I attended my first NCRS gathering of any kind this past weekend at the Mars Regional. It was a very educational and enjoyable experience. I was able to meet many fine Corvette people, including many that I had my first contact with on the discussion board.
For background, I purchased my first Corvette in November of 1999, a '64 white coupe. After looking at many cars and a few wild goose chases, I found what seemed to be a a very nice original car. Two owners from 1964 to 1999, both of which were over 50, and neither of which used the car for their main means of transportation. Options are 300 hp, 4 speed, PS, PB, 43K miles.
I stumbled onto the NCRS board after a search on the net. I posted a few questions and the help was invaluable. I was hooked and joined shortly thereafter.
In my mind, the car was nice, but I am far from an expert. I needed to have some unbiased knowledgeable opinions. What better way than at a Regional event. Signed up and made the 4 hour drive. Initially I was just going to sign up for bowtie sign-off, but I was convinced by a few of you on the board to have it flight judged as well, where I could really have the car examined.
I was very nervous the night before, moreso than I expected to be. After all, this was just an exercise, right? Well, when you see the caliper of cars at one of these events, it can be intimidating. I quickly felt like a fish out of water. If not for a few very encouraging remarks from some very nice NCRS members, I would have taken the arsenic tablets I brought for just such a situation.
The judging process was very informative and quite painless. To have 5 teams of two guys thoroughly 'proctologize' your car, is quite an experience. One thing is for sure, these guys are unbelievably knowledgable. A big advantage of a regional is you get the most experienced judges, including some national judges. All were very complimentary of the car and really appreciated the unrestored nature of the car. I felt much better as the day progressed.
When it was all said and done, I received my bowtie sign-off and was less than one percent away from a top flight award. In my exercise of going thru the judging sheets weeks before the meet, I was in the very low range of second flight scores, so I was very thrilled with the outcome. It was a bit painful to be so close to top flight but I kept telling myself to not get greedy. I couple of small items and I will make it next time. Not bad for a car that is driven.
Overall it was a great experience that I would recommend to anyone. Congratulations to those that organized the meet as it was first class. A huge thanks to all on the DB who helped me along the way and at the meet (including the judges) for their words of encouragement.
David
For background, I purchased my first Corvette in November of 1999, a '64 white coupe. After looking at many cars and a few wild goose chases, I found what seemed to be a a very nice original car. Two owners from 1964 to 1999, both of which were over 50, and neither of which used the car for their main means of transportation. Options are 300 hp, 4 speed, PS, PB, 43K miles.
I stumbled onto the NCRS board after a search on the net. I posted a few questions and the help was invaluable. I was hooked and joined shortly thereafter.
In my mind, the car was nice, but I am far from an expert. I needed to have some unbiased knowledgeable opinions. What better way than at a Regional event. Signed up and made the 4 hour drive. Initially I was just going to sign up for bowtie sign-off, but I was convinced by a few of you on the board to have it flight judged as well, where I could really have the car examined.
I was very nervous the night before, moreso than I expected to be. After all, this was just an exercise, right? Well, when you see the caliper of cars at one of these events, it can be intimidating. I quickly felt like a fish out of water. If not for a few very encouraging remarks from some very nice NCRS members, I would have taken the arsenic tablets I brought for just such a situation.
The judging process was very informative and quite painless. To have 5 teams of two guys thoroughly 'proctologize' your car, is quite an experience. One thing is for sure, these guys are unbelievably knowledgable. A big advantage of a regional is you get the most experienced judges, including some national judges. All were very complimentary of the car and really appreciated the unrestored nature of the car. I felt much better as the day progressed.
When it was all said and done, I received my bowtie sign-off and was less than one percent away from a top flight award. In my exercise of going thru the judging sheets weeks before the meet, I was in the very low range of second flight scores, so I was very thrilled with the outcome. It was a bit painful to be so close to top flight but I kept telling myself to not get greedy. I couple of small items and I will make it next time. Not bad for a car that is driven.
Overall it was a great experience that I would recommend to anyone. Congratulations to those that organized the meet as it was first class. A huge thanks to all on the DB who helped me along the way and at the meet (including the judges) for their words of encouragement.
David
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