go to show or stay home???

[72kool]

ok so i need your guys (and gals if out there) opinion! down here in nebraska we have an annual big weekend car show in mid july. a couple car shows, concerts,bbq's,drag racing and all out cruising town all weekend. my family and friends tell me i should enter my pickup into the big show but i dont feel she is nice enough to be with the others. what do you think? she is a 1972 gmc c20 with 64000 original miles and 98% completely original (there is an aftermarket in-dash stereo in it now)

[jocko]

go and have fun! You'll probably be surprised how many folks stop by to talk to you about your truck. If everyone had a Riddler Award, car shows would be boring.

[knsmodels]

As long as all you are looking for is good conversation, good comraderie, a great parking spot for the show and a good ol fun time.....then I say go for it......

[GASoline71]

My old heap gets entered into 2 car shows every year. I don't ever plan on winning any trophys or anything... but the amount of people that stop to talk to me about my truck is pretty cool. Especially when lots of cats are interested in your old truck, and not the $40,000 dollar hot rod sitting right next to it.

Go and have fun!

Gary

[Mister-B]

I think you should take it. It'll be just the motivation you need to do some of the little things it has been needing, that'll make it that much better for a car show.

Here's what I'd do:

1. Wash the exterior, and use some Maquires cleaner wax. It'll make that red pop
2. Locate some old school hubcaps
3. Clean the engine bay
4. Clean out bed and cab
5. If you're feeling really ambitious, buy a new vinyl seat cover. I recently did mine, and I'd be happy to give you some instructions if you need it
6. Buy one of those dolls to prop up against your truck

I'm kidding about #6
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[tmc1986]

i think you should enter. there will be some chevy/GMC truck guys there for sure and will no doubt want to talk about your truck and ALL the potential it has. i see some seriously stupid cars get entered into shows all the time and your truck is far from stupid, its a real living classic. plus, you got an automatic in that thing. do a brake stand burnout on your way out of the show for people to remember your truck.

[GASoline71]

Originally Posted by Mister-B

I think you should take it. It'll be just the motivation you need to do some of the little things it has been needing, that'll make it that much better for a car show.

Here's what I'd do:

1. Wash the exterior, and use some Maquires cleaner wax. It'll make that red pop
2. Locate some old school hubcaps
3. Clean the engine bay
4. Clean out bed and cab
5. If you're feeling really ambitious, buy a new vinyl seat cover. I recently did mine, and I'd be happy to give you some instructions if you need it
6. Buy one of those dolls to prop up against your truck

I'm kidding about #6Posted via Mobile Device

In regards to #2... I have a set of original white hubcaps that came off my 1972 GMC 1500 Super Custom. I would be willing to loan them to the OP for the car show, until he finds some of his own. Then he could ship them back after the car show. My truck has the 5 lug 16" wheels... not 100% sure if they would fit the 8 luggers. I would sell them, but they might find their way back onto my truck one day. But for now they are just wall art. Whaddaya say OP?

#6... Those creepy lookin' dolls that are so cliche` at car shows need to be banned...

Gary

[72kool]

thanks for all the feedback!thanks for the ideas/tips GASoline71 ima try to find some hubcaps for it before the show but i deff. might take you up on your offer if i cant find some thatd be great. also where did you get your seat cover from
??? and any tips for cleaning the engine up??

[72kool]

btw the engine bay looks a lil different now then from the pic.ive run all new hoses and wires and switched to hdi distr. and some other new parts.but its still dirty

[GASoline71]

My seat cover was in my truck when I got it. It still does the job, but needs to be replaced. I ripped the entire front end off of my truck down to the frame rails. Rebuilt the engine and repainted EVERYTHING but the firewall and new aluminum radiator.

So to clean up an old engine bay will take some elbow grease and cleaner.

Let me know if you don't locate any hubcaps before the show. I will gladly ship you mine on loan. Hopefully someone like SSTim will show up and verify if 5 lug hubcaps will fit 8 lug wheels.

Gary

[mr48chev]

I'd go along with what Mister-B suggested right down to cleaning up the engine compartment but leave out the stupid doll. Those are usually only packed along by the 70 and up crowd because they make their wives feel like part of the event when they stick them out by the front bumper.

However, I wouldn't open the hood unless someone asks specifically to see under it. I've only been to one event in 40 years of talking my rigs to shows and probably 300 dash plaques in the drawer to show where my money went that required that the hood be open at the event because it was a judged event with judges packing ISCA judging sheets. Face it trucks just look better with the hood closed unless the engine is the main feature of the truck.

Scrub it up, polish it a bit and clean the inside and bed out and go have fun with the idea of having fun. Your truck is already going to look better than every stinking rat rod and patina truck there so that is a given. It's the same exact color combo as mine and makes mine look pretty ragged in comparison. Well mine is pretty ragged by comparison anyhow.

Anyhow go and have fun and enjoy the day and a great number of folks will enjoy seeing your truck and be glad that you took it out.

[brad_man_72]

Its always amazing to watch people walk right by $60,000 restored rides to check out my old junk. I generally try to hang with the unrestored, ratty rod guys, our crowd is always bigger than the crowd by the shiney cars. Go and have fun.
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[72kool]

any tips on good engine degreasers? i work in an automotive shop and have used some different kinds but nothing worked great.what have you guys had good luck with??

[72kool]

btw, id love some pics of your truck mr48chev ! dont see a whole lot of trucks like mine

[cubber]

i've used oven cleaner and had good luck. spray it on, let it sit a few minutes, brush, spray, let it soak, brush, rinse. Repeat as needed. You can get several cans of oven cleaner at any store for the price of one can of auto parts house degreaser, and it works just as well.

[72kool]

sorry i meant to ask you MisterB bout your seat cover.i didnt read very well haha.whered you get it from?

[Mister-B]

Originally Posted by 72kool

sorry i meant to ask you MisterB bout your seat cover.i didnt read very well haha.whered you get it from?

I got it from Brothers. It is their most basic seat cover. I think I paid about $150, and installed it myself. Buy yourself some good hog ring pliers. Brothers will send you a set of pliers with hog rings, but my pliers broke quickly.



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[low&slow]

I say go just to show pride in yourself for owning one of these ol' girls, not because your truck isn't all souped up and a 5k paint job.

If you still think your truck doesn't compete with them, it would look better than mine did at a car show. I towed mine in on a trailer. Not because its a trailer queen cause by all means its not, but because the truck doesn't run and looks way worse than your's.

[cdowns]

dont ever feel embaressed to show your vehicle// goin to show is fun and being in the show you dont have to walk so far to see stuff// you get to talk to a whole lot of people and sometimes get really great leads on stuff that you would miss out on


i was at a small show a number of years ago and got to talkin to a nice old guy, ended up getting a 2wd blazer and 3sets of bucket seats from him for a real cheap price of less than a thousand dollars/// had that blazer for my daily driver for 5-6years

[CC69Rat]

Go and have fun! Be proud of your truck regardless of what you think others may 'think' of it .. who cares. Clean it up good, back it in the spot right next to the expensive stuff. Car shows are about you and your car/truck and the swap meet, friends, etc.

If everyone had a shiney red 32 Ferd with $5k interior and Billets.. (??) How odd would that be. Its a nice truck man. Enjoy it.

[dads longhorn]

I think you should go to the show for sure! Unrestored survivors mostly originsl are getting harder to come by and need to be seen. Twice now I've taken dads longhorn to shows and ended up parking next to ferraris bright red. At first I thought I was way out of my league (I was in some respects) but I got so many folks stopping by who liked the truck because it hadn't been modified. Theyd say that's original isn't it! It brought back good memories for them too and that was something I could give back. Just clean polish and have fun, after all you're probably not showing at pebble beach anyway.
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[PanelDeland]

This car is a regular at the Local Cars and Coffee cruise.The guy also has a fully restored one.People are facinated by it and walk past Lambo's,Bently's and Pantera's to look it over.So I see no reason to not take your truck to a show you will enjoy.I take mine but don't enter to be judged.I compete with myself to constantly immprove what I have without trying to compete with the guys who build vehicles with a water cooled checkbook.In fact I really like when a home built ride outclasses them at a show.

BTW The side art says "Daily Planet" and the car is all Mini Cooper underneath including interior.

[biohazardbill]

I took my 67 to its first show yesterday even though I am not completely done with it, she got alot of attention, but no awards (knew i wasnt going to compete with the guys with 50k in their rides) Wife was surprised at all the folks who stopped and talked to me about the truck.

[Madtat]

I'd go for it! You have a nice clean stock looking daily drive truck that will set itself apart from the regular garage queens you see at every show. (Nothing against the garage queen brigade) but let's compair apples to apples. I bet you will get alot of positive comments on your truck. Maybe add something in the bed that makes a statement from where your from? If your from a rural area add old skool milk containers or farm implements or a hay bail to add a little to your display. A local here has and old '65 stepper "shop truck" with a fake cooling and heating sign on his doors and at a recent show he placed old rusty airconditioners in the bed and duct work as part of his display. He received alot of good feedback and made his trucks theme stand out.

[leddzepp]

Originally Posted by GASoline71

Hopefully someone like SSTim will show up and verify if 5 lug hubcaps will fit 8 lug wheels.

Gary

They won't unfortunately. 1/2 ton caps are approx. 10.5" in diameter, while 3/4 ton caps are 12" in diameter.