I don't know many of the M&R people that well so I don't have any personality issues, I like some of their cars, I don't like others, each to their own, but I do think the organisers of MMM have a duty to offer the show visitors what they pay for and that is not a hot hatch show.
Take a look at last year's flyer (attached), if you turned up to MMM based on that ad and saw a field half full of hot hatches and Subarus, wouldn't you feel a bit duped?
I really don't think it is fair to the paying public to include ANY modern cars on the show field, it's not what they are there for -
If you stood bumpers truck (yes the one with the 60 year old paint job and no head liner) up one end of the field at MMM and cruise Central's (£30k??) Tigra up the other end and bet a fiver for each head under hood and photo taken, which one would you rather have your money on?
Why would anyone look at a paintless (it ain't rusty OK) old pick up rather than a shiney upteen thousand pound Tigra with fancy interior? Yes I know, if you have to ask then... well to state the obvious, because that's why folks go to MMM. Put the 2 vehicles together at a hot hatch show and you might get a different result (although I think it would still be a bloody close call), mind you Bumper wouldn't be seen dead at a HH show so no chance of that anyway
If friends come to the show in modern cars, customised or not, and want to park up together let them do it in the general car park, if visitors want to wander down there to look that's up to them, but the show field is for SHOW THEME vehicles as that's what folks have paid to see.
Another point on sticking to the theme of the show - the music. Once inside the show ground anyone playing a boom box should be told to turn it off or turn around. If you don't like the music provided, tough, you're in the wrong place. Don't spoil it for those that want to be there and soak up the atmosphere.
I hope the sun shines and the show field is packed with hundreds of visitors of all ages and backgrounds, but most of all I hope MMM remains what has made it famous, a bloody good Rod Show.
Bex just bear this is mind.... Change is NOT always for the best.
MMM ain't broke, it's brilliant, so for Pete's sake don't try and fix it!
As many of you know I post on a couple of these hot-hatch type forums to promote what we do and the rod & classic scene. A couple of years ago Chevy, Deuce & I invite all the local hot-hatch forum guys & gals to Mersea. The date clashed with another local hot hatch show, but never the less a bunch of 10 cars from one of the forums based in Bury St Edmunds came down.
They parked up at the front, as directed by Chevy and had a wonderful time. Ok the Fat Cat Trio might not have been their first choice of music but they did enjoy the show. At one stage one lad turned his stereo on,when asked he turned it off and started to enjoy the music on stage.
Another lad said that it wasn't the first time he'd been, he usually parked in the car park and was thrilled to be on the show field. He came again last year, parking in the public car park at his request I have to say. The guy with the purple metal flake Merc (Juiced Benz) loves Mersea as it is, in the same way as he loves The Nats.
At the end of 2006, this forum did a survey of their favourite shows for 2006 and Mersea came either 3rd or 4th place, ahead of the popular hot hatch type shows.
If you were thinking about putting too many modern cars on the show field and I'm not talking about the American stuff, it might be worth selecting the cars before the show, kind of by invitation only, so you don't that the Barry Boys type cars and just get the quailty stuff.
I had said I wouldn't comment on this topic, but you know me. Good luck with the show guys & gals. Oh and don't forget to order the sunshine.
Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but in recent years there have a few modren hot hatches and Skylines etc creeping on to the show field as the show has become bigger. It's become a bit of a Marmite type of thing.
Dells right you cannot rule out all things modern.Take mini trucks and dayvans with all their custom paint and hydraulics i like to see it.The issue is where you draw the line on being different.This line seems to get more blurry as these topics go on.I'm in the dark on this one????
dell wrote: i dissagree with you on not having the modern cars there, does this include dayvans,camaros.corvetts, ect the list goes on.
Dell not sticking up for TT here, just read the post on my own (she's still at work) sometimes when putting pen to paper so to speak you forget to mention the obvious. The kind of shows most of us on here attend tend to be rod and yank shows which obviously include such vehicles of all ages right up to todays latest model.This is what we and the general paying public expect to see at that type of show. we also accept and I personally like to see classic Brit vehicles modified or not at the same events, the older say 1920s era back Brit cars don't tend to turn up mainly because owners of such vehicles don't want to be next to an open headered BBChevy but would be welcome if they did turn up but again they probably prefer thier own era of show.. What TT is trying to get across (I think) is that again we or the paying public don't want to turn up at any show advertised as a rod and yank based show only to be greeted by rows and rows of modern Brit/Jap/ European hot hatch type vehicles modified or not. If young or old turn up at one of our type of shows in such a vehicle they should expect to be asked to park in the public car park, I know I would (heaven forbid) if I turned up at a hot hatch/sound off type show in my old jalopy.There will always be other accepted modernish vehicles too but they mainly have an American flavor to them, yes take JBs Merc as an example, all done on the trad. Mexican lowrider theme, I love it and enjoy seeing it and similar vehicles.There seems to be this unwritten cut off age for all this that we unconciously seem to have in our heads that we just go with and seem to just know what should be there and what shouldn't, you walk the line and see a Tigra with a **** load of strap on nonsense and chuckle to yourself and say WTF is that doing here walk on and hope you don't see too many more. On a serious note, Do you think we are the only people concerned about our shows in this way? is it all because of M&Rs local influence, are we worried that thier way of thinking might jepardise our shows if they did start to make inroads? it is a worry for me, I don't think it will happen and hope MMM doesn't end up that way just to keep the numbers up to make the show a success for its first year under new leadership As we've churned over time and time again they have thier own shows with thier own format/music and we have ours. Finally I still think MMM and similar shows still have a broad enough spectrum of vehicles attending, try turning up at the Hotrod Hayride in anything other than a die hard rod and you are shown the car park... Friend of mine went last year in a 50s Chevy truck, built to the hilt got to the gate, family inside, weekends worth of gear in the back and was told 'its not in the theme of the weekend mate sorry'. He wasn,t even allowed to display let alone join in the runs etc. Just my 2cents worth..... as I said I'm not sticking up for TT, we have enough conflicts over this at home without bringing it on here. See ya'll Weds...
well i think we should keep mmm as it has been for years, but we must police it more carefully wots going on show feild and wots gonna be dumped in car park to keep every body happy.
rodeo wrote: Yes ,I know Im new here ,stupid,naive 'n'all ,but I thought the AHRA hosted the show? How can you guys influence what parks where?
Don't think most on here ARE trying to influence the show or the organisers, just voicing our opinions! Those that are such as Dell have a right to as he/they are paid up AHRA members as well as being a contributer to this forum which is just that and not an official club, just how we like it!
dell wrote: i dissagree with you on not having the modern cars there, does this include dayvans,camaros.corvetts, ect the list goes on.
D'oh done it again - posted without logging Bumper out and me in TT here NOT Bumper
No Dell, sorry that was a bit vague - all of the above are yanks and thereby show theme vehicles. I personally also consider some early 80's cars classics and like the old Mercs with hydraulics and the Goth wagons , but that's just my own feeling.
Blimey what time do you lot get home from work - I'm just having my dinner - life's tough in the big smoke!
You'll have to try harder if you want to offend people on here. We're a hardy old bunch and take everything with a pinch of salt, except for the women on here, but then all women are stroppy.
I personally think the best way t do entry is at AHRA discretion, i have to be honest, there was a skyline there last year, i personally am not a fan, but the guy knew his stuff and the engineering that went into it was phernomonal, the guy said he loved yanks, thats what his previous car was and proberbly his next, all i can say was it was a feet of outstanding engineering, alot of it was designed by him, and no matter what the car, i think this deserved to have its place on the showfield and the trophy he got. As i generalisation, yes, no hot hatches is a good rule, however there has to be room to move a little within the rules.
This is a discussion that has been going on for a while....what is and what isnt acceptable.
When I first started going to shows the outspan orange was doing the rounds......where does that fit in all your ideas.....it dont!!!
Im now sick of this argument. What we do isnt just about the cars, its about the scene, Rodeo hasnt got a car I would own and is too new in most of your opinions, however it and him most definately fit in our scene. I think any one who tries to define or disect this scene doesnt understand what its about!!!
The first and only concept we had with turtlespeed was 'you either get it or you dont'. If you dont believe a day van or a 90's camaro should be on the show field then you dont get it.
A vauxhall chevette is neither a rod or custom or classic, yet a young man painted one black and put pin stripes on it......that car won nasc trophys.
The only cut off is, do they understand? Do they understand where rodding comes from, its background, its music and the passion?
Its hot hatches we dont want, driven by chavs! As a member of the AHRA I have and still have my views. I dont want cars that are used as fashion statements by 18 yr olds that will be sold when they grow out of them. I dont want idiots from PC World car park playing on his mini moto and remote control car. I dont want people who think a stereo is as important as the engine. My view is anyone who likes a laugh and loves old cars of any description and big engines can join the AHRA or Turtlespeed (as I used to to go to all the shows in my escort) but its up to existing members as to what car goes on the show field.
well that just about sums that up !!!! don't it..... everybodys entitled to have there own opinion.. but some need to be more like the old acess card !!!!! a bit more flexible.
), mind you Bumper wouldn't be seen dead at a HH show so no chance of that anyway 
Oh and don't forget to order the sunshine. 
SOMEDAY SON ALL THIS WILL BE MINE!!
MENS WILLYS!
