Curious; why are there so few tuner classes at a lot of model shows/contests?

[DrKerry]

R.I.P. to Paul Walker.

Amen, I didn't put those up to disrespect Paul. Just wanted to put a little fun in this thread!!!

[DynoMight]

I've found the best Fast and Furious cars you can find........ Hands down, bar none!!!!!!!!

ahahahaahaaha

[Aaronw]

The Nissan Cube is weird, but this actually kind of works.

[mademan]

The Nissan Cube is weird, but this actually kind of works.

There is a white one running around town with the license plate "sugar" and a blue one with a red fender and green door with the plate "Rubix" I find both very amusing lol

[fumi]

People are still building "tuners", they are just not going to the traditional shows. From my own experience in the 90's when the sport compact scene was picking up, people who brought their import models to the shows got lumped into whatever group that was not rod, custom or muscle car. Usually it meant lowriders and slammers. Most showgoers were indifferent to them and some sneered at them about "Jap C*ap" or "cram a V8 into it". There was no chance for them to win, no matter how well they were built, because they were in the wrong category. It got off-putting enough that they stopped going to the shows and formed their own groups, and it stayed that way.

So I think it is nice for people like Tom to bridge the gap between the two groups, to bring more modellers together despite the different genre they build in.

As for tuners being a fad that went out, yes the copied Veilside bodykits and scissor doors are out, but they are only a very small subgroup. Less people in North America are tuning Honda than before, but that's because Honda hadn't sold anything sporty and affordable since 2003. Their place have been taken over by Golf GTI and Mazda 3 and WRX, and soon the FR-S and Focus/Fiesta ST. While the stereotypical "tuner" has faded out, the actual scene is going very strong.

Edited October 20, 2014 by fumi

[johnbuzzed]

They just aren't as popular as they used to be. Seems like the tuner fad has peaked and is now fading.

Kinda like pro street; the tables were once full of them. NASCAR, too.

[johnbuzzed]

I lurk here and I finally had to register because of this topic. Tom is completely correct. Guys who build tuner cars get runned off. We're not just punk kids, nor is the tuner community dying. It's gotten a lot more specialized, and a lot more sophisticated, so it doesn't have the visibility that it had back when Fast and the Furious was a new thing. Keep in mind the cars in the Fast and the Furious were already out of date when the movie came out, so when print publications did print a tuner in their show coverage (it was always in the show coverage, never in features) the car was "inspired by the Fast and the Furious movies," it was insulting to us regular tuner car modelers. Things have changed a LOT in the decade and a half since that movie came out. But the tuner car hobby and movement and community is just as strong as ever.

Don't believe me? That's fine. There's another, just as vibrant forum out there that only in the last few years added a subforum specifically for muscle cars and hotrods because people were complaining that they weren't represented well among the Euro cars and tuner cars. There are companies out there constantly introducing new and awesome kits, transkits, and detail parts specifically for tuner cars. Google Eightyone81. Hobby Design. C1 Models. Aoshima keeps introducing kits of older, iconic tuner cars (they are pairing with BeeMax to do an EF Civic, which will be an easily convertible motorsport subject) as well as brand new, super trendy cars like the Rocket Bunny modified FR-S that took the tuner community by storm this last spring (they did two runs of this kit and sold out within a couple weeks each time). It's ok if you don't know what Rocket Bunny is - but please keep in mind that just because you don't see it doesn't mean it's not there.

It's really frustrating when people dismiss the little Japanese cars as a "fad" for people who can't afford anything else. I promise you, my 1:1 project Civic makes my wife as mad as anyone's. It's just a different flavor, and telling people your ice cream is the best and everyone else's is ok if that's all they can afford is pretty off-putting. I like my rocky road as much as you like your vanilla bean. I've dedicated a LOT of my energies to rocky road, thank you very much.

Just like the 1:1 "tuner" community, the model tuner community is growing. It's growing in size and sophistication. It's growing in interest as us young punk kids come inside and calm down long enough to build a model. I think a lot of y'all would be shocked to see what's out there. What's available in kits and parts, and what's being built. But the attitudes in this thread are a really great example of why tuners don't show up at the model show, or meet, or on the street. We're tired of the derisive looks and the absolute lack of respect. I just moved to a new city and tomorrow I'm going to a Build-n-Bull at the local hobby shop to check out the community here. I was excited about it. Now I dread the inevitable reaction from all the "real" builders out there making muscle cars and hotrods when I pull out my Fujimi EK4 kit. Thanks a lot.

You have to realize that just about every type of car that "car guys" (male and female, no offense to anyone) can, do or have appreciated has had it's day in the sun and will make a comeback. Read through Hot Rod magazine for the past 5 decades. I just got the last issue and they are writing about... vans with shag carpeting and mini pick-ups! Yep, both had their day, but they're coming around again! It's difficult to find a magazine that features mainly American cars without seeing a retro- '60's gasser featured. Flatheads were once thought dead ,due to the small-block Chevy. Not anymore, by a long shot- and a lot of them wind up in some real cool old stuff- and I don't mean "rat rods".

Model trends tend to follow the real world of cars; maybe lagging a bit. Most car model builders- actually, most model builders- will accept any kind of modelers into the fold, so to speak, as long as that modeler shows the same respect and acceptance that he or she is shown. The LIARS Challenge added a Euro/Tuner class many years ago to accomodate those entries that didn't have a true home. Though the interest waned, I believe the class still exists. And I'm not saying that "no one builds tuners" or that anyone who does is a "punk kid", but maybe the genre is not as popular as it once was and/or as big as you wish it were. Not too long ago, the NASCAR categories were packed full of colorful entries- not anymore. Same with Pro Street- yep, there were contests that had separate categories for them- not anymore. Light commercial, a personal favorite, has declined in popularity, as has heavy commercial. But that's how these things go.

If you want to be heard and have your style of build be represented at contests, perhaps you can contact those who sponsor shows or contests in your area, even real car shows or cruise-ins. Be friendly, be courteous, be respectable and be serious. If you belong to a club or just hang out with others who build tuners, get together with them, take some pictures of your builds and present them to those who you're gonna contact. Better yet, bring a few builds to show them in person. Don't worry about the reaction. I once brought a car model to a club contest that was 99.99999% military- and raised a few eyebrows, but heard no grumbling. I took home a ribbon that night. That was 32 years ago. Now, the military models that compete in the mostly model car contests that I attend draw a lot of attention, too; in a model-builder, respectable way- and a lot of their builders also build model cars. A bunch of guys from my club back on LI used to gather at a LHS on Friday evenings. He sold model railroad stuff, ergo, model railroaders would also come in. We appreciated their incredibly well-detailed-and-built works of art as much as they appreciated ours.

You can't let the negative minority get to you (I had originally, mistakenly written "majority"... oops)

Edited October 21, 2014 by johnbuzzed

[Tonioseven]

johnbuzzed, excellent response! I've started to attend more shows and I make it a point to bring up "tuned import" vehicles as a possible class at future shows. I will still enter contests with them anyway but I make sure I bring several even though the majority has no clue as to what was just sat on the table by me. Lol.

[Daddyfink]

Most shows should have an "Import" section that is all encompassing regardless of the style or country of origin for "Street" style vehicles. Competition has their own classes where they can go if they qualify for it.

Most of the time they get shoved into Street Machine or Curbside Plus, due to the fact that most of import kits do not have engines and sometimes no real suspension. And we try to have judges who are aware of such cars to judge them to be as fair as possible.

Some have complained that they did not place because they where import cars and that Muscle Car types judged them. Well, most of them don't place because they are not well built. It is a harsh fact,but, skills do count, regardless of the type of build.

And on the flip side of that, we had a guy with a Camaro that cried bloody murder because a "foreign piece of you know what" placed and his Camaro did not. Well, his car was not very well built and just the fact that a well built Skyline GTR beat him was enough for him to swear us off.

I hope that the import crowd can really get to building them proper and start filling the tables, would be cool to see. Once the low riders guys where the black sheep on the table, some had not yet developed the skills to make them show stoppers, but, that has changed pretty good over the years.

Bring one, bring them all!

Edited October 21, 2014 by Daddyfink

[rsxse240]

I was going to mention the lowriders too. I recall a group of young lowrider enthusiasts at the Texas Shootout contest in Irving, Tx. They had great paint jobs, and had some really cool "hydraulics" that really took some ingenuity. The interiors, however, were built with fuzzy pipe cleaners, tiny craft mirrors and seats made out of pvc pipe from local hardware stores. They really had some good ideas, but they were not very well executed. I took the time to talk to some of them...those that could understand English (not racist or stereotyping, it just happened that they were all hispanic)...and tried to give them pointers about using flocking instead of fur cloth, or scribing the piping into a seat instead of trying to superglue fishing line, and other tips. I did overhear several people bashing their works and it made me feel really sad for the fellas. I was hoping, for their sakes, that they couldn't understand the people that were bashing them.

As it turned out, they've been back several times and guess what, the encouragement and welcoming attitudes helped and their builds are getting to be far superior to what I think I could ever accomplish. If people would simply admire the work not the genre, the "tuners" will be built more and the classes will grow, or at least be better represented in existing classes.

[Ramcharger]

We had a Tuner class at the Buckeye Challenge the first year we had the show and had one entry, so we consolidated it with the Lowrider class that also had one or two entries. Last year we got more of both than we've ever had, but still not nearly as many as drag or street machine. That's why you don't see separate classes for Tuners, not enough entries. If we had enough entries we would be more than happy to return that class to our show.

[Zarana-X]

I think on one hand, the term Tuner is a stereotype of stickers, questionable body mods and ugly wings of the late 90's. Additionally, just like real car shows, there are the "old guys" who hate "foreign jap-BLAH_BLAH_BLAH_BLAH", or anything foreign.

I think they could just do an Import Class, because there is a huge variety of European, American, and Japanese cars that don't adhere to the Tuner style anyway.

[Tonioseven]

^^^ Agreed. That would work.

[rsxse240]

A vehicle should not be classified by it's origin, but by it's build style. I could build a rat rod out of my '80 Datsun 510 wagon just as easily as a 36 ford. or a lead sled out of a 67 Jag. You can build a pro touring car out of a 74 Nova, but if you did the exact same thing with a 74 Datsun 720, it would be lumped into a import class of some sort. Vehicles need to be put in classes that they are built for.

[martinfan5]

Looking at all the different FaceBook model groups out there, the "tuner's" are still very much popular , but those guys that are building them, are not going to shows and entering their builds, so lets take that in to account as well. Model contest is not a fair way to judge what is popular, and what isnt, not everyone attends shows.

While, the "tuner's" may not be very popular at shows here, across the pond's, that is a completely different story, more tuned cars then you can shake a stick at.

I think the tuner builders are still somewhat looked down on upon here, its rather sad too, and I think a lot of it has to do with the older builders and not having any love for anything not made by the "Big Three".

Just my 1 and half cents.

[Kennyboy]

As a tuner builder (at times) like yourself Jonathan......I feel that was well said.

[Tonioseven]

Agreed.

[Deano]

Looking at all the different FaceBook model groups out there, the "tuner's" are still very much popular , but those guys that are building them, are not going to shows and entering their builds, so lets take that in to account as well. Model contest is not a fair way to judge what is popular, and what isnt, not everyone attends shows.

OK ... taken the the topic of this thread is "Why so few classes for 'tuners' in model contests" and if we take Jonathan's statement above as true then I think it becomes self explanatory; if "those guys that are building them, are not going to shows and entering their builds", then why would the organizers go through the expense and effort of setting up classes for them?

[niteowl7710]

OK ... taken the the topic of this thread is "Why so few classes for 'tuners' in model contests" and if we take Jonathan's statement above as true then I think it becomes self explanatory; if "those guys that are building them, are not going to shows and entering their builds", then why would the organizers go through the expense and effort of setting up classes for them?

Man if $7 worth of plaques is gonna make or break the event's budget it might be time to examine the club's finances in general. If you're that fearful of low attendance don't put the year on them, or get trophies with adhesive "award" area brass etchings, so you can pull off the old ones and recycle the actual trophies into another class when you decide not to have the class anymore.

Edited October 24, 2014 by niteowl7710

[johnbuzzed]

It's not just the cost of the plaques or trophies or awards, and depending on the location, those costs might not be as inexpensive as you think. If sponsors are paying for the awards, they might not be pleased if a category that they chose were to suddenly disappear due to lack of participation. Also, time and effort is expended by members of the host club. Display space must be allocated for the category. Most venues do have limited space; to have a sudden void due to the elimination of a category can cause confusion and ruffled feathers. If you have ever participated in hosting a show, you'll understand.

[Daddyfink]

Putting on a show is not rocket science, it is mostly logistics. You have to able to adjust on the fly as things never quite work out the way you plan them, most of the time.

Always plan for crazy and be happy with semi-normal

Cost of shows is always there and if you are going to get in financial trouble, then don't have a show. Most of our sponsors don't really care what category their money is used on, most just want to contribute and have their name mentioned when the awards are presented. Most of the time when sponsors ask for specific categories we give them out on a first come first serve basis and they know they may not get them unless arrangements have been made in advance.

Yes, we have had to combine categories and sometimes we even split them due to the a high number of entries or lack of entries. No one has complained about it to this day.

[chunkypeanutbutter]

Fords, Vauxhalls, Opels, and Volvos are popular tuners.

They really are the hot rods of the modern age.

[martinfan5]

OK ... taken the the topic of this thread is "Why so few classes for 'tuners' in model contests" and if we take Jonathan's statement above as true then I think it becomes self explanatory; if "those guys that are building them, are not going to shows and entering their builds", then why would the organizers go through the expense and effort of setting up classes for them?

Case in point, I build a lot of what you could call "tuner" cars, and I do not enter the contest we put on here, Desert Scale Classic, well, part of the reason is I am , or was a member of the hosting the club, and no club members can enter the contest. But take that away, and I still have zero desire to enter the contest.

All I am trying to say is, just because you dont see a big turn out at contest, does not mean something is not very popular, not every one in the hobby goes to shows, or post's on model forums, remember, we are the 1% I think it is, I have no clue what the percentage is for contest's, but I am sure that number is low too.

Edited October 24, 2014 by martinfan5

[Deano]

Case in point, I build a lot of what you could call "tuner" cars, and I do not enter the contest we put on here, Desert Scale Classic, well, part of the reason is I am , or was a member of the hosting the club, and no club members can enter the contest. But take that away, and I still have zero desire to enter the contest.

All I am trying to say is, just because you dont see a big turn out at contest, does not mean something is not very popular, not every one in the hobby goes to shows, or post's on model forums, remember, we are the 1% I think it is, I have no clue what the percentage is for contest's, but I am sure that number is low too.

The popularity of tuners is not being questioned. The question, expressed in the the Thread Title is "Curious; why are there so few tuner classes at a lot of model shows/contests?" You answered that question; "those guys that are building them, are not going to shows and entering their builds". If we take you answer as the truth, that's pretty much the beginning and end of the discussion. Anything else is just folks wanting to fight.

[Daddyfink]

Then simple, not enough are showing up to justify a class for them