Nice Try...

Again, Mike has made a couple of good points in his most recent comment, but once again he is incorrect. Here is why:

While there may be PT Cruisers on the road, but you do not see Led Sleds running around, that does not constitute uniqueness. But first, please note I SPECIFICALLY stated I do not rely on the uniqueness of my car. It is the SPECIFIC, UNUSUAL THEME. That said...

When you go to SHOWS, Mike, how many Surf Woodies do you see? I have seen one other in the last 5 years. Now, how many Led Sleds? I have seen many - Ron's, Preacher's, and several others. So, even in that respect, as far as SHOWS are concerned (which is the venue we are talking about), I still have the edge on uniqueness, vs any led sled. Led Sleds, though very nice, simply are not unique in the realm of Car Shows. Maybe RedSled is unique in some small town that has never seen one, but in shows, they are not even close to unique. And we are talking about shows.

Nor does it have a theme. It seems you may be having difficulty understanding what a "theme" is. "Theme" is defined as a subject or an artistic piece that follows a specific motif; a unifying idea that is a recurrent element in an artistic work. In other words, you choose a TOPIC, such as military recon jeep, or surf woody, or Disney On Ice, or Tow Mater. Then you design and build the vehicle to follow the theme throughout, adding details that emphasize the chosen theme.

A led sled has no theme. Yes, it has a definite design pattern, a style, but that is not a theme. Tow Mater is a theme. Disney on Ice is a theme. Led Sleds have no theme.

We are not talking style, Mike. The Led Sled has a specific style, but no theme. Your Caddy has a particular style, but no theme. If you install a popcorn machine in the trunk, and paint the Caddy in Carny style, you would have a theme. If you painted it gloss black, put in bullet holes, tinted windows and dressed up like the Godfather, you might have a theme.

And having a specific paint job, or a couple of props does not necessarily create a theme, either, though in some cases it does. To create a theme that way, it needs to be followed through (recurrent) to the end, with numerous items, so when someone sees it, they say, "Oh, that car is all about...". It has to have a TOPIC. It must be ABOUT something. It is all in the detail. For Dan's Tweety Bird, if he had a small birdcage for a hood ornament, Sylvester lurking around, and a few other details, then it would begin to take on the aspects of a theme.

But even THAT is not justification for the car to be in special interest if there is a MORE VALID class available - and there is usually a class at every show for customs, Novas, etc. Cars should register in the MOST APPROPRIATE class available, as long as the vehicle legitimately fits the description. If a show has a PT Cruiser class, as the Moose Festival does, I enter in that, because it is MOST appropriate. When no PT class is available, I choose the next most appropriate class that I can legitimately justify. And more than once I simply went home because there was no appropriate class for me. I did not weasel my way into a class I did not belong in, just so I could show.

The Bud Bike has a theme - even the nut covers on the wheels are miniature budweiser cans. The sissy bar is a giant bottle opener. The tank is a giant Bud can. Every detail says BUDWEISER. It is not a style. It is a theme.

The 8 examples I posted all show a very clear, distinct theme that has been followed through from front to rear, top to bottom. Old Skool is not a theme - it is a style. Led sled is not a theme, it is a style.

I know it is difficult for some to differentiate between a style and a theme, but there is a difference. A big difference. And in most cases, that difference is TOPIC. If spectators can say, "Hey, that's about (the 60's surf craze, or the Godfather/mafia thing, or whatever)", it is probably a candidate for SI, but only if there is not a more appropriate class. To be SI using theme, it must be ABOUT A TOPIC, something specific that folks can relate to, and it must be more than a paint job or a prop or two. Those can add to the theme, but they are not the theme, itself.

Sorry, Mike, but I cannot explain it any better than that.

P.S. My lambo doors ARE merely "bolt ons". Feel free to check 'em out any time. No new holes drilled. No welds. No structural changes. Just bolt 'em on, and connect the wires going to the door. That's it! I know, because I did not need a "body man" to put them on. I did it myself, with a helping hand from a friend (it takes two - one to hold the door up while the other bolts it down). I can put the old hinges back on at any time.

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