[f14tomcat]

I know this may be a rookie question, but what does "concourse" mean. I have seen it mentioned when doing a frame off restoration.

 

[67shovel]

My interpetation of concouse is that it is a perfect example of a model of car that hasn't been modified in any way. A trailered number 1 car. Restored to perfection, top shelf and top price.

 

[crazychevelleman]

**"Concourse Correct" Here's a short term that is now being used indiscriminately by many and now has as many meanings as the term "Restored". I have seen cars that are thrown together and these guys knowing nothing of the term "Restored", they toss the term arround as if they know what is entailed. A true "restored" auto or 100% concourse restoration, is painstakingly restoreing your car to it's original glory. A true classic or rare car deserves to be lovingly restored back to its original state in every way, shape and form. This includes everything. All the inspection tags, inspection marks, factory correct hoses and connectors as well as the correct paint, plating and surface textures. When complete, your car will look exactly as it did the day it rolled off the original factory assembly line. not sum beater painted with over the counter paint. Please use correct terms, its not fooling anyone. An experienced person can tell wheither it is "restored", "concourse correct" or just a good "refurbished" auto for street driving or local shows.

"Concourse Correct" as Defined is a that which will PASS in a judged show, where MCA or NCRS rules are being used. :thumbsup:

So just because you thrue some paint on the motor and useed Krylon on the frame and got the maco paint job, Please dont say your car is restored it makes you look bad. heheh Just my 2 cents worth :yes:

 

[dpvoiceguy]

I took 6 years of French way back in middle/high school and learned the word as "concours". There is a French term "concours d'elegance" which refers to a show of classic cars. I have a feeling that this term has evolved over the years to the point where a "concours-quality restoration" puts a car into the league of trailer-queen, museum-quality restoration.
There's a body shop near me called Concours Auto Body and there are often classic European cars in and out of there.
The word "concourse" in English is synonymous with "crossroads".

I'm not sure which word/meaning is right, but I doubt you'll ever know.
For 10 years I've been asking car experts (including on this site!) what the term "3/4 cam" means and I've yet to get a satisfactory answer!

 

[crazychevelleman]

For 10 years I've been asking car experts (including on this site!) what the term "3/4 cam" means and I've yet to get a satisfactory answer!

It's an old term, used in the 50's and 60's, kinda vaque but basically means 3/4 of full race. That is the vague part. There are three fundamentals to a camhaft, Lift, duration and overlap. "Lift" is total valve lift at the valve, lobe height form centerline. "Duration" is the number of degrees the cam keeps the valve open. "Overlap", the number of degrees both exhaust and intake valve are open at the same time. An example of a full race cam would be : .600 lift intake and exhaust, 320 duration and 90 degrees overlap. "3/4"of all those numbers is theoretically a 3/4 cam is a mild to moderate street cam. Basically means "the hottest street cam you can have in your car thats streetable" its kinda related to the "Concourse Correct" term hehe Hope this helps :beers:

 

[MarkM]

Can a "Concourse" car have reproduction parts on it? Or must it all be NOS or original?

 

[crazychevelleman]

This has been deliberated also and most feel if its not original it is not "concourse Correct" however with the scarcity of OEM parts there has been more reproduction parts showing up on the market that are made from the original dies. I would say yes its acceptable, where some would say no! If the re-pop part looks as OEM, Fits as OEM and Functions as OEM I say use it as OEM. :yes:

 

[66 MYSTERY CHEVELLE]

Ken about summed it up :yes: Certain words and phrases always carry a certain meaning/weight with me and Concourse Correct has been abused to the level of what Numbers Matching now means to many

Mike Crown

 

[czeto]

I have no problem using the word "restore". It means "to reproduce, reconstruct or represent in the original state". "Concourse Correct" is whatever the judges are willing to accept.

 

[Bunz-T]

I do not think the terms can be used in reference to what the cars looked like when built. They never looked as good as a car that might be good enough to fall into a category that demands such a level of restoration. And what stage are they suppose to look like anyway.

Off Assembly Line
Off Transport after lounging in the lot for awhile before loading.
Off the original Dealers lot where it sat for a few months and was then transfered to another dealer 40 miles away.

Each of these represent a time line for the 70 Chevelle I bought brand new in 6/70. Straight off the MSO. Condesating rust had already started to be evident on some of the bare metal parts, dust was evident under the hood and if you think the assembly line workers took the time to make one as perfect as the top show cars of today it is just an illusion. For everybody that touched that car from assembly line to customer delivery it was just another car and a days work.

For someone to take a car to the level of "restored" perfection we see today I offer my
thanks for preserving a likeness of what once was. Technology and advancements in materials do however take them beyond their original state. No way anyone would restore a car to the exact tint and lack of shine of some of those greens,browns ,etc.

 

[Xplantdad]

Yeah...but can a concourse correct car have a 3/4 race cam in it?

 

[mwiggett]

I tell people that I am restoring a '69 chevelle when they ask about the motor that is in my shop on a stand. I'm not making a numbers matching car, or one that I wouldn't dare to drive, but I am trying to make it as close as I can to what it looked like when new. I certainly don't think I am being misleading to anyone.

 

[DaleM]

One online dictionary defines "concourse" as:
an assemblage; gathering: a concourse of people
...or...
a large open space for accommodating crowds

I think the word "concourse" has been incorrectly used instead of the correct term, "concours", meaning a public contest or competition. For example, the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance (meaning 'parade of elegance') show is held on the golf course at Pebble Beach. The people attending are a concourse of people and the show grounds would be "...a large open space for accomodating crowds." Same applies to the Concours d'Elegance at Meadow Brook Hall in Michigan. It's a car show for elegant vehicles on the Meadow Brook Hall estate.

Concours is also a particular series of Chevelle station wagons for several years and an option package on 68 & 69 sport coupe and sport sedan models.

I fail to see how any car could be restored to "concourse" condition unless you're referring to the crowd of people that put it together. Then again, a lot, or is that alot?, of words are misused over and over until they become entrenched in the language and meanings are lost.

 

[f14tomcat]

OK, thanks guys, I'm glad I asked.