After a recent show 'n shine, I got in my car to leave and DANG...it stunk of stale cigarette smoke...yuck! It is obvious a "smoker" took a peek inside and exhaled. Maybe he was trying to send a message, but my guess is, he just did not know. I have even had to wipe off the fingerprints, adult size, from the paint and valve covers. I know the best way to curtail the problem would be to stand guard by my car, but I just love walking around looking at the other cars to do that. I know all of you have experienced the same thing and I have politely tried to inform those not in the know about car show etiquette, even if it is not my car.

I would like to hear some of your experiences and what you did to remedy the situation.


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Art Tabata

When we go to a show we pull "shifts" at the car for 2 reasons- (1) to allow the other person to wander (2) to be able to answer any questions abut our vehicle. Another thing that is helpful is to use the "please look but don't touch" signs (there is always someone who doesn't "get it" but it sure helps with kids-large and small)

I've had someone in mine twice and thats the last 2 times someone other than myself and who was with me going to the show set tail in my ride.

I've had quite a few wandering hands which I told 'em to lay off...they were cooperative.

The first time I let my ride alone I come back only to find a guy and his family in my truck pullin on the shifter (THANK GOD FOR LOKAR PUSH BUTTON SHIFTERS! LOL) When I got back to the car I politely told 'em to beat it....they didn't listen so I used physical force to open my door and pull the Adams family out 1 by 1. After Round 1 I let it go and kept a evil eye out, no wandering hands no butts parked in my ride that shouldn't be.

Last year at the last show I attended I had another butt parked in it that shouldn't have been in it. He gave me the lame excuse "Oh I saw it was for sale and was really interested in it"

PEOPLE..PEOPLE!! Do you have brains or is that head filled with water air or is it just dead on E!!!


Slammin
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Hold your ears folks...ITS SHOWTIME!!!

I was at a show where a father was taking a picture of his 4year old son sliding down my front fender like it was a playground slide. Yeah, I came unglued! Shortly after that I had just shut the engine off after getting back from a cruise and got out of the truck and walked away from it. I turned around to look at the truck and a woman was "feeling" how smooth my paint was while her husband was leaning on the car. Just as I got back to the car to ask them to get their hands off, their little boy grabbed right on to the header pipe and his hand stuck to it....it was real hot. I felt bad for the kid but didn't offer to help (enough others did) nor did I acknowledge that it was my car but if his parents had enough respect to keep their hands off of other people's stuff, their son probably would have too. I wanted to tell the parents that, but it didn't seem like the right time.

And there's always somebody standing on the running board to look inside.

I've found that it usually isn't another car guy that does that kind of stuff. Its just a local and his family that don't have a clue what it took to build the car and keep it looking decent. I would bet that their car hasn't been washed in a year or two and has dents on every corner.

I hate sitting there guarding my car all day so I guess once in a while I'll have to wipe finger prints and sticky ice cream off my car.

Since I also have open headers on my car, I've been scared to death of a little one grabbing on to them shortly after shutting down. In that regard, I usually stay with the car until it's deemed safe to touch 'cause sure as God makes the little green apples, someone will touch them and leave skin behind. So far, it's the public zero and me about 4!!!! For the last few days since doing some tuning and then putting my hand on the very hot headers to lean on and not thinking, I have been trying to work out some heat shields that won't look too funky but will cut down on personel damage from brain fade. I'm also considering selling the complete engine and everything attached to it and the drive line and starting over with a 4 holer.
A friend dabbles extensively in the "pinto" 2.3 engines that are not only very streetable but make very good smooth power and a Turbo T-Bird looks even better. Wire wheels would be in order also.
P.S. the Aloe Vera plant works very well on burns and if applied soon enough will prevent scaring. Fred P
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Fred P.

I usually stick close to the car for a while too but this is one time I was on a mission and just took off. I felt really bad for the kid but I can't take responsibility for his burns. He had to lean way over the fender to even reach the headers and his parents were right there with him setting examples....they just weren't touching the hot parts. I've got grandkids 5 and 7 and they wouldn't think of touching someone elses car at a show because they were taught not to. In fact the 7 yr old got on me a while back because I touched a buddy's car while we were discussing some body work. I was kind of proud of that.

Now if you can get car show "spectators" to take part in this thread, you'll get somewhere.

Unfortunately for us we've got a number of things conspiring against us.
1. Running boards were originally designed to be stepped on. (to assist in entry and egress from the vehicle)
2. Our cars are damn attractive.
3. Car Shows tend to be crowded. Lots of room when we park, but not once the area fills with spectators.
4. (The Big One)To the vast majority of the public cars are no different from their toasters and washing machines. (You can tell by the way they operate and store them)

The only sure defense is for the car to be "out-of-reach" or isolated from the crowd. That generally means staying away from shows or behind a fence of some sort.

Next comes guard duty, but we want to enjoy the show too!

Some odd methods I've seen work are;

Keep the car moving, whether you or someone else is driving, if it's not parked they cant "get it". (lots of work or lots of fun, depends on your attitude that day)

Dirt, worked for me once. I hit the show after a major road trip, the car was filthy, mud, bugs the works. Mothers wouldn't let their kids near the car! I relaxed, washed it for myself after the show. (This one could be hard on your ego)

Mike

At a local cruise night, standing in front of the car talking with friends, this woman walks up, opens the drivers side door and sits right down, looking around. I tapped my wife on the shoulder and pointed to the car. I told her, "it's your car, you handle it." Just then the woman got out of the car and walked away. My wife said, "she looks a little slow, I'm not going to say anything." 10 minute later she comes back with 3 other woman in tow and tells them, "Go ahead, get in, I did!" My wife told them, much more politly than I would have, "Please don't touch the car." Woman number 1 says, "this is a car show and we can get in them if we want!" Still staying cool, my wife explains it's not a car show it's a cruise night. She goes on to tell them either way, we put a lot of time and money in the cars, and we don't want them touched. This woman continued to argue with her. Finally my wife said, "Listen, if you want to sit in cars, go to a used car lot! But keep your hands off of mine, do you understand?"
This woman stood behind our car the entire rest of the night, telling everyone that came by, "See her? She's a b1tch! She won't let anyone touch her car!" Then her husband shows up, and she tells him. He comes over, I turn my hat around, thinking it's showtime. To my surprise, the guy tells us over and over how sorry he is. He said she does the same thing at every cruise night, even when he tells her not to.
That's one of many. I got a million of em!
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Charlie

I think we all have stories about this. Fortunately, I've been pretty lucky that people have been respectful. But two instances stick out in my mind. I was at a Labor Day car show with about 600 cars in attendance. I came back to my rod after looking over the other street rods to find an 18-20 year old kid sitting in my roadster. I walked over ready to ream his butt and after saying, "Excuse me," I could tell I was dealing with a young man with a mental disabiility. So I changed my tone, opened the door and said politely, "You can't sit in people's cars. Someone might get mad and call a policeman." "Oh, " he said, and went on his way. It must not have sunk in because half an hour later, a police officer was accompanying him off the grounds. The other instance was a hot header incident with a four-year-old. I warned him as he was about to touch a hot highboy style header. His mother heard me, too, but he had to see for himself. Lesson learned. Some only learn from the School of Hard Knocks.
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Lynn
'32 3W

It's rarely car people that do this. It's the spectators. It's just a fact of car show life. I've had lots of Kids standing on my running boards. But, with the kids, it's the parents fought. So, I usually approach it politley. I call the Kid over, and explain why we don't like it. If you can teach the younger generation about "car show manners", if might rub off, who knows. If you piss them off, they might have a lasting negative immage of hot rods.

With adults, I give one warning yell, and then, if that fails, the gloves come off. I don't need excuses, if someone opens my door, that's too far.

I don't stay that close to my truck during shows but I do have to Paint my running boards twice a year to keep them nice.....It does seem that alot of woman have to pet things---fenders I mean. I always thought my wife was part racoon because when she shops she has to feel everything---merchandise I mean...
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Grump

Great stuff guys. The car I bought doesn't have running boards on it. He took them off took them off because people kept standing on them. I was thinking about putting them on but.......... I also have rods to hold the doors open and it keeps people out.
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Mike J

Mike-
did you make the door prop rods or purchase them? I've been looking for a set.

Yep....the running boards are just an invite for small children to get up and look.

I use prop rods (made) on all my cars....it keeps the fingers off the doors as well of the cars without running boards and lets everyone see inside.

I have signs on both sides and usually we have a shift of guys that keep the kids off. Usually the adults are pretty good I have found....it's the parent with kids that you have to get out of your chair for.


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Steve Jack
SOUTHEASTERN GOODGUYS REP

They came with the car. The car has suicide doors. They have a dead bolt lock. So they used threadedrod with a 90 deg. bend on one end and a loop on the other to go over the deadbolt pin. The other end goes into a hole in the door. Then they wrapped the rod in the same material as the seats. Works pretty well.
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Mike J

I enjoy looking and I enjoy touching. We all do. It is instinctive. So, when I walk around a car show I keep my hands in my pockets. If I see something that interests me I try to find the owner. If no one is around, I come back later. Most owners are eager to show and tell. If I can strike up a conversation I usually make a friend or a contact and an opportunity to get up close and personal.
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An Old California Rodder
Hiding Out in the Ozarks

You all know the standard sign that says: "do not touch". I made the same sign that says:" Please Touch" and put it on a few cars at one of our cruise nights. It had the browsers asking if we were serious about wanting others to touch our nice cars! It did however keep the hands off!!! Alan
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1937 Chevrolet 2 door master deluxe sedan

1971 Cadillac Coupe Deville

1947 Cadillac 4 door series 62 sedan for sale

The worst problem is people stepping on my running boards. I now attempt to keep the doors open so they can look inside; however, people still insist on putting their feet on the boards. Last year some fool approached my car, laid his arm across the roof, rested his head on his arm, while at the same time lifting his foot with cowboy boots getting ready to plant them on my running board. I yelled some very choice words, in the voice of a Drill Instructor, and he removed himself from my car. He then started walking towards me saying I have no right talking to him in that tone of voice and language. As I stood up and looked down on him, several street rodders, none of whom I ever met until that day and saw what happened, ran up to the jerk and forceably removed him from the grounds. Afterwards, they told me they didn't want me to end up in jail because I would have put a good whipping on him. This same person had caused problems in the past. Here is another story I would like to pass on. At another show, a young boy around 12 years old or so, stopped to look at my car several times during the day. He wouldn't say much and just looked at the car. I noticed his Dad was parked closeby. At the end of the day, I was putting things away when this boy came over again, telling me I had a real nice car. I went over to his Dad and asked permission to give his son a ride in my car to which the Dad agreed. Unknown to the boy, I opened the car door and told him to get in. With a grin from ear to ear, he got in and I gave him a ride around the block. After the ride, his Dad commented that his son will never forget that afternoon.
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Lynn Stallbaumer

Sounds like you might have made a future street rodder out of that young man.
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Mike J

Lynn, glad to see you reaching out to the kids. Some of the best times I've ever had with my coupe was when I shared it with a youngster. When I'm at a show or cruise night, I carefully scope out the kids that display an interest in my car. I often ask them if they would like to sit in the coupe. There is nothing in the world like looking at their faces lit up like the sun as they sit in an honest to goodness hot rod. Sure makes my day as well as theirs. Besides, they aren't harder on my car than I am.
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Fred aka ZZFord or 33Highboy

Last Friday I was at a party down at the marina where we got the other family toy (its moreless pops...I like 4 wheels not 4 props but anyhoo) I took the truck and im glad I did, like a typical rodder I kept a eye out just as if I was at a show and every time I looked a 9 year old was sitting on the wood piling infront of where I parked shaking his head talking to himself. I for one thought the boy was looney but I soon went over only to find out the boy loved my truck, so I non chalantly went over and asked if he liked the truck, well the boys eyes got about as big as jupiter and he started rambling on how he loves the truck yadda yadda yadda so I just left it at that kept partying and around 1am went to the boat ready for bed. Got up at 5am (not by choice..trust me) looked out and the kid was on the same pole looking at the truck still. I asked if the poor soul went to bed or was that where he stayed all night. The boy got 3 hours of sleep and was back at it lookin at my ride. So I went to the boys parents and told them apparently he likes what I got and I was goin to 7-11 if he wanted to tag along he's more than welcomed. Mom and dad said yes the boy hauled you know what to the truck stood by the passengers door and waited for me to open it, I opened it we left I got out on the road busted it and chirped the tires I look over and the kids lovin every second of it. So we stop at a red light pull up next to a 5.SLOW and play, I let the 5 SLOW take off I hang at the light and just sit there and burn the tires off of it, the whole streets smoke filled we take off like a bat outta you know where pass the Stang and we made it back in 1 piece. This kid was so happy he wasn't out of the truck and his mouth was goin 210. I think he's hinting around that he wants another ride so I better get ready.

The best thing was I mentioned it was for sale, he asked how much I told him for him it'll be $15,000. He said well I got 20 on me...I made the joke of it that if he gives me 20 each month for 20 years its his.

True car nut in the making!

Slammin
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Hold your ears folks...ITS SHOWTIME!!!

I had a lady looking thru the window with a camera hung around her neck. and the stap broke, The camera fell on the runing boards.
I even told a father to help keep his kids off the car. His reply was. If you don't want anybody on your car then don't show it here.
At the Nats i had a lady laying in the front seat of my car when i got back from walking around. She was real hot and needed to lay down. I got one of the NSRA reps with the golf cart to take her to her husband which was across the grounds.

Rick
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awsum34

Remember the only dumb question is the one you don't ask.

If I didn't want people touching my car, I'd put stanchions and rope aroiund it. Since I don't have any room to carry them and I'm WAY too cheap to rent 'em, I just park the thing and head off to find whatever brought me to that parking spot in the first place. i.e. somebody with a spare beer, a trade stand that I need to see, the restroom, a food vendor, a fellow rodder, ,etc.

Idiots touching your car is a fact of life. You have to learn to deal with it.

idiots abusing your car are also a fact of life and you have to learn how to deal with them. My particular method(s) usually leaves the offender either really p'o'd or, in some cases, VERY sore. People who can't handle their kids usually wind up mad enough to call a cop (who usually winds up telling them, politely, that they're wrong). That's when I offer that they're lucky I'm not going to sue them now that the cop's got thjeir name and address.
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Early hemi s.m.e.
Street rod wiring consultant
Free lance rod & custom journalist

i`ve been at probably 1000`s of shows and the one thing i noticed is people with there keys attached to there belt and then in and then~scratch~..women with the designer jeans with snaps leaning against car for a picture...chain drive wallets...when i used to be in the monster truck shows they would always open the door or lean against the side to support themselves to look underneath..now i spend over 100 hours to get my vehicle ready and i`m not going to sit quietly by and watch this stuff go on..i `ve alwats spoke my mind and the car show is no exception..i have met so many rodders who are more then willing to let you sit in the car..check out the interior, start the engine..all people have to do is ask and if we can accomidate them then we will if not then explain why and hope that is enough..this is a sore subject with me..i know every car show that i have entered i was always yelling at someone..i have even had a couple of offers to fight....oh well thats my 2 cents worth.....pat