WOW!!! MOTD5 was my first and it was awesome. Even the wife, who only went because I promised to go to Ashville to tour the Biltmore house was impressed. Any day a car thing impresses a 60 something woman is a good day.

Anyway, one of the reasons I went to the dragon was to see all the variations of the MINI and I did see a lot. I guess the thing I didn't like was that most of the time they were moving and I wanted to see them close up.

So here is the idea for next year for your consideration and if it is worthy to suggest to the organizers.

Friday the JCW cars got together for a group picture and while they were organizing I realized that in many car events there is a show and tell event where all the cars are put on display so that you can go around and just look.
Why not the MINIS?
I would have enjoyed seeing all the owners that are proud of their baby, put them on display and then let people walk around, look and ask questions to their hearts content. Listen to that special exhaust or CAI intake or see those bling items under the bonnett or under the car. Check out those interior accessory items, tires, wheels, brakes. You get the picture!!
Is there anyone else that might want to see the same thing?
Please leave a yes or no comment,

 

I like the idea, but the hard part is determining who is "in" the show and who isn't... because everybody loves their own MINI, and most of us think that there's at least one "special" thing about ours that is unique in some way.

I think a better idea would be to have a standard spec sheet of some kind that people could type on and print out (or fill out by hand) and stick in the rear side windows, which listed any mods or special comments. It would also include the NAM handle on there, so that people might be able to locate them via 2-way radio while still at MOTD, or afterwards on NAM if not.

As for the Friday gathering, I need to correct you - that was specifically a GP gathering, not just any JCW cars. 14 or 15 of them, if I'm correct.

 

Well I wasn't thinking of limiting anyone, just show your car if you want. All babies are beautiful I wouldn't keep anyone out but I do think that you could class the cars by color ( is there any other way? ) and then have the people who stop by to look select their favorite by color and a best of show ;then post it at the Saturday dinner, prize for best of show? My point is if this idea has merit, can we figure out how to do it.

As for Friday GP cars, I just happened by when they were taking the pic and didn't realize the distinction of JCW / GP although if I owned one that no doubt would have been obvious. Thanks to NAM and all the other people who made MOTD5 a great success.

 

Interesting idea, multiple shows, separated by color. It would help to have people focus on the other differences and not be "blinded" by their color preferences!

Regarding the GP... if you aren't familiar with them: very limited edition, only 2,000 made worldwide, released as the final "hurrah" for the R53 before the R56 came out. The most horsepower of any production MINI (even today), and some weight reduction over a standard R53, including removal of the rear seats!

VERY nice to drive, but limited in features/options... in the name of weight reduction!

Think: the MINI version of the BMW CSL cars.

 

A car show off is in the works. I doubt the classes would be separated by color. Anyone should be able to enter their car.

 

A car show is a great idea! Unofficially it happens already, so why not make it an event!

 

Initially, this sounds like a good idea...

A. Where could we do it where everyone (cuz there's no way to restrict this, in all fairness) could gather? I don't know the actual count, but there was an estimation of 450 cars. Next year it could be more. If the vendors are in the 2 parking lots near the Ad. Center, where would we put 'em?

B. It means I'd have to wash and detail my car.

 

It could be in the same place the panorama picture took place;at the bottom of the Fontana dam

 

Or, it could be on the baseball field. The field wasn't even full when we had the movie...I'd imagine a lot more cars could fit. Then, it would be close by the vendors and everyone else, as well as nearby the carwash venue.

 

This is where I would want it held. Close to Fontana and big enough for all who would want to be a part of it.

 

I think an endless series of small shows is the best idea. That way, everyone gets to show and not worry about schedule conflicts for either showing or attending.

 

I am down for a show. and woudl volunteer to help out,

Rule #1 a mod is anything that did not come from the factory when your car left there. Wether it be OEM or not. For example my 02 bumpers on a 05 car, and cooper side vents on a cooper s. That is 2 mods right there.

 

I don't want anyone left out either so lets make this work. I thought of the color classes so that even a stock guy can show baby. The idea of having the show at the dam is OK except for the problem we had during the picture session this year and that was (1) they had not mowed the grass till it was too tall and we were then in a hay field and (2) the cop driving up and down the road saying in a not very nice manner " get off the road". In actual fact I only saw 2 cars there that was not a MINI EXCEPT for the cop and a TVA pickup. After all, we had received permission from TVA for that event.

Another idea is that the show could be divided into several days like Wednesday through Friday so that all the cars don't have to be in one spot at one time. That way I could show on one day and look on the others.
We could still do the voting for best of class and show on 3x5 cards and turn in for a tally. Multiple day show would by necessity have different classes on different days.

Other thoughts, if we charged a small entry fee like $5 then we probably could offer a best of class or show award at the closing dinner as per my earlier post.. As for the color class idea, I just couldn't think of any other way to do it and make it user friendly. Not based on the amount of money spent on the car as in lots of mods!

Putting my money where my mouth is I would be happy to help organize this thing if it is something people want.

Lets do this project!

 

The problem with voting like that is that it turns into a popularity contest like in high school (i.e. the one with the most friends there to vote for them wins!). It's ok for people's choice obviously, but you need to go with a set group of non-biased judges for the classes.

 

A club is already looking into putting on the car show. If for some reason they don't seem to be making progress on it by the Fall then I would suggest some other people, such as Ozark & Vdubdoug, step up and put it together.

For now let's let the club that stepped up try and get it rolling. Keep posting suggestions here though so they know what the people want.

 

Trophies. Hats/tshirts don't do it for me.

Also, don't run it all day. Limit it to 4 or 5 hours. Start letting the show cars in at like 9am, judging starts at 11am, awards by 2pm. That gives plenty of time for people to look and chat, and leaves more time for driving!

 

What would you suggest to give to the Winner?

I totaly agree with limiting the Show times. I have judged a few shows and people always complain that they could not get ready in time.

MAKE THE PARTICIPANTS STICK TO THE GUIDELINES

And yes Driving time is key!!!!!!!


once again if the club that is setting this up wants some one to help judge, put car's in classes or anything at all. I would be glad to help

P.s. no judging friends cars! and how about a quick judging seminar the night before the show to discuss how all cars will be judged.

 

This sounds like fun, but there should be catagories to break things up a bit. 400+ MINIs all at once might be a bit much to take in. Colors was a good idea, then there could be best in color and best in "show". Or you can do it by year? Or type of car? Prizes could be given by popular vote. Just an idea.

 

Some nice little trophy (not a hat or a shirt) for color/class/show that can be shown off at later shows. A gift certificate to go with it to the vendor tents or a vendor website could be an option.

I like the best in color idea after a second thought on it to divide them up. You'll really be splitting hairs with (example) '04 cooper stock and '04 cooper mod, as far as which class someone goes it. Mine was a stockest looking there, but I've got alot of suspension and performance mods on it, but someone else could have a bone stock cooper with a full vinyl body wrap on it. Separting by color will make it easier to class the cars (jetblack only, silver only, custom color only)

Or another more complex idea, '04 cooper "stock", '04 cooper "style", class and '04 cooper "tuner" class. Stock being no vinyls and no mods. Style class with any vinyl you want, and tuner being thouse that focued on performace. What does everyone think?

 

I don't think there should be a "stock" class, at all. What's the point of entering a stock car? We have to be careful not to have too many classes, or it will take forever for the judging to happen.

However I really do like the idea of color separation, if only because it forces the judges to focus on other details. The color of a car is such a subjective preference... but if the judges are all comparing 5 or 6 "red MINIs", then it allows them to focus on the finer details between them.

After the "color winners" are decided, I agree that a "best in show" face-off could ensue. We'd have one of each color in it, so it would be interesting, to say the least.

Judging by performance is difficult too. Without having the judges get out there and drive the cars, how do you compare? Even if you use a dyno to measure engine output, that's only one factor... and a dyno shoot-out can be a separate contest, like it was this year.

Most if not all of the judges doing this are going to have at least "some idea" of performance mods on vehicles, and they can consider those mods to be a factor in the overall points... but if the cars are going to be stationary, then style is going to be the main factor, I think.

 

Matt,

That would be a great idea, except the Dam("n") Police was a real horse's *** when we did the picture. He threatened to give people tickets for standing on the road. He said the road is for cars only.

 

As fas the stock car, someone mentioned earlier that you car is judged on it's cleanliness, so that's why i threw it out there. You also wouldn't need a class for each year and model ('02 cooper, '04 cooper s). What would be better would be "generation 1 cooper, generation 1 cooper s, generation 1 convertible, etc, etc". Something along those lines.

What I meant by tuner class was those cars that were built performance minded. No dyno or test drive needed. A previous show I went to had a "tuner transformation" class and they were judged not only on the cleanliness of the car, but what was done to it. One guy ripped the motor out and dropped a twin turbo in it for a sleeper camaro or something (can't remember), and another transformed his car in a race car with full roll cage and adjustable suspension, etc (like way's race car).

I'm just throwing the ideas out there to get the juices flowing.

I do like the color class idea alot, and then a best in show shootout between the color class winners. How many differnet colors are there though?

 

I like the idea of a car show, and judging, but I'll throw out one 'warning'.

A true 'concours' competition, in which a car is judged by it being original and very clean/perfect is kindof against the MINI spirit, in my mind. Having been in the Alfa Romeo and then BMW communities, I've seen these kinds of events, where people are scared to drive their cars, detail them with q-tips, and then the judges go over them with a white glove looking for dirt, etc.
While this is okay, I guess, our cars are pretty new, and this gets very tedious.. Maybe do this for the classic Minis if there is interest.

I would, instead, go for a few classes like:

Theme (let people decorate their cars)
Tuner (not necessarily the most power, but the best 'look'.)
?? (there must be another option)

And then subdivide between cabrio and coupe, plus separate categories for Classics.

Note that the tuner class wouldn't be for the actual fastest car, just the one that strikes the best 'look' overall. Paint/bodykit/wheels/graphics/suspension/interior, etc.

My .02, anyway.

 

LOTS of colors... if you count just the OEM colors. Then there are the non-OEM colors... like MLE and Tori and others... Even if you separated by OEM colors only, then a "Custom paint" class, that's still a LOT of classes.

 

I'm thinking over 20 colors? If you did colors that would have to be the only category. You couldn't do blue cooper, cooper s, cooper convertible cooper s convertible. That's 4 class for each color almost, so you'd have to combine all the different minis into one with another for custom.

I like what yellowminis said as well and make the third category dirtbag filthy!

I really don't see anyway to do this without having at least 20+ classes.