[Part Timer]

I have only been to a couple shows/cruis ins since i got my Chevelle but the last couple I have left kind of agrivated. My car is no show car but it is nice. New paint, total new interior, etc. I bought it to be a car to cruise in on the weekends and that is what it is. I never planned on looking for trophies with it but after the last couple shows I hate the way I feel when I head home. The first show this year was put on by as high school shop class to raise money. They had over 100 cars and gave out trophys for top 50. I didn't expect to win one because there were a ton of nice cars there. While handing out the trophies, my cousins husband wins one for his 2007 fresh off the lo Pontiac G5. I figure I might have a shot if he gets one with his car. Then I watch as 3 guys get trophies for their Cub Cadet pulling tractors. No trophy for me. I admit I was agrivated especially since I had to take the trophy to my cousins husband since he left early.

Now last Saturday I go to a little cruise in with 48 cars. Had a good time but when they started handing out awards they cave out top 25. The Corvette club showed up with almost all of their cars getting an award, Same for the local Mustang club. Even a guy who took a kids tricyle and raked the frame and painted it got one.

Now please please do not get me wrong. I in no way am looking to compete becasue my car is not on that kind of level and both shows were a real blast until trophy time. But when I look at my car and think it did not get in the top half of the field against Cub Cadets and kids tricycles.

I used to fish bass tournaments on a national level and quit a few years ago and part of it was the agrivation factor traveling long distances home after having a bad tournament. I am feeling the same way with this. My wife says I am too competitive. The best part is driving the Chevelle home on a beautiful day helps some what.

As I said the part I hate the most is not not getting a trophy it is feeling like the trophy is important. Should I stop going and just use my car by myself?

Thanks for letting me rant, now i feel better and can't wait for Chevellabration.

Bob

[RyanNilcea05]

I used to feel the same was going to the shows. After a while, I tuned that out and focused on the fun factor.

[Xtreme70SS396]

If it makes you feel that way, park the car at the show, but don't enter it. That way you get the benefits of the show and KNOW you can't possibly get a trophy.

PS - a lot of shows are just buddies voting for buddies anyway - go for the relaxation and shop talk, not the trophies. No need to hang around all the way 'till the end, either - when you're done, leave.

[1badss396]

Why do you think your cousins husband left early Dont feel bad I went to a car show once that was put on by police outfit. Their was a total of 100 trophies to be given away well what do you know 90% of them went to the police motorcycles (DUH CAR SHOW)??? all new motorcycles well any ways I was one of the 10% that did get a trophy
I dont go for the trophy factor any more sure its nice but I would rather enjoy the day looking at cars, girls and drinking beer, and eating.

I do the trophy wait now!
Explained below:

Sit at home and wait till someone that knows me to bring me my trophy, because I left early,

[kevin d]

If trophies were important I'd never leave the house
I have won 2 trophies, both when Big James was at the same show: Best wheels (stock rally's, go figure) and Best Work in Progress ( if we give you this trophy maybe you'll finally finish your damned car!) I go to check out the cars and have fun. Not sweating a trophy makes it more fun since it is one less thing to worry about. It always amazes me that folks will spend tens of thousands of dollars on a car but what is important is the $5 piece of plastic. Screw the trophy, enjoy your car!
If the trophy is important, drop Big James a line and invite him to your next show. He brings me good luck

[Part Timer]

There was a show a couple weeks ago that I did not get to go to but it had 22 classes to be judeged. A couple of the classes only had one car show up so the person with the car got all the trophies for that class. 1st, 2nd, and 3rd. A lot of guys were still laughing about that this week.

[Bowtie-72]

Remember this: You can't drive a trophy and after you get a few, they just become clutter anyway.

[MEJ1990TM]

I really wouldn't care about trophies. In fact I probably wouldn't even enter in a show even if I had a car that was nice.

I do get irritated at gun shows though. Packed, narrow lanes and everyone thinking they can just walk where they please. Pisses me off.

[SS_Dave]

I know what you mean.
but, don't expect anything and just have fun.
thats what I do

[Keith Tedford]

I've been to a local show and won "People's Choice". Other years, at the same show, I don't even get an honourable mention. No big deal. At local shows, I think that they tend to spread the trophies out a little, not giving them to the same guys all the time. If the best cars won all the time, pretty soon no one else would show up. All you have to do is spend more than the other guy. I like to see the so-so cars win trophies here and there too. That's what our cars are. Nice drivers at best. The guys feel good and have finally gotten that bit of recognition that is nice to have. Any more, at a show, I park the car and am on the prowl until it is time to leave. I never spend much time with our car. After all, I already know what it looks like. I want to see the rest. One year, a new local car show had all the trophies given to people local to the show and some of the cars were pretty bad. It was just too obvious what had happened. Needless to say, a few people let them know about it. It's actually a pretty good show now with some pretty good door prizes which I would rather have than some of those tacky trophies. Besides, the wife probably won't let you keep the trophy in the living room anyway.

[madmax66]

Forget about the trophies. When they started including fresh off the lot corvettes and mustangs that have never had any work done to them other than maybe getting washed, then it just shows how meaningless they really are. Before too long you have plagues and trophies stacked up on the shelve collecting dust in your garage.

If you go to a show that is giving away over 100 trophies or top 150 plagues etc, they are pretty much meaningless anyway.

Go for the great people and the fun.

[TronDD]

You are too competitive. You say you aren't there to win any trophies then get aggravated when you don't win any trophies. You're personality is what it is. Either try and win, then know you did your best even if you don't. Or forget about it and stop caring that you might not get any public recognition when you're not even trying.

I am very non-competitive. I have my car because I enjoy working on it, and driving it. I don't care what any one else thinks about it, I don't care for any recognition or prizes. I enjoy it, that's the prize.

Tim.

[Georgia69]

Originally Posted by TronDD

I have my car because I enjoy working on it, and driving it. I don't care what any one else thinks about it

Thanks for posting...I was getting afraid that I was the only one who thinks like that

[chevelledude71]

My first car show I entered, I won a trophy, but still heard people "talk". I let it slide, just like the water off my car...

Don't let it get to you, no matter what you do, someone is always going to have better, bigger and faster.

[Jerry Briggs]

I never go to a show looking for a trophy. Have won a few but my car isn't a show car, I drive it. Anyway its a lot more fun to go and enjoy myself meeting people and seeing all the cars than to worry about a trophy. Like you have a closet full of fishing trophys but after a while they are just dust catchers. Only car show trophy that I have kept is one that I won titled young rodders choice. Imagine a 67 SS being selected from a slew of Imports to win the vote by kids 16 and under. That is the only one I keep in my car den. Just go and have fun!!!