Overlap

It appears HotKarz is making a difference - now when someone walks up and asks, "Hey, aren't you the guy from HotKarz" my new response is, "That depends - are you armed?"

There has been discussion concerning the class placement of certain vehicles. This discussion occurs because the genre of classes sometimes overlap. A classic example of this would be the overlappiong of the following two classes:

Street Rod —A motor vehicle, or a reproduction thereof, with a model year of 1948 or older which has been materially altered or modified by the removal, addition or substitution of essential parts and with a gross weight or registered gross weight of not more than 9,000 pounds.

Custom Car - a factory-built vehicle that has been modified either to improve its performance, often by altering or replacing the engine and transmission, or it may be a personal design by the builder, making the car look unique and unlike any car that might have been factory built. Though distinct from hot rods there is debate among customizers and rodders as to where the line should be drawn. A Custom Car cannot be a kit car, as a kit car is not a factory-built vehicle that has been modified from the original configuration.

As you can see, both are modified vehicles (in fact, many shows replace Custom with Modified, as being interchangeable, since they mean the same thing). The only difference between Street Rods and Customs/Modifieds seems to be the age of the vehicle, and that Street Rods can be a reproduction (kit car) when there is no classs for kit cars.

Let us look at a prime example, a vehicle that most of us are familiar with, which can be either custom/modified or street rod - Jim Peacock's "Ol' Blue". It is obviously a modified truck - the cab has been chopped, the engine replaced etc. So, it is a modified or custom truck. However, being a 1938, it was manufactured before 1949, so it also qualifies as a Street Rod - a modified vehicle older than 1949 and under 9000 pounds.

In such a case, these two classes overlap, and can cause some confusion. This truck could easily register as a modified or custom. And it could just as easily register as a street rod. If he registers in Street Rods, some will complain that it belongs in trucks. If he registers in trucks, some will complain it belongs in street rods. And they are both right.

Because of its pre-49 manufacture date, it may be a little more of a street rod than a custom or modified truck, because it meets that extra qualification. But the fact remains that it does meet the definition of either, so it would seem it could register in either class.

This sort of overlapping can occur in many other classes, as well. And when it does, we need to accept the fact that a vehicle could be either this or that. Only in cases where a vehicle distinguishes itself as more suited to one than the other should the owner make an effort to register in the most appropriate class.

An example of this would be a custom 1956 Chevy. Yes, it is a Chevy, and could register in 1950's Chevy class. Or in the 1950's class. Or in the Custom class, or the 1950's Custom class. So, let us assume the show offers all four classes - where should(not could) he register?

Obviously, he should register in the class most appropriate - he is a Chevy, a 50's, and a custom. Therefore, the most appropriate class is 1950's Customs. However, if that class is not available, he should then register in the Customs class (genre is more important than age or make, as a rule). And if Customs is not offered, he should register in 1950's Chevy, because his vehicle is both 50's and Chevy. The only time he should register in 1950's is when the show does not offer any of the other classes (which was the problem at OOB).

With few exceptions, genre is the leading and most important part of a class description, followed by make/model, or age, depending on how the classes are set up.

A genre would be any qualifier, such as Custom, Modified, Rod, Truck, Muscle, Foreign etc. So, regardless of make or age, all foreign vehicles should register in Foreign, unless there is another class that is even more specific, such as VW, in which all VW's should register.

All trucks should register in an appropriate truck class, unless the truck has additional qualifications that would or could place it elsewhere, such as Special Interest (a fire truck), or Street Rods (Ol'Blue).

When all is said and done, we should all make an effort to register in the most appropriate class. Sometimes, as shown above, the distinctions are so muted as to cause legitimate overlapping. And we need to accept that as a consequence of an imperfect system.

But what we do not, nor should not accept are those instances where the vehicle is obviously out of the most appropriate class, such as a stock GMC Jimmy in Special Interest, or a kit car in with 50's classics, or a foreign car in with American cars if there is a foreign class.

Some shows are attempting to take out some of the overlapping by stating specifically what they want. I have seen shows say "All Trucks Must Register in a Truck Class", and "Foreign (except VW)", and "American Muscle Cars". Shows can help, simply by giving more thought to their class descriptions, to help eliminate overlapping. They can most effectively do this by inserting one word, such as "except..." or "American" or some other qualifier. And we should be asking show organizers to do just that. It doesn't cost anything, and does not take much time at all. But the rewards are great - a show that is more fair to all.