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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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

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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.

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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. 

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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These third-party ad servers or ad networks use technology to the advertisements and links that appear on www.carshowbasics.blogspot.com send directly to your browsers. They automatically receive your IP address when this occurs. Other technologies ( such as cookies, JavaScript, or Web Beacons ) may also be used by the third-party ad networks to measure the effectiveness of their advertisements and / or to personalize the advertising content that you see.

www.carshowbasics.blogspot.com has no access to or control over these cookies that are used by third-party advertisers.

You should consult the respective privacy policies of these third-party ad servers for more detailed information on their practices as well as for instructions about how to opt-out of certain practices. www.carshowbasics.blogspot.com's privacy policy does not apply to, and we cannot control the activities of, such other advertisers or web sites.

If you wish to disable cookies, you may do so through your individual browser options. More detailed information about cookie management with specific web browsers can be found at the browsers' respective websites.

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We Pledge Our Sacred Honor to Defend from All Enemies Foreign and Domestic This 1987 Buick Century

Besides the inexplicable Sisters of Mercy soundtrack, this video by the Michigan-based "Hutaree" militia—recently indicted on sedition, yes, sedition charges—is notable for what apparently constituted their primary assault vehicle: a late-'80s A-body Buick. No word on whether this car was among the tens of thousands assembled at the General Motors factory in Oshawa, Ontario, in, well, you know, Canada.

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Unsprung Weight and A-Pillars as Thick as My Thighs = Indie?

Is it just me, or does the presence of the phrase "indie cred" in a Camaro advertisement signify the precise opposite of indie cred? Where's the dipshit who wrote this? Come here so I can slap you!

Things that are stupid about the new Camaro:

1. Gigantic wheels with tiny brakes
2. Curb weight: 3780 lbs.
3. You can't see out of it
4. Cartoonishly updates lame Mustang knee-jerk rip-off first-generation design when it's the second-gen F-body that was truly inspired and iconic
5. It's a Camaro

AOR looks. Heavy Metal Parking Lot cred.

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What's the Difference Between a Porsche and a Porcupine?

One of them has the pricks on the outside.

As Mike Brady once sagely observed, sometimes a cliche becomes a cliche because it's true.

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Pimping Eichmann's Ride: A Better Idea

So yesterday I suggested that the Mercedes 540K that once belonged to Adolf Eichmann might be more deserving of the crusher than an award on some golf course lawn somewhere.

I've had a change of heart, though. It's occurred to me that there exists a better solution, one that would appease the automotive collector scum world and the ethically bequalmed alike. I'm keeping the Mercedes, only—for what gives the concours crowd a bigger boner than a custom-coachbuilt one-off?—I'm commissioning a rebody. Think James Glickenhaus with a moral imperative.

Who then to reimagine this iconic Mercedes in a way that pays solemn tribute to its checkered history? Pininfarina, Bertone, Ital Design? The dude who drew that goofy Mantide car?

No, no—I'm aiming higher. I'm thinking serious design-world cachet. Somebody with both celebrity star-power and a hard-earned reputation for giving physical form to humanity's darkest and most hideous impulses. Chris Bangle? You're getting warmer, but not quite. The reveal after the jump!


Daniel Libeskind! He's already shopped up an initial concept for me. See you at Pebble Beach!

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"Architect of the Holocaust" Adolf Eichmann's 540K Takes Best of Show at Amelia Island

Eichmann himself was sadly unable to attend, but thousands of adoring fans were on hand to celebrate his legacy, many of them gaily dressed in colorful period clothing. "I am truly thrilled to present this award," said 2010 Amelia Island Concours d'Elegance Honorary Chairman Joseph Goebbels, "recognizing a triumph of German engineering the likes of which the world may never see again."

Seriously, rich people? If I had the money I'd buy this thing and hire one of those monster-truck dinosaurs to turn it into the world's most expensive Holocaust memorial. Is it so hard to find something other than former Nazi baubles to cream your silk shorts over? Jesus.

2010 Amelia Island Best in Show Winners

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What Would Dov Charney Drive?

Seriously, what else would he drive? I wonder if whichever moustachioed would-be Guccione who picked this shot for American Apparel's in-store signage—Dov himself?—had any idea how perfectly, and I mean perfectly, appropriate his choice of this Mondial would be. By all accounts quite pleasant drivers, but I don't care: for me this will never not be the douchiest Ferrari of all time ever.

Click on the pic for a better look at the sock equivalent of Michelin TRXs

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Spotted: 944 Dragon's Wing Edition

A photo sent to my phone the other day by Rochester's finest bartender and unofficial moral compass, Herman Gatto. It's been a long time coming, but I think we can surmise from this that 1984's Best Handling Car in America may have finally reached the bottom of its depreciation curve. Time to go shopping!

Click on the pic for a closer look

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Evidence That God Is Listening, Or Just GM?

Yesterday afternoon, in the automotive corporate transaction equivalent of Franco Harris' Immaculate Reception or Kirk Gibson's walk-off homer, General Motors announced that it had reached an agreement to sell Saab to Spyker. Spyker!

That's cool. What's more than cool, what goes so far beyond cool as to be straight up breathtakingly inspirational, is what has happened in the month since a handful of foolhardy believers braved the elements to convene in the shadow of the Renaissance Center, as on successive weekends people around the world took up the cause in what participants diplomatically termed "support convoys." Thousands—literally thousands—of Saab enthusiasts, in virtually every corner of the globe, turned out with the sole aim of demonstrating to all players involved—sellers, buyers, government backers—that people cared, and that a deal to save Saab was one worth making.

It seems cute, doesn't it? Maybe a little trite? Then you look at the lists of places and numbers and scroll through the photos and you begin to get a sense what was actually happening. And then it just starts to seem kind of incredible.

Echoing a general tone of mocking derision among readers, the last comment posted to Jalopnik's story on the initial Saab rally asked, "I wonder how many Pontiacs would have showed up if they had a chance to save it? My guess, hundreds more." My question for you, dumbass: How many Pontiacs actually did?

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Report from Detroit: We Bear Witness

To be awake and outdoors at four-thirty in the morning in Rochester, New York, in January, is kinda like being at the bottom of the ocean. Once familiar notions like "light" and "warmth" are like distant rumors, intimations from past lives, fuzzy radio signals, just beyond your grasp, not quite capable of penetrating the murky depths. Layered, coated, booted, gloved, I'm brushing the night's accumulated snow off the car, checking its vital fluids.

At the gas station there is one other vehicle besides mine, the only other vehicle on the road: a plow. I fill up, zero out the trip odometer, calculate my mileage from the last tank. 12.87? What? Once or twice in the year I've owned it I've dipped below twenty, but just barely. I scroll through possibilities in my head, ignore the troubling ones, settle on the idea that I must've filled up the tank half-way last time and not noticed. It's five a.m. and I'm westbound.

Nearing Buffalo I'm faced with a decision. An extra hour if I stay on I-90, or the hassle of border crossings and possible delays short-cutting through Canada? I go conservative. Slow and steady.

At some point I glance down to gauge my progress, and the answer to the mileage mystery reveals itself. The trip odometer still reads zero, the main still stuck on the 194,899 it read at the gas station. Sonofabitch. If you've ever shopped an old Saab you know that about three quarters of them have odometers that stopped functioning at some point, but I'm still disappointed. The car had 180,000 on it when I bought it. I was proud of the 15,000 miles we'd covered together—Chicago and back, Boston and back, North Carolina and back, twice, New York City and back more times than I can remember—and I was looking forward to the 200,000 milestone, maybe even doing something special to celebrate, a bottle of Champagne like when the Miata turned 100,000. Much as I still love that car, though, with the Saab and me there's something different. An unnamable sympathy. And just a couple weeks shy of my fortieth birthday, and even more loathe than usual to make any sort of plans for it, I completely understand. Forty years, two hundred thousand miles? Fuck it. I'm not counting any more either.

Not far past Buffalo the snow starts falling. Serious snow. Lake-effect, stick-to-the-ground, piling-up-between-lanes, seriously-compromised-visibility snow. I hear myself reassuring my mechanic, the real-life inspiration for the overbearing and hyperprotective "Saab Nazi" of Seinfeld fame no less, that my snow tires were good for another season, and I hear him berating me—"Don't fuck around, Peter!"—and I see myself in the garage a couple months later, looking the snows over and deciding, you know what, crap, the tread's pretty shallow after all, maybe I'm better off just sticking with the high-performance all-seasons I got this summer, just for this winter, you know. Fuck. Lesser vehicles spinning off onto the shoulders all around me, buried past the sills in snow, hopelessly stuck. Gently, now. Every input gradual, deliberate. Slow and steady.

Hours pass. Stop to eat outside of Erie and the snow is so deep that cars are getting bogged down in intersections. A while later the unpleasant discovery that the Ohio roads budget apparently doesn't cover salt. Even the parallel lines of tire tracks are covered in the white stuff. Thick slush. The driven wheels feel like Arctic icebreakers now as forward progress slows to 40, 35, 30 mph. Audi Quattros sail past in the left lane, followed by Escapes and Escalades. The SUVs will be passed again in due time, idling in the median to stay warm, awaiting rescue. The Saab soldiers on, impervious, dutiful.

Entering Cleveland the road improves, and on the other side the weather does too. I'm able to make up enough time that I'm only half an hour late rolling into Detroit, through downtown, under the Renaissance Center, and into the parking lot where, for the first and likely only time in my life, I am applauded for driving a 1988 Saab 900 Turbo SPG. Literally applauded. Pulling to a stop, I am instructed not to get out as the car is quickly surrounded by photographers kneeling and standing, guys with HD camcorders and microphones, flashbulbs and clicking shutters, people waving signs. Because? Well, because I'm a guy who just drove a 22-year-old Saab from Rochester, New York. Should this elicit some other reaction?



The funny thing is, I don't have much in common with most of the people here, as friendly and good-natured as they are. For one thing, all but one of them—a dude in a totally sweet four-door 900 beater—are driving GM-era Saabs, about which my opinions are already on the record.

And unlike some of them, I'm not petitioning my elected representatives to intervene on behalf of an insolvent car company. Kinda for the same reason I'm not praying to God that the Green Bay Packers beat Arizona this weekend. My senators and congressmen get enough shit from me about healthcare, stupid wars, and corporate criminals getting rich off the backs of the poor and middle class that you know what? I'm not going to bother them about something that ultimately doesn't affect anyone but a few thousand people who have the good fortune of living in fucking Sweden, where getting laid off from your job does not necessarily mean losing your home or dying of a curable but untreated illness because you can't afford to go to the doctor.

But I keep my mouth shut and my thoughts to myself, as someone secures a "Save Saab" placard to my windshield. Because at the end of the day, I am here, just like them. Not in the hopes that it will make a difference—it won't—or to express any sort of outrage or even indignation, particularly.

After all, if we're talking Shameful Episodes in General Motors history, what they've done to Saab probably doesn't even crack the top 100; in the context of American Corporate Malfeasance, it's gotta fall somewhere outside of, oh, the top ten thousand. But there's something symbolic about this that speaks to issues larger, I think, than the ones immediately at hand. You've got a wealthy, powerful, arrogant entity that decides it knows what's best for a tiny, modest, troubled entity, and carelessly imposes its will, consequences be damned; a decade or two worth of incompetence, neglect, and hubristic denial later, the former is bankrupt and the latter is in ruins. Huh. Remind you of anything?

There are those who would have us believe that terrorists, those all-purpose boogeymen of the 21st century, "hate our freedom." I disagree. I think it's the entire rest of the world that hates us, and I think it's less our freedom they hate than it is our arrogance and tendency to fuck shit up wherever we go. And here we have a perfect example: a giant American corporation—the giant American corporation—preparing to snuff out of existence no less of a national institution than itself, one from a country that never did anything to the world except give it some awesomely depressing movies and turn out a lot of well-designed furniture. Why, guys? Shouldn't we be giving the world fewer reasons to hate us, and not more? Isn't that what we're all about now, with our new and thoughtful president, the one who, by the way, bailed out your fucking asses with our fucking money, which is the only reason you still exist?

Of course, at this point, nothing is going to stop the General from doing what it's going to do. That's kill Saab, because selling it is too much hassle and ultimately GM just doesn't give a shit. Me spending a day driving through blizzards isn't going to change that, nor are any of the well-intentioned, sign-waving, GM-Saab-driving folks assembled in the shadow of GM's corporate headquarters on this cold, gray afternoon. But I'm glad they came, and I'm glad I did too. It may seem a small and inconsequential and even pathetic thing, but I think it's important that when the history books are written, the record will reflect that somebody—anybody—was there to say bullshit. This is wrong. We bear witness.

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Million SAAB March is Go!

The complete and utter futility of this—not to mention the fact that there are about a billion causes in the world more deserving of our outrage, and concomitant time and energy—strikes me as so ridiculous that I might just have to participate. No justice, no peace!

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