Re: clubs, meets, categories, judging

["John W Rosa" <JohnRosa@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

From: "Jeff Barfield" <jrbarfield@xxxxxxxxxxx>

"But my Javelin and Spirit both have custom interiors and B.F Goodrich
Radial T/As, this alone makes them non-stock.  My Javelin also has an
open chrome air cleaner and chrome dip stick, AMC never did that and
that is right on the engine. My Javelin also has AM/FM Cassette stereo,
AMC never did that either.  Even though I used AMC parts and it may look
factory, a Javelin never came with cruise control either.  I don't loose
points at shows because of these things."

In a non-stock category, I can see why no points would be lost.
If the car is in the 'stock/original' category, then- in the 
strictest terms, points should be lost. How fair is it to the 
guy who has spent time and money hunting exactly-correct NOS 
pieces for his car to be in a points fight with a guy running 
all NAPA repop parts? But with as few AMCs left as there are, 
the field would thin considerably if every 'stock' car wearing 
modern tires and belts was judged 'accurately'. The last show 
I attended, I was shocked to see the MANY incorrect items on 
cars in the 'stock' category. I saw hitch holes left in bumpers,
grossly inaccurate repro emissions decals, and of course, Radial 
T/As everywhere. If a guy showed up wearing correct vintage 
PolyGlas tires, should his car not have been considered more 
correct when it clearly was?

"I don't understand why it is so different if you put a different 
make engine in the car. You still have to make it look like it 
belongs there, to get all of the points."

Huh?? What class is that in? This sounds like a 'Street-modified' 
class. We all know a 350 never came in a Gremlin, so how would 
you make it look 'like it belongs there'? If you mean 'it could
have looked like this if AMC had used them', then that's still 
'customized', not stock, and it should be judged accordingly.



"In my small mind, that would be more difficult than making an 
engine that does belong there, look like it belongs there."

So, you awake from surgery to find the doctor has re-attached 
your arm to your forehead....which is considerably more difficult 
than putting it back on your shoulder. You'd give extra credit 
for originality?? :)



"My final point on the non-AMC engines is, when you see that car 
driving down the road or driving on to the show field, what do 
you see?  I see an AMC!  I may be disappointed when the owner 
pops the hood, but I would be more disappointed to have never 
seen the car."

But like you just said...you're disappointed...thus, you 
automatically have seen it as something less. That's what we're 
saying should happen in judging.

John