Car Show / Race Track Etiquette, Unspoken Rules

Six pages of why I don't go to car shows. Go to Bonneville or El Mirage and walk too close to a car and you're liable to be told "Gimme a hand here. Hold this while I bolt it down." I did have a laugh a few years ago at Bonneville at the "show" at the hotel in Wendover. A guy had his coupe there proudly covered in salt from running around the salt all that day. He got all upset when some guy put his hand on the roof to have a look inside. Why? Because he was knocking the salt off that particular spot!

 

Probably the most annoying thing at seemingly EVERY car show/cruise-in....... Prowlers.

 

People who use "Balanced and blueprinted" or other catch phrases on the window card and do NOT know what any of it means. They know everything about their car and are wrong about most of it.

 

Ha Ha Ha!

 

Gotta admit, that one made me laugh out loud!

 

.Why do these same
numnuts always wear there hats on backwards

A lot of times, it can be because they are using "fill flash" to get all the details, and consistent color. And a lot of times, that flash unit will hit the bill of their ball cap.
Back when I photographed Drag Races and car shows for a magazine, the flash I used on my Nikon 35mm camera, stuck right on top of the camera, meant that I had to twist my hat backwards. I guess I could have just shot a crappy photo, that wouldn't stand a chance of making it into the magazine, though...

 

ok...but what about the 10 and under crowd that is doing the bombing... cool and all that you dig my ride but 10 year old sailors are another thing....

 

golf carts and folding chairs..... most of the reasons i quit going to gg's. squirrels doing burnouts in junk trying to look cool ...hillbillys that take a year to pre stage. (thank god for auto start) flickering the bottom stage bulb (cursed auto start)

 

Last show I was at this 32 plymouth had a 392 hemi bored to a 461.

 

I was at a local show here, with my sorta O/T car (it's a '57, and it can run high 13's in the 1/4 mile, but its a make of car not too well accepted here) when this "lady", probably mid 40's, about 5'-8" tall, weighing about 85-90 pounds, and a face that looked like the Pepperoni Pizza I had the night before, zooming around at Mach 3 (not to stereotype, but I'll bet she was a tweeker), had a BIG German Shepard on a leash. She came up to the passenger side of my car, and the dog raised up and put it's paws on the ledge of the door, at the window. I came unglued, told her to get her ******* dog off the car, so she yanked on the leash, and down the dog came, with one paw right down the door. Yep, sure enough, 3 looong scratches right down the friggin' door. I started to get up, and fortunately, one of my buddies grabbed my belt loop, and slammed me back in my chair. The "lady" just gave a nervous laugh, and zoomed on to the next row of cars.
Thankfully, I had enough clear on the car to buff the scratches out.

 

We have a buddy who has a 59 Chevy Stepside. He bought it new and decided to restore about two years ago. Now I will admit, it is a streetrod, but he drives the heck out of it. I remember we saw him at an annual show at the local fairgrounds. After we found his truck and decide to talk for a while, we first saw a little girl (maybe 5) step on the running board and was running her hands on the door to try and see more of the candy-apple painted truck. After our buddy told her to step off, and just about time for us to head on to look at the other cars on display, we all turn around to see a little boy (probably 3) in the bed of the truck!!! And he had just stained the wooden bed maybe a month or two previous to that. As soon as our friends son saw that he ran out of his chair and picked the child up and carried him around until he found the boy's father. The dad didn't appricate him holding his son, but after a few choice words, the man and son left the show

Anyway....people just ain't got no respect!!!

 

was at a cruise in and asked a guy how his car handled, his response was

"drive it! drive it! i wouldn't drive it!"

was a little confused because it was a "cruise in" and i thought the point was to cruise in...

 

That would be the "power bullshitters" that got back early from clogging the aisles at the swap meet

After many years of putting on a couple car shows, and being the "first guy" directing cars to the parkers at a couple more, on top of the undisciplined kids (and yeah, it's the parent's fault, not the kids), bicycles, and dogs- sorry, but if we let in the dogs (and owners- see: kids) that do have manners, then you have to let in the skinhead/ pushing their pitbull into people klowns- let one in, ya gotta let 'em all in- my pet peeve is the primadonna whiners that ALL want the "best" parking spot, end of the row, in the shade, next to the picnic tables, my car's special and so am I, and my favorite, "I'm NOT parking by the go&&amn______!!!" (insert your favorite nit that makes it less than the "best" spot). They pull in, the parkers wave them over, and they start looking and pointing, why can't I park over there? (where there are no parking people yet) while holding up the line for everyone else. And don't forget the power parkers who show up at 6:30 when parking starts at 7:30, and get pi$$ed when they can't park NOW!!! And don't forget the groups who want to park together, but don't show up together and organize themselves or know how many they have coming- what, you can't just save us 40 spots in the middle of the show??? In the "best" area, of course...

 

I need to say that I wasn't in shot direction of THAT car, but was thoroughly disappointed with that persons choice of judgement. Too many cars, too many people, too many possibilities of things that can and will go wrong.
Bottom line, don't inject a judgement or opinion unless it has been asked for. Best to keep your mouth shut if you don't like the subject as much as the owner does.
Dirt track is a whole 'nuther story too. Don't touch cars or tell stories of what made that thing happen. No stories here.
If you decide to tend to your car and cater to onlookers, you will hear shtuff you don't like. Drop back a gear and don't react. With some you might teach with words, with some---you might be dealing with a wandering village idiot.

 

Definately peanut shells in the pits, green in the pits all big no-no's.

I dont mind people asking setup stuff, especially when you can have fun we used to give people half our information like just the left side bars and one shock and say the rest is top secret. Seal the deal by putting electrical tape over all stampings [end of bars and bottom of shocks] Paranoia and hilarity is sure to ensue.

 

I hate when some fat mama changes her kids diaper on my trunklid and sticks the safety pins in the convertible top. I've always hated that, but maybe I'm being unreasonable.

 

is this the new hamb?

 

This is one that bothers me too. I get more than enough of this at the Mack Truck Dealership I work at, so it's nice to not have it at weekend events too. Other than that I'm pretty easy going. I like talking to non-car people and especially the younger people when they show an interest. At one time, I was one of them. Most people on this thread would never get a sponsor if they were in racing, since the paying spectators are what interest the sponsors. We are all "Ambassadors of our Hobby".

 

--People who lean against my car and have metal buttons, pins and whatever else on their jeans.
--People who have a really fast car and they will beat you by a few lengths.......but it's at home.
--And one of the worst is that stock '98 dodge viper at our car show every year!! Who cares?

 

My patina survivor 31 A stands out in a crowd, but when I hear those words
" what color are u going to......" i cringe...then I say it's been basically finished since 1956.....many give me a courtesy....."OK".

 

top ten post on this thread that sums it all up...same thing goes for local dirt track pits,,, real race cars that are raced by the REAL racers,,,most car shows have a lot of car snobs that could never make a lap in a real race at the local dirt track,,,YET THEY ACT SO SUPEERIOR TO A DIRT TRACK RACER...CAR SHOWS SUCK BECAUSE OF THE CAR OWNERS,,,i put little kids in th drivers seat of my race car all the time,,,they love it,,if you don not like it stay home and post pics of your car on the web,,,

 

My stuff ain't that pretty, but I don't want someone touching it. Keep your hands to yourself.

I don't want your dog pissing on my whitewalls or shitting where people walk.

Your kid better stay at your side, and if they climb on my car, you'll hear about it.

Park your modern POS somewhere else at the cruise spot, so we can park the old cars on display, not 5 blocks away in the dark shadows where theives are waiting.

Pick up your trash. The folks who slave all day to present the show have to clean up after you. Don't be a piece of shit.

Don't leave your flyer or business card on my seat or under my wipers, they will end up in the trash. Be a man and hand them out to actual people who give a shit, my car doesn't.

Tough guy or not, don't eyefuck me from across the way. I don't care what your problem is, nobody else does either. Your tattoos and attitude don't indimidate me.

The wanna-be pinups need to stay home. Do your photos somewhere else. Tattoo'd up trash prancing around in from car to car in stupid poses doesn't make you a pinup.

The photographers need to calm down. If I accidentally walk in front of your lens while you're laying on the floor trying to get some artsy angled shot and you throw a fit, you just might end up with a kick to the balls. I usually walk around someone if they're trying to get a photo, but if it's an honest accident...simmer down.

When there's a big show in town, sure it's nice to have other things for folks to do, but don't ride on the success of the show by having your "grand opening party" or "rockabilly show" at the same time. What, you can't do it on your own time? Don't ride the nuts.



For me, I go to shows and do a walk-through or two. Maybe stopping at a handful of cars to take a closer look, but atleast 80% don't interest me. I don't pay much attention to the stuffed dolls or bugs bunny bullshit. I literally ignore any rat rod that I see in my peripherals because I won't give the owner the glorification of stopping to look at his pile of shit.

 

Keep you dogs on a short leash!

 

You have a great atitude,, it is a public show,,so you have to deal with the public,,if you don't like people,,then don't go to public shows,,,

Lets face it, most of these public shows are just too low class for you elite hot rodders,,,

Most of you guys need to stop going to public events,,you really hate most things about them,,AND YOU HATE MOST of the event's cars and car owners,,and you hate kids and dogs,,,,So try going to priviate events instead...WHERRE EVERYONE HAS TO PAY TO GET IN such as ,,,

try these events,,you will fit right in,,,

http://concoursusa.org/

http://pebblebeachconcours.net/


Lets face it, most of these public shows are just too low class for you elite hot rodders,,,

 

The things I mentioned were things that can damage cars or a kids hearing. I don't sweat what people say.

If I don't have a witty comeback for dumb comments, then it's my lack of intellect.

Hell, dumb comments open the door for some great humor. Use it to your advantage.

And don't be knockin' us old fart's chairs. My leg has been banged up in more than one wreck and would swell like a balloon if I stood around on asphalt all night like I used to. My buddy built his 35 Ford with one arm because a stroke left him paralyzed. Try that! My other buddy wears a leg support from being run over. We are all 6'3" or taller and weigh over three hundred pounds each and can still kick the average anti-chair guy's ass (tee-hee).

 

this will solve your problems,,,this is where most ofyou guys should go,,,it is structured to keep out the low class cheap skates who never want to pay a cover charge.

General Admission tickets to the 2011 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance are $175 in advance and $200 on Concours Sunday, August 21.

General Admission tickets include:
• Parking
• Shuttle Service
• Concours Event Program

 

Now that was well said. I can't believe some of the peoples attitudes on this thread. Life is too dang short.

 

I LIKE people, and I LIKE dogs. Hell, I even like (most) kids. Be respectful, and you can sit in it, play with the steering wheel, be real nice and I'll take you for a ride after the show, kid...
But when one of them causes damage to a car car I worked my butt off on, yes, I do tend to get a bit huffy, especially if it is sheer stupidity that caused the damage, and the damage-causer just giggles and walks away.
To clarify, when I started to get up out of my chair, my intent was NOT to harm the canine or person. I LOVE animals, and the dog cannot help being a dog. I wanted to show the (alleged) tweeker lady exactly what her indifference had caused.
But yeah, she probably wouldn't have understood anyway.

 

I agree! I've been to Good Guys,NSRA,and many CAR shows,In-door events also for the past 25 years and the only way to eliminate the problem is to put ropes around them and post no-tresspassing signs.
Otherwise just go and have fun and risk it or don't spend $100k on a car.
Trailers are for boats and furniture anyway.Drive-em and park-em anywhere.

 

My favorite is the guy who tells me just exactly what my truck is. Just exactly what parts I put on it that were wrong. Maybe I don't like barnacles and cupie doll heads.