49chrysler

Contact the Walter P. Chrysler Musuem in MI. They can can find a build sheet for your vehicle. I think they charge $45.00 for that service.

Tom and all who have been commenting, I am a very new member of the AACE. I joined in May of this year and have made most of the meetings every month. I have a very deep passion for automobiles and a very high interest in developing, maintaining and presenting the hobby of classical, antique and collector automobiles. When I was reading the posts in this forum on the "Younger Generation Oulook on AACA", it struck a cord in a couple of ways. First, at the age of 52, I am the youngest member to attend the meetings. I have seen another person younger but only once at one of the summer picnic meetings we hosted. So I could relate to everyones comments on this subject. Secondly, this problem of membership and bringing in newer blood, so to speak , is not new to me. In my profession, I have been active in my professional association and served in many positions including president of the local chapter when I lived in Chicago area. We had much of the same problem, maybe not the age issue, but membership in general. I would like to relay some of these things we did to increase membership and how it may apply to the AACA chapters. I have read in the forum that this issue needs to be brought to Philly. It does but, in a way that national will give the support and that we can walk away with a starting point to work on this issue. The structure of this association seems not much different from any other so I think what I am about to say is mostly true. It is not and will not be viewed by nationl that this is there problem to solve. However, if there are people and I mean names and addresses and phone numbers and a skeleton of a chain of command for an ad hoc committe, that I would assume go under memebership, with a general committe directive or mission statement of the issue along with a general narrative of how this problem could effect the association in general, then we have a better chance of being taken for real. A motion would have to be put on the table for a ad hoc committe to look into this issue. If this can get passed , we would have the support of National along with being networked into on going business at the national level. If national sees we are organized with participates then our chance of getting a foot in the door is much greater. Now for some general ideas on how to bring in potential member and then on how to keep them. Lets keep in mind that this problem is going to be left to the chapters to resolve. However, an Ad Hoc committe can gather, compile, organize issue guidlines and programs that the chapters can use as a guide to help them develop a more diversified membership. It can be brought to the region level as a seminar for chapter officers to attend. You can never have enough advertising and advertising does not always mean spending money. - At any shows always have a table with applications and a synopsis of what your AACE chapter has to offer a potential member. -Parades should have a AACE magnetic sign with a phone number on the last car. -a half hour to hour antique automobile cirriculum so this can be presented to intermediate school shop classes, high school and adult community college auto mechanics and welding courses. -4-H club is a very good vehicle for this . Seems Tom has done an exceptioanl job in starting this and this should be presented to every chapter. I know of very few areas that dont have a 4h club. -Book stores are a good place to place a good looking poster advertizing the club. -Make sure each chapter sends there newsletters to area car clubs. -local chapter web page -fund raisers, food closet, different charities in combination with lions, rotary or other clubs These are just a few idea along with the many good ideas I read in the forum postings. However, once you get them in the door the problems is keeping them. In my professional society there were a few things we implemented to do just that. It worked for us. All chapters are made up of a chain of command. Make sure a new member knows who is who. We developed deparment heads. In the AACA this could people that are knowldgeable about body work , engine repair, electrical, chassis, interiors, etc.. Each department or committe had a chairman or co-chairmen and a small group under them to field any questions on that subject the membership had. There names and numbers were published in the news letter each month. We also implemented a mentor program. When a new member came in we would assign him or her a person to help them with the club issues , questions, etc. The mentor would also follow-up with the new person with phone calls to make sure they had any questions answered and to promote their attendence at the next meeting. We had a hisrorian in our association but I think it would work well in the AACA chapters. It would be there responsiblitiy to document the member automobile(s) with the owners and other histrorical facts. This with photos would go into the chapter archive automobile directory. All of these are pretty simple but they worked. Maybe they already exist in many chapters.We had results the first year of about 6% increase. Each year after that for three years we had increases until we had increased the membership about 31%. Of course it depends on the people and following through and being active to accomplish anything. These ideas also made more of the members active in the chapter and increased the membership at the meetings. These are just some suggestions from what I have seen work in different asociations I have belong to. It may or may not help. However, I think everyone has concerns in these postings that are viable. The main thing is to get oraganized and to act. Mike lovell Northern Nevada Chapter AACA