December Bugle

The December issue of the Bugle has been posted on the BCA website. BCA members may access it here > The Buick Bugle.

In fact, just as Cindy had promised last month it has been posted since the 1st of the month.

Lots of great 60's-70's Wildcat articles. Speaking of Wildcats I see in the Presidents message that it is official that the Wildcat I WILL be in Springfield. Woo-hooooooo!!! Thanks for all your work on this Brian and Chuck. And if Mr. Bortz is listening, THANK YOU!!!!!

And our JohnD did a great job on what appears to be the first of several Judging Tips articles. THANKS for recognizing the need and doing these John. You da man!!!

BTW, I also received my hard copy today.

I was happy to write that, but I haven't heard if there is a desire for a follow up.

I was happy to write that, but I haven't heard if there is a desire for a follow up.

I definitely think so, I think it is needed and in time to get members attention before registering for Springfield.

I definitely think so, I think it is needed and in time to get members attention before registering for Springfield.

I agree. A very interesting article. Carry on, John.

Ben

I was happy to write that, but I haven't heard if there is a desire for a follow up.

A couple of comments on the overall JUDGINGtips article, page 38.....

Re: In the MODIFIED CLASS descriptive paragraph, John De Fiore stated ".....The one qualification is it must contain a Buick engine....."

This is contrary to what information I did receive from Keith Horsfall, Director of the Buick Modified Division, in April 2013. Did you mean to say it must be a Buick body or has the rule book changed since then? See my Posts #18 and #26 in the following Thread referencing a mandatory deduction for a non-Buick engine: http://forums.aaca.org/f115/how-far-...my-346613.html

IMHO, if what was stated in THE BUGLE is correct, this is just another example of turning away the younger generation from the BCA.....more likely the generation who prefers stuffing a bowtie engine in his/her modified Buick rather than retaining the OEM one. A clarification or correction would be appreciated.

Re: In A NOTE FROM THE BCA NATIONAL CHEIF JUDGE, John Steed stated ".....My goal...is to improve the system.....to attract and retain more judges....."

Let me offer one suggestion herein, rather than a PM to the author or a letter to THE BUGLE Editor, that might be helpful in recruiting more judges and speeding up the on-field judging portion. I have judged at previous BCA Nationals and there is always the emphasis on "don't kill the car" or "it shouldn't take more than fifteen minutes to judge a car." In addition, the judges are supposedly not allowed to carry and refer to any cheat sheets or Buick documentation that would be helpful in determining what's right and what's incorrect. Questionable details are to be worked out with the knowledgeable Team Captain, sometimes not so knowledgeable; or sometimes, having to check with the Buick Owner or Head Judge.....time consuming. Here's what I have to offer as a suggestion: Print a brief and basic questionnaire-form on the backside of the window card for the Buick owner to complete. Suggested items to be checked off would include the following: what is the OEM tire size, was two-tone paint available for that year, is the interior upholstery pattern close to OEM-looking, frame-off rebuild or not, type of paint, etc. I also suggest providing a space for the Owner to list all items that he knows are incorrect, or doesn't know for sure if they are correct along with a signature line for the Buick owner to sign after he completes the form. The judging team would then spend a few minutes to review this filled-in information before they start judging that Buick. Is this a good idea or what?

Al Malachowski

BCA #8965

"500 Miles West of Flint"

When all is said then done, more than not, more will be said than done.

Greetings . . .

Up front, I'll readily admit I've not seen a Modified Class judging manual, nor have I read John's article just yet, BUT I was around when the Modified Division was first formed. Be that as it may.

Regarding the "Buick Engine", it would seem reasonable to me that it SHOULD be a Buick engine, OR an engine which was/could have been OEM production in a Buick vehicle. This would include the Olds Quad 4 in certain fwd smaller Buicks PLUS the GM/Chevy-architecture LT1 5.7L V-8 (note, "LT-1" was a Corvette-only motor from the circa 1970 timeframe and the "LT (no dash) 1 was the reverse coolant flow TPI Chevy 5.L V-8 which came in the last-gen Buick Roadmaster sedans and wagons). So, to me, if the engine is "dressed" as an LT1 V-8, then it would be allowed. I say "dressed" as if you take off the cylinder heads, intake manifold, crankshaft-driven front-mounted distributor, and the camshaft-driven water pump, you've still got a small block Chevy engine under all of that. Therefore, the beloved small block Chevy would be there, just "dressed" as the proper LT1 engine which would have been in a Buick Roadmaster (last gen). For those who might desire the greatest amount of "honesty", they could check the block casting number, date code, and stamp codes for verification . . . if desired . . . to prove it really was factory-installed in a last-gen Roadmaster rather than a similar Caprice, for example.

To me, a "Buick body" would be a given. No deviations at a Buick Club National Meet judging event, to me.

As for the other judging recommendations, the suggested additional information could be good to have, BUT could also prove onerous for the owner to supply. Just as asking them to relate all of the things they know are wrong with the vehicle could be highly dependent upon which "expert" they might have used as their information source. End result, such a list could be inaccurate itself, which I suspect might further complicate the whole process. I believe it's also stated in the judging manual that ONLY the Team Captain is supposed to engage the owner IF there is anything the Team might have a question about on the particular vehicle. This is when the owner is supposed, if necessary, to provide any supporting evidence regarding the questionable item on the vehicle. The judging manual, as I recall, also lists some accepted sources for this information.

In running other car club judging activities, I consulted with other car club members/operatives to see how they did things. A friend who was in the Olds Club and had run judging teams, mentioned the "Don't kill the car" way back in the 1980s. His orientation was that if you spent more than about 3 minutes judging the vehicle, you were "picking it". In later years, as the level of execution in restorations/refurbishments/modifications (for the appropriate class) has increased markedly from what it was in the 1980s, with many more "great cars", it can take a little more time to look for the details or quality and workmanship than in prior times. In some cases, more time than "average" might be necessary as, sometimes, once a judge starts looking at a vehicle, the longer they look the more things (good or otherwise) they might see, relating to judging the particular vehicle.

It might be a little time consuming for the Team Member to consult the Team Captain as to "what is what, or should be" first, then if a doubt still exists, the Team Captain would consult another person for "an opinion", but as ALL judging decisions will be made by the individual judges (or a higher-up to sign-off on any questions), I feel this is as it should be, with the owner being consulted ONLY as needed/necessary. It's been stated many times that owners desire their Buick to be judged so they'll know what areas they might need to "attend to" or are incorrect . . . according to the judging criteria for their particular judging environment.

Just some thoughts, respectfully,

Willis Bell 20811

Greetings Al, and everyone. Al, I read the thread you referred to in the post above. Based on that I stand corrected. I am on the road for a few days and would like to go back to my notes to see where I got my information. But I believe my source was the manual on the BCA web site. I'll look it up when I get back home.

.....But I believe my source was the manual on the BCA web site.....

These two attachments are what I based my comments on, and as noted in Post #6 above. This BMD form was used for the 2013 BCA National's Meet in South Bend, Indiana. Thanks for the follow up.

Al Malachowski

BCA #8965

"500 Miles West of Flint"

To all readers, I was incorrect in stating that a Modified Buick entrant had to have a Buick engine. I cannot find my resource for the statement I made in the article contained in the December Bugle. And regardless of that missing source, I also had a nice chat with Keith Horsfall tonight where in he confirmed that a Buick engine is not mandatory in the Modified Class Judging. I apologize for this error.

I haven't received my December Bugle yet. I left a voice mail last Saturday at the BCA office. I'm hoping that after the holidays I'll get a response.