159 replies to this topic

[DowntonMini]

Yep and a we got there early doors
we seen there was alot more that you would think arriving not on there own steam
never mind the number in the concours that were swapping to show wheels and tyres


Drive the blooming thing its a car not a mantle piece diecast

i appreciate museum pieces but leave them in a museum

Rant over sorry

I agree so much. I have entered the concours for the past two years, (and drive there), however I think the display museum cars arriving by trailer really do put people off entering the competition. I enter the 70-76 catagory and this year was the only one. After looking at Clappy's 1972 mini photos there really were scores of cars there easily good enough to enter and possibly beat mine!! ( maybe... ).

I also think the way the concours is scored needs to be expanded a little. In the original classes the guidance in the show brochure suggests you will be marked down heavily for having things like "chromed parts that were not originally chromed". This is really not the case. Most winners in most catagories have literally thrown money at their cars to acheive a totally perfect vehicle (albeit in no way original) on a grand stand which literally puts the competition out of reach of most. I think the original classes should have different scoring to the modified and custom classes. Don't get me wrong, I think all of the concours cars are awesome in their own right and are a result of many hours of hard work, but it should not be based on how much you spend on shiny bots ons, trailers, stands, plaques etc but the effort to meet the specification for each class the car in entered into. For example, a mk3 should receive more points for retaining a proper mk3 shell...............

Anyway, come on you mk3 owners, enter the concours, I would have loved to have had some competition.

GREAT DAY THOUGH!!!

Luke

there is one very specific concours car winning everything at the moment......it arrives in its own air conditioned 7.5 tonne truck ! I'd say that's a bit beyond the reach of most.

isnt this why working class was created for concours - those that actually use and drive their minis ?

I didn't know working class still existed I thought it had been droped?Please tell me you are kidding about an air condiotned lorry to transport a car??? I mean its a Mini (no offence Mini's or MINI's your all great cars but that sort of thing should only happen to really really rare cars if at all)

[Skunkworkz]

If people want to spend their whole life dedicated to winning a cheap trophy (no disrespect to the trophys @ Stanford Hall as they were very nice) then let them do it, but don't judge them against cars that are actually used as cars, remember it is a transportation device, and not just off and on trailors!!

We built dougiemc's car to be used, we kept a few original parts but also ammended others that we thought could be better. You can see by looking at it that it was built to the highest standard possible, it was hand crafted, built not bought, it even had all new glass, and now it has 3 stone chips in the windscreen but so what?!?!? Its a car! If we get marked down then so be it, there's more in life to worry about!

We always get marked down for not having jacking points as we decided to smooth them off as they wouldn't be needed, but how can we be judged against a concourse original mk1 cooper s, its impossible! Obviously this is why there are catagories, but as for the overall prize of the day or from sunday 'mini of the year' what actually qualifies these cars as the best? The judges opinion.

The custom side of cars is all down to taste, and with the XE conversion in the mini being such a rare thing, we find that the judges don't understand what sort of engineering challenge it was to make it fit and look the way it does.

If i had a pound for everyone that asks:

Is that carbon fibre wrap?
Is it a fibreglass front end?
Where's all the fixings?
Is it a vtec?
Who did you pay to build it?

I would be minted!

It just shows that we've stepped away from the usual trend to a level that some don't even understand! Its great to speak to everyone at the shows and try and answer all the questions that are asked, peoples faces when i tell them i hand built the carbon parts is a picture! But being a little different and innovitive seems to work against us because its a total 1 off, its crazy but its true!

[DougieMc]

I agree above
but maybe one way round it is having a cleaning competition then a mini competition
and like mentioned somewhere else even a Owners choice kind of prize

i do understand that some people the concours is what they enjoy doing but just seems to be crying out for seperating cleaning to actual cars

[mini93]

only thing im going to add to this discussion about cars and OTT owners

link

[DougieMc]

only thing im going to add to this discussion about cars and OTT owners

link

Hahahaaa and you dont want to know what i do as a job haahaaa

[mini93]

your not as bad as that guy surely? (your not him are you actualy? ) measuring the thickness of the paint n such

[DougieMc]

your not as bad as that guy surely? (your not him are you actualy? ) measuring the thickness of the paint n such

No but i do know him
I work at Vauxhall headoffice im VXR Product Manager
Marc is one of our many customers who as you know are into detailing
i understand its what they enjoy and each to their own but sometimes it does get out of control
but he still drives his car everywhere

[mk3 Cooper S]

only thing im going to add to this discussion about cars and OTT owners

link

Can hear the anorack rustling from here.

No sign of a wife of girlfriend bring out a cup of tea funnily !!!

[mini93]

No but i do know him
I work at Vauxhall headoffice im VXR Product Manager
Marc is one of our many customers who as you know are into detailing
i understand its what they enjoy and each to their own but sometimes it does get out of control
but he still drives his car everywhere

if he actualy drives it then fair play to him...of sorts, he does have alot of patience but i bet he craps himself when he hears about newly chipped roads being layed localy

[mrslaphead]

"I find hand waxing very therapeutic" ..... I bet he does.

[Clappy]

Here are My pictures from the day.

it was a good show, as always......i dont know how they manage to get the weather each year !

Superb set of pictures from the day. You obviously love mk3's as do I. (particularly like your 1972 set of minis )

Tell me, do you know who owns the White City E in your sixth picture D755 BNV? I used to own that car about 16 years ago...... Lovely to see it looking so good.

Its funny really, I put up a 72' set on my flickr page because for some strange reason I found I had alot of K plate (72') pictures....owing to the fact that I own a 72' and probably just drawn to them when i've got a camera in my hand ! that, or they managed to find a good piece of metal that year to make shells out of !

The White City E was brought along by a new club member (young lad that did his vehicle training at Brooksby College Melton - I dont recall his name.....), he lives in Grantham. Our Chairman, Gary (with the Pukka Pie Orange Roofed grey mini) taught him at College. I'll find out some more details next time I see him and let you know !

[mk3 Cooper S]

Here are My pictures from the day.

it was a good show, as always......i dont know how they manage to get the weather each year !

Superb set of pictures from the day. You obviously love mk3's as do I. (particularly like your 1972 set of minis )

Tell me, do you know who owns the White City E in your sixth picture D755 BNV? I used to own that car about 16 years ago...... Lovely to see it looking so good.

Its funny really, I put up a 72' set on my flickr page because for some strange reason I found I had alot of K plate (72') pictures....owing to the fact that I own a 72' and probably just drawn to them when i've got a camera in my hand ! that, or they managed to find a good piece of metal that year to make shells out of !

The White City E was brought along by a new club member (young lad that did his vehicle training at Brooksby College Melton - I dont recall his name.....), he lives in Grantham. Our Chairman, Gary (with the Pukka Pie Orange Roofed grey mini) taught him at College. I'll find out some more details next time I see him and let you know !

Not so many of them still have the original 71/72 steel. Most have steel from the 80's \LOL

[roofless]

Yep and a we got there early doors
we seen there was alot more that you would think arriving not on there own steam
never mind the number in the concours that were swapping to show wheels and tyres


Drive the blooming thing its a car not a mantle piece diecast

i appreciate museum pieces but leave them in a museum

Rant over sorry

I agree so much. I have entered the concours for the past two years, (and drive there), however I think the display museum cars arriving by trailer really do put people off entering the competition. I enter the 70-76 catagory and this year was the only one. After looking at Clappy's 1972 mini photos there really were scores of cars there easily good enough to enter and possibly beat mine!! ( maybe... ).

I also think the way the concours is scored needs to be expanded a little. In the original classes the guidance in the show brochure suggests you will be marked down heavily for having things like "chromed parts that were not originally chromed". This is really not the case. Most winners in most catagories have literally thrown money at their cars to acheive a totally perfect vehicle (albeit in no way original) on a grand stand which literally puts the competition out of reach of most. I think the original classes should have different scoring to the modified and custom classes. Don't get me wrong, I think all of the concours cars are awesome in their own right and are a result of many hours of hard work, but it should not be based on how much you spend on shiny bots ons, trailers, stands, plaques etc but the effort to meet the specification for each class the car in entered into. For example, a mk3 should receive more points for retaining a proper mk3 shell...............

Anyway, come on you mk3 owners, enter the concours, I would have loved to have had some competition.

GREAT DAY THOUGH!!!

Luke

there is one very specific concours car winning everything at the moment......it arrives in its own air conditioned 7.5 tonne truck ! I'd say that's a bit beyond the reach of most.

isnt this why working class was created for concours - those that actually use and drive their minis ?

I didn't know working class still existed I thought it had been droped?Please tell me you are kidding about an air condiotned lorry to transport a car??? I mean its a Mini (no offence Mini's or MINI's your all great cars but that sort of thing should only happen to really really rare cars if at all)

nope - no kidding, its around 70 grands worth of custom built truck - has a tilt bed inside to lift the car up in transit, mahoosive tail lift and every conceivable extra / toy you can think of.


I want one

working class may have been scrapped.....I only know it from when Tracey's cabriolet used to be in that class as she uses it most days, and drives it to the shows.

I used to drive minee to the shows, but I kept breaking it

Edited by roofless, 14 September 2010 - 06:28 PM.

[roofless]

I work at Vauxhall headoffice im VXR Product Manager

any spare engines kicking around ?

[DougieMc]

I wish haha