What's Wrong With Concours

[LeeH]

I did one PCA concours event many years ago and will never do it again. Let's see... I pay money to have a group of fellow club members stand around my car and say, "You missed a spot" repeatedly. I don't think so.

[the]

Originally Posted by Hugh R

I judge the Los Angeles and Palos Verdes concours almost every year. I judge mostly British sports cars. The biggest thing I see is overrestoration. Highly polished aluminum that wasn't done that way at the factory, or painted engine compartment when it was undercoated. People forget it's a competition like any other contest/sport. There is a lot to be said for original, but not everything has to be original/mint condition. To each his own.

"Overrestoring" is cheating, IMO.

Many of the finishes on older cars are hard to clean without changing the surface. For example, a 911 fan, fan shroud (on a 911 or 914), cad plated parts, etc. If you scrub these things with anything, you change and destroy the original appearance. Very hard to get it clean, AND original!

The cheap and easy way out - polish, paint and/or powdercoat the heck out of everything!

[mossguy]

Concours - I don't like the idea of starting with 100 points and everything is downhill from there. I think I would prefer to start at 0, and have all my efforts be regarded as plusses.

Tom

[cgarr]

GruppeB hates Concours, They escorted me to the door with sawzall in hand!

[Pazuzu]

Originally Posted by the

"Overrestoring" is cheating, IMO.

Many of the finishes on older cars are hard to clean without changing the surface. For example, a 911 fan, fan shroud (on a 911 or 914), cad plated parts, etc. If you scrub these things with anything, you change and destroy the original appearance. Very hard to get it clean, AND original!

The cheap and easy way out - polish, paint and/or powdercoat the heck out of everything!

That was my point...a zero mile, magically transported from the assembly line 911 would not score a 100 at a concours event...which kinda makes the whole idea laughable.

[RWebb]

I think it is valuable to see people research exactly what the factory did (and even better if they know why). And I enjoy seeing concours cars.

But I have two issues - first, it is irritating to have some dweeb walk up to me and say so & so is not "correct." What he should say is that is not stock. usually, I have it that way b/c I WANT it that way - i.e. it weighs less or offers more performance, etc.

Second, I recently heard a guy find out his radio, which he considered (rightly) as very ugly, was "correct." He was overjoyed. He should not have been. If it is ugly or doesn't work well (and you drive your car) then get rid of it and get something that does work well.

[WolfeMacleod]

The new episode of Top Gear has an excellent Concours segment...hilarity abounds.

[dtw]

Originally Posted by widebody911

Um, yeah....

(pic of track rat snipped)

Yeah...but what about that Ghia? Will you show that around, even at some wash'n'shine type events?

[MBAtarga]

Originally Posted by Pazuzu

I wonder what a 1973 911E that was picked off directly off the end of the assembly line and dropped down into a concours event would score (dropped from a very low height, obviously)

I heard that the above "factory fresh" car was about 8 hrs of cleaning from being a Concours winner.

[Jeff Higgins]

Concours strikes me as being somewhat more prone to attracting the "check writing" set than other automotive hobbies. Guys who know more about the monetary value of their car and its predicted appreciation than they do about its historical value and enthusiast appreciation. It's easier for this set to show their friends an obviously very nice, very expensive car and have them ogle it and heap praise upon it (even if they have no clue what it is) than it is for, say, the racer or track nut to show off his his car and have anyone appreciate it.

I do respect the DIY concours guys. I have to think, however, that their numbers represent a smaller percentage of their population than the track crowd. Granted, we have guys who know more about oil futures than where to check it on their own car, but they are in the minority. Anybody who spends much time at the track eventually has to learn to do more than clean it; they need to spin wrenches unless they can hire some one to bring along to do it for them.

[Dottore]

I've heard it said that there are men who'll pay good money at a whorehouse just to talk to the girls.

[rusnak]

There is an annual Concours event here that attracts the more ah, unsophisticated type of car owner. I love to go to this one, and other around inland central Calif. because most of the guys are DIY car restorers. This one guy has an imaculate Speedster, Convertible D, and a few others. He helped restore my friend's 356 GT. He taught himself how to lead fill the door gaps. Amazing stuff. Turns out his garage is completely converted to a restoration shop with FACTORY PORSCHE tools, including a restored hydraulic press.

I really enjoy concours events, but no way would I ever want to enter one. I value balance in my life, and could never go the OCD route (PP BBS aside).

[Aurel]

Originally Posted by Dottore

I've heard it said that there are men who'll pay good money at a whorehouse just to talk to the girls.

Hey, rich guys usually know how to save money. It may be cheaper to talk to a whore than to a $200/h shrink (and easier on the eyes too...) .

Aurel