VCCA Home Forums GENERAL DISCUSSION Meets, Tours & Events whats up with all the 4-6 clinder events?

Why are the majority of VCCA events limited to 4-6 cylinder cars to 1954? I seen only one upcoming event that had cars up to 1985 on a tour? What gives? Can someone explain this to me about this club?

The slower,less powerful, and more primitive to drive 4 cyls, and 6 cyls tend to tour well together.

Basically the tours were set up to have something to do with the older cars. They did not show up at shows in the numbers as in the past nor other places. Apparently just rested in garages. So first a 4 cyl tour was started. Soon after an Eastern 6 cylinder tour. Later the "Southern" tours were started. Since there were thought not to be enough either 6 or 4 cylinder cars that might attend they were combined. They also had owners that did not mind traveling at 30-35 mph.

There are a few tours for later models. The "Road Trips" are for V-8 era vehicles ('55-'85). Then there are the "all cylinder" tours. A few V-8 tours have been planned only to fail to attract enough registrants to justify the effort to put on a tour.

Yes this is what we have done, It seems that there are a fairly large group of VCCA members that were anxious to do more driving, and less judging. The current tours that operate out of a single base and tour out the back roads and mostly small towns suit the owners of the older cars, and yes driving at 40 MPH, this format also works for trailering the cars from home on the Interstates hundreds of miles from our homes, parking the trailers and tow vehicles and driving the old cars in a caravan spaced out and driving a slow speed observeing the scenery, stopping every few miles to shop, see the sights...and EAT!.

That format does not seem to attract the more modern post 55 V/8s and mustle cars and performance cars and Corvettes. We need some new ideas for conducting these tours, many of our post 55 car owners may like the cruseing approach. Maybe drive along a long published route crossing the country or doing a large loop that takes days and even weeks to complete, Join the cruise where ever you like, drive to a different city each day, stay at designated motels, resorts, hotels. Then leave the cruise when you like.
Maybe use the Great race format of driving the days route within a certain time period, passing checkpoints trying to hit the checkpoints at a certain time, give points and prizes for the best times each day, best continous times for the whole tour to keep a nuculus of tourers from point Alpha to point Omega.....with several points in between.
I don’t know if that will work, but we do need to have a late model tour that is interesting and presents a challenge to our more competitive drivers and their cars. Just my opinion


PS There is no set way or rules for doing a tour. Any VCCA member can work up a tour route, recruit drivers, pick places to go, things to do. Don't sit around and wait for someone to be a leader and set up a tour you might like. Get some other members together and DO IT!

As I understand it from talking to some Pontiac club members, they had the same thing happen years ago. As a matter of fact, one member was telling me that the older Pontiacs (pre 1954) were so popular that they formed an "early times" chapter and that group is about as big as the main Pontiac Club as a whole.

Last spring my wife and I hosted a HAPPY DAYS TOUR for 1955 - 1975 Chevrolets. We had 38 vehicles no matter how many cylinders they had as long as it was a stock, to the eye, Chevrolet. We toured five days with an average of 90 miles. The longest day was 155 miles. We visited a car collection, race car collection, bicycle museum, the Museum of the Unites Sataes Air Force, and much more. Almost all of the driving was on two lane roads. There will be an article in the G & D about our tour. As has been said anyone can do it and establish what vehicles can participate. We have two cars with no tour to participate in so we started one. It will continue in May 2010.

It just seams that this club is very top heavy with older cars, and does not really care or cater to the later generation cars. I don’t know, maybe it is me but the impression I get is that to enjoy this club one should have one of those type cars, a pre V8. I was thinking about renewing my membership, but I don’t see how I would get any thing out of this type club. With so much emphasis on the older cars. I want to show my car, not just take tours, and the club seams to also shies away from having shows.

"National" VCCA shows are held throughout the country during the year by local regions. There seems to be plenty of shows each year but with just about all of them you would have to do some traveling to attend.

The "Anniversary Meet" is only held once every five years.

Until the 1970's the VCCA only recognized Chevrolets up to 1942 and then later to 1948. These vehicles are still popular today, so that is probably one reason why the club has many pre-1954 Chevrolet tours. However, the club now recognizes all Chevrolets up to 1985.

Do you have a 1971 Chevrolet?

Yes I have a 1971 corvette and 1971 camaro and a 1983 caprice classic and 2 Chevrolet trucks of the year 1989. I do have one four cylinder car, but it is of the wrong breed, it is a 1928 model A sport coupe.

A minor correction in the wording of an earlier posting.


That's it. No other restrictions, except some tours have limits on the number of cars that they want to coordinate, and others limit the years to a range of years that tour at similar speeds.

An example:
Last month I joined the 30 families that were on the Idaho 6 cylinder tour. Drove my '31 for 5 days there.

Tomorrow, I leave for two days with a group and I'll be driving my '66 Corvette. I also know of a '64 Vette that will be joining.

So there are lots of different tours and you just need to find the one that fits your taste. Ultimately if you don't see a tour that you like, then start one!! Seriously, you'll be amazed at how easily it can be done. And you'll find the group of people that you were looking for. Enjoy!!!

LKS4541, 1st off, Man if you have a question , this is the place to get an answer, whatever the CHEVROLET question is!

Let me tell you what I believe about VCCA, There are more 1955 and up Chevrolets in our local Region (Lone Star Region) than pre 1955 cars. The problem is that there are so dadgum many year models of any kind of Chevrolet ever made that are welcomed here at our events that anyone that is a Chevrolet owner can find others just as zealous as you are. This is truly the place to be , unless all you want to do is find fault, and this is really a poor place to find fault as to model and year, now there are a few grouchy and crotchedy members around here, but you just have to ignore them!

Now another fact, our Club up until a few years ago was controled by older owners of older Chevrolets...Heck, the name is Vintage Chevrolet Club of America, That may change too. We are working hard to encompase ALL Chevrolet owners. How are we ever going to get the club modernized if all of the owners of Modern (1970 to 2010) Chevrolets act like we have the plague and go elsewhere...We need for you to stay and help us Get the word out and build up the club, give us a chance!!!!

And by the way, why not get to working on some new events that are suited to you and your cars? Spread the knowledge around?

Another thing, I found out that having one of the Old Timey Chevrolets, in addition to Betsy (1968 Impala Sport Sedan) has become fun for me. :vcca:

Yeah, that is what I have decided to do it stick around. And this spring try and have a tour in this part of Texas next year. I am not knocking the club, it just seems like to me the later cars are left out. And don’t get me wrong I enjoy all cars, not just the newer ones. So I am going to start working on a tour, and some events we can do.

I am glad to hear that!

Contact your area director and get a copy of the Touring Guidelines. This will give you some ideas about planning a tour.

Did you think of trying to start an El Camino Chapter? There are many things to do in the VCCA for everyone, sometimes we just need someone to stand up and be the leader, build it and people will come!
John Mahoney VP

I think you will find that even most of the members that have the older Chevys also have more modern ones too. I have some but rarely drive them as they are not as much fun or challenge as the older ones. As members get older they tend to drive the newer models.

There was a tour a few weeks ago in Oklahoma that had V-8s. It also had VCCA class judging. There will be another one most likely in Arkansas next September. Then there is the 2010 "Road Trip" for '55-'85 in late March in Mississippi. Previous "Road Trips" were in Big Bend area and Southern New Mexico.

and with A/C!!!

Yep. When I turned 60, I stopped driving the '29 and started driving the '30. :vcca:

All the Best,

Chip

I would like to get a idea from some of the Texas members, on what they would like to do. Just have a tour or a meet where we judge some cars also? Calling all Texas members to see what if they would like to have a tour for all cars they are eligible to be in the club or would they just want it for the newer cars?
I know a lot of members don’t use the board, so if you guys could ask them at your next meeting what they would like to see in the future meet in Texas. I would like to hear the thoughts on it.

Chip, I went a little farther that you. I drove a 31 for 46 years and switched to a 54. I'm still hanging in with a STOVEBOLT SIX.

I recently went from '28 to '51. One of the reasons was the tour was going to have some long mileage days with significant altitude changes. I am sure we will get out one of the 4-cylinders on several occasions particularily now that there will be two pre-29 tours. Also drive a '72 Chevelle on the V-8 tours that has a/c that we drive sparingly.

LKS4541, Do you belong to a VCCA Region?
There are three in Texas.

Bluebonnet Region ......San Antonio

San Jacinto Region......Houston area

Lone Star Region........Arlington,Dallas,Fort Worth area

Regions are where you see most of the VCCA events being planned.
It isn't necessary to belong to a region to plan and operate a tour, but that is where most of the workers, doers and planners hang out.

I don’t belong to any region. I wanted to start one in this area. I live close to Beaumont and the Louisiana border. I know Louisiana does not have one either and I believe that they are quite a few members there. But maybe if I can start a Tour and it becomes successful, I don’t know, maybe I am putting the horse be for the cart. Just would like to see more activity from the Texas VCCA and not just for the pre 55 V8 cars.
And as big as this state is we could have a Gulf coast region. I don’t know , why that did not take off. But maybe if I get a tour or meet going might bring in some interest in starting a region. I don’t know but I think that when gas hit 4 dollars a gallon and the economies took a nose dive that put the brakes on starting a region here.

I think that your home area already is in a region
the San Jacinto Region.

Well that might be the case. Then we really do need a gulf coast region. As I am over 100 miles from that area. How and the heck am I to attend monthly meetings that far away?