Barry Wolk Posted August 29, 2011 Share Posted August 29, 2011 The Michigan chapter of the Classic Car Club of America threw its annual Ice Cream Social fundraiser at our friend's home. It's a 7 acre gated compound with 3 family homes on the site. He opens up his 8 car attached garage for seating and serves ice cream to hundreds of people. The site is covered with sculpture in all media, and today, classic cars, too.Fake Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barry Wolk Posted August 29, 2011 Author Share Posted August 29, 2011 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barry Wolk Posted August 29, 2011 Author Share Posted August 29, 2011 Margaret Denning and the car she bought from my friend Lee, in the hat.This car is a clone of Lee's first car he and his wife owned as a couple. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Kingoftheroad Posted August 29, 2011 Share Posted August 29, 2011 WOW, looks like a great gathering of people & cars. Is that just friends or were there other local folks & car lover / owners there too ?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barry Wolk Posted August 29, 2011 Author Share Posted August 29, 2011 Classic Car Club members and their guests. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keiser31 Posted August 29, 2011 Share Posted August 29, 2011 Very nice array of beautiful automobiles!! Was the sculpture of the horse made by a guy with the last name Thibodeaux? He made sculptures out of bumpers and I remember one that he made of Muhammad Ali that was downtown Detroit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Kingoftheroad Posted August 29, 2011 Share Posted August 29, 2011 Very Nice ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barry Wolk Posted August 29, 2011 Author Share Posted August 29, 2011 Very nice array of beautiful automobiles!! Was the sculpture of the horse made by a guy with the last name Thibodeaux? He made sculptures out of bumpers and I remember one that he made of Muhammad Ali that was downtown Detroit.I believe you are correct about the sculptor. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rocketraider Posted August 29, 2011 Share Posted August 29, 2011 Beautiful cars and location. What is the dark green roadster, 3rd from bottom? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barry Wolk Posted August 29, 2011 Author Share Posted August 29, 2011 I believe I spoke to the gentleman that brought it, but I can't remember the manufacturer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Restorer32 Posted August 29, 2011 Share Posted August 29, 2011 Sure looks Bentley-esque. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keiser31 Posted August 29, 2011 Share Posted August 29, 2011 Sure looks Bentley-esque.I was thinking Alvis. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
West Peterson Posted August 29, 2011 Share Posted August 29, 2011 That would be Phil's 1934 Railton Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jay144 Posted August 29, 2011 Share Posted August 29, 2011 Barry....was that your green Continental? Looks nice! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barry Wolk Posted August 31, 2011 Author Share Posted August 31, 2011 Yes it is. I'm having a lot of fun with it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve_Mack_CT Posted August 31, 2011 Share Posted August 31, 2011 Not sure why, but I could not see the pics.Anyway, Barry not sure if you are a CCCA member or not - on my "do list" even though I do not own a Full Classic. Nice to see CCCA getting some good press here, I have yet to meet a CCCA member who is not down to earth and more than willing to talk cars - the myth that they are not friendly is just that. Plus, who doesn't love ICE CREAM? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barry Wolk Posted August 31, 2011 Author Share Posted August 31, 2011 Not sure why, but I could not see the pics.Anyway, Barry not sure if you are a CCCA member or not - on my "do list" even though I do not own a Full Classic. Nice to see CCCA getting some good press here, I have yet to meet a CCCA member who is not down to earth and more than willing to talk cars - the myth that they are not friendly is just that. Plus, who doesn't love ICE CREAM? The pics are large. They take some time to load. None of my cars qualify for CCCA, so I'm not a member. The hosts always ask us to come, regardless.From my observations, though, the CCCA does have a problem, IMO. They are so restrictive that the cars that qualify are so expensive that there are no young people to replace the quite old people that own these cars. I felt like a babe in arms amongst that crowd and I'm nearly 60.Years ago, when I asked the lady that was the head of the CCCA why the Mark II didn't qualify (it was due to YOM, only) I was told that the club would never change in her lifetime. Well.....................................they haven't called me yet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
West Peterson Posted August 31, 2011 Share Posted August 31, 2011 Like any club, or life itself, a few bad apples can make a huge impression. Everyone with whom I socialize in CCCA or AACA are more than willing to help, invite, or take the shirt off their back for you. I've witnessed the "bad apples." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barry Wolk Posted August 31, 2011 Author Share Posted August 31, 2011 I can not disagree. I found the group friendly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
West Peterson Posted August 31, 2011 Share Posted August 31, 2011 In regards to letting in cars that do not follow the club's guidelines, rarely are non-Classics prevented from participating in club outings or gatherings. The place non-Classics are not allowed is in their magazine, on CCCA national tours, and on the Grand Classic judging field. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barry Wolk Posted August 31, 2011 Author Share Posted August 31, 2011 That's all the fun stuff. I'll pass. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
West Peterson Posted August 31, 2011 Share Posted August 31, 2011 Not in my opinion. The less formal stuff, such as the event you've posted here, is the fun stuff. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barry Wolk Posted August 31, 2011 Author Share Posted August 31, 2011 To each his own. I'll still pass. Nothing like getting invited to the playground and being excluded from the sand box. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
West Peterson Posted August 31, 2011 Share Posted August 31, 2011 Aww, come on Barry. The sandbox above certainly looks welcoming to everything. I don't see seperate parking or anything. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve_Mack_CT Posted August 31, 2011 Share Posted August 31, 2011 Sorry to send this in this direction Barry, but allow me to play Devil's advocate for one minute - if CCCA was a marque specific group you had interest in, but no car yet, would you consider joining? I look at it that way - if I was invited by some friends to an LCOC event with my Packard, I really would not expect them to feature my car in their newsletter, say, but I might join especially if considering buying a Lincoln at some point.(BTW, did the thought ever cross your mind that a Lincoln Continental would fit your "Continental" collection, and give you something to bring to the CCCA folks' sandbox?? ) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barry Wolk Posted August 31, 2011 Author Share Posted August 31, 2011 if CCCA was a marque specific group you had interest in, but no car yet, would you consider joining? NO(BTW, did the thought ever cross your mind that a Lincoln Continental would fit your "Continental" collection, and give you something to bring to the CCCA folks' sandbox?? )That could happen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve_Mack_CT Posted August 31, 2011 Share Posted August 31, 2011 On my short list of possible future acquisitions as well. I would only add that while there are a lot of very expensive cars in CCCA, many eligible cars are in the $20 - 50K range. Not that exclusive compared to what many much more mundane cars go for...Sounds like it is not about the people in your case, Barry, it is kind of an either I am fully in or I am not thing - if that is the case I get it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barry Wolk Posted August 31, 2011 Author Share Posted August 31, 2011 Why would I join the SDC if I don't own a Stude? Some of my best friends own Studes, but that's no reason to join their club.I guess I'm just totally turned off by the CCCA's attitude, not their members. Many agree that the Mark II should be included as the only thing it doesn't qualify on is that it wasn't made pre-1948, a seemingly arbitrary date. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve_Mack_CT Posted August 31, 2011 Share Posted August 31, 2011 ahh - a philisophical difference. Unfortunately the Milestone Car Society, kind of a postwar answer to CCCA never really made it off the ground, kind of sputtered along for a few years there not sure when it died but I think it may have been at least 10 years ago. Somewhat different criteria though, as I think a '55 - '57 Chevy Nomad would be a milestone as well as your Continental; i can imagine a much less cohesive group than if they took a "best of the best" mentaility as CCCA does. I would agree there are a few cars - yours especially that fit the spirit of CCCA in every aspect except year of manufacture. But in answer to the Stude question - if you were seriously interested in owning one then you may find it makes sense to join? If you appreciated them but just happened to have a couple close friends with Studes I agree, pass. But I will go just about anywhere that has ice cream.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barry Wolk Posted August 31, 2011 Author Share Posted August 31, 2011 Of course I would join the SDC if I were in the market, but I'm not.Frankly, I have little use for the Lincoln or the 356 national organizations, but I have to join them to belong to local regions. I greatly dislike points-judged shows, so I never subject myself to that kind of venue. I like people telling me what they like about my toys, not what's wrong with them, so I fit nicely in the Concours scene.Again, to each his own. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
K8096 Posted August 31, 2011 Share Posted August 31, 2011 I don't think 1948 is an arbitrary date at all. The CCCA is basically a pre WW II car club. The only post war cars let in are ones that are nearly identical to the 1942 models. There isn't one car in the CCCA that originally came with a modern type OHV V8 engine with power steering and modern type power brakes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barry Wolk Posted August 31, 2011 Author Share Posted August 31, 2011 IMO, 1942 is an arbitrary date. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
K8096 Posted August 31, 2011 Share Posted August 31, 2011 In reality, the Classic Era ended in the late 30's with the Packard Twelve, Lincoln, K, V 16 Cadillac, and V 12 Pierce Arrow. Those are the last of the American "over built, larger than life, super cars." Another way to look at it is the custom body business. I believe the only American body builder to make it through the war and still do car bodies in the late 40's early 50's was Derham. And after the war, most (but not all) of Derham's work was adding padded tops to cars. The custom body business (building a one of a kind body from scratch) is a hallmark of what some people call the Classic Era of the 1920's & 30's. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
West Peterson Posted August 31, 2011 Share Posted August 31, 2011 I guess arbitrary is relative, but I agree that there is a definite difference between prewar and postwar cars. The CCCA's initial intent, as K8096 pointed out, was to highlight the cars of the Classic Era, which pretty much ended by 1939. I think they probably did "arbitrarily" choose 1942, just because it was an easy breaking point of prewar vs postwar. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barry Wolk Posted August 31, 2011 Author Share Posted August 31, 2011 If I remember correctly the original cut-off was pre-1942. Kinda hard to hit a moving target. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
West Peterson Posted August 31, 2011 Share Posted August 31, 2011 After the dust cleared, the cut-off was 1942, with the exception of Lincoln Continentals, which were included through 1948. That, in my opinion, was the camel's nose. The founding father's were more interested in having a club JUST FOR the cars that all but the most wealthy one percent of us could afford. Cars that would be in the $300,000 category today. So bringing it into today's world, I guess the analogy would be somone with a Cadillac wanting to break into a club meant for Bentleys and Maybachs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barry Wolk Posted August 31, 2011 Author Share Posted August 31, 2011 I may be wrong, but I don't think that the wealthiest 1% are the ones buying $300,000 cars today. I believe the percentage is much smaller. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alsancle Posted August 31, 2011 Share Posted August 31, 2011 You should join the CCCA if only to get the publications which are fantastic. Btw, I'm a member of about 12 clubs including the Nash, REO, Marmon, Hupp clubs, plus a few other for which I own no cars. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
West Peterson Posted August 31, 2011 Share Posted August 31, 2011 I may be wrong, but I don't think that the wealthiest 1% are the ones buying $300,000 cars today. I believe the percentage is much smaller.You're more than likely right. Go with my second analogy. Cadillac does not produce a car today that would fall within the guidelines of what the original CCCA founders had in mind. If they decided to produce that "Sixteen" that was developed a few years ago... that would fit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barry Wolk Posted August 31, 2011 Author Share Posted August 31, 2011 (edited) No, but a couple of the mid-'50s Caddys and the Mark II would certainly meet their criteria. I'm not suggesting that modern cars be allowed. I don't consider drum brakes and carbs to be modern.Like I said, their rules are exclusionary, which will eventually kill the club through attrition. Edited August 31, 2011 by Barry Wolk (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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