What class do we fit into

[RET_COP]

Here is my problem, first I'm not a trophies chaser, but I wanted to see how my car stacked up against others, and I wanted to enter a car show just to see how it was. I went to a sanctioned show in R.I. judged by our peers. I paid the fee and was told to go to section Z. I pulled in and I had pro street cars and 60 and 70 muscle cars in the same row. OK, so what, I'm here to have some fun and meet and greet. I end up with a 3rd and a beautiful 67 Camaro took 1st. I was happy about the show and the recognition my car got.
A month later in the same state I enter a show and pay the fee. Again and just by coincidence i get row Z again. I park and another Cobra parks next to me. We chat and exchanged some shop talk. I look at the row and again, 60 and 70 street machines. Ok I really don't care, lets have some fun. The show was judged by our peers, (registered hot rodders). I went to grab some clam chowder and fritters, judged three categories and looked at other cars. I went back to my car, when an official came up to me and apologized, he said that the Cobras were misplaced and if he had seen me sooner he would have moved us. He said that because we Cobra owners were older guys and would rather deal with us as we would understand, that the other younger guys were causing a little problem. He thanked me for coming to the event and comented on my car. Me not thinking just smiled and said NO Problem. So the show ended with nothing. I went back my car and was getting ready to leave when the other Cobra owner walked up to me and said " what the hell was that all about"? I happened to look at his license plate and saw that he was a member of the organization that was putting on the event. He must have known there was problem. I just told him what was told to me. Anyway the lightbub went off , duh and I realized I votes were thrown away as the other complained about our cars being in the same category, one of the guys was in the first show that I attended. Ok so I got caught up in some politics of car shows and learned a lesson.
My question is, what type of category should our cars be judged in? Unless there are alot of Cobras, where should we be grouped with. Corvette owners don't even what us near them, for fear of losing. Hehehe.
I'm not that wrapped up in this, but there does seem to be a bit of confusion on the peoples faces when I pull in for registration.
Lou

[ZOERA-SC7XX]

Judged car shows are almost always 'political', with friends or associates of the show sponsors usually getting the nod for the awards, or getting tossed from or assigned to certain classes. In one show I attended last year, a GT 40 owner was awarded a 'best in class' trophy without ever filling out the entry form (the car was brought to the show by an employee). It turns out that an officer in the car club that sponsored the show just happens to be another employee of the GT 40 owner. Don't get me wrong, the car was stunning, but to guarantee a 'best in class' trophy by your employee (he knew early in the day) stinks to high heaven. I'll never attend this certain show again, even though it's a 'recognized' regional event.
Car shows are intended to be a fun day for all involved, but the actions of a few unscrupulous individuals/judges ruin it for the rest of the hard-working car enthusiasts.

[WardL]

Ret,
I thought it was the adults that always mess things up. Pretty funny the kids can't stand the competition! I applaud you for your grace.

[CobraDan]

With the entry fee at $25-$30 or $30-$35 day of the show you can buy all the $5 trophies you want.

[Double Venom]

Most "Quality" shows will have a true "REPLICA Field" for these cars. That is the section I always tried for.

[Bobcat]

That`s why I only do cruise ins . The two shows I went to put me in the Specialty Car category ... which I feel is fair . However , the judging really leaves a lot to be desired and some people who don`t win , really get upset .
However , in defense of the local shows ... it`s difficult to find judges who are knowledgeable on all cars .... i.e. a Ford guy judging a Chevy and vice versa . If I do a show ( very rarely ... but I did one that benefited the Wounded Warriors group last month ) , it`s just for fun and I normally leave before it`s over .

[Z-linkCobra]

I guess in my mind we belong in the muscle car group. The Cobras came from the same era. Came from the same designer. You could go down and rent one and it was sitting right next to a Mustang.

Just my thoughts

[James Stern]

I normally leave shows before the judging is over or don't put the number in the windshield. I enjoy getting together with car type people and am not all that interested in the politics or the trophys.

[RANDY CARTER]

Like yourself, I couldn't care less about a car show trophy but I do enjoy going to car shows. Over the years, I have been put in a number of different classes for judging. In my experience, most all shows have a class for "specialty vehicles" or "other" and those seem to work the best. Since these classes really don't define what the car should be it is easier for the judges and for me because I don't have to justify why the Cobra is in a particular class.

[55312]

I, too, hate car shows. Even though I have won a number of trophies over the years, the last one I went to cured me forever. Of the 150 cars entered, there were two Tasca Fords. Every bit as unique as anything Yenko ever sold in my opinion. One was a 427 Fairlane and the other was a 65 Falcon sprint. Both were totally unmolested and nearly 100 point cars. They didn't even place! A 67 Nova with a 350 (sigh) crate motor won first place. I packed up and swore off any more car shows.

If you must go to one, the best run I've gone to was at Hemming's. They know what's unique and how to judge!

Tim

[rattlesnakepete]

I have had similar experiences at car shows and had the same motivation for going, just to have fun and tryout a car show.

Now that I am wiser to how these events work I drive my cobra to the show and park nearby. I go in as a spectator, enjoy the event and when I go back to my cobra to drive home there is almost always a crowd around it. And of course leaving the event always draws interest.

[lnfletcher]

What I have found is that every show is different and each will struggle to classify our cars. Some are fun to enter. (Shaded areas with nice cars and good people) and some aren't worth the trip. (Blacktop parking lot in August with trophy hunters.)

I have found a couple I really enjoy and return to those each year.

[Dwight]

Coach and I attended a show a few years back. The host club was a hot rod, pre 60 car club. They put Coach and I in class 49 with a 86 Caddie and a tractor with a 350 motor.
Guess who won?

Coach and I left before they gave out the prizes and trophies. But three weeks later at another car show we met the guy with the Caddie. He was still hot! He told us the tractor won. We laughed but this guy was pissed. He was never going back. "It was a car and truck show, not a tractor show".

We have told this store a bunch of times and laugh every time.

The next year I received a letter from the Club to attend their show that year. Well I had so much fun tell the story so many times that I just called the President of the club and told him I was surprised that they had invited me back. He ask "why" and I told him about the tractor and that I thought this was their way the way of telling us not to bring our fiberglass fake cars back. He made a lot of excuses and apologized a hundred times.

We could not make their show that year but the next year we had four Cobras there. Guess what? We all won a trophy??? So trophies do not make a car better than another.
We like shows that do not judge. We like the door prizes (cash works). More of the show are going with a non judge format.

We attend all the shows we can. We enjoy the people, looking at other cars of all kinds and showing our Cobras.

See ya at the show. Got one this week in town. We should have 8 to 10 Cobras.
Tents, chairs and coolers.
Dwight

[SuperHart]

Fortunately or unfortunately, the only show I do each year has only two classes, stock and modified. I STILL have confusion about which class to place the Cobra into. Funny, but for the first three entries I was placed in Stock Class. When I added meatballs and vintage racing decals, no other changes, the next year they made me enter in Modified Class. Go figure. Didn't know decals constituted a change of class. Oh well.

The only funny story was the third year I entered the Cobra in this show. The cars are not positioned so all cars in one class are together. I ended up parked next to a cherry 1955 Chrysler Imperial. The owner was quite stuffy. You know the type, someone with a large broomstick shoved all the way up where the sun don't shine? Well, all day he kept making reference to my FAKE car and acting insulted that a FAKE car was placed next to his GENUINE automobile. I managed to restrain from tearing him a new rectal outlet until the awards ceremony when my Cobra was voted MAYOR'S CHOICE and his car came away with nothing. I couldn't resist pushing my beautiful trophy up under his nose with the comment "Well, my car may be a FAKE in your eyes but I assure you that this trophy is REAL." THAT shut him up for good and I was very proud of myself and my car.

[601HP]

Many years ago I was placed in a class that included a full-size fire engine, as in hook and ladder fire engine/truck.

I can't remember the last competitive car show I entered.

David

[MaSnaka]

Not mine but a friend has his Cobra in a very local and small show/fundraiser and was classed in a specialty class with a phone booth on wheels sort of thing and the phone booth won.

I take the same approach as Rattlesnake...drive the Cobra to the show, enter as a spectator, stay as long as I want and then leave. The thought of staying from early morning to mid afternoon just doesn't appeal to me. Sure trophys are nice for the ego and the shelf but I really don't care that much about it. There are a lot of really nice cars that get passed up as has been previously said. I do like the cars and people though.

John