Judging...what direction are we headed?

[Dale Pearman]

Re: That's What I'm Talkin' About!

Thank God it dosen't!

Varooom!

[Steve W.]

What's it all mean?

Now that all the more knowledgeable people have contributed, I shall plagarize as many thoughts as possible...

Judging - As the cars get older and the parts harder to find, the nature of judging will change. How it will change is anyone's guess, but I suspect that the importance of original parts will become less important and an interest in original CONFIGURATION will become more prevalent. But it's really the cars themselves that are in danger. It is almost impossible to turn a wrench on one of today's cars (I can't even find anything!) and it will become very difficult for a young car enthusiast to do anything but bring the car to a professional. How are they going to practice the fine art of auto diagnostics with today's cars? Even the trained mechs just plug the damn things in! It will come down to the sons and daughters of all die-hard Corvette fans. But how many of them will really show the interest to keep Dad's old Corvette running after he's gone to that Big Swap Meet in the Sky?

Some food for thought - some kind of NCRS program designed as incentive for younger people to get into the hobby?


Empty Wallet

[Bill Braun #33186]

Ya gotta have respect...

for that good old Corvette ATTITUDE!! Way to go, Dale!


Empty Wallet

[Dale Pearman]

HAND EM THE KEYS

Just hand the keys over to the kids and let them find out for themselves. Ain't that the way we got addicted?

Varooom!

[Tom B.]

The Alpha and Omega of the Classic Corvette

Just reading through the past week's related topic messages, and I believe you can almost get a sense of where the high water mark has already crested in Corvette restoration and originality. Surprisingly enough to me, it has most recently changed my thinking, but it hasn't changed my values.

It appears that the classic Corvette is coming full circle. The equal value of non-original engines, replacement blocks and frames, re-paints, re-stamps, reproduction parts, and the like have all gained popularity and acceptance. Those same values are really no different than they were in the days when the classic Corvettes were "common cars", considered nothing more than a "used Vette" on the Used Car Lot.

Maybe our destiny has been to own our favorite Corvette now, but to accept, individualize, or customize each one to our own liking. That, too, is no new idea by any stretch. Most or at the least many of the original new-Corvette owners did exactly the same thing. No one blinked an eye at a CE block, replacement engine (factory or modified), or custom paint job then, and by popularity we're recovering the foundation for that as well today.

Amusing and hilarious as it is, JP's prophesy "I'm OK, You're OK" scenario of the future appears to have hit the bulls-eye. We no longer need to place such great concerns on judging and originality, or that we were once "restorers". Maybe it's time to now ease back into a wine-tasting, tofu-toting, Corvette club (of America) --- (WTTTCCA). The only problem with that, if you could call it one, is that there's less of a chance of an "originality revival". Also, it may be time for us to change our attitude, use up these original cars and numbers matching parts like there's no tomorrow. When we, ourselves, are done who's to say most if not all of the interest will be gone in these cars. Isn't that where we're at, now that we've made "original" and "non-original" equal, in judging or in value?

(But just in case I'm wrong, I think I'll hold on to my Judging Manuals.) TBarr #24014

[Jeff]

Wait til the first hot day.... (no text)

[Juliet P.]

Not Old, and certainly NOT bald!

OK, so I'm probably not of the majority here (woman, long blonde hair, 35 years old), but there are plenty of younger folks (younger than me!) around with early corvettes. I'm one of them... ...with my first corvette! FINALLY! I almost bought one 10 years ago, but the cash tured into a bathroom remodel instead (long boring story). Nope. I don't want a C5 instead of my '70 either. Maybe in addition to but....

Anyways my philosophy on judging is that I'd LOVE to be a judge someday. I've started with the observer judging and I'm reading all I can get my hands on, trying to absorb it (between school stuff). I think that in some ways the free spirited 80's and very non-conformist is OK attitude has helped me to become more of a purist in the Corvette sense. (Drives my hot rodder husband crazy, but that's OK.) Now it's OK to be a purist, just like it's OK for the next person to do whatever they want to do with THEIR corvette. 15 years ago I HAD to be different. Now it's OK to be the same if that's what I want.

I think that the customizers and restorers live side by side sharing tech info these days in an unbiased manner. It's more of a peaceful coexistence instead of the "cram it down your throat that you're "wrong if you change anything" or you're "wrong if you DON'T change anything" (because that means that you think GM had a clue back then!!" I do see many friends making modifications to their corvettes and NOT following the NCRS guidelines, but in general the difference here is that I don't JUDGE their tastes. If they don't ask, I don't say anything bad. If they do ask, I can usually see the benefit of their changes and think, Hmmm, that would be neat. But I probably won't do it to mine. Which is OK. But then who knows, maybe one day after I earn the beast a Top Flight I might just try adding power door locks and some other creature comforts (like intermittent wipers). ...in a reversible manner of course.

The biggest problem NCRS has with attracting younger folks is the stigma of NCRS people being overly anal geeks and criticizing (unsolicited) what they do with their cars. OK, I'm a geek, and I am anal, but I don't go around criticizing other people's cars. Not even the rice burners with their fart pipes (usually.... sometimes I can't resist that though.)

I can't begin to tell you how many comments I've had from friends (young AND young at heart) poo poo-ing NCRS because "they don't want some judge to tell them they used the wrong bolts" or "wrong finish paint" or "they missed the overspray here" or whatever. I think the "general corvette public" views judges as going around picking cars apart... like any car they happen upon at the grocery store for example. :p Ridiculous, I know but.... When I tell them you have to SIGN up and REGISTER and PAY a fee to have your car judged to find out which bolts are "not factory stock" they start changing their attitudes. Many of them have actually joined NCRS recently too. I think the documentation & judging GUIDELINES lures them in, but I'm hoping the other resources & tech articles in The Restorer will keep them here.

Don't worry, NCRS isn't going to die out or anything like that. The older C1s, C2s and C3s aren't going to disappear. Everyone knows the value of rarity now a days. Just compare production in the 20k range to today's corvettes and anyone can see that! Sure we'll need to figure out what to judge and how to judge the newer electronic features as those cars get up in age, but hey, isnt' NCRS about learning anyways? Look at it as an opportunity to put those intro to circuit theory class skills playing in the lab with an oscilloscope and reading resistor color bands to work on restoring those babies. WHo knows, by then the AIM may come on a rack of CDs complete with 3D CAD renderings of everything. Now, wouldn't that be nice?

NCRS is a great organization with a TON of you older folks with lots of knowledge. Don't mind me and the other young'uns picking your brains a bit before you all put the other foot into the grave. OK?? (

[Dave W]

The most valuable gift to the NCRS...

...doesn't cost a dime. After recalling multiple car restorations/projects of my youth in the 80's, I had to stop and think where the turning point was for me. When exactly did I stop merely admiring the old Corvettes and simply had to have one! In June of 1984 I had a 68 Camaro with a fast 327 I was selling for college tuition. A guy in a 1964 Corvette roadster showed up to look at it. We climbed into the Camaro, I told him to hold on, and took him for a spin. Upon returning home, he offered to take me for a ride in his 327/365hp. All the ensuing years of college classes couldn't touch the lesson I learned that day. So, I agree, seize every opportunity to take some bright-eyed kid around the block you can, theres a good chance it will change his/her life forever...and help the NCRS.