Bloomington Gold

[Ed N.]

Re: Bloomington Gold

Too bad, I was planning on attending in 2015.

[Alan S.]

Re: Bloomington Gold

Hi Gene,
I really agree with all your points!
Since I believe the number of families and individuals with a membership has remained fairly constant for more than a few years, are there any statistics about the number/percentage of those families/individuals that have a car judged, or take part in judging at any level, within a year?
I guess I'm asking, (not just from you), if the number of members ACTIVE in our Society is changing?
Just Curious.
Regards,
Alan

[Terry M.]

Re: Bloomington Gold

Guys,
There are many issues that are contributing to the vintage Corvette hobby demise. One, the age of the people who love them is closer and closer to pushing up daisies. Two, our numbers year after year become fewer (because of #1). Three, the cost $ of the cars has sky rocketed (not to mention the whole does not equal the sum of the parts). Four, the cost $ of the meets car registration, trailer parking, travel, & hotels has become a major burden. Five, younger people have no interest since that was not their generation of cars. Six, Many do not agree with the judging criteria (allowing stampers, base/clear paint, repop China parts). Seven, been there done that.

Plus I'm sure there are other reasons the hobby is a depressed state of growth. We need to face times change and interests change with them. After all how many wood wagon clubs exist and draw new membership? Many if not all of our vintage Corvettes fall far short in performance compared to any new Mustang, or even some 4 door sedans. So interest from that side is also limited. Thus the resto mod creations have taken off which is converse of NCRS, and Bloomington backbone.

How many? There never were too many if you count only wood wagon clubs as you have defined it, but as a lifetime member of the National Woodie Club I can tell you that club is alive and well and welcoming new members all the time. The focus of that club is not so strictly regimented to originality as NCRS & Bloomington Gold -- as a matter of fact the NWC welcomes street rods with wooden bodies. There are also active wooden body segments of many other single marque clubs, and those I am familiar with are more for stock wooden body cars. There should be lots of wooden body cars in your area of the country Gene -- they were popular in the lakes and resort regions back in the day, unless we have all pulled them to more temperate climates.

[Tracy C.]

Re: Bloomington Gold

Guys,
There are many issues that are contributing to the vintage Corvette hobby demise. One, the age of the people who love them is closer and closer to pushing up daisies. Two, our numbers year after year become fewer (because of #1). Three, the cost $ of the cars has sky rocketed (not to mention the whole does not equal the sum of the parts). Four, the cost $ of the meets car registration, trailer parking, travel, & hotels has become a major burden. Five, younger people have no interest since that was not their generation of cars. Six, Many do not agree with the judging criteria (allowing stampers, base/clear paint, repop China parts). Seven, been there done that.

Plus I'm sure there are other reasons the hobby is a depressed state of growth. We need to face times change and interests change with them. After all how many wood wagon clubs exist and draw new membership? Many if not all of our vintage Corvettes fall far short in performance compared to any new Mustang, or even some 4 door sedans. So interest from that side is also limited. Thus the resto mod creations have taken off which is converse of NCRS, and Bloomington backbone.

Gene,

Where do you think we would be with the absence of #6? If the NCRS top flight award was given to "perfectly original and only original" Corvettes, there wouldn't be a need for many judging meets. Those cars are quite rare and our membership would be equally limited. I think we have a pretty good compromise working with our present judging criteria. It opens the appeal to a much larger audience and puts the award within the reach of those who cannot own the perfect Corvette.

I do agree with you that we need to be forward thinking and less resistant to change. We will cease to exist otherwise.

tc

[Gene M.]

Re: Bloomington Gold

Gene,

Where do you think we would be with the absence of #6? If the NCRS top flight award was given to "perfectly original and only original" Corvettes, there wouldn't be a need for many judging meets. Those cars are quite rare and our membership would be equally limited. I think we have a pretty good compromise working with our present judging criteria. It opens the appeal to a much larger audience and puts the award within the reach of those who cannot own the perfect Corvette.

I do agree with you that we need to be forward thinking and less resistant to change. We will cease to exist otherwise.

tc

tc,
Corvette guys are on both sides of the fence for#6. I gotta say way more guys that I talk to are of the opinion that top flight should be for truly correct cars. There is nothing wrong with non original and incorrectly restored cars attaining a second flight.

If you are inferring by your statement "If the NCRS top flight award was given to perfectly original and only original Corvettes, there wouldn't be a need for many judging meets." that members will only be happy if they attain a top flight? Well I think not. Life is reality and not every child will get a gold star. Second flight will attain stronger sense of accomplishment.

In response to the altered cars, maybe NCRS should look at a judging class that has limits and stipulations to entice members to present those type of mostly original cars with personal modifications. Knowing that tires, battery, interior seat covers, convertible tops, exhaust, etc are repop why not over look them in an alter car class?

Even if a permissible list that has 15 changes allowed would include more cars. Maybe color changes but no body modifications other than mild flares "could" be considered. Many Corvettes that are at the cruise in are nice looking cars but the owners will not even consider NCRS judging because it is strict. But a new "altered" class could open things up.
Maybe call it a "cruise in class".

But keep in mind that all this will probably not entice younger generation. Vintage Corvettes are labeled with the gray hair or retirement generation.

[Brian P.]

Re: Bloomington Gold

Folks, A couple little birdies started chipping in my ear today. These birds told me to start looking towards northeast Indiana just off I69 where a certain famous auto museum and rather large auction company live. No promises and it may all be "bird talk" but I haven't seen anyone else chirp up.

[Kevin G.]

Re: Bloomington Gold

tc,
Corvette guys are on both sides of the fence for#6. I gotta say way more guys that I talk to are of the opinion that top flight should be for truly correct cars. There is nothing wrong with non original and incorrectly restored cars attaining a second flight.

If you are inferring by your statement "If the NCRS top flight award was given to perfectly original and only original Corvettes, there wouldn't be a need for many judging meets." that members will only be happy if they attain a top flight? Well I think not. Life is reality and not every child will get a gold star. Second flight will attain stronger sense of accomplishment.

In response to the altered cars, maybe NCRS should look at a judging class that has limits and stipulations to entice members to present those type of mostly original cars with personal modifications. Knowing that tires, battery, interior seat covers, convertible tops, exhaust, etc are repop why not over look them in an alter car class?

Even if a permissible list that has 15 changes allowed would include more cars. Maybe color changes but no body modifications other than mild flares "could" be considered. Many Corvettes that are at the cruise in are nice looking cars but the owners will not even consider NCRS judging because it is strict. But a new "altered" class could open things up.
Maybe call it a "cruise in class".

But keep in mind that all this will probably not entice younger generation. Vintage Corvettes are labeled with the gray hair or retirement generation.

Is this a conversation about Bloomington or the NCRS judging system?

[Roy S.]

Re: Bloomington Gold

tc,
Corvette guys are on both sides of the fence for#6. I gotta say way more guys that I talk to are of the opinion that top flight should be for truly correct cars. There is nothing wrong with non original and incorrectly restored cars attaining a second flight.

If you are inferring by your statement "If the NCRS top flight award was given to perfectly original and only original Corvettes, there wouldn't be a need for many judging meets." that members will only be happy if they attain a top flight? Well I think not. Life is reality and not every child will get a gold star. Second flight will attain stronger sense of accomplishment.

In response to the altered cars, maybe NCRS should look at a judging class that has limits and stipulations to entice members to present those type of mostly original cars with personal modifications. Knowing that tires, battery, interior seat covers, convertible tops, exhaust, etc are repop why not over look them in an alter car class?

Even if a permissible list that has 15 changes allowed would include more cars. Maybe color changes but no body modifications other than mild flares "could" be considered. Many Corvettes that are at the cruise in are nice looking cars but the owners will not even consider NCRS judging because it is strict. But a new "altered" class could open things up.
Maybe call it a "cruise in class".

But keep in mind that all this will probably not entice younger generation. Vintage Corvettes are labeled with the gray hair or retirement generation.

[Kenneth B.]

Re: Bloomington Gold

Folks, A couple little birdies started chipping in my ear today. These birds told me to start looking towards northeast Indiana just off I69 where a certain famous auto museum and rather large auction company live. No promises and it may all be "bird talk" but I haven't seen anyone else chirp up.

Figures! I moved from Auburn to Az. 4 years ago.

[Gene M.]

Re: Bloomington Gold

Fortunately just like something else an ***hole, we all have opinions. That’s a good thing, without one of those you could not survive. But like most things getting a new format a standalone system that does not compete with arguably the most emulated and successful judging system in existence is not a simple sell. New proposals for a milder, tamer, less restricted, more forgiving judging format have been around for twenty plus years now. I know, for those twenty plus years I proposed them, even back before I became the judging chairman in 1996 I was very vocal and proposing them, more times than I can remember. The most recent presented to our new President, current judging chairman and business manager probably less than four weeks prior to my departure in June.
The problem however is not simply the system, it is also the attitude. I have often said “I came for the cars but I stayed for the people”. I would suggest that rings true for so many of us, even back to Bloomington in the late seventies early eighties, those holiday inn parking lot evenings engraved in many of us a passion that has thrived for years now. But, make no mistake it is not that way today, how many new members attend a function and go home thinking NCRS is a bunch of snobs that not only participate but run the organization! How many new members don’t stay because they don’t feel welcome, feel like they were treated like second class citizens because they did not receive the best treatment at an event? How many of you have attended an event and never spoke to a new member that you did not know.
I did a past judging chairman’s message and challenged everyone to share their passion with the youth, how many of you have done or do that? I submit not many. I promise you had it not been for someone sharing their passion with me I would not have enjoyed the passion for so many years.
NCRS most likely will always exist, they should however continue to lead the hobby rather than attempting to follow, and forward thinking never hurt anything. I submit the current system needs little if any change, but a twin that is not identical might certainly peak some interest in the masses, even the younger masses.

Roy,
Excellent points made. We, at our chapter do the warm, and open greeting to involve new members. But I will also say most are our age group. We are most involved in encouraging younger persons, especially Susie. We now have a newer member news letter editor and doing an incredible job for the past three years. The task of involving the new guys with flight judging and placing them with experienced members has made them feel involved at the get go.

The chapter level is more relaxed and should be the place to start newbee's and make them feel more welcome. I know many have gone on to regionals and feel left out. I suggest the OJ positions. But many still feel short comings as not involved just doing scribe work. I try to suggest judges to Oj with, I know that will share the point evaluations while judging with the OJ's.

I do many of the advanced judging schools and some of those "students" would now like to do more than OJ. I also suggest to them request operations section as that is a lot of the covered material in the schools. Pairing the new potential judges with an experienced judge in operations would close the loop better. Looking on is not doing and doing is involvement.

[Wayne M.]

Re: Bloomington Gold

Ah, yes, I remember that one well, Alan. Our white convertible was in the center of the L88 photo with a slimmer version of Dick standing beside it. Really hard to believe it has been over a quarter century ago. I believe that was also the year of the tremendous heat or one of them.

Is he visible here ? Did they ever make a DVD of the VHS tape ? (which I have).

[Tim G.]

Re: Bloomington Gold

I think it was 105 that day.

[Mark D.]

Re: Bloomington Gold

I see Smurf next to the white car with a GQ pair of shorts and cowboy hat. My guess is he's wearing wingtips, too.

[Mark D.]

Re: Bloomington Gold

I believe that's Guy and Helen Mabee, along with their daughters, next to the blue car.

[Reba W.]

Re: Bloomington Gold

Is he visible here ? Did they ever make a DVD of the VHS tape ? (which I have).

Yes, that is the trimmer version of Dick beside the white car on the front row. Mark described his attire.

A local radio station wanted a car owner to interview and someone in charge sent Dick to them, figuring they could not decipher his accent.

I only heard the thunder as the cars were fired up because I had to be at our vendor spot, completely out of sight.