Need an approximate year for C5 judging availability

[Jack U.]

[Don H.]

Re: Need an approximate year for C5 judging availability

Not the best place to ask a question of or seek the assurance of NCRS senior leadership.
Why not send a message to your Regional Director and ask him or her? Contact info is linked above in the tool bar,
but shown here to make it easier. Good luck

Officers & Directors President: Vito Cimilluca vitoc@comcast.net Vice President & National Activities: Marilyn Heitzman marilynheitzman@msn.com Business Manager: Mark Lincoln lincolnmark@hotmail.com Judging Chairman: David Brigham dwbrigham@gmail.com Financial: Jeffrey Cook jeff.cook@cros.net Secretary: Lawrence Colvin lcolvin3@yahoo.com Membership: Gary Mortimer info@ncrs.org Driveline Editor: Eric Mortimer info@ncrs.org The Restorer Magazine Editor: Vinnie Peters restorereditor@ncrs.org Public Relations: Carlton Colclough colclc@aol.com Road Tour Chairperson: Scott Sinclair scott1956@rogers.com National Corvette Museum: Dana Forrester forresterd@sbcglobal.net Youth Activities Director: TDB Help Desk: Helpdesk Team https://www.ncrs.org/helpdesk Chairman NCRS Foundation: Joan Burnett joanieburnett@gmail.com Flight Program Administrator: William Braun billszo6@yahoo.com Historical Document Service Manager: Roy Sinor rsinor@sbcglobal.net Directors: Region I: Dick Capello dcapello1260@gmail.com Connecticut, Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, New York, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New Brunswick Region II: Marilyn Heitzman marilynheitzman@msn.com Ohio, Michigan, Ontario, and Quebec Region III: Vito Cimilluca vitoc@comcast.net Pennsylvania, Virginia, W.Virginia, Maryland, New Jersey, Delaware, and Washington D.C. Region IV: Mike Sams tbsams@windstream.net North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Tennessee and Kentucky Region V: William Braun billszo6@yahoo.com North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, Iowa, Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana and Manitoba Region VI: Bill Baker bbaker@bakerutility.com Utah, Wyoming, Colorado, New Mexico and Nebraska Region VII: Joan Burnett joanieburnett@gmail.com Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, Missouri, Arkansas and Louisiana Region VIII: Carl Davidson davcarl@aol.com Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, Alaska, British Columbia, Alberta and Saskatchewan Region IX: Mike Ingham michael.ingham248@gmail.com California, Hawaii, Arizona and Nevada Region X: Marilyn Heitzman marilynheitzman@msn.com International Chapters: served by the office of the Vice President. Includes all areas outside of the 50 United States and Canada.

[Chris E.]

Re: Need an approximate year for C5 judging availability

Jack,
The last I heard on the subject of the C5 manuals was that they were on hold. That was a year and a half ago. The trouble with judging the C5s is that they are so low to the ground, the Chassis judging team would not be able to see much of anything. So, the chapters would likely all need lifts to judge them, which just isn't feasible (or safe). I personally think it is going to be a long time before a C5 Flight Judging manual is published, if at all.

As Doug suggested, you could contact your Regional Director or the National Judging Chairman (David Brigham) and get the latest thinking on the subject.

Lastly, I would offer up that there is more to NCRS membership than Flight Judging. Certainly, that is a big part of what we do, but you can earn an award with your C5 or C6. Have you checked into Sportsman? It is more rare than a Duntov award and requires taking your car to more events. My dad is pursuing that with his 2000 red/red coupe.

https://www.ncrs.org/awards.html

Take care,
Chris

[Jack U.]

Re: Need an approximate year for C5 judging availability

I’m sorry but the more I think about it, I have come to the conclusion that the statement I keep hearing of, “The car is too low.” is more of an excuse to not judge the C5 generation than the reason.

I don’t know how the NCRS is expected to grow the hobby if they don’t expand to the C5 generation. I found the younger generations (people) don’t care for the older generations Corvettes and us existing members aren’t getting any younger. The technology changes with each Corvette generation and the NCRS must use the available technology to judge the C5 generation. If that requires a lift/ramps or small cameras or whatever, so be it.

I would have to disagree that lifts are not safe. I own one and I know dozens of car collectors and mechanic shops that own them and have never been hurt using them. I would think portable ramps are a much more economical and feasible solution. All that is required is to raise the C5 another 4 inches off the ground and you can see the entire undercarriage on a C5.

I could see where the NCRS would be more worried about the liability issue for a host site when the car is parked incorrectly on a ramp or lift but I’m sure accidents happen with cars judged on the ground as well. If meets are held at sites with the appropriate equipment, there should be no problems.

I have picked up a couple of sportsman award on my C5 and C6 by paying the fee for the ribbon. That "gets old" real fast and doesn’t excite me like the judging of my car.

[Patrick H.]

Re: Need an approximate year for C5 judging availability

I don’t know how the NCRS is expected to grow the hobby if they don’t expand to the C5 generation. I found the younger generations (people) don’t care for the older generations Corvettes and us existing members aren’t getting any younger.

When the C4s were admitted it was hoped that the younger generation would hop on board and start becoming a part of NCRS. Didn't happen. I doubt it would happen if C5s were admitted tomorrow, either.

At most NCRS meets I find few C3s from 73 onward, and occasional C4s that belong to people who are current members. You rarely see anyone with a C4 who has it as their only Corvette. Many meets look to me like a 53-72 judging event rather than a 53-96 judging event.
There are probably ways to get younger people interested but generally we haven't found them yet.

[Joe L.]

Re: Need an approximate year for C5 judging availability

Lastly, I would offer up that there is more to NCRS membership than Flight Judging. Certainly, that is a big part of what we do, but you can earn an award with your C5 or C6. Have you checked into Sportsman? It is more rare than a Duntov award and requires taking your car to more events. My dad is pursuing that with his 2000 red/red coupe.

https://www.ncrs.org/awards.html

Take care,
Chris

Jack and Chris------


Yes, I have been member for 26 years and yet I've never had a car judged nor have I participated in the judging process.

[Mark H.]

Re: Need an approximate year for C5 judging availability

Just my .02 here. You'll notice I have a (relatively) low member number, but it shows my membership date as 9/13. I first joined NCRS in March of 1981, but left in 1986 primarily because I didn't agree with the decision to include post-1967 Corvettes. (Still don't to a degree, but that's another argument for another day over another round of beers) But the new Stingray has gotten me motivated to get back in the game.

As far as not growing by not expanding, I'd say just look at the Shelby-American club. Between 1963 and 1967 Shelby built 1,009 Cobras and between 1965 and 1970 they built a little over10,000 Mustangs. That's a grand total of about 11,000 cars or roughly half the production of just 1967 Corvettes. They're club is still going strong over 40 years after Shelby built his last car.

These things ebb and flow, but I think there are always going to be people interested in these cars. When I go to local car shows there always seem to be more people around the older Corvettes than the newer ones.

[Chris E.]

Re: Need an approximate year for C5 judging availability

Jack, fair enough. Just relaying the latest information I was given, and trying to give you reasons for staying in NCRS. That's all. The decision is, obviously, yours in the end.
Chris

[Page C.]

Re: Need an approximate year for C5 judging availability

The other problem is not only did we not see a big up swing in membership with the C4 cars but the need to get members who want to judge them. The most likely pool of people to judge the C5 would come from the C4 group and they are already stretched thin.

[Mike E.]

Re: Need an approximate year for C5 judging availability

I see most C5's as being hot-rodded rather than restored and shown as original cars right now. The tuner guys have no interest in whether a bolt head is correct. Kind of like we were with our C2's 35-40 years ago. They can be picked up relatively cheap and be made to go REALLY FAST!

Mike

[Jack U.]

Re: Need an approximate year for C5 judging availability

It sounds like many of you are telling me that it depends on what I want to do with my membership. The reason I joined NCRS was because they were doing something different than the other club that I belong (NCCC associated). The part I liked about NCRS was getting ready for flight judging and was able to learn more about a car THAT I OWN that I couldn't get anywhere else. Well.... I now own just a C5 and a C6. If I can't get the same level of information (now or in the future) on any of my current cars through the NCRS similar to the information when I owned my C2, I guess I'll have to look elsewhere. Thanks all who responded.

[Jack U.]

Re: Need an approximate year for C5 judging availability

So where do you go when the C1, C2, C3 owners all die off, the younger generation isn't interested in those years and all you are left with are C4 guys? ...that's my point.

[Jack U.]

Re: Need an approximate year for C5 judging availability

The other problem is not only did we not see a big up swing in membership with the C4 cars but the need to get members who want to judge them. The most likely pool of people to judge the C5 would come from the C4 group and they are already stretched thin.

You have to start somewhere. Where did the original C1, C2, C3 guys come from when the NCRS started out in the 1970s?

[Keith B.]

Re: Need an approximate year for C5 judging availability

the problem with judging C4 and C5's are the members who bring them to be judged don't have to work on them to get them to be judged. they bought ultra low mileage garage queen cars that was never touched. unlike the C1,C2 ,and C3 where most of the cars that are judged massive amount of work was done to them to get it to that point. so the message NCRS gives to the younger crowed who they want to bring the newer cars in to be judged is to buy the lowest mile car you can find. and bring it to be judged.

[Pat M.]

Re: Need an approximate year for C5 judging availability

So where do you go when the C1, C2, C3 owners all die off, the younger generation isn't interested in those years and all you are left with are C4 guys? ...that's my point.

I think that's a good point.

I also find it interesting that IIRC NCRS was formed in part because the previous organization refused to allow cars after the C1, and now NCRS seems to be the one excluding certain gens. Not passing judgment, just seems a bit ironic.