Having your car Pre-judged before a NCRS event

[Paul C.]

I would like to get my 1971 LT-1 judged for Top Flight next year--but I don't want to have it judged at some large event if there are alot of things wrong that I missed. I have the NCRS 1970-1972 Judging Guide and the NCRs judging sheets. What is the best way to get someone to look it over so I can find out what is wrong and approximately where I am in relation to a top flight award. Can this be done at a show like Bloomington Gold. I am from Illinois. Look forward to some input from judges or very knowledgeable 1971 owners.
Thanks Paul

[Tom M.]

Re: Having your car Pre-judged before a NCRS event

Take it to a chapter meet first, that is your best way to find out what you need to take it to the next level

[Patrick H.]

Re: Having your car Pre-judged before a NCRS event

I would like to get my 1971 LT-1 judged for Top Flight next year--but I don't want to have it judged at some large event if there are alot of things wrong that I missed. I have the NCRS 1970-1972 Judging Guide and the NCRS judging sheets. What is the best way to get someone to look it over so I can find out what is wrong and approximately where I am in relation to a top flight award. Can this be done at a show like Bloomington Gold. I am from Illinois. Look forward to some input from judges or very knowledgeable 1971 owners.
Thanks Paul

Paul,

Bloomington has nothing to do with NCRS, and I wouldn't plan on anything there.

Some thoughts:
1. If you have the JG and the judging sheets, review the car yourself. You are likely much harder on the car than a judge, so see where it would end up if you judged it.
2. Consider taking a bunch of photos and posting them on this site. You'll get a huge amount of input.
3. Consider checking with your local NCRS Chpater to see if the car could be used in a judging school for educational purposes.
4. Bring it to a Chapter meet and see what happens.

Patrick

[Joel F.]

Re: Having your car Pre-judged before a NCRS event

Paul,

Whereabouts in IL are you from? I am from Oswego, which is just south of I-88, west of Naperville, East of DeKalb.

Anyway, the IL chapter has a judging meet Aug 8-10 in Galena, while the Indiana chapter has one the following week in Valparaiso, IN. so depending on what part of the state you live, you could easily have the car judged at a low stress chapter even in the next few months.

Good luck,
Joel

[Paul C.]

Re: Having your car Pre-judged before a NCRS event

Joel: Thank you for the invite, unfortunately I take a vacation in Wisconsin one week a year --that's the week including the weekend before and after.

What do most owners do about tires. I don't want to buy a set of tires just to have he car judged--expensive. I will take a deduct for my magnaflow mufflers and bilstein shocks--I quess I could easily change the shocks. Those are the only things that I know are not original.
Paul

[Jeff W.]

Re: Having your car Pre-judged before a NCRS event

Paul, If you dont mind me saying, I think you are putting to much pressure on yourself. I am having mine judged for the first time in 2 weeks. I know I have several things that are not correct, including BF Goodrich radial TA's on it, but is, as I have been told, a journey. I am planning on taking the sheets from my Chapter judging and putting dollar signs by all of the items that I need to fix. I am also very excited about talking to all of the experts there about my car. A flight award is not my goal for the first one out and I guarantee that no one will look down on me because my car is not "factory fresh". Enjoy the ride!!
Jeff

[Robert C.]

Re: Having your car Pre-judged before a NCRS event

From one Cook to another!
I had my 71 LT-1 judged six different times in 5 years. I corrected things that made since ($) from year to year. I drove my car to the first two meets to make sure I would get those extra bonus points. Those two times, I recieved a Top-Flight award because I drove. Chapter meets are the best way to find out the level of your car's originality, unless you want to invite 10 experianced judges over to your house one day and have them go all the way through your car.
Good luck and have FUN with it.

[Gary S.]

Re: Having your car Pre-judged before a NCRS event

Good advice but let me add my two cents.

Photocopy the judging sheets and then self-judge your car multiple times. Each time, correct one or two significant items. As suggested, you will be much harder on yourself than others will. You will see some truly amazing cars at meets (and not always good type of amazing ) so just go for it.

In addition, if you choose not to go the self-judging route, there isn't any harm, except for the cost, of having the car judged at chapter and regional meets, until you get a decent score.

I would pick up the judging reference manual that describes point loss for major items like tires, battery, and engine casings (block). You can then see what kind of a hit you will take with various tires. Personally, I take the entire hit on tires and drive with radials.

Gary

[Joel F.]

Re: Having your car Pre-judged before a NCRS event

Paul,

As others have stated, don't be too hard on your car or yourself. By all means, have the car judged at the first meet that is convenient for you even if you know it is not 100% ready. This will prevent you from fixing things that you think are wrong but might not be, or spending energy and time on fixing things that might not have much bang for the buck.

As far as tires, it depends on what you currently have. It could be as little as 60% of the originality points associated with the tires, or as much as 100%. As stated, get the Judging Reference Manual to learn all of the standard deductions for things like tires, batteries, etc.

Joel

[Paul C.]

Re: Having your car Pre-judged before a NCRS event

I would like to thank all the members that responded to my question. You have made me feel much better about the process and the fear that everyone would look at me and the car and say "Can you believe he had that judged." I never thought about having the car judged--but I really want to know from you experts what isn't right on the car so I can learn and improve the car. You are correct when you say it is the journey not the end----that is the fun part. Again thanks for the encouragement!

[Randy W.]

Re: Having your car Pre-judged before a NCRS event

Here's my take on this... I'm in the mindset that being judged is a process, not an event. It draws a rough line in the sand as to what they are looking for. I know that some things are "incorrect" on my car, but that is by choice, makes it a better car. The value of the car to me is to document the non original issues through judging, and then decide if you even want to do anything about the deducts. It's just money.
Rand

[Mike M.]

Re: Having your car Pre-judged before a NCRS event

It would be very prudent at this point to be cognisant of the importance of the Operations segment of the Judging Process.
25 points per line item, pass/fail period. Those 25's can add-up very quickly.
Most newcomers suffer significant deductions for the failure of simple items such as the windshield washers, because the owner didn't think to test them or fill the reservoir prior to judging.
I have had owners wanting to do battle over a one point deduction for a NTP finish on bolt heads, this is after he lost 125 points in Ops.
HaND

[Rob M.]

Re: Having your car Pre-judged before a NCRS event

Paul,

See this first judging experience as a baseline for your car. You are just there to get a report on what the judges think is original (or appears to be original) or not. It is not a contest, there is no win or fail. Nobody will hold it against you if your car get a Flight (whatever level) or not. It is just a match against a standard. I consider judging your car BEFORE your resto one of the smartest things to do, and for the judges it is often more fun to find some deviation on a unrestored car then checking a 100% correct restored car...

greetings,
Rob

[Stephen B.]

Re: Having your car Pre-judged before a NCRS event

I agree that you should judge the car yourself with the JG and score sheets and also take it to a chapter meet. It's the best way to find out what you have. I have a third flight '70 roadster that I'm enjoying making into a second flight car over time. It's a non-restored CE block car with a red paint job that's a couple of shades off. My car has been treated with the same respect as any other car on the field. Typically, the judges have passion for helping the other members with their quest for originality. No one is looking down on anyone.