-10 and the awards need to be handed out on a tier level. If youy taking home best of show should you also get to take home 4 or 5 trophies. To me its ends up lopsided because the best of show winner always walks out with the 5 or 6 trophies.

[hls30.com]

Look at the car show you are considering. Who are the organizers, and are they active participants in more than one Marque/nationality...that will tell you a lot about the results of a show before you enter it. Many larger communities have Car Club Consortiums that bring the leaders-if not the members-of the local car clubs together for a meeting once a month, and allow the clubs to share a common calendar, and pool resources for major events-I set that up for COastal Z Club several years ago and it allows members of clubs that might not actually interact to have that opportunity on neutral ground, Leading up to the Zcon 2011, I exchanged several emails with the President of a local Ferrari Cub, and attended their concours as his guest, subsequently he asked me to help him find a 240Z, and he bought one. He came to our convention as well, and was seriously impressed with the entries in our car show-Both Ferrari and Porsche had their show on the Grass in the heat!

I saw similar things with Carl Becks Rally Z, #300, at the Amelia Island Concours, and at the Hilton Head Concours-some people openly embrace Zs, and some don't.

As to winning a car show... In most that do not have an available judging guide Bling in King-and will hide lost of wizz poor details. If there is a judging guide get it and use it for all it is worth.

I had one local Z owner tell me a car show "isn't about the little stuff it is about the big picture, make it eye-catching, and different-the details will get lost in the gloss" This guy has a 240Z that is exactly that-He would not bring it to Zcon, and after four years of inviting him to the local club meetings, I know he knows his opinion would not be true there. But at every open show he enters, he wins-more often than not multiple awards. His car is a beautiful color, his car is as mechanically perfect as it can be, he has lots of gloss, and chrome and polish, but he also has many body and paint flaws, overspray under the hood, and fit and finish issues scattered throughout the car...but as he knows, in the bright sunshine, details get lost in the gloss!

I'll add some pictures of his car in the next couple of days.

[Jim-n-Texas]

Car Shows are a hoot. I have taken my restored Willys CJ-2A to a show where the "judge" asked, "isn't it supposed to be green?" (CJ=Civilian Jeep) - oh well. My vehicles tend to tax the show organizers as to what class it should be in - it really isn't that important to me as the shows let me meet some very interesting people, see some nicely done vehicles. By the way, I saw the 240 at the show Saturday (really well done car) -had a nice chat with the owner and left before the awards. I will take my '76 280 to shows when it is finished for the fun of the show. I have taken a restored 1942 Dodge Military Ambulance to shows - it has been "street/stock original", "truck", "special interest", "4x4" and probably some classes I don't remember. I did go to one show where the classes were year of manufacture - that was interesting. Our local show has only "participant choice" and "people's choice" awards. To win participant choice was really the most meaningful award that I have taken home.

[Oiluj]

Jim,

My father & I had a C-2A (korean war?) vintage that I fixed up. I used it to cruise around town in it after college. My father used it for duck hunting in the San Joaquin delta.

Really great vehicle. The manual gave info on tuning the carburetor to run on kerosene to aviation gas.

The jeep was eventually sold to my second cousin when my father stopped hunting.

[motorman7]

Over the last several years I have learned that each show is very different and judges range from clueless to well informed. Each show is "like a box of chocolates, you never know what you will get".

Personally, I try to get into shows that are 'off the beaten path', those that typically do not feature Z's. In those shows, people seem to be very intrigued that a Z would show up, which leads to some very nice conversation. Currently, that is my main reason for entering a car show. I want to be around people that are interested in the Z and enjoy talking Z's or similar cars. Any trophies received are just gravy.

I have found the high end Concours to be the most enjoyable (that is, if I can get in) because those spectators attending are typically paying some decent money to get into the show. As a result, they are very interested and well informed for the most part. I think the shows that are free bring out those that are perhaps a bit more impressed by 'bling'. That definitely is not my Z.

To be honest, I was very unimpressed with the 2012 ZCON car show. I think perhaps that my expectations were too high. I was expecting something like 200-400 Z's at the show, and I don't even think there were 100. The turnout was so low that there were only 2 Z's in the 240Z stock class that I was in. We get more stock 240's than that at our club meetings. And, my car really was 'not a good fit' for the show. The ZCON is for Z's that are restored to excellent condition. Preservation or un-restored Z's are not well received by the judges, nor is there a class for them.

One of my favorite shows was the Dana Point Concours, and I didn't even place. The conversations were incredible, and parking my car on the fairway near the St Regis hotel in Dana Point over- looking the ocean was unparalleled and was well worth the admission fee. The brushed aluminum placard they set-up in front of your car is nicer than most of the trophies I have received. Yet the icing on the cake was when an elderly couple asked if I could take pictures of them with my car. The wife took some pics of the husband around the car which kind of made is looked like he owned the car. I asked them about the pictures and they said my Z looked exactly like the one the husband drove when they were first dating over 40 years earlier, and it brought back wonderful memories for them. Moments like that are priceless.

Anyway, just my take.

Best regards,

Rich

[rocketdog]

I've been in many car shows over the past 6-7 years and so many of them are full of the Detroit iron. Most times I'm the only Z in the show among a few other sports cars. I enjoy the conversations with viewers about their story of when they had Z years ago...heard hundreds of them. If you consider your Z car among all the others YOU are the unique one in a sea of Mustangs, Camaros and Vettes. Have I won anything..sure and it's fun, but that's not the reason to go. I just recently entered a Tri-State All Datsun Show nearby in Arizona. Whata Hoot! I don't think I've talked so much with so many great Datsun enthusiasts ever! Z's, 1600/2000 roadsters, 510's, pickups. It was the best show ever. I didn't win an award though many stated they voted for me...there were some great pristine 240's that did and should have gotten the trophies.

[hls30.com]

At the end of the day it all comes down to this, did you plan/build your Z for you or for recognition from others? Those of us who built/planned it for our enjoyment are happy with what our Z brings us without a show win-the Z is enough and everything else is great tasting cake-an unexpected surprise! Those who planned/built or bought a Z for recognition, have to get it from others...nothing wrong with either one, just different kinds of people. Getting bent out of shape, or putting too much value in other peoples opinions means your own opinion is not as important to you as it should be-after all, as long as what you are doing is not illegal, immoral, or unethical, the only one who really cares about it and has to be happy with it is you.

Back to Car shows:

I have been thinking about car shows quite a bit in the last several months-in getting ready to host another one for the local/regional area, and here is what I am currently planning to appeal to/satisfy the greatest number of participants-in order to grow the participation year after year.

1) All Judging procedures will be made available at least a month before the show-and support materials will be fully documented inside-Questions will be addressed openly and answers made public and readily available. Essentially, Cleanliness, Uniformity of Fit, and Uniformity of Finish will rule and rated with easily prepared testing supplies.

2) Every model in attendance within each Marque in attendance will be awarded. Best 240Z, best 260Z, Best 300ZX, Best Best 510, Best S2000, best Edsel, Best Pantera, Best Isodera, etc...

3) One member of Every Marque in attendance will be awarded with a Best Paint, Cleanest Interior, Cleanest Engine Bay, and ultimately Best of Show(Meaning there will Best paint on a Nissan, Best paint on a Toyota, best paint on a F.O. R. D. )

4) Other awards will be given, but not specifically advertised-best starting point, most promise, best improvement (in the second year) best evidence of great work.....

5) We will use Judges from the local clubs, but they will not judge their own marques, to keep temptation at a minimum, and let them see the best of what other marques have.

My thought is it is easier for most people to judge Cleanliness, Uniformity of Fit, and Uniformity of Finish-in what they are not overly familiar with-not the marque specific stuff they are used to seeing-it is too easy for many people to see what they want instead of what is when they look at something they see with great regularity. I also believe more, and meaningful awards mean more satisfaction to the entrants at the show, and the point is to further the hobby as a whole and not the collection of a trophy whore.

Edited October 23, 2012 by hls30.com

[jtmader]

I have a very nice 72 240Z (Lime) one of the 37 that was part of the Z Vintage Program from back in the mid to late 90's. Since owning it (4 years now) I have redone much of the engine bay area and cleaned up some of the small stress cracks in the paint. It is truely a "show car".....not a trailer queen as it does get driven. When I first started doing the show scene with it 4 years ago I couldn't understand why I didn't get 1st place in the Import/Foreign Class every time. When I didn't I would come home all pissed off about it. Finally, my wife had enough......"did you buy this car to win trophies or because you love Z's?" needless to say I was embarrased....she was right.....WTF was I thinking?? Anyway, I go to shows now to enjoy all the folks who like to talk to you about "their" Z and how much fun they had with it when they owned one. Not all judges are going to like our cars and I have accepted that. The ONE thing that I do take very seriously are the Z convention shows and the quest for a gold medallion. You are not being judged against anyone....it's your car vs. 300 points (actually 290 or better). I have been lucky enough to participate in the Z convention's from 2010 and 2011....and in 2013 it's close by in NH. Local car shows are a chance to relax and talk about the cars that we all truely love....trophy or no trophy!!