Re: What do you do for car shows?

Posted by Dave Kenney On 2011/4/20 19:01:54

I go to about 5 car shows a year. My reality is I live in a remote small city with few alternatives so if I don't attend the shows the car gets little use. The car season runs from May to September so I often wonder why I even bother to own an old car. I have a plastic placard made at a local print shop that gives some specs. on engine size, cost, weight etc..
Mostly just street rods and 60's muscle cars (yawn) at the shows with the odd Model A but I am too far away from any of the big classic car shows to attend with the Packard so I usually attend what is available locally. My car, being a big dark 4 door with blackwalled tires, is quite naturally ignored by the boomers and younger age groups set that think a '55 Chev with a SBC decked out in chrome valve covers is an antique "classic car". Except for the odd older fellow or woman who recognizes the Packard name and what it once stood for I don't get many lookers.
At a local show last summer I was dozing in a lawn chair at the rear of the car when a young woman in her 20's came walking alongside the car looking in the windows and started asking me if it was really a 356CID straight eight with 165 HP and and other details about the car. I was astounded that someone her age would be so knowledgeable until I remembered that I had placed the placard on the front of the car where she had obviously just read it (but at least she did read it!) and that was what is important.