Event Coverage Car Show Blue's

Yesterday, (Saturday) My wife told me that their was a Car Show up at our local mall.
So I called my brother and we went to the show.

When we arrived we looked at each other and said WTF!.
There was about 10-12 cars of interest and the rest were late model off topic cars probably about 30 or so. It looked like more of a late model car rally than a car show.

Kinda disappointed, didn't even take pictures. We hung around the mall area they had concession stands, hoping some more cars would show up. We finally split after about an hour.
Maybe some more cars did show up, IDK
I would call it a homogenized car show. I noticing this more and more.

 

I went to a cruise last year with my roadster. Aside from my car there was a 1931 Chevrolet coupe and a 1951 Chevrolet mild custom. The rest of the cars were Firebirds, Camaros. Mustangs, and many other uninteresting cars. The cruise is 2 /1/2 miles from me, but I will never go there again.

 

Yes, I need to be very selective as to what car shows and swap meets that I attend. I plan to call around to my traditional car friends just to be sure some will be there. The local show has dropped the year requirement for there " classic" weekly car show for political reasons so that ALL cars can attend. I won't be attending any more!

 

It's a sign of the times. People organizing events and looking for sponsors need to be able to show said sponsors that there is interest. If there is no interest, sponsorship will die. Tuners and late model whatevers fill spots and brings folks of varied interests out for a look.

My '50 Ford and my '63 Galaxie were parked beside an Eagle Talon on Friday. I walk past the crap I don't want to see and go on to look at the deuce pickup with a later flathead swapped in. At least I could talk to the guy that owned the '32.

 

A couple years ago I attended a show at the now defunct Chatterbox that had the greatest feature I've ever seen at a car show. A big arrow pointed to a separate lot stating "Late Model Muscle". It looked like a new car dealers lot full of new Vettes, Camaros and Challengers. The only foot traffic was the owners parking their new cars and walking over to see the classic cars at the rest of the show. Sadly, the Wawa coffee chain made the owner an offer he couldn't refuse and it's gone now.

 

Don't want to be negative, but if I ran one these shows it would be 69' and earlier.

 

I’m not sure why people expect every car show to only invite the cars they like?

 

The "cookie cutter" cars of today mean nothing to me. When the auto manufacturer's need to make everything look alike it takes away from the mystique.
Our hobby will never die. It might slow down a bit but it'll pick back up. It always does.
Yeah, a car show with new cars doesn't appeal to me, either. Where is the challenge? Where is the craftsmanship?
This is why car shows and cruises have rules for types and years entered.

 

So they can't win either way. Small car shows all face the same dilemma.
If the show was era specific it would have only had 10 or 12 cars. No future in that.
Open it up to general entry and the array of cars is too diverse. Small 'corner store' style cars shows are usually more about the charity or cause they benefit, and it's good to be community-minded. Always keep that in mind.

Save up for one good field trip to a major hot rod show. Travel and accommodation is all part of the fun. It's the only way you are assured of having lots of the type of cars you like all in one place.

 

I have gone to shows where it is advertised as "all makes and models welcome" that started out OK, with a good mix of rods, restored pre 65 classics, oddball stuff, and maybe 1 or 2 late model plastic blobs. A couple of years later, I have driven in, driven through and seen my car is the oldest by about 50 years, and driven out again. It looked like the car park at 3 PM on a Tuesday, full of grocery getters.

 

I do not go to big parking lot car shows. No shade. Cars and coffee and cruise Inns aren`t too bad because you can arrive and leave whenever you want.

 

Went to Ennis Texas Cars and Coffee Saturday morning, looked like a used car lot.

 

If you are still making payments on your car,why the hell is it at a car show

 

If you drive your car to a Walmart parking lot , and you see a car like you drove in, you ain’t got an old enough car !!!

 

Went to a show today, lot of different stuff; Street rods, musclecars/sports cars-vintage and late, vans, bro trucks, resto-mods, a few traditional rods, the dreaded tuners and more; big crowd and everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves...and the rat rods drew the most attention. Quit being snobs.

 

Local shows are general interest, wide range.
If you have an open mind, it's a great place to identify local builders, body shops, and painters if you spend a little time talking to people.

The car may be a late model, but if it's caged or had chassis mods - who did the chassis work ?

There's an awesome paint shop in my area laying down laser straight pearl and fade jobs all day - they mainly build d*nks and l*wriders, mostly cash jobs, no advertising, just a business card and a little sign on the shop, move locations about every 2 years, uh huh. They turn cars around, no paint jail. I met the owner at a local show.

 

With all due respect, It's a car show, as in show what you got. If it was a hang out with old guys who spent a lot of money show, I'm sure they'd call it something else.

 

And there would be a dozen cars, instead of 50.

Maybe it's time for you to step up and start a car show, just the way you like it.

Have fun!

 

Given that my OT car from 1987 qualifies for an "antique" plate, what can you expect?

What was once new ain't new no more. Anyhow, checkbook cars or not, it's nice that people at least are trying to keep the concept of "bring what you've been working on" alive.

Otherwise all you get is a bunch of crotchety old men sitting on folding chairs with faces like thunderstorms, giving you a death stare is you so much as come close enough to look at their vehicle. Heaven forbid you want to get close enough to read the xeroxed page and faded photos of the build that are tacked to the varnished plywood board ...

Embrace it. Anyway, cars go through a "all cars look the same" phase. Just the same common shape changes.

At least it's bringing people out to these things.

Phil

 

Maybe they were all at the LA Roadster show.

 

Wait... No LED, an strobe Lights flashing like Saturday night fever under the hood... Consider yourself privileged

 

Remember years ago at car shows, there was always a few of old timers with their Model T's?

It's 50 years later...and we are them

 

Keep in mind, a '97 today is as old as a '32 was in '57. When I was 30, a '57 was 34. Today a 34 year old car is an '88. In a way, it's only fair. It's hard getting old. In more ways than one. The girls that used to be too young, are old now too.
Mike

 

The younger generation has different taste in cars and I do like some of the high HP cars of today....I remember when the factory hotrods came out in the 60's and left the old hotrods behind...Time does march on.....

 

If you don't like them, then don't go.

I took my son with me to a local show last summer. There was a 57 there which was the only older car than my 59. It was hot, and there were only 20 cars there.

I'm not entering another show. I'd rather just drive my 59, not sit around and sweat.

 

I did see a Pontiac GTO with those new type led headlights, but it was still a cool car.

 

Depending on the situation, you may have no choice as to who you let in. I run a show at a local bar. I can't tell the bar owner "we are going to turn away most of who shows up, because we want older cars." But, most of my friends & family has older cars, so we get a variety.

 

If nothing else, it gave you an opportunity/destination to take out your car.
Park your car, do a quick walk around and leave if it holds no interest for you.
On the way home, go a different, longer way..day not a total loss.

 

many shows are open to all years, makes etc just to bring in money. general public just likes looking. many newer models have terrific paint colors, rivaling the custom paint colors of old. general public not concerned with N.O.S stuff. often cars selected for trophies by general public for trophies are R.R. or overboard rides with big wheels, etc. - reminder to support shows that are for H.A.M.B. friendly rides even if you do not like going to shows.

 

My one grandson has a Roush Mustang and the other one has a tuner Subaru. They may not be car guys by your definition, but they are by my definition