Goodguys

[78trans]

So i have been thinking here lately about the Good guy car shows. i was wondering if anyone else thinks that they should change the year restrictions? I'm building my 1978 trans am and i cant go to any of the good guy car shows with it because it is too "new". Me like most kids at 17 who start to build a car have to start with a late 70's early 80's muscle cars, this means that when we are done we cant go and show off what we built. i know there is probably some good reasons for the years allowed and not allowed. I think they should change that so that way the younger guys can get involved more. they should move it up a couple years and have someone at the gates looking at the cars coming in if they see that the car doesn't belong in the show then they send them home. Who here agrees with me in this???

[MuscleRodz]

NSRA has raised their year limit to 81 due to lack of attendance. Goodguys does not seem to have that problem at the moment.

[mpozzi]

Good Guys does have a few events where anything American powered or made is welcome but I do see your plight. You're also not the first that's asked this question and you might want to send Good Guys an email. As well as others that have "newer" cars, I'd be curious to hear their reasoning.

Mary Pozzi

[rrunner68]

Plenty of 1000.00 darts novas and mustangs out there.

[Later-A-body]

78Trans, I agree with you and have posted this same subject in the Goodguys section. I feel like I get penalized for having a 1973. I did speak with the director of events at Goodguys about this last year and he has admitted that it has been a subject discussed many times. Some Goodguys "Get Togethers" allow all cars. As for $1,000 cars...I would like to see what a $1,000 Nova looks like?? Most likely a real POS compared to a car in the alternative years that 78Trans mentioned.

[class67]

I completely understand your gripe. Three of the four GG shows in Pleasanton CA. (GG's hometown) are open to all years and makes as long as they are american powered. I would send an e-mail to them reguarding this, who knows? maybe they will get the hint and open it up at other shows acorss the nation!

[dontlifttoshift]

Goodguys will eventually up the year cutoff to later models but it may take some time. NSRA recently upped there cutoff and you would of thought it was a personal attack listening to some of the "core" street rodders. There was a back lash with NSRA and there was a backlash with goodguys when they went to 72.
It really doesn't matter to me....I think 55 is late model.

Also related....they wouldn't let my cat into Westminster. I have sent several emails....I mean, its a really cool cat.

[rockytopper]

As long as you young guys don't be texting while your autocrossing I'm ok with it.

Just kidding Trans. I met your dad yesterday evening very nice guy. If you guys have any issues with the bracket I dropped off just let me know. Good luck in your plight I am in full support.

[chr2002ca]

I think it will continue to depend on the event and the maximum capacity available there. I agree that later years should be included, but Del Mar was so slammed full of people and cars on Saturday that it was hard to move around. There was a backlog on the AutoX on Friday and Saturday also. I don't see how they could have included more cars.

[Tony_SS]

Goodguys will eventually up the year cutoff to later models but it may take some time. NSRA recently upped there cutoff and you would of thought it was a personal attack listening to some of the "core" street rodders. There was a back lash with NSRA and there was a backlash with goodguys when they went to 72.
It really doesn't matter to me....I think 55 is late model.

Also related....they wouldn't let my cat into Westminster. I have sent several emails....I mean, its a really cool cat.

LOL funny post of the day.

I remember seeing a few g-bodies at Goodguys Nashville. They were nice El Caminos, so not sure how they sneaked in. But some folks can get a little crusty about disco muscle cars for some reason...

[SicMonte]

hell...my car is an 88...I can't go anywhere!! That really sucks.

[The Stickman]

hell...my car is an 88...I can't go anywhere!! That really sucks.

Don't feel bad Doug I can't either.

[73GA]

I sent GG the following msg. I'll let you know what comes back.


Good Day All,

First, my thanks and congratulations for putting on such great shows.

The point of this correspondence is to ask that you please change your cut-off year for attendance from 1972 and move it to at least 1980. I know that you have been approached regarding this subject on many previous occasions, but as of today there has been no change to this date. I must assume that your organizers have discussed this matter at some length and your conclusion may have been to keep this matter under consideration.

Putting aside the fact that I have a 1973 vehicle that I would enjoy entering in “any” Good-Guys event, I would simply point out the lost business and goodwill opportunities for GG. Aside from boosting attendance by allowing later model cars and trucks to attend, you are also constraining vendors from possibly developing and displaying new wares for vehicles built after 1972. More attendance by a greater number of vehicles means, more rooms filled in hosting towns, more economic benefit to local economies, more positive press, more opportunities to engage local charities, more vendors, more audience, more profit, more supporting members for SAN, more positive word of mouth, more Twitter, more, more, more!

From a purely business POV, the potential is staggering to expand and improve simply by allowing more model years to attend. Yet from appearances there seems to be some intransigents within GG to embrace new growth and ideas. I know that there is a “core” group of hobbyists that are very firm in championing the idea of sticking to this old cut-off. However, businesses must remain dynamic in order to survive, and if only from a point of view of ensuring the future of Good Guys, then a move to allow more years to attend would be in the best interests of the organization.

Any concern about “offending” long-time members by expanding the model year cut-off would subside in short order as the owners of pre-72 vehicles would see little or no change to the amenities they currently enjoy, while at the same time a whole new demographic would attend that would benefit not only your organization, but also the hobby as a whole.

Thank you for taking the time to review my comments, and I hope that you consider these suggestions in the good and positive spirit in which they are intended.

Sincerely,
Gavin Scott.

[dontlifttoshift]

Well written Gavin! Send it to KIRK! he is the Gazette editor and just all around goodguy! You might also try a thread on the www.goodguysforum.com there is a suggestion box so to speak. Start a thread and link to it from here, rally the troops and be heard in numbers.

I understand where you post '73 guys are coming from but please understand that you are very much a minority at this point. As for the OP's suggestion of volunteers manning the gates and giving a thumbs up or down on cars entering the show.....that doesn't work very well. Ask Schmoov69 on here about his PileUp experience.

[MarkM66]

I think it will continue to depend on the event and the maximum capacity available there. I agree that later years should be included, but Del Mar was so slammed full of people and cars on Saturday that it was hard to move around. There was a backlog on the AutoX on Friday and Saturday also. I don't see how they could have included more cars.

Correct, it's as simple as that. I go to three GG events, all '72 and down, and they seem to be at max capacity to me.

[coolwelder62]

I would like to build an 88-92 camaro, but I don't want to have to drive it from Kansas to Cali. just to atend a GG.I think those 3rd.gen camaro's need love to.Have Emailed GG 4 time's about this issue.Never got a respones at all.They are makin too much money right I guess.

[Blitz]

I can see the frustration of it but I have to bid for the way things are. Don't get me wrong I'd love to see Buick Grand Nationals and 88-98 Sport Trucks and many many other cars but when I go to a Good Guys show I go for that certain era, that certain feel of how things were BEFORE I was born. Sure, my main itch is to get to the autocross track and watch the PT cars n trucks but I'd be lying if I said I wanted the event to be any bigger. I'll tell you what I think is GREAT...here in Fort Worth (Lonestar Nationals), they just went to two shows a year. I woudn't mind seeing something like that, maybe break it up into years like they have now or add more shows and do 73 and newer. Either way, it's not that I don't like seeing "this, that and the other" from vehicles actually younger than me but I do like the way it is now.

[JEFFTATE]

I think the shows should go by body / year / continuation ..
Example :the '70 to '81 camaros and firebirds all had the same body style .

[coolwelder62]

hell...my car is an 88...I can't go anywhere!! That really sucks.

Doug,Those late 80's monte carlo's are way cool.Can't under stand what GG problem is.I think some one should start up some event's and call it Everyguy's.GG must not have stockholder's.

[Goodguy Ed]

You guys all have very good points about the year cutoff at the Goodguys events.

As you may or may not know Goodguys has three events in Pleasanton that welcomes all years up to current models right off the showroom floor as long as they are American Powered. We have talked about having an event like this on the East Coast or Mid West to allow guys like yourselves to come to the Goodguys events. The event has to be one that is not already to large to except the extra cars or we will just upset the guys that have been there for years. If you have noticed we are doubling up on events that are really well attended so we can consider this. Charlotte and Kansas would be good places to do a second event with all years but we have to get the dates and make them work into our schedule.

Looking at the cars that are newer than 1972 there is alot of similar bodies that were run for many years pre and post 1972 but where do you draw the line to not leave some car out. We have looked into this and need to figure that out to not offend anyone or try not to. The Get-togethers don't have this problem since they are all years.

Goodguys is always trying to better our events with items like the AutoCross, moving dates for better weather or moving to a new location like we are doing this year at Indy. Until we have a few years at a new place or date we are not able to move the years up because we could run out of space. It is a real balancing act and sometimes we look like hero's to some and sometimes we don't.

We do listen to all your sugestions and these are discussed and looked into for the better of our events. We strongly welcome any suggestions that you have and we will see if we can help out in some way to bring newer cars to certian events.

e-mail me if you like. [email protected]

Thanks for the comments.
Goodguy Ed