CarNucopia

Thanks Dave. I have friends in the area who are a couple with young children and cars separated by 66 years. I was just curious how they’d be able to park. We all plan to be there and are looking forward to the show.

My take is Mr. Robinson unwittingly gives a great example of why people should be cynical about government. Testing of old cars has been in place for decades and they are just now starting to collect data to see if it's an effective use of resources? The fact that they have tested nearly a million old cars a year and still lack the metrics and insight to properly evolve the program is a measure of just how incompetent they are.

Is there a set order to how cars in the Driver Participation Class are parked? Or can you park next to friends with DPC cars that are of a different era or brand?

Some states have a reciprocity agreement where they collect tax, via the dealer, for the other state. Indiana does this when an Illinois or Wisconsin resident buys a vehicle.

My solution would be to take the inner and outer door handles off and pretend it isn't supposed to open. Or...maybe put the car outside where it is cold to see if the warmth of the shop may have expanded something (like the wood) that has created a sticking point.

It looks like what is on my ‘30, but I’ll need to check to be certain. The car isn’t at my house, so I’ll look for a picture.

Yes, but I prefer not speak its name. 😜

I'd add Edward Deming and Lee Iaccoca

Cool that they work as intended. The first time I drove through one, it was really disorienting. I felt like I might go into oncoming traffic.

I saw this idea, which I liked. You can also remove the AirTag speaker so they can’t easily find it.

So those things are called roundabouts? I always called them chicanes.😆 If you don’t like roundabouts, wait until you get Double Diverged Diamonds like we’re seeing in Illinois.

Here’s a video about what happens if the thief gets an alert. If you put the tag in something sound-proof, or a locked box, its unlikely they could deactivate it as they need to take the battery out. I put one in the transported car and one in the trailer to make life more difficult.

I'll be following this with interest. I feel equal parts envy and inspiration. I always thought a decommissioned firehouse would be the trick setup. But a retired dealership is even better. I'm hoping this thread will motivate me to get more organized in my own shop. I've always believed that motoring collections are like fish: They grow to fill their tank. ☺️ I have less sq/ft then you, but divided between three spaces I call Home, Home of Deferred Maintenance and Home of Abandoned projects. I'm taking you're post as a call to action to consolidate. Thanks!

You can register for the event with this form: https://files.constantcontact.com/8cca7e3a001/87091c3a-241b-4a4a-bf75-394300efe9c0.pdf I've no idea how you register for the seminars.

I like auctions mostly for the entertainment value. Having attended many, I think I've witnessed examples of the good and bad mentioned above. I find the TV auctions the most theatrical. Throw a rock and you'll hit a bidder attending with the replacement for his first wife (and his appreciation for Dagmars) on display. At the end of the day, everyone leaves having made a free choice on what to do with their money. I have a scale in my head of auction house trustworthiness. I'd probably buy a car from any of them, because that's where the seller decided to sell the car. Their choice, not mine. I just try to exercise the appropriate level of caution for each and subtract a BS discount from my budget to adjust my risk. My new favorite for entertainment is rural tractor auctions. 😁

The closest I came to that was trading a 12-pack of Bud Light for a Honda FT500 Ascot. At the conclusion of the transaction, neither the seller, nor the bike could move under it’s own power.

I have tractor envy. 😁

I've taken a few different motoring courses. The first was a beginner riding coursed from the Motorcycle Safety Foundation. A year later, I took the Advanced Rider Course. Both absolutely helped me be a safer rider. Without it, I doubt I would have developed the defensive intuition for the roadway I have, or practiced avoidance skills. Also, much of what I learned made me a more aware driver. This really comes in handy when driving a Prewar car that puts me more at risk. When I graduated from college, I was given a Skip Barber class at Road America as a gift. It was a ton of fun and taught me about vehicle handling and car control. It completely changed my taste in cars and I went from a V8 Camaro to a Miata. Since then, I've always placed handling as a priority over power (though I prefer both). This lead to a 33-year run of Miata ownership. The biggest benefit though was developing the skill to drive a car in slippery conditions, like midwestern winters. The most recent class I took was the Model T driving school at the Gilmore. I've always had a curiosity about the "T" and wanted some first hand experience. It was enjoyable enough I picked up my '16 Runabout earlier this year.

Thanks West. This brings up another suggestion I have given. Does the AACA have a process to collect best practices from Regions and Chapters and roll them out to everyone? Let's get the folks with more advanced systems to help move the club forward. Registration is a solved problem. Other clubs have been doing this for a decade or more. We discussed this earlier in the year in another thread and the Harwoods talked about how they switched to online registration five years ago for their Stan Hywet event. Having showed a car there, I can speak to the large scale and complexity of the event. It's a huge undertaking. Both said it improved the process considerable. Melanie also mentioned she volunteered to help implement something similar for the AACA, but her offer was not accepted. When someone with her ability offers to help and is not allowed to, I have to think there are deaf ears.

Thanks for the the question. For the entirety of my career, I traveled and worked weekends. Because of this, I wasn't able to participate in club activities. About a 18 months ago, this changed. I reached out to 6 different people within the AACA via email explaining that I am a life-long car enthusiast with a career that included automotive special event promotion, consumer marketing and strategic planning. I asked a simple question: "How can I help?" I received one response that didn't address the thrust of my question. Six months later, I was copied on an email to a local region person making an introduction. If the tone of my opinions comes off "condescending" its a measure of my frustration combined with the lesson that it takes a pointed comment to get a response. I also need to take exception to your characterization of me describing the board. As a reminder, here is what I said about them specifically: "I have no doubt the process brings forth people who are passionate, dedicated to the AACA and hard working. All are volunteers giving up their personal time to advance the interests of the Club.". My criticism was about the process used to select them. When you select from a group of people who mostly have a similar experiences as it relates to the AACA, there are not enough new perspectives. Yes, institutional knowledge is important to maintain continuity of purpose. But, too much of it creates group think and blind spots. I have seen this on other boards I've been on. My measure of the Club's governance isn't how the board debates or gets along, it's how well the Club evolves to meet current and new member needs. In this area, I give it a failing grade And, when it fails for an extended period, it's likely systemic. One potential cause is the board selection process since the board is where long term planning starts. Why do I even care? I very much want the AACA to be a healthy, relevant and long-lived organization. I hear other members talk about their 50 years with the club and feel envious. Why? Because I'm pretty sure the organization will not be there, and relevant, for me when I'm their age. I can say this with relative certainty as it's barely relevant now. As an enthusiast in his mid-50s, I find the club archaic and mostly incapable of interacting with younger enthusiasts on their own terms. None of my similar-age car friends have interest in the club and the younger folks I know are even further removed from the AACA. As far as specific recommendations, I've made many here and in personal communications with leadership. One I made on the forum that was not well received was the need for online registration for events. This is symptomatic of what is the first hurdle to recruiting new, young members. The organization conducts business the same way it did 25 years ago. Young people are not going to mail things or write checks. This is table-stakes stuff for engagement. I've asked leadership if there was a marketing plan with goals and metrics to help the guide the AACA in fulfilling it's mission. There isn't. Again, table-stakes stuff. I've also reached out to the Legislative Chair about an issue of concern I wanted to get involved with. I never received a response. As far as what I do for the club now, I moved on to other things after the prolonged radio silence. I'll stay a member, enjoy the club and hope things will improve. One important point I need to make is my issue is not with staff. I've had nothing but positive experiences with them. They do great work. Finally, at times I'll make what you call a "nebulous" comment just to see if anyone else shares my concern. Maybe I'm wrong? Or maybe this just isn't the place for me. I'm open to either prospect. But candidly, it boggles my mind that members don't look at who is attending events and wonder who will be there 10 or twenty years from now. You've all invested so much heart into this organization, don't you worry about it's future? Can you honesty say it's on a course that will endure?

Thanks for the reply Steve. I appreciate that you took 8 minutes to consider my criticism before dismissing it out-of-hand with antidotes. This sort of response, which I've received before, is what concerns me about people being able to challenge the status quo.

Respectfully, I've seen this said before and think it's a bit of a diversion. The process of getting elected to the Board requires the blessing of the Board (unless you can get a petition signed by 2,600+ members). Per the bylaws: I can't speak to how this became the process, or what the intent was. I doubt it was anything nefarious. But, it creates a high probability that nominees will be chosen who have similar outlooks to the current board. I have no doubt the process brings forth people who are passionate, dedicated to the AACA and hard working. All are volunteers giving up their personal time to advance the interests of the Club. What it doesn't give you are contrarian voices who challenge the status quo. PS: I'm in agreement the Magazine should be mailed to everyone.

The problem with looking at this through a supply/demand lens is that demand has been going down even when the price is unchanged. The core issue is, the universe of people who want to buy a booth is shrinking. I'll also add, if a person can't generate enough sales in a 10x30 space to pay a $100 fee, I can't imagine they are contributing much to the show.

Something I’ve learned about the evolution of businesses/events/clubs/magazines is that the people affected seem to think the options are “change” or “don’t change”. The reality is, the options are “change” or “die”. As was once said, “if a business ages with its customers, it becomes Woolworth's”. Sure, I also see changes I don’t like. What I try to do step back and think how this might help the thing I care about evolve into something that is still relevant, instead of something obsolete.

An option that might be worth considering is bicycle turn signals. https://blinkbike.com I’ve no experience with this, but it’s the route I’d try first.