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Guidelines for judging my car, 1st time


papafarms

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Hi everyone, my name is bob and i hope to have my car judged at Hershey this fall, I have already registered, my question(s) is this, what am i to expect and is there a list of things that i should make sure that i am correct on my car, what do the judges look for, would like to know if possible so i can correct before the meet, I have a 1940 Buick 2 door coupe convertible (46c), as always thanks to all who have helped me on this forum, all guidance will be greatly appreciated, Bob

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You will want to have the hood open, trunk open, top up and windows rolled up.  Clear anything out of the interior and trunk that is not factory equipment.  Have a fire extinguisher visable.  The judges are looking for correct restoration, fit and finish.  You can download the Judges Guidelines from the AACA home page here and look at the judges score sheet for an idea of areas where deductions may be taken.  Every car rolls on the field with 400 points.  Deductions are taken from there.  Before a major deduction is taken, the team captain will discuss it with the owner, so you will want to be with the car when it is judged.  You should have factory documentation for anything that may be questioned by the judges, especially if you have an unusual item on your car.  Common areas where points are lost are incorrect hose clamps, tire valve stem caps and radial tires on a car not equipped with them from the factory.  You can prejudge your car with the judging sheet and start by correcting any items that you deduct for.  Likely, you will be more critical of your car than the judges, because you know it and know what is incorrect.  Start by correcting areas with high point deductions that are quick fixes and move down the list.  Good luck at Hershey.

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On a car of that vintage all the spark plugs should have black bases rather than the cadmium bases as on modern plugs. At 1 point per plug you can lose 8 points in a hurry. A black Magic Marker will blacken them nicely and will last long enough to get thru the show. Also your tire valve stem caps should be metal, not plastic, and as mentioned above make sure your hose clamps are correct for the period. Modern screw type clamps stand out like a sore thumb and will cost you 1 point each. Remember, accessories can only hurt your score, not help it so if it doubt about a particular accessory leave it at home. Fuzzy dice were never factory authorized on any car. No blankets or anything on the seats, no aftermarket floor mats, no aftermarket anything in fact. There will be 4 judges, each of whom will spend 5 minutes or so evaluating your car. There is an interior judge, an exterior judge, a chassis judge and an engine judge. Make sure the car is as clean and tidy as you can make it and enjoy the show!

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61polara and Restorer32 made excellent posts of what you should/should not do.  You should also attend the Judges School held in the Giant Center on Friday.  You will gain a wealth of knowledge about what the judges are looking for and the procedures they follow.  It may also help reduce the pre-show jitters that we have all gone through before having our cars judged.  I wish I had gone to these schools prior to showing the first time.  I found it interesting enough to join the judging ranks a couple of years ago.

 

Good luck and see you in Hershey.

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I totally agree with packards42.  The way we judge, with the exception of the scores, is an open book.  Please do sign up and go to the judging school at the next meet you go to.  And the roundtable discussion which is usually just prior to the judging school.  Go at each meet until you fully understand how and why we judge the way we do.  It gives owners a leg up on the owners that don't go.  ;)  

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