Greg,
As you know (but others may not) I am very familiar with your car. In fact, both Cindy and I, on seperate occasions, have had the privilege of judging your Monte Carlo. I would personally be disappointed :( in you if you didn't attend and compete in the AACA AGNM.
Yes, your car can and will out-point some (many) that are transported in a trailer. I will admit, when I arrived at Moline for the AGNM with an open trailer, I felt like a duck-out-of-water. There were very few open trailers, and even less members that drove their car to the meet. I drove the entire trip through rain. My car was a mess. I worked for 12 hours in front of the host hotel cleaning my car from the 12 hour trip. This was the 1st and only trip that my family couldn't attend with me. :(
I got great encouragement from Johnnie Garner and his wife (I'm embarrassed that I forget her name). They were parked next to me with 1 of their Mustangs. They have now brought 3 Mustangs through the AACA...... all have now won the AGNM Senior award. :p They drive their cars to every meet! They spent the better part of Thursday and Friday cleaning their Mustang from the rainy trip.
It felt great when they called my name for the 1st place AGNM award!
All the work was suddenly worth every hard minute I spent on the car.
This past weekend in Hershey, I judged Peter Heizmann's car. Peter has an open trailer.... ran through the same rain and mess to get to Moline.... Peter too has "earned" his AGNM Senior. :p
As you know, I have moved from an open trailer to an enclosed trailer. Less worry, less work, but most of all, because of my health issues that you and I have discussed. I wouldn't go back to the open trailer.
As most that read this post might remember, I was very vocal and outspoken about how the "younger" members view the VCCA and it's membership. As you might remember, most of my "perceived reality" was due to the actions, or lack of, by the membership that attended the meet in OHIO this past year.
I understand that Jim was speaking of the OHIO AACA AGNM, but I find it "ironic" at best, that another "member" from the OHIO area thinks that your Monte doesn't have a chance.......... especially when he has probably never seen your car. :confused: I also noticed that Jim's VCCA membership number is 00028..... tells me everything I need to know.
Peter Heizmann has a brilliant idea when he is trailering his car and might need to drive to the show field......... he brings some water and rags. Novel idea......
Our VCCA president, Dave Cavagnaro just wrote a very interesting article in the last issue of the G&D. I would suggest that the entire membership read the article, think about it, and maybe take it to heart.
One last note: Cindy my wife, Melissa my 14 year old daughter, and I visited the VCCA tent in Hershey on the Chocolate field. What a joke! Thank God our VCCA President took time to speak with me. However, there were at least 2 other National Board Members present when we returned at 3pm...... our VP Bill Bradford and another that I don't have a name to list. Neither one of these individuals, or the other 6 standing around, gave me or my family the "time of day". They quickly tried to get us to join the VCCA, but when they found out that we were already members, they sat down and ignored us. I stuck my hand out on several occasions to introduce myself........... they weren't interested.
20 minutes later we walked away! Cindy was so upset, she wanted to know if she could get on this DF and tell them exactly how she felt about how we have been treated in the VCCA. I told her yes..... but maybe we should just return to the VCCA spaces and tell them to their faces! We did just that...... hated to lower ourselves to their level, but some individuals just need to be told face to face!
As for the VCCA dates for 2004..... don't matter to me..... I won't be attending! But I won't give up my membership either.....
Yes, Greg.... bring your Monte! I will be there with my AGNM Senior award winning - VCCA Preservation Monte!
John
