Too young to get respect at a car show?

[rocketraider]

Sounds like some Waterloo Boy tractor owners. They think THEIR stuff is so superior to everything else that nobody or anything else matters....It's not just you OR your age!

Quoted for truth. As we see by cahartley's tractors example, this problem exists in ANY hobby.

[Rusty_OToole]

If you think old car and tractor snobs are bad you should see the Vincent motorcycle owners at an antique bike show. They speak only to each other, and then only in part numbers.

[Guest cinco]

I'm another young guy and while I don't have anything especially old (1966, but I won't mention what because I don't want to clean the inevitable thrown-tomatoes off the inside of my monitor) I suppose I can join in the fun in a philosophical capacity, if not a technical one. I showed up here a few days ago because pre-war cars have been among my greatest long-distance relationships since I was old enough to know what a car was and this place seems to have a wealth of information and would consequently be a good place to learn.

I spent a fair amount of time working at a restoration shop in years past and the subject of showing cars came up frequently in my head and less frequently in conversation. My boss liked to say that you could show anything if you had enough (ahem) "courage". Personally, I have no interest in most forms of competition and therefore have no interest in ever entering a car into judging, but would still like to take a car or two to a show someday. And that's where my major problem arises. My little car seems to attract a lot of attention in parking lots and such, and nearly every time someone strikes up a conversation I end up offering to let them take it for a spin. It just seems like a shame that I wouldn't be able to do that with something while it was entered in a show, but if I left it in the event parking lot I'm sure fewer people would have the opportunity to check it out. This is also entirely hypothetical since it's currently a daily-driver which is in the process of restoration, but it's fun to think about such things regardless. Eh, I guess the only sensible solution is to build two of 'em .

So yeah, the trophy-crazed grumps are out there (and are prevalent within the circles of all of my other hobbies as well) and the friendly, if a bit odd, folks are out there too. The bright side, though, is that there's not nearly as much chance of running across the bozo faction on the internet since they tend to huddle nervously in dark places, only occasionally peeking out upon the world to see if that noise they heard was someone coming to criticize one of their possessions. And what I've read in this thread (and the forum in general) seems to bear that theory out - friendly people who have just as much interest in the conceptual subject of cars as they do in their own specific example(s) of that subject. So good for all of you for making both he and I feel relatively welcome. It usually takes me a lot longer than a few days before I feel that the danger of the new guy getting stuffed into his locker has passed.

Edited July 6, 2013 by cinco (see edit history)

[Dandy Dave]

Geezzz. I go off on an adventure to rescue a 1915 Buick parts car and look at all the fun I missed. Just getting caught up around here. On Waterloo Boy Tractors, The 10-20 International Titan was a much better tractor. Tell em so and really **** them off. The John Deere guys just generally have there noses up in the air when they walk past the Farmall guys anyway. I have some of both and usually tell them that Caterpillar will walk all over either of their brands. Nice guy I is. Nuk nuk nuk... You will always be in for a good conversation with me talking about anything I have. Even better if you show me that you have a little mechanical knowledge and know that the open valve train on my early Buick is not the pistons going up and down. I have more I could say but have to run, .... Dandy Dave!

[R W Burgess]

I'm another young guy .........................

................. Personally, I have no interest in most forms of competition and therefore have no interest in ever entering a car into judging, but would still like to take a car or two to a show someday...................... And that's where my major problem arises. No problem at all at an AACA National Meet. Display your car in the DPC class, no judging, just a once over to make sure it's not completely "rodded"......................... This is also entirely hypothetical since it's currently a daily-driver which is in the process of restoration, but it's fun to think about such things regardless. Daily drivers are big in DPC, plus you can get a taste of our judged classes parked nearby your class....Eh, I guess the only sensible solution is to build two of 'em ..........GREAT, then you can let your girl friend or wife drive your second car!

Oh, by the way, welcome to our AACA Forums. Wayne

[cahartley]

Geezzz. I go off on an adventure to rescue a 1915 Buick parts car and look at all the fun I missed. Just getting caught up around here. On Waterloo Boy Tractors, The 10-20 International Titan was a much better tractor. Tell em so and really **** them off. The John Deere guys just generally have there noses up in the air when they walk past the Farmall guys anyway..... Dandy Dave!

Totally a two way street.......

Not attempting to turn this into a tractor forum but the worst thing I ever witnessed was when I was at big Thresheree Show with steam, engines, tractors and whatnot.

There was a younger fella there with his, maybe 10-12 year old, son with his immaculately restored Hart Parr 28-44........it was absolutely gorgeous.

Being a "real" fan of 2 cylinder Hart Parrs I struck up a conversation with him. Nice guy to speak with UNTIL his son TOUCHED A FENDER.......:eek:

WOW.......his son got a reaming for touching the fender....... :mad:

I felt bad for the kid and, at that point, I walked away.

Do you think that kid is going to be a tractor collector?

I don't.

All it takes is ONE bad experience to turn someone off.......fortunately I'm far more resilient than that....... .......but it's hard to foster a young person's, or anyone's as far as that goes, interest if they are ignored or talked down to.

I always thought shows were held to foster interest and educate people......not foster dust collector trophies and tick off people.......

[rocketraider]

I'm another young guy and while I don't have anything especially old (1966, but I won't mention what because I don't want to clean the inevitable thrown-tomatoes off the inside of my monitor)

Tell it! :cool:

You never know who else might have one or be interested in it!

[rocketraider]

he worst thing I ever witnessed was when I was at big Thresheree Show with steam, engines, tractors and whatnot.

There was a younger fella there with his, maybe 10-12 year old, son with his immaculately restored Hart Parr 28-44........it was absolutely gorgeous.

Being a "real" fan of 2 cylinder Hart Parrs I struck up a conversation with him. Nice guy to speak with UNTIL his son TOUCHED A FENDER.......:eek:

WOW.......his son got a reaming for touching the fender....... :mad:

I felt bad for the kid and, at that point, I walked away.

Do you think that kid is going to be a tractor collector?

I don't.

Hopefully the guy got your point. That poor kid will probably grow up to be like me- grateful for the day he'll no longer have to deal with his dad.

Again we see there are jerks in every hobby.

I always thought shows were held to foster interest and educate people......not foster dust collector trophies and tick off people.......

In a perfect world, yes. Too often (cheesy) trophies make people go stupid and lose sight of what "old stuff" hobbies are about- preservation and making sure it's passed down to younger generations to appreciate what went before. Too many people use trophies to validate themselves.

On tractor shows- Southeast Old Thresher's Reunion is going on this week in Denton NC. Wasn't able to make it due to time and other commitments, but I like going for a day trip. The shiny restored tractors are nice, but I like the ones that have obviously been "farming"- especially 50s Farmalls, Fergusons and Allis-Chalmers. For that matter about anything except Deere. I've always found Deere people haughty if not downright snobbish, so once again Alex's original topic rears its head.

I like the Amish folks who hook hit-and-miss engines to ice cream freezers too...

Amazingly I've seen only a few Olds engines there. Plenty of Maytags and Fairbanks-Morse though.

[cahartley]

HA HA Glenn.......well I do love my Deeres too.......in fact I mow this place with my JD L (this one IS my Dad's first tractor) pulling a 60" Swisher trailer mower.......but I'm not one of "THOSE" guys.......

If it has two cylinders I'm in love......10-20 Titan. 22-45 Eagle, 20-35 Rumely, 30-50 Rumely. 30-60 Rumely and the 25-40 Rumely I have now plus a number of 2 cylinder Hart Parr tractors.......still have the 18-36.

You might enjoy my youtube channel >>> cahartley7's channel - YouTube ....... :cool:

[Dandy Dave]

On tractor shows- Southeast Old Thresher's Reunion is going on this week in Denton NC. Wasn't able to make it due to time and other commitments, but I like going for a day trip. The shiny restored tractors are nice, but I like the ones that have obviously been "farming"- especially 50s Farmalls, Fergusons and Allis-Chalmers. For that matter about anything except Deere. I've always found Deere people haughty if not downright snobbish, so once again Alex's original topic rears its head.

I like the Amish folks who hook hit-and-miss engines to ice cream freezers too...

Amazingly I've seen only a few Olds engines there. Plenty of Maytags and Fairbanks-Morse though.

Ahh yes my dear sir, I have 3 Allis Chalmers K-35 Crawlers with Baker blades. (Puts me in a different class once again.) Yup. I was there about 18 years ago. Great show. Took my 1909 IHC Tom Thumb and 1860's Bath Tub. rubber ducks and all, and shower stuff Too... I found out it was not club owed like some of the places we have here back home. Was there for a day and had fun and Amish Ice Cream. Now I am the proud owner of three Deere's. (I guess you will snub me forever now. LOL. ) Maybe some day I should return with the only Know 6 HP Sickney Built Kenwood ever known. ... Did I say sir that it is an engine not well know but expensive unlike Lowenbrau, which only tastes expensive. James please bring the Rolls around to the front or the house if you would... How many redneck all Y'all know that gots a Rolls in the wood shed. (Did I mention the Rolls ain't mine???) I missed my calling in life. I should have been a stand up comedian. Dandy Dave!

Edited July 7, 2013 by Dandy Dave (see edit history)