Thriller

bhclark - I think you are correct on the 2 sheet idea, but I would like to see one included in the registration confirmation you receive in the mail rather than in the goody bag. It may be a bit late for the early 2012 registrants, but having a bit of a map, appropriate URLs, etc. can help someone who likes to have their time a bit more structured / planned.

One thing to consider here is that neither of these cars have any bids (with the blue one ended). Realistically, price isn't the only option when considering getting into the hobby. These '70s four doors are very large cars by today's standards. Whether or not someone who drives a Camry or Civic would feel comfortable (and be competent) driving one is one question and a second one is whether or not their garage will realistically fit one of these behemoths. The other thing is that a car needs to appeal to a potential buyer. Unless they learned to drive in one or something similar, there may not be enough of a draw for these cars. Keep in mind that two doors / sporty cars are always considered more desirable (not by everyone granted), so Rivieras, Century coupes, and Regal coupes not to mention Skylarks, are more likely to command the attention. Add in the fact that things like parking stalls getting smaller have an impact and the demand for Electras will remain low. I think these are nice cars, but I don't know that they will ever be more than a niche market. Of course, any cars that are affordable as a starter into the hobby are useful.

Well, I can see the issue being a bit of a mess. Part of it is how the voting occurs...you can actually vote from the main page without opening up the car's page. I initially did open the page each day, but noticed that the "like" option was available on the main page, so to save time, I just did that. Now, Eastwood, having a significant Internet presence, should be able to either better define the rules for entrants and those voting, and if they want one person one vote, then the closest they are going to be able to come is to set it up so you can only vote once from each device. I know that can be done. Of course, if they went that route, they should also cut off entries at the beginning of the month - late entries could go in the next month...that way, someone who wants to vote can do so at any point in the month without worrying about preferring the late entrants. I don't think you can mail a rattle can to Canada...just something you'll want to consider.

Ditto. (from MacDonald Cartier airport...not the original plan, but now just a few short hours from home)

'Cause I can barely afford the one that currently isn't in it...and there aren't very many around in the first place to be able to find local ones generally.

Well, for one thing, I believe over the last couple meets, we've had something like 33% or more of the cars judged in the 400 point judging. So, I would suggest that putting emphasis on the judging shouldn't really occur on a one page fact sheet for National Newbies. With respect to judging, I would remind people that all cars should have UL approved fire extinguishers at all BCA (and non-BCA) events. If we can make it habitual for everyone and achieve that as a mindset, then the local chapters don't need to have cases of fire extinguishers on hand. Frankly, selling an extinguisher to someone who doesn't know how to use it just to meet a requirement for judging isn't necessarily entirely a good thing. The other reminder I would give is a link to the online manual and recommended reading (page numbers) for the owners. Perhaps the idea of a local contact would be nice, but that could place quite an onus on locals who are already quite busy. Rather than a local, perhaps a "mentor" program could be put together - get Nationals veterans to volunteer their name, add a check box for first time registrants on the form, and when those registrations come in, try to pair the newbie with a veteran. Perhaps an overview of the experience is in order...that it is about Buicks, Buick people, and taking in some of the local flavour of the host locale. Different strokes for different folks, so emphasizing Buicks, Buickful friends, and Buickful sites will hopefully get them excited. Noting that there are typically a car wash area and supplies available would be useful. If vacuums are not available, perhaps suggesting a 12V vacuum may be appropriate. Some confusion could be eliminated if we absolutely define which cars need to go through pre-qualification and photos...if the Driven Class doesn't have photos, then informing registrants (and ensuring that the volunteers doing the work don't look down on the owners of drivers) could be useful. There is always some variation among sites, but providing local information (e.g. restaurant alternatives, sites to see, etc.) could be useful. Noting that there is a hospitality room (so they know to ask when they arrive if nothing else) could also work. The reality is that a National is what you make of it. The question is how to make it an enjoyable experience for folks new to it. Our first was the 2003 meet...talk about mayhem when you don't know where you are going or how things are run. We missed one bus because the buses we took the previous day were running through the day and we didn't realize that sometimes they are on a schedule. So much of it in my mind is local information. For instance, I was excited to see the signage on the highway with the BCA logo...I wasn't so excited to notice that there were arrows that I couldn't be sure what direction they pointed until I was on top of them. In other words, having adequate signage that helps folks, and perhaps having a "greeter" in place to help direct people. Anyway, I'd better stop now...I guess the challenge is to think back to your first meet and try to recall what would have been useful. Additionally, perhaps even after your first meet there was a moment of "I wish I'd known that earlier".

My only disappointment is not seeing it again while it was in the general vicinity...I only learned that it had come home last week.

I would disagree with Roy's comment about enough judges. That isn't because we didn't have teams that were generally large enough. I would simply argue that with more judges, the classes can be further subdivided into smaller groups, leading to less time on the show field judging. That may make it easier for judging administration as well to have things in smaller bundles. That said, you lose some consistency within a class if there are multiple teams judging them. I've always said that if each car being judged provided a judge, allowing for judging administration, deputies, etc. each team would need to judge only about 6 cars, and at 10 minutes per car, that would be an hour on the show field. That is merely my opinion of course. Bill - Suzanne did spend time studying the judges handbook the night before and asked some questions that would certainly surprise many...she has talked about writing about her experience, so I won't add any more spoilers here. One question is whether or not the quality of cars is getting better or whether judging is getting more lax. I would be interested in the opinions of the likes of Pete P., Alan O., and Mac B. in terms of car quality and awards presented. I know there was one car that a knowledgeable individual mentioned a few incorrect items in the lounge the night before...that car won a gold senior, so I begin to wonder. Of course, I didn't inspect the car myself nor did I judge it. If the relative proportion of bronze / silver / gold / gold senior is more or less the same over the years, then I would suggest there are no real issues. If the quality is creeping up, then the cars may simply be getting better, or we are getting better at not killing the car. I've only been involved in judging for about 5 years, so I really can't comment on the long term. BJM - I've been there, agonizing over the points per dollar spent...my advice would be to go over your car as a judge, perhaps even marking up the sheets in the judges manual to give yourself an idea, then analyze what would give you the best bang for your buck. Of course, there is some value in determining what others judge your car as, then you can decide whether to improve it, drive it as is, or do something in between.

Hear hear. Rick, I'm still dealing with the ocean air...not sure it is doing much for my sinuses though. Back to the flat lands tomorrow.

Thanks Mike & Nancy. It probably got held up just after getting into the system, then things were just getting started again before we left. We'll be home Friday and I forget if the mail starts back then or the following Monday. You know that I just felt like grumbling, right? It can't be all bad spending today at the Bay of Fundy, then taking in a national historic site dealing with my Acadian (partial) ancestry. Of course, Boston and MA tie into that history as well...can't get away from it this vacation.

Have you been hearing about the water we have? Heck, all yours drains to us.... We have enough of our own thank you very much. In fact, when I get home, maybe I'll go outside to lose some weight.

Still haven't seen my June Bugle...Canada Post labour dispute was the big issue...hopefully it will be delivered with a bundle either Friday or Monday.

Um, so you are cutting Buttercup in half to be able to bring half a Buick? That seems like a waste. How about you bring Buttercup so that you have nearly 2% of the total?

I just transferred about 1.5 GB from two of the cameras...and we have a third with us. I'm having trouble with the external mouse, and editing photos may have to wait until I can deal with that or get another mouse. Flight is supposed to start boarding in about 10 minutes or so, so I'd better start shutting down. This thread will be expanded when I have some time, a mouse, and greater Internet speed. I know we have a number of photos from the Boston tour on Wednesday as well.

To make a minor correction to JD's post, I remember 3...Willie, aka Old-Tank, also received a BuickMan. Heck, we all got a piece of BuickMan memorabilia...it is important and fun to show up at these. I would also like to express thanks to John for setting it up.

Glad to be of some small assistance Leroy. When I'd seen who the car had been seen with and that they were going to be in Alberta, it just seemed natural to me. I look forward to seeing the shot (may require better than airport WiFi...).

Time capsule...way cool. If there someone nearby, it would be great to get LOTS of detailed photos of both cars before they run away to document them for posterity.

Drool...I even have space for something like that now...and a new judging class for it on the off chance I'd want to go that route....

Had some at the forum breakfast...Mike is no longer a Spam virgin...currently sitting at Logan...flight starts boarding in an hour or so for the next leg of the journey.

Sigh...oh well, since everything is added cost, I'm no longer sure how much I care....

Bravo...thumbs up.

The Reatta is a Buick...one came up for sale locally. Pretty much end of story. My daughter judged Reattas at the national in Colorado, so she was thinking we should get one. I presented a photo of the white '88 to She Who Must Be Obeyed in the presence of family to ensure I didn't die on the spot...she has pretty much laid claim to the car. I'll be picking up parts in Danvers to get the car to pass the Manitoba vehicle inspection, then we'll have a driver.

I'm glad to hear it all worked out for you. The dolly is likely required to have brakes - trailers require brakes when they are 2000 lbs, so with a car on it is required. Ultimately, the issue is more about insurance than anything else. I could be wrong, but I would bet your TranSport is rated for 3500 lb maximum towing. The shipping weight on a 1990 convertible is 3570 lbs and the dolly would add probably 1-200 lbs minimum. While the TranSport may handle it, if you were in a collision, particularly if it was due to not being able to brake quickly enough (i.e. rear end), then your insurance would be void if you were towing over the capacity of the tow vehicle. I understand that you didn't go far and didn't encounter any issues, and were probably very careful. It is situations like these that can lead to needless collisions, which then cause legislators to panic and figure they need to protect us from ourselves and impose further regulations on us. GM has always been conservative in rating the towing capacity of vehicles in terms of what they are actually capable of (of course, Transport Canada and the American equivalent are involved too), so issues are unlikely if you are just over capacity, but it is possible to suffer fines or be without insurance if anything should occur. I certainly intended no offense in my comments. It is just a frustration / pet peeve of mind that people think because you can get a tow hitch for a Camry that it is an appropriate tow vehicle....

Not to mention dangerous. Part of the fun is seeing folks first thing in the morning before their liver is done processing alcohol :cool: I think a breakfast environment tends to be quieter so there may be more conversation. A bar tends to be a noisy environment where one can't hear oneself think. Now, if we could get a semi-private room for that, I'd support the idea.

Hey Marck...the Doritos made for one handed typing, which is a bit difficult, so I didn't want to put too much in the earlier post. The questions to you are a few. First, are you concerned about winning hardware, or is it about attending the meet with a car? How modified is the car? With some minor changes, you can still have it judged in the 400 point class - check out the BCA Judging Manual from the BCA page / Documents drop down. It will give you an overview of how the cars are judged. The modified classes are not described there, if I recall, but there is usually an article in the Bugle each year describing the mild / wild (radical?) / resto-mod classes. Lightly modified Buicks are kind of in a no man's land as they may not win any awards because they don't fit in as well to either class (i.e. not enough mods to win in Modified, but too many to be considered authentic enough to do well in 400 point). At that point, entering as Display or driven class (possibly modified driven...check the rules) would be the best bet. So the short answer is, it depends. For instance, my '76 pace car doesn't qualify for the Driven class because it has Centerline wheels on it, but the modified guys don't really want to deal with it either because that is marginally a modification. Ultimately that becomes a discussion with the BoD to see if we can come up with a better continuum to ensure all cars have a class they can enter with a reasonable shot at an award.