Event Coverage What is important to you when attending a car show

If it's the appropriate volume it's ok. The problem is that everyone likes to make it too loud which does nothing for the audience or the performer.


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I don't do a lot of shows, the only ones I go to are Jalopy showdown and Jalopyrama. A swap meet is a big plus.
The one thing that gets me about shows, at least the smaller shows is that if I show a car I get charged $15 -$20 to get in and the guy that does not bring a car can get in free. Guess I'm just a cheap ass.

 

That doesn't make you a cheap ass. This past summer I went to a show that was 15$ a head spectator. I brought my jalopy and had two passengers and they charged us 15$ each. Understandable, but there could have been a discount or something.


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GG's and the NSRA charges us an entry fee for their events and then charges spectators to see our cars. What a novel idea. Just pisses me off that I didn't think of it first.

Gary

 

For me,

1. Swap meet
2. Food
3. Venue

 

I go to see something new to me as far as vehicles, I don't go to the local cruise (park) nights or shows anymore because I have seen the same vehicles over and over and have other things to do. The few times I have been in the last couple years is because some one else wanted to go or I wanted to visit with some one I hadn't seen in awhile.

My favorite thing to do with a car is to drive it and or see others' driving theirs. I used to go the the Street Machine Nationals in Spfd Mo because of the evening/night cruising in town. It got out of hand quite a few years ago and the cops pretty much ran everyone off from the cruising outside of the show. Many times I would go over and never go into the show itself, I only went for the cars driving around. If I want to see a stationary car that may have showed up on a trailer, I can get online or pick up a magazine and see a pic.

I used to really get into HR Power Tour in the beginning of it, it was really a fun but hard core time, made for a very long week but was the stuff I like. It turned into a more main stream event and it lost the special qualities that made it cool and worth doing to me. Haven't been on one in years.

 

When attending Hot Rod shows I like a good layout for the display with a reasonable entry fee with some form of organisation. What I hate is poorly displayed cars with shitty barriers around them that stops getting good photos, there are better ways of having the cars secure and also other promoters putting their crap on the show cars, they should have a table with this stuff for everyone . Oh and it has to be worth the fee to get in!! JW

 

Following the concept of the original question:
1) Anything other them blacktop parking lot
2) Diverse set of cars, driven, fixed, originals, etc. Not just trailered in sort the guy just picked up at his "restorer's"
3) No awards. Keeps the sort of judgmental atmosphere down. Hate to say this, but I will probably never win another award, I drive my cars. My once beautiful Hawk is far from perfect anymore after 5 years living out on a rural farm down a mile and half of dirt road. I only won two awards in my life. One was way back in the day when I had the '24 and I was the only one who showed up in that class, and the second was a 64 Lark that was my college beater that just had recieved a respray and NOS interior.

 

Chicks, man.

 

Went on the Hot Rod Power Tour in 97, long hauler, from Portland, the tour was from L.A. to Mt. Clemens Michigan, over a week on the road, pretty tiring but a car show every day in a different city, one of those things you need to do at least once in your life.
One of the high points was seeing Gray Baskerville at many gas stops, flip flops and all.

 

Drive to and hang out type events. The typical car show with classes and judging have less interest to me. Laid back vibe and cool venue a must. Cruise night events in mall parking lots seems silly. You need a destination to drive to and cool cars to look at, not much more needed.

 

Even at cruise nights there's guaranteed to be a hoople blasting doo wop music out of his car. This I can do without. Even the live bands are blaring and annoying.

One of the best cruises is the one we have by the water, early in the morning. There are 2 venues that switch right about now and one has at least 1 coffee truck.. and a couple of porta crappers.

 

Las Vegas.

 

#1 SHADE and a place to sit and relax. Remember people bring their kids/grand kids, and being HOT is what they remember the most
#2 Music- NO! (if you want a band, great, put them on a stage) do NOT have 50's (or whatever) music blaring thru the entire place.
#3 separate the cars if you have newer stuff show up. A good staff can help here
#4 I like to sit and watch the cars drive by, (I.E. Columbus when they leave) but to try to even move your car at a show like "Ducktail" it's a shit show

 

Hello,

The fall season car shows are coming up. So Cal will have a ton of them popping up like wild mushrooms. I used to like all car shows, in auditoriums, multi-level sports arenas, closed off main streets of small beach towns, inland picnics/car shows, etc. One of our favorites was the atmosphere of a show like the Andy’s Picnic up in Castro Valley, inland Bay Area. The excitement of driving up the coast, planning on several days in Big Sur, Carmel, Santa Cruz and then heading for the big city in the bay, S.F.

Finally, we ended up at the Cow Palace or the Oakland Arena for the shows. But the contrast from the big city of S.F. to the outback, hot valley, “woodsy” area of Castro Valley was a definite change. It was the excitement of seeing the top hot rods in the big Bay Area of Northern California. It was a country side setting in a dry, dusty park with a bunch of hot rods interspersed among the trees.

It was the late 60s, early 70s. It was hot with the dress being skimpy and light. The cars were dusty, but ever so cool looking. There were some guys that drove from So Cal, but the majority were from all aspects of the big Bay Area in Northern California. The name “Andy’s Picnic” drew the attention of most hot rodders, but it was the expectation of different builds from a different area that drew our attention.

This excitement was the focus of early car shows in odd ball places. A 5 day mini vacation to some strange place…That is one aspect we miss. Plus, we were 20 somethings and small things like being hot, dusty, and in the middle of a strange place did not bother us. The rewards were grand.

Jnaki

But, that was once a year, in a far away place, coordinated with a 5 day vacation cruise. Locally, the street car shows shown in a blocked off, quaint downtown area appealed to us, too. Looking at the cool cars, talking to friends and be able to dine in some fabulous, favorite restaurants, that was the appeal. Plus it was 30 miles and not 800 hundred miles away.

“This was the 20th year of this “must see” event in So Cal. What makes a great show? Location, location, location… Belmont Shore (2nd Street in Long Beach) has the location, plus the mild summer temperatures. You would go there to spend some time even if there wasn’t a great car show. Cars lined both sides and the middle of 2nd street. By 9:00am, the street is packed with spectators and cars were still coming to the show.

Today, the street car festivals or car shows have changed to add more people and have raised their limitations on type and model of cars. That changed the appeal for us because we are older and more finicky. Plus, these days, the crowds are horrendous. There are always some idiots that are drunk or something, that ruin it for everyone. So, looking at hot rods in the crowded shows does not appeal to us at any stage of the game, unless we are in an indoor museum, in the off hours. The picnics still appealed to us until it got so hot it was unbearable, despite the hot rods.

Our favorites are the small ADM shows in El Segundo, the Price Transfer Automobilia when it is open, and the local, small warehouse hot rod places in So Cal with plenty of cars, few people and A/C.

 

No Car Corral, if the car meets the show requirements, let him put a for sale sign on it. (Some shows don’t let you do that)


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Cars I like
Reasonable admission and parking
Venue
Hershey, of course, is the best. Okay parking fee-but it's per car!, free admission, good stuff, walkable. York NSRA, not that far away from Hershey, somehow is harder to walk, costs more to enter, I have figured out close free parking the flea market sucks and the cars tend to be, at least, look-alikes year to year-but I still go.

 

A big part of what I look for in a show is rekindling the friendships that were established long ago, picking up where you left off, seeing some of these peoples children now driving their own cars to the shows.

I love the cars but the people make the show. HRP

 

Open hoods are a big turn off for me, the car was driven on the field you don't have to prove it has an engine. Nothing wrecks the lines of any car like open hoods & doors. Not grumpy enough to ask someone to slam the hood so I can take a photo, I just walk until I find something worth the photo. Bob

 

That's my pet hate too, Bob. It pisses me off to see a nice car that I would love to have a record of and yes, I grumble and walk on. JW

 

Cars older than 1948.

 

I don't go to a strip joint to look at cars, why would I go to a car show to look at "Nekked Dancin' Girls"? I often take my pre-teen grandchildren (both grandsons and granddaughter) to the shows and "Nekked Dancin' Girls" kind of ruins the ambiance!

 

I'll probably go to the Rumbler's show in Coney Island, Brooklyn this year. That is a cool scene over any other show I've been to. Even my late wife liked the show. Not sure if I'll bring the Ford, no power steering and my shoulder are at odds lately.

 

I am happy with all car shows. We don't have to go to any of them if we don't want to or like what they are putting on but the more there are the more choices we have. I am just glad people put them on.

 

Good time good people and lots of laughing makes for a good day.

 

Has to have a swap meet.
A real automotive swap meet with car parts,not junk Chinese tools and flea market crap

 

What is important to me when attending a car show? Three things, 1) location, as with any show you have to have space for all attendees, 2) entertainment, whether it’s a live band, D.J., pinup contest or a combination of all these, ya gotta keep ‘em entertained , 3) Food, whatcha gonna feed ‘em, what’s important here is it’s gotta be good, things like burgers, hot dogs, pizza or bbq beef will do nicely.


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Been doin shows for years, have judged some. I pretty much dropped out though 20 years back, new wife with no interest at all in cars. Just started again on a very limited basis with my 34.
#1..... no cars past 1970. If I want to see a 2018 Demon I'll go to the dealer.
#2..... food I can eat, and a reasonable price.
#3...….IF it is judged, let that be done by car guys not the local mayor, or the owner of a business giving the award who doesn't know an Izetta from a blown duce 3 window.
#4..... End the thing starting at 3:00,
#5..... Keep the entry fee cheap.
I once a couple years back had an Indian tribe pay me $150 for showing my Riviera for 2 days.

 

Pinup models, county fairgrounds, and nice cold brews are good too. If it’s 90+ degrees you won’t catch my ass out a show to long

 

Being an old guy, I like to sit and watch female asses walk by, specially really nice looking older gals, just being honest. Then, I look at guys cars in mid construction, details and ideas, talk to the guy and if I'm lucky, get to see a car I built. Last week there was a 29 dodge 4 dr, a model a 2 dr, and my 36 ford p/u, all built by me, all at the same show. How lucky is that?