Hi All, I was registered here and posted prior. It’s been awhile and I have changed ISP’s since and had to re-register.
I too am a judge at the Mopar Nationals, but not an OE judge, just like Tony is not an OE judge. I don’t know how relevant Tony’s comments are to the OE judging that is the topic of discussion here.
So while there have been some changes in the way we field judge, I am not aware of any abated standards being implemented or any changes in the OE class of judging at all. In fact the restorations are getting so good, they have to be extra attentive to the cars.
I recall that your company ECS was also a Mopar Nationals sponsor at the same time you had your cars judged? I know you were for a fact because the Mopar Nats has the cancelled checks.
I am not sure where you are getting your facts but the OE sponsorship (per the paperwork on their website) was $3,000, not $5,000
Why is it OK for your company to be a sponsor but not another?
As far as base/clear paint, it has always been excepted in the OE class. There have been many high scoring OE gold cars with base/clear paint. As long as it exibits the characteristics of an original paint job, why would it matter the type of chemicals used? Are we going to start checking the age of all the fluids in the car too?
Even your own 70 Cuda that scored OE gold in 2005 had a base coat paint job. Right? The white Challenger and 70 Valiant both had single stage urethane paint jobs, not enamel that was factory in 1970. Why is this OK for you but not other contestants?
Who are you to criticize the judges? Please list all the venues that you have been a judge at. Because you can’t know what it is like to be a judge unless you have been one. What makes you an expert? Isn’t this rationale how you respond to someone that hasn’t walked a mile in your shoes?
You posted a judging sheet….that is
NOT a Mopar Nationals judging sheet! What is that sheet from??
Your information is pretty inaccurate here and damaging to a great program. To suggest the Mopar Nationals and Keith Rohm are taking bribes to hand out high scores is ridiculous. They are a stand up bunch of folks and work hard for the hobby. I am not saying they are 100% perfect, but they do try to improve every year.
You say you are going to start your own judging program approved by Chrysler? They also approve many repro parts that are entirely inaccurate. So what substance does that hold? Just because you have a Mopar logo on the part does not mean it’s accurate. Just like other vendors don’t hold their products under the same scrutiny that you do at ECS.
It’s too bad you have a vendetta trying to tear down the Mopar Nats OE judging, they are the best program out there for this arena.
Why are you coming on here trying to start trouble? You have been kicked off and banned from Moparts.com a multitude of times. Now you want to start down the same road here? It’s funny that posters on this thread are newbies posting for the 1st time. Seems like you are simply having a converstion with your other aliases to propel your agenda as if there are a bunch of like-minded hobbyists on this forum.Wierd. You have had countless aliases on Moparts, I guess this is your new playground.
The lack of the lift was due to a failure to deliver on the lift companies part not because of lack of funding. The cars last year were looked at under close scrutiny for hours, I personally saw that. No less than your cars or any others in the past.
And Dave, what was your point going from a Hemi Cuda, to a 440 Challenger to a slant six 4-door Valiant survivor that NEVER should have been touched because it exibited so many original characteristics that could have been a great source for reference. It’s not that the judging awards a level of difficulty on your restoration but wasn’t that stacking the deck a little bit? I mean what’s next, are you going to drive down to your local Dodge dealer and buy a new Challenger and enter that in the judging?
And have you ever asked yourself what did you accomplish by ruining a great survivor? As far as I know you didn’t even have to replace anything in the interior.
And since when did a German writer become an authority on American car restoration? What other American cars did he inspect before he got to your car? Did you just spew all your bull to him and he bought it?
Why don’t you just go play with another make of car and leave us Mopar freaks to enjoy our cars and shows. Maybe get into the German car restoration since you love those guys so much.
Proud to be a Mopar Nats judge!
Rich