2009 street machine of year prologue
 

All of the finalist certainly were well represented money wise, builder wise, quality wise, trophy wise, and best use of materials we can't recognize, but do they all now have to look, as if they were built in a factory in Bavaria, or Stuggart? Talk about monotony, i.e. follow the leader . What happened to the American muscle look, real steel, chrome, and engines you could recognize! I'm sure that parts that look like glossy fiberglass matte turn some people on. Will we every see what was represented in winners back in the 1990's and early 2000's ever have a chance again. I'm all for evoloution, but is seems more like a revoloution is at hand. Why not just hook-up Ferraris, Lambos, and Porshes with big blocks and DOHC's, and call it World Street Machine of Year. That motocross challange guarantees that a red light racer will never be selected.

That's the trend that's popular today. The straight line, red-light racer had it's day, and most likely will again as trends tend to repeat themselves. If the cars winning the awards now aren't your cup of tea, build the opposite. Being different is what makes this hobby so much fun, and it's gonna take people like you who are tired of the same look over and over to make a change. Personally, I love American muscle with a Euro style to it, and love it even more that these cars can probably run circles around most Lambos, Ferraris and Porsches.

I agree with BlackenedRR. :thumbsup:

And lets not talk chrome. We're not building Harley's. :lol:

2009 street machine of the year prologue
 

Actually, I wrote this message when I looked at the preview on the GoodGuys website of who would be attending this year. Certainly a car like the Bobby Alloway-built Ken Nestor Challanger, or Scott Whitby's black Camaro would be more in tune of what I was thinking about, sterling examples of combining old with new. And what was wrong with 1955/56 Chevys that competed and won back in 2003? They had character lines which distinguished themselves from the common examples of modern car building, coming off assembly lines, that we see going down the road, and what is parked right outside in the public parking lot at Columbus. Those cars can't even get through the gate at Columbus. I would hope that future judges would not use tunnel vision when making their choices. I kinda like a good straight axel car, but it don't belong in SMOY competition. As for chrome pieces, what's so bad about seeing your reflection in it? And can you tell me, what's more difficult: to get an original bumper, modified like crazy so it is a perfect fit, in flawless chrome, or a carbon fiber replicate? Like I mentioned, I'm all for evoloution, but would like some substitution. Throw in a dinosaur for some of us "dynosoars".

I think most people like to see inovating and mind blowing craftsmanship that they havn't seen before. Pushing the envelope is a good thing. I know the shoeboxes have had a lot of representation through the years. Now we're starting to see models of cars never thought to be "great line" cars, modified and they look great. I'm in.

i think it is amazing how high the bar has been raised even in the last 3 years.
take the last 3 winners, the reactor might have been in the top 5 this year but i doubt it would have won ( if it was a new release) no disrespect to
Jim and Mike by any means. the level of car that it takes to win has become "almost" to the Riddler level.
the customer who wants the SMOY trophy going forward will need to be very enthustiac about writing cheques!!

2009 street machine of the year prologue
 

Yes, I agree about the money part for sure. But there was I believe a 1969 black Roadrunner with a Hemi in it, with no hood, and black glossy rims and red line tires, that was I believe, built mostly by the owner. That car to me, was a great example of combining old and new themes. Also, the white 1968 Mustang finalist, with the great striping and zoomie exhast coming out the front fenders, had some of the traditional hot rodding elements that can be mixed in with the new technology. I think that Troy Trapanier's inclusion of the big Chrysler, was a fine move to break the mold, that seems to be shaping up. The Roadster Shop Corvette entry looks to be a unbelievable car, and I applaude them for their win. I'm sure all of the finalist were excellently constructed examples of today's trends.

Rodger's truck still has some shinny parts on it........and I like it!! :cool:

Is it really a street machine --- if it's never driven on the street?

2009 street machine of the year prologue.
 

Where are the state inspection stickers located on any of the photos ?

Here in Oregon we don't have the window stickers....everything is on the plate.

2009 street machine of the year prologue
 

Thanks for the info. In Texas we have real big ones.

No inspections here.

Actually it's the same here Scott. We just pay for license and title....no inspection required on the classics.

Not SMOY (or anywhere close to that level) bud I always drive it on the street in Virginia, and unlike the pic shows, it has a new sticker on it.

Many states don't have state inspections, much less stickers. All you need here and most other states is a plate.

The Road Runner was cool and had a ton of curb appeal and impact but it was running almost 20 seconds behind most of the cars in the autocross. While e.t. isn't a major factor in your points, it is a factor.

There's something for everyone at most GoodGuys shows and they even recognize home-builders and their accomplishments but the "of the year" titles are to recognize the very best of the best, not home-builders.

This is like telling Hugh Hefner the Playmate of the Year doesn't look like the girl next door to you or she's too high maintenance for your tastes.

No inspection needed w/antique tags in VA. There is a limit on driving though. Heck of a first post BTW.

NC just did away with the inspection sticker but you still have to have the car inspected. You can not get your tag or tags renewed other wise and all info goes from the obd2 test to the state through computers.

Not if you register it as an antique ...

Driven on the street, The Bird we took there, was driven all weekend long with luggage in it and my old lady. It was the only car in the top 5 that had a plate on it from its owner plus I had my PA dealer plate under the floor matt from when we were doing the shake downs back at the shop. I also think it was the only car driven on the road at all last weekend, I could be wrong, but hey we got it handed to us by the ROADSTER SHOP that car kicked ass and that's all there is to it. The state our car is going to doesn't need a sticker on the window and if it did how would I get it to there in the time frame that we had.Pennsylvania to Nebraska and back really wouldn't make sense to me or my customer to pay for it. Would it? The time frame to build a car like this doesn't always allow the time to put as many miles on the car as you would like to before it first show. The bird will be driven trust me on that one. All the cars there straight up kicked ass, but one stood out in the GoodGuys minds and that is the one that won. That is just my two cents!!!!

What I've seen in the last 3 years while showing my truck is that guys who build a "show car" will trailer it for about a year and then start driving it to local venues. If they have to go more than 100miles, they trailer it again, while I don't agree with this appraoch, I understand it. Some of these cars have a nicer undercarriage than the hood of my truck.

While I would love to drive the most neck turning car at the show, I would not want to keep it clean like it deserves. I've helped take care of some cars with completely chromed out undercarriages, and being under them for 4-6 hours gets old quick.

:rofl: ......

nice jayr.......thats good stuff

tom

I LOVE THE ANALOGY!!

Well... and also the cars... (and trucks too! Roger):bow:

"can probably run circles around most Lambos, Ferraris and Porsches."
And weres the proof of that?? The Countach, Dino or a 70's Porsche? i hope

2009 street machine of year prolog
 

If I lived next to Hugh Hefner, I think I might be occupied with a different kind of body construction going on. I think Roy Pigford is probably the only one, in recent years memory, that probably came closest to building his own car that won the SMOY. The guy that drove the F-Bird finalist all around town during the event, should be applauded. I'm really not worried about if a car meets certain state requirements for being " legal" street worthy, as many have pointed out, they vary state by state. If part of the overall decision on the winner, is how the do in the auto-cross, why not bring them to the drag strip and see how they do in the 1/8 mile drag ? Perhaps, we need to start from the beginning, and define, "What is a real Street Machine". If you attend many local shows, I'm sure you will see a lot of different interpretations of this definition.

Now we're talking "pump gas drags"... or Drag week...

Personally I think it's enough that they even fire these bad boys up - and do the autocross! That's impressive given the effort$ that are put into these super quality cars...

I'm so thankful that guys build them - so I have something to drool over...

EEEEEEEEHHHHHHHHHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

Texas
 

Yes we do have real big ones. Inspections stickers too:D

It's Good Guys' show and their award so they get to define what a street machine is and how it's judged. Start your own show and award and when people come from all over the Country to shoot for your award, you can make them jump through any hoop you want and award them based on any criteria you want. Besides that, the industry trends are P-T type cars like this site is all about so an autocross is extremely relevant not to mention the logistics of dragging everyone to the drags and alienating the paying audience who are at the fairgrounds.

well said.

2009 street machine of year prologue
 

If we are to discuss logistics, why not move the whole event to the middle of the country, say Kansas City, so that people in the south and western part of the country, wouldn't have to drive 3000 mi to get there. It seems the odds are in favor of people in the norteastern part of the country, for such a national event. We may have some different results. As far as the drag race issue, I brought it up to illustrate that you shouldn't to have to do any performance events to qualify, other than fire them up and drive them into the gate. What if the owner feels uncomfortable doing these manuevers, or isn't as good of a racer as some of the other guys, or God forbid, loses control of his car and crashes? Does that make his car less worthy of consideration? It is after all a CAR SHOW, the race part of the event is held a few miles up the road.

I get the feeling you're only interested in your own opinion....

2009 street machine of year prologue
 

Sorry, you feel like that, and I do have deep emotions reguarding this subject that I've been taking about, but I hope this is an open forum where opinions are expressed freely, and the difference of opinions maybe open up different avenues , to get more people involved in a sport we all love.

It's a 35mph "autocross".. it's really not that hard. Also, the times aren't considered so the owner doesn't have to push hard. Although if you creep through at 5mph then that doens't help you chances.

Think about this.. it's a CAR Show.. As cars they should be able to negotiate a simple course without falling apart or having severe dificulties. The title of STREET Machine of the Year has the word "Street" in it for a reason. It's an implication that the cars drive. This isnt the AMBR or Riddler award.