Datsun Roadster Forum-311s.org

Nice to get some air time for you and the car. Well done.

Car looks great Rich - Good Luck!

Thanks everyone. They gave the car a lot of good air time, which is nice. Hope I didn't offend any MG or Triumph owners with my comments.

The La Jolla show has always been very kind to the Japanese cars. Even though they do not have a Japanese class, they have always welcomed their presence and given them some nice awards over the years.

Way to go!
Represent.

Epilogue:

Well, the La Jolla Concours was really a fantastic event and I had a great time representing Datsun (especially the roadsters) at the show. I didn’t win anything, but really enjoyed speaking with all of the people that stopped by to appreciate the car.

I was entered in the ‘Special Interest’ category which was quite the eclectic mix of cars. Essentially, it’s any car that is not a Rolls Royce, Bentley, Jaguar, Mercedes Benz or Ferrari. Our group included a Chevy pick-up (1st place), two Chevy station wagons (2nd and 3rd place) an electric VW van, a DeLorean, a Toyota 2000GT, a SAAB, a 34 Buick, a woody and some other real old car that started with a hand crank. They positioned me next to the 2000GT which was nice. We were the Japanese car representatives.

The best part of the show was talking with all the people that stopped by to check out the car. There were quite a few admirers and even one couple that said the roadster would be their People’s Choice selection. I was glad that there was so much interest and really enjoyed talking about the roadster.

Of course the best part of the show is the food. The $150 admission includes and all you can eat and drink (yes, mixed drinks as well) reception for two, the night before show, catered by some of the best restaurants in La Jolla. And, free buffet (food and drink) for two on the day of the show including coffee and donuts for breakfast.

The other best part of the show is the high end cars. The old Rolls Royces, Bentley’s and Benz’s were just phenomenal. All incredible works of art, way more beautiful than anything you see today. Just AMAZING.

Anyway, had a great time. Attached is a pic from the show.
Rich

Great job. . Way to represent !

Well Done!

Congrats, sounds like a very fun time. Not surprized at all that people wanted the Datsun for people's choice!

Thanks everyone, I really had a great time and appreciate all of the encouraging words.

Chevy pickup winning over a $700K+ Toyota - methinks the judges were either iggerent or biased.
But I;m glad you had fun - our little cars do get attention, even in high places.

I have been to a number of high end car shows and you never really know what the judges are looking for. In the case of this car show, the judges were looking for quality of workmanship. Believe me when I say that a new Chevy pick-up never looked as good as the one that took first place at this show. With the three stage paint jobs, triple chrome plating and hardwood upgrades, a new Chevy off the line looks no where as good as some of these show cars.

That being said, the Toyota GT was easily the most expensive car in the group, but it was not very impressive. The rubber molding was old and beaten, the engine bay looked 45 years old and the car ran lousy. It was definitely a special interest car and the priciest of the bunch, but not really a show winner. The owner also has a White 2000GT that he brought the previous year. That one didn't even start when they did the checks, go figure.

I've learned not get too worked up about the judging. Sometimes the judges are looking for a car with a good story line, sometimes they like to see lots of chrome and bling. You never know, and really have no say. In going to a car show, I have learned to just enjoy the conversation with those that appreciate the car. Winning an award is just gravy.

Best regards,
Rich

Ah!!
I do agree that getting worked up about the judging can often be a waste of time, but the quality of the judging is getting worse - the "expert" knowledge is disappearing as are the old guys who know about such stuff.
But it sounds like you got good value for your $150 - it's nice to be pampered. And indeed a compliment that your roadster was chosen.

It has been my experience that our little cars are getting more love as of late, which is not to say that I haven't been to a couple of shows where the American-car versed judges see a Porsche and just hand over the trophy if there is a "foreign" class or something similar. That being said, I took my Roadster to the Bob's Big Boy Trophy Night last month where the attendees vote and my Datsun beat out, among many others, a '63 Split Window Corvette and a '70 Shelby 500 GT in the "Best Classic" class. People are pretty enthusiastic about getting a chance to see a car from their youth for the first time in 20+ years. I love old Mustangs, Camaros, and Chevy trucks as much as the next guy, but...yawn.

When I first got Eliza in 05, when she was beautiful, took her to bobs. Got there about 7 and never was able to leave to get food. Reception was amazing, everyone had a story.

Great looking car. They even have a period correct newscaster. I think he may need a little restoration though.