Car Shows- Pros and Cons

As many of you know every year I host a car show. It's a lot of fun for me. Most of the folks who show up seem to have a good time, but there is not much for activities. We do peoples choice voting, there is no entry fee, and we grill hot dogs / burgers. Other then that I've been trying to think of other fun things that could be done.

What I want to know is what are some of the favorite things about the car shows you've attended? Also, what are some things that irritated you? Please don't put a name to the show. I don't want this turning into a personal attack against any event or person. Just looking for your opinions. Thanks in advance!

Good questions, Dan. I, personally, enjoy talking with other owners

about "how I did this". Have a problem? Let's see if we can remedy that.

Ben

How about a working clinic of some sort? Any welders interested in doing a show on how they work their magic? Upholsterers? Maybe a radiator shop giving a demonstration on recoring a radiator, and why it costs so much? Or a steering gear rebuilder showing what pitfalls can occur during that task ? BTW, Thank you again. I LOVE that steering box!!!

I always enjoy close inspection of a completed frame ready and waiting to be reunited with it's body.

If all that fails, hire the Hooters Girls for some picture taking...

yea, GIRLS, period.

Wet TEE shirts would bring the cars, but would drive your lady off.

HAPPY WIFE, HAPPY LIFE, hehe.

Dale in Indy

Wet TEE shirts would bring the cars, but would drive your lady off.

HAPPY WIFE, HAPPY LIFE, hehe.

Dale in Indy

Since most of us have big, heavy, comfortable Buicks, how about more slim women. Diversity, I'm pretty sure its called an appreciation for diversity.

Bernie

The ones we like to go are short day trips in the center of town or park,sometimes during A festival or special event.It is nice to browse the town and see different cars,I attend one that goes to A different buisness that hosts the event each month,pizza shop, golf course,restaurant/lounge,etc.It moves around the town.Good scenery helps to,A park,lake,etc. I tend to like vintage,original cars,any AACA chapter show is fun.I don't like open hot parking lots,congestion,burnout pits,people saving spots for some one that doesn't show up,people bringing their daily driver with groceries still in it just to get A good parking space for the show and entering it.We just went to A winery car show last week end next to the vineyard,2 bands,chicken bbq.vendors,big barn,it was alot of fun!!A good DJ is important too,door prizes adds some also.One good one we attend is at A soldiers and sailors home for vets,the family attend with the resident veteren,and I enjoy seeing them enjoy the car,I let them sit in it,some are in wheel chairs,and all have A past memory of one or used to own one,they light right up!!! Just my thoughts, Mark

Dan,

You describe a pretty reasonable show and shine to me. Everyone will have likes and dislikes. I enjoy the cars and the people. I prefer a quieter atmosphere - as soon as music or other noise gets to where you can't hold a conversation, I get pretty annoyed. I tend to avoid the shows with burnouts and rice rockets with their fart cannon exhaust. Of course, that's just me.

The cars and the people are entertainment enough for me. I don't need a whole lot of extras for a typical show. If it going to be a longer time period,then I'd be more interested in distractions. I like JD's idea about demos. I guess having vendors or a swap meet can add to the appeal.

Me too...^^^^^^^, although I can do without the obnoxious DJ and music, however, a live orchestra with soft background music is usually a nice touch. Other people's music is not necessarily mine.

At my show I've stayed away from getting a DJ or a band for just that reason. Some people don't have the same taste in music as I do. So far every year someone brings out a portable radio and turns on some classic rock. I'm all for that.

I held a "Wet T Shirt Contest" at a local All Buick show just a few years ago. It was a big hit; especially with the kids that attended the show. I announced the contest a couple of times before the event just to get interest up with the crowd.

The set up included a kid's wading pool filled with water and a few of last years left over Buick T shirts. Three big inner-tubes with numbers on them spaced at different throwing distances for different point values. The contestants could only use one hand to grab a soaking wet T shirt, roll it up, and throw it into one of the inner tubes for points.

The kids loved it and the parents were relieved...

We held a separate contest for the adults; and the lady who won the adult contest would have won anyway (if you know what I mean).

Something that I have noticed at quite a few of the shows I've attended here in Michigan is that they give short rides in some of the cars. That is REALLY fun for me. From what I can tell they just get some of the owners to volunteer to give spectators short rides. There are always HUGE lines for the rides so people must love it as much as I do. It really adds another dimension of fun to the car shows.

So Shadetree77, WHAT'S your impression of Michigan car shows? I know you were a bit concerned about moving NORTH, but wonder what your feelings are NOW?

Dale in Indy

I remember attending a show that had contests such as tire rolling. But my favorite to watch was a small driving course. Each car could only use first gear to drive the course. At strategic points along the course they placed piles of potatoes. A passenger in the car had a long stick with a spear on the end, the same kind used to pick up litter. The object was to spear as many potatoes as you could, one at a time as the car rolled by. The driver could go as slow as he wanted, but the car had to keep moving. As most of the cars had stick shifts, this took some skill not to stall the engine. The car that collected the most potatoes won. You could probably come up with variations to this same game.

I bought an early Corvair Spyder at a yard sale somewhere around 1979 and joined the club for a few years. Memory and good search skills must be the devil's playground: http://clubs.hemmings.com/nvce/VacuumCleanerContest.html.

The original story was that a member was attempting to repair a leaky tank and used the vacuum cleaner to purge the fumes, a more likely event.

You know, sometimes history has a way of repeating itself:

Maybe something similar with old hybrid cars? They have electric motors.

Bernie

Awards, something different.

I sat on our local club car show committee for 9 years. Our show was not a points / trophy kind of show and we all know awards raise some controversy sometimes so to change things up a bit we decided to introduce a new award.

Because of the increasing amount of street rods coming in, it was decided to give an award to the car/person most likely to get a speeding ticket. There was no forewarning about this and we approached our local law enforcement to see if someone would be willing to participate.

During the awards presentation, suddenly a police car came down the field with lights and siren on, two Officers got out with ticket book in hand (and a trophy), called out the car owners name to come forward all sounding very official. The crowd reaction was great, the guy was relieved and the next year we had about a 20% increase in cars to see who would get a Ticket/Trophy.

We did it for two years only so as not to let it become too expected but that third year we had almost 750 cars registered.

Just something different and fun.

That Dave Barry is awesome!!! What an artist. The Speeding Ticket award sounds like fun too.