Three basic types of shows:
1: Everything original, OEM, judged as such, (preferably by qualified judges, with REAL judging sheets).
2: Basically stock cars, but with lots of bolt-on's, chrome, power adders etc.
3: Custom cars, mild-to-wild, anything goes.
The last two end up getting judged, (most often) by whomever they have on property. Or worse yet.... club members or CAR OWNERS (that are entered)!
I've won all over the southeast from the 80's to around 2001 when I stopped going. But I didn't show cars, I showed work trucks. Specifically, rollbacks (flatbed tow trucks). Once I showed up with a bright red 65 Mustang, with a white drop top that was a National Winner 5 of 6 of the previous years sitting there all nice and shiny on the bed... all weekend long. Won "peoples choice" with that lil' trick.
Of course I won in my division, but we ALWAYS had judges from the industry, as well as car show judges. But we NEVER had other owners doing the judging.
One year at the Atlanta show (didn't enter a truck that year, felt like it'd been a conflict because I was running the competition) I brought in nationally recognized judges. We made it clear that trucks entered in the "working class" had to have 5000 miles on them, and MUST HAVE WORKED in towing and recovery prior to the competition. One guy showed up with a truck with 5200 miles on it that was clearly brand spanking new. It was a big Peterbuilt, 60 ton boom on back, that he drove from Mississippi. (He'd won in the Mississippi show earlier.) Clearly the truck had never even used the winch before, much less worked in recovery. But the guy swore he'd worked the truck, just that he pulled the cables off, painted the winch drums, cable rollers, and put all new cables on it. So we let him enter the working class just to shut him up.
I told my judges we had a problem with it, but the guy had had a few drinks and we didn't want a fight on our hand. Next morning they and I went to judge the truck(s). My judging sheet was a 1000 point system, from the paint, to overall condition, interior, tools & equipment, DOT & ICC certification, safety gear, lighting, you name it. They even went under the trucks with creepers! That truck got a 2 point deduction I remember because there were 2 halves of a fly in the radiator!!!! :laughing: Plus because it had so few miles on it there was a factor that the older trucks had built-in. Needless to say he didn't win in the "working class" (we got complaints all weekend BECAUSE he was even ENTERED in that class), but he did place 3rd.
Bottom line though is car shows should be more of a place to spend time with like minded individuals, enjoying cars, people, stories, and just having a good time. The trophy is a bonus, nothing more --- nothing less.
If you're there for the trophies..... might as well get a motor home and start going to dog shows.
Just as many politics in that world as well!
