need advice for low-light car show photography

i'm going to a local car show this friday. its every friday and theres always 100's of cars of all kinds there. from classics to muscle to present day imports. problem is, it starts usually around 6 in the afternoon when the sun starts goin down a little. im rather new somewhat to manually choosing settings, so i was wondering what the best type of settings to choose will be. all i have is my xt and the kit lens, so im limited by that. generally speaking, what iso/shutter speed/aperture should i use? should i use the flash, or would that do more harm than good with taking these pics?
im generally pretty good at having an "eye" for knowing what to take the pics of and the right angles, and ive been able to produce some nice pics with rather basic full-auto digicams, but im just getting into SLR's and i wanna get as much as i can out of my kit lens and know all about its limits before i decide to buy a better one.

oh yah- i couldnt really find anything specific to this question on the forum...im sure its been asked plenty of times...i just cant seem to find it

day/good light pics ive never had a prob with, but i have never been able to take a good lowlight pic...dont know the secret of it besides keep ur hand steady. i see countless pics taken in low light situations by people who know very little about photography and they come out much brighter than mine and its frustrating

Dont't use the flash on the camera cause it will make the car and background look like crap. You need an aftermarket flash like the 430ex so you can adjust the angle of the flash so you light up the background and not the car! All I do is take pictures of cars and I have the same problem but most of my pics have progressed with the help of a Mono pod and I play around with these setting.

ISO = 800 or 1600
Shutter = 1/10 to 3"
I usally let the aperture set it self by using the "tv" mode and my pictures come out pretty good.

Here is on of my night pics in the car with those settings

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yah I was afraid bout the whole tripod/monopod thing lol. i go and hang out with some friends while im there too, so ill only have the camera. but ill give those settings a shot

thats all I do to is hang out with my friends and take pics... I actually own a car club and I just go to take pic's for fun! But I still carry all my lenses and a Monopod so you can always get that good shot you want... it worth it if you want good pictures! Invest in a bag! I have a bookbag a Tamrac Expadition 5 well worth it $119 on ebay!

I usually start shooting after 8:30? This shot is in a parking lot with the kit lens after sunset.
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After the meet, stop by Transportation & show us some of you car pics?

might i ask what a good lens for car show photography would be? most of the ones i go to are lowlight indoor or night time outdoor with street lights and spot lights

i know that for the most part you'd get the same results with the best non-IS lens as you would with the worst non-IS lens with the same lighting condition as its all about the shutter speed/iso...or would a better one have better aperture to be able to get faster shutter speeds in lower light?
id love to have an IS lens as most photography i do is lowlight situations (besides when goign out and taking pics of nature/scenery) and having a tripod isnt usually practical

seems like an excellent walkthrough/guide on car photography tho from my brief skim through. ill check it out more in depth later.

oh ya- that pic you posted after sunset: do you mean low light DURING sunset or was it basically night already with just street lights? if so, thats amazing! i coulda sworn thats a day shot!!

I mean low light DURING sunset, not night with just street lights. See the lights in this one? They come on early & make extra PS work, but don't provide light for the car. That comes from the sky. Read the thread.
http://img.photobucket​.com …-Chevy-Mstr-85_Frt_29.jpg

Lens: The Kit lens is nice & wide, but slow. A tripod & remote release will help a lot.
The 28-70 f/2.8 is fast, but not quide enough for extreme shots.
A 17-40 f4 would be a nice compromise, but a tripod for the Kit lens is a lot cheaper.