Well, I've been posting a lot lately regarding a few of the ideas I've had for my car. And to tell the truth, if it comes out the way I've planned, then it's definitely not going to look stock. The question I'm posing is, what kinds of standards do the judges judge by? The best looking, most original cars? Or are there "Heavily Modified" classes? Because when it gets done, I would still like to come to shows and spend time with you guys/gals, and also be able to compete. So can anybody help me out? David?
Dave... ..you would be hard pressed to find a lot of categorizing at a car show that included Comets/Mavericks. Sure, at a show specifically for these cars you may find a separate category, but not very often. You may find yourself entering categories based on year model for either all original or modified. At the bigger or medium sized shows, you will be facing competition from cars that people have dumped tons of money into restoring to original or completely modifying them to total custom show cars. Most of the original show cars are going to be concours quality Mustangs, Cougars, or the like or even other makes. Not all shows break them out by make, but some do. There may even be a separate class for concours cars. They tend to be trailered cars that aren't driven on the street...umm...Dennis, be quiet! If you are going to attempt to win trophies in either custom/modified or all original shows, be prepared to have your car picked over quite well. IF you are looking to go original, be prepared to find original Ford parts such as plug wires, hoses and belts with correct factory stampings, correct fasteners, alternators, all the factory emmissions equipment. Original style/size tires, original upholstery is also a must. More and more these days I am seeing cars in original class with some improvements: disc brakes seems to be one of the more acceptable modifications. Dual exhaust is another popular change. However, some shows will not recognize a car as original if any changes in original equipment is noted. There is no national rule book for most car shows to follow. Corvettes, Mustangs and Camaros in that order probably have the most detailed judging guidelines of any cars. There are also guidelines for cars from the 10's - 40's and exoctic or even foreign makes such as Auburn and Cord. I hope that this helps. Shows can be fun. They can be heartbreaking as well. There are some politics involved in many shows. In small town shows, if the judges are local, or if it is a peoples' choice process, the locals will typically do well. Good luck- Seth
