Question of the Day: What is the Most Pointless Automotive Competition?

[skullbucket]

I like a moving burnout but not the stationary ones.

[dieselgeek]

In all seriousness, car shows aren't all THAT bad. The way I look at it is this: anything that gets people out of the house and doing something with their cars, is a good thing.

[Matt Cramer]

In all seriousness, car shows aren't all THAT bad. The way I look at it is this: anything that gets people out of the house and doing something with their cars, is a good thing.

True enough; I've been to some really amazing car shows lately. (The one on the Road Atlanta infield at the Mitty comes to mind. There weren't any rules other than some effort to group the cars by type, but it seems most of the people who had boring cars parked away from the show section.) Mostly, it's just that car shows sometimes attract types of car guys I just don't get:

1. The aforementioned guys who build what look like fun race cars that have never been raced.

2. The "My PT Cruiser is an instant street rod" guys who set up a row of a half dozen or so mildly customized PT Cruisers. I'm not entirely sure why this one gets to me as normally I don't mind late model cars at a car show if the owner has done something interesting with them.

3. I haven't seen this at local car shows, but cars with nonfunctional mods that rule out actual driving. A prime example would be gold plated brake rotors. Even on a pure show car, form still needs to follow function. I know a Riddler Award car isn't going to travel to the show under its own power, but it ought to look like it could, in theory, have done so.

[TC]

The last car show here was the Cruise on Central a few weekends ago, there was a guy there with a Jet(yes I said Jet) powered Supra, it was really cool when he started it up and started making the popping sounds........ There is also a guy with an really old ratty convertible that goes to the Pavilions that pours PopCorn down his exhaust stacks that stick out of the hood and after a bit of time the popcorn starts starts popping out the stacks, then he does some sort of revving with the motor that makes Flames shoot 3 to 4 feet out of the stacks......Really cool stuff IMO.........

[skullbucket]

rat rod car shows....i mean really how to you judge a rat rod show?

Junkiest most unsafe pile wins!

[38P]

2. The "My PT Cruiser is an instant street rod" guys who set up a row of a half dozen or so mildly customized PT Cruisers. I'm not entirely sure why this one gets to me as normally I don't mind late model cars at a car show if the owner has done something interesting with them.

While I don't mind custom PT Cruisers, the reason that they grate on some may be that they are somewhat loosely-rendered facsimilies of a 1930s vehicle -- sort of like a kit-car or cartoon version of a '30s sedan on a FWD economy car chassis. Had Chrysler fitted the PT with a proper RWD driveline and been a little less "modern" on some of the details (i.e. made all of the fenders removable, used less integrated bumpers, used more "retro" lights), I suspect that the PT would be better accepted as a neo-rod. As it is, the PT, and the similar HHR as well, are arguably too "fake" looking to pull off a true hot rod look.

The Prowler had some similar issues (no V8, awkward proportions, difficult to make look good "stripped down").

[38P]

There is also a guy with an really old ratty convertible that goes to the Pavilions that pours PopCorn down his exhaust stacks that stick out of the hood and after a bit of time the popcorn starts starts popping out the stacks, . . .

"Grandpa, why does this popcorn taste like gasoline . . . ."

[squirrel]

the PT cruiser is a minivan, it's kind of hilarious when people "dress them up".

The prowler has different issues....not that I would know anything about that, having attended the annual Prowler Owners meet last week

[skullbucket]

I hate PT Cruisers and this is why:
The Hotrod power tour went thru Louisville Kentucky a while back, we got there and guess what?
The whole front paved parking lot was takin up by 3 rows of the old fart PT Cruisers with the "hiding eyes" dolls leaning on the front bumper covers, meanwhile where were the old Camaros, Cudas, Superbees, and Mustangs?
Around the block in a super market parking lot and I didn't even get there, I was in a dirt field several blocks from anywhere!!!
I wrote Hotrod magizine and ask why the musclecars were in the back and they told me the power tour wasn't about the cars its about the people!!!
I replied and said next time me and the other 15 people would show up in Taxis and you could take our pics "NOT" paying an entry fee and just walk around for free!

[Matt Cramer]

I hate PT Cruisers and this is why:
The Hotrod power tour went thru Louisville Kentucky a while back, we got there and guess what?
The whole front paved parking lot was takin up by 3 rows of the old fart PT Cruisers with the "hiding eyes" dolls leaning on the front bumper covers..

Ooh, another pet peeve I forgot about. Thankfully, the "crybaby" doll trend is dying out here. Otherwise I'd be tempted to buy one, then at the next car show I was at, park with one of those dolls squashed under a tire.

[Bob Holmes]

Again, I offer for your consideration:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=dhq7McZKRqY

Its not that its an import issue, its that they are competing trying to get in and out of a driveway.