Thinking of giving it up (a bit of a rant)

the car show. the show car. the perfect car.

we all have our area of interest no doubt. I for one , enjoy looking at the perfect show car, especially if the owner actually did som e or all of the work. meeting fellow enthusiasts. making new friends. for some people, that "show car" is their dream, some have the fat wallet to buy one, some have the time, patience, skills to make theirs. some have none.

but I have to wonder why people want to spend tens of thousands of $$ to pay $25 to enter the car in a show to try and win a $5 plastic trophy. a contest sometimes judged by either unknowlegable or slightly dishonest "judge"?? i've seen it at the local level and the top concours stuff at the nats.

then the car show guy gets his ultimate, rare and most desirable car finished and to the shows. then he finds that is SOooooo boring. o K so he won a mantle full of $5 trophies. plenty of congrats. heard hundreds of stories had Joe's uncle's dad had bought one of those Hemi Valiants with the 4 carbs that could go 200 mph. so the show car guy then decides he wants a car to actually drive and enjoy. can't do it with his "perfect" show car, it won't be perfect anymore, and would never get that $50000 he has invested in it. besides the last show he got beat by the 2015 Challenger with the cool add ons! maybe time to move on??

then there i s the guy that cares not of show car competition, but has the renoun disease of "perfectitis"......every part, every bit of work has to be the best, ultimate, over build every thing!!!!! yet for years it occupies its rightful place in the garage, slowly getting perfect in every manner. a total money pit. but, by gosh when finished it will be perfect. never mind he will be too old to drive it when finally finished!??

I make these observations after 30 years in the hobby, just my opinions. BUT, I for one, and others no doubt, can get the case of "funk". feel burned out. hopleless in our struggle to restore a car to some degree, the costs of required tools, parts, finding parts., time for the work,,,,etc..... that is why it is so important to understand what we really want in our car. a driver.? a perfect driver?. a show car.? a show car that beats everyone.? a project to work on and build it to our standard, ??? whatever it might be???????

but in the end, no matter what the goal,,, it has to be FUN for each person, otherwise it is not a HOBBY??????