This is a long story, and just telling it is gonna **** me off, so here we go. I live in Litchfield, IL. Approximately 40 miles south of Springfield, IL and about 50 miles north of st louis, mo. My town decided to have a big weekend long car show. Kind of a festival type thing. Closing down the highway through town for the show itself, making quite a big deal out of it. So I start thinking about trying to get my car ready for it, and while reading the ads for the show find out that they are limiting it to cars older than 79. What a load of ****. Rumor around is all of the 60s-70s car owners didnt want to show with 80s-90-s cars. I love my old musclecars as much as anyone, but this just doesnt seem fair to me. Its almost as though we are blackballed from the car show scene. Anyone else have this happen in their town? BTW the show is weekend of the 25th, this coming up weekend. I was hoping some other thirdgeners would be around, then the show could be "crashed" but the rebel third gen owners.

 

yes, that has happened the the 4th of July car show in my town. I have always been able to show my car and this year they decided to make it 1970 and older. That is BS !!

There are still plenty of shows around missouri for me to go too and 95% of them go right upto 2004 for there classes.

 

the local hooters has a car show every sunday. last year they would let in any domestic car. this year its been more strict. ive seen a bone stock c5 get in, but not a cammin ls1 ss, go figure. i just hope they let my car in whenever it gets done

 

Crystal lake has a car show on Thursdays. I recently got a flyer about it and in the flyer it says at the bottom *Pre-1980 Classic cars ONLY in Home State Bank lots and Brink St. Market lot.
I was mad too. They are losing touch with what a car show really is.

 

I think that there is a lot of animosity involved. I cant count how many owners of "real" muscle cars I have heard talk **** on third gens, cause they are from the 80's. I mean give me a break, they let a ****ing 79 malibu 4 door with a six cylinder in, but not my camaro? What a load of ****.

 

Yea, theres that type of stuff taking place in Grand Rapids. I believe the car has to be older than 25 yrs or something. I still went (as my car is months from completion). But i do think its kind of discouraging, and in my mind, limits the view of what a "muscle car " is. Don't get me wrong, i have just as much appreciation for old school american muscle as the next guy. But really, what makes the muscle car "muscley?" its the large cubed small block or big block (in comparison to the newer 4 cylinders running around).

I think they call it T-O-R-Q-U-E.

 

Thats the point that I like to make. Here is how I explained it to the guys doing the show. Look at this car on paper:

1977 Camaro
350 .40 over
Comp cams 280/280 .480/.480
Flattops 10.3-1
GM heads 65cc 2.02/1.60 valves
Edelbrock single plane intake
Edelbrock 750 ca

B&M TH350 w/shift kit and 2500 stall

He said that would be a perfect candidate. THen I told him to change the first 7 in 1977 to an 8 and that was my car. Why does one digit make my car unqualified to show? My car was better than half of them there. The only good part though, is that they closed the highway running through town, and made a big deal out of the weekend long show, and only 100 cars showed up. They actually counted them all twice (once saturday and sunday) so they could claim twice as many, but they were caught, doesnt look like there will be another one by these people. Kinda sad, but they deserve it.

 

Yea, i go to those shows and many times i find myself pondering the idea of just how much power some of those guys are really throwing down.

I'm willing to bet that some of those cars have more invested in chrome accents than they do in performance parts.