Shunned at a small local car show- SNOBS!

[Lawrenzo]

And it's not what you think! I stopped by a local car show last night with my daughter. Found a nice spot up front, but off to the side. As I was walking up to the main group the organizer approaches me and asks "are you planning on being her for long". I figure he want's me to pull over to the main group or something to highlight the viper. WRONG! He tells me that the show is only for pre 1975 cars and that I'll have to move my car to the back of the lot

He says it doesn't matter that my car "costs alot" is just not a hot rod.
I explain too him how it's hand built and that less than 700 a year are manufactured, and that any car that can do a 12 second 1/4 straight outta the box surely qualifies for hot rod status, but he's unimpressed.

While I'm trying to "educate" this *****, I see a late model Impala SS pull in(sorry Bonkers), then a tricked out newish Chevy SUV, and this guy doesn't even blink. They park right next to a Chrylser Cordoba(yep the rich Corinthian leather version

) and a ragged on Chevy Chevelle that has "rice patrol" on the passenger door! All the while everyone is walking over to check out the Viper and asking for rides.

When you think of snobs you think of the elitist guys turning up their noses at the pedestrian cars- well I experienced it in the reverse. Maybe they didn't want me to attract all the pretty ladies away from their cars

At least I got to see the 440-6pack Cuda I spotted from the road!

 

[JeremyBlackwell]

I'm sure they knew your car would attract all the attention...the guy you talked to probably had one of the nicer cars in the group and didn't want to be upstaged lol

Yellow w/ black stripes....NICE! 2nd favorite Viper behind ol' blue/white

 

[Bonkers]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by SSunburn:
I see a late model Impala SS pull in(sorry Bonkers), <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

No worries man, if it makes you feel better I stopped going to the local DQ gathering because "they" didn't think my SS qualified either (which it probably doesn't). I think a Viper (respectfully placed) in the field acts like a magnet to draw in a crowd that normally wouldn't look twice at an event like that.

 

[ExecUtron Technologies]

I've been in several car shows with my Viper. Only about 10% even have judging for such a thing. For all the rest, I put an "Exhibition Only" sign on it. It does (by far) attract the greatest gathering around it, opposed to the other cars.

The trick to "getting along" at these events is to be as humble as possible and compliment all of the other cars there. I often say "WOW!, I've never seen such a clean such-n-such before!!..." or "I'd kill for that old Cuda!...". Don't make it look like you're there to out class anyone, but rather have the attitude that this is all you have to show, and some day your dream is to own something with a HEMI.

I find that I meet a lot of nice people, and generally get accepted into the "group" once they realize I'm not a rich snob.

Side-Note:
I've missed a lot of shows this year already as my Viper has spent the year at Doug's place getting a "Stage 3+" installed. This too is being done for car shows. It will at least give me a new category to enter into...

 

[red98GTS]

Exactly right, ExecuTron! As the owner/builder of many hot rods over the years, I have been to my share of car shows with every kind of car you can imagine. I am always ready for whatever anybody might have to say, and I have heard it ALL over the years. I usually just smile and say something like, "I really like the body style on those old Camaros" or something totally non-Viper related. That does it. Start showing interest in THEIR cars and you are in. The pre-75 crowd is not impressed with the newer stuff nor do they care if you have Belanger headers or smooth tubes or wrinkly tubes! Really! It's like trying to talk to a Harley owner about a Honda. Forget it. So, take your Viper to the shows and when you get there, ask the guy with the Camaro what cam he is running and how much overlap does it have, and you'll go to the front of the class. pete the ex glass guy and hot-rodder

 

[GTS Dean]

That's the approach I take as well. I've got several older Mopars awaiting resto or reassembly, including an E-ragtop R/T and a Hemi GTX. I'm just very fortunate to have a 12 second muscle car that still has a factory warranty, and don't want to upstage anyone who has put the sweat time in on a classic, like Mark O and others.

 

[Lawrenzo]

I too have owned a few older cars along the way. A nice 69 Mach 1, a couple GTO's and a some off beats as well. Done my time with the wrench, but gave it up mostly years ago.
But I didn't get 2 words in edgewise before this organizer comes over to ask me to leave. He had already passed judgement on me before I could even get to see 440-6 Cuda!
It's just plain old reverse snobbery

 

[Jeff Torrey]

I have been to car shows with different cars. I am done.
Never seem to fit in. Even my 92 Viper gets the same reaction. My additude now is f***k em'
Me worried about fittin' in with those stupid b*stards. That on a good night get drunk and beat there wife.

 

[SoCal Craig]

What show... where? Was it in Tustin? I might know the organizer.

 

[onerareviper]

It's the "I walked to school 5 miles - with no shoes - in the snow" mentality. Most older guys secretly love the Viper, but will only respect you if your car was restored, bleed on, resurrected from the dead, etc... Some of these guys have put years into a restoration, so gawking over a car that anyone can buy with a large checkbook can't be done. There ego's won't allow it....

I totally understand, as I did a partial restoration on a 1969 Vette. Although, my ego allowed me to gawk. I can't control myself. When I see a car I love, I go bonkers...

Later

 

[Chuck 98 RT/10]

Don't blame the car shows if they want to marquee certain types of cars. The Viper gets the spotlight wherever it goes, don't go stealing theirs.

 

[ExecUtron Technologies]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by SSunburn:
I too have owned a few older cars along the way. A nice 69 Mach 1, a couple GTO's and a some off beats as well. Done my time with the wrench, but gave it up mostly years ago.
But I didn't get 2 words in edgewise before this organizer comes over to ask me to leave. He had already passed judgement on me before I could even get to see 440-6 Cuda!
It's just plain old reverse snobbery

<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

That really s[cks! I once had an incident where I called up to enter a show, and when asked what I was entering, was told "Thanks, but no thanks!". I was polite and told the guy that the Viper was a relative of some of the finest cars out there (anything Shelby). I told them it was something for the "Kids" to look at while "Dad" was looking at everything else.

I eventually gave up, and hung up. About 10 minutes later, I got a call from the main organizer of the show who apologized and personally drove an app the 15 miles or so to my office. He drove up in an older (50's) Chevy pick-up that I made sure I slobbered over heavily. We then became friends. The Viper, of course, did collect quite a gathering and the show was a lot of fun.

It's funny, but most of the attendants said they would vote for the Viper as the Best-Of-Show if they only could.

P.S.: I really do love older cars as well, and would really like to start collecting anything Shelby...

 

[STOUT 1]

I've also given up on the "fitting it" thing. Most have Predetermined ideas (car club members). Just last weekend I lost to a '86 Pontiac Fiero. The car wasn't even in that great of shape. I just go to meet the people who can appriciate the Viper.

 

[Performin Norman]

I don't think they were snobs, I think they were jeolous. Yup, another thing you have to deal with when you own a Viper.

 

[Tiepilot]

Yes,
Normin hit it..Jealousy triggers a self-defense mechanism and these guys which would be otherwise pleasant turn nasty.

I still haven't gotten use to the response the Viper triggers, I wonder when I pull up if the car will be appreciated or just intimidate the small of mind.

 

[ExecUtron Technologies]

You know, everybody here is right! Now even I'm mad.

I think from now on I'm only going to "show" where Vipers are actually listed as a category (usually lumped together with Prowlers, and few and far between). I'm tired of working that hard! Even this is a bit unfair, as even the stock Vipers seem to slaughter the Prowlers like cattle at those shows.

Prowler people are some of the nicest people I've met at shows, and I hate to see the look on their faces when the Vipers start showing up. I've seen heavily modified Prowlers loose to absolutely stock Vipers. I do understand, however, that there usually aren't enough Vipers to fill a single category by themselves. Maybe we can all do something about this?...

 

[Lawrenzo]

As I pointed out it was just a weekly Thursday night hot rod get together in Laguna Hills. It was on Cabot Road(runs parallel to the 5 freeway) just south of La Paz at a fast food joint. Nothing special, but I wanted to check out the iron.

It would be nice to have a group of us to get together in the next parking lot(I think it's an Outback Steakhouse) one week just to show them the true allure of the beast

 

[99t1]

if I recall, the same thing happened to a Viper here in New York...I think he rallied the troops and came back a few weeks later with over 10 Vipers and they gave up and let them in.

 

[dadsvpr]

its the old car folks vs. marque folks problem. had a superbird, always drew a crowd but the chevy folks slam the ford folks slam the mopar folks slam the ricer folks slam the hot rod folks slam the euro folks slam the chevy folks. If you are a car fanatic it doesn't matter. unfortunately envy and politics interfer everywhere.

I don't understand the classics but its just an issue of education. there are definetely cars i don't care for, generally customs but with everything there are exceptions, one more reason to be a broad minded car enthusiast.

jason

 

[Andrew2KRT10]

Same thing happened to me. Want to know how to fix them? Do what I did and then sit back and have the last laugh. This is when the VCA comes in handy. I posted what happened on the board and at the next show I got 6 other Vipers together down the road. We all drove into the lot at the same time. As everyone's mouths dropped to the floor, we all pulled in and parked. No argument, and we stole everyone looking at any other car for at least a half hour.

AC

 

[joe117]

I was passing through a local town, Leonardtown MD, about six weeks ago and noticed a "car show" sign. The wife and I figured we would stop and look. We pulled round to the parking area and the "parking" guy said "you don't want to park here, you "have" to park over there", pointing to the show area. I told him I wasn't planning on showing the car but he wouldn't let me go. He insisted on having my car in the show area even if I didn't want to enter the show. I parked where he said, right up front. I didn't actually enter the show but we had a great time for about three hours, answering questions and letting people sit in the car for photos. At any given time we had the biggest crowd. The Corvette folks in the show seemed not to be able to see the car. I can't remember any of them coming by for a look see. My car has had the Viper logo removed from the sides, it doesn't say Dodge or Viper anywhere. The only logo remaining is the snake on the trunk and the snake on the horn button. Lot's of people didn't know what it was.

 

[Performin Norman]

You want to talk jeolousy. I do this on purpose sometime. I drive my 02 Z06 for my daily driver. Most of the time, I wear a Viper shirt or coat. People will walk up to me and say "Why are you wearing a viper shirt?". With a nasty tone. I get this all the time. My response is "because I like the shirt". Then they almost always say "Do you own a Viper?" Again with a nasty sarcastic tone in their voice. When I respond "Yup, I have a GTS". Their jaws hit the floor and they go from being sarcastic and aggressive to submissive and usually come up with a nice question like "Oh, do you like the Viper or Vette better?" I usually give them a 1 second answer or I just turn and leave. People are nasty by nature and you just ran into the statistical majority. LOL

 

[Jeff Torrey]

Norman- I like the way you work the crowd.

 

[garolittle]

Putting a Viper in a small car show is like putting Barry Bonds in a little league baseball game.

 

[ExecUtron Technologies]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by garolittle:
Putting a Viper in a small car show is like putting Barry Bonds in a little league baseball game.

<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Who wouldn't want that (if you're the little league team)?!...

 

[ElDiablo Viper]

I went to few shows and never had any problems.

 

[SoCal Craig]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Kelly T:
I know the one. It's at the Weinerschnitzel (sp?) (Hot dog chain for non locals). If you organize it, I'm sure a few other local Viper boys would show up. Count me in, with enough notice. There is also one at Fuddruckers on El Toro Rd. on Tuesday nights. They might be a little more welcoming.

<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Count me in! E-mail me if you go.

 

[Lawrenzo]

Since I prefer to accentuate the positive in life- I must say that I went to the Fuddruckers cruise night in Lake Forest yesterday, and received a much warmer reception. So instead of trying to overshadow a bunch of second rate iron at the Weinerschnitzel show, I would much rather get a group together for a quality show like Fudd's.
They had the local Vette club in the prime location yesterday, and I think we could provide a much more enthusiastic showing if we put our minds to it. I'll try to hook up with the promoter to see if we can get a date for a proper showing!