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Car show, strange entry? Or the norm?

3K views 33 replies 23 participants last post by  chevy302dz 
#1 ·
I attended the Pontac show in Pigeon Forge this past weekend. Some really nice rides, some stockers but mostly modifieds, or slightly.

The strangest one to me was this 1968 Firebird. Near flawless car with about every rare option you could get.
400, 4 spd, Hood tach, PS, PB, deluxe interior, fold down rear seat, Tilt wheel, Power windows no less, wheel well chrome, viny top, about anything you could imagine on a 68.
Now I understand the B-cool radiator and maybe even the air cleaner, although I'd have swapped breathers for the show. But to have Air shocks and those Cragers on a car like that at a judged show? Seems a little wierd to me.
Fine for a cruise in or personal use but a show? This car was magazine worthy.

What's everyone else doing regarding show time? Especially if you have a near perfect optioned out car. Would you take the time to put the original wheels on for show?
 

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#2 ·
428ho said:
. But to have Air shocks and those Cragers on a car like that at a judged show?
there was a time when that was the thing to do, jack the car up & stuff the widest tire as u could under it...


428ho said:
Fine for a cruise in or personal use but a show?
what's the problem??? it's a nice car, he paid the entry fee & he wants to show it. hell i drove our 40 chevy in primer for 10yrs & went to car shows all over the midwest. had lots of folks ask me questions about it & loved the car. he didnt build the car for u or me, he built it for himself & if he's happy w/it that's all that matters..


428ho said:
What's everyone else doing regarding show time? Especially if you have a near perfect optioned out car. Would you take the time to put the original wheels on for show?
mmmmm lets see i'd get there when i wanted to, enjoy the day, eat some BBQ, see some old friends & meet some new ones. as for the wheels, hell if thats the rims & tires i wanted on my car thats what i would run, cause i don't know about anyone else but i always build my cars for "ME" & not anyone else & if they don't like WELLLLLLLLL that's thier problem not mine........joe
 
#3 ·
Thats kind of weird that someone would go through the trouble to restore something like that, thats got all of those options you don't see that often, then put some stuff like that on there. If you really wanted to, you might be able to sell it, then buy you a pretty nice stripped Firebird, and have money left over.

Maybe he found the car without a radiator, breather, and a set of wheels.

Its funny what people will do to rare-ish cars though.


-GF
 
#4 ·
Wasn't implying a problem with the guy himself, or his taste in rims.

The fact remains it was a judged show for class trophy's. Having major deducts for something that is easily changed out just seemed odd.

It would be like having the potential winner of a beauty contest decide to wear blue jeans and flip flops in the evening gown competition just because that's what she likes to wear. Yes you can, but it doesn't make any sense.

And by the way, this car was trailered in from several states away.
 
#8 ·
A few years back, I got talked into going to an all Pontiac car show at MHCC and I gotta tell ya... Some of those Pontiac Purists are an interesting bunch. The Club that put the gig on went shopping for entries with two Non-Pontiac classes and I went with the pre-55 NP class. With the way some of these guys eyeballed down all the killer non-Pontiac stuff that came out that day, Youd'a thunk you were at some sort of ***** Concourse De'elegance or something - it was real comical. There were no less than 25 Pontiac classes in that show and you shoulda watched 'em politic over the trophies - what a hoot!
Myself, I'm a hotrodder. I could care less if a guy has a so- called rare mussle car and chooses to go with an aluminum radiator, dual reservoir master cyl./ power disc brake setup and something other than a tar-top battery. This is bolt-on stuff that simply makes a car more road worthy. If you can't drive 'em, they're no fun at all. Its truly funny to watch the purists have a cow over stuff like that. :D

As far as stance and choice of wheels goes, to each his own. Over the years, I agree, some flash-in-the-pan fads have really taken what looks stupid to new levels. The beauty of being a participant voter at an open show is you have the right to sort 'em ALL out, regardless of make or model and BOY, do I reserve that right!

Love it ;)
 
#11 ·
Here you go....
Set that Firebird next to this incredible kustom and it WILL be a beautiful thing...

To each his own guys... Who are we to judge anything that we didn't build? I build what I like and anybody that doesn't like it can go to the Devil for all that matters to me... Granted there is a lot of stuff out there I wouldn't be caught dead in but, if the owner thinks it's his cup of tea, I am not going to argue with him...
Mark
 
#12 ·
astroracer said:
Here you go....
Set that Firebird next to this incredible kustom and it WILL be a beautiful thing...

To each his own guys... Who are we to judge anything that we didn't build? I build what I like and anybody that doesn't like it can go to the Devil for all that matters to me... Granted there is a lot of stuff out there I wouldn't be caught dead in but, if the owner thinks it's his cup of tea, I am not going to argue with him...
Mark

i would consider myself open-minded but that is the ugliest thing i have ever seen :pain:
 
#13 ·
it is a bit tacky... however , apparently he likes it.
If I was showing it to win a plastic trophy, sure, I see your point... if not , & is just displaying it, it wouldnt matter to me. Was it in a restored class ? or did they have a seperate class for modified cars? Is odd if he trailered it a long ways to display it, but maybe he was in town for a wedding or something anyways. who knows.
 
#14 ·
I have to agree with PrimeMover, purists are an interesting bunch. I have never liked that kind tire/wheel treatment on either a Firebird or Camero even when that was the thing to do. But, that is just my personal preference. From the looks of the car and the description I would stop, look and appreciate the quality of the work done. More power to the guy for building the car the way he wants it.

I drive a 63 Impala SS my dad ordered from the factory and I drove in high school. It is a restored matching numbers car. I guess if you are into that kind of thing thats great. As for me I've got that thing on the ground with polished IROC rims. You should see the purists react to that. Now that is weird.
 
#15 ·
Well since it's not my car I can't tell the owner how to use the ar or what it has to look like?

I know a guy who bought a nice '57 Chevy convertible, yanked out the original 283 and powerglide. He shoved a 396 with a blower in the car and used costom wheels on it too. It was a black car so it was pretty nice to being with.

I'd hate for someone to tell me "I" have to make my car like they want it to be. (OH wait, that has happened)

The general tastes now seem to be towards modified cars over the stock ones. I've seen this somewhat first hand. People at a car show or cruise in will climb all over the cars or trucks with a blower. Sure they look at the stock, original cars. Just not as hard.
 
#16 ·
Not sure what class he was in but it wasn't modified near enough for that one, probably stock enough to do well even as presented but probably could have walked away with honors with a little more thought and effort.
Maybe he was just there to have fun and display but he didn't drive it anywhere. Straight back to the trailer after the show. With those tires he'd rock chip the paint in less than 5 miles.

I not a purist except when it comes to very rare cars. They're are so few left that to see one as it was built is nice. One particular GTO looked like a time warp. Everything was period perfect. Not that I didn't like the GTO clones and other modified Firebirds, although I did thank one guy for bringing his very nice slightly modified 66 Tempest, since he left it a Tempest instead of cloning it into a GTO.
Told him that tooks some guts the way cloning has gone crazy. He agreed, said the car came along so nicely he couldn't bring himself to do it even though that's what he'd originally planned.

Again, I'm not trying to bash the Firebird guy. He had a beautiful car, my questions have more to do with opinion and prep for showing.
Lord knows I haven't shown a car in years. Cruise-ins mainly these days.
 
#17 ·
Thats kind of weird that someone would go through the trouble to restore something like that, thats got all of those options you don't see that often, then put some stuff like that on there.
But figure this....the wide tires and air shocks are "period correct" for the car. Back in the late '60's / early 70's, that was the way it was done. Either L60's or N50's on a set of 10" Deep Dish Cragars with a set of Gabriel HiJackers, and a set of Cherry Bomb straight thru's and buddy you were CRUISIN' :thumbup: So if you want a car to look like it was out of that period, then he nailed it pretty good I'd say.
 
#19 ·
the car show people...

your talking purists...bone stock..factory correct...no mods!!
Not my kind of show...there isn't really any show that is my kind of show anymore. I learned my lesson with my 49 Ford 2dr sedan...They didn't like the fact I put "Becki Sue" on the side..of an other-wise bone stock 49 2dr sedan...I didn't care!! Anal Retentive is a better description of most Show car people...go to the shows, you'll see what I mean...No disrespect intended...just a facts!! Cruise your car...take it to work or the store shopping...or a drive around town...Car shows stink!!


Tazz
 
#20 ·
I go to car shows sometimes with mine, but Im not there to win a trophy, I dont care about that. Infacta month ago I won the class, I never even went & got the trophy.
I go to hang out with friends, eat some food, tell lies. etc. John
 
#21 ·
OldSchoolChevy said:
most of the guys with the real nice cars here look like they are still wearin the same blue jeans they wore in 5th grade just cut the bottoms off so they are shorts, shirts look the same way. (mullet)
Now THAT'S funny Kid... I cant even get into the stuff I wore twenty years after I got married. It's a nice thought though, if I could I probably would.. :D
 
#22 ·
Perhaps you picked the wrong website to critic if a "non-stock" item is wierd. This is afterall HotRodders.com!

As others have mentioned, for many of us the addition of Cragars, L-60's and air shocks were the first changes made "back in the day" (lets not forget the bolt on Moroso traction bars and maybe even an under dash 8 track unit). I love it and I am sure the owner would love it that you asked this question.

I do appreciate you posting the pictures. Takes me back............
 
#23 ·
Kevin45 said:
But figure this....the wide tires and air shocks are "period correct" for the car. Back in the late '60's / early 70's, that was the way it was done. Either L60's or N50's on a set of 10" Deep Dish Cragars with a set of Gabriel HiJackers, and a set of Cherry Bomb straight thru's and buddy you were CRUISIN' :thumbup: So if you want a car to look like it was out of that period, then he nailed it pretty good I'd say.
My wife would absolutely drool over this car, it brings back the memories of her younger years, she loves the arse in air look. It does bring back memories. :cool: The bad thing is she wants our 36 to look that way. :pain: Dan
 
#24 ·
But figure this....the wide tires and air shocks are "period correct" for the car. Back in the late '60's / early 70's, that was the way it was done. Either L60's or N50's on a set of 10" Deep Dish Cragars with a set of Gabriel HiJackers, and a set of Cherry Bomb straight thru's and buddy you were CRUISIN' So if you want a car to look like it was out of that period, then he nailed it pretty good I'd say.

This is what got me interested in building a car when I was a teenager.

Cragar SS wheels, Lakewood bolt on traction bars, air shocks, headers, and a 4 bbl carburator.

It still get's my blood pumping today.

Back in the 1970s a good paint job on your ride wasn't even maditory. Sure if your car had nice paint it was a plus for you but everyone was more interested in going fast.

Now days you HAVE to have a $45,000 paint job on your car.

One guy on Chevy Talk posted how he painted his '55 Chevy with a roller. From the pictures he posted it looked good.

I personally an so sick and tired of Tork Thrust wheels, billet parts, and cookie cutter cars. Crate engines, billet bolt on parts, slammed to the ground, with expensive paint jobs is all every one is doing now days. Okay I'll admot buying a crate engine is getting to be cheaper then having an engine machined. But is all this really hot rodding as it once was or started out as?

I like SS Cragars. In fact I recently had a set of SS wheels custom made for one of my cars. I like cars with air shocks on them. I like the bolt on slapper bars as everyone calls them. I build my car(s) to please me. Not everyone else.
 
#25 ·
The tires sticking out aren't my cup of tea, but like others have said, it ain't our car. Maybe he did that to P-off the Pontiac folks.

I enter car shows to help the charity putting them on. I have a great time just hanging out with other "car guys". If I win something, cool, if I don't, so what. We have a local club here that has a well orchestrated plan (voting) to make sure they win the bulk of awards handed out. It's actually funny to watch them. A friend and I have thought about having a trophy made with the club's name that says, "Best Scam to win Trophy's". LOL.

A quick car show story........... A couple years ago i won the "Diamond in the Rough" (Under Construction) award at a show. It was a total surprise to me which made it even better. I was parked next to a beautiful 36 Packard. The Packard guy was livid a primered S-10 was anywhere near his car. A friend of mine won Best Motorcycle. He asked me to drop off his trophy at his house. I walked over to get in my truck with this 4 foot tall trophy and I thought the Packard guy was going to have a heart attack. I'll never forget the look on his face. LOL. BTW, Packard guy went home empty handed.
 
#26 ·
I like it...Firebirds of that Generation are about as rare as the Camaros are.
Looks like it would be if it was in the early 70's.
Any Joey Bagadonuts can go down to the trophy shop and buy a $10 trophy...I suppose that guy built that car because that is what he liked....
As far as the Mullet being associated with that car...I am thinking it is because it is a Firebird, not because of the wheels.
Later,
WEIMER
 
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