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Re: Ncrs members need to look at this and read the feed back about your new venue
It's all about the survival of the organization. The old traditional folks are dying off and the young ones aren't interested in preserving the past. Much like the city where I live which is changing streets into bike lanes to attract the younger people. I'm not a big fan of it but I do understand why it needs to be done.
Ken -
Re: Ncrs members need to look at this and read the feed back about your new venue
There have been 1/2 dozen posts on the CF about the new judging venue....with about what you'd expect as far as a split between dissension and support.
Some feel its another show and shine setup, others that its not really 'concours' judging and of course the "old guard" that sees it as an aberration.
On balance I think the general outlook is a positive one. I've watched the first event at Lakeland, talked to the owners and judges and I think this might just "grow legs" if handled properly. My good friend Mike Coletta had two restomods in the judging and there were some modified originals as well.
I wouldn't say the younger folks don't care about originality at all. Many want to keep an original aspect but be able to drive their car comfortably....e.g. Halogen headlights, radial tires, A/C, aftermarket radio, etc.. If the modified car can get some acknowledgment about its status via an awards process -- so much the better.Comment
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Re: Ncrs members need to look at this and read the feed back about your new venue
My brother and I are the youngest people I know of in the NCRS who own original cars and activity participate in the NCRS and other similar organizations/shows like BG and MCACN. Being said, we're 26 and 30 respectively. We're about to campaign our garage find '67 L36 convertible survivor car in the Bowtie process and are mapping out the calendar of events. This is a very expensive hobby that for us is not a business. We're looking at spending THOUSANDS of dollars in transportation, hotel, airfare, car rental, etc. We can offset some of the cost from our extensive business travel point accumulation but if it weren't for that - wow, we'd be out even more. The awards added to the docket for the future of the NCRS are aimed at the younger generation, without a doubt, but it seems the underlying themes remain the same - quality, fit, finish, creativity, etc. I wish the hobby was younger but that is not the landscape. This summer at the NCRS National in RI, I was shocked to see the demographic. Again, I think I was the youngest participant by a landslide.
DanComment
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Re: Ncrs members need to look at this and read the feed back about your new venue
I don't think there is much debate about the "graying" of the hobby. At 65 now, I sold off my C1 and having one classic now will do me nicely. I saw more walkers, scooters and canes at Lakeland last January then I've seen before that I can recall....
I hope branching out into other venues re-invigorates interest - time will tell..Comment
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Re: Ncrs members need to look at this and read the feed back about your new venue
Not all young folks lack interested in restoration as you and your brother are an example of that. But one only has to go to the local car shows to see that the majority of car enthusiast are of the older generation. I would also speculate that most first time buyer's of corvettes are over the age of 50 as I was one of them. At 63 I'm probability one of the youngest member in my local NCRS chapter. Times are a changing and I realize that we need to change along with it.
KenComment
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Re: Ncrs members need to look at this and read the feed back about your new venue
My thought is the new class of Corvettes will get many cars but I truly think that the current people that do flight cars will be the entrants.
Suggestion would be to bring the events down to one day, reduce entry and judging fee's and down size the banquet and it requirement. The cost is the biggest deterrent of getting younger people next to the fact that they have not grown up with these cars.
The new class of cars are drivers and should be allowed to come and go and not have to be "locked down in the building". Many can drive to meets but because of this requirement do not.
At chapter meets not much activity for sportsman (in our events). Members just prefer to drive to meet and forgo the payment to get a ribbon. And added plus can come and go as they please.Comment
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Re: Ncrs members need to look at this and read the feed back about your new venue
I'm not sure if you guys have a thing called " Cars and Coffee " but we do here in the mid-west, it's monthly from the spring time to fall. It is a car showing and it's open to all cars. You just meet somewhere close by a coffee house (McDonalds, Starbucks, etc.) and display your car, it's usually on a Saturday morning from 8-10 am. The display normally has a variety of cars and younger drivers who bring there cars. You would be surprised at what you see from Street Rods, Classic's, to Rice burners.......and a lot of young people.
MikeComment
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Re: Ncrs members need to look at this and read the feed back about your new venue
Local cruise in is big here on Friday starts around 3PM and goes till about 8:30 later 9:00 if sunny and warm. The Shriners does the event every week, food drinks are available all for good cause. They have a event cruise winner each week and you can only win once. Makes for good fun. Keeps new cars rolling in. Generally 300 cars show up. There has been more on beautiful evenings.Comment
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Re: Ncrs members need to look at this and read the feed back about your new venue
We also have the same thing here, every first Saturday of the month. Even in a small place like here, we get about 50 cars of all makes and models. I usually have the only C2 Corvette.Big Tanks In the High Mountains of New MexicoComment
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Re: Ncrs members need to look at this and read the feed back about your new venue
I agree with what most have said on this thread, and on what was posted on the corvette forum. The demographic in this hobby is definitely "vintage" like the cars! I have made it a point to involve my 16yo in the restoration of the 69 I am doing, and in the driving and enjoying of my other cars. He takes the 70 conv GTO I have as often as he can, but I don't dare let him drive my 69 mustang (Boss 572 840hp)! That said, it is tough for him to appreciate all the fuss over judging and what not. He doesn't understand why I insist that something be done a certain way when it adds 2-3x the work/money/time to get it there. He nearly had kittens over the amount of time we spent refinishing my drive/halfshafts to something that resembles factory but will probably still get a big points reduction by some judge when we finish it.
The new category will probably take some tweaking and time to evolve as all things new do. I'm glad to see that somebody is thinking about making some changes to keep the hobby alive with future generations, instead of just refusing to adapt. Classic and muscle cars will always be around and popular but if you want the preservation of the subculture of restoring and preserving cars the way the came from the factory to the highest degree possible, you have to work to cultivate that. It starts by just increasing the number of people exposed to it and this new category is a great first step.Comment
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Re: Ncrs members need to look at this and read the feed back about your new venue
Change is necessary for survival. Not everyone appreciates being called out for replacing a T-3 lamp with something that actually works.Comment
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Re: Ncrs members need to look at this and read the feed back about your new venue
When I arrived at Lakeland this year I was skeptical about the new class. I was not sure if I would like it. It took about 10 seconds and I was fine with the new class. The owners took lots of time and $$$ to build those cars and they all look great. It was nice to see a C7 63. Probably more comfortable to drive.
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Re: Ncrs members need to look at this and read the feed back about your new venue
You make a very good point Edward. Logic dictates that at some time probably in the not too distant future it will be near impossible to take a good quality C1 or C2 drive and upgrade it to Top Flight status. The problem is, parts are becoming scarcer and in some cases non existent, or if they exist they do not function, T3 headlights and original Delco shock absorbers are two examples. So let's fast forward the calendar 10 years, it is 2027, what do you think the availability of parts necessary to achieve Top Flight will be, and if they are available, what will they cost? We are going to get to the point where Top Flight is going to be very cost prohibitive for the average enthusiasts and only the very very rich will be able to participate at that level. And..... they will dare not drive their cars because even fair wear and tear will be impossible to correct. This is counter to the initial concept of the NCRS - to drive classic Corvettes - preservation will result in garage queens that are seldom used. I don't know what the solution is, but if nothing changes I am afraid the organization as we know it, and its philosophy will fade into the sunset. Don't get me wrong, I appreciate and respect the NCRS and the Flight award program - I just don't see it surviving in its current form for much longer - then again - I probably won't be around to see what replaces it either.EdComment
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Re: Ncrs members need to look at this and read the feed back about your new venue
There were many thousands of mustangs built. Maybe we can have a tech session on adapting a mustang fender to a vette in preparation for this new class.Comment
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