It sounds like the pride you feel in your car is not appreciated by everyone you meet. I have had the same feelings, but man, you got to understand people go to car shows to see the best of a brand, not to see what you've done so far. I think this experience should encourage you to see how much more you can get done before you "show" it. Come on, would YOU walk across the street to see something that looks like a project? What if you could see a bunch of huge rust holes, some badly repaired panels, mis-matched paint? There are millions of pretty sorry project cars running around, but only the exceptionally nice ones should be in shows, unless its a  "street" type event, where half the cars look like yours.  Even if you have put in a lot of time and money in your car, and have an inspired vison of what it could be, if it isn't up to at least "neat street", don't be offended if the average joe sees it for what it is, not what you feel.
     Just because you like Pintos, as we all do, don't expect people to suspend their opinions of what is "show".
     Good luck, try harder to make your car really nice, there are a lot fewer of these old cars to try to exemplify, thanks to the car crushers and "racers" who consume them by the dozen, just to destroy them.
     I would love to see "before " and "after" pictures of your car, it helps us all to keep pluggin' when we see it happen to other people. Thanks---