VCCA Home Forums GENERAL DISCUSSION VCCA Judging Questions CDPC (Chevrolet Driver Participation Class)

Good work, Jim. Maybe I'm mistaken, but I "thought" most all VCCA members carry similar info in our cars. I do and know many other members of the Columbia River Region do as well. I've seen a number of our members with the neat little pins that signify (as I recall) recruiting 3 members in the past 12 months.

The problem, as I see it, is we're just barely staying "even." About the same number in and out over the recent years. I'm thinking we need some kind of a "membership drive" supported by the Nat'l, BOD, money spent on Advertising and so on. As I understand it, that's what Michael41 and presumably others are working up plans to do.

Bill.

<<<The problem, as I see it, is we're just barely staying "even." About the same number in and out over the recent years. I'm thinking we need some kind of a "membership drive" supported by the Nat'l, BOD, money spent on Advertising and so on. As I understand it, that's what Michael41 and presumably others are working up plans to do.

Bill.>>>>

Agree.An organized membership drive may prove fruitful,especially if started in the Spring and carried out all Summer.Updated car photos on the national brochure,any special member drive advertising material,etc.. would be a plus to attract any 60's,70's,80-82 owners also.I'd definitely have a 69 camaro or a 70 Chevelle and a mid/late 70's Monte Carlo as brochure photos.Subliminal suggestion to the target age/audience is an effective marketing tool,imo. Jim

Touring seems to be an event that is becoming more attractive for VCCA members in the last few years, and touring seems to have completed the circle. Several years ago there was less interest in the "Old Timey" 20s and early sixes" car bunch to tour, because the tours being done favored the 55 and up V/8 cars with autos, A/C and power and a faster pace. some roaring four owners came up with a tour restricted to 4cylinder and pre 55 sixes, now there are several four cylinder, and early sixes that fill up about as soon as they are announced, and the V/8 drivers feel like they are being left out to dry. It is time for some of our yonger members in the club to come up with some events and tours suited to the faster more modern vintage Chevrolets. Help is always as close as this site and the telephone!
Touring is fun and enjoyable to almost anyone that has a vingage or modern Chevrolet. Members Driving a modern Chevrolet have not always welcomedwith open arms, and sometimes are not being put into the event pictures. A tour is fun and enjoyable even in a modern vehicle and those that have a older Chevrolet being restored or just looking for one should be encouraged to come along in their modern iron and be a part of the tour and the enjoyment. I like an idea of an All Chevrolet car & truck tour. adjust departure times and driving speed a little more loosley and don't worry about keeping a set interval. Group up with your friends and take care to arrive a little later if it means keeping your group together. Set up Saturday day tours with sifferent routes,different events, it becomes addictive. Each and every stop and park you make is a potential VCCA recruiting oppurtunity!

Keep your eyes open for the September issue of the G & D. Your call is being answered Mr. Mack. There will be something of interest for the newer vehicles.

This is my first reply on the chat site . There seems to be this thing that the older cars can not tour with the newer ones. The Pine Barrens Touring Region just had a All Clylinder Tour with 19 car from 1932 to 1976. Everyone stayed together from 4 lane highways to the back roads. They covered 461 miles in 5 days. A tour is a relaxed enjoyable ride not a race.
That is one of the problems that everyone wants to keep the 4,s in one group 6,s in another and the 8,s someplace else. If that is done how does the 8,s learn about the 4,s and 6,s.

Steve, never meant to say a tour with all Chevrolets won't work or is a joy when done with care in planning. In fact our LSR day tours are done that way and have worked out fine. Some tour directors prefer to keep it for a certain age of cars. There is a good reason to limit the number of cars entered in a closely organized tour. Try setting up a 3 day tour with hotel, driving routes, meals, hotel parking of cars and trailers for over 50 or 60 cars in a small city or town.

Mr Mack , It does take alot of work. I have been on large and small tours. If you want to draw in younger members ,that most of the time own newer cars, they have to be showed that the older ones are just as much fun. As a example of that about 10 yrs ago on a tour a nice couple allowed my children to ride in the rumble seat of their car. Now they are 17 and 19 both interested in cars. They both talk about their ride and I can see my son owning at least a 6 some day.
Another example on our all cly. tour one couple with a 32 has a friend with a 67 and they never tour together. I just find some of the reasons people use to keep the groups apart a little silly. You dont need a car to join the club but if you own a car the wrong year you can not partisipate. If there is space on a tour what differance would it make?

While it is true that there are specific tours for the 4 cylinder era, three main 6's and all 6 cyl era vehicles; there are many other tours that accept a mixture of 4, 6 and 8 cyl era Chevrolets. In fact there are more mixed era tours than the ones that are separate. As an example, the Southern Spring & Fall Tours are 4 & 6 tours as is the SouthWest Fall Tour.

The objective of several of the specific era tours is to give those vehicle owners something to do with them, get them maintained, out of the garages and on the roads. It sure worked with the pre-29 tour. There are more 4 cylinder Chevys being worked on, displayed, toured in the last 15+ years. The prior 10+ years it was rare to see a 4-banger.

If enough active people feel that there should be more tours for all Chevrolets they can put together one or two or six or eight they can do it. There is a Touring Committee with knowledgeable experienced tour organizers that are willing to help. If you are not willing to help fix a problem then you are part of the problem! Check your G&D and get busy.

Iam not saying there can not be tours from each era. Alot of the wording that is used make people feel they are not part of this club or this club is not for them. When you read about and it excludes cars how is the club going to go.Once someone is discourged they do not come back. Just like the line " If your not willing to help fix a problem then your part of the problem ". To me this doesnot encourge anyone to help.

These are just things that I feel need to improve. I feel they are.The CDPC is a step in the right direction . It needs to encourge the cars at the cruise on the weekend to come out and get involved. There are alot out car that donot fit the stock catergory but are not streetrods or modifed.

I hope no one get bent out of shape over this. Its just my 2 cents.

There will be an article in the September G & D adressing the issue of participation with newer Vintage Chevrolets.

I just received a call from the Central Meet. There is only 1 1931 and 1 1932 in attendance. There used to be 25 or 30. We have more on our Early Six Cylinder Tour. I think there is getting to be more interest in Touring than Judging.

I guess some of my comments were not well written or interpreted.

What is upsetting is people who will not get involved or participate but are perfectly willing to tell those who do what is wrong. In this case Steve57 did participate on the tour so has IMHO the right to make comments. He is part of the process to help make the VCCA a better place for all of us. Therefore is not one that the comment "If your not willing to help fix a problem then your part of the problem." was intended. Our society has way too many who complain but feel it is someone else's job to make changes. If everyone will just do a little toward fixing stuff, it will be easier and better for us all.

No, I don't think anyone should get bent out of shape for an expression of their opinions here on the forums, I think an exchange of ideas is always good for the club. Some folks may call it hanging your dirty linen out in public. I call it a positive force, the open exchange of ideas!
Different strokes for different folks, even among Chevrolet folks!
I think you are right about touring having more interest, I think we need to support both touring and having shows with class and point judging, just make sure the judges from show to show and area to area are on the same page of the Judging handbook!

No, I don't think anyone should get bent out of shape for an expression of their opinions here on the forums, I think an exchange of ideas is always good for the club. Some folks may call it hanging your dirty linen out in public. I call it a positive force, the open exchange of ideas!
Different strokes for different folks, even among Chevrolet folks!
I think you are right about touring having more interest, I think we need to support both touring and having shows with class and point judging, just make sure the judges from show to show and area to area are on the same page of the Judging handbook! And the folhs doing the showing use good ethics with the judges and the other competitior.

No, I don't think anyone should get bent out of shape for an expression of their opinions here on the forums, I think an exchange of ideas is always good for the club. Some folks may call it hanging your dirty linen out in public. I call it a positive force, the open exchange of ideas!
Different strokes for different folks, even among Chevrolet folks!
I think you are right about touring having more interest, I think we need to support both touring and having shows with class and point judging, just make sure the judges from show to show and area to area are on the same page of the Judging handbook! And the folhs doing the showing use good ethics with the judges and the other competitior.

Well, I think that C D P C pretty well describes the class:(CHEVROLET DRIVER PARTICIPATION CLASS). You do not want to have a "TRAILER QUEEN", so get that old car out of the garage and go to some of the tours and show off that car of yours.Get the credit for fixing it up and keeping it on the roads of America.
You might enjoy seeing some of this country and enjoy driving your old car that you are proud of.
I plan to go to more of the tours that have judging, just to let everyone enjoy seeing my old Chevrolet.Plus I really enjoy meeting all the fine folks from over the U S A that own and drive their Chevrolet.

I don't know of any tours that have judging. Please fill me in.

The BEST part of the tours is that there is NO judging....just driving the cars and having fun. Many of the tour folks have had judging and meets for years and now have learned its more fun to drive the cars. Heck, just getting together with all the great folks at the tours is what I look forward to.

Back Roads -

Melchevyman comes from a Texas touring background in the Club. I think he is simply refering to what you or I would call a "Meet." The meets I have had the pleasure of attending with him have included some pretty good short tours. So, I suspect he thinks of it as a Tour, with judging on one of the days - as opposed to a judged show, with tours on some of the days.

I think the headfella, Guru or what ever he wants to be called got his heard rounded-up. A bunch of folks think that meets are tours with a day of parking and tire kickin' and lie telling! When ever you get to drive your old Chevy with a bunch of others it is a tour.

You mean that its has been lies that I have been hearing the last 37 years. Should have known. Whatever, it has been worth evry minute.

Well, anyway I knew what Mel meant. It seems to me he is pretty well rounded in what he likes. he likes a combination of touring and judging. I think it is good Think about it. If you drive a long distance to attend a VCCA affair a Tour or a Meet a day of shining up the old cars and kicking tires doing some judging of the cars could be considered a heck of a lot of fun! It could be a day like the official photo taking affair, but after the long ordeal of waiting, pulling up, back, ooch it over a couple of inches, then getting the photo person to snap a couple of photos everyone could gather around let the cars cool off, and then commence to go about doing some serious judging, tire kicking, and general picnicing and giving out the kudos and awards mayham. There should be some ice cream eating in there somewhere. Call it whatever you choose, a fandangle, tour, meet and eat, whatever! JUST DO IT!

(just my not-so-humble opinion!)

I think what you call it must depend on where you live. What some call a meet in this area it is a car show. Our meets are the same as the Anniversary Meets except ours are smaller in the number of vehicles. All of the same type activities take place. Seminars, Judging School, Vintage Clothing Judging, Field Entrance Check, Judging of Vehicles, a Tour, Hospitality Night, Ladies Luncheon, Banquet with Judging Awards. They usually start on a Wednesday or Thursday and we depart Sunday morning. About half of the people arrive a day early. It is a family reunion each year.

Earlier in this thread I said that 99% of restored vehicles are modified in some way. My "totally" original '55 BelAir 2door has three modifications: Urethane clear coat paint, two extra gauges and for the trip to Colorado, Coker radial tires. And, I'm glad to have had the radials when I went through Boise in a thunderstorm on a so called freeway that was in horrible condition. And, several of our most active members in the NW have original and modified cars including a former national board member. Why can't we use plain common sense when it comes to this subject? Just like the objections to the 50 car tours and there are objections to them. I'm a 40 year member too, but I don't object to the four cylinder, early six cylinder tours and to conservative, modified cars.......... Sounds like the 50 car tour folks have a great time - wish I had an early four cyliner so I could join them..But, that's for another life..

Those are some good clarifying points Joe,
the reason for the 50 car limits are often common sense, lack of parking, hotel space, difficulties in maintaining a safe and orderly tour, and maintaining the Tour Directors' sanity!

Backroads, These affairs (tours meets and shows) and agendas for meetings, and fashion shows, swap meets and most of the activities that are within the scope of the well organized VCCA Regions have been outlined in the VCCA Handbook, that Region Directors have and pass on to their successors. I think your mention of those things that make up a Meet are there.

I think that somewhere on the web site there should be a current copy posted and available to VCCA Members only.