Newer cars at car shows?

[slomotion]

Originally Posted by GOPAPA

......... .maybe take my 39 to a girly swin suit show..

Can I go? I understand a lot of gals like classics! We might even get them to check out the rides too!

[special-K]

I am kind to the people with vehicles that I feel have not earned their place in classic vehicle shows. I just don't want to see their vehicle there. And of course I ignore the vehicle. I might talk to the owner 5 or 10 minutes, but nothing about their vehicle. You look over what you want to look over. Shows are all about discretion after all. I mean the vehicles are judged, aren't they? Yes they are about the people just as much, same as anything. Every time people get together for anything it's about the people.

I never gave a thought to entering any of my vehicles in shows when I was young. I never entered anything until I started restoring/building them ground-up. I got away from show vehicles and just look at other people's stuff now. I do put my truck in the antique truck club shows where it's any truck over 25 and there is no judging. Guys drive their 50-70 year old tractor trailers, or haul museum quality chain drive hard tire gems hundreds to thousands of miles just so the truck can be seen and appreciated.

I haven't stopped going to any shows over this. The car shows I go to are limited to '72-earlier (NSRA,rod runs, etc) or early '60s-back rod & custom events. I enter my '72 K2500 in my favorite event on Labor Day weekend because it's about hanging, camping, & cruisin' all weekend. It's a county fairground along a mountain river and I camp there on the fringes of things. I'm not real crazy about upping the years to '72, but I understand why it happened.

[abig84]

Once in a while I might see a newer car like a viper that's kinda cool but mostly it's newer mustangs or camaros I've entered my 86 k30 into a few local ones to make my wife happy and not one person cared at either one of them

[CUDA8U]

It's normal for all of us to like certain yrs or certain cars or trucks.I love the 60-early 70,s muscle and 30's 3 window coupes ,rods etc.I just don't think that anyone who enters a new car will ever share the history of the older cars.I love to talk to guys with the old cars and find out the history dating back decades and decades.For me I can appreciate the stories behind the car as much or more then the car/truck itself. A story coming from a guy with a new camaro,challenger or stang is usually,well I bought it last yr and had 22's put on it,magna flows and HID lights.Wow cool story budThe new stuff is mass produced and will never be as cool or share the same great history as the pre 70's vehicles.

My bro inlaw always says...wait til I get my Z06 vette,I look at him and yawn and say..seen 4 today.I then ask him,how many people notice a vet on a busy street? I say to him then,when I half throttle my 70 challenger people stop in their tracks and turn to see what's coming,if I had a nickel for every thumbs up,yahoo or burnout signal I got i could buy 10 zo6's. His 15 yr old boy says ya dad,old cars are waaaay more cool.....silence

[mikebte]

Unfortunately the amount of old cars are getting slimmer and new cars are cheaper and more available. Personally I love older car but I understand that as a young car enthusiast I was eager to get to a car show, with my own car. I did whatever I could to buy and modify. Kids today want to do the same thing, if we don't allow them to become future car guys, then we can kiss car shows goodby.

I have excepted the change and welcome newer cars to shows. But deep down I know that nothing compares to the classics and I have to share this with future generations what true modification really is.

They say it takes a village. It does, everyone here with any skills should be happy to share with the younger generation ideas and mods for cars. Help them see that spray paint and a shifter ball is not the limits of customizing cars. As a child I loved hanging out with the older guys and working on cars, without that I may have steered a different direction.

[special-K]

They can drive the newer calls all they want and so can we. Why does owning a car now have to be all about showing? The muscle cars we were driving didn't qualify for shows back when we were driving the wheels off of them. And we didn't care. They only upped the cut-off at street rod shows from '48 up to '72 in recent years. Has it even been ten years yet? If there are so many of these new car owners wanting to show their cars then they should start their own shows for their area of interest. In the end it's up to who puts the show on. Shows are usually billed for the years they allow. If they don't bill anything specific, or it isn't a club that operates within set limits, it's bring whatever I guess. But that isn't a classic car show, it's just a car show. This winter I'm entering my '72 in the International Auto Show.

[jeffg1010]

I dont really think the newer cars bother me if they actually have something worth showing. When I was 16, I had a Chevy S10 that was pretty stock. I had done a few things that I could afford but really it wasnt show worthy. But I entered it nonetheless. Thank god nobody was ever a jerk to me. I took a lot of pride in that lil' truck (with 250,000 miles).

But, I believe this is where good judges are important. Bad judges who are picking their choices based on personal biases and friendships can leave a bad taste in the mouths of your truly deserving entrants. I've seen some eye opening examples that actually made me feel bad for some classic car owners. I feel I've been on both ends of this debate. Missed out on a few, and stole a few from others.

[cwcarpenter98]

As a sophomore in college, I think it depends on whether or not you are willing to pay to show your car. If the show organizers do not put a year limit on the show, then it's free game for anyone who wants to go. There's been a lot of shows that I wanted to take my 63 to, but couldn't because something broke. I might have been able to show my 95 Dakota in place of the c10, but choose not to because the only special thing about it is that it has only 67k miles. Also, I'm a broke college student, so going to shows all the time with entry fees is not an option for me. I prefer cruise ins, but there is a much greater chance of seeing new cars at cruise ins because there is not a high cost associated with attending the event.

I've noticed that at every show I go to, especially the small, local ones, there are very few car owners that look like they are under 25 years old

[special-K]

I drove 'classic vehicles' all my life. In '71, at 16, I drove a '56, but never gave showing it a thought. Back then car shows were for show cars, everything else was for driving. I restored that car as I drove it. By '74 it was painted and complete. I drove it, never thought about showing. Then I got a '66 in '76. Same thing, went all through it and made it one of a kind on my meager income. Drove it to California and back but never showed it. Had a '47 Stude p/u then, too, never showed. Then restored a '69, frame off, in '80. Drove that to NC and back, Florida and back, then Arizona and back but never showed it. I had a '61 Stude p/u I restored in that time, and could just keep going right up to now. For me it was never about showing. It's about me and driving what I like. I did get into showing a couple/few builds in the '90s, but decided it wasn't for me. Now I go to unjudged shows with my '72, and they are only for old vehicles because they are antique truck shows... 25+ years.

You go to the truck show at Carlisle and it seems to be more high dollar late model trucks with heaps of money put on top of that money. It's not an antique truck show, it's a truck show. I look at what I like and ignore the rest.

[Canuckvetter]

I love my classics. I have had many Corvettes, a Chevelle and GM trucks. I like to think I'm a car enthusiast. While living in the East I would go to Florida in the winter. Made some good friends through the love of cars. My good friend Wayne would take me to a show in Ft. Lauderdale. It was huge! They would separate cars and trucks in decades. You could look at rows of classics, exotics or rice rockets at the same show. If the new ones are at a cruise night I will walk up and look. Most times I chat up the guys with the older stuff that I grew up with.

[Mudder]

I have been to a few shows, but haven't been to one in over 10 years. I have always had a fondness for all Truck shows.

[Black_Sheep]

It's the friendships I've developed over the years that keeps me coming back, cars are secondary...

[Canuckvetter]

Originally Posted by Black_Sheep

It's the friendships I've developed over the years that keeps me coming back, cars are secondary...

That rings true for me also!

[Willie Makeit]

Originally Posted by Black_Sheep

It's the friendships I've developed over the years that keeps me coming back, cars are secondary...

this guy knows what's up

[Mudder]

I won't go to car "shows" any more. Too much of the judges favoring one thing or another (friend or a local).I don't have the nicest truck and I know whats wrong with it. I don't need someone to pick at it to tell me what I already know. As for new vehicles. It's probably about the money they bring in. I have never seen a show here in MO that gives any kind of cash payouts for winners. Mostly charities, clubs, benefits. I have stories.

[RevNW]

new stuff needs to stay home!