Car show Impressions

bowez

bowez

2nd Gear Poster
Joined
Jul 19, 2024
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Location
Nashville
Vehicle Details
93 SC
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So far I've taken the SC to three shows (two separate Cars and Coffee and another local Ford show). Lets just say its not been a good experience.

I understand dealing with a car nobody knows about, but the disdain and ignorance shocks me. Had one guy think it was a SHO
:facepalm: (want to tell him to be quite he's just making himself look worse). Got no positive response even from the Ford show, yes it mostly a Mustang Show but listed as anything welcome; there were as many Corvettes they as Tbirds.

My first Cars and Coffee was a positive experience but everything this year has sucked, is this normal or am I in the wrong?
 
It’s why I mostly don’t bother with car shows anymore. “All Ford” shows are invariably late model Mustang shows with other Fords being on the fringes. And they always have but 10 years ago it was easier finding camaraderie with Fox/SN95/NewEdge people as there’s some mechanical crossover, but with the sea of 5.0 S550s it’s just boring and unrelatable. Back when we had a stronger local chapter it was fun to crash these shows with our cars but being the loner just sucks, I much prefer general car shows/cruise nights if I’m going on my own.

I’ve never attended cars & coffee, I always just assumed it’s for rich guys to show off new Mclarens and Porsches at an hour I’d rather sleep in 😆
 
There is that element to Cars and Coffee (in Nashville at least, outside of Nashville not so much). But IMO those rich guys (exotics/super cars) get ignored by all put the kids.

So I'm not totally off base then, I know how guys with SCs can come across and I am aware I can tend to go down that road...

But Saturday one thing that rubbed me wrong was was next to a 99 Cobra and across from a Terminator and neither gave any recognition that their cars exist because of the SC.
 
I went to an all Mustang show a couple years ago, I ended up getting a 1st place trophy for “Fun Ford”

I usually end up getting 2nd or 3rd when there are Tbird categories, but I’m up against all years of tbirds which is mostly 50’ & 60’s.

I always get a small flock of people drooling at a cars and coffee. The question I get the most is, “is that a 302?”

The car culture nowadays is lame, it’s mostly Hyundais, BMW’s, and Infinity’s with stupid claw mark decals over the headlights, and those popcorn crackle tunes.

I’m starting to sound like an old man. 😅
 
I've never been to any such meet with my car, but from conversations with (mostly non-car) people, I understand they feel our generation MN12 is when Thunderbird "went through it's ugly phase". The same sentiment applies to a lot of 90s cars.

For me personally, the turn-off is mostly the general lack of interest in "my kind of" mod. Interior nips and tucks, OEM+ stuff, etc. just doesn't get anyone excited.


Meanwhile...looking on the bright side, I love how our cars are so under the radar, best kept secret, niche, etc. That's what makes them cool. If that means that the general public is oblivious to their engineering and capabilities, I can live with it.
 
My first event was an unofficial gathering that would occur at sunset. It was the younger culture for sure. It was really nice. The only comment I really got was basically "oh you could drift this if it was a manual." and thankfulness that there werent any mustangs. I got there a little early, so when the lot filled up, I got surrounded by Focus STs, which I think was a cool comment in of itself. It was really cliquey, but my favorite clique was the few chicano low rider hydraulics. They left in style.

The other one I joined a small classic Tbird club, we met up for a bit and planned on going to an event. The leader generally said "there's too many BMWs, Im sick of seeing them, we're leaving" and "that better not be mine" pointing to a small puddle on the ground.

They're fun but I dont want to hang around the car and answer questions, I'd rather park and look at the other cars
 
Vicinity said:
My first event was an unofficial gathering that would occur at sunset. It was the younger culture for sure. It was really nice. The only comment I really got was basically "oh you could drift this if it was a manual." and thankfulness that there werent any mustangs. I got there a little early, so when the lot filled up, I got surrounded by Focus STs, which I think was a cool comment in of itself. It was really cliquey, but my favorite clique was the few chicano low rider hydraulics. They left in style.

The other one I joined a small classic Tbird club, we met up for a bit and planned on going to an event. The leader generally said "there's too many BMWs, Im sick of seeing them, we're leaving" and "that better not be mine" pointing to a small puddle on the ground.

They're fun but I dont want to hang around the car and answer questions, I'd rather park and look at the other cars
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I’m going to echo and add to old man Eric’s rant on car culture 😝 everything to the younger pop tune BMW guys is drifting now, and every time I see them “drifting” they’re just doing doughnuts in an intersection! Ugh!

I’m with you, I’m going to a car show to see cars, I can sit next to my car on a folding chair in my own driveway lol. I usually park, pop the hood and wander the show, it can actually be fun walking back by my car and eavesdropping on people looking/talking about it without them knowing it’s mine.
 
I've only taken mine to a cruise-in once, over 10 years ago. I went with my dad who had his '76 Trans Am with him. Mostly newer stuff - Mustangs and Camaros; I did remember seeing a Marauder and a number of 60s-70s classics but it was nothing like I remember from the mid-late 90s when we'd go.
 
Mine looks like ass, so it gets no attention unless we're at Concours d’Lemons.
 
Couple of thoughts. 1) I could give a crap what anybody thinks about my car or what I drive. I mean, I daily drive a Saturn station wagon and I love it. 2) I've never actually entered a car into a car show unless you count my '91 Crown Vic at Power Tour 20 years ago. I'm more of a walk the show and see what all is there rather than sit by my car all day (see XR-7's comments above about sitting in a lawn chair by your car at home). 3) I went to World Ford Challenge 6(?) back in the early '00's. Yep 5.0 Mustangs for about as far as the eye could see. There was a 63-1/2 Galaxie 427 4 speed tucked in the back somewhere. This is where most of my disdain for Mustangs comes from.

So, in short, who cares what a bunch of people who probably don't really know cars care about your car? Do you like it? Great. Keep driving it, working on it, and enjoying it.
 
KevinVarnes said:
So, in short, who cares what a bunch of people who probably don't really know cars care about your car? Do you like it? Great. Keep driving it, working on it, and enjoying it.
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I know, I can tell those that know cars, they do like it. It just seems like so few car guys make up car culture. Too many seem to be either Mustang or V8 only. Had one guy that couldn't handle that a SC was faster than a 80s era Corvette, never mind my car.
 
I've had somewhat different experiences at Cars & Coffee events in recent years. Sure, I still get the "my uncle had one just like this, and the v8 was fast" or "did you install that super charger?" comments about my all stock SC, but usually there are at least a couple of guys really know what the SC is; and those are usually good conversations.

All-Ford shows usually suck for the reasons stated above, especially if they are participant-judged....the MN12 gets little-to-no respect compared to early birds.

If nothing else, Cars & Coffee events usually give me a kick to drive one of my cars.
 
Around me the car show scene is huge. Starting next month almost day or evening there's a car show or cruise in to go to. When I take my tbird to anything I feel liked the pied piper when I first pull in...but a loping 363 with open exhaust will do that...mine doesn't look the best but always draws a lot of positive attention.
 
bowez said:
So far I've taken the SC to three shows (two separate Cars and Coffee and another local Ford show). Lets just say its not been a good experience.

I understand dealing with a car nobody knows about, but the disdain and ignorance shocks me. Had one guy think it was a SHO
:facepalm: (want to tell him to be quite he's just making himself look worse). Got no positive response even from the Ford show, yes it mostly a Mustang Show but listed as anything welcome; there were as many Corvettes they as Tbirds.

My first Cars and Coffee was a positive experience but everything this year has sucked, is this normal or am I in the wrong?
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Normal / not Normal. Car shows are just hit and miss. Like you said, one C&C will be great while another will not.

I've generally had pretty good reception when I take the car down to the CLT Cars & Coffee. I've been to other shows where the field is full of showroom quality 50's and 60's muscle cars. I'm definitely a fish out of water at a show like that.

ANY "All Ford" show is going to be a Mustang lovefest. I've just come to expect that. The closest thing to an all inclusive all Ford show that I've been to is Carlisle, but I'm never driving the gauntlet that is VA to get there and back again.

Will probably put the effort into making some local shows again this summer. I'll let you know how it goes....
 
I've had more positive reactions taking my SS to cars and coffee than I ever did with my Tbird at a "ford" show.

The last time I went to a Tbird / Cougar meet was about 20 years ago. Those were pretty good gatherings with people who truly appreciate and notice the smallest details. The local community here was decent up to a point but that time has passed.
 
1997ThunderbirdLXV6 said:
Omg, I could never do that. I'd be too afraid some stranger could mess around in there...
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For the size of the shows I’ve participated it’s usually in eyeshot, I mean our town cruise night is in a VFW hall parking lot, I’m not really concerned. If it was a big show like the Bloomington gold Corvette show they used to host at the now demolished pheasant run resort near me I’d go to I’d be slightly more uneasy with the vast spread of cars on the huge property but on the flip side the entry fee theoretically filters the riffraff, so that show was basically the usual harmless Vette types…

IMG_6653.jpeg

dDUBb said:
I've had more positive reactions taking my SS to cars and coffee than I ever did with my Tbird at a "ford" show.

The last time I went to a Tbird / Cougar meet was about 20 years ago. Those were pretty good gatherings with people who truly appreciate and notice the smallest details. The local community here was decent up to a point but that time has passed.
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Sounds like the IL chapter. Unless they got something going from the FB group since our last meetup was in 2015. A lot of guys still have their cars, I’ve in kept contact with a few, but that era has definitely ended.

I have received more positive reactions for my car just sitting in traffic or pumping gas into it. I had one last summer where I thought a guy was tailgating me eventually pulled beside to say “what did you do to that thing? It’s badass!”. I’ve gotten positive comments at car shows but it usually feels backhanded “you kept it so clean it reminds me of my grandmas Cougar”
 
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XR7-4.6 said:
...I had one last summer where I thought a guy was tailgating me eventually pulled beside to say “what did you do to that thing? It’s badass!”.
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Yikes! I notice people inching closer during a red light for the mark, probably to read the badge figure out what it is. Never liked the badge for such a reason. It probably looks like a big ass luxury Saturn from behind

Gosh I bet it's fun to convoy though, right? I think the old thunderbirds do that around here but I've been too busy to attend their meetings
 
Vicinity said:
Yikes! I notice people inching closer during a red light for the mark, probably to read the badge figure out what it is. Never liked the badge for such a reason. It probably looks like a big ass luxury Saturn from behind

Gosh I bet it's fun to convoy though, right? I think the old thunderbirds do that around here but I've been too busy to attend their meetings
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I did a couple convoys to drag strips with the local mustang club when it was forum based, that group was a lot of fun back then. I’m hoping I can get my car done by hot rod power tour this year, I’m probably too late to register now to race but I might still do the drive anyway, or at least the part of it between Indianapolis and Joliet

As an aside the car the 97-98 Mark VIII really looks like a modern rendition of from the back to me is the 60s Chrysler imperial

IMG_6654.jpeg
 
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KevinVarnes said:
Interested. Tell me more. ;)
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Well, right? The Saturns I see surviving have the long rear reflectors, and the bodyt contours smoothed out slim more like a probe than the taurus overhaul

The fleet in your signature are lookers 9and you know it :cheers:
 
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