Cruise-in comments

[stock_steve]

___________________________________________________________

Steve , back in 76 I joined the newly founded Vintage Volkswagen Club of A. I was # 84. I joined the club because there was no other club for the purest as they called us.. As you recall there were plenty of Bug In's, The VW classic, Bug - O - Rama etc. all catering to the mild to wild. Today where I live there is a chapter and guess what. 75-80% of the cars are modified/customed/rodded and rat rodded. So I quit because the club does NOT live up to the standards set forth in the mission statement. I also quit POCI for the very same reason. That is also why I decided to join AACA, although there is a Chapter ( not my local ) of AACA that has nothing but hot rods and customs ( If one of our high ranking officers wants to know which chapter PM me) What I did find out was the local VW club has stayed a member of the national club so it can get cheap insurance for it's shows.

I would also like to say that I don't mind hot rods, and most of my friends have them, what I do mind is hijacking a club when you already know what it's mission statement is.

D.

Wow! I joined VVWCA around the early-to-mid-'80s or so (about the same time I joined AACA). I know a couple of people who were members in '76--but not many! I still appreciate the VVWCA's support of people who like old VWs in general.

[stock_steve]

Only on this thread.

Ha! True!

[stock_steve]

...This whole "Cars and coffee" early morning thing is interesting though, and catching on with sports cars, antiquers, etc. You are more likely to see an eclectic mix of cars there, it seems...

I haven't been to any of those yet, but look forward to hopefully hitting one or two this coming year--even if only as a spectator. Have you, Steve? If so, was it F40's in Portland? Are there any others happening around the central CT area?

I've also heard about another one down toward the Fairfield County area (New Canaan specifically) that sounds pretty cool (though from the high-end-appearing mix cars shown, probably even more likely I'd just be a spectator!): Caffeine & Carburetors – The official website

[Dynaflash8]

As long as we have all these TV street rod shows (the worst being My Classic Car), and no TV old car shows (Tailfins and Chrome usually has more old cars than hot rods, but its not a nationwide show) all the young people see are street rods. In other words the Media is pushing the street rod "hobby" to the detriment of the old car hobby. We're talking about the Media only as it applies to old cars and street rods here. We old car lovers have no representation on TV, and after some eight years of effort cannot get any representation on TV. That's where these Cruise-ins have come from and they are taking over the hobby we've known and loved for fifty years or more. I've been collecting old cars, mostly Buicks, since I was 16 and now I'm 73. It's only now that the street rod bunch has so taken over, that I'm losing interest in the old car hobby, outside of AACA National activities.

Edited March 22, 2012 by Dynaflash8 (see edit history)

[jpage]

The show "Home Improvement " displayed a number of the "Tool Man's" custom tin and other shows like "American Hot Rod" did a lot to spur the street rod craze just like "American Chopper" did for custom bikes. I have to admit ,I did enjoy watching the builds although I know that most of it was rigged for tv. Again,I can appreciate a well constructed hot rod(if no real cars were harmed in the making of this car) but they have no place with restored vehicles. There also is a heavy sway towards newer ,faster vehicles in our hobby. I ,sadly,have dropped out of the club because of this trend. Even our local chapter rarely sees a car older than 45 yrs turn out for anything. Last chapter tour I was on I could not keep up with my Model A following '60's and '70's era cars. Everybody wants to go fast! So why bother! Of course, owners of the old cars are getting older themselves and may be less active ,and fear of driving on today's highways( which can be just as dangerous in modern cars) has done it's part in curtailing usage of older autos. I can remember lots of antique cars that have disappeared around here in the last 20 yrs. Even at Hershey two years ago,I was disheartened so see such a small number of Model A fords and the ones there were not near as nice as they were 25 or 30 yrs.ago. Times do change and everyone has his or her preference,but I do tire of hearing"when are you going to get rid of that old thing,"or "when are you going to drop a big engine in it" or "just throw it together and enjoy it" I just feel that there is no place for older cars anymore! Maybe it's time for a separate pre-war club!

[avgwarhawk]

The show "Home Improvement " displayed a number of the "Tool Man's" custom tin and other shows like "American Hot Rod" did a lot to spur the street rod craze just like "American Chopper" did for custom bikes. I have to admit ,I did enjoy watching the builds although I know that most of it was rigged for tv. Again,I can appreciate a well constructed hot rod(if no real cars were harmed in the making of this car) but they have no place with restored vehicles. There also is a heavy sway towards newer ,faster vehicles in our hobby. I ,sadly,have dropped out of the club because of this trend. Even our local chapter rarely sees a car older than 45 yrs turn out for anything. Last chapter tour I was on I could not keep up with my Model A following '60's and '70's era cars. Everybody wants to go fast! So why bother! Of course, owners of the old cars are getting older themselves and may be less active ,and fear of driving on today's highways( which can be just as dangerous in modern cars) has done it's part in curtailing usage of older autos. I can remember lots of antique cars that have disappeared around here in the last 20 yrs. Even at Hershey two years ago,I was disheartened so see such a small number of Model A fords and the ones there were not near as nice as they were 25 or 30 yrs.ago. Times do change and everyone has his or her preference,but I do tire of hearing"when are you going to get rid of that old thing,"or "when are you going to drop a big engine in it" or "just throw it together and enjoy it" I just feel that there is no place for older cars anymore! Maybe it's time for a separate pre-war club!

You make some excellent points. Age of the classic car participants certainly is directly related to cars we see today. In other words, the cars of the 50's were the cars to have and still are to the older generation. Most are stock and some did a bit of hot rodding. As the age and demographics changed so did the cars, engines and performance. The age of the car owner today remembers the Chevelles, Torino, Firebird, Camaro. These are currently the cars to have for these guys who grew up smelling the rubber burning off the wheels as Detroit shoehorned in big blocks. These are the muscle cars and the muscle car generation doing what they wished to do as a kid. But, some of the hot rodding has spilled over into the cars of the 50's etc.

Having to hear, "When are you getting rid of that old thing." is awful. People don't understand. That old thing is your pride, joy, hard work, hobby and represents a time in history where things were a bit simpler. Some folks just don't grab the allure of the older car of a era gone by. Having to hear, "Just shoehorn in a Chevy 350, set it and forget it." is also awful. Again, its a hobby and a challenge sometimes keeping the machine alive. Some people just don't appreciate the hobby, challenge and love of the older vehicle.

As far as no place for the older vehicle, I would say that is not entirely true. We might be outnumbered by the rods and stick out like a sore thumb but the sore thumb gets the attention in most cases. My experiences with the general public concerning the stock 54 Buick has been astonishing. Thumbs up, Harley riders waving at me(trying to figure this one out), people stopping to admire and others stopping to ask questions as I pump gas, etc. By and large, as I look at pictures of the local clubs, 90% of the cars depicted are hot rods. So, yes, the feeling of no place for the old girl from the 40's is tangible. At any rate, as I looked over picture after picture there was some older unaltered beauties. I look at it as being the rare breed.

Edited March 22, 2012 by avgwarhawk (see edit history)

[Guest bkazmer]

... He proudly says it drives like a 3/4 ton pickup.

This is exactly what I don't get. If said of any other new car, this would clearly be meant as a degrogatory comment. So what is laudable about about saying that my once old car now drives like a crappy new car? (Pick-up owners, a new pick-up may excel in some things, but neither ride nor handling are up to the level of a decent modern car)

[Dynaflash8]

Isn't it a shame....no place for older, Classic and Production cars from the 1930s and 1940s. Mr. Page, I'm sorry you dropped out of the club because you only saw newish cars. When I was on the Board, I did something about it, because I felt the same way. I envisioned and developed the AACA Sentimental Tour, a tour for 1928-1958 vehicles; and like all AACA tours, you follow directions and run at your own speed; no need to caravan. The Glidden Tour, both in AACA and VMCCA is limited to cars no newer than 1942, and AACA has the Vintage Tour for 1927 and older cars as well as the Reliability Tour limited to 1915 and earlier cars. AACA has a tour for everybody. There is even the Founders Tour for 1932-25 years old for those who appreciate later cars that have been kept stock. Except for this last, Founders Tour, all AACA tours are for cars of a like period in time. Having been there, I can tell you that in 1958 there were an awful lot of 1934-1948 cars still on the road in every day use, as well as Model A's. I will say in my neighborhood in Virginia, just outside of Washington, DC, after WWII Model A's were pretty scarce, but I remember two returning veterans in our neighborhood who drove them. However, 1936-41 Buicks, and other brands were still commonplace there, clear up into the very early 1960's. I know, because I was constantly chasing them down from 1955-on.

[Guest]

Isn't it a shame....no place for older, Classic and Production cars from the 1930s and 1940s. Mr. Page, I'm sorry you dropped out of the club because you only saw newish cars. When I was on the Board, I did something about it, because I felt the same way. I envisioned and developed the AACA Sentimental Tour, a tour for 1928-1958 vehicles; and like all AACA tours, you follow directions and run at your own speed; no need to caravan. The Glidden Tour, both in AACA and VMCCA is limited to cars no newer than 1942, and AACA has the Vintage Tour for 1927 and older cars as well as the Reliability Tour limited to 1915 and earlier cars. AACA has a tour for everybody. There is even the Founders Tour for 1932-25 years old for those who appreciate later cars that have been kept stock. Except for this last, Founders Tour, all AACA tours are for cars of a like period in time. Having been there, I can tell you that in 1958 there were an awful lot of 1934-1948 cars still on the road in every day use, as well as Model A's. I will say in my neighborhood in Virginia, just outside of Washington, DC, after WWII Model A's were pretty scarce, but I remember two returning veterans in our neighborhood who drove them. However, 1936-41 Buicks, and other brands were still commonplace there, clear up into the very early 1960's. I know, because I was constantly chasing them down from 1955-on.

________________________________________________________

I think it's fantastic that this club has all these tours and meets, so I picked up my current issue of AACA to have a look of what is scheduled in the calendar for 2012. Not one meet or tour for anything on the west coast. There is a Regional meet in Orange county Ca. about 280 miles from me. I thought I might drive my un-restored 1976 Oldsmobile down there so I looked at their webb site, was very impressed with their criteria for the types of cars for the show. Ah, but there was one little problem. It seems this AACA region sponsored event does not adhere to AACA's 25 years or older rule. This Orange county reagion will only accept cars from pre 1973. How can you grow a club if people have no exposure?

D.

[oldcarfudd]

Interesting. I just looked up their web site to see what was going on on the left coast. I was impressed that they're so emphatic that they don't welcome hot rods, etc. But I was disappointed at the other end of the age range from D. Helfen's concern. There were exactly TWO pre-'28 cars at their last big show - a neat original Model T sedan and a beautifully restored brass Locomobile. Almost everything was post-WWII.

Gil Fitzhugh, Morristown, NJ

[J3Studio]

It seems this AACA region sponsored event does not adhere to AACA's 25 years or older rule. This Orange county region will only accept cars from pre 1973. How can you grow a club if people have no exposure?

California making their own rules? That never happens ...

... maybe they only like cars with gross horsepower ratings?

40 years does seem like an unusual cutoff for a show. Form also says "stictly stock" [sic], which I'm not sure I would find encouraging.

Edited March 22, 2012 by j3studio (see edit history)

[ply33]

________________________________________________________

I think it's fantastic that this club has all these tours and meets, so I picked up my current issue of AACA to have a look of what is scheduled in the calendar for 2012. Not one meet or tour for anything on the west coast. There is a Regional meet in Orange county Ca. about 280 miles from me. I thought I might drive my un-restored 1976 Oldsmobile down there so I looked at their web site, was very impressed with their criteria for the types of cars for the show. Ah, but there was one little problem. It seems this AACA region sponsored event does not adhere to AACA's 25 years or older rule. This Orange county region will only accept cars from pre 1973. How can you grow a club if people have no exposure?

D.

Trying to figure out where in California you might be. Bishop is about 280 miles from Orange county and there are volcanic cinder cones around that area which would tie into your "vulcania" location.

California making their own rules? That never happens ...

... maybe they only like cars with gross horsepower ratings?

40 years does seem like an unusual cutoff for a show. Form also says "stictly stock" [sic], which I'm not sure I would find encouraging.

Perhaps the cars need to be covered with syrup to make them "stickly".

My interests are primarily with cars from the 1930s and as such I find that a 25 year old car (1987 model year) to be basically modern. Other than better gas mileage and a navigation system the '82 hatchback I had basically looked similar and performed in a similar fashion to my "new" 2004 hatchback. The 2004 will be better in an accident with its air bags, etc. But basically to me 25 years old is still "new" as the driving experience is not all that different than current cars. Back when the 25 year rule was instituted around the time I joined the AACA there was a pretty large difference in appearance of a late '40s/early '50s car and the everyday cars on the road. And there was usually a pretty big difference in ride, performance and handling. That is not true today. And in rust free California the number of 25 year old "clunkers" that are in daily use by non-collectors is pretty high. I personally think that the AACA and should consider dumping the 25 year rule and perhaps pick something where the recognized car age goes up one year for every two calendar years that pass. Long way of saying I have some sympathy for a region that decides to institute a 40 year old rule.

Regarding AACA events in California, I moved to California 34 years ago and since the active antique car scene where I was on the East Coast revolved around the AACA I assumed that it would also be that way here too. My experience in the LA area (resided there about 20 years) and now in the SF Bay Area is that the AACA regions in California are small and insular. After a couple years of half hearted membership, I dropped local region membership and have only maintained membership in national organization.

I will say that the old car scene for original cars seems to be much better in the SF Bay Area than in LA. But your more likely to find it by tagging along with the Model A, Model T Ford or vintage Chevrolet, etc. clubs even if you don't have a Ford or Chevy. Or sign up with a local only club like the Mid-Peninsula Old Time Auto Club than with a local AACA region. The A and T clubs generally open up their activities to all cars pre-WW2 but that does leave the cars up through 25 years old out in the cold. So if you have a '60s car you are probably looking at a marque club region or something like the MPOTAC.

[Dynaflash8]

I recently heard that there were no activities in the West for AACA this year. When I was President in 2004 I worked very hard to be sure the West, and California in particular was as active as I could make it. I preached it at banquets the whole year. Whatever the stumbling block, it's apparently a big one. Back in 1967 when AACA would not recognize any car newer than 1935, and I couldn't seem to do anything about it at 25 years of age, I co-founded a new all car club called the CHVA. That club took off like crazy in California and is still active there today; so I say, why not AACA? As for the current 25 year old limit, I don't know what to say. I understand what ply33 is saying, and I know him from years ago in Baltimore, but do we step backwards? The one year every other year was tried between 1968 and 1974 and it simply didn't work. The blue '39 Buick you see here was 35 years old when it was allowed to go to its first AACA National Meet...and that was way wrong. On the other hand, Detroit has taken all of the styling out of American cars since about 1987, with a very few exceptions like the Plymouth roadster and the new Thunderbird, and they won't be old enough for years yet. Well, 1987 is already here. My question is, are they any young people 25 years old as I was when I joined AACA with my '39 Buick in 1963, who grew up with, and love a 1995 Whatsit, as I did that 1939 Buick? I think the world has changed, and I don't know if that question can be answered in the affirmative or not.

[Pomeroy41144]

There's a kid up at our local auto parts store who knows me, and when I pulled up in the Cadillac for the first time, he loved the car but said, "I'd put a big block Chevy in that thing."

I asked him why, and he said so it would be reliable and so you could get parts.

I countered by pointing out that the amount of time and effort you'd put into engineering such a project would far exceed the maintenance on an old engine, including parts searching. I could rebuild the flathead five times for the cost of "upgrading" everything.

I don't really understand hot-rodders who want power steering, A/C, big stereos, modern seats, and all that stuff in their old cars. For me, the point of an old car is feeling the ancient machinery going about its business. There's a local fellow with a rodded early '30s Buick 90-Series sedan. It's massive, with a 455 engine, and all the power goodies. He proudly says it drives like a 3/4 ton pickup. Well that's great, I suppose, but I already have a 3/4 ton pickup. What I don't have is a car that drives like a 1932 Buick...

Yep, where I come from back in the old days, a hotrod did not have AC or power anything (except under the hood) and it had a clutch. I have to laugh at these so called Hot Rodders; they are anything but that.

I am with you Matt, I want to experience the old car for what it is and hear that old engine run. These cars are virtual time machines, taking the driver and passengers back to a different time. That is the charm of an old car. Some people just don't get it.

I think what drives some of the "let's molest an old car" crowd is ego. There is no need to chop up or cut up a decent antique car. Turning a Number-Two condition antique car into a hotrod is reprehensible. Not impressive. It is truly impressive when some guy finds a rusted, dented hulk in a field or a barn and turns it into something.

I fear the future a little bit. There are a lot of stock Model A cars out there and a lot of SBC engines and a lot of young guys with tools. And those Model A cars are inexpensive.

[Guest dminer]

Not to be ignorant or anything, but can't you California folks just decide to do something? Maybe post an ad inviting anything pre-1960, if that's where your interests are, a month in advance so people don't forget about it?

Nothing attracts a crowd like a crowd, and I bet a lot of cars start popping up out of the woodwork and before you know it, maybe AACA would pick it up and make it a 'meet'.

Even just getting permission from Sears or something to use their parking lot, or a grass field somewhere and have a cookout.

I know California is a stretched out state, but I bet someone could get something going, etc...

Am I way off here? Personally, I go to all the shows here, AACA or not, and see a lot of the same cars from place to place. Once people get wired in, word spreads fast. And as an added note, though there may be enough shows and outtings for some, I still wish there were more.

I'm probably way off on this comment, so I apologize, but there's got to be some way...

[Guest dminer]

My question is, are they any young people 25 years old as I was when I joined AACA with my '39 Buick in 1963, who grew up with, and love a 1995 Whatsit, as I did that 1939 Buick? I think the world has changed, and I don't know if that question can be answered in the affirmative or not.

I'm 32. My first car was a 1985 Honda Accord. It was cheap, good on gas and it got me from "point a to point b". I didn't love it or even like it, but it was $800 and it got me off the school bus.

[Guest bofusmosby]

My daily driver is a 93 Olds, and to me, this car isn't just 6 years away from qualifying for anything,,, except a daily driver. I can understand about us not thinking that a car from the mid 80's is not an old car, but remember this, it depends on who's eyes are seeing it. When I was in high school, a 57 Chevy to me was an old car, but when I graduated, it was only 17 years old. I look at cars today, and there is no way I can look at a 1995 car, and consider it old, like I did with the 57 when I was in school.

We are growing old people!

[J3Studio]

My question is, are they any young people 25 years old as I was when I joined AACA with my '39 Buick in 1963, who grew up with, and love a 1995 Whatsit, as I did that 1939 Buick? I think the world has changed, and I don't know if that question can be answered in the affirmative or not.

I'm 43. The first C4 Corvette I ever saw was light blue metallic. I worked part time at a Chevrolet dealership in the mid-80s and I’ll never forget seeing that car for the first time, headlights up, fancy new metallic paint with clear coat looking its best in the setting sun. A visceral moment for a fifteen year old - the exact point where my opinion of Corvettes changed from grudging respect (I was more of a Pontiac and BMW fan) to "I will have one of those some day."

I hunted down my light blue metallic 1985 in 2004. My goal once I got the car was to bring it back to it original state when it was built in November 1984 - and to drive it. It's been tough sometimes: a lot of Corvette vendors don't think anyone would ever want to restore a C4 to factory original, so they stop their reproduction parts with the last of the sharks at 1982. This is changing slowly, but there are actually substantially more correct restoration parts for early C4s now than there were in 2004.

I am a fan of many cars, including many much older (I enjoy looking at many of the restoration threads on this forum), but my 1985 is one I truly love.

[ply33]

Not to be ignorant or anything, but can't you California folks just decide to do something?

Having been active for the last 10 years in trying to get a self perpetuating local region of a different national car club going, I have some thoughts on this.

The big one is that in any group there are only a small percentage of the members who do the work. So to make a club successful you need it big enough that the number of "worker bees" is sufficient that others can and will take over when the founders or current leaders burn out.

Nearly everyone I know in the old car hobby is a member of more than one club. And the people who are worker bees are usually only a worker bee for one of the clubs they belong to. I know that for myself I don't have the time or desire to participate in the management, planning and execution of events for more than one car club. I am more than happy to belong to more clubs and to go to their events, but not to do the hard work of making those other clubs successful.

And most of the people who might be members of your club or region are already members of another club or region. The old car hobby is not that huge nor is it growing fast (if at all). Getting "new to the hobby" members is challenging to say the least. So your recruits, including potential worker bee recruits, will be from other clubs.

The end result is that it is very difficult to build up a club/region from scratch because you have to recruit those worker bees in other clubs/regions to work for you, not for the club/region they've been working for and building up "emotional capital" that makes them want to stay where they are. If there are local clubs (or local regions of other national clubs) that are adequately meeting the need for local hobbyists then it will be difficult for a national club to build regions in that area. Just my opinion....

I'm probably way off on this comment, so I apologize, but there's got to be some way...

You are not off the mark at all and no apology needed.

Thinking more about it, perhaps the current organization model is wrong for both the AACA and the marque club I have been active in regional management for. Basically you need to be a member and pay dues to two separate clubs: The national club and the region. And regional membership is optional. End result is two separate memberships to maintain and many of the advantages of membership are only through the national organization (nice newsletter, nationally sanctioned events, etc.). So why bother belonging to a region? It costs money and you don't get that much out of it....

There are other organizations I am involved with outside the old car hobby that either require local membership or provide local membership for free when you send money to the national. The first, a service organization has local, region, divisional and national organizations. You can't just join at the region, divisional or national level: You must join at the local level and a requirement for joining at the local is that the local group pays dues into the region, division and national levels for you. You write one check to the local group and the treasurer for the local takes care of the rest. The other organization works it differently, you write a check to the national and they assign you into a local group based on where you live. I believe, but don't know for sure, that the national organization sends money to the local groups to help with their expenses. End result for both is that the local groups have active participation from many members because for the members the local group is a logical and fiscal extension of the national organization.

However I don't see how the models either of those two organization have could be adopted by the AACA. So I don't have a good idea how to address your "but there's got to be some way" statement.

[avgwarhawk]

I'm 46. To me any car newer than 1959 is not a old car or classic car. Heck I repaired cars from the 60's on up to the 90's. In my brain a classic car is stock and 1959 or older. This has always been like this for me. When searching for a car any modifications to the car would make me look elsewhere. I like them 59 or older and stock. My first car was a 78 Buick Regal. I don't consider it a classic car. But that is just me.

[Guest dminer]

Ply33, I see you're pretty tuned into the workings of these things. But going back to the 'cruise-in' start of the thread is kind of where I was going...

Seems like everyone notes that there are only two or three cars, other than theirs, that are restored, not 'pimp my ride' type stuff that show up. I'm probably just missing something you already said about time and planning and the worker bees, but if it were me, I would just print out a flyer, or a card, or start a free yahoo email to give out to those 2 or 3 owners at the assorted coffee and cruise (or what have you) events for about 2 months or so to make sure I met enough new people, schedule a meet date and time that would be almost immediatly (a week notice is enough so people wouldn't forget or lose interest) and just see how many people showed up to a public park or something of that nature and get a roster going. If nothing else, people in the car community would be able to meet eachother, discuss parts and the whole,"well I have one of those laying around somewhere" parts finding. It would take some initial 'one-person' work, but someone's gotta do it.

Might be that a few retired couples with dusty old cars are tired of pulling weeds and want some 'free time filler', theres the bees.

And I like what you said about the 'multiple clubs'. I would like to think most AACA members are the ones involved in their 'make specific' or local clubs, but it does seem like a lot of folks avoid AACA because they have a preformed opinion that the rules are too rigid for their taste or that the judging standards are too high for them and what-not...I just, JUST purchased a 64 Corvair Monza today, towing her here Monday morning. First thing on my list is the CPCC. Before I turn a wrench. Also, I'm that guy that doesn't care that my cars not 100% done yet. I'm driving it to everything and if she has to, she'll watch from the parking lot until it's her turn to hit the stage.

I get the feeling from other posts on this thread that you guys feel like me and want to let everyone in the world get some enjoyment out of seeing your beauty or WIP, so bad you're willing to park next to a blown out 69 Nova(at least once).

I think if I lived out there, I'd be yanking out my hair.

Edited March 23, 2012 by dminer (see edit history)

[Terry Bond]

Great see your cars R.White - when we were in Scotland years ago we had the pleasure of getting to know the wonderful Austin 7s. Still got our Morris 8, and thank goodness many of those cars are simply too small to drop V8s into! I've see it with some MGs though, and the ones done at the factory are rare and exciting. Out own MG Bs are a joy. Speaking of interesting comments at car shows, we once had one of the Bs at a local event where a lady walked up and asked "who made it." I thought quickly and replied "GM." She noted that MG was Gm spelled backwards, and when I explained it was intended-because in the UK they drive on the other wise of the road, she just smiled and nodded her head in agreement, saying "ok, now I understand why they did that!"

[Guest]

Ply33, I'm 252.25 miles north/north west from Tustin where the show is at. I'm west of the 101, east of 1. I'm not in favor of paying into a local chapter and in turn pays for the national dues. The reason is the national club has very little control over it's local chapters. Read this fro my previous thread;

#80

helfen

Senior Member

Join Date: Jan 2010

Location: vulcania

Posts: 1,237

Re: Cruise-in comments

Quote:

Originally Posted by stock_steve

Until *restoration*-oriented companies start paying for "huge tracts of land" (another Monty Python reference!) in VW enthusiast magazines, I don't think much is going to change.

I think we need to have our own well-developed sense of "doing the right thing," with regard to preserving and restoring stock, unmodified old VWs...

Joining & supporting the Vintage VW Club of America also doesn't hurt (shameless plug!)...

__________________________________________________ _________

Steve , back in 76 I joined the newly founded Vintage Volkswagen Club of A. I was # 84. I joined the club because there was no other club for the purest as they called us.. As you recall there were plenty of Bug In's, The VW classic, Bug - O - Rama etc. all catering to the mild to wild. Today where I live there is a chapter and guess what. 75-80% of the cars are modified/customed/rodded and rat rodded. So I quit because the club does NOT live up to the standards set forth in the mission statement. I also quit POCI for the very same reason. That is also why I decided to join AACA, although there is a Chapter ( not my local ) of AACA that has nothing but hot rods and customs ( If one of our high ranking officers wants to know which chapter PM me) What I did find out was the local VW club has stayed a member of the national club so it can get cheap insurance for it's shows.

I would also like to say that I don't mind hot rods, and most of my friends have them, what I do mind is hijacking a club when you already know what it's mission statement is.

Here is a AACA local Chapter that I think is doing the same thing as My former local VW club does.

index

I urge you to go to this site and see for yourself. Click on the INDEX

D.

Edited March 23, 2012 by helfen (see edit history)

[R.White]

Terry,

Oh dear!! Now that is really funny. You obviously have a quite wicked sense of humour. Can you imagine, that poor woman went home and told her old man, who went to a bar and told all his mates, who all now believe that is why we in quaint old Britain drive on the wrong side of the road!...What have you started??

Ray.

[ply33]

Ply33, I'm 252.25 miles north/north west from Tustin where the show is at. I'm west of the 101, east of 1.

There is some beautiful land in that area with nice touring roads. You are actually closer to my area than you are to Tustin.

Here is a AACA local Chapter that I think is doing the same thing as My former local VW club does.

index

I urge you to go to this site and see for yourself. Click on the INDEX

D.

Yikes! I can't believe that is an AACA chapter even though they have the AACA national logo on the web pages.

[Guest]

There is some beautiful land in that area with nice touring roads. You are actually closer to my area than you are to Tustin.

Yikes! I can't believe that is an AACA chapter even though they have the AACA national logo on the web pages.

_________________________________________________________

Yes and if you go to "ABOUT US" in their directory you will find their mission statement which dedicated to preserving and restoring Hot rods and Street Rods. Question is, how do restore such a car if there is no blueprint for it's existence, and the cars DNA is a completely stock car which is really the only reference point.

So what is the connection of this chapter to AACA??

Getting back to the cruise/ coffee morning deal. What makes it so appealing is it's early in the morning, we can do this and be home by 10:00A.M. so it doesn't mess with the rest of the day so you can do projects, or be with your family. Here is Pismo Derelicts motto:

The Pismo Derelicts are an informal bunch of car guys and gals of all stripes from all over the Central Coast. We gather every Saturday morning at 8 AM near the Golden Donut shop in the OSH/ROSS shopping center in Pismo Beach, at the intersection of Hwy 101 and Oak Park Blvd. (See “Map” on left) If you have a “Ride” you are proud of, dust it off some Saturday morning soon and share its beauty.

Patterned after the famous “Donut Derelicts of Huntington Beach,” this is NOT a club. There are no rules, no restrictions, no agenda, and no one is in charge. With no need of funds, there are no costs whatever to participate, and all car enthusiasts are welcome, regardless of their car type or club affiliations. There are no dues, no prizes, and – blessedly – no fund-raisers. In short, with nothing organizational to disagree about, there is no reason for anyone to be disagreeable.

We Support our troops, for protecting our nation!

D.

Edited March 23, 2012 by helfen (see edit history)

[Guest shadetree77]

Take heart guys!! Not all of us in the younger generation are going down the hot rod path!! I have always had a passion for anything automotive and while I, personally, would much rather restore a car than rod it, I can see beauty on both sides of the fence. To me, a car should only be rodded if it's too far gone condition-wise to be restored to an original state. Now, there could be a lot different opinions on just exactly what "too far gone" means. I believe, for example, that a car that is pretty much rusted away from half way down the door to the ground would be "too far gone". Although, I have seen some pretty amazing things done with cars that I would never have even considered touching! I also believe that if a car has been highly altered or damaged earlier in it's life, this would also make it feasible to hot rod. BUT, there is another side to my opinion on this. If the car in question is something that would be considered rare(low production numbers, rare options/packages, not many of that year/model remain, etc.)the condition becomes a moot point and the car should be restored. Sadly, all too often, a younger person(or any person for that matter)might not spend the time to research and weigh information like this and end up cutting into a highly desired or rare car. I can see why this angers folks. I also believe that if you come upon a car that is so original that when you delve into it, you realize that it is, in fact, a time capsule of sorts you should have the decency to leave it that way no matter the rarity or condition. Have some respect for automotive history! Such was the case with my own 1952 Buick. Anyway, back to my point. There are plenty of younger guys keeping the restoration camp alive. Just look at the Auto Restoration program at McPherson College in Kansas. This is an excellent program offering a 4 year degree in classic car auto restoration and prepares students to open their own restoration business or manage large collections of classic cars. They specialize in teaching the "lost arts" of auto restoration. Timeless skills that have all but disappeared. It's known worldwide and is even endorsed by Jay Leno. I've looked into it and am considering enrollment. It must be overflowing with applicants, as the enrollment process is pretty involved and they don't just accept everyone. A program like this wouldn't exist if there weren't plenty of us younger folk interested in keeping all that old iron on the road! I just wanted everyone to know that there are those of us out there that resist all of the junk thrown in our faces by popular culture. I don't want to stick a 350 and a 50 inch plasma screen TV into everything with wheels! Like I said at the beginning of this little rant, I can see beauty on both sides but before cutting into an old car, research, common sense, and a respect for history should be explored thoroughly. As fellow forum member NTX5467 likes to say at the end of one of his highly informative and eloquently worded responses, "Just some thoughts"....

Edited March 23, 2012 by shadetree77 (see edit history)

[Dynaflash8]

I'm 46. To me any car newer than 1959 is not a old car or classic car. Heck I repaired cars from the 60's on up to the 90's. In my brain a classic car is stock and 1959 or older. This has always been like this for me. When searching for a car any modifications to the car would make me look elsewhere. I like them 59 or older and stock. My first car was a 78 Buick Regal. I don't consider it a classic car. But that is just me.

But the point you are missing is that the leaders of the AACA long ago and up past 1969, who were my father's age, felt exactly as you do; EXCEPT their cutoff was 1929. It is a moving target. Having led the fight to include cars through 1948 back in the mid-1960's and settling for 25 years old in 1974, I don't know how to treat cars now, up through lets say 1989. AACA membership exploded after 1974. My question was, are there 25 year old people today who's parents had a 1984 Buick, as my parents had a 1939 Buick, who have an attachment to a 1984 Buick or Ford or whatever? Let's say I agree with you that a 1989 car is getting too new, would it be fair for me to be opposed to bringing in a 1989 car now that I'm old? I don't know, but I sort of think it would be two-faced on my part. However, this is getting off of the subject of cruise-ins and street rods. However, I will say, I'd rather accept a 1988 stock old car next year rather than one that somebody's chopped up and ruined like a 1939 Pontiac (there's one such car for sale here in town). And, I don't think you can stop time, you can only stop growth and progress. To the man with the C4 Corvette, I felt the same way when I saw my first 1971 Riviera Boat-tail. The idea reminded me of a 1935-36 Auburn Boat-tail, and I had to have one, so in the end "car times" didn't stop for me after 1948 afterall.

Edited March 23, 2012 by Dynaflash8 (see edit history)

[R.White]

Good for you, Robert. Your views, as expressed by a younger person, are a breath of fresh air!

[avgwarhawk]

But the point you are missing is that the leaders of the AACA long ago and up past 1969, who were my father's age, felt exactly as you do; EXCEPT their cutoff was 1929. It is a moving target. Having led the fight to include cars through 1948 back in the mid-1960's and settling for 25 years old in 1974, I don't know how to treat cars now, up through lets say 1989. AACA membership exploded after 1974. My question was, are there 25 year old people today who's parents had a 1984 Buick, as my parents had a 1939 Buick, who have an attachment to a 1984 Buick or Ford or whatever? Let's say I agree with you that a 1989 car is getting too new, would it be fair for me to be opposed to bringing in a 1989 car now that I'm old? I don't know, but I sort of think it would be two-faced on my part. However, this is getting off of the subject of cruise-ins and street rods. However, I will say, I'd rather accept a 1988 stock old car next year rather than one that somebody's chopped up and ruined like a 1939 Pontiac (there's one such car for sale here in town). And, I don't think you can stop time, you can only stop growth and progress. To the man with the C4 Corvette, I felt the same way when I saw my first 1971 Riviera Boat-tail. The idea reminded me of a 1935-36 Auburn Boat-tail, and I had to have one, so in the end "car times" didn't stop for me after 1948 afterall.

You are correct, we can not stop time. You and I are of like mind. Although I don't consider a 78 Regal a classic, seeing one in the stock form is how I would like to see the vehicle. I owned a 78 Regal. Nostalgic for me? Yes. Not a classic. Also, there is something to, "the car I wanted to own but could not afford it at the time club." I fall into this category as well. I guess I sometimes associate "classic" and "affordable at the time". As a kid, the cars from the 50's were my untouchable classics. My 78 Regal was a car I did own and not much of a classic in my mind. I suspect car time will not stop me either. There are models in the 60-70 years I would love to have and consider them classic. These are not the muscle cars. These are Estate Wagon, 88's and 98's.

At the end of the day my desire is to see cars in their stock form.

[Steve_Mack_CT]

A good thing Internet has brought, second only to word of mouth and reputation, is the ability for impromtu gatherings or even scheduled gatherings as Helfen describes. Good for attendees as you will likely find what suits you out there, good for organizers as no administration makes life easy. No insurance hassles either, as can be the case with a traditional car show or organized cruise, I would imagine...

testing a local "no rules" club here a friend participates in with his corvettes. I asked him "since the 560SL has been nicknamed "The German Corvette" by auto testers of the day (MB upped the HP ante in a big way when they came out with the 560..) I will see if it fits in with the "no rules corvette club" I keep hearing such good things about from my corvette buddy! So far I am being told "no problem"!!

[stock_steve]

I haven't been to any of those yet, but look forward to hopefully hitting one or two this coming year--even if only as a spectator. Have you, Steve? If so, was it F40's in Portland? Are there any others happening around the central CT area?

I've also heard about another one down toward the Fairfield County area (New Canaan specifically) that sounds pretty cool (though from the high-end-appearing mix cars shown, probably even more likely I'd just be a spectator!): Caffeine & Carburetors – The official website

Seems I keep turning up 'cars & coffee' type events that would be good ones for me to SPECTATE at! Ha ha! This latest one that I was able to google up appears to be late-model *Ferrari*-focused, but with other prestige-type marques also participating, it also appears:

Weekly Ongoing Cars and Coffee- Glastonbury CT Starbucks

AND, coincidentally, it appears to be located almost *exactly across the street* from where Steve Mack's local AACA Region hosts their annual summertime car show.

Here's another reference, which, in turn contains a link to the Ferrari discussion board where, it seems to be more or less originating from:

CT Gatherers - Cars & Coffee - Every Sunday, Glastonbury CT | BMW CCA Forum

Finally, it is also worth noting, for CT folks anyway, that Wayne Carini's shop, F40 Motorsports, in Portland, appears to have their next one listed for Saturday morning, April 7th. A couple of old-VW buddies of mine have attended that one, and did not feel out of place. Check the F40 Motorsports web site for more info:

Classic and Exotic Cars For Sale | F-40 Motorsports | Car Dealer in Portland, CT 06480

(go to the April calendar under the "events" tab)

Edited March 23, 2012 by stock_steve (see edit history)

[avgwarhawk]

A few pages back we were talking about car TV programs. Tonight I watched Desert Car Kings. They actually restored a Studebaker. No chop cut rebuild shoe horn in a big block. Restored to stock. Good show!

[John_Maine]

There are a few cruise-ins around here and I have gone to a few of them but for the most part, they are small and most of the cars aren't ones that I'm interested in. Maybe when I retire, I'll have the time to expand my horizons a bit and take in some that are further away.

Regarding hotrods and modifieds - I like my old cars like I like women - the way they came from the factory! If someone is into rods that's fine. I just don't look at them. In many instances, they were cars that probably are too far gone to restore to original anyway and modding them is a way to save them. It's when someone takes a perfectly good original car and butchers it. That's what makes my blood boil. I watched one TV show a few years ago - one of those on Speed or whatever - where they took a 7,000 mile original '71 Torino 2 door sedan with a 6 cyl. stick and turned it into a Talledega clone with a 427 and slicks on the back. I mean, come on guys, do you know how rare and original a '71 Torino 2 door 6cyl. stick car is? I never watched the show again because that one upset me so.

[R.White]

John,

we share the same view. For the guy who restores a rusted out heap on it's way to the breakers into a hot/street rod there must be some credit given for recycling if nothing else!

What I don't understand is how anyone can fail to see the importance of saving good, unmolested antique cars which in their day were such a potent symbol of hope and aspiration and properly restored, can still be today.

Ray.

[Dynaflash8]

I'm not into street rods at all.....customized cars of the 1950s even hot rods built before the War when the cars were plentiful, maybe, but not street rods which are the ruination of our hobby as we know it. And don't think they don't destroy good cars. The only benefit of them is that parts they take off of good cars are then made available to restore good cars that have suffered use and replacements over time. That's the only good that comes from the street rod community. Even when they take a deplorable hulk and build a street rod, that's not saving it; only giving the public a wrong and skewed impression of what those cars were when they were on the road. Even the most common of these old cars, especially pre-War cars, are scarce and difficult to find these days -- to destroy one more is awful. Oh heck, if I get worked up I'll just say more that will make those people terribly angry. I'll stop now.

[R.White]

I recently saw a post from a guy who wanted to give Dodge Brothers Club members the first refusal on some parts that would be surplus to his requirements in his hot rodding of a 1924 Dodge Brothers Sedan. He even posted photos of the car which was in running order but a bit rusty (what does he expect for a '24 car?) and told us that he had considered restoring it as stock but had decided against. For some reason, the guy made much of his respect for the views of traditionalists but despite the persuaisive efforts of a number of forum contributors, I fear the car is doomed.