[Bobalong]

Been in this discussion on here before. And for the sake of January too cold to do much else here in the midwest.

Aside from banning do wop music. I'm trying to think of what could, but hasn't been done at hometown car shows.

I think a LOT of it's success is the location. Trees, shade, non parking lot, cars not lined up like birds on a wire.

Charge a decent fee and actually hire someone or a local group for entertainment.

Beer sales.

Topless . . .never mind.

[OG68]

I think two of the best shows I've been in were:

Held on a golf course, https://fallbrookvintagecarclub.org/carshow/
Held at a the civic center with the high dollar cars inside the auditorium. Lots of grass or asphalt parking adjacent to the Sacramento River. (Kool April Nights in Redding) https://www.koolaprilnites.com
Granted these are both major productions but the locations were great.

In the San Diego Metro area a few of the local cities block off their downtown shopping areas and have weekly shows from May to Sept. Each week has a different theme. ie: Truck night, 50s/60s/rod nights.

[Chief of the 60's]

Originally Posted by Bobalong

Been in this discussion on here before. And for the sake of January too cold to do much else here in the midwest.

Aside from banning do wop music. I'm trying to think of what could, but hasn't been done at hometown car shows.

I think a LOT of it's success is the location. Trees, shade, non parking lot, cars not lined up like birds on a wire.

Charge a decent fee and actually hire someone or a local group for entertainment.

Beer sales.

Topless . . .never mind.

You are onto something but 50's and 60's music goes with the cars.

I would eliminate classes, give everyone a participation plaque and include a small swap area.

This will eliminate the polo shirt wearing, look at me, numbers matching trophy hunters and leave the "car show" to the "car people".

[mgarblik]

Having something to actually do with the cars at the car show does bring in a younger crowd and more spectators, if that's the goal. Was at a show two years ago that had a portable chassis dyno brought in. It was away from the main show field but drew quite a crowd. Also was at a show in the last couple of years that had a little autocross set-up. It was fun watching those old muscle cars wallow through the tight course on their vintage tires. Again, drew quite a crowd. Sitting around swapping lies about the glory days long past in the blazing sun just isn't for me. I tend to stay away from those style of shows.

[vitamin c]

One of the best things i've seen around here is every week during the summer months at a local grocery store, a group put together a show from 5-8 pm Sunday nights. "come if you want or can" cruise in. They have a DJ playing for tips, and the majority of the 25-30 cars are same week to week. No trophies ,awards, or any of that, Its really a low key get your car out kind of thing. I enjoy it and plan on going every week , but actually make it less then half the time. Now about the music!!! yea, its mostly 50's 60's and played too loud. Here's an idea. maybe try 70's music! or, maybe 80's!, or even 90's !!! or god forbid 2000 music!, hold the phone, even 2010 music!!!

[mgarblik]

With the amount of music a modern DJ can carry, a good one will scan around and/or ask for requests and play them. It's pretty easy to carry 5 decades of music around now. There was good music in all of them. I have no problem with some variety. Do I really need to hear "Hot Rod Lincoln", "Beep-Beep", "Shut Down", "Hey Little Cobra", "Fun, Fun, Fun", "Little Honda" at every single car show? Little GTO?, probably. We all have our favorites.

[Chief of the 60's]

In A Gadda Da Vida baby!

(Yes, I never get enough of Hot Rod Lincoln)

[Young Pontiac Guy]

Go and been to a lot of shows. Have friends and acquaintances on all sides of the show fence. The trophy chasers make me sick personally.

Have also helped with and judged at car shows.

Like the plaque for all. Like doing a Top 20 or too whatever number. You always piss someone off.

Like it when there is cruising at the bigger shows. Think it’s nice to hear/experience the cars.

Like some of the shorter shows, especially if it’s not that large of a show. There are only so many cars and I don’t need to spend time talking all day! Like to drive my car.

I think the swap meet is always cool. Encourages the hobby to go on and does bring in gear heads.

Again, you can’t please everyone no matter what. Seen and heard people (as we all have) gripe about the trophy’s/awards- how it’s rigged, how they should have had one even though there were nicer cars there than theirs, how it was kids judging and that’s not fair, how the people only like a certain make, how it was only the pro touring or only all original cars getting an award.

Wow, this gets me excited. I could say a lot more and would love to be the anti trophy preacher but I will leave what I have said as it- for now.

[Young Pontiac Guy]

Totally agree on dyno.

A burnout contest if allowed is good for annual shows.

Letting kids get involved and have a pick gets younger parents with kids there. Games of sorts for kids are cool too.

[Formulajones]

My favorite shows are at the dragstrips. Car show, swap, drag racing all wrapped up in one event. I've also liked chassis dyno's on the rare occasion you actually have one there. Autocross doesn't interest me but it does draw a certain crowd too. I always enjoyed events like drags/show/swap like Tri-Power Nats, Super Chevy, TA nats used to have it but when the drag portion stopped, I stopped going.

I guess what I'm saying is that I enjoy shows better when there is something to do. I can't stand sitting in the lawn chair for too long, and I like to do things with our cars other than staring at them. I can only look at a pretty car for so long, then I want to see how it runs That's what they were built for.

Used to have car show and drags all the time back East. Out here in AZ not so much. Problem nowadays with the muscle car age group, is that less people want to race and more want to sit in a lawn chair.

[Young Pontiac Guy]

Pontiaca!

[77 TRASHCAN]

There are 2 events in my town. One is first Sat of May, next is first Sat in June.

May event is called Burger Day. Volunteers cook the worlds largest onion fried burger, then give it away. Carnival, kiddie stuff. The main street is blocked off for a show, trophies and all that....nothing way crazy 40-60 cars. Local car club puts it on, fees go to charity. Organizers got into a urinating contest with the city officials a few years back. THe all knowing city fart heads wanted to start serving beer at the event.....the event was started as a family friendly deal.....I guess they are still selling beer, at the event, but a lot of bad blood got passed around over this change.

June event is called Small Town weekend. car show, kid events like valve cover races, and other stuff. swap meet, and.........drag races....on Route 66. It is blocked off pretty well, BUT, we've had 2 crashes, in last 4 years or so (I believe this event has been going on for nearly 20 years, drag racing only last 6 years.

Ha!, almost forgot, a burnout contest...AND a cruise (closed loop in town. THe cruise draws a lot of participants and a boat load of viewers, that sit along the cruise path. I think the cruise fee is $35.00, and you have to have insurance...

The car club still does the burger day deal, and puts on the Small town weekend. I think they have pretty well covered the Small Town Weekend deal for any and all folks!!!

[Chief of the 60's]

Originally Posted by Young Pontiac Guy

Totally agree on dyno.

A burnout contest if allowed is good for annual shows.

Letting kids get involved and have a pick gets younger parents with kids there. Games of sorts for kids are cool too.

What on earth does that prove and do for a show? I can do a smokey burnout with my wife's Kia Soul if I put it up against a wall too.

Those are the dumbest things at an event. The only thing dumber is the idiot behind the wheel.

[Bentwheelbob]

Originally Posted by Chief of the 60's

Those are the dumbest things at an event. The only thing dumber is the idiot behind the wheel.

Well, maybe giving everyone a “participation plaque” is dumber than this. Yeah, let’s teach everyone that no matter how hard you try, or don’t try, you still get an award..,

No thanks. Sounds like socialism to me Chief.

I like cruise in’s with no awards. Just a bunch of car guys happy to have a place to go an hang out for a few hours.

[West Coast GTO]

We have a Friday evening cruise around a large downtown loop with anywhere from 200 to 400 cars/ trucks/ rat rods that used to end with a burn out on main street( burn out canceled last year). Next day( Saturday) is the car show and Silver auto auction. $15 for cruise only and $30 for cruise and show. Not a lot of Pontiacs at the cruise or show but people like see and talk about em.

[b-man]

Charge a fee to spectators, not to the folks showing their cars.

[Chief of the 60's]

Originally Posted by Bentwheelbob

Well, maybe giving everyone a “participation plaque” is dumber than this. Yeah, let’s teach everyone that no matter how hard you try, or don’t try, you still get an award..,

No thanks. Sounds like socialism to me Chief.

I like cruise in’s with no awards. Just a bunch of car guys happy to have a place to go an hang out for a few hours.

Hey I'm with you on gathering for the sake of gathering just to B.S. or bench race. But some people won't go unless they get something. Then there are those with multi-colored, half primered cars that feel they deserve something just because they brought something special like a Camaro or GTO. And lets not forget the guy with more money than brains who figures he's entitled to something because he wrote a fat check to have his car built. So you just give them all a nice wall plaque just to please them. (More like shut them up)

Maybe you can tell me whats so special about someone sitting there burning their tires down until they blow?

[Young Pontiac Guy]

Why not on a burnout ending/leave or burnout contest? Both attract people and some people like it even if some don’t. Nothing to prove really just cool, at least to me. Not trying to argue about it here really- it’s just my opinion.

Feel like when there are no awards shows you usually get a lot of car guys that do work and can have more in depth conversation about the car. More of the build it themself folks. I like that too.

I also think good to invite all cars. Gets the young people there. Some of those kids/folks are true gearheads that really know and modify their ride. Honda or new car is what they have. New muscle is cool. I’m not a huge import fan but I appreciate the work and detail on a lot of them. Hobby isn’t going to continue if only the old timers are there. Need everybody.

I think people look for purpose too. I don’t mind giving to a cause. I think $5-10 for a show is a good cost. Good cause, $10-15. If it’s a huge show with a gazillion cars AND goes to a good cause I’ll pay $20. If ya the Street Machine Nationals you are paying no matter what, and I suppose I expect it for that venue. Would be nice to get the spectators to think like that and give too! That’s another story.

[Formulajones]

$20 won't get you into any local small car shows around here. Most are $35-$45 for a small show with 30-50 cars in it, and nothing to do but walk around or sit.

I've turned into more of a cruise inn guy, where the cost is nothing, come and go as I please, and see the same cars, hang out and talk etc... I mean if I'm just going to see some cars and sit there, I don't want to pay anything because I'm not in this hobby for the trophies anyway. One of the largest cruises in the country is right here in AZ, and it's free. I don't mind paying though if it's for a good cause. There are a few things I like to support.

Speaking of burnouts, we used to do that every Friday night leaving the local cruise and the cops for the most part let it go on as long as it didn't get out of hand. Usually just rolling 20 mph and lay on the throttle type of burnouts as you're leaving on the road in front of the place, not the foot brake and sit in the road stuff. That would get you nailed.

These days it seems frowned upon, not just by police, but seems even the general public. The controlled burnout contests I've seen at some events are stupid crazy safety oriented, making the drivers wear helmets while the cars are completely surrounded by concrete barriers, wheel chocks, and an official telling you when to start and stop, others standing around wearing safety glasses with fire extinguishers like they are expecting a 3 alarm fire, lol, etc.... It's not really all that exciting.

[MUSLCAH]

We have cruise nights around here....drive in and park...shoot the breeze...and leave. Can’t stand car shows with everyone’s stuffed Tony the Tiger in the front seat and all the other Garb .