Car Clubs...On a different note, what is YOUR idea?

[Larry Schramm]

29 minutes ago, Mark Shaw said:

especially if other touring groups like the HCCA were invited to participate and help with tour planning.  

 

The Lansing - Dearborn tour in conjunction with the Old Car Festival at Greenfield village is a joint tour of the HHCA & AACA, but limited to vehicles 1915 & older.

[ted sweet]

which 99+ percent of us dont own

[MotiveLensPhoto]

Have you tried to (and no, I have no idea how to reach them) ask the younger car enthusiasts why they aren't involved and what can be done to repair it?  The first place I would maybe reach out is auto repair classes at the HS and trade school level.

[Mark Shaw]

1 hour ago, ted sweet said:

which 99+ percent of us dont own

Ted,

     Agreed, however you can participate in other HCCA regional events with 1942 and older vehicles.  The HCCA also has several registries for later vehicles, including the Nickel Era Registry for 1932 and older vehicles that holds a very nice tour each year.  Each region determines their own age range up to 1942.  Some insist on pre-1916 only and will probably loose many more members than those who allow later vehicles.

[ted sweet]

oldest car i own is a 1962

[1935Packard]

12 hours ago, Steve Moskowitz said:

AACA has been in the forefront of half year memberships, free memberships to retired military and even a substantial amount of free one-year memberships to potential long term members.  AACA struggles in California mostly because of the geography (distances to attend events) and the lack of "spark plugs" out there who would be willing to start a region. Hopefully we will be able to change the trajectory out West in the coming years, we will be trying.

 Cool!   Great to hear about the discounted memberships; I'm a longtime AACA life member, so I haven't followed that. 

 

The geography problem around here is an understandably big challenge; it takes a lot of perseverance to bring a pre-war car to an event that is 50 miles away and requires driving on a freeway most of the way.   I know I tend to stick with events that are closer by.  But then there are a lot of old cars around here. so hopefully something will work out. 

[Larry Schramm]

It all depends on where you wish to put your priorities.  I do not smoke, rarely drink, do not own any boats, air planes, cottages, snow mobiles, motorcycles, four wheelers, do not attend any sports games, etc....

 

At one time I only dreamed of owning a 1915 & older HCCA vehicle.  The next thing that I know I own more than one. 

 

After the first one, the rest just seemed to seek me out and begged me to own them. My wife was ok with my hobby to keep me busy and not in front of the TV all of the time.

 

My hope is that I can finish getting them all tour ready to drive with my wife and the kids before I move on to the great garage in the sky. 

 

I got my daughter and her husband on a tour this year and they very much enjoyed the experience.  They are planning on going again next year. 

 

Working on bringing in the next generation.  Sharing the good fortune.

Edited November 29, 2022 by Larry Schramm (see edit history)

[Steve Moskowitz]

23 hours ago, Mark Shaw said:

Steve,

    California is not the only place out west where the AACA struggles to maintain and/or grow membership.  AACA membership density anywhere west of the Rocky Mountains is very low.  Yes, distance to events is a challenge, but most western car collectors are used to trailering a car to events.  The AACA's problem is that it seems so focused on eastern activities. 

    If the AACA really wants to "change the trajectory out west", the AACA board needs to make some events happen on the west coast.   One or two driving tours in California, Washington and Oregon would certainly help current AACA groups boost membership, especially if other touring groups like the HCCA were invited to participate and help with tour planning.  

Mark, there is a California tour in 2023.Let's see how the western folks support it!  We would love to see it successful!

[Mark Shaw]

4 minutes ago, Steve Moskowitz said:

Mark, there is a California tour in 2023.Let's see how the western folks support it! 

Steve,

    I don't see it listed on the Forum's "AACA-Shows and Tours" section.  Is this a joint tour to include HCCA or just for AACA members?

[61polara]

58 minutes ago, Mark Shaw said:

I don't see it listed on the Forum's "AACA-Shows and Tours" section.

Mark, it's on the AACA Home Page National Calendar.

2023 AACA Western Divisional Tour | Antique Automobile Club of America

 

More information should be available later as details are locked down.

[MotiveLensPhoto]

One other thought:

I grew up in a generation with china plates, real sterling silver flatware, 2 crystal glasses, 3 courses minimum (small, but there they were), and dessert every night. All prepared by my stay at home mother. All the plates had to be washed by hand even though we had a dishwasher. And we were far from rich. It was the way it was. Holidays were even more elaborate.

My adult children wouldn't know the difference between a salad fork and a pickle fork (I inherited 16 of each) and don't care. They have very little "stuff" but they have traveled to nearly every continent. Their priorities are just different. They wonder why I spend hours cleaning cars, vintage watches, etc. I wonder how they can sit on an airplane for 18 hours straight.

 

The point is, each generation finds their own interests. As the "keepers of the flame" it is up to us to make them feel welcome if/when they show an interest.

Edited November 30, 2022 by Golden73 (see edit history)

[Mark Shaw]

23 hours ago, 61polara said:

Mark, it's on the AACA Home Page National Calendar.

Thanks for the link; but it lists only the dates and location. 

Evidently, it is only for AACA members since it is listed only on the AACA Home Page. 

Please advise if I am wrong.

[61polara]

3 minutes ago, Mark Shaw said:

Thanks for the link; but it lists only the dates and location. 

Evidently, it is only for AACA members since it is listed only on the AACA Home Page. 

Please advise if I am wrong.

You must be an AACA National member to participate.  Details will be published as soon as all items are locked down.

[Mark Shaw]

1 hour ago, 61polara said:

You must be an AACA National member to participate.  Details will be published as soon as all items are locked down.

Dave,

     Thanks for the clarification.  This obviously makes my point.  If it is only advertised in AACA publications and only available to current AACA members, it will not be effective in attracting new members.  

[zdillinger]

1 minute ago, Mark Shaw said:

Dave,

     Thanks for the clarification.  This obviously makes my point.  If it is only advertised in AACA publications and only available to current AACA members, it will not be effective in attracting new members.  

It's the perfect opportunity for some media relations. Press releases in the local areas to be hit, etc.

[MotiveLensPhoto]

1 hour ago, zdillinger said:

It's the perfect opportunity for some media relations. Press releases in the local areas to be hit, etc.

I try to support the local car community through "free" social media. I use Instagram mostly but Twitter, FB and TikTok (and others I'm not familiar with) are also out there. I post upcoming events and photos from past events as often as possible. The key is a volume of posts, consistently, and with the right hashtags, as far as I understand. Everyone else is free to do the same.

[zdillinger]

8 minutes ago, Golden73 said:

I try to support the local car community through "free" social media. I use Instagram mostly but Twitter, FB and TikTok (and others I'm not familiar with) are also out there. I post upcoming events and photos from past events as often as possible. The key is a volume of posts, consistently, and with the right hashtags, as far as I understand. Everyone else is free to do the same.

Absolutely. I think traditional media outreach is still important, though. Reporters in smaller cities and towns love this kind of stuff and, in my experience, a well written press release will often get printed verbatim. You reach a bunch of people who don't use social media and who might be inclined to keep an eye out for a tour, or show up at a stop, or join the club they didn't know about before. 

[Paul Dobbin]

Lots of good small ideas here, but I thnk Jake Moran hit the naild on the head to solve many car clubs problems.  Let;s get started.

• Posted November 16, his post ahownin partial form
   

"I don't know enough about what has been tried or is currently under consideration but - 

As a former member of many marque specific clubs and a former member of the AACA, I think it is seriously time to grab as many of the small membership marque specific clubs as clubs underneath the AACA umbrellareceive a slick magazine type issue.  

Many other smaller marque clubs are gone or moribund so why not reach out to them to be a chapter of the AACA.  In fact, I suspect there are more members in the AACA owning Kaiser products then there are in the KFOCI. 

So my suggestion is that the AACA reach out to ALL old car clubs with an offer to become an affiliate club or chapter of the AACA.  

Might not be the time yet for this idea, but 20 years from now, when memberships decline to such levels that clubs suspend activities and disband all together, it will be too late. " 

In the beginning, invite them to come to AACA events as a group and have their own class and absord their members in the AACA while maintaining their marque identity.  We did that for the antique Race Car people, it cna save our hobby without all having to love the same brand of vehicle

[SC38dls]

Raise the dues to $50 a year then give renewal and new members a 20% discount. Everyone loves a deal. 
dave s 

[Paul Dobbin]

On 11/30/2022 at 12:59 PM, Mark Shaw said:

Dave,

     Thanks for the clarification.  This obviously makes my point.  If it is only advertised in AACA publications and only available to current AACA members, it will not be effective in attracting new members.  

    Mark,

    I am a AACA member and avid tourist with more than 30 National & Regional Tours.    We've also done some VMCCA tours.  When the VMCCA has      a tour someplace we'ed like to see, we pay their dues and go on their tours too.   We've invited many people to join us in touring which requires they join the host club, most of which remain members after they get a taste for tours in their antique cars.  .All fun events/tours have some kind of requirement.   Membership is part is the price of admission.   

Edited December 4, 2022 by Paul Dobbin
re-position text (see edit history)

[Mark Shaw]

5 hours ago, Paul Dobbin said:

 Membership is part is the price of admission. 

Paul,

     I completely agree.  However, if you lived on the west coast, I doubt you would have been able to participate in "more than 30 National & Regional Tours" with the AACA.  The point is that the AACA membership and activity in western states is very thin and needs to boost membership.  That won't happen as long as the club only notifies its' current members of club activities and only lets current club members participate. 

     The primary reason I am not an AACA member is because the AACA has so few tours out west and local AACA groups are primarily focused on car shows and judging.  I have been the tour leader for many HCCA regional tours including two 1 & 2-cylinder KISS tours.  I have participated in six HCCA national tours.   I have participated in one or two regional tours every year with my two Northwest HCCA groups for the last 25 years.  I just think it is time for the HCCA and ACCA to do more joint tours to boost membership for both groups.

     

[MCHinson]

29 minutes ago, Mark Shaw said:

Paul,

     I completely agree.  However, if you lived on the west coast, I doubt you would have been able to participate in "more than 30 National & Regional Tours" with the AACA.  The point is that the AACA membership and activity in western states is very thin and needs to boost membership.  That won't happen as long as the club only notifies its' current members of club activities and only lets current club members participate. 

     The primary reason I am not an AACA member is because the AACA has so few tours out west and local AACA groups are primarily focused on car shows and judging.  I have been the tour leader for many HCCA regional tours including two 1 & 2-cylinder KISS tours.  I have participated in six HCCA national tours.   I have participated in one or two regional tours every year with my two Northwest HCCA groups for the last 25 years.  I just think it is time for the HCCA and ACCA to do more joint tours to boost membership for both groups.

     

The National Club, while it does everything it can do to help, does not typically run tours. It takes local AACA Chapters or Regions to put on events. If you want an AACA Tour in your area, the easiest way to do that is to join the club, join or form a local chapter or region and host a tour. The club started on the East Coast many years ago and has spread a lot, but is still very sparsely represented on the West Coast. The way to change that is for people on the West Coast to get involved in the club. AACA can't create local clubs on the West Coast. Only people who live on the West Coast can do that. 

[Paul Dobbin]

I'm aa east coast Early Ford V8 lCub member and I see the tour by EFVCA are mostly west coast events.  I understand Mark Shaw's concerns and think Matt Hinson is right about how to cure that.   

[Mark Shaw]

13 hours ago, MCHinson said:

AACA can't create local clubs on the West Coast. Only people who live on the West Coast can do that. 

I don't disagree.  Again, the point is without tours and other activities available to AACA members and other western car clubs like the HCCA, the AACA has little chance of expanding membership in the west.  All car clubs are experiencing attrition.  I am suggesting that joint tours with multiple car clubs would be beneficial for all to have enough participants in the west to justify national tours.

[cxgvd]

Mark:  You must be aware, and for others, the AACA Snappers Brass and Gas touring region and the HCCA host many joint events.  Two which spring to mind straight away are the Lansing to Dearborn Endurance Run and the Hershey Hangover.  Many folks are members of both organizations anyway and if not, we are known to each other.  Others which are nonaffiliated are the FARTS and the Red Rock touring and many more, they are still members of either the AACA or HCCA.

[Pfeil]

1 hour ago, Mark Shaw said:

I don't disagree.  Again, the point is without tours and other activities available to AACA members and other western car clubs like the HCCA, the AACA has little chance of expanding membership in the west.  All car clubs are experiencing attrition.  I am suggesting that joint tours with multiple car clubs would be beneficial for all to have enough participants in the west to justify national tours.

Well, I guess Prescott AZ is part of the western region. That western meet is a shade over 500 miles. Do I have a car hauler? No. Would I drive one of my cars? No. If I lived in San Diego that would still be 250 miles away, still way too many miles.

I suppose if the national club would like to increase membership or membership participation, they would first look in their data base for AACA members in that certain area, then send out notices to people that are members so they all know where all are located. I have no idea if there are AACA people in Prescott, Sedona, Williams, Cottonwood, Verde valley, Williams, Dewey, Prescott Valley, Skull Valley, Yarnell, Flagstaff etc.

Nearest chapter to me is Phoenix region, look up that chapter, no phone # no web site??????

Edited December 5, 2022 by Pfeil (see edit history)

[MCHinson]

@Pfeil There are two different Regions in the Phoenix area and one in Tucson according to what I see on the AACA website:

 

https://aaca.org/list-of-regions-chapters/

 

If you search for Arizona on that list, one of the Phoenix regions does not list a website, but if you click on the President's name, it is a link to Roger's email address. Roger is also on this forum and you could send him a private message here. @RogerPHX

[Larry Schramm]

Getting multiple groups together is a good thing IMO.

 

My wife and I attended a joint Christmas party with the SE Mich Buick Club group and the VMCCA local chapters.  There were over 80 persons there and everyone had a good time with many of us belonging to both clubs.

 

We are planning on doing it again next year.

Edited December 5, 2022 by Larry Schramm (see edit history)

[MCHinson]

1 hour ago, Pfeil said:

 

 I have no idea if there are AACA people in Prescott, Sedona, Williams, Cottonwood, Verde valley, Williams, Dewey, Prescott Valley, Skull Valley, Yarnell, Flagstaff etc.

 

There are members in Prescott, Sedona and Prescott Valley. 

 

You can search for AACA members on the AACA website by city or state.  

https://members.aaca.org/login.asp?_gl=1*1ubm6kt*_ga*MjAwNTk4MzYyNy4xNTY4ODkzNjMy*_ga_QQE5Y9S8MK*MTY3MDI2NjkzNC42Ny4wLjE2NzAyNjY5MzQuMC4wLjA.&_ga=2.142744757.1275768665.1662987056-2005983627.1568893632

 

If there is interest in addional Regions and/or Chapters, all it takes is 5 members or 5 people willing to become members to form a new region. Help is available. In addition to finding AACA Member by looking them up online, if you contact AACA HQ, you can get more help. The staff and Officers will be happy to assist in efforts to expand the club and to help develop events in any area. 

[Pfeil]

2 hours ago, MCHinson said:

There are members in Prescott, Sedona and Prescott Valley. 

 

You can search for AACA members on the AACA website by city or state.  

https://members.aaca.org/login.asp?_gl=1*1ubm6kt*_ga*MjAwNTk4MzYyNy4xNTY4ODkzNjMy*_ga_QQE5Y9S8MK*MTY3MDI2NjkzNC42Ny4wLjE2NzAyNjY5MzQuMC4wLjA.&_ga=2.142744757.1275768665.1662987056-2005983627.1568893632

 

If there is interest in addional Regions and/or Chapters, all it takes is 5 members or 5 people willing to become members to form a new region. Help is available. In addition to finding AACA Member by looking them up online, if you contact AACA HQ, you can get more help. The staff and Officers will be happy to assist in efforts to expand the club and to help develop events in any area. 

Sorry I'm not a AACA member any longer so I can't get into that link.

[Mark Shaw]

5 hours ago, cxgvd said:

Mark:  You must be aware, and for others, the AACA Snappers Brass and Gas touring region and the HCCA host many joint events.

Yes Gary, I am well aware that your east coast group do several joint activities.  I suggest that your groups would be great examples of what the west coast groups should be doing.  Thanks.

[Mark Shaw]

5 hours ago, Pfeil said:

That western meet is a shade over 500 miles.

It is just over 1300 miles for me and there is only one HCCA group near Phoenix.

I know only two HCCA members from AZ that I have toured with.

[MotiveLensPhoto]

Question: If you are very much the preservationist, or the muscle car fan, or the low rider fan, or whatever your specific auto interest niche is, if there are few others with a similar interest nearby do you try going to the meets, shows, etc., of those with a dissimilar interest? If you do/have, are you made welcome?

[Pfeil]

39 minutes ago, Golden73 said:

Question: If you are very much the preservationist, or the muscle car fan, or the low rider fan, or whatever your specific auto interest niche is, if there are few others with a similar interest nearby do you try going to the meets, shows, etc., of those with a dissimilar interest? If you do/have, are you made welcome?

Does oil and water mix? there is your answer. That is one of the reasons I left POCI.

< this is some guy's interpretation of a 1961 Pontiac.

 

 

< This is Pontiac stylings work. I prefer originals to people doing over other people's work.

 

[zdillinger]

2 hours ago, Golden73 said:

Question: If you are very much the preservationist, or the muscle car fan, or the low rider fan, or whatever your specific auto interest niche is, if there are few others with a similar interest nearby do you try going to the meets, shows, etc., of those with a dissimilar interest? If you do/have, are you made welcome?

I've tried but I've gotten tired of answering the same old snarky questions, i.e. "when are you putting a V8 in that thing" and "how fast will it go?", and I get really tired of seeing butchered cars. At a show last fall, I had a guy park the sadly chopped, airbagged, and LS'ed remains of what was previously a '39 Packard next to my own immaculate '39 Packard. He proceeded to try to tell me how much better his claptrap former Packard was than my actual Packard. I'd rather stay home than see hot rods.... the more they try to make them "individual" the more they all look the same.

Edited December 6, 2022 by zdillinger (see edit history)

[Avanti Bill]

Everyone should keep an open mind, there is something out there for everyone!

[MotiveLensPhoto]

1 hour ago, zdillinger said:

I've tried but I've gotten tired of answering the same old questions, i.e. "when are you putting a V8 in that thing" and "how fast will it go?", and I get really tired of seeing butchered cars. {{clipped}}

I understand, and would wager that no matter what niche our cars fall into, we ALL get stupid (to us) questions about our cars. A guy once told me mine was the ugliest car he'd ever seen. But like everything else, IMO, one needs to separate the wheat from the chaff.

[Pfeil]

1 hour ago, Avanti Bill said:

Everyone should keep an open mind, there is something out there for everyone!

But when it comes to clubs it is the mission statement of what the club stands for should be the guide. When that is observed there are no excuses. You don't show up to the fancy dress ball wearing a toga. If you do, it's you who are trying to agitate folk's minds.