VCCA Home Forums TECHNICAL - 1945 AND EARLIER 1937-1945 Hot/Street Rods, Modified(s), Cruisers, et al

According to the VCCA President's instant message, we got a mess brewing. It is whether we should embrace owners of the subject vehicles or not. Not a problem from where I sit.

a, If the car/truck had a six cylinder 216 engine then that is what it should have in it now. Right size engine for the car. Exceptions, of course, for any factory optional engine for that year.

b. If the car had a closed drive, it should have one now.

c. If the car had 600x16s, then it should have them now.

d. If there has been any major modification to the engine, driveline, chassis, or body, it should be sent packing.

e. If it looks like it has been lowered and/or have jump shocks installed to make fit the a Coll-a-forn- ya mode, then we should take axes and sledge hammers to it and then call a wrecker.

f. To sum up, all cars must be subject to inspection of a panel of right thinking folk such as Chevgene and I (or is it me?) If said panel thinks it fits one of the subject catagories then it is must be brought back to acceptable standards to be acceptable. No exceptions and until then no passport.

As to the subject vehicles the following conveys my feelings: Back in the forties a Hillbilly went to New York back and was amazed at the little gadgets the constructions workers were using to erect a steel building. He asked a worker at the forge what they were. "Rivets," he was told. "Can I see one," the hillbilly asked. "Sure," came the reply. At which the worker tossed him red hot one. The hillbilly caught it in his hands whereupon he quickly "ooched and ouched" and immediately dropped it. The laughing worker asked, "Hot, isn't it?" Whereupon the Southerner got his wits about him and, not wanting to show his ignorance or the pain from his burning palms, chuckled and replied, "Naw, Hit just don't take me long to look at one." Well, folks, that's the way I feel about the subject vehicles. It doesn't take me long to look at one.

You can go to a car show down here nowadays and 90 percent plus of them will be Street Rods. There are plenty of organizations for them to join and places for them to show their "Modifieds. No sense contaminating the VCCA club or skewing its mandate of "preservation and Restoration." We don't need the encroachment and we don't need them to survive. If let in and recognized, I predict these vehicles will soon take the club in a direction that will make it unrecognizable.

I appreciate the hard work that goes into making modifieds, et al but they do nothing for me. An excellent condition and well preserved vehicle, especially, a 41 5-passenger, is my cup of tea. Accordingly, preservation and restoration is a good motto. It should be strictly enforced with only minor exceptions. The above is just my opinion. Best, Charlie

Charlie!!

Hear here, or should I say read read??

My sentiments exactly, exception, 31-3wd coupes are prettier!!

Thanks for your post!!

Jim

Charlie: There is a big discussion concerning this very topic down in the "Club Discussions" forum in the VCCA Members Only section at the bottom of Chevy Chatter II. You might want to also include your posting there so that it can be an important part of that discussion.

I'm with you Charlie
If the VCCA changes there position on including other cars that are not original and or stock.'
Then I am out'''' and I will start my own club anyone care to join??
Change is good, but original and stock is always better''
Just my 2(cents)
Mike
#27125

the car shows around here have several catergories on cars. stock, street, hot rods, mod and even motorcycles. i guess thats so everybody is covered by the producers of the show. sad but true. when i go to these shows, i only look at the stock originals. the last time i went to a show it was a mixture of cars, not being seporated. terrible it was. motorcycle next to a stock 41' chevy next to a 31'streetrod next to a 86'mod. when i expressed my ideas of they did to the show. i was told thats the way the producer wanted to do. i'll still go to the shows but it saddens me of what they do to the way they setup the cars. kw

There's a place for all but I agree this club should honor it's mission statement. Very little chaps my bananas more than going to a show and getting beat by a kit car or street rod. Number one on the chaps my bananas list is someone taking a good solid steel original car and hotrodding it.

They are only original once.

I agree with all of the above. My car is no 100 pointer (it's not even a beautiful '41), but I get just as much traffic and questions and more than most at the local "cruise" nights. And folks love to see that six when I pop the hood and say "Now that's the way they oughta look!"

Excerpts from a recent post by Charlie, aka 41specialdeluxe


Hey Charlie,

No problem with a guy expressing his opinion. That's what the Director asked for in his message in the December G and D.

However your axes and sledgehammers and sent packing references are totally out of line. It's total BS to "threaten" guys who might have a differing opinion with language like that. I can't imagine that's the kind of "discussion" the VCCA president was counting on.

I sure hope the moderators or Barker or somebody gets that post of yours straightened up.

Bill.

Bill, I meant is as a joke. But you're right. It was over the top. I'm sorry. I hope everyone will forgive me for being a too light minded. I hope no one else takes offense. I should realize that some folks don't know a joke when they see one. I've been chastized and accept your sanction. I'll try to do better in the future. Best wishes to you and to all others I offended. Charlie

Well Charlie, I toss a fair amount of teasing kinda smack stuff around, but I honestly thought that you were serious. For a day or so I tried to write it off to moon-shine; but then I decided I'd better say something. You sounded pretty serious to me.

I'm REALLY glad to see your comments just above. Man, I was thinking it was pretty cool you were in NC and me in Ore. I sure didn't ever want to run the risk of running into you.

Now I'm thinking it'd be fun to have a beer with ya.

Thnx again for the clarification.....

Bill.

I think that everyone has a valid point on both sides of the coin. One point that was made by Gene was the car count going down every year. The fact of the matter is as father time creeps up it lowers the numbers available to fill each category. I have and do attend many different types of shows every year and all of us "car types" need to consider keeping this hobby alive and well. While each side, "as built" and "modified-street rodded" have their own set of reasons for their rides we can all exist together. Good car counts and good people counts equal many smiles and fuzzy stomachs. Don

Bill, Mike, & Charlie, If I may....I enjoy fun, banter, expression, humor et all.

Yet IF we received the same December G&D, that is not what I read or understand from the Presidents message. Maybe his wording lost something in the translation. I don't know-----But the ONLY issue to be discussed has to do with accepting "modified" cars on a VCCA TOUR & then reward them with an oval for participating in the event.

All that side, reading any thing else into this issues is ill-relevant.

With an open "venue" as all VCCA car shows are I have {unfortunately} experienced several negative comments that were way-out-of line. The comments were made towards people with Beautiful Chevy's because they were not "stock." Mike knows what I am talking about.

In my view, its reasonable and ethical to position a club as small with special qualifying standards for membership. But it is NOT ok to pass judgement if others seek a different path. My reasoning is both personal and professional.

My professional {marketing} position is "odd, nasty, distasteful, harsh or judgmental " remarks tarnishes the VCCA image. Which in turn slows recruiting, stops cash flow and lessens out value in the market place.

Personally I'd simply slap someone who made a harsh, personal, judgments or discounted my $30,000.00/500 hours of investment.

The bottom line is, IF VCCA members are open, reasonable, respectful complimentary and supportive of the collector car hobbiest, that person MAY get excited about purchasing an old Chevrolet and joining VCCA. If not they will tell others......and we will ALL suffer.

enjoy the ride,
Michael41

MICHALE41: I am in full agreement with every word in your excellent post. Born and raised in long beach.

Bill, Thanks for your kind words. Just so you know, right after I wrote back apologizing to everyone, my family and I went to an expensive Japanese grill for dinner. We had planned on it for a couple week. Being financially challenged, I have to save up for about six months to afford it (That ain't exactly true but the rest of this is). I had a lousy time and neither enjoyed the meal nor my family's company and I wasn't much good company to them either. The whole time, my mind was occupied with worry about your initial comments bring me to task. Of course, this worriment was not your fault but of my own making for not being more sensitive to others feelings and going too far in kidding. Thanks for a valuable lesson. I'll surely remember it. I would enjoy having a root beer with you. Long as you're buying. Best regards, Charlie

P.S, No more sending Modies packing or attacking their pride and joy with sledge hammers and axes.

Yes. Michael's post is very good. Good to have guy's like Mike on the Board....

Well OK Charlie. Dang, I didn't want this to get so heavy as to mess up an expensive and good dinner and time with the family. I am perfectly willing to admit what you wrote bugged me and I decided I had to say something.

Let's say you and I are all TOTALLY resolved. And I'm really real glad about that.

Now, let's you and me move on to bigger and better things. And BE SURE if we're ever at the same meet or VCCA event, I'll definitely buy at least the first root beer or whatever you care for at the moment.

Thanks Charlie. I DO appreciate working thru this with you. It's definitely a good thing that we got this straightend out. Now cheer up. Life is grand. Especially seeing as how we're in the BEST Chevy Club in the world!!!!

Bill.

Well, this has taken an interesting twist... For the past two days I've been sitting here with my finger hovering over the delete key.

I'm glad that you guys realized that the world, and the VCCA, need to be tolerant of people having different opinions.

Since last year, the VCCA now supports ALL Chevrolets of ALL years. So we have finally broken the mindset that only Chevs 25 years and older are worthy of viewing. Now that our club is 50 years old, we've pushed our limits out from accepting (1961-25 =) 1936 to next month when we accept (2010-25) = 1985 years of cars for judging. (I'm ignoring the changes of the acceptance years along the way.)


Now we're facing an internal discussion about whether to allow "non-stock" Chevrolets to receive token recognition when participating on over 500 miles of tours with fellow members.


It seems to me that we are approaching a new phase in trying to figure out how tolerant we're going to be again. I'm not taking a side in this, but I don't think that some of the arguments on either side are entirely valid. We ARE losing members and becoming more financially thin. And, there are lots of people who LOVE Chevrolet's, but want some of the modern features in their cars.... you know the kind of features that are FACTORY STANDARD in cars that are less than 25 years old --- and which will be valid, legitimate candidates for JUDGING in a few years. Wow... folks, we're getting older, and our old cars are getting newer. That's a fact!!!

Have fun. Good discussion, but......

You might consider holding your future "policy" discussions in the MEMBERS area. No reason to bog down the "auto" section of the forum with policy dialogues.

Thanks!!

I agree, and also no need to bore non-VCCA members with club business that they probably would not understand anyway.

I just want to go on record that I totally respect all the car hobbyist, buliders and collectors of all automobiles.My personal taste includes all kinds of cars.It takes allot of time, skill, and money to build any car today. Not everyone can own more than one, so if its stock, modified, custom ect. Then at least he or she is one of us. This is a hobby for most of us and it is to enjoy and not be one of life's distractions that consumes us. Live life and enjoy it.
Mike Lendo
#27125

BB, I agree and am sorry for starting this ruckus. I the future I intend to keep my opinions closely held and place any suitable comments in the most appropriate place. Best, Charlie

Nope.. no need to apologize. It was a good discussion that followed a broad course through the middle of the corn field. Standing back I can see that a lot of "ears" on either side were affected. Meaning: Lots of people listened to the dialgue even though they didn't post comments. And THAT'S a good thing... it's always good to get people thinking.

Now that I've come back here again tonight -- I'm going to LOCK this THREAD. Be sure to send your comments to your AREA DIRECTORS before April. They will be voting on this topic at the next Board meeting. You're welcome to contine the discussion in the MEMBERS area, but you'll probably get more impact if you talk to your AREA DIRECTOR.

THIS THREAD IS NOW LOCKED.