VCCA Home Forums GENERAL DISCUSSION Meets, Tours & Events Questions about VCCA Regional Meet

Hi,

Although I've been a member of the VCCA for many years, I've never had the opportunity to attend a Meet. The Regional Meet will be held nearby this year and I would like to attend. A few questions about classes, protocol, etc.:

1. The HPOCF class says the vehicle must retain 75% originality in 2 or more vehicle areas. I have a mostly original 40 1/2 ton, however, someone a long time ago put another coat of blue paint over the original blue; in addition, I have re-painted the dash and the instrument panel. Headliner is original; engine compartment original; bed is original wood, but has a putty patch at the end of one board; one running board has been touched up; new exhaust has been installed. Would this truck be eligible?

2. Am I right in assuming that a 12-volt conversion and a 235 instead of a 216 would eliminate my 37 1/2 ton from the CDPC class, even though virtually everything else on the truck is back to original?

3. What is involved in a "field entrance check"?

4. If you have a vehicle in the meet, are you required to be around for the entire event?

5. If I decide not to bring a vintage vehicle, can I still participate in events like the swap meet, etc.?

Thanks for your help.

Jim

Jim you'll enjoy yourself at the meet.

Look up John Mahoney's email address in G&D. He's a national Board member & judging chair.

send John an email and I am sure he'll respond. He also has the VCCA judging books that tells you a lot about judging and the classes etc.

Enjoy the ride,
Michael41

JIm,

You might also ask him for the judging forms. That will tell you what they are looking for.

Aren't the judging forms in the VCCA main page area? I thought that I had brought them up once and was reading a lot of pages on judging.

Go here: http://www.vcca.org/judging.htm

Hey Jim,

Seeing as how you've never attended a regional meet, it's "normal" you'd have lots of questions. My simple answer is you can participate in as much of the meet as you like. I'd definitely suggest you sign up for all the tours (daily go see things) and also sign up for all the meals that are part of the meet. Some meets have more sign up meals and some meets have more "on your own" type meals.

As for you specific questions:

A 12 volt conversion will cost you some points in judging. But the judging part may not be your main reason for going - so, so what.

A field entrance check is really no big deal. It's for checking various systems: horn, lights, brake lights, stop/go, etc. etc. No big deal. Years ago that used to be part of the judging. Now it's done ahead of time to sort of speed along the judging.

Whether you bring a vehicle (presume you mean an 'old' vehicle) or not, you can come a day early or late --- leave a day early or late --- participate in as much of the meet as you care to --- etc. etc.

I've probably been to a couple of dozen regional meets in OR, WA, Cal, BC and swap meet participation had nothing to do with whether you bring an 'old' car or not. I've been to many meets where guys brought a trailer full of goodies pulled behind a modern p/u and sold stuff at the swap meet. Some guys don't have anything that resembles an 'old' car at the meet.

Personally, I used to get a lot bigger kick out of the judging stuff than I do these days. I went thru all the judging "steps" - Jr, Sr, Preservation award, Mini's and so on. I must have a dozen Mini's for my 54 Bel Air. Now days I go to the meets more for the social aspects. Meeting new Chevy folks and catching up with old friends. Bs-ing, tire kicking and so on.

The main thing for you to do is just be sure to GO. You can just 'feel your way along' the first time. But be sure to go. I can't imagine you won't have a great time. Keep in mind these are CHEVY meets. Mostly attended by pretty down to earth good-old-guys who like old(er) Chevys. You might encounter a jerk or two. But mostly dang good guys you'd like to meet up with at home for a cup of coffee or a beer.

My 2 cents. Well actually I guess it's long enough to be my two bucks worth. Sorry for talkin' so much......

Bill.

There are three reasons for the Field Entrance Check that I am aware of.

1) You drive your vehicle through the Field Entrance Check so we know that it will run.

2) You demonstrate that everything on your vehicle works. Noone will need to enter your vehicle during judging.

3) You do not need to stay with your vehicle during judging. You are free to view other vehicles or be a judge if desired. You may want to be a judging observer to learn how it is done.

I may have missed something but this is how I see it.

Backroads, I think that item number three is not correct. When I had my car judged last year the owner has to be present at judging in order to get in and start it up for the judges, also turn on all the lights because as you say no judge will get into your car. After the car has been judged the owner is free to go look at all the other cars or eat etc. My take on one show that I had my car judged.

For the HPOCF class the engine compartment woud need to be all original including mostly original paint on the original engine.
For the chassis that would need to be mostly original also. And not just original rust but remains of the original pait showing on most chassis parts.
Interior would be mostly original including upholstery and head lining. Like a new floor mat or one item would be OK.
Exterior paint, chrome and such would need to be 75 percent original.
No you don't have to attend every day of the meet. To see the cars besure to attend on judging day at least. The swap meets haven't been that great lately and the vendors are usually out only when there is nothing else going on. One good thing its 99 percent Chevrolet parts and most are for older models.
Will be looking forward to seeing you there and generally speaking the meet is an informal fun thing.

The owner does not need to be present for judging and many owners are out on the field doing judging. Permission can be given for the judges to open dooors etc. and this is usually done by the team captian. This may be done in different ways around the country but Middle West Meets follow the above routine.

Sal,
I guess the difference is what meet you attend. All of the meets I have attended, Central and Middle West, all of those items were checked at the Field Entrance Check.

On the judging form under FIELD ENTRANCE CHECK it lists:
Lights Testing Dome/Courtesy, Headlights/Dimmer/Parking/Spotlight/Fog
Taillights/Stop/License/Backup
Turn Signals/Emergency Flashers
Top Convertible (operate)
Horn (operate
Windshield Wipers (operate.

If you do all this at Field Entrence Check are you required to do it again at the time of judging?

Despite the Judging Manual and Judging Schools, etc. each meet has there own way to do things. Also Chief Judges have their own rules and interpretation. The Judging Committee has attempted to get all meets to do the same but you know people will be people.

It is true that it has always been that way. I believe the only way it would ever be changed would be for the Club to pay transportation cost and the host to pay the other expenses to have a member of the Judging Committee attend every judging meet and that committee member be obligated to follow one set of rules.

There are many things in VCCA that each region or area marches to their own drum. Everything starts with a local group and then goes national.

Just my thoughts.

I will stand corrected. At the southern Ca meet that I went to last year there was not a check of anything at the entrance. They looked at my registration and told me were to park. So I guess that it does matter were you go to have your car judged wether or not if you have to be by your car or not. Learn something every day.

Very interesting. The Judging Manual states "Rhe purpose of the Field Entrance Check is strictly to determine that components of the vintage Chevrolet are in working condition and are eligible for field judging."

To get back to jmmmn37's original question, he might consider the CDPC class (in the future to be known as the "Driver" Class) for his truck. It has to be "Visually representative". Or, he could check the "Display Only" box and park it on the judging field (fire extinquisher required) and not have it judged.

The most important things to keep in mind are: 1) register for the meet! 2) sign up for all the tours! 3) bring your truck! I have been to quite a few Middle West Meets and you will be very welcome there. My vehicles are not perfect either!

Chevy50Jim

Thanks very much for the many replies. I'll get to the meet one way or another; and hope to meet many there!

Jim

Hope your there on the same couple of days I am. Would be nice to meet you. Still seeing what two days a couple of grandsons can go along. Were you going to hit the "Back To The 50's" too? Not sure I'll make it but would like too.

I have noticed some slight differences at every meet I have attended. At the meet Sal was referring to, the usual practice the last couple of years has been to have the judging team conduct the "field entrance check" after the car is parked but just before they start the actual VCCA judging. I would guess this was done in Sal's case without much fuss, so he might not even have been made aware it was being done. The reason for this slight change in practice is due to space considerations of the judging field of this particular meet location. The City requires us to get the cars off of the street without delay and we don't have enough space to park cars in a separate field entrance check area like some of the larger meet locations do. The space of the judging field at this meet is very tight so we want to get the cars parked safely once without the need to move them again until the show is over.

I know in some cases at this meet and at others where I have judged, cars were judged with the owner not being present with the car at the time of judging. The car owner usually arranges this in advance with the Chief Judge. In most cases it is due to the car owner having another meet commitment such as serving as another judge or in some other meet position. If this is not pre-arranged, the individual team captains might not proceed with judging a car without the owner being around, as some items require the owner to provide necessary information to complete the judging form and with the number of cars being judged, time is limited, so the team captains might not be able to go look for the owner at the meet.

I know this is a bit off topic, but I hope it provides some insight as to why there are slight variances from Region to Region. In most cases, I believe the goal of every Chief Judge is to adhere to the Judging Rules by adapting and overcoming without comprising the end result.

I concur with Jim's points and "I was there."

I have had the pleasure of attending several VCCA shows and being a member of a judging team. In every case the "field checks" were done a bit differently. Locations, layout, time lines all predict that this practice is normal and reasonable.

I happen to be part of the judging team for Sal's car at the OCVCCA meet. Make that Sal's BEAUTIFUL car. I distinctly remember doing a field entrance check on Sal's' car under the guidance of Carmine Palazzo. I also remember doing the field entrance check for ALL the cars we judged that day. In fact the judging of a beautiful 57 Bel Air had to be put on hold until the owner could found to complete the field check.

I also remember my car going through the field check each time I had it judged. From my view, variations are reasonable and often necessary.

Enjoy the ride,
Michael41

Jim and Mike are both correct in regards to that show. There was a long line of cars trying to get into the parking area and if they did do the entrance checks it would have taken much longer to get into the the parking area. When the team of judges came to my 31 coupe they did the entire feild check and the judging at the same time with me there to operate everything for them. After that I was free to go and enjoy the rest of the cars. Thanks Mike for your compliment.

Fron what I am reading I think we are probably talking about two different types of activities. I think some are talking about a one day car show and others are talking about a several day meet. When I go to a Central or Middle West Meet the Field Entrance Check is completed one or two days before the Show Day. Most of the time they are not even at the same location as the Judging Field. This cam make a difference in how it is handled.

As the Head Judge for the August 11-15 NW Meet at Vancouver Washington, the Field Entrance Check will be conducted two different times prior to the day of the judging. After the Field Entrance Check it will not be necessary to operate the vehicle on the day of the judging. This will preclude any safety issues when on the judging field. Owners must agree to allow the Team Leader to open any portion of the vehicle if the driver is not present. Most of the drivers are judging in some other category than their own vehicle.

Ray,
From what you are saying you will be having a "Meet" rather than a car show.

Yes, we are having a 4 day Meet, complete with class judging, official tours, ladies activities, and the whole ball of wax.

The comments that I made pertain to a one day show. No touring or anything else.