My case for lightening up

[Larry P.]

All good ideas -

When I ask for a source for parts I get Emails and thats great.
I would like to be able to get recommedations on venders, good or bad.
If a vendor is not responsive, unreliable, dis-honest or what ever,
we should know and they deserve the bad press.(the problem is the isolated one guy who can;t be pleased)

The solution might be to have a seperate NCRS sponsered forum for parts wanted,
parts for sale and a way to rate the sellers.
Venders could pay the cost and like the BBB they could be rated and
if bad enough, not alowed to advertise.

Larry

[Mark Jekot]

Re: My case for lightening up

You speak the truth! I have found better reading in some of the other commercial Vette magazines than in Restorer. I do not care about the road trips it all too often highlights. I want more of the meat of the car. Has anyone seen a copy of Excellence (Porsche) or Bimmer (BMW), now those are good magazines. I heard that the publisher of those magazines are putting out a new Corvette magazine. Yes those magazines have more advertising, but they do not seem to have trouble with getting subscribers or advertisers.

Restorer could be so cool. Better photography, better printing, more articals on the cars. That is what this is about. THE CARS! Don't we all remember staring at a photo of the car you hoped one day would be yours. I did. I'm sure we all own volumes of books with great photos and articles about Corvettes. I do.

The last Restorer I beleive had an out of focus photo of a bunch of ladies standing in line to get into a bathroom. Is this why I belong to the NCRS? Is that why I wait for each and every copy to come to my house? I can't wait for each issue, but I have been dissapointed with the last few.

The Porsche Club of America has a great publication as does the Mercedes, Triumph, and Volvo clubs. Restorer just seems so out of date.

Today's economy will force me to make choices as to where I can put my Corvette dollars. As of now, Restorer is not doing it. I do understand that there are many other advantages to the club, this discussion board which is invaluable, the Store which is great to save sales tax, and I do not fail in mentioning that beautiful vehicle of outdated information, The Driveline.

To the President, Officers and Directors, International, Regional, and Local clubs, please help this club up into this century. Remember we are suppose to be dedicated to the restoration, preservation, history and enjoyment of Corvettes made from the model years 1953 through 1982.

[Mathew Jekot]

Vinne Peters are You Reading

Vinne Peters are you out there? This is a topic that will not go away. I posted a silmilar comment and you deleted it. I think you should share your response with the membership that you e-mailed me in after deleting my message or at least be consistant in what topics you allow.

[Rob Loszewski]

Re: My case for lightening up

Mark,

You raise some good points. Regarding the Restorer, I wouldn't cut out the driving experience type of articles all together. As I recently told Corvette Magazine (published by the same publisher of Bimmer, Porsche, Sports Car International), a well rounded magazine will be a successful magazine.

I don't think that the NCRS has the kind of resources to put out a magazine of the same quality as a mainstream publisher can. However, they do have the ability to change the content based upon the needs of the membership.

For me personally, I actually enjoy reading the driving experience articles instead of the nitty-gritty technical articles because I don't own, nor have I ever owned, an older Corvette. I own a 1990 Corvette and it's the only one I have ever owned (it definitely won't be the only one). So for me, the technical articles, although extremely valuable (which is why I keep a huge stack of Restorer Magazines among the rest of my Corvette literature collection), do not hold specific relevance to me because I have nothing that I can apply that knowledge to at this point in time.

I've actually had some people ask me why I bother to be a member of the NCRS because I don't own an older Corvette. I truly believe that the NCRS is one of the most important Corvette organizations out there. Yes, it may cater primarily to the older generations of Corvette, but I think given the time and willingness to accept the more recent generations of Corvette (which they are beginning to do now with the C4s), and the ability to attract younger members, the NCRS will be able to quite easily represent *all* Corvette owners and enthusiasts and not just a select group.


Corvette Action Center

[Chas Kingston]

[Mark Jekot]

Re: Att'n: BoD

Perhaps they will start to listen during the elections
Mark

[Robert Nissenbaum]

Re: Att'n: BoD

Where do I begin. Hello. My name is Robert. I am 33 and have had a love affair with C3s (crush on C1 and C2s) since I was 7. My car is a 1970 LT-1 coupe with a NOM. I am not an NCRS member yet, nor have I read a driveline or Restorer. I also have not posted much on this board. I do read this board daily and have found useful tidbits that are stored for future use.

My thoughts:

1) I read this board since I do have at least some interest in returning my car to some degreee of original numbers matching.

2) I believe there is a place in this hobby for, as Jerry put it, "stody *****s". There has to be some hardline contingency, especially for those trying to restore their cars to factory correct detail.

3) My purpose in reading this board is to determine if factory correct restoration going to be my route, and if so collect info and learn. There are other boards for things like carb repair, proper painting techniques, etc.

4) I can buy parts on Ebay and through other sources, but an online source through NCRS for crictical or numbers matching parts with the ability to get feedback on where to look, or to post what someone saw when shopping for themselves would be invaluable. Selling of any old part is no biggie for me.

5) I do not read most automotive magazines for several reasons - too much fluff and not enough substance. In my opinion, a magazine like Restorer should be dedicated to the sets necessary to restore these cars in article form, offer listing on where to find parts, occasional success story article, etc. (Again, never read one so go easy on me.)

6) The NCRS should allow for and work with those who want modified cars. Mine WILL be a driver. I did not seek out a rare car and having it is half the battle. It merely being on the road after 24 years is a bleesing to the hobby in my opinion. The heads of the younger generations that turn when she drives by is worth all my efforts regardless of what is under the hood.

7) The best way to get young members - continue the trend towards adding C4s and C5s to NCRS. While I do not feel they are classics, they are todays vette and all some of the younger generations have ever known. Several school kids where drooling over a C5 and I pulled up. They had never seen a chrome bumper C3 and never looked back at the C5. Get them in with the newer cars, hook them on the older ones.

I apologize for being long winded, but wanted to offer a young perspective.

Robert Nissenbaum

[Kevin M.]

Re: Att'n: BoD

Wow, this thread reminds me of the old forum. Thanks to the BoD for letting it stay. Do you have to be a member to submit an article for restorer? I have some great pictures of original markings that would be of intrest to the members.

[Mark Jekot]

Re: Att'n: BoD

Thank you Robert for the fresh perspective. We need more guys like you.

Mark

[Eric Whitaker #34190]

Thoughts Of A Somewhat Younger Member

Let me start by saying that I've hardly been to this board since the general discussion one got canned about two years ago. Also, much of what I'm about to type was already typed by me on that same old board when the reasons for its demise were being discussed.

For the record, I'm 34 years old and have had my Vette (a 71 ragtop) since early 2000 and it WILL be Top Flight someday 10 or 15 years from now. Since childhood, I wanted one and I knew I would join the NCRS as well. I joined this board shortly after joining the NCRS and it was an immense help in my shark hunt as I was told many tricks about what to look for. I quickly picked up advise and was more than eager to passed it on when I, with my neophyte experience, I was able to. However, one of the things I liked most was getting to know people on the other board - sharing their life experiences and knowing them on a personal level. The death of the other board sent a clear message to me at the time and that message was this - the motto on my windshield sticker - "Great Friends, Great Cars" - didn't mean diddly squat. After all, while we share the common bond of the cars there is an all important social aspect to all of this. Consequently, I gave a long winded dissertation of what I thought was wrong with the NCRS and went to another online community where I felt at ease and where I was permitted, dare I say encouraged, to talk about more than just the cars.

The "offline" discussions helped me to build a rapport with folks all over the world who were all brought together by a single common bond - Corvette! I have had "online" friends drive from Georgia and even California to my doorstep. Many of these are now friends for life and many have never owned and old Vette and have, therefore, never shared technical experiences with me.

I have also joined my local chapter, Mid-Atlantic, and have attended a few social events as well as become involved with the 2003 Nat'l Convention which we are hosting (shameless plug). My experiences at the NCRS events I have attended have been two-sided. All at once I have felt both welcomed and like an outsider and a big, dare I say HUGE, part of that is the age factor. At our recent annual meeting I made the observation that something has to be done to turn the tide or this great organization is ALREADY DEAD.

In my humble opinion, three things are key to the NCRS's survival and to it's ability to attract younger members and here they are:

1. Online access - There has to be more to the online presence of the NCRS. This is no longer the wave of the future, it is the here and now. Now I'm not knocking John or anything he does here - he was quite helpful in my development of a website for the Hershey convention and this site fulfills a purpose. What I'm talking about is involving the membership more and at the Chapter level too. Online member rosters, tool sheds, research tools, local event planning, and sale/wanted adds and just some of the things that I think could be implemented at the Chapter and Nat'l levels online. Some of these already exist at some chapters. I have very little contact with most of the members of my chapter aside from online and that is limited to emails. I've spoken to others my age who would jump at the chance to join if they could have more of these types of things. I challenge you all to visit the other online Corvette communities and tell me they aren't more vibrant and alive than this one. Enter with an open mind.

2. Embracing the C4 - Adding the C4s to the ranks of judged cars is a monumental step for the NCRS. If this move is marketed right it can be a windfall for this organization. Unlike my fellow shark owners, many C4 owners are reluctant to hardly even open the hood, let alone make mods. Also, due to the plentitude of C4s and the pricing, many more people in my age group are driving them. There are a gobs of C4s just waiting to be Flight judged as so many are just as they were when the left BG. When I've pointed this out to others they have agreed wholeheartedly but were skeptical that the NCRS would be very aggressive - after all so many still believe the only classic Vettes ever built came from St. Louis, kike it or not.

3. Tolerance - Remember that my contemporaries and I grew up in a different world than when many of you. My Vette is the first car I've ever owned that didn't have electronic ignition and stifling emissions controls. I finally have the chance to tinker with a car and have fun with it so don't alienate me if I want to have a little fun with it. While I don't think the NCRS should necessarily endorse mods, I do think we should except them as reality and not snub those who do it. I have a dream that someday when I'm one of the "old farts" of the NCRS, I'll go to a convention and after ogling all of the Top Flights, Duntovs, McLellans, & Hills (yep, someday), I will stroll over and see a special display of tasteful customs. Like it or not, these cars are also part of our rich and diverse history. While they seem gaudy today, who didn't think Can Am flared C3s were the cat's meow in their day. Shoehorning an LS1 into an abandoned, wrecked, rustbucket 75 gives life to what would otherwise become a parts car and I'd rather see it non-original that chopped up like ground beef. That takes just as much dedication in my book and don't worry, maybe the next owner will restore it.

In summary, the NCRS will either embrace change or be killed by it! If change means I may have to pay a little more to remain a member, I'm willing to do that if I see a commitment to make things happen. As for the Driveline, I like it as is - if you want more in it you have the mailing address same as I do.

My $.05 worth!

Eric Whitaker
NCRS #34190
NCRS Mid-Atlantic Chapter Member
Corvette Action Center Community Administrator