Well today I entered a car show (my 2nd one), and didn't win anything . 1st place was a clean 02 vette that basically only had a brake kit so he entered the modified class and won. The 2nd place person was a newer black mustang with TT2's and a few other nice things, pretty cool guy. I had a lot of complimetns at the show which was nice... but I'm really starting to think, Is my car all that good looking? I mean for a avg street car its great, but for a show car it seems like I have no chance against lightly modded vettes .

I've been thinking over the idea of selling my TT2's for 18 inch Z06's? I've also been thinking about getting a damaged Ultra Z hood, have it fixed and put on my car. And I already have a SS spoiler that is just waiting to be painted. So what do you guys think?

 

I think your car looks great the way it is. I think the rims and the fender stripes make it stand out, plus since your car is lowered, it looks much better than most, including mine, because of little fender gap.

Was your car perfectly clean? Have you done anything under the hood? Is there anything inside your car that makes is stand out more than others?

I am in the same boat as you. My car looks nice for a street car but it is not what I would call a show car. I am going to do some underhood stuff and new rims down the road but I bought it more for fun and to drive it. I plan on entering some shows down the road but I am going to do it for the fun and if I win great, if I loose at least I will have had fun.

I don't want to have a car that I have to trailer to a show in order to win or place in. I want to drive there and back home and if that costs me prize that's that way it goes.

 

I think you car looks bad ***! You would be surprised at how much difference a billet antenna would make...it makes the car look more sporty...they are not very expensive and the reception doesn't change for the radio!! Nice car!

 

i feel your pain...*sigh* ...like 1 out of every 10 non ls1 people know my car has teh same engine as the c5 vettes(and is just as fast), and about 1 out of 5 people know my car is faster than mustang gt's and pre-03 cobras...i just dont get it, not many people have brains on their heads ...but the things that really **** me off, is a stock c5 pulls into a show, and it gets way more people lookin at it then when i pull into a show even though its 5 times louder/better sounding, got way bigger tires, lowered, 2-tone hood(ss scoop is black), i just dont know, i get mad about it all the time. today at a show, two bone stock 2002 ss's w/ like 500 miles(couldnt get dirty if u took em off roading w/ that lack of mileage) got secdond and third and a 73(well deserved) got first, and my 98 w/ 25k miles was just as clean and modded, but sigh, i still didnt even get third place in my class, and am 0 for 1 million. however, i dont mind fellow f-bodies beating me, its when old clunkers who would trap about 30 mph(i dont even see why people are interested in cars that dont have even like 200 hp)beat me out that really pisses me off...and when i go to lots of weekly shows, old times give me weird looks like my car is crap, i feel like tellin them that my car will blow the doors of your junk(i love their cars usually, but i build up hatred to their individual cars since they dont like mine, lol)old timers just dont know that new f-bodies are so fast....sorry for the rant, but u got me goin just by reading that, haha...if u got a hoodscoop, i think that would help a ton...good luck at the shows!!!

p.s. another quick rant...i hate/refuse to go to shows that have a cut off date ...im so sick of people that hate anything newer thatn like 1974 for example...their 70 chevelles were new at one time, and they dont seem to realize that(i think most old timers are mad that my car is faster w/ a cam half their size, and will get 30mpg after i whoop them in a race)... if i ever started a show, i would have a cut-off...it would be u have to have at least 300 hp to enter

 

I have a car show every day I see my SS. I get first place every time.

 

I hear ya guys. Pretty much saying the stuff I didn't put into my post, heh. The 1st show I was entered in; a new stock firebird formula was taking 1st place in our class at first. But then some vette once again won... but the class wasn't big, it was only 74 and up!

I hear ya with the vette VS our car story, most poeple think vette's will blow the doors off F-bodies.

*Oh yea, when I pulled my car into the show, no more then 10mins later my car was judged, the car could have been a bit cleaner on the inside and by the t-tops. And I have some stuff done under the hood (even though I left it closed the entire time) and a bit done to the interior (which recived a few looks). All the judges did with my car was look at the front really quick, put the green sticker on, and left. A nice 3 seconds of judging .

 

A couple of suggestions for your next show.

Open your hood and print up a list of mods and place it somewhere under your hood or near the car. Make the judges stop and look at what you have done. If you have something that they need to read, they might spend more time looking at the car and realize that it is different than a standard off the assembly line fbody. Some mods cannot be seen without getting under the car or into the engine. If you have swaybars, shocks, springs, a cam or other parts, give tham a way to find out about them. A little peice of paper can let them know that you have time and money into your car and that you deserve a good look and that you have something special that others might not have.

Another thing, if you have dyno numbers and ET's, post them on the paper along with the mods. Let people know that you have a fast car and that it isn't all show an no go.

Don't let your first outing dicourage you. You now have more show experience than many others. Hopefully you and I will meet up at a show one day and we will show these judges what fbody's are all about.

 

Hawkfish - I hear ya. I keep forgetting to make a nice board with my mods on it. Where in IL are you located? Not sure which car show I'll be hitting next, but probably soon enough . I will be at super chevy for sure tho . If you use AIM you can reach me at: IceMan850

 

Keep the wheels, get rid of the hood and antenna, LOVE the fender STRIPES, I am going to get myself a pair from Afterthoughts (best place to get them???) Looks great though, and yeah, people are stupid, no one knows that we share the same engine as the Corvette

 

Your car looks great as it is. IMO you kinda got a retro theme going, so I say keep the rims. As stated before, change the antenna-maybe a power one would be better? And I think that an UltraZ hood would be absolutely savage for your car.

 

For sure dress up under the hood a little and have it open. It's KEY to be able to see under the hood at shows.

 

Was it a little locally run show? If it was it always falls to favorites. Sounds like it was actually a judged show. The shows that are even worse are the "participant judged" shows - what a joke. I quit going to the small shows.

Don't give up, you have a nice car. The important part of car shows is the people - meeting greeting and sharing ideas.

Super Chevy is a good event. I have a blast every time I go.

Awards are nice to get - but don't make it your only reason for going to a show.

 

The newer generations of f-bodys don't seem to get much respect in car shows or old school gettogethers.

I showed up for a grudge night racing and all the cars were old school muscle.No one would even talk to me.I had my hood up in the pits,checking my tire pressure and so on..they just walked by and didn't even look or talk..nothing.

So i turn an 8.1 on their funky little track and then the talk began.I ran the same time as a 351 stroker in a 68 cougar..the guy comes up to me and says"what the F*ck are you running in that thing"I tell him it's a bone stock LS1 w/hwy gears. Now all the chatter at the little track is"did you see the time that T/A vert ran on stock radials"

 

Xsta Z 28 - I'm guessing it was locally run even though fairly big. Their were always people looking at my car and giving me complimetns, more so then the 2 cars that won for that class. I even had a few conversations with the guys that won which was cool.

As for poping the hood. I personally like it when the hood is down. But even though under the hood I have it somewhat clean, it still needs a lot of work. I think all of ours do though when we compare it to steve's, lol.

 

I'm all about what Xsta Z said. Super Chevy is an awesome show. You get to talk to guys that know 4th gens, and with people who can definitley appreciate all that you've done to your car, cuz they (once again) know 4th gens.

I too feel your pain. I've been to about 3 car shows this year that were "locally run" and didn't place. What I find is that there never really is a class for us 4th Gen Camaro guys. It's always just "camaro class"... and we get the privledge of competing against the "hometown local old fart who trailerd his blown 69 chromed out camaro to the show to be judged by people he grew up with, and helped him build the car". Ya know? Just like the last show I was at, they split up the Mustang Class to "Mustang Newer & "Mustang Older" and the vettes were split up into 3 classes as well. I still go to have fun, talk to the folks that come by and like the car. It's all about having fun anyway.

 

My daughter & I went to a show yesterday, & lost first place to a GRAND AM with flame decals, ...,

(Stock '01 & up class)

 

Shows can be so subjective You are right about the lack of knowlege on the part of the general public. For that matter, even the other car folks don't necessarily know the engine. When I first got mine (had been running an 87 vette), I mentioned to my buddies that the car ran an LS1. Should have seen the looks on the C5's faces

When I mention to others the "Corvette" engine, they ask dumbass things like "how hard was it to put in" or "how did the swap? Looks factory?"

I quit worrying about placement in shows. I fix my ride up to suit me and front them! If they like it, great. If not, so what.

Too many garage queens that only see the asphalt on Saturday night, to and from the show (if they aren't trailered and if the weathers nice!)

I think your car looks great and if it's a daily driver, then all the better.

Personally, Id lose the TT's (it's a personal thing)and try something that makes it stand out from the pack.

But hey....looks fine as is

 

I also think your car looks good the way it is. Very good. I did, however, go with the Ultra Z hood and SS spoiler. Personal preference. It's YOUR car!!!! Check out my sig if you want an idea of the hood/spoiler combo. There's only one pic of the spoiler.

 

The car looks great - get a dispaly board, pay attention to the really small detals and you'll do better. In your case I think it's not the car but the presentation.

 

Entering a car show and not popping the hood? Crazy. That area has to be clean as well. It's not a requirement for it to be "bling bling" but you have to detail just like the rest of the car. I don't have the cleanest car, but I'd be a might bit ticked to spend hours detailing under the hood "with a fine tooth comb" only to lose to someone who'd rather not pop their hood.