Car Shows Car Shows Videos Where to Find Car Shows Finding the car show of your dream may seem impossible but in reality, it is not. There are plenty of great places where you can search for your dream car show and with some creativity, you can find the show based on the type of car you are most interested in, or you could just search for any show that is close to where you are located. The options are up to you, and the fun of enjoying the entire even is possible with just a bit of planning ahead of time. One of the best places to look for car shows are in your local event calendars. Most cities and regions offer these calendars and they can usually be found online as well. They will give you information about the location of the show, admission charges, what is offered at the show and any other detailed information you need to know. This will usually be a great way to locate those shows that are in your area that do not do much advertising as well. Another option that you have is to do a search in your favorite car magazine. Most magazines have a place where groups can advertise the car shows that they are organizing. This will allow you to see shows from all around the country typically and possibly even some shows that are located in different countries. Each place has their own requirements and admission information that may not be readily available in the magazine but you should be able to find the dates and some general contact information to use to get more information if you need it. If you belong to a car club, your monthly newsletter should also have some information on various car shows that you may be interested in. This is not always going to be an all inclusive list so be sure to look around in other locations for information as well to ensure that you are getting a good picture of all shows that are going to be available. The newspaper is another good source. Newspapers almost always report on events that are coming up, and this can be a great way to get a good scoop on the upcoming shows in the area. Anyone who is organizing a car show in your area is going to ensure that their event is listed in the newspaper and this makes the perfect opportunity to find everything in a single place. Some of your other options include doing a search on your favorite search engine for recent car shows. This option is most effective if you are not concerned with sticking within a specific region. It is often much harder to narrow down specific areas but it is still possible. This can often be a great way to plan out any trips that you have in mind to take for a good while into the future. This can also allow you to book hotels ahead of time for discounted rates if you are going to be traveling to the car shows. If you are interested in attending tons of car shows, you are going to find plenty that will interest you. There are almost always at least one show a weekend and some weeks are busier with more than just a single show. If you are interested, you could fill up all of your weekends for a year or even longer without any problems. This would also be a great way to travel all around the country and check out some other attractions as well. Never think that car shows are boring, if you find the good ones you are sure to have a great time and the time spent locating the show is a great investment. You are going to have a ton of fun planning your trip and searching for the car shows of your dreams as you can see is really a simple project. When is the Best Time to Go to Car Shows If you are trying to decide on the best time of year to attend car shows then you are in luck, there are several times of year when car shows are highly popular however, they do start to subside during the winter months when it is very cold. Unless you plan on only searching for car shows that are indoors your best goal is to avoid shows in the winter unless you enjoy bundling up and venturing into the areas that are very warm. Most car shows tend to be held in the spring and summer when it is very warm. The number of shows in the winter months tends to subside heavily mostly due to the cold weather and the holidays combined together that make it very difficult for organizers to have a large enough attendance to be worth the effort. If you are looking for the best car shows possible, you need to search heavily during the spring and summer. If you are looking for the best car shows in terms of weather, looking in the late spring and early summer is best. This is the time of year when the weather is warm enough you can skip the heavy jackets, but still cool enough that you will not roast as you walk around the show grounds. It is very important regardless of when you plan on attending the car show that you dress appropriately. For example, in the summer you need to wear short sleeves and shorts most likely, especially if the car show is outside so that you do not overheat while you are there. In the early part of the spring, you should wear a lightweight jacket in case it is chilly outside. If you are going to a show in the winter check to see if it is held indoors since many during the winter are. Choosing appropriate clothing will ensure that you are not uncomfortable during the show. If you are taking children with you, you may want to look for shows that are in the afternoons. Late evenings tend to find children rather cranky and early mornings tend to also find children cranky because of having to wake up early. Looking to the afternoon time frame after lunch usually finds kids in the best moods possible and less likely to get into trouble and misbehave. If you are going to the car show by yourself or only with other adults, you may find it is best to go during the early part of the day so that you can avoid a good majority of the crowd that appears in the afternoon. If you are looking for the biggest crowds of people then afternoon is generally going to be your prime time to attend. Choosing the best time to attend the car show is often going to depend upon your schedule with other activities in the same weekend as well. Once you have a good indication of the weather and your schedule, it is usually quite easy to fit a trip to the car show in so that everyone is able to do something that they thoroughly enjoy without a lot of problems and hassles. If you have any questions about what to wear to the show or the weather always feel free to consult the local weather, or call the organization that is sponsoring the car show to ask. They are generally able to help you ensure that you are dressed appropriately and have a great time. If you are quite uncertain over the weather, taking a change of clothes may be your best option to ensure that you are comfortable during the car show. After all, you certainly do not want to be uncomfortable or you may want to leave early which could have you missing out on a large portion of the show. Keeping yourself cool, warm and comfortable is a key need to ensuring that you enjoy the car show as much as possible. What Judges Look For at Car Shows Have you ever wondered exactly what the judge's at car shows are looking at? Many people wonder and yet not everyone is always fully aware of what they are looking for. Of course there are different categories have different criteria about what is expected for each car. You are never going to please all of the judges, but if you know what they may be looking for, you can certainly help increase your chances of coming out well in the car show. Clean cars, this is something that most people do not care about category for. The only time you should ever have a dirty car is if you just participated in a race as part of the car show. Otherwise, your car should be completely clean. This means inside and outside and no signs of dirt or debris anywhere. If you need to spend a few minutes after you arrive ensuring that it is clean and doing a bit of touch up work. Scratches are something to avoid as well. Judges are not impressed by scratches and there is rarely ever a category or prize for most scratched car. Ensure that the scratches are dealt with appropriately before the car show. This will help improve your winning chances and the judges are much more likely to pay attention to how your car really looks, rather than their eyes wondering over to the scratches that you left in place. Your tires are important as well. You may not realize it, but this says a lot about the way you maintain your car. They are looking for simply the best; judges are not going to appreciate seeing a year's supply of mud caked up underneath the wheel well. They are impressed by immaculately clean cars, not those that need a through detail cleaning. Some other areas to look at include paint, this may seem strange but the judges usually like to see something that is unique and creative. Just because your car was originally the same red color as the other 1 million cars that rolled off the assembly line, looking just like it does not mean it needs to stay red. Sometimes a new shade or even a completely different color can make a normal and boring car quite unique. If you have the personality for it a creative paint job can make your car especially memorable. After all, how many black, blue and red cars do you think the judges will see? How many do you think they will see that are lime green or even hot pink? Choose paint color carefully but look for something that is going to be memorable in a good way. A final area to look at is the overall feeling of the car. You generally would not take a 1930's Chevrolet and trick it out with rims, televisions and tons of other high tech goodies. However, at the same time, you should look for a few modern touches to make the car unique and enjoyable. Unless you are just trying to obtain the most unique award, try to keep your car styled around the same as it was originally just better if possible. Ensuring that your car creates a memorable and positive impression on the judges is not always easy. After you participate in a few car shows, you should start to gain a good bit of ideas on what exactly the judges are looking for and ensure that you are fitting into their needs and wants. With some practice, you are sure to enjoy the sweet success of winning a few trophies or even a ribbon or two. What Can You Do at Car Shows? Have you ever wondered exactly what you can do with your car while you are at a car show? Aside from the obvious of staging your car perfectly there are some things that you can do to help pass the time, or even help share your love of cars with the different people who are there. From simple things to those that are more elaborate if you talk to the coordinators of the show you can usually have a lot of fun and do more than stand beside your car talking to the occasional visitor. There are many car shows that would love to have someone doing detail cleaning, or a bit of light bodywork, or even some minor engine work to show visitors what goes into the car. If you are skilled in any of these areas, you could volunteer to demonstrate these skills and help teach the visitors a few things. This is something that you can that is very inexpensive, allows you to continue working on your car that weekend and still enables you to share your love of the vehicles. Other things that you think about doing is bring along a television and VCR and perhaps show a video of you doing some work to the vehicle that you brought. This would enable people to see how far the vehicle has come and what type of work was put into it in order to get it ready to go to the car show. Realize that most people have no clue what it really involves to get a car ready for the show. They generally think that all you do is roll out of bed the day of the show and decide to go. You could also consider having plenty of pictures and a small table that you set up to depict the work process. This would be a great way to also allow people to see the process and without the hassles of needing an inverter or electricity for the television. You would be surprised how much small details like this can really encourage people to spend time by your car. Additionally, if you are willing to talk about the history of your car and how you have worked on it this is another great way to share experiences. Not all people at car shows are willing to talk about the work they have done on their car, if you choose to share you are in the minority. What their reasons are tends to vary, but for the most part there are few who will openly discuss their work. Feel free to talk about it and share your experiences. You may help inspire someone to start getting involved with their own vehicle. You should be very careful though and always discuss your plans with the car show coordinators to ensure that there will be no safety concerns. Additionally, some car shows do not allow demonstrations because they feel that they are distracting or pose large liability risks. As long as you have received the okay from the event coordinators feel free to have some fun sharing your love of cars and showing off your skills as well as your gorgeous car. Just always ensure that you are making sure everyone is safe first, so leave the welder and other dangerous equipment at home. Using a GPS to Find the Car Show How are you supposed to ensure that you do not possibly get lost on the way to the car show? Aside from asking plenty of questions about location before the show, you can always use the newest gadgets on the market the GPS to help you locate the exact location. Some GPS devices are updated continuously, which will allow you to search for areas of interest, and under this category you may discover that the car show you are looking for is located. Otherwise, you may need to type in the address you are looking for. While the GPS device seems expensive they are really quite convenient, and for those who are attending tons of car shows they can be a great investment. After all, how many times have you driven around aimlessly while you search for the elusive event? Most people experience this quite often, especially when they are trying to determine a location in an area that they are not familiar with. You are certainly not alone in getting lost, and you probably will be lost numerous times trying to search for different shows. It is especially important that you be on time for the car shows if you are one of the exhibitors. Most car shows do not take kindly to people showing up late, this can be a dangerous and especially stressful situation. Using the GPS system to your advantage can help you ensure that you are always at the correct place, at the correct time. Not all shows are able or willing to give detailed directions on how to get to the car show; this often leaves you stranded at the last minute trying to find where you are supposed to be, especially when you are expected to attend early and set things up for your car. If you do not use a GPS, it would be advisable to print out directions using an online service such as Yahoo! Maps, or even MapQuest to help you ensure that you are going to the correct destination. In addition, try to drive by the location for the car show in advance if it is in an area that you are not familiar with, this will help you to ensure that you are well on your way to being there on time, and fully prepared for everything. Failing to be to the show in advance can result in your vehicle being disqualified from the competition, or worse yet you not being able to participate at all. These are never good results and if you are well aware of where you are going in advance, you can help avoid these problems. In the event that you are not able to drive by the location in advance it is also wise to check for a phone number of someone in charge of the event, this will allow you to easily call someone in the event of an emergency and ensure that your place is still being held. After all, accidents and emergencies do occur and you do not want to lose your position for any reason. Using the tools that are available to you can help ensure that you are on time and fully prepared for any car show no matter where it is located. So kick back, enjoy the trip and have a lot of fun at the show knowing you will not be late. Tips for International Car Shows Attending international car shows can be a thrilling experience. Regardless of whether you are planning to take your family or even your own car to the show there are some things that you should think about ahead of time. Always planning ahead can ensure that you are well on your way to being fully prepared and ensure that your visit to the car show is the best possible. Never leave things to the last minute to plan a trip if you are going to an international car show. Your first step is to always ensure you know exactly the dates of the car show. You never want to arrange the trip on the wrong weekend or at the wrong period of time. This can be a huge and costly mistake that is not always easily fixable. Double and triple check those dates to ensure you know exactly when they are, and also determine exactly which of those days you plan on attending. Once you have confirmed all of the dates for the car show start looking at accommodations. Pick out your hotel rooms early and ensure that they are booked well in advance for the best rates. Waiting until the last minute can force you to pay as much as double for the rooms that you would normally pay which is a huge increase and not something that is unavoidable. Additionally, determine if you are going to need transportation for the car show. After all, if you are taking a car to show, you may not want to drive it around the area where the show is. If you are not taking a car, you probably will not be taking a car. Once you have your accommodations arranged and the dates picked out it is time to start handling transportation. If you are merely going to view the cars this is much simpler. Either purchase a boat ticket and take a cruise at the same time, or purchase a plane ticket. If however, you are planning to take your car you need to spend some serious time planning this. You are going to need to find out about shipping your car, ensure that you have all inspections for the vehicle done on time, ensure you have adequate insurance coverage for the vehicle in case it is lost, stolen or damaged while in transit and even ensure that there will be efficient transportation for the vehicle. This is not a simple task at all and can be quite a nightmare trying to arrange at times. Start in advance to ensure that this goes as smoothly as possible. Some of the other considerations is you need to find out about admission. Regardless of whether you are taking a vehicle or not it is important to ensure that you know you will be able to get in. For example, if the show is by invitation only, you may be upset to discover you made all of the arrangements and are not able to get into the show. This can be a huge disaster, so always ensure that you know exactly what is expected in order to get admission to the show once you arrive. Call to check with the planning organization well ahead of the car show to ensure that you have the best results possible with this. As you can see, a bit of preplanning is all it takes in order to ensure that your trip to an international car show is as smooth a process as possible. Never worry about the show being a disaster, with a good bit of planning you are certain to really enjoy the entire international car show experience. Never have any worries, with good planning skills you are more than certain to thoroughly enjoy the show and be quite excited about all of the prospects that the show can hold for you. There are so many exciting things at the international car shows and it is a spectacular feeling to attend. Taking Your Pet to the Car Show The day and age where pets are considered members of the family are upon us, and as such the number of people taking their pets everywhere with them is steadily rising. If you are one of these people, you probably know that not everywhere is welcoming to your pet, but there are others that are more than graciously welcoming to your pet as long as you take the time to plan ahead and ensure that your pet is taken care of. You may be surprised with some planning how well your pet fits into your plans and how well you are able to ensure the process goes. If you are wanting to take a pet of course, your first step should always be calling ahead to the organization that is planning the car show and finding out if they are willing to allow pets. If the event is held indoors then you are likely to find that they are unable to allow pets to come in. However, most car shows that are outdoors, especially in recent years are more than willing to accommodate your favorite pet as long as you are willing to be responsible for them. Once you know that the car show will allow your pet you need to ensure that they are healthy before you go. This is especially important if you have a very young or very old dog. It is also important to ensure that they have had their vaccinations; this will prevent them from catching anything that may be floating around from other dogs. Even while your pet may be disease free, the vaccinations are important to ensure that they do not catch anything from other pets attending the show. Additional measures include ensuring that your dog has a well fitting leash as well as a harness or collar. If you are taking a very small dog, it is a wise idea to look for a harness that would allow you to quickly pick them up if the crowds get too heavy and there is a danger of someone stepping on your dog. A good harness will allow you to swoop the dog up in a matter of moments without causing any harm. You should also bring a small water bottle for your dog. There may not be a suitable place that will allow your pet to get some water, so the water bottle is essential. Most pet supply stores sell water bottles that have small trays that attach to them; this makes it very easy to quickly and easily give your dog some water without having to find a container or a dish to put it in. You can usually find water that will allow you to easily refill the water bottle, but finding a container for the water is not always simple. Another consideration that you need to take into account is ensuring that your dog will have access to shade and shelter during the car show. Most dogs are not capable of staying out in the hot sun all day, and will need to have shade at least for short periods of time to ensure that they do not become overheated and dehydrated. You are also going to have to make some arrangements for the dog to eat. Most car shows are not going to have dog food readily available to visitors; this is going to require you to find some food that you can easily transport with you. There are several small collapsible food bowls that you can buy at the pet store that are perfect for these occasions as well. Making some arrangements ahead of time, there are plenty of ways that your pet can enjoy going to the car show with you. There is no reason at all why your pet cannot accompany you if you are willing to take the time to plan ahead for your pet. Going with your pet to a car show is lots of fun, but not planning and having a disaster on your hands is never fun. Staying Safe at Car Shows There are tons of car shows, and at all of these car shows there are usually tons of people. Ensuring that you stay safe is a necessary task to ensure that you are able to always enjoy the car shows, rather than being forced to wait around for the police or take a trip to the hospital. From crime to health problems, you need to be aware of some simple safety measures to make sure you leave without problems, and have a great positive experience. Your first step should be avoid taking purses unless necessary. There are so many people in a small area that taking a purse is rather foolish. This can encourage the purse snatchers who are able to blend into the crowd easily. Instead, take just a small wallet that fits into your front pocket and limit the amount of cash you carry on you. Additionally, make sure you leave most of your credit cards at home, or in the hotel. Limit the amount of personal information you are bringing with you as well to reduce the risks. Always carefully check out the weather during the car show as well. In addition to this information find out if the show is inside or outside and make appropriate clothing choices. If the weather is scheduled to be in the 80's do not wear thick pants, heavy shirts and a huge winter parka. This is just asking for trouble and can leave you having a heat stroke. You need clothing that is appropriate based upon the weather, rather than based upon what you think the weather will be. This may mean wearing layers of clothing to ensure that you do not get cold, or overheat. You should also ensure that you find out if there will be drinks and food available at the car show. Not all car shows have food and drinks and it is very important to ensure that you stay hydrated and do not lose all of your energy. Allowing yourself to become dehydrated is a huge problem and can leave you with no energy, or worse you could pass out. Neither situation is a good idea and with plenty of drinks is avoidable. If the car show does not have drinks there, make sure you bring plenty with you. You should bring a cellular phone with you as well. At a bare minimum, bring some change for the telephone. Without these items, you could be stranded in the event of an emergency with no way to call for help. Having a working phone ensures that when a problem occurs you can quickly call for help and ensure that you will be able to reach someone. It is also useful in the event that you need to contact someone and ask for a ride, or just try to get in touch with anyone else. Your final consideration should be shoes. It is not a wise decision to swear huge high heels to a car show. The terrain is usually a bit uneven and the ground is usually grassy or rocky. This can spell disaster in the wrong shoes. Wear something that is comfortable and secure that you will not easily lose. You should also ensure that you have something that is weather appropriate, for example no sandals in the winter. Planning ahead will keep you safe during all of the car shows you attend. Should You Take an Unfinished Car to a Show? Have you ever wondered exactly why someone would take a car that is unfinished to a car show? Often the goal is not so much to win a prize, but rather to show off a car that is in progress. This is especially common for the exotic and rare cars that are not always easily seen at car shows. Many people pull out their cars at least once they have completed the bodywork but before the interior and the painting have been done. You may wonder why this occurs, and you may be wondering if you should pull out your uncompleted car as well. Generally, most people pull out their works in progress when they are not interested in an award. They are simply interested in showing off their car and letting people see what it looks like during the restoration process. There are times when people who are attending car shows have no clue at all what it takes for a car to be restored and presentable during the car shows. Seeing a car that is in progress is often a great experience for people and can allow them to see that creating the masterpieces that are generally on display is not really a simple task as they may believe. Most people do not realize just how much time, effort, money or labor goes into restoring an old car. Some cars obviously take more work than others do but all cars will need at least a small amount of work done to restore them to original condition or better. There are some people who pull out their unfinished car for the car shows and then work on them a bit at the show. This is a great way to see first hand what part of the process involves. Granted it is only a very small portion of the overall process but it is a wonderful learning experience. If you are considering pulling out your partially completed car, you need to ensure that you talk to the organizers and ensure that they will have no problems with it. Some organizations are not allowed to have partially completed cars on the lot depending on the event insurance that they have in place. Checking with the organizers first will ensure that you avoid all potential problems before the show itself. If you do bring your uncompleted car, it is a wise decision to avoid doing any work on the engine during the show. It would be very easy to lose engine components that you need and with large crowds of people missing parts can become a huge problem quickly if something is accidently kicked away from the car or otherwise lost. Always ensure that you are working on something that is quite simple, additionally, if you are working on your car during the show you should be ready to answer plenty of questions that people have. Most people who attend a car show are going to be thoroughly interested in asking you a ton of questions about what you are doing and why. This is normal and often having a bit of information already in mind can help you to answer the questions you get without having to stop and think of each answer. If you take some time and carefully plan some activities, it can be a great way to help educate people stopping by your car. One consideration is if you offer a specific car service, you should work on that while at the show. For example, if you offer car detailing then you should consider working on detailing the car during the show. This would allow perspective customers to see what you are capable of doing and the quality of your work all at once. Making sure you have some business cards to hand out is another good move that can help make you memorable. Just ensure if you are advertising a business or service that you are offering that you present yourself as a professional during the show. Should You Buy a Car at a Car Show? So you woke up and decided to attend the car show that was scheduled for the weekend. You walk in and start looking at all of the gorgeous cars that are present. You suddenly are hit by the urge to own one yourself. You happen to spot a particularly gorgeous car that looks simply stunning and just joke with the owner and ask if they would sell. They actually answer with a price they would like. What are you ever supposed to do? Part of you hoped they would say no to selling, and part of you is jumping up and down inside thrilled at the idea of buying the magnificent car. But is this truly a wise decision to make? Is buying a car from a car show really a wise investment? Should you walk away and calm down, or should you pull out your checkbook immediately? Your inner child is probably screaming to buy the car, but do you even know what the car is worth? You should avoid buying a car at a car show unless you have had some time to carefully shop around and see how much the vehicle that you are interested in would be worth. If you already have extensive knowledge about cars this may not be as large of a task, but for those who have no experience with these magnificent cars it can be a large amount of homework. Additionally, during a car show the owner is not going to have much time to discuss specifics of the car with you. This is simply the result of having so many people around their car that they are watching. They most certainly do not want someone to cause damage to the car, and they definitely do not want someone to mess with the engine. While they may be talking to you about the car, they are probably only half-paying attention. Additionally, during a car show you are unable to take the vehicle on a test drive simply because most car shows are not designed to allow the cars to move once they have been parked in their assigned place. In addition, there are typically large groups of people at car shows that make it dangerous trying to drive through the crowds and can really create some harsh problems if you are not careful. If you truly find a car that you are madly in love with and determined to buy, and find an owner who is serious about selling you should ask for the sale price of the car, and also the owners contact information. Tell them that you will be in touch after the show. This will allow you to calm down and think rationally, as well as the opportunity to do a bit of research on the price the car is worth compared to what the owner is asking. Typically, you should wait at least a day or two after the car show before contacting the buyer so you have ample time to do research. Once you meet up with the buyer you should take the car for a test drive and look over it very closely. Also ask about the engine and transmission. Many cars that are in shows are not original parts; they are often custom created cars that pull parts from various other cars to create what is before your eyes. If you are fine with this then it is perfectly acceptable, but you should be well aware of it before you buy the car. Other considerations are the overall condition of the vehicle, and the age. You should possibly take another day or two to consider the purchase once you have taken a test drive. Remember, this is a car; it is not a CD or even a television that is fairly cheap. These vehicles are very expensive and the maintenance and repair costs can also be quite large. If you take the time to do some careful research and make a good decision about purchasing the car after the show it can be a great experience. Just avoid buying the car during the show unless you are absolutely certain that the car is spectacular and the deal is incredible. Reasons to Attend Car Shows There are numerous reasons to attend car shows and even more car shows than there are reasons each year. If you are interested in attending a car show it is a very good idea to determine what you have in mind before you start looking for a show to attend so that you can ensure find the right show for your needs, but with a bit of research you can find the right show. Think about what type of car you enjoy. At a car show you can easily get your fill of that style of car. There are from dozens to hundreds of cars at each show and you have ample opportunities to see these gorgeous beauties. If you love antiques then there are shows geared specifically to antiques and all of the other car types as well. There is no reason at all why you should go to any car shows that you do not enjoy; there are plenty that will offer the types of cars you are interested in. Hot rods, street rods, antiques, Ferraris, Lamborghinis and so much more await you. It does not matter what type of car you are interested in, there is at least one car show a year that specializes in your interest. This is a great place to find car clubs that are in your area of interest as well. In addition, you get the benefit of seeing all of the incredible work that has been done on the cars as well. If you are interested in learning about cars, you can find a lot of great educational opportunities at car shows. Most of the vehicle owners are more than happy to talk about their vehicle and what they have done to it with visitors. This can allow you to gather plenty of ideas and learn as much as possible. Additionally, it can be a good source of tips and suggestions on how to do some of the work that your car needs to have done if you are working on a car. Some people find that visiting a good car show is very inspiring to them in working on a car of their own. Even if they did not own a car before the show, a lot of people are busy buying a car after the show. This can be a great hobby, and since most cars that are maintained and restored properly resell for good prices, it can be a great investment as well. Car shows are also a great place to make some connections. There are some companies and vendors that set up and offer incredible discounts and deals off their products when you buy at the car shows. This combined with the people you meet can make it possible to save a lot of money when you are working on a car the next time. While their services may not suit your needs for a while, you may come across a time when that contact can be very helpful. If you are trying to join a car club that requires a sponsor to join, then finding a good car show will help you to locate some members to talk to. Obviously, they are going to want to meet you and see your own vehicle before they are willing to sponsor you but it makes the perfect opportunity to introduce yourself and your car. Ensure if this is your goal that your car always looks the best possible before you arrive though. Many families enjoy going to car shows because it is a great activity that is typically held outdoors and allows most people some great quality bonding time. Instead of being held to our normal routines, we are forced to break free and look at all of the beautiful cars. This can be a great activity for a family, especially on the weekends when families tend to go separate ways because of other busy life activities. Quick and Easy Detailing Tips for Car Shows Ensuring that your car is in tip top shape before the judge's come around is sometimes a stressful task but with some quick and easy tips, you can ensure that your car is looking forever gorgeous for the judges no matter how many people have had their hands on it. Remember, you need to ensure that your car was thoroughly detail cleaned before the show to make it the easiest possible. Check those windows; they are so quick to get dirty if there are many people around. Just breathing in the wrong weather can leave your windows with streaks or other bad marks that can pull down the overall appearance of your car. Always ensure you keep some soft cloths and good window cleaner in the car. This will ensure that those windows are sparkling when the judges roll around. Remember, clean windows set a good overall impression for the vehicle. Spot shine the chrome on the car. This is a place where you usually start seeing smudges pretty quickly. A cloth and some good chrome cleaner will ensure that your chrome stays as shiny as possible. You should easily be able to see your reflection in it, and ensure that there is no rust on the chrome either. This is a small detail that can make a huge impression. If you ignore the smaller details, they will likely think you ignore the large ones as well. Tires are another critical area, you may not realize it but tons of mud caked up in the wheel well and on your tires themselves can give your car a bad look. Clean those tires as soon as you park at the show to ensure that they are perfect looking. This will generally only need to be done once, which if done immediately upon arriving frees your time for other tasks. Avoid eating in the car before the show, and especially during the show. Eating in general tends to leave some tiny crumbs all around the house and is a huge pain in the butt and hassle. Keep the food out of the car and you will not have to worry about crumbs or food stains giving your car a bad impression. Once again, it is the small details that can make a huge impression on the judges. You may also want to take a few brief moments upon arriving and quickly touch up any dull spots in the wax. This will help to ensure that the entire car is well waxed and shiny. You may also want to pull out a small portable vacuum and spot clean the upholstery just to ensure that there is no dirt or debris anywhere. A good car will make a marvelous impression and just following these tiny steps will put your car at the top of the list. Additionally, avoid the temptation to load up the trunk with lots of stuff. Regardless of whether it is trinkets or tools you should never load up your trunk at the car show when you are showing. The judges may want to see how your trunk looks, and if it is full of stuff, they will not be able to get a good look at the condition. Keep it clean and items in the trunk to a bare minimum to ensure the best results possible once the judges get to you. Prizes, Awards and Ribbons Most car shows offer prizes to the owners of cars that they feel are truly exceptional but the range of prizes tends to vary heavily depending on the particular car show that you attend. Some are generous and offer huge prizes to those that win top placement in the different categories, while others are only able to afford a single ribbon to give to the winners. Where the car show you are considering attending falls in the spectrum often depends on the size of the organization that is in charge of the car show. The really great clubs are well known for giving prizes that are quite large to those who win major at the car shows. The packages can include things such as ribbons, trophies, and even plaques. Many places also give prizes that include gifts and sometimes even cash. The prizes that are given tend to vary greatly, however most of the time at local and regional shows the prizes are small while at the national and international level the prizes are much greater. Most car shows will announce if they are going to be giving away prizes to the winners of the show. This can allow you to pick out, which shows you are interested in attending if you have a choice of multiple shows. There are also some car shows that just make the prizes a surprise and will not release ahead of time what they are. If you are mostly interested in the opinions of your car, and are not concerned with winning at the present time then the exact prizes that are offered are not usually important. The majority of the time you should be able to follow the rule of thumb that large car shows are going to have much better prizes. Small car shows are generally unable to afford the large prizes and typically have much more than a ribbon or small trophy for the winner. If this is acceptable for you, then you can gain a lot of experience by participating in the smaller car shows before working your way up to the larger and more advanced shows. Participating in numerous car shows is a great way to gain some useful showing experience and also a good way to meet some of the people that can be very helpful to you if you decide to embark on a showing career for your car. Most people decide to only show their car on occasion as a hobby, but there are times when people have a very successful car and can win enough money and prizes from car shows to make it a very fulfilling career. Deciding exactly which car shows to attend is often about the prizes but not always. If you do not care about prizes then not worrying about the prizes is a great way to remove the stress from car shows and instead thoroughly enjoy all of the fun and experiencing that you are able to gain. Enjoying a great car show is lots of fun, and if you are lucky enough to win a prize then it is even better. Never participate in any show that you disagree with if you are unhappy with the prizes that are given. You have enough shows to choose from that you are sure to find something that will make you very happy and help you see what you can do to really enjoy the car shows the most. Planning the Ultimate Car Show Car shows are always fun events and often they are also considered fabulous family events as well. Ensuring that you plan the ultimate car show is not always easy, but with a basic strategy in effect first you can usually make the process much easier and have the best car show around. Always take the time to start planning in advance because without plenty of advance planning you are going to be rushed and stressed trying to organize the entire event. Some of the first things you need to do is find a good location for holding the car show. You are going to need to consider how many cars you think will be attending. In addition, you need to try to determine exactly how many people you think will visit the car show. These figures are essential to helping you determine the exact size that you need the car show grounds to be. It is important to remember that if you do not find a large enough location you are going to have people overcrowded, and also have the problem of possible injuries because people cannot move about freely. Finding a good location is not always easy, but typically if you look towards large parks they can be some of the best options that you have as well as very affordable to rent for the day or the weekend of your car show. At the same time that you are looking for a location that is large enough you need to ensure that there is ample parking available. If you do not have plenty of parking, you are going to have issues with people having nowhere to park and it can ultimate hurt your attendance numbers. However, you do not need a parking lot for all of the cars; a large grassy field can also serve for parking if necessary. In addition to the parking and the overall large enough location, you also need to ensure that there are plenty of bathrooms located all around the car show. Without enough bathrooms, your event will suffer. Ensuring that you have plenty may mean that you need to have bathrooms brought in but this is generally a very affordable expense if it is necessary. Your other important consideration should be food for the car show. If you know that you are unable to coordinate all of your food needs for the car show as well, it may be a wise decision to contact some local restaurants to arrange for them to provide the food for the car show. If you are able to do this you can generally provide a greater range of food for visitors and also help to keep costs down since there is plenty of competition. With a bit of planning ahead and some careful attention to the small details you can be amazed at just how well the entire planning process can go. Careful attention to even the smallest details will show people that you are looking forward to a fabulous event and are quite excited to share it with them. Never discount the importance of planning ahead as it gives plenty of time for problems and other emergencies to appear that need to be handled. A great car show is like a fine art, the more practice you have at organizing them the better they will be with some time and a source of great contacts. People love door prizes as well. Look and try to arrange for some door prizes that you can arrange to give away at the fair. People always love prizes so the more you have to give away, the more excited people are going to be from the moment they walk into the doors of the car show. Look to some businesses to donate some prizes so that you are not having to pay for them out of the funds to plan the car show. Making Connections at Car Shows What is the point of attending a car show? Is it merely to look at the beautiful cars or can you make some business contacts there? If you own a business that specializes in various aspects of vehicles and especially specialty cars you could very well be looking at a gold mine in terms of potential business. So how do you really go out and make some connections at the car shows? Many people who are looking at car shows as ways to make connections always ensure that they arrive looking good. This does not mean you need to break out the suit and tie but you at least need to look nice and presentable. This could be something as simple as a polo shirt or button up and a pair of slacks or nice jeans. You should not show up wearing cut off jeans and a tank top. You should always make sure you bring along some business cards with you to hand out to prospects. Car shows are full of people there with actual cars so this is where you should typically focus your time if possible. These are the people you know you could help in some form or another. People just walking around the car show may or may not have a car that you could help them with. Save your time to make the most impact possible by working with the people with cars. One idea that you should explore is consider having some coupons printed. This could be something as simplistic as printing them on the back of a business card. If you already have a large supply of business cards consider having a stamp made that has coupon information on it, this would allow you to put a stamp on a few business cards and still get your message across. This can be a much more affordable rate and still help you to ensure that you are able to catch people's attention with a good deal. Additionally, you should always ensure that you are in a good mood. There is nobody at the car show interested in talking to someone that is in a bad mood. You should ensure that you are cheerful and optimistic when you approach people to help encourage them to talk to you. If you are cranky or in a bad mood they are not going to want to talk to you, and will likely tune you out. It is very important to understand that as a rule you are not going to get business from everyone that you approach. You are usually looking at a 10% return; this means if you are giving away 100 coupons, you can expect to get back 10 of them from customers. The other 90 will generally be thrown away. Keep your expectations realistic when you are trying to determine how effective your efforts have been. Your last consideration is do you really have something that car show people are going to be interested in? If you are selling vinyl siding for example they are not likely to care what you have to offer. However, if you have a detail shop, upholstery shop, glass shop or something similar you are likely to get some business if you take the time to plan ahead. A bit of preplanning could result in some nice sales and very loyal customers. Kids and Car Shows Have you considered taking your children with you to a car show but not sure how they will act? Many parents are concerned about the behavior of children but with some careful instructions and careful guidance there is no reason at all why children cannot be a part of car shows. In fact, taking children to car shows can be a great way to encourage children to enjoy working on cars and also help teach them lots about the inner workings of cars as well. Parents who carefully explain proper behavior to their children are much more likely to enjoy a positive experience at the car shows. Parents who do not teach their children proper behavior skills are not likely to have an enjoyable or even positive experience. Children in general are very curious, if they take the time to carefully consider their behavior and work to teach their children how to behave in crowds and importantly towards the vehicles at the show you may be surprised at how well it goes. You need to understand that if you are taking small children the best place for them is in a stroller. This will help prevent them from getting hurt or damaging a vehicle and also helps to ensure that they are not badly worn out trying to walk around the entire show. Additionally, a good stroller will also give them a place to take a quick nap when they get really tired. Trying to take a small child without a stroller could turn into a nightmare quickly especially since children tend to get very heavy, quite quickly. You should also think ahead to snacks and drinks for your child. If you know the car show will have plenty of drinks and snacks you may not need to take many, but you should still take a couple of things. Without anything, you could have a complete meltdown on your hands if your child is overly hungry while waiting on food from a vendor. Having a small pack of crackers in your pocket can give your child something to snack on while you wait on the food that you order and ensure that they are kept occupied rather than pitching a tantrum if they are hungry. You should carefully teach your children that it is unacceptable to touch things that are not theirs. This is especially important when it comes to the cars. Without this lesson, you may find your child running around and touching all of the vehicles, which can potentially cause damage to them. While not all touching can cause damage, your child may not realize that hitting a prize car with a rock is unacceptable. The owner of the car will not find it cute, nor adorable and you are likely to be forced to pay for the damages. Teaching your child not to touch what belongs to others is much cheaper. You should also ensure that your child is dressed appropriately for the car show. While dressing appropriately as an adult is important, it is even more important for children. Adults have a much easier time regulating body temperature than children do, so dressing your child appropriately is a wise decision. Most often, you may discover that it is necessary to dress your child in layers to ensure that you can keep them at the appropriate temperature. Taking the time to take your child with you to a car show is a great way to bond and with the appropriate planning in place it can be a lot of fun. Just always be sure you supervise your child closely to ensure that they stay safe and that the vehicles around them are safe as well and you are sure to enjoy your experience. How to Plan a Car Show There are numerous ways to plan a car show, but creating a car show that is memorable and encourages a lot of people to attend can sometimes be tricky. There are some tips and suggestions that can help you ensure that you are planning the best car show possible to encourage the most people to attend and check out the cars. Start with the cars. If you are looking at pulling cars from numerous car clubs, start sending out flyers announcing your show at least 2 months in advance. Many car clubs organize activities and you want to ensure that they know about your show far enough in advance that they can tell members. Additionally, you want to ensure that you are telling numerous car shows, most members will not bring their cars so telling 5-10 car clubs is not a bad idea if you have room for a huge turnout of cars. Bathrooms, bathrooms and do not forget the bathrooms. Many people do not plan properly and organize a great car show, but forget the bathrooms! Most people are not comfortable walking far away from their car so you need plenty of bathrooms spread out across the entire show to ensure that there are not huge lines and that those bringing their beloved car are not forced to walk 10 miles to the nearest bathroom. You may have to have bathrooms brought in if the location is not designed well for bathrooms initially. Food and drinks are also essential components. You can choose to do this several ways. You can rent out space to local restaurants and charge them a space rental fee and allow them to supply food and beverages to visitors and guests or you could provide the food and beverages yourself. However, be aware that if you attempt to provide the food and beverages yourself you are adding a huge list of things to do. Your best option may be letting the professionals rent some space and provide the food. Most restaurants that would be interested already have the equipment they would need to use at the car show as well, which once again makes your job much easier. Bring some form of entertainment, even if you are just bringing a stereo system and tons of speakers try to ensure that there is an area for people to have some music, chairs, tables and so forth. This in addition to maybe some games and face painting for the kids will allow everyone to have a great time. Additionally, if you can afford it you might want to spring for a live band. You can usually find a great band at a cheap price especially if they think they are going to get lots of exposure and you allow them to sell their own CD's and shirts at the car show. If you are organizing your car show during the heat, ensure that you have some shade. You may need to pull out some tents or canopies for this, but it is essential to help avoid heat strokes and other medical problems. Additionally, try to avoid having car shows in the dead of winter unless you are having the show in an inside area. You do not want visitors to freeze anymore than you want a heatstroke. Your final considerations should be with those who are bringing cars. How are you going to ensure that they can easily get in and out of the show? You need security for the cars as well so ensuring you have staff that are knowledgeable about where each car goes and can help ensure that they are safe is a very wise idea. Realize if the people bringing the cars are upset, they are going to give your event a bad name and talk. This can severely hurt your attendance in the future if you try to make the event an annual occurrence. However, with some careful planning you can ensure that everyone is happy and the car show is a raving success. Helping Your Car Stand Out at the Next Show If you are interested in really helping your car stand out well at the next car show that you enter, there are some things that you can do to help really ensure that your car is presenting the best image possible. There are likely to be dozens if not hundreds of others cars present, so you need to ensure that your car puts forth the best wheel possible in order to really make a good impression on the judges. Taking a car that is not properly prepared will usually leave you walking away empty handed, no matter how good your car normally looks or how unique it is. Your first step should always be cleaning the outside of the car. This includes all crevices on all places around the car. Do not forget about cleaning the wheel wells, tires, door handles, window seals, license plate and all other places that can get dirty. Even if it looks clean, clean it again just to ensure that it looks good. Once you have finished the exterior of the car you can start moving inside. It is a good idea to do a good detail cleaning on the car before you go to the show. This includes cleaning out all of the air vents, seat belts, window seals on the inside, dash gauges, switches and anything else that is visible and viewable. You should also pay extra close attention to the pedals, door handles, window handles, and upholstery. If the upholstery can be cleaned sufficiently using a vacuum cleaner then it is a faster process but also be sure to shampoo any stubborn stains. You should also take the time to use protectant wipes on all of the vinyl or leather inside the vehicle to ensure that it is protected and shiny so it looks good. If you have any wooden accents, ensure that they are also protected and shiny as well. Wash the windows several times thoroughly both inside and outside. You need to ensure that there are no spots, streaks or smudges. Anything that looks dirty should be cleaned again, and even after the first time you clean them it is wise to clean it again just to ensure that there is no dirt or debris left on the windshield. You should also carefully pay attention to all mirrors and any chrome that is on the vehicle and ensure that everything is shiny and looks like new. The tired should also be cleaned as well, but you may need do to a brief touchup on the tires once you arrive at the car show. You should always ensure you bring the supplies to clean the tires while you are there, rather than just cleaning the tires before the show. If the tires are not dirty on the way, then you can possibly omit cleaning at the show, but always ensure that at least the sides of the tires are perfectly clean and there is no dirt or debris. Your final steps should be ensuring that the car is waxed and polished before the show. This can then be touched up if necessary at the show itself but makes the paint job on the car really pop and look quite impressive. Having a clean car that is not waxed can be a bit of a disappointment for the judges so taking the extra time to wax the car is a great extra step that can score major points with the judges when they make their rounds. Overall, your car should always give off a car powerful, clean and stately impression at the car shows. Unless you are taking a car that you are working on as a work in progress for demonstration purposes you should never take a car that is dirty or in pieces. Only taking beautiful, clean, shiny and completed cars is one of the best ways to ensure that the judge's notice all of your hard work, rather than the dirt on your vehicle. Fun Activities for Car Shows If you are planning a car show or if you are planning on going to a car show you are probably wondering about some of the fun activities that are available there for entertainment. Of course, not everyone who goes to a car show enjoys the cars, so there are always plenty of other activities just in case so that it can be a fun event for the entire family. Your first main activity that usually draws people is of course the cars themselves. It is usually a good idea to have at least a few categories that you can award prizes on, such as best overall car, and any other categories that you can think of. This is usually a great way to really have some fun for the people who own the cars at least. Plus many of the visitors to the car show tend to enjoy watching the award process. There are often some other activities such as dancing and singing as well. Most car shows will offer some entertainment that can allow you something fun to do. While the music may not always be live there will usually be something that you can listen to and dance to. If you are more of a closet danger you can usually just sit and enjoy watching others dance as well. Other fun activities can include face painting for the kids, and even contests for door prizes and raffles. The types of prizes that are offered tend to vary from each car show, but there are generally tons of prizes that are available. While most people thoroughly enjoy attending the car show, there are also some aspects that can allow you to really branch out their love of cars. One of the best aspects is of course being able to look at all of the incredible cars. There are so many cars from different eras and of course there are plenty of cars that are great sources of inspiration for those who are interested in restoring their own car. There are some car clubs who organize car shows and car races at the same time. Deciding what your favorite part of the car show is can depend heavily upon your own personality. If you are looking for a great weekend then going to a car show is a great idea. Finding something for everyone to enjoy is usually possible and you are almost guaranteed that you will have a fabulous weekend. Taking the entire family out to a car show is a lot of fun, and can be a great way to allow your family and children to learn to enjoy your love of cars. There are always plenty of car shows around that you can enjoy and see and with a bit of planning you may be able to squeeze in more than a single show in a week as well. Look to car shows as a great family activity and you are sure to thoroughly enjoy the time you are able to spend with your family. Let the kids have their faces painted, sign up for the door prizes and even take the time to admire all of the gorgeous cars that are on display. You may even discover that aside from all of the incredible cars that are at the car shows, you may decide that you want to start working on a car of your very own. Going to a car show can be a great source of inspiration at times, and if you family enjoys the car shows with you, then it makes the perfect activity for an entire family to work on. So enjoy your time at the car show and have plenty of fun sharing your experience with your family. You can even look around at the car show as a great way to become inspired if you are already working on a particular car since there is no reason at all that you cannot use some of the ideas that you gather at the car show for inspiration. Finding Your Perfect Car Show Deciding which type of car show thrills you the most is not always easy, after all there are so many and your options are so large that it is sometimes quite easy to be confused and lose track of which are which, and what you like, as well as which you dislike. The easiest thing to do generally is to determine which type of car you are most interested in, this then helps you to narrow down the field. Some of the most popular car shows are the antique car shows, and also the street rod and hot rods. These are all different and feature different types of cars. Everyone who enjoys one type is not always thrilled and fond of the others. If you enjoy and appreciate the finer things in cars and really enjoy looking at the gorgeous cars of yesterday then the antique shows may be perfect for you. If however, you really enjoy the idea of looking at cars that are created with the idea of racing you may find that this is not your style to look at antique cars. For those who love speed and racing the street rods and even the hot rod shows tend to be a much better solution and offer a much more fun experience. There are generally plenty of shows in both categories and seeing the different cars can be quite thrilling and exciting. In addition, there are also car shows that are geared towards specific models. This is typically most common in higher end cars, but is sometimes done for lower models as well. If you are interested in a particular model such as Ferraris there is nothing better than going to a Ferrari show and being surrounded. Once you have determined the type of car show that you are interested in you can start looking around. If you find a car show that you are unsure about, call and ask the event coordinators what types of cars will be present. Generally, you should be able to gather enough information before the show that you can avoid those that are not of interest to you, and instead focus on those shows that you do find interesting. Feel free to ask questions, and you are going to have a better time. You may discover that if you subscribe to a magazine that specializes in the type of car that you are interested in you have a much easier time locating the shows that interest you. Most street rod magazines for example are not going to list car shows for trucks or even antique cars. The process of elimination is usually heavily used and typically, only car shows applicable to the magazine are published and advertised to help make it easy for people to find exactly what they are looking for. There are some newsletters that you can sign up for as well. These newsletters typically publish the dates and locations for various types of car shows all around the country and even tend to list a few international shows in case people are interested. While the number of shows that are listed tends to vary depending on the style of the car, it can be a great source of information and make it much easier than having to search all around to find the car that you are most interested in. Finding the Antique Car Show of Your Dreams If you are looking for a great antique car show you are certainly not alone and there are dozens of shows each year that are ready and waiting to satisfy your craving for gorgeous old cars. There are car shows in almost all locations around the world that focus on older cars and this is the perfect opportunity to get your fill of these beautiful cars. But how do you really locate the show that you are interested in? There are plenty of great car shows that are available and with some tips and suggestions, you are sure to find the show of your dreams. Start looking on the internet. There are thousands of shows listed on the internet and with some decent research skills, you can move past the hot rod and street shows and are merely left with the antique car shows. If you are determined to really put forth a good effort, you can typically find a show for each weekend for a year or more. Finding the car show online can allow you to easily narrow the search down to just your particular area, and it can also allow you to search for shows that are only in a particular area you choose or during a particular time of year that you specify. Another option that you have is looking in the antique car magazines. There are always shows going on, and the antique car magazines are typically only going to list the antique car shows that are going on. Additionally, many of the magazines are able to usually offer these lists broken down by both month and region in which they are held. This can help you to easily organize several trips at the same time, rather than cross referencing information to even schedule a single trip. One of your other options is to check with the antique car clubs that are in your area. Many of the members are likely to participate in these shows so they generally know exactly when the shows are, where they are located and plenty of other useful information. Always look for the clubs that are particularly specializing in antiques in order to get the best results. If you call just a general car club, they may not be able to help you with antique car shows since most of their information will be lumped together by date, rather than type of car featured. Look at your local newspapers as well as city calendar to help you as well. Often these resources will list car shows that are coming up and are great sources of new car shows. The good news about these is they are usually in your local region as well, but the options that are listed tend to be very limited this way because there is almost nothing that will be listed in different regions or even states. The options will be much smaller, and additionally they are not generally announced as far in advance using these methods. This can make planning in advance a bit of a hassle particularly if you are trying to organize numerous car shows for the same weekend, or fill up an entire summer with tons of antique car shows. If you have a membership in a car club yourself look to your monthly newsletter to give you a bit of information. These newsletters typically list all car shows that are coming up in the near future and will only list basic information but generally give you the information several months in advance. This can allow plenty of time to plan out the trip if you need to travel and can be a huge timesaver. Your last option is to ask around at each car show that you attend. Most car shows are going to know about other shows that are around the same time. Asking some questions of the organizers or even looking for a program of the car show will generally be a great way to help locate the next great antique car show that you are interested in attending without having to do hours of research. Celebrating Fabulous Cars in Style Have you ever wondered exactly why many people organize and participate in car shows? After all, it seems that the only purpose is to walk around and look at car after car that is restored or in the process of being restored. How much fun can it possibly be? If you have ever attended a car show you know that they can be an incredible opportunity to view some incredible pieces of machinery that have been restored. Many people also enjoy attending car shows to see some of the different cars that are entered and highly enjoy walking around and seeing how the different cars vary. It can be a great source of inspiration for many people who are either working on a car, or dream about working on a car. Of course, there are also those who merely enjoy admiring the gorgeous cars and never have any plans on building their own. Regardless of whether you own a car or not, going to see a good car show can be a great experience. The people who own cars that are submitted have spent often hundreds of hours working on creating the perfect masterpiece that is designed to be a proud representative of the style that the car once had in its original life. Of course, some people also take the car and turn it into a custom piece of art with numerous modifications that make it hard to recognize the original vehicle. Most car shows also have competitions where someone will be responsible for judging all of the cars that are entered to determine which are the best looking, most unique, and best restored for example. To many whom own a restored car there is nothing better than winning a prize saying that others agree that their car is the best. Some of the prizes involve money or ribbons and others are just a certificate. For most owners of the winning car they simply want the recognition. There are different types of car shows that are organized as well. There are some that are designed for the upscale car lover. These tend to be semi-formal events with people dressing up and pulling out only their best clothes to attend. Many of these types of events do not involve children, or at least very few children. The other style tends to be very laid back with most people wearing comfortable clothes such as jeans and t-shirts and bringing their entire family along. The choice of which type of car show is best suited to your tastes depends on your own personality but there are plenty of options available no matter which style you prefer. Many people enjoy car shows so much that they travel all around the country and even the world to find a car show that they are interested in seeing. This is a great way to spend some quality time with your family and enjoy looking at the gorgeous cars at the same time. If you have a car to enter, it is an amazing experience that can be a lot of fun. Many people who attend car shows are able to gather numerous opinions about different things they can do with their car. Additionally most owners walk away with at least one offer from someone to buy their car as well. This can be a great time to show off your pride and joy and see just how much others appreciate your hard work as well. After all, everyone is looking for acceptance and finding out that people love your car when they are surrounded by dozens and hundreds of gorgeous cars is an incredible feeling. As you can imagine a car show is about so much more than simply looking at the cars. Making contacts, viewing the gorgeous cars and meeting new people are all just some of the great aspects that await you at a car show and besides being able to see all of the gorgeous cars well maintained and in their perfect condition is such a true thrill. Car Shows for Newest Models If the idea of car shows to you brings to mine a huge field with dozens or even hundreds of old and antique cars spread around you may decide that this simply is not something that you are interested in. But did you know that there are also car shows that the car manufacturers hold to show off the newest makes and models they are releasing to the general public? Theses shows are spectacular with a few cars of each design that is being featured located strategically around the showroom. Most people are not able to actually drive the new car, but they can certainly get a good up close look at the car and see exactly how it will look when it is released on the market for everyone to purchase. These events are sometimes open to the general public and other times they are limited to only those who are invited to the event. Typically, if the event is by invitation only the company sponsoring the event will invite a few news stations, as well as some of the car critics to come see what their newest car looks like. This can sometimes be a very exciting adventure, and there are times when they will give away tickets for admission so that others can attend as well. These car shows tend to differ a bit from most car shows that you are used to, most car shows have vehicles of multiple models and makes all around the fair grounds, however at these car shows there is not as much diversity that you can see. Of course if you have any questions about the newest cars this makes the greatest place to be to ask about the new models. There are always plenty of staff people on hand that can answer your questions about the newest model for you without any problems. If you are looking for these car shows, you generally have to work hard to find out exactly when they are located. Most car manufacturers do not readily announce the show to everyone. They do however still tell some of the major car lots that sell their vehicles and also let some of the new stations know when and where the show is. This allows everyone the opportunity to find out when they can attend if they are interested. It is important to realize that these car shows are vastly different from other car shows, there are not multiple old cars around, and there is also strict security at these events. Many of these events also have dress codes of what is considered appropriate to wear. Ensure that you ask about all requirements before you travel to the event to ensure that you are fully prepared when you arrive. Depending on the location of the car show you may need to arrange for a hotel room, it is very important if you need to book a hotel room that you do this in advance rather than waiting until the day of the show to attempt at booking your room. While there may not be tons of cars to see at these special car shows, they are often a great experience and it is an amazing treat being able to see all of the newest cars before they officially roll into the car lots for the public to see themselves. Being able to see these special cars in advance is a rare treat that many people enjoy. It is something that you can arrange if you know where to check ahead of time, but just showing up at the car show the day of the show will generally not help you get inside. If you plan your trip ahead carefully, you can have a lot of fun. Of course taking some pictures of the car show can be a great way to remember the special car show that you have attended and makes a great souvenir that you can always treasure. Once you have successfully gotten into one car show you will likely find it is much easier to get into future car shows. Car Shows and Insurance Most people have no idea just how dangerous the idea of taking a car to a car show without insurance can be. Have you ever imagined what would happen if there was something that went wrong and there were was no insurance protection in the event that the paint was scratched, the doors dented, or even the glass broken in a window? It is best to ensure that you have plenty of insurance that will cover your needs. This may mean having additional coverage over the standard insurance that most people have on their vehicles. You should always ensure that you purchase enough coverage to cover the vehicle regardless of what occurs. This means that you need to carefully look over your policy that you currently have. Many policies have limitations and restrictions on what they will pay, and have lifetime limits on the policy. You need to be well aware of this before you go to the car show. Take the opportunity to really carefully study all of the information in the policy to determine where your coverage is lacking. You may be able to modify your existing policy or you may need to purchase a supplemental policy to fill in the gaps. Regardless of which method you choose to take, you need to ensure that the entire amount of the vehicle is covered. Many people make the mistake of only insuring a portion of their vehicle. You must realize that when you are dealing with car show worthy cars they are almost always valued at much greater than standard resell rates would cover. You may discover after a problem occurs that your insurance will only cover a percentage of the vehicle. This is a nightmare to discover. Always talk to your insurance agent and ensure that you have enough coverage that will pay the appropriate amount in the event of damage. You certainly do not want to be caught off guard if your car sustains substantial scratches at the car show to discover that your car can only receive a maximum of $1,000 in insurance money. You also need to discuss with your insurance agent if your vehicle needs to have an inspection to document the physical condition. This is often important on very expensive policies or full coverage insurance. You want to ensure that all damage is paid for, rather than the insurance company possibly claiming that damage was pre-existing. If you shop around you should be able to cover your car for only a few hundred dollars a month, which compared to the cars that can cost as much as several hundreds of thousands of dollars is only a fraction of the cost. Choosing good insurance coverage will ensure that you are able to enjoy your vehicle all of the time, rather than being forced to pay for repairs out of pocket after a car show. Remember, it is important to have adequate protection for your car before the car show, rather than waiting until after your car has already been damaged some how. Most people have much more coverage than they ever need on their prized cars, but it is worth the additional money for the piece of mind that you have knowing that your treasured car will be repaired if a problem occurs. Another option that you have is discuss with the event sponsors whether they will be providing insurance to the people showing their cars. Some do offer insurance; however most do not provide coverage. Car Show Basics Have you ever wondered what the point of a car show is? After all, what could possibly be so much fun about accumulating so many cars in a single area? Most people do not realize, but car shows are about so much more than simply lining up a bunch of beautiful cars for people to admire. There are typically contests that are involved in the shows as well with awards handed out in several categories including Best Overall, and often Best Restoration and other similar categories. For those who are bringing cars to the show, it is a chance to show off the handiwork that they have put into the car, and also a chance to see how others feel about their work. Of course, some people are lucky and walk away from almost every show they enter with a prize, but generally this does not happen. Most people put months and even years of work into a car before they leave a show with a prize. This can translate into thousands of dollars worth of work often. Dog shows are for dog lovers, and car shows are the equivalent but based around cars. Because of this the competition can sometimes be quite stiff, but in general terms they are still a ton of fun to watch. There is hardly ever a time when someone is unable to find something to do at a car show that does not interest them. From the dozens to hundreds of cars that are entered there are only a small handful that will leave with a prize or a place as one of the top cars. The fun of looking around and seeing who wins, combined with seeing the beautiful cars, and also participating in some of the other activities that are going on make it a great way to spend the weekend. There are many people who spend all of their weekends looking around for a car show to attend. Not everyone who is dedicated to attending car shows actually have cars. Some of the people who enjoy car shows the most do not have a car, and may not even have an interested in getting a car that would be able to enter the car show. Deciding if you are interested in attending the car show is often dependent on your personality but realizing that there is much more to the car show than simply walking the rows and rows of cars is often enough to catch many people's interest. While car shows are not always considered a sport, they often help to foster great sportsmanship amongst competitors and can be a great way to share experiences and learn plenty about cars. If you are interested in getting involved in the car shows then sometimes attending a few shows before you enter can be a great way to learn as much as possible about what the judges are typically looking for so that you can improve your vehicle to improve your overall chances of walking away as a winner. Just think in a single location there are so many gorgeous cars that are all beautifully restored and you can spend all of the time you want looking and dreaming about each one. There are so many people to meet as well that you can have a lot of fun and you may discover that car shows are your favorite weekend activity that you never knew about.
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