TSMC 27th Annual Car show - My views

[Black Hole]

For those of you who didn't go (or left early) I will just give you all some of the highlights from my prospective from the Tri-State Mustang Club 27th Annual Car show held at the Streets of West Chester this past Sunday.

- Surprisingly, there was a very good number of cars. I would say that there were 200+ cars, but I was surprised at how many 100% stock V-6 and GT cars there were. I can appreciate a 20 year old FOX with 30k on the ticker that looks as good as my 03 Cobra, but a 100% stock '96 V-6 just doesn't do it for me. I prefer to drive and race my cars, so my prospective is slanted from the get-go.

- Not one GT, GT-40, Cobra R (of any year that I saw), Lightning, SVT Focus or Contour.

- A Bunch of real and knock-off Shelby Cobra's that I drooled over.

- A few 69 Mach I's

- An Elenor clone

- Only a few "race" cars on hand, but the few that seemed to be "real race cars" and not "show race cars" didn't seem to be in the judged categories.

- Paul's Automotive had a good showing. I was impressed with their lineup and hope that they have the same showing at our Fall Cruise.

- MD had one of the Kenne Bell 05+ racers in their area.

- 9 SBZ cars showed up at the event and only 4 registered (there may have been a couple of others, but I didn't recognize their cars). 7 of us all parked in one row.

- Out of those 4 cars who did register, I believe I was the only vehicle sporting a SBZ decal. I also had my SBZ skull T-shirt on (which was dumb as hell in the sun and heat) so I was definitely the outcast (especially drinking a Miller Lite).

- Scott led us into the show and then just as he said he would do, he didn't register.....I wish I would have listened. (feel free to quote that Scott. )

- Awards were over an hour late. Their website said 4:30, a TSMC rep said 4:00, they didn't start until 5:30. Unorganized doesn't even come close to explaining it. The judges were no where to be found, the DJ had no answers, almost everyone had already left. At 5:15 finally a couple of guys walked through with a few tables.....then they disappeared again. There were golfcarts flying around everywhere yet nothing was getting done. The crowd was getting pissed off and I had been ready to leave since 2 p.m. but stayed since I figured I had a decent shot at an award. Finally at 5:30 they started. I was in category 27 so I had to wait for a lil while.

- Mike (01CobraGT) took first place in the 99-04 Modified class with his silver 01 GT with an 04 cobra translpant with a Kenne Bell sitting on top. Well deserved, Mike's car is clean as hell and an animal that made over 585 rwhp with a belt that was too long (tension idler was all the way out). He should easily be over 600 rwhp now.

- Mike Pezel took second place in the 94-04 Cobra vert class with his yellow 04 Cobra vert. There was only one other entry. When Mike went to get his award, they proceeded to tell him that somehow out of the 100+ awards that they gave out, his was the ONLY award that they couldn't find. He told them to forget it and he didn't want it, but I believe they will mail it to him.

- A mid-90's Astrovan took second place over a clean and lifted Bronco in one of the non-Mustang classes.

- An old Model T took third place behind some other cars.

- My class had one 93 Cobra coupe, and three 03/04 Cobra coupes that I saw. All of the cars did look good (one was a Mysti-Chrome), but all four of them appeared to be stock. I think one of the 03/04's may have had a CAI. Being that I'm fairly modded, I figured that I'd have a decent shot. They actually gave 4 awards in the class but you know that the guy wearing a SBZ shirt and sporting an SBZ decal on the rear window of his ride didn't get one. Yup....the only car left out. Now I understand that a car show is more about looks than anything else, but when you have a 16k mile car that looks like this...



and this



and has a mod list like this...

2003 Sonic Blue Cobra coupe

Build #2241 of #8394 born on 8/19/02
Sonic Blue exterior
Dark Charcoal Leather interior
Machined finish 17"x9" Cobra wheels

ET'S AND DYNO NUMBERS...
11.962 @ 117.40 (1.741) on 4/28/06 at Edgewater Dragway
489.9 rwhp and 477.2 rwtq

MODS
AFS 17"x10.5" Cobra wheels with Sumitomo HTRZ 315-35-17's out back for the street
Amazon Racing CAI with 10"x6" K&N filter
Apten Racing ported blower
Bassani Catback
Bassani Offroad X-pipe
Billetflow IRS Subframe/Pumpkin Brace
Billetflow 100mm Billet idler pulley
Custom PCV oil separator mod
Eibach Pro-kit Springs (1/2 coil cut all around)
Gates 8 rib 74" belt
Goodyear F1 275-40-17 tires up front
Gord's Ford Heat Exchanger
LFP 3/8" Wheel Spacers with Extended Reach Lug Nuts out back
Maximum Motorsports Full Length Subframes
Mickey Thompson ET Street DR 275-40-17 tires out back for the track
Mobil-1 throughout
NGK TR-6 plugs gapped to .035
Reichard Racing 2.8" RR billet upper blower pulley
RPS Stage III Clutch
SCT dynotune performed by MD Motorsports
Steeda Tri-Ax
Steeda Aluminum Firewall Adjuster
Steeda Aluminum Clutch Quadrant
Steeda Adjustable Clutch Cable


MISC
Escort 7500 Radar Detector
Black COBRA decal in rear facia
Cobra grill emblem
Alpine V-12 amplifier
Lightning Audio 1.0 Farad Capacitor
12" Kicker Solobaric Sub

I guess I must have too much rubber in my wheel wells.

I'm really not upset about not winning a plastic award (although I did feel that atleast 3rd place should have been in the bag) from a bunch of snobby Mustang Entheusiests who would rather see a 100% stock car than anything that's modded and actually raced, it's really a rant about me getting sun poisoning for sitting out in the sun all day long sweating my ass off and starving from not eating all day just to get skimped on an award that I feel is because of my association with all of you. BTW, I love you guys!

I do say this......I will do whatever in my power to make sure that NO STANGBANGERZ EVENT is EVER that stuffy or unorganized. Our events will be fun....PERIOD...just as they always have been. We're almost ready to announce the details of our Fall Cruise this October and I'll do my best to make sure that it's the best one yet!!!!

[mach_u]

I think the mystichrome was ponyboystroker's. Wish I could have made it up but unfortunately I had prior obligations. Personally the only car shows that I really give a rip about any more are our spring and fall cruise-in's. They have never failed to be an absolute blast! I will try and make the TSMC cruise-in next year though - if nothing else than to pipe some old fogies(no offense Steve j/k!) and their trailer queens!

[R825OH]

Yeah little bit stuffy there.Last year was the same It was nice not really worrying about gettin judged this year for me .My car is just a street car anyway!! Nice to hang w/ some peeps tho

[Black Hole]

I think the mystichrome was ponyboystroker's. Wish I could have made it up but unfortunately I had prior obligations. Personally the only car shows that I really give a rip about any more are our spring and fall cruise-in's. They have never failed to be an absolute blast! I will try and make the TSMC cruise-in next year though - if nothing else than to pipe some old fogies(no offense Steve j/k!) and their trailer queens!

We don't do "Car Shows"....we have "Cruise In's" which in my opinion are much more fun, more personable, more inviting, etc...

We will have a DJ, we will sell shirts and decals, we WON'T require a $20 registration fee, we will give out awards, we will have split-the-pot, we will have restrooms other than Port-O-Lets, we will have food (and most likely beer) onsite, we won't make you wait an extra hour for your award or tell you that we "forgot" it, etc...

FYI - this was the first car show that I've ever entered any car into....and it will probably be the last.

I'll be the first to say that my car isn't perfect......I didn't take all of the accessories off the engine to clean EVERYWHERE, there was dirt underneath the car, there was even some rubber still in the wheelwells from Powerfest. She's driven hard and raced at the track, and I had my cooler and a couple of towels in the trunk (they required us to keep our trunks open and they were carrying around small carpet squares to look underneath the cars!!! )

Maybe I should have left the numbers on my windows from Powerfest, drag radials mounted with the rubber all over the rear bumper! Atleast then they'd have something to complain about.

[winner70ta]

Matt, you are mentally where I have been with that group several times over the years. I am in the 50 and older age range, have been to many TSMC events and have just had to learn to go, look and leave. If you happen to put a car in the show and get something you are lucky. I have found that if you are one of their members you have a greater chance of placing than not. Years ago I had a Grabber Blue Boss 302 that I entered in the Boss category. I knew a lot of the guys with other Boss cars and sized up who would get 1st and thought that I would get a 2nd or 3rd. Did not get 2nd so I thought I would at least get 3rd. Nope, another guy with a different Grabber Blue car got it. It was a nice car but he was a club member BUT the thing that griped my ass was that the car did not have a Boss 302 engine which is a major deal when having one of those type of stangs. Even the last time back in '03 I had an orange B2 that I entered. Got a 3rd place, but the second place went to what was supposed to be a '71 Boss 351 that was owned by a senior member of that group. Oh yeah, they judge closer to MCA guidelines which favor more original & stock vehicles.
I did like the place that they held the show at and hope they have it there again or back at Dave & Busters. However, with that many members and a long history of shows they should have the operations running like a clock. There is no excuse for the delays.
Have to say that your Sonic Blue beast kicks butt in several ways and that none of the SBZ events that I have been to have ever been stuffy. I usually travel with a bunch of the Dayton guys and even bring some guys who don't belong to any of the clubs but have a great time and talk about it for the next month or two (as us old farts generally do! LOL!).

[Black Hole]

Matt, you are mentally where I have been with that group several times over the years. I am in the 50 and older age range, have been to many TSMC events and have just had to learn to go, look and leave. If you happen to put a car in the show and get something you are lucky. I have found that if you are one of their members you have a greater chance of placing than not. Years ago I had a Grabber Blue Boss 302 that I entered in the Boss category. I knew a lot of the guys with other Boss cars and sized up who would get 1st and thought that I would get a 2nd or 3rd. Did not get 2nd so I thought I would at least get 3rd. Nope, another guy with a different Grabber Blue car got it. It was a nice car but he was a club member BUT the thing that griped my ass was that the car did not have a Boss 302 engine which is a major deal when having one of those type of stangs. Even the last time back in '03 I had an orange B2 that I entered. Got a 3rd place, but the second place went to what was supposed to be a '71 Boss 351 that was owned by a senior member of that group. Oh yeah, they judge closer to MCA guidelines which favor more original & stock vehicles.
I did like the place that they held the show at and hope they have it there again or back at Dave & Busters. However, with that many members and a long history of shows they should have the operations running like a clock. There is no excuse for the delays.
Have to say that your Sonic Blue beast kicks butt in several ways and that none of the SBZ events that I have been to have ever been stuffy. I usually travel with a bunch of the Dayton guys and even bring some guys who don't belong to any of the clubs but have a great time and talk about it for the next month or two (as us old farts generally do! LOL!).

Thanks for your comments.

It makes me feel good that others (especially in the older age ranges ) have the same feelings as I do and this isn't just the "young punk" inside of me speaking. (Okay...maybe I'm not so young anymore....I'm 28. )


I do want to say that my intent with this thread is not to re-start a SBZ-TSMC war.....we're just polar opposites in the same world and that really doesn't bother me.

[mach_u]

We don't do "Car Shows"....we have "Cruise In's" which in my opinion are much more fun, more personable, more inviting, etc...

You know what I mean! Hanging out with a whole bunch of good peeps, drinking beer, eating wings and checking out some high hp, high performance, muscle cars is where it's at IMO!

[331TwistedWedge]

I'm with you Matt

Something that just stays clean / stock / & not raced or driven is just a waste of a car ... Why have something that just sits around to get trailered to events ... Drive the damn thing and enjoy it ~ for God sakes its a car, use it ...

[Mr.Moontang]

It's a pretty day today...

[Mista Bone]

SBZ at KofC, can I say near perfect?

Matt. maybe you should have done a burnout

Mom taught @ Ross HS with one of the founders of TSMC. After he died his wife remarried and her second husband still shows the cars. The 64.5 I-6 Mustang was Ralph Iams son's who died in a motorcycle wreck when he was eighteen. Then 2-3 baby T-birds, all restored to near perfection.

Myself, I'd rather hang out at a cruise-in or Tristate with a bunch of low rent crackers, that was a great day......until I had to leave for work.

Matt, the sub did you in, the old folks don't like no bump in the trunk

[Black Hole]

It's a pretty day today...

Keepin quiet and lettin Craig do the talking for ya instead?

Here....I'll quote it for ya.

Words of wisdom from Maximus!!!
"Tremble in Fear you old restored to original Fucks. I will shred tires, I will do huge smokin burnouts, I will do anything at all to feel the power of my Mustang. It wasnt meant to be a snooty, nose in the air trailer queen, but rather a filthy fuckin track whore. Keep searchin for your correct numbers matching parts and Ill keep searchin for lower ETs and Faster MPHs. In other words, KISS MA ASS"

SBZ at KofC, can I say near perfect?

Matt. maybe you should have done a burnout

Matt, the sub did you in, the old folks don't like no bump in the trunk

I would have done a big-ole burnout, but most of the cars had already left and i didn't want to punish the few who were left by throwing rocks. Plus the West Chester police had rolled through near the end.

I had just put the sub back in too....it hadn't been in since before Powerfest.

[Mr.Moontang]

Keepin quiet and lettin Craig do the talking for ya instead?

Here....I'll quote it for ya.

I just don't like saying I told you so...They don't like us end of story!!! The only reason I go is to look at the cars and the only reason I park in the show is to piss them off since they know my car...

[85_SS_302_Coupe]

Matt i agree with you about the V6 crap.....i'm even a bit one sided when it comes to just about any newer car. I mean, don't get me wrong i like seeing modified cars of pretty much any year and model, but it does get old seeing bone stock cars...i've been to some shows that look like you're walking through a dealership, and as nice as the cars are it just doesn't entertain as much as seeing old restoration cars or racecars does. I guess i'm not much to talk though, with having a rusty primered heap, but then again i'm not showing it either

[winner70ta]

I do want to say that my intent with this thread is not to re-start a SBZ-TSMC war.....we're just polar opposites in the same world and that really doesn't bother me.

Fully understood and I wouldn't want that either. Just like ya said, different ends of the hobby. I find that the atmosphere is always more relaxed when there is not the whole trophy thing going. When that comes into play, someone's feelings are gonna get hurt as different groups "judge" but different standards, rules or just by good old boys taking care of each other.
There is room in the hobby for all aspects. It just seems that those of us who like the go-fast parts and keeping the rides nice and shiney tend to get their toes stepped on in some venues.

[winner70ta]

Matt i agree with you about the V6 crap.....

Yeah, you'll have to wait a few more years down the road to like those cars. Once they all but disappear from the streets and you see one, then you'll find yourself thinking that is a clean car and I remember those! However, it not being an 8 you will also be like "too bad it's not a V-8" for the rest of your life. LOL!
There was a super clean blue '69 stang fastback on that boulevard where the Grabber Green Maverick and White Boss 9 were. It was a clean car and I can remember seeing those basic models around way back when. It was good to see it, was nice, but it was not a Mach 1 or a Boss or even a GT. There were way too many performance models back then so that is my similar perspective on seeing that car just as you are looking at the V-6.
This sure beats sitting here at my desk working! LOL!!

[Black Horse]

I feel for you Matt! But on the other hand I do like any type of car show....some folks have the labor of love it takes to polish their turd into a showpiece. Many TSMC members cruise with us at our get togethers - great folks and they have been know to burn some rubber too Maybe next time instead of avoiding their little shin dig we should roll in StangBangerz style...100+ of the baddest ponies in town.

Everyone has their own style and each judge has their own opinion...wait a day and a different judge will see things differently. After all it all is for fun...right? Lets keep having the fun, spinning a tires or two and drinking cold frosty beverages.

[Mr.Moontang]

"Maybe next time instead of avoiding their little shin dig we should roll in StangBangerz style...100+ of the baddest ponies in town."

Good luck with that Dave that the was the plan this year...we got 9

[Holly]

They don't like us end of story!!!

They are just mad cuz we came over to their car shows at Wayne Homes two years in a row and showed them that SBZ ownz this town. Oh yeah, and took their $500!

And welcome back Dave!

[5.0calypso93lx]

Couldn't agree with you more Matt. I hate to sound cocky, but even with the buffing and small details my car still needs attention too, I felt I would have done pretty well there, or at least should have. Some of the cars there I was just like

All I know is that powerfest was x264756454789479 times better than that!!

I would probably be bitter too if I was TSMC. Their shows keep going downhill each year while SBZ cruise ins keep getting better!!!

[Pops Fun]

Hi
It is a different kind of club as you said. They like the stock cars. I think some of the members would like to update there image but, it is hard to change something that has been flowing a long time.

By the way, I wore my SBZ shirt and had a banner on the car. Entered the show but didn't put my top up or open the trunk.

Pops