Summer Place Car Show

[JimNolan]

Zap,
  Have you ever played chess. It's a good game, but it's a game where weaker oppontents can very seldom win. Can you imagine how much fun it would be to constantly play someone you knew you could beat. Car shows are like that. I can't imagine going to a car show knowing I was going to win. Out of all the plaques and trophys I've won there's only one that hangs on the wall. The rest is collecting dust until I can find someone to recycle them.
  Now as far as being disappointed when I go to an event and witness bias as far as judging is concerned, yes, I am disappointed, I'm just as human as the next guy. No matter who I've seen win a trophy I've not seen one of those guys yell " I don't want the damn trophy, I just paid $20.00 registration fee to come here for the comrodery". The point of having the car show to begin with was to award trophys to the nicest cars that show up there. Comrodery is the side benifit. Otherwise you park in the spectator section and walk in instead of parking your car next to the ones that are judged. And, when you see a trophy going to a person that still has the window sticker on a new car win over yourself as well as your friends that restored thier cars you get disappointed. I would truely believe that would be a normal response. Now if you're disappointed enough that it makes you quit going to car shows because you didn't win, there's something wrong there.
  I've lost more than won and my car keeps going down hill because I drive it. I'm not a trophy whore by any means. I've got a two year old 20' car trailer in the hanger that my 57 would be on if I were a trophy whore. After two years and 25K miles it's a little late for that anyway.
  What does concern me is that my posts would make someone feel I'm overly disappointed when my car doesn't win something. Last year I won the 57-59 Ford Mercury class at Carlisle. I had entered the original class with two things changed on the car not counting wheels. So, I said to myself I've changed the motor and transmission and went ahead and placed it in the original class. This year I automatically entered the original class again. But, after doing so I read where the three things could be only miner things. I called them and they will assess my car when I get there this year. I called them because I don't want anything that I don't rightfully deserve. By the same token don't screw me and expect me to be happy, it's not a human response for me.  Jim

[Zapato]

Used to go to a real nice run years ago. They would limit attendance to 1200 vehicles and was pre-72 only. Great 2 day event. There were 3 top picks,club presidents, club members, and participants choice. All those came with prices such as Craftsman toolboxes,air compressors etc...  But the real kick is/was that those 3 cars were featured on the next years t-shirts posters and anything else the club used for PR.

Beyond those lots of town merchants would sponsor individual trophies and with them would come some sort of price like a case of oil, or dinner in town. The barbershop in town gave free haircuts. Went for several years only stuck around for the award ceremony once. We were staying over one more night so there was no rush to get back home. The great thing was that there was no real judging like you see at indoor shows based on a strict point format but on purely personal choice. So when a 57 chev convertible got in the top 3 you knew that obviously the club president liked it and that was it. Nothing more or less. And it was the same for every other pick there. If one of the many merchants liked your car you got something. One year a week or so after the event I received thru the club  $100- savings bond donated by a local bank.

There is judging and there is picking. What goes on at most shows is picking. And at times a mix of the two. And picking is what causes the most grief. Human nature being what it is endows us with personal opinions. And for most of us our opinion is absolute. Been around the block enough times to realize its not always so. Personally prefer modified cars so if I was tasked with a pick at most shows a 100 point Concours car owner would go home empty handed and some car with subtle but eye pleasing changes  wouldn't. I appreciate both but one rings my bell the other well its not exciting to me.

I do play chess, was taught by a great player. Never could beat him but he played countless games and taught me to stay competitive but also a graceful loser. Didn't like losing then or now but it helped develop character. I'm sure Dad didn't enjoy the game anywhere as much as when facing a worthy opponent but he still always found time to play us. Lots of valuable life lessons were taught across that board.

And like I said before its a great day today. So not going to take myself too serious.

Zap-

[Ford Blue blood]

And like I said before its a great day today. So not going to take myself too serious.

Zap-

Me neither, but I will say I feel a whole more like I do now then I did a little while ago.....

[Zapato]

Me neither, but I will say I feel a whole more like I do now then I did a little while ago.....

Kinda like the T-shirt that says   "the older I get the better I was".  All in fun stays fun.

Zap-

[JPotter57]

None of my junk has ever been particularly show-worthy, but it's always fun to cruise.  That has what it has always been for me, well, that and going fast.  I never tried to get the best parking, the shadiest, and if I did park somewhere, I didnt stay with the car.  My enjoyment is seeing other peoples stuff, meeting new people, and getting ideas to improve my own stuff.  My last `57 was the first near finished car I've had, the interior was non-existent, lol.  It had the original ragged `57 seat covers, in green,(car was bright yellow, lol).  All the sheetmetal had been painted black, but there were no door panels, carpet, and I covered the seats with a dark blanket.  I was working on it while driving it, and just sold i before it was done.   It looked ok with the windows up, lol.  But, I cruised the wheels off it, and drag raced it more than that.  It gave me immense satisfaction, knowing that I had resurrected it, as it had not been driven since the `70s.  It was a complete basket case when I bought it, and every removable part had been removed.  I brought that car home in 3 truckloads.  I did every part of that car at home, sharing a 2 car garage with my dad.  I will also say, that I met more people through that car, than with any other endeavor I have attempted.  THAT, is what it is all about for me.

[JimNolan]

I totally agree with you guys about cruising and comrodery. If it weren't for those things I wouldn't go either. Gulfport and Carlisle are the only two shows I go to without my friends. They have nice cars but they don't go to car shows by themselves either. Most of the time it's a four or five car train we go to the shows with and we park together. We all agree which show to go to before hand. It's fun. We usually stop and have breakfast first.
  The point I was trying to make is that when it comes to trophy time each one of us is glad either to get a trophy or see someone in our group get one ( one of our group has a 55 Chevy, another has a Mustang Bullit). We also have about the same attitude when we see something that isn't quit cosher. We all vent a little when we see something we don't like or a decision we don't agee with. But, the next weekend we're ready to go again and the previous week hasn't left us with a bad attitude. We don't belong to a car club because the one here in town is made up of a bunch that were raised together and make you feel your imposing when you're around them.
  I just changed the oil and greased the car for the trip to Carlisle. It has 25,020 miles on it now since restoration. I think that speaks tons about the seriousness I take toward car shows and why I restored the car in the first place. Jim   PS The next time our group goes to a car show I'm going to make my buddy let me drive his Bullit and he can drive mine to the show. He has a beautiful Supercharged Buick to take to the shows and always takes the Bullit instead. He must enjoy driving it.

[geraldchainsaw]

please explain to me what Bullit means,  never heard it before,   thanks   jerry

[shopratwoody]

Probably a Steve McQueen syle Mustang. If not, hell if I know.

[JPotter57]

Bullit is a late model mustang, similar to 03 mach 1, but. Green lots of blackout trim, and the popular torq thrust looking wheels.  Good looking cars...

[Ford Blue blood]

It is the late model edition (05 - 09) Mustang (10 was a major styling change for the Mustang) of the 67 Dark Shadow Green Mustang Fastback that was in the the movie and was made famous by the chase scene through the hills of San Fransisco....

[JimNolan]

Correct, Remember when Ford had the TV commercial showing Steve McQueen driving the new Bullit Mustang. That's it, and green too. Jim