Not showing our cars anymore?

[BILL WILLIAMSON]

This thread might convince 293,000 folks to NEVER go to car shows & show their MODEL As!
CAR SHOWS are GREAT!
Bill Appalled

[ModelAMike1930]

I wont take my Model A's to any shows,too many irresponsible parents letting their kids run ramped . I restored my cars for my pleasure and put a lot of sweat and blood into them. My Grandkids love and enjoy my Model A's that's enough for me. They respect all the work I put into them. I guess I'm just getting too old to put up with ignorant people.

[WHN]

Mystic Seaport car show last week. Great turnout of both Model A's and T's. Without those Fords, the show would have been a bust. I will say there are less early cars at local shows than just a few years ago.

The cars are still out there. Owners, for a lot of the reasons mentioned above, are just enjoying them more privately.

When I drive around here in Old Lyme I get waves and smiles all the time. The people still love to see early cars. Have you looked at people's interest in early 19th and late 18th century colonial furniture lately. The good stuff is going into collections. It is no longer out in flea markets or local antique shows. The right people still love it, just more in private.

Same with brass cars, Model T's, and now Model A's. Enjoy.

[glenn in camino]

I'm in Northern Calif., and only go to two shows a year. One is the Hangtown Car show. The other is the Ironstone winery show near Murphys Ca. Both are good shows with lots of different cars including a class for Model As at the Murphys show. The Hangtown show is only a few miles from my home, but the Murphys show is 75 miles away and a great weekend vacation.

[Mike Peters]

You guys who are burned out on car shows would appreciate the Iola car show in early July in Wisconsin. Prewar cars get in free and are parked in a roped off area. Nobody messes with your car. It's adjacent to the rest of the car show/swap meet. Couldn't be more handy. We drive a Model A there every summer. Never a bad experience. One year I bought a big street mail box from a vendor. I had to take the wife's seat out of the Tudor in order to squeeze it into the back seat. Reinstalled wife's seat and drove it home.

[TerryO]

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If we all hide our A's how do we expect the youngsters to see them and want one? I just returned from an 80 mile drive this fine afternoon and I couldn't count all the honks, waves and thumbs up. Several folks pulled up beside us and took pictures with those little devices they all carry around these days.
I get my A's out every chance I get to enjoy them and this includes car shows and cruise-ins.

TerryO

[frank55a]

I agree with most of the reasons stated above and in part, each is why I generally no longer go to car shows with the exception of a couple. I have owned Model A's since 1963, and over the years have gone to hundreds of shows.

The culture and spectator interest in our cars has changed. As an example, a couple of years ago I went to a large local show that generally includes 500-700 cars. I took my 28 Model A Phaeton and parked next to a 28 Packard Phaeton, here were 2 cars of the same year and body style at opposite ends of the economic spectrum. The Packard owner and I watched and tracked the spectator interest in our cars. Most spectators walked past our cars without even stopping to glance at the cars let alone ask a question. For the most part those that did show any interest or ask a question were 50+ years old.

I am retired now and do not attend car shows in general because of the: 1) work involved to maintain the cars show ready; 2) the lack of spectator interest and respect; 3) registration fees, $10 is one thing, $20 or more is quite another; 4) the choice between cost and time involved to go to a car show to sit on a hot black parking lot to watch my car and hear people pick my As apart that know nothing about the cars when I can sit by the pool and enjoy a beer is a no brainer; 5) I totally enjoy touring in my As, whether it is a short drive on a beautiful day in the country side or a week or more and several hundred miles - in my opinion, this is where the real fun in the hobby is at.

[pooch]

Originally Posted by BILL WILLIAMSON

EVERYONE is SO NEGATIVE, is your attitude grounded INCORRECTLY?
Bill W.

I agree Bill.

Just lots of ole farts whingeing and whining .

At the last show, I had a litte girl who so wanted to sit in my rumble seat for a picture.

I said, I am just about to leave, if your Dad says it is OK, I will drive you out to the gate in the rumble seat..

The beaming smile on her face made up for all the wankers who let their little bastards jump on my car .

[maako]

Japan is very expensive to enter in a car show, 50.00 to 200.00 depending onthe show. I go to support friends and charity events, the military base events charge 10.00 to 400.00 but everyone gets evvent t- shirts and drawing prizes.

[Ed]

I used to go to many car show each year with my Model A. However, due several occasions of rude spectators and damage to my A, I no longer participate in any of them. I do not find it enjoyable to not be able to leave my truck unattended.

[Ian Curtis]

I just don't get paying money to park in an otherwise free spot. We put 1000+ miles on the A per year (chump change compared to some of you!), and I'm happy to let anyone who asks in a parking lot sit in the seat and press the buttons, look at the engine, etc. We're our own rolling car show!

If there were more free shows, I'd be more inclined to show up to those. It is a bit disappointing whenever I do end up at local car show though -- I'd much rather check out pre-war cars (or 50s & 60s) compared to the more modern stuff or most new custom rigs.

[3.6rs]

Originally Posted by Lona

... My wife would have attended with her '31 roadster but was away visiting family for the weekend... At another large show about 80 miles from us some three weeks ago, there were none. (too far away for our roadster ) ...

Glen

Why not showing your cars anymore ? I think the answer is in your post.

[lucky_stripe_garage]

I've put my A in a few shows since I've had it back on the road. I love sitting there listening to the reactions about my car since it's occasionally the oldest one there. The stories that spectators have told me about them playing in their grandparents A when they were younger are priceless. No, my A isn't, nor will it ever be a points car. The previous owner painted it in his garage, and was not a body man.

Most of the people that have looked at my car always pick up their kids to look inside (which also isn't perfect on my car). I just let them know that their kids are more than welcome to stand on the running boards. IF my fat butt hasn't damaged the running boards, their 5 year old won't do any damage. Depending on how interested the kid(s) are when they're looking, I'm more than happy to let them sit in the seat so their parents can get pictures.

I'm only the caretaker for this car while I have it. I hope that showing appreciation for people looking at my car will spark some interest in younger kids to get into the hobby as well.

[2manycars]

I have been going to car show since 1960, and have a bunch of plaques to show for it, and a few trophies, but I go less and less these days. I passed on a show two weeks ago because they wanted $20. I go to the Belltown show, as I have most years since the first one in 1967, and I go to some British shows with my MGs, but drive the tudor less each year. The traffic is thicker and faster each year. The kids have less respect both on the road and at shows. (I guess it is no longer desirable to teach kids respect) I like the cruise-ins. No fee, no trophy, no assigned parking, come when you want, leave when you want. I went to the Mystic Seaport show last week, as I have for most years since it started, but the old orphan cars were few in number. If not for Fords, the show would have been a pitiful collection of a handfull of cars. The really old cars are not practical for road use these days, and it takes time and money to load the car on a trailer, towed by a truck that was probably bought for that purpose, and take it to a show that charges a fee that is getting more and more expensive. When I was a kid we drove our model A everywhere, even up interstate 84. That does not happen much today. I find my 36 coupe and my MGs more practical to drive, and can safely keep up with the nutty traffic, and can stop in a safer distance than with a model A, even a restored one. Whether or not we want to admit it, we are all getting older, and do not have the energy and stamina that we had in our youth. In addition, some of us suffer from various health issues. As for getting the kids interested, good luck with that. They are more interested in their cell phone and computer than cars, and where would they get the money to buy a model A anyway? Times change. We may think the same as we did years ago, but the newer generations do not think the same. Thankfully my son likes old cars, and has the roadster pickup that we restored together, but he is so busy on the farm that he only went to one cruise-in this year. I guess I dont paint a rosy picture, but that is how I see it.

[pgerhardt]

Originally Posted by Kurt in NJ

I only go to shows that don't charge to display the car ---when I started the shows would usually have a meal, plaque and other goodies---

Agreed. I went to the Roaring Twenties car show in Bethlehem CT. Not only were they charging for admission, but also charging $5 extra for each person in the car other than the driver! I had never seen that before!

The one to plan for, (and IMHO worth a trip from NJ) is the Cider Mill show in Shelton, CT. It is free, all Model A's and T's, and has a good swap meet area.

[BILL WILLIAMSON]

I only ever won 1 trophy, "BEST APPEARING CAR" with my '53 Studebaker.
It had a '36 Ford Coupe on it, LOWERED & with FENDER SKIRTS!! It fell & broke & the car was LOWERED even MORE!--I threw it away.
Bill W.

[leo]

It is truly a shame that "follow the money" has become the reason for most events today. Even at Hershey they continue to raise the prices just to park in the open fields. Does everything really have to make a profit (or windfall) for the organizers? You tell me!
Another aside: the hotel I'm staying in Days Inn Lebanon/Fort Indiantown Gap is charging me $50 more per day for the same room I had last year. It's disgusting.

[FRANK PKNY]

Our early spring dust off show Rhinebeck NY does not charge for early cars, I think built prior to 1935! I enjoy getting out and still show on occasion, however two or three shows a year is enough for me. I drive my Model A coupe almost every day weather permitting, until we get salt on the roads, it's a car show every day. People in town all recognize my cars, because I drive them. Presently I have five old fords, although I have been cutting down on volume, in order to cut expenses and upkeep. I enjoy seeing young people looking at the cars, our generation still loves. If I get a plaque or trophy, I give it to the first youngster I see, as a keepsake. You would enjoy seeing their faces, that smile you get is well worth the effort. You may even get a youngster interested in our hobby! It's a good way to keep it going!

[daveymc29]

We have a "first Sunday Cars and Coffee" that brings in over 400 cars and sometimes near 600. There will be at most three or four A's and two of them will be from our club. Most of the cars are the Mustangs and Cameros and exotics right off the showroom floor and a few hotrods. Lots of the cars you never see driven, Ferraris, Lambo's and such. Last Sunday no A's.

[Lona]

Very interesting comments about shows. I agree with Bill Williamson that there seems to be a negative attitude by many about attending shows yet we constantly look for ways to attract younger folks into our hobby. We have 23 shows each year in our area not counting the cruise-in every Friday night during the summer. Some of the shows are sponsored by our all marque club while others are open to anyone who wants to come. Here is a breakdown of the types of shows.

7) Free, no food
9) Free, with food
3) Pay fee, no food
4) Pay fee, with food

Except for one, the fee shows are all $10, some of which are charitable like support for local volunteer fire/rescue squads and church fund raisers. One is $20 but is at an upscale yacht club and they feed us a nice sit-down buffet lunch worth the $20 spent. Where food is included in the other shows, it is usually tickets for a hot dog/hamburger and soda. We try to attend as many shows as we can from this, our retirement summer place, but our main residence is 75 miles away so sometimes it's difficult.

We are blessed with a public that is respectful of our cars and kids who are either knowledgeable or are told by their parents not to touch things. We often ask parents if their kids would like to sit in our roadster as a way to get the younger generation interested.

As I suspected in my original comments, we are getting older and for a variety of reasons mostly having to do with ageing, many don't go to shows anymore. Perhaps that is the biggest reason for not seeing as many A's at events anymore. When our cars disappear from public view, the younger generation will not follow the dedication and love we have for our hobby.

Glen