I'll have an update later this week.

Hello all. So I read the schedule and looked at the directions to get to the Flint Cultural Center, but I see there are around 9 buildings on campus. Where exactly do I need to go to get to the car show, swap meet, etc? And is it mandatory to register in advance? Thanks

The Buicks will be located all around the buildings, hopefully in some kind of order by decade, registration closed July 1st, but you can be a free spectator, if you wish as the show is open to the public as will the Sloan Museum and Buick Gallery and Research center from Wednesday to Saturday.

Okay, thanks. Is this an annual thing?

Ryan,

I suggest you read through some of the other areas of the BCA web site regarding National Meets, which are held annually like most other clubs and they move around the country. The Flint National is celebrating 100 years of ZGM and 105 years of Buick and the BCA has been having the event at Flint every five years. Next year Colorado Springs.

Loks like you have a Reatta there, so you might want to view the Reatta forum as well as they have some special activities lined up.


Good luck. Enjoy the show.


John

Boy, I thought there might be some chatter on this forum, now that we are close (and maybe some poeple on the west coast have already departed). But it sure is quiet.

Looking for a lot of Buicks on the mid-west roads in the next few days, even with the high price of gasoline.

We should all join the Pickins Plan.

John

Okay, I'll show my ignorance. What's the Pickens Plan?

Go to www.pickensplan.com.

The creator is T. Boone Pickens, who graduated from the same school as me, Oklahoma State University. The only problems is he made his money in oil in Texas, and now has contributed a lot more then me, and most alimni (millions for new stadium, and some for general fund too)

He has also challenged John Kerry regarding proving Swift Boat was not true, for a few million $, I believe.

Now he has a plan to harness wind in the southwest and midwest and install new transmission lines to feed the power to the entire country. So we will not need more energy from oil for heat - all electric I guess as well as all other power.

And the best part, save petroleum for refining to make gasoline for the good old IC engines. I have to read more myself, but he is putting up his own money for the first wind turbines, as I understand. And this in the middle of oil country.

Check it out - maybe after Flint, and when people quit forseeing cars stopped along the road for fear of no fuel.

John

There's 571 cars registered, and 689 registrations, with GM and Sponsors counted over 1300 people, plus the show is open to the public, not hospitallty room though, which is only open to the registered guests for the event. I don't want to talk about the weather, but it looks very good.
The Music in the Parks, with Flash Cadillac and the Flint Symphony Orchestra is a must see on Friday Night a 7PM to 8:30 PM, on ABC12TV too and at 10 PM are fireworks at Atwood Stadium. This National will be the best of the best! If you are not registered, we prefer that you just come and experience the event, we are not taking walk ons, per the BCA National Meet Guidelines.

Roberta,

I just want to confirm that there will be no judging of any sort at this national event, including for the Driven or preservation awards...

Thanks

Kevin Wyndham
1955 Buick Roadmaster
1966 Ford Mustang
1969 Chevrolet Corvette
1982 Ponitac Grand Prix LJ
1989 Mercedes Benz 300E
2003 Buick LeSabre (173,500 miles now!!!)

Roberta,

We just returned from the Arthritis show in Dublin, Ohio, where my wife spotted a GS owner sporting the 08 BCA meet t-shirt. She asked him how he got it, and he said he ordered it when he registered. Having ordered one myself, I was wondering if I should have already received mine in the mail as well???

Thanks!

That is correct,there is no judging at this event, although there will be a judges training seminar by Alan Oldfield, BCA Chief Judge and Pete Phillips, Judges Training Chairman on Friday at 9 AM - 11:30 AM in the Buick Gallery and Research Center on Walnut Street.
Kevin, you will receive you shirt when you check into the registration table inside the Sloan Museum, when you arrive at the event. We haven't sent any out yet, so this person, must have been at another event where we were selling them!

thanks roberta!!!

Hi Roberta, Will non pre-registered cars be turned away from the national meet? I was just able to break loose from the office and can now make the trip, but don't want to make the drive to Flint if I can't join in the car show. Will drive-ups be accepted? I would think maybe with limited benefits like no shirt or goody bag? Thanks in advance for the info.

Tom, we have the show field already laid out based on pre-registered. so it's not easy for us to add at this time, but you are more than welcome to come view the awesome show and the swap meet looks to be one of the best, so come up in see us, in your most economic car and park in public parking area just see your Buick friends, it going to be THE BEST OF THE BEST.

Thanks for the response. I think Nancy and I will still come up. Now just need to decide if I still want to drive my 68 and park it in public lot, or our CTS. The 68 is running nicely with the new exhaust manifold but I just don't know about parking the 68 in public lot???

Where were all the Buick's at Milan? I had the Reatta parked there and saw two Grand Nationals/T-Types, one racing and when I came out to my car there was an older late 70s, early 80s Riviera parked beside me when I left at 8:00.

Roberta: Sorry we could not be at Flint for the meet, I really enjoyed the 2003 show. However I did do my part for Buick this week as we got our new 2008 Lucerne last Monday and it is probably the nicest Buick I have ever owned, so quiet!!!! Trust every one has a great time, Bob Newquist BCA#6

Heres some of my pictures from the meet
1st of heres my ride, w/family


Then heres some of my pictures, If I've posted your ride and you don't want it posted, reply and I'll edit the posting and remove it.









[img]http://i178.photobucket.com/albums/w274/will_e_roberts/Photo0201.jpg[/img]
[img]http://i178.photobucket.com/albums/w274/will_e_roberts/Photo0200.jpg[/img]
[img]http://i178.photobucket.com/albums/w274/will_e_roberts/Photo0199.jpg[/img]
[img]http://i178.photobucket.com/albums/w274/will_e_roberts/Photo0196.jpg[/img]

I took about 60 pics when I was there late Friday. Check them out here: BCA/GM Centennial-Flint, MI 2008

Well, I survived the delayed flight and got home at 2:00 a.m. My latest Bugle was on the pile of mail I took close to 900 MB of photos (on the order of 500) and have promised to send a DVD to Pete. I also managed to get photos of all the Sunday parade cars as they proceeded by. Some of them aren't the greatest photos, but along with the Flint Journal brochure, will make a great keepsake.

I have some mixed emotions about not having had a car there this year, but I feel that I was able to enjoy the show a bit more since I didn't have the responsibility of looking after a car as well. I made some new Buick friends, some of whom I will be seeing in a week or so in Oshawa for the Canadian centennial celebration. I also got to get together with some old (not necessarily in age) Buick friends. I learned stuff and passed on some knowledge to others. Not everything was perfect, but I truly enjoyed myself.

Congratulations and thanks to Roberta and Harold (meaning Renée ) for leading Buicktown in hosting another outstanding event.