Theoretical show car question?

[turbo39151]

I know lots of guys on this board race and others do more of the show car thing or restoration. I suppose some even do concours type stuff. I was curious to know what you all are doing to get the points? Or what judges are looking for? I have considered entering my GN into competition but it never seems to be good enough, so I figured I'd ask... For instance do you replace a slightly worn carpet or clean it up and call it good? Perfect brand new windshield or the original one with pits and all? etc...

BTW, I am interested in all facets (ie: interior, exterior, engine bay, etc.)

 

[turbo39151]

20 views and no tips? I know someone has some ideas...

 

[TURBOPOWERED68]

20 views and no tips? I know someone has some ideas...

I have no idea.
But I have noticed a billion categories.
Restored to like original
And
Original
So I guess in the original category your good slightly worn OE stuff would work but not in the Restored to original category.
And the list goes on for ever it seems

 

[aminga]

You have to look at how they judge and what category you enter in. For example. AACA rules state that in STOCK categories no more than 3 modifications are allowed. Modifications are deductions in stock cagegories. They are bonuses in Modified categories. Some shows you can't predict because they use their own rules. In the end you can asked the judge at the end of the day what you need to do to improve. They won't tell you the score but they should be able to tell you what they deducted points for and what you can do to improve.

Some of the questions you're asking depend on what shows up for a show on a given day. If a flawless car shows up you don't stand a chance if you've got flaws. I've won shows a crack in the dash and some chips in the bumper fillers but odds are better if those things are fixed.

 

[turbo39151]

How about emblems? If you were competing in a car show would you refinish your existing emblems or put brand new ones?

 

[cruzn57]

touchy subject..........

I have entered ALOT of car shows, I'm not saying my car/ cars were the best, but it has been very apparent that A. you must be friends with judges,
B. you absolutely must be member of host car club.
C. you will over look many small things that the judges will see, ( your used to seeing them )
I attend car shows for the chance to see other cars, and socialize.
if you expect more you may be disapointed.
I have friends that do the concours thing, different breed of people!
not bad, just different.

ok, my 2 cents .

 

[turbo39151]

I agree Cruzin'. I've been to a few shows myself. Mostly to spectate and see what people are bringing to the table. I have a friend with a 1970 Chevelle SS 454. The real deal. Super sweet perfect condition car. He and his friends with identical looking SS 396's go to shows and inevitably run into what they call the Chevelle nazi's. These guys pick other peoples cars apart because the emblem is a millimeter off to the left or the some decal is a replica or not OEM.

I'm aware of some of the "politics" so that's why I never really bother with the whole competition thing but it would be interesting to get the point of view from different judges or even concours guys to see if there are things that I would miss (because like you said I see it all the time) or if it's something I've thought of but figured no one would say anything or consider it a "flaw".

I was basically looking for some "real-world" examples...

 

[fyrlt67]

Ditto, have showed cars since the 80's..I figured out a long tme ago that if you go to a show to have a good time and then by some fluke win an award it just that much sweeter.

 

[aminga]

I go for the cheap plastic funnel door prizes.

 

[jdpolzin]

There are a whole bunch of details to make a car a true show car. One thing for sure is: your car is not a 69 Camaro or 70 Chevelle and a true points car show mainly looks at those cars because they dont know the details of our cars. One trick to the trade is making sure everything that is supposed to be anodized is anodized, no rusty bolts, perfect paint, shiny black engine bay parts, etc. My Limited is next to being perfect. Not new but very close to it. I have spent this past year making it that way. It's not easy and having a good powder/ceramic coater is a plus. Also, you need to be very detailed on your paint. Flaws show to people who have the eye for it. Emblems need to be new, weatherstripping and seals new, and the undercarraige needs to look original and new, not just a bunch of black spray paint. Best advice is to just take things piece by piece and make every piece look perfect, then put it back together. The detail will show as a whole when it's all put back together. -------Jeremy

 

[turbo39151]

Sounds like this is gonna get more expensive...:frown:

Thanks for the input. This is what I was looking for.

 

[aminga]

Sounds like this is gonna get more expensive...:frown:

Thanks for the input. This is what I was looking for.

Nah, Just go have a good time and if you win a trophy or door prize so be it.

You get tired of dusting the trophies after a while anyway.

 

[usetaboost]

Yup it will get expensive if you drag your car out of a barn with no floor and a leaky roof! But if you start with something that is all together and decent you may have a chance About the only thing that's gonna look stock is the outside of my car. Engine bay was out the door before I even got the car so that got shot down on the "restore to stock" thing. THen I found the rust . So I figured hell I'll make the outside stock appearing, good used original interior, add guages of my choice to match cluster as close as possible, have all underneath painted the same black with undercoat full length of the tub, and put good quality suspension (moog) in black.

Hey Jeremy, I finished upper control arms today! Doin the lowers later this week. Still haven't figured out how to go about patching the floors and rear inner wells though GOt most of the rust cut out though
Question for ya. What's the difference between the MOOG problem solver bushings and the heavy duty ones?

 

[TurboRegal84]

While I am not a big fan of car shows some of the 'tips' that I always use is do not use Amorall or alot of the silicone dressings. To give your engine the clean and shiny look remove the parts and paint them. If you want them shiny use gloss paint however semi gloss is chassis black is my preference. It gives the car a natural look and not overdone. Another pet peeve is wheel wells. When the sun hits your wheel wells and they are fithly it just takes away from the overall cars appearance. Our cars have plastic fenders in front. Pull the wheels and use a good cleaner in the wheel well and scrub off all the road grime. For the rear wheel wells you can repaint them and also paint the portion of the frame behind the wheel near the exhaust pipe. Sometimes when people put a nice detail sheet or page with the cars history and where it came from is a nice touch. Do everything slowly and do not rush…enjoy it!

Why am I not a big fan of car shows? People forget what the shows are about…..THE CARS! Not a silly $10.00 Trophy.

 

[jdpolzin]

Yup it will get expensive if you drag your car out of a barn with no floor and a leaky roof! But if you start with something that is all together and decent you may have a chance About the only thing that's gonna look stock is the outside of my car. Engine bay was out the door before I even got the car so that got shot down on the "restore to stock" thing. THen I found the rust . So I figured hell I'll make the outside stock appearing, good used original interior, add guages of my choice to match cluster as close as possible, have all underneath painted the same black with undercoat full length of the tub, and put good quality suspension (moog) in black.

Hey Jeremy, I finished upper control arms today! Doin the lowers later this week. Still haven't figured out how to go about patching the floors and rear inner wells though GOt most of the rust cut out though
Question for ya. What's the difference between the MOOG problem solver bushings and the heavy duty ones?

The heavy duty ones should be the same as the problem solvers?

 

[usetaboost]

here's the link

Northern Auto Parts: Electronic Catalog

Decisions, decisions

 

[jdpolzin]

If you look, one set is Uppers and the other are Lowers. They are both problem solvers.

 

[Renthorin]

It depends on what type of show. I have entered many. I have several first place trophies and some shows were nobody wanted to look twice at a regal.

The shows I do best at are the ones where the other people showing their cars vote. They seem to respect GN's.

The shows where the mayor of the city votes...forget it. They are usually older guys who don't like anything newer than 1968.

Ann Arbor has a show I like to attend but the competition is usually British and Italian cars so even though a lot of the crowd likes my car....they are not voting...the business owners and mayor is.

I like to shine the rubber in the engine compartment and have the 'clap trap' down to a minimum.

I do not like to see people's cars displaying all their past trophies and awards in the trunk. That just seems vain and to me says "I have won enough already".

Tires need to be dark and polished but not dripping with slime.
I do NOT take the t-tops out as I always end up with bird crap on my glass and imagine if the tops had been out.

If you are going to open your trunk have it empty and clean. Spare tire and jack should be there and should look nice. No road dirt or goo from the last time you used the jack or tire.

A small plaque or poster sign about the car is always a nice touch. Mine explains what people are looking at and why it is more than just an 87 regal.

If your car is black....try to park in the shade

 

[usetaboost]

Now that I have publicly humiliated myself, I can get my parts and finish them up

 

[turbo39151]

Thanks for all the input.

What are your thoughts on emblems? Personally, I'm not a huge fan and I'm wondering how much I would be "dinged" for not having the emblems. Or the lower door panel "road guard paint"...

Just thinking about a few things and wondering if I should bother or not...