VCCA Home Forums GENERAL DISCUSSION General Discussions Our Technical Advisors...

"Or like the time I proposed to the open car tech expert's, how does the windshield glass fit into the roadster frame area 2" narrower.
Answer, "I took it too the glass shop and when I came back it was installed ". He had no idea of how it was done. So much for big time expert"




This quote was used on the forum tonight, and I wanted to address it, as it shows quite a bit of ignorance as to who our tech advisors are, what their qualifications are, and how we go about recruiting them. Perhaps it's our own fault for discussing all of these things in "member only" areas of the club (like the G&D, or Member areas of the forum), so I thought I would outline this here so we can all appreciate the hard work our volunteers put forward for us.

First... who are the tech experts? Well, they are regular VCCA members. They own old Chevys, and they generally do a little (or a lot) of work on their own cars. They are guys just like you. They come with varying degrees of expertise, from former GM factory workers, GM Service Advisors, certified mechanics, or just down to guys with "hands on" hobby experience. What also makes them our experts is their desire to step forward and volunteer their time, knowledge, information, and networking ability to help their fellow members.

The number one problem facing our tech advisors today is the passage of time. It's very easy to find info and experienced people for the cars built from the 1960's on up to today. A) the people that built the cars are still with us, and B) the information about the cars is more readily available, as GM has kept much better record about what went on in their factories.

There are likely zero people alive today that worked on a GM assembly line in 1932. Think about that for a second. We have a club 8000 members strong, and the best expert we are ever going to be able to produce acquired all of their knowledge about 1932 Chevrolet production... at best, second hand. They weren't there. That is every one of us. Our tech advisor has to go to his network of members, or his literature (or network to find someone with literature!)

I lived with a VCCA tech advisor for 20 years, and benefited from watching and learning the process, and how it's done. My Dad (Kaygee on the forum) was for years listed as the tech advisor for 1951 Canadian cars. This was the pre-internet days, so most of the tech questions (and there were a lot of them!) came via phone or snail mail. The number one rule to tech advising is "Know what you don't know..." and be able to say "I don't know". The worst kind is the "Know it all" that decides what they think is right, and spouts it as gospel... when it may very well be wrong. Dad was certainly no "technical" expert. He was a faithful volunteer that owned a set of Canadian manuals, service bulletins, and paint info, and was willing to share that with fellow members. He wrote letters and took calls from Rhodesia, South Africa, England, the USA and all across Canada to help others out.

I just wanted to share some of this, because I think the quote at the top is one of the main things that hinders others from stepping forward and volunteering their time and resources for the future of our hobby. I also want to thank the guys that take the time to help others out. A certain "big time open car tech expert" helped me install a torque tube drive shaft in my '51 over the phone from 3000 miles away... and I appreciate it!

Nicely done Brewster. Thank you, Joe

Perfectly said Brewster perfectly. And your point about the Techs network of people and their literature is so key also. Members and non Members need to understand that none of us stop learning either. If we have some information our specific Tech does not we need to SHARE it with them too. It's a two way hobby and like most things in life you get out of it what you give into it, except in the case of our Techs.....and our 33/34 Tech in my case AND his awesome network of friends....who simply give and give and give some more and expect nothing in return. But a thankyou would be a nice touch even if they dont know it all.

So here goes.......THANK YOU TO ALL THE VCCA TECHNICAL EXPERTS AND THEIR NETWORK OF SELFLESS FRIENDS

I was upset when I read the post and am still. I will not post my exact feelings as it would violate Chat policy.

It is a comment on our society when people complain about help they receive from folks that volunteer some of their precious time here on earth to assist others. I volunteer hundreds of hours each year in several areas some where I don't have a great deal of experience or expertise. Fortunately the majority of folks appreciate the help and a few even tell the volunteers and other people. Those comments go a long way to keep volunteers contributing. The ingrates make one wonder what makes them think they are human.

Well said Brewster! And, I totally agree with Chipper's comments as well.

I find it interesting that the individual that made the comment about a VCCA TA may not even be a member of the VCCA. He doesn't have a VCCA number listed in his profile nor does he have the VCCA logo below his user name. This person does contribute a lot of really good information to our site, but he also gains information from Chevy Chatter for free as well.....and then he makes a derogatory comment about a VCCA technical advisor in the process. This is another reinforcement that Chevy Chatter should probably be for dues paying VCCA members only.

I for one appreciate any information I can get and especially when it comes form those that give freely of their time. I try not to tell anyone they are wrong and usually only offer what I have found or encountered. Some of it I have heard from people who worked the line here in Oshawa but have passed. Part of the two way street previously stated. Really we all try and bashing someone for trying to help is not what I wish to see. I ask sometimes, but for my own Canadian production cars there is sketchy documentation at best and I have been trying to relate the differences I see to production in other areas. I know some but far from enough. I am not an expert but would offer what I have found to anyone who needs the information in the same spirit that others here do.
By the way I have just rejoined the club so how do I get the logo to show?

Welcome back to the VCCA!

To make the VCCA logo appear below your user name, click on "My Stuff" on the top tool bar. Then, on the drop down menu that appears, click on "Edit Profile". Once there, under "Group Images To Display", check mark the box next to the VCCA logo.

Sorry I do not see "Group Images to Display"?

P.S. Thank you to all Tech Experts

Since you are a new member of the VCCA one of the elves on this site will probably have to activate you so that you can access the various areas of Chevy Chatter.

Ah Ha? Request sent.

Welcome back.

Unfortunately the excessive amount of work to get the Chat and VCCA membership databases to interchange information has not been done. So it takes one of us elves to manually change your status to VCCA member. Guess your request was sent another elf.

I may get my tiny delicate patties slapped but I took it on myself to circumvent the process and expedite your request. You have been anointed as VCCA member. You have been a contributor to Chat and VCCA members which is appreciated. Now you should be able to proudly display the VCCA logo.

Hey Chip where is your VCCA logo?

Brewster! I don’t know if I could have said it any better! You said it perfectly!

I was also upset like Chip when I read that statement as well, as it was pointed right at me! And I’m not even a Tech Advisor for the club, I would call myself more of a subject matter expert when it comes to some special areas of the 30’s cars. Especially open cars from 29 to 35, because I have been around then all my life. Also 34 Town Sedan’s, I would say besides me, the next best person to talk to about them is Bill Master, and I owe him so much for all the questions he helped me with over the years! And most any of my friends know I’ll be the first one to tell you when I have learned something new, or I don’t know for sure, but this is what I think.

With the statement of “how to get the glass into a 32 to 35 open car windshield frame” my reply was you need to very carefully pry the frame open and push the glass into the frame. You need to take it to a very capable glass shop, I had to show the glass shop which I used how to even make the glass correct last time. And this coming from a NON-Member of the VCCA which is one of the first people that will complain when we make a mistake or misread something which is not fair at all! There are only 4 or 5 very active open car guys on this chat page that I can think of, and we are all very much involved with the club and contribute in whatever way possible. And we all share our information with everyone!

As Brewster said or pointed out, we both have been around a long time and appreciate all the work that our fathers put into this club over the years. And that includes all the TA’s which I’m friends, current and past TA’s included. In today’s age and with the technology that we have, it makes it much easier to be a TA then 30 years ago. For example the letters which my Dad has from some of the past 32 TA’s with hand written letters and hand-drawn pictures trying to help you the best they could. And self-address and stamped envelopes.…when was the last time you thought of doing that? Now today most all of us have computers and copy machines where we can send information to our friends in the matter of minutes then over a period of weeks as it took 30 years ago for the TA’s.

Inclosing, think about this, if you can’t be polite and respect other people, then don’t say anything at all! Be respectful of your fellow club members and Volunteers! As the TA’s are a major part of what make this one of the best car clubs in the world! They deserve the most respect and appreciation out of the club.
THANK YOU!

First off Bruce it wasn't YOU I was quoting but somebody else. I don't need to splash this persons name for all to read , same as I did not specifically name you.

With you I was lucky to get a full sentence reply, so I stopped asking you questions , long ago. No more , no less.

When a tech advisor cannot take the time to type out a proper reply , you soon learn to avoid those advisors. The quote I made stands.. They dropped it off at a glass shop and came back and picked it up, never witnessing the process of " how it was done " .
I think its important to witness the process , so that if called upon, one can give an accurate description, HOW IT WAS DONE..

mike

Sometimes the correct answer for a tech advisor to give is "ask the glass shop guy, he's the expert in that field". As I said in my description at the top, often the tech advisors are not experts in all aspects of the years they cover. It sounds to me like you got good advice from your tech advisor not named Bruce...

Good question Bruce. Don't know why I never noticed that it was not showing. Have corrected that error. Thanks for pointing out another of my failings. Hope to keep them to a bare minimum.

Brewster,

Being a bystander and as fair as I can about this thread, it seems to me that the comment giving rise to hurt feelings is contained in the last sentance alone.

The "So much for big time expert" seems unecessary and a bit curt even given the lack of the more complete and hoped for information sought from the Advisor in question.

It seems to me that there was enough dissapointment for all interested parties.

Let us all school our feeling and move on. Your voice has been heard and further finger pointing may be unnecessary and have a cooling effect on the mood of all of us here on Chatter.

Your passion for the respect for our advisers is noted.

Best regards,
Charlie