Went to the GM Nationals in Carlisle, PA. Regret it.

[redbanditZ28]

As it saidm i just came home from the weekend event at Carlisle, PA by hershey park. Took some nice pics of the new camaro concept and foud out that the red concept going around is just a shell and not the whole car, so naturally, i saw the silver concept. I also saw the Chevelle concept in person and took pics of that too. I must say, if i was to buy either a new camaro or chevelle, i would definitely pick the chevelle. It has an awesome design and stands out much more than the camaro concept does. I showed my car there, and won an honorable mention award which was bulls***. Plus the award wasn't even a nice plaque. Kind of cheap looking for an event called the GM nationals. And of course the other people in my class new the guy running the thing so naturally they beat me out for 1,2,3 place. Supposedly i missed 3rd place by one point. But yet a lot of other people tied in other classes. I guess it was dead even with them(Rolls eyes).

Like most shows it was rigged or fixed, and of course it rained all weekend long. I paid 400+ dollars for lodging at a crappy super 8 and i got sick off their breakfast which was horrible. I had no idea the show judged your car on the cleanliness of the car and whether you had scratches or not. I thought it would be based on the apperance and what you had done to it. Which makes me wonder why they break it down into classes of what your car has done to it if you only get judged on how clean and scratch free your car is. I got judged last out of all the camaros that showed, so by the time i got judged, all the other cars, (Chevlles, GTOs, Buicks, Oldsmobiles, trucks, etc.) were gone. A very poorly done show for something called the GM nationals. And what i loved at trophy time is that some kid that was with some one who parked next to me, won a trophy without even having a car there to be judged. He won a bigger trophy than most people who won anything. Thats pretty ballsy. I am not alone in complaints. Many people didn't even show up for the trophies the next morning. I guess they knew it was rigged too.

Bottom line, the show isn't worth the trouble of putting mileage on your car and crapping it up with rain. I wouldn't go to the show to show your car. Quite possibly the worst show i have been to and i even won an award which most people didn't.

[bad64chevelle]

You have to go to those shows with the understanding that everyones taste for cars are different, and also that not everyone cares for the trophys. Yeah, sometimes favorites are played but, I am betting that there were more than alot of cars there and maybe those cars were just nicer than yours or the people judging that day just dont like (red camaros?) If you go into the show saying "I better win a damn trophy" you are most likely gonna come out thinking you wasted your time and whatever. If you are only concerned with getting one, I would stay away from shows like that because the truth is you may most likely never get one. They are picking from alot of NICE cars (not saying yours isnt nice) but you go to a show like that and if they have to pick between giving trophys to a fully restored 69 Camaro RS/SS 396 4speed car or a 200x Z28 hmmm I wonder who is going to go home with a trophy. The guy who has 1,000 hours of blood sweat and tears into his car or the guy who has 1000 miles on his car. So feel cheated, pissed off, angry at the world, that everyone at the show was out to get you, and whatever but just remember when you go to something like that it doesnt matter how many mods you have, how clean you keep your wheels, it comes down to what you have and whether or not the judges like that specific car. I went to the GoodGuys carshow there last year, I was in a 21 and under class. There were about 13 cars there, some were nice and some were not too nice. They gave out something like 12 awards to the class and they gave them all to two cars. wanna talk about BS? One of the cars the kid never lifted a finger to work on and didnt even know how to drive the car (it was trailered in and out) and the other one was a legit amazing car the kid did really good work! It was still a good time, no trophy. I drove the car to and from the show in the rain. NO windshield wipers, leaking between the convertible top and the windshield. It was the most fun I ever had driving my car. If you continue to go to shows your trophy will eventually come but going to a place like that looking for a trophy is a bad idea.

[BonzoHansen]

Well put. I'm not sure it is the show's fault about the hotel or rain. But I get the frustration.

One question, if "...Like most shows it was rigged or fixed..." is true, why get upset about it? You should have expected it. You can't say that and then act surprised & angry. Then again, I don't understand the whole trophy thing anyway.

I went Saturday as a spectator and had a good day. Talked to a lot of good people about cars. I even met Joel Rosen. To bad the rain killed the turnout.

[JL8Jeff]

When you enter the judged classes there is certain criteria they judge on. You should have entered the fun class which was participant judged. I didn't make it this year but it's really no different from any other car show. And you're off base saying it's rigged because I won a 3rd place a couple of years ago with my Pace Car and I only went Saturday when it's a 3 day show. If you're not prepared for a judged show, then don't bother going. I only go to car shows to meet people and see the cars. If I ever win anything it's a bonus.

[bad64chevelle]

When you enter the judged classes there is certain criteria they judge on. You should have entered the fun class which was participant judged. I didn't make it this year but it's really no different from any other car show. And you're off base saying it's rigged because I won a 3rd place a couple of years ago with my Pace Car and I only went Saturday when it's a 3 day show. If you're not prepared for a judged show, then don't bother going. I only go to car shows to meet people and see the cars. If I ever win anything it's a bonus.
im with you on that one. I mostly enjoy the drive there and the drive back. Its a reason to get away from work/school and anything else for a little while and have some fun.

[camarokev]

yeah... i was thinking about making the treck there if it had been nice, just to look at the cars, but there was NO way i was going in the rain. Sorry you didn't have as much fun as you could have.

[camaroracer1992]

do you have pics of the plaque? me and my buddy don were registered but we left the cars at home since it was ****** weather, as for the politics welcome to car shows, theyre all like that, my satisfaction is the crowd of people around my car when i pull in or out :)

[BigAls87Z28]

Chevelle concept? No such thing. What you might have seen was a GTO converted to a Chevelle.

[slugger27nj]

Chevelle concept? No such thing.
That's what I was thinking. I checked GMI and searched all over and came up blank.

[JL8Jeff]

Steve Sandlin had a custom Chevelle built a couple of years ago. If it was in the same tent as that 57 Chevy with the 8 turbos on the engine then it was his car. There was a lot of custom work done to create that car, but I don't really care for the looks of it myself.

[redbanditZ28]

All i know is that when i was in the building with all the speciality cars, there was a chevlle concept. Thats what the poster board said it was in front of the car itself. Whether of not its something different than a chevelle is up to you guys. I calls them like i sees them. As for the trophy thing, i don't even care about the trophy, i was just more fixated on the politics of those who won. I know for a fact that some of those who won actually knew the judges and they were some of the few that showed up to collect their trophies. Coincidence? i think not. I didn't even care if i won anything, i just wanted to go home cause of the weather and beng sick of the breakfast i ate at the hotel. I don't see what i wrote made it seem like i was looking for a trophy. And i didn't feel like "everyone was out to get me". These things were facts, not opinions. And as far as it being rigged like i said, i didn't come to the show thinking it would be. Thats my opinion after the show that it was rigged. I was hoping that this show owuldn't be rigged, but i found out that it was just like the other shows i have been to. And it must have been nice to go on saturday and see the cars there. Cause i didn't get to see anything. I had to stay by my car all day to wait to get judged cause the damn judges didn't have any method of going to each car by the class of your car or the number of it. So you never knew when your car was going to be judged next.
And thats just it about not being prepared for the show, i was prepared as far as i knew, they never sent anything to me about how the cars were going to be judged. I've gone to shows in the past, and i was never judged on the cleanliness of the car. I was judged on originality or what i had done to it. And cut me a break with the instigations guys, this was my first year to this show and i had a bad experience cause i was going in to it blindly as far as the information THAT THEY PROVIDED. I saw what i saw and i am telling you the way it is, no what i thought it was. And the fact that "I met people there" there were some nice people to meet. But even they told me the same things that i am telling you guys.


I am with you guys on the feeling of driving to the show and having people look at my car. Those were good feelings. And the few cars i was able to see while i was at the show were cool. I mean what i am saying is that i would go to the show again. Just not with my car. I didn't think it was worth bringing your car if you have the typical minor nicks and scratches that most daily drivers had. I had no info about this event either, so naturally i didn't know how the judging worked with the cars. And from what i heard, its rained the last few years for this show from what other people i meant told me.

[SamhainZ28]

ttiwwp

[BonzoHansen]

Here are my pics. (http://s77.photobucket.com/albums/j65/BonzoHansen/GM%20Nats%20Carlisle%202006/)

[redbanditZ28]

Nice pics. i took a decent amount, but i still don't know how to transfer the pix from the digital camera onto the computer, let alone resize the image to post it. Did you get any pics of that Chevelle concept car that was near the camaro concept?

[BonzoHansen]

That is all the pics I got. I met so many people that I never even saw everything there. :)

[79CamaroDiva]

And from what i heard, its rained the last few years for this show from what other people i meant told me.

What does the rain have anything to do with the car show? Rain happens. They plan this event a year ahead of time. Last year it was hot as hell when I was there and I just about passed out from it. The GM nationals are a great time, people from all over the country come out for it (last year my friend flew up from texas for it). The swap meet is amazing, the show cars are great to look at.

I don't see how you can expect a daily driver car to compete in that level of competition show. Of COURSE you are judged on how clean your car is.. as well as what is done to it, but like Jon said, take your car and put it next to a fully restored 1st gen, you're gonna get your ass handed to you. It doesn't matter what kind of performance mods are done to the car at a car show, they have to look nice above everything else.

[redbanditZ28]

Rain has a lot to do with a car show. When you have it all washed and waxed and ready to go, and then it pours, that doesn't do much for being in a competition where you are judged by how clean it is, especially when a lot of the people that were there had various cleaning supplies they brought with them and they were veterans of the show. We all don't know the tricks of the trade here. This was my first year. It was a learning experience, but it also put me at a disadvantage. But it was technically not a disadvantage when the people right next to me actually knew the judge for years and ended up being the only people who won a trophy. And that is bull if anyone says thats me thinking it was rigged. you wreen't there when the cars were being judged one by one. and if you weren't being judged, then you didn't see how everything went down. When only a select group of people showed up for the trophies, and all that did, were the ones that ended up winning the trophies, I can't help but think that the show was "rigged". And the same people that won this year, apparently have won many years before, as i found out by talking to a few of them who won.
And my car isn't a daily driver. And my car wasn't judged against a fully restored 1st gen. Afterall, thats why they had classes. I was judged against 93- current model years. and i inspected their cars very much so, and i saw for damn sure that they had more scratched on their cars than mine did by far. And my car was just a clean as theirs were.

I mean i am not trying to be standoffish about the show. I am just stating fact. Thats the way things went down at the show. When you have your competition saying things to you like, i've won trophies all the years i have brought my car and they personally know the judge and end up winning a trophy, i'd say that its a unfair competition. And the plague was the cheapest looking thing i ever won. I got better looking trophies when i was back in 8th grade. I am telling you, its a completely different experience when you are actually showing your car, than just going to the show to be a spectator.

[bad64chevelle]

Maybe their cars were just flat out nicer? Im not telling you how to think, but in all honestness rain or not if you want to go for a trophy you better bring cleaning supplies so you can wipe up the car before the judges come around. Maybe the judges just didnt like the way your car looks! It could be one of thousands of other reasons that they didnt choose your car! If you plan on going to more shows and go "trophy hunting" you better get used to this. Unless you have somethine totally different that stands out over the rest, or quite a few bucks into your car this kind of stuff happens. You are better off going to small car shows/cruise nights if you are only going for a trophy.

[r0nin89]

Lets see the chevelle concept picks! I havent even heard about it.

[redbanditZ28]

I just don't get it where people think i am looking for a trophy. By saying what i have said, i don't imply that i wanted a trophy. Just because i say it was rigged, doesn't me that i think i should have won a trophy. And just because i said the trophies look like crap, doesn't mean i wanted a better trophy. I am stating FACTS, not opinions here. You guys are reading into what i wrote to much making your own assumptions about what i wanted. I didn't want anything really. I was just stating things. when i said that other peoples cars had more scratches than mine, i was stating a fact, and when the judges are looking for things like the least amount of scratches, i felt that that comment would be relevant to tell you all. It kind of helps me make my point about the overall experience here. And when you say maybe there cars are flat out nicer, Thats a really ignorant statement. I told you guys, these cars are judged by classes. You can't go comparing me to a restored 67. Cause i didn't and neither did the judges. I was compared to 93-02 model years and there were only 4 other cars in the class i was win. And withing those 4 other cars, mine dfinitely had the least amount of scratches out of all of them but one and was just as clean as the rest. And 3 of them in my class knew the judges. And of course the other one like me that didn't know the judge didn't win anything.

Rain obviously makes your car a hell of a lot dirtier than if it didn't rain at all. I mean you're right about about bringing cleaning supplies. thats why i stated in my post that it was a learning experience. And i am sorry bad 64 chevelle, it really feels like you are attacking me for my comments here. I am stating what happened. These are real things that happened. I felt obligated to tell people on this forum, and i am getting a response from you that is way too analytical about my post. Just accept what i wrote for what it is. I am not looking for an argument nor disagreement. I said what i said, and i witnessed what i witnessed. And mostly, i am not trophy hunting. Just cause you think a show was rigged doesn't mean you think you should have won. Thats like saying you don't like a person, and you want somehting bad to happen to them. Of course you don't want to see anything bad happen to them, but you still may not like the person.

[JL8Jeff]

What class were you in, stock, modified, etc? Do you know what the judging criteria was? Flat out appearance won't win trophy's in some classes if the judging is based on other things like modifications. Without asking the judges how the car was scored you may never know why another car beat you out. I think you're assuming too much and therefore might miss out on going to the show in the future and having a better time. I watched them judge a 93 Indy Pace Car a couple of years ago and they really went over the car thoroughly and nitpicked things like you would expect. Sounds like you're more upset with the fact that you were judged late(unfortunately someone has to be last) and your bad experience with the hotel. I'd give it another chance.

[camaroracer1992]

damn 3 weeks and youre still on this trophy thing, get over it, you better get more thick skinned if youre looking for more trophys int eh future, every event is like that its who you know.

[redbanditZ28]

yo! Camaroracer1992, didn't you see the reply i wrote a few posts above yours. I DON'T CARE ABOUT WINNING A TROPHY. I swear, you should see the smile on my face after readin the post. ITs a smile cause it feels like i am just repesting myself in my posts and no one is reading what i wrote. I know that that every event is like that.

I know apperance won't win trophies. I know that now cause i went to the show and it was my first time there, so now i know. I really didn't have the intention of writing this many replies. I thought this post would die out quickly. I really am over it. If it wasn't for the sake of visiting the various camaro forums that i do, and reading the posts that i may have posted, i wouldn't even acknowledge this post i made. I really am over it. t this point i am just defending myself cause no one will flat out believe what i wrote. Just cause you guys didn't go to a car show in your life that was rigged, doesn't mean that the one i was in wasn't rigged.

I ask this to all people who replied to me. Did you go to the trophy ceremony on sunday morning and witness what happened? cause if you didn't, then none of you have any room to talk. Because if you saw what transpired there, you wouldn't even be writing your replies that you all have written. Anyone that was there the next morning won a trophy. There was only a handful (literally) that did not receive an award. But i am not making the point that i or others should have won the trophies (as i have said before). I am saying that it was rigged because of the people who did win. The fact that all of the camaro owners that were judged on saturday didn't show up to see if they won a trophy, makes it clear for anyone to read. IT WAS FIXED. The only reason i showed up to it was because i was new to the show and was hoping that it wasn't going to be like all the other shows i have been to. But it was, and now i know. I have said these things in all of my other posts.

I will at least go to the show as a spectator next year though. I can't comment on the show overall, cause i was witing to get judged all day and by the time i got judged, all the show cars left for the day. What really pissed me off was the fact that they literally said that they were going to start with the class i was in, and they ended up judging my class, what seemed like dead last.

[redbanditZ28]

Guys, i don't even want to talk about this post anymore. I really ma over it. This was the last thing i wanted to happen. I honestly wasn't expecting to get the replies i got. Even if i didn't get the replies i got, and i had everyone agreeing with my posts, it still wouldn't matter, i am done with this post. I think everyone that replied was very level headed in what they wrote, except a few things in a few posts, but unless you showed you car and you got judged and witnessed what happened sunday morning with the award ceremony, i just don't think you'll get a feel for what i am talking about.

[bad64chevelle]

trust me ive been to more car shows than you ever will, and I know what happens. Good Bye...

[redbanditZ28]

Whats with the hostility bad64chevelle. i gotta admit, you were a lot nicer in person, man. I never mentioned anything to you about being to more car shows than you. but thats a typical response, no one apparently reads what i posted. Read the posts before you reply man. That made no sense to say what you did. I am sure you do know what goes on at these shows.

almost any post i've written lately, you've had a condescending response. You want to talk about it, send me a private message or something. I am not here to make enemies.