was at a car show today and got beat by a stock 94 rt

[2kgtsacr]

My acr is steel grey and the rt was red. It was the only other viper there. I'm kinda irked by it but it was my second car show I had been to and my neighbor who I went with said stuff like that will happen and not to let it bother me. The stock rt 94 viper took 3rd with two mustangs taking 2nd and 1st. The viper that won 3rd even still had the stock tri trangle spoke wheels too. I dunno I'm just venting and had to get it off my chest. My viper sure did get alot of attention but when they called him for 3rd I thought for sure I got at least second since his is a stock 94 but nope 2nd was a cobra and 1st was a svt. anyone experienced anything similar I'm still kinda bummed about it. My wife was supportive and said she liked mine more as she wiped the tears from my cheeks and said she would buy me an ice cream cone .

 

[cyaford]

Sounds like this would be a perfect post to make over at the Alley.

 

[V10SpeedLuvr]

I believe the real travesty is that 2 Mustangs got 1st and 2nd As for why the Gen 1 beat you, here's my guesses:

1. Its the original bodystyle Viper that many people 1st fell in love with (including the 3 spoke wheels that you obviously don't like)
2. Sidepipes. Kinda goes with #1, but a lot of people love sidepipes. (its one thing I wish my car had)
3. Red is a "louder" color than steel grey. That may have swayed some opinions

I've been at carshows and lost to crap I didn't even feel belonged there. I used to get my feelings hurt, but now I just go for the fun of it instead of trying for a trophy. I have myself trained to not expect a trophy, no matter how crappy the other cars are. It makes losing easier to take As long as I get to go home in a Viper, I don't need no stinkin trophy

 

[viper02]

Stop being such a BABY. It makes me want to vomit. Enjoy your ice cream cone.

01 GTS

 

[ViperGal]

Remember - your car is always Number 1 in your heart and garage! At least a Viper was in the top 3 - if neither of you placed that would be horrible!

 

[FATHERFORD]

LMAO I have been to many of car shows Where mine or other cars should have won, but some pos car did. It's just part of it.

 

[FrankBarba]

Maybe you should have posted where this car show was at before you went, then we could have brought some other vipers to the show to help you secure the trophy. Send me your address i'll make sure you get a trophy.

 

[Mopar488]

I gave up on car shows a few years back. There could be any number of reasons you did not win including the judges were buddies with the other winners. I do not have the time to make sure that everyone is not going to scratch my car or whatever, make me a nervous wreck. I just go enjoy car shows looking at other peoples cars

 

[GBS]

A friend of mine enters a lot of cars and does very well. Win or loose he's always asking the judges what they are taking points off for and what they are looking for.

 

[PDCjonny]

This thread is a joke, right?

 

[Ricketts]

Got to remember, it's all about what the judges like. Also gotta remember when people think of Viper's there is 2 poster childs, the B/W GTS and what...........a red RT/10. Plus like everyone said red is a attention getter. Just look at it this way, yeah you got beat but it was by your cars pappy!

 

[Red Snake]

You just can't beat a hot RED sports car.

There's a reason why they make more red than any other color. It's what people like to look at.

 

[GTSnake]

Red Rules!

 

[Hayabusa]

When I showed cars and motorcycles trophies were given at different events based on "Peoples Choice", show participants only, or by a panel of judges (sometimes composition of the panel not based on any expertise).

Brand bias runs rampant, sponsoring organization members win more than their fair share, etc, etc, etc. Fads can win awards in some shows. For a while Blinged Out cars and outrageously expensive Choppers were "winners".

The desire to "win" awards never drove me to buy/built a car or bike. I do it for "me". Showing cars is supposed to be fun and social. Take it for what it is, enjoy talking with the folks that admire your car, don't get bent if you don't "win". Puts the whole car show thing in a different perspective.

 

[Canyon707]

It's all subjective. Peoples choice is the only way to do it. Its not a Concours where they look at everything and the judges are professional. The last one I went to the judging was done by a car club. It had nothing to do with quality, prefection, it was just what they liked. I didn't win but, I had a great time meeting other car people. Lots of stationary eye candy and also some walking around also. I didn't realize my head could turn 360 degrees.

 

[Matt M PA]

As a many, many year veteran of car shows....it all depends on the show, the type of judging, etc.

At a "popular vote" show the car that's best detailed, most correctly restored, etc...will not always come out on top. Folks vote for their friends, etc. I don;t even go to popular vote shows any more.

That said...at a real "judged" meet...the judges aren't infallable either...but it usually seems to go the right way.

Now I have never seen your Viper...so please don't take this personally. If the Mustangs that placed over your Viper were better detailed, cleaner, etc...they deserved to win. Bringing a Viper to a show does not mean you should win...the best vehicle should take top honors regardless of what it is.

To say a car had the ugly wheels, etc, is all personal taste... and it's often hard to see past that. But judges are to be impartial and only judge condition when choosing a winner.

 

[V10 PWRD]

I can sure relate to this story. I bought my car last November and entered my very first show in April 09 with my stock red 94 RT/10 except for the chromed 3 spoke wheels only to watch a brand new stock hemi Challenger driven by an old gal with a beehive hairdo walk away with a 3 foot high trophy. WTH! There were a lot of other cars (close to 150)there that guys put a whole lot of work in that deserved some recognition but drove off with nothing.
There's a show that's coming up in Culpeper,Va where I live and it's on the 4th of July. This is a large,well attended car and bike show where they close down most of downtown to display the cars. If any of you guys are interested in entering your Vipers I sure could use some Viper support since I have never seen a Viper in this show in 4 years since I have attended. Search for "Culpeper, Va 4th of July Car Show" and download a registration form. You still have time. The crowd pleaser last year was a blue Cobra replica. Closest thing to a Viper was a Prowler from Falls Church. And of course a couple of brand new Challengers the local dealer was trying to sell.
If you're looking for a fun day and a chance to put your car in the parade at the end of the show (everyone has the opportunity to do this that enters) spend 10 bucks and enter your car. This is a great small town about an hour from Dulles Airport. Get there about 7:30 AM and judging starts at 10. I'm not pushing this show but did want to let you guys know there is something coming up in the NoVa area if you're at all interested. If anyone is thinking about coming PM me and I'll meet up with you and we will arrive in a group and have our own section.
I'll see you NoVa guys in Manassas on the 27th.
If a member could post this in the Virginia/Maryland section it would be appreciated. The more the merrier!

 

[2kgtsacr]

Funny I used to live in falls church and mclean.

This thread isn't a joke like some asked but the last part about the tears and ice cream was.

The other viper probably did win because it was red. There were over 34 classes at this show and over 300 cars came in. At the end of the day it was all for a good cause and thats what counts. I had a good time and it was a nice weekend. It was a popularity judging show and my neighbor and I figured the mustangs won was because the mustang class probably judged our class and there were about 25 mustangs there in the older class and about 8 or so in the newer one.

 

[big-n-italian]

like was said before, i too go to shows/events/cruise-ins to socialize, have fun, and get the kids out of the house and away from the game cube. if i win something great, if i dont, i dont care. more than likely we had alot of fun. if you dont have that attitude, stay home.

i too have been to shows where someone places better who never should have. i went to a "top 40" show a couple years ago, and a big car club showed up. no matter how bad the car was, every member of that club placed because they voted for each other. i saw some very nice cars that got nothing.

i have also attended small town shows where "uncle bubba" places better simply because he is the mayor, the police chief, the fire chief, the city assessor, the school principal, and the grand pooba of the local moose lodge.

most shows are fairer than the few others that arent. if you like going to shows, find the ones that are fair and go back to those next year. like matt said, the shows that are fair will always place a car better that are better detailed, cleaner, etc. and deserved to win. i have been beaten many times by cars like this and the outcome was appropriate.

 

[dave6666]

RED

​

 

[2kgtsacr]

neighbor said something funny yesterday too dave, he said if it comes down between two of the same car always vote for the red one.

 

[PatentLaw]

Being a good person can go a long way to winning an event. For this I mean that if you let kids sit in your car, people realize that you are a good person and the judges are more favorable to you. Let the kids put on the racing harness. They feel special. Makes their day. While you get to do this every day, for them it is a really special treat. Does your car get "dirty" from this? Sure. Who cares.

I can't tell you how many events I have been to, where there were nice vehicles. If you came within 4 feet of them, the owner would scream, "Get away from my Volvo" or some ridiculous comment. That is not the purpose of the show. It is to have fun only.

In one instance, one week, I won the largest show in NJ. The next week, I came in 5th at a very local car show. It happens. So what? Who cares. One week I get third, but the guy who trucked his 1920 Cadillac in 400 miles for the show, one of the only ones in existance, got nothing. Sometimes the results, when you win, are just as embarrasing. His car was clearly better than mine.

One tip, talk to the judges. Almost always they do not know what they are looking at. Educate them. Tell them the differences between different models.

I remember going to my first big show and there were a number of Vipers. One of them was a fake "ACR". It had a sticker on it. Big deal. Had fog lamps. Regular wheels. No harness. No shocks. People were fawning all over the fake. It just shows that people generally have no idea of what is going on.

Just laugh it off. Take lots of pictures. Post them on the website. Sometimes you win. Sometimes you lose. Just like life.

If you like car shows, go to my gallery. There are lots of shots there. I stopped posting pictures of the events on the site. I got complaints from some "members" that the car shows were "not good enough" or "was not really that big" or some other rude comment like "you should be racing your car".

I am sure that your car is nice and rare. Keep going to the events. You will have a blast. Good luck to you.

 

[georgethedog]

I went to several car shows with my RED RT/10 last year and never won a thing. Big-n-Italian can vouch for how spotless that car was inside and out and under, etc. Most local shows the buddies vote for buddies and some people just won't vote for a Viper because they think your rich. I had a guy tell me he wouldn't vote for "that rich man's car" if it was the only one in the show. He did not know it was my car. I don't look rich, dress rich or am rich. The joke was on him when I told him it was my car and I was a teacher and almost on food stamps. I think that situation should be made into one of those "Wanna Get Away" Southwestern Airlines commercials.

 

[big-n-italian]

yeah, sorry about that comment george. next time, tell me you bought a viper.


seriously though, another thing i have noticed about car shows is that i see alot of old(er) cars place better than new(er) cars i think simply because they are old. (some shows have a "MOPAR" class). in all honesty, i also favor the old(er) cars because i know very well all the work that goes into them, compared to the new(er) cars that sometimes were just driven off the showroom floor a few days ago.

 

[jdeft1]

Guess I should have been there.... My red '94 is not show material (in my eye) but it sure is fun to drive!

 

[94RT10Ohio]

I could say LOTS of things here, but I will hold back and say clean it up and try next time.

 

[93 Cobra R]

Stop being such a BABY. It makes me want to vomit. Enjoy your ice cream cone.

01 GTS

 

[Venomiss]

I can sure relate to this story. I bought my car last November and entered my very first show in April 09 with my stock red 94 RT/10 except for the chromed 3 spoke wheels only to watch a brand new stock hemi Challenger driven by an old gal with a beehive hairdo walk away with a 3 foot high trophy. WTH! There were a lot of other cars (close to 150)there that guys put a whole lot of work in that deserved some recognition but drove off with nothing.
There's a show that's coming up in Culpeper,Va where I live and it's on the 4th of July. This is a large,well attended car and bike show where they close down most of downtown to display the cars. If any of you guys are interested in entering your Vipers I sure could use some Viper support since I have never seen a Viper in this show in 4 years since I have attended. Search for "Culpeper, Va 4th of July Car Show" and download a registration form. You still have time. The crowd pleaser last year was a blue Cobra replica. Closest thing to a Viper was a Prowler from Falls Church. And of course a couple of brand new Challengers the local dealer was trying to sell.
If you're looking for a fun day and a chance to put your car in the parade at the end of the show (everyone has the opportunity to do this that enters) spend 10 bucks and enter your car. This is a great small town about an hour from Dulles Airport. Get there about 7:30 AM and judging starts at 10. I'm not pushing this show but did want to let you guys know there is something coming up in the NoVa area if you're at all interested. If anyone is thinking about coming PM me and I'll meet up with you and we will arrive in a group and have our own section.
I'll see you NoVa guys in Manassas on the 27th.
If a member could post this in the Virginia/Maryland section it would be appreciated. The more the merrier!

Maybe join the VCA? Then you can post it wherever.

 

[viperv10]

Ok folks I was the 3rd place winner. At this show and yes hes totally correct with the mustangs winning. But there is something to learn from these car shows.Friends running the program make sure theyre friends get a trophy. If your gonna go to shows and expect to win dont do it. Like I said I dont go for a trophy I go to meet new people new faces. ANd hand out flyers for the show I host. RELAY 4 LIFE. Believe me that Silver Viper was winner to me. And Im not saying this just to make you happy Im sayin it because its the truth. YOu got one hell of a car there. Just dont get caught in the trap of thinking you should win Its gonna tear you apart. I hope I made some sence to you.

 

[jcaspar1]

You have no chance without stripes!