VCCA Home Forums GENERAL DISCUSSION General Discussions Drag Queens

Is the VCCA becoming a club of "Drag Queens" ? That is, cars that are drug to events in a box? The new passport for touring is a fine idea but I feel that it should be extended to cars that are driven to events. I recently drove my '49 to Grand Junction and it suffered from rock chips and all of the other hazards of the highways but that means nothing. A vehicle must be driven ON TOUR to receive credit for being driven. So the Drag Queens receive the same passport stamp as a car driven 2600 mile round trip to an event. If the passport idea is to encourage VCCA members to drive their cars, how does this play out? I would appreciate any thoughts both pro and con regarding this subject.

Dave

I agree that there should be a different class for driven vehicles vs. trailered, some clubs make these 2 different classes at shows and events.

I drive to the events I attend, but they have to be close, if I am going to one some distance away I will use a trailer for several reasons:

1. I want to take my family and all of the gear that involves so I have to have more room, both in the car and for storage.

2. I "fear" breaking down with the older car a long way from home and not being able to get it fixed which would leave me w/o any ability to get around.

3. It is easier to replace worn out parts or broken parts on my truck then to get new or replacement parts for my old Chevy.

4. I love my old Chevy but on today's roads it is not as able to stop or turn or get out of the way as a modern tow vehicle.

5. May be selfish but I don't want the grandkids jumping around and sweating on the seats for hours and hours on end. The AC and radio and etc keeps them quiet and still in my truck.

6. If the worse was to happen I feel my family would be safer in a vehicle with air bags, full seat belts etc.

Just in case there is a misunderstanding you might want to call them 'trailer queens' instead of 'drag queens' (which means several different things to several different groups). IMHO

I have attended all of the Early Six Cylinder Tours. I have trailered our 31 to several but also drove our 54 and our son's 48 to and from the tours. Safety is the main reason I trailer the 31.

As far as judging is concerned I don't believe we need driven and trailered classes. With some age cars I believe we have to many classes now.

One example is in the early years 1929-1932 was one class. Now we have 1929-1930, 1931, and 1932. Does that make any sense to anyone?

I drive to local shows with the cars i have now but would trailer them on out of town trips because i believe the car is safer for the most part. Also, some of the performance cars were low geared like my 68 z28 came with 4.56 gears. Now 30-30 lifter clearance, 4.56 gears, almost 4,000 rpm at 50 mph on 6.00 a gallon fuel is not my idea of fun any more. When the sedan deliveries are finished they will be trailered to most of the shows partly because i'll be going to a lot of trouble & expence to restore a vehicle & want to show it in it's best glory. I don't want to spend the weekend cleaning and polishing a car & not be able to enjoy other cars that are there. I also feel safer if i know the car is tucked away in it's trailer when i'm trying to get a good night sleep for the next day of traveling. The other reason listed above have some merit too....Joe

I have never had a closed trailer. I have never had anything stolen or damaged in parking lots with one exception. I had a radiator cap stolen.

I have heard of more vehicles damaged in trailers than driving to a show.

Any judge worth his salt will look over a little road dirt getting to a show.

Drive your vehicles and enjoy them for what they were built for.

"To trailer or not to trailer" A question ok , but one the VCCA should keep its nose out of. The decision should rest with the car owner and (IMHO) it is not any more "MACHO" to haul a car in a $15000 trailer pulled by a $45000 400 Hp tow vehicle with A/C and a built in potty. Like wise it isn't any more "MACHO" again (IMHO) to drive a 1915 Touring car from L.A. to D.C but it should simply be That is "How we do it"

why run a fellow club member down because they would rather trailer the Vintage Chevrolet across the city or across the nation?

Don't we as a club have more important things to resolve ,rather than the question:

"To trailer or not to trailer"?
give us a break, please.

I agree it is all personal choice. Each of us is in VCCA for our own reasons.

TO TRAILER OR NOT TO TRAILER
TO MODIFY OR NOT TO MODIFY
These subjects have been discussed for many years by members of the VCCA, NSRA, and Goodguys and there seems to be no logical answers. "MY OWN PERSONAL PREFERENCE" seems to be the most logical answer as demonstrated at GJ this year with trailered cars, modified, and street rods in attendence.

DD

That is what it should be to me. It is your car, your life and why not do it your way. If you don't agree ok, but don't try to change the way someone else does his life. We know the rules, if we want to do a mod. and suffer the points deductions, so be it, what is more important to one may not be so important to me, either for nostalgia, performance or safety, apply the rules and let the cards fall where they may......
There is room under the VCCA umbrella for us all. If we wish to drive our cars across country so be it, best wishes for a safe and rewarding trip. Also if you wish to trailer your pride and joy to keep the milage down, prevent road wear and damage, or if your family feels safer towing the car, or for whatever the reason,so be it, enjoy your ride and have a safe trip and fruitful meet.

Dave! "TO TOW OR NOT TO TOW" How would you suggest the Tour Book be filled out? If I drove my 31 from Missouri and say you drove yours from Denver to Grand Junction and the designated tour was 100 miles, should my book be credited with 1200 miles and yours 350? It really wouldn`t make any difference to me anyway. We simply exercised our own judgement in how we got there to both enjoy the meet. I really did admire Al and Rita Severin who are in their 80`s and drove their 1930 Chevy Coupe from Cleveland to Grand Junction and back home. (3200 miles) Maybe I will letter the outside of my enclosed trailer "DRAG QUEEN IN TOW"

One of the major reasons to trailer the older cars is time. With many 45-55 mph is the fastest safe speed both for the passengers and the mechanical parts. Driving that speed on Interstate highways is 15-40 mph slower than the majority of other vehicles on those roads. That means that non-Interstates are often used which can result in many more hours or days on the road. With limited vacation time people might not be able to attend.

Driving to meets would virtually eliminate many 30s and earlier vehicles from meets. Dave, Is that what you want? Not me I like them all and wish to see them all driven, trailered or towed.

I don't care if they trailer or drive. I do have feeling about the "Plaque Tours." I believe the plaques should only be given to the drivers of vintage Chevrolets that drive their vehicles on the tour.

When we prepare for meets we tell the local people we are dealing we expect x number of vintage chevrolets. It is nice to see a tour full of vintage Chevrolets.

Just my personal thoughts not shared by many.

No argument here, when you get to the meet and are registered in Drive your old car on the tours and prep them for the show, but if it is your wish
, drive your modern iron on the tour route (Anniversary Meets) just don't expect to get passport milege for your old car. As to miles for driving to the meet in your old car, how is that going to be documented, some could trailer the car to a nearby place unload it and drive to the meet. then expect to get mileage for the distance to their home.

Touring passport miles and dash placques should be for driving the routes in the old car at the day of the tour, departing and running the tour route and arriveing back at the finish of the tour. (IMHO)

My 2 cents:

I drive my car, and I love to that part of it....but I have wished more than once {Colorado meet for example} I had a trailer. So maybe that would be the best of both worlds.

But when I think of "Trailer Queens" or "drivers" I think everyone enjoys old cars for many reasons. And since it's THEIR money and THEIR car, they can do what ever they feel is best for them, and the car. Sort of a Nana, {None-ya} in my book. Or personal choice.

And really when you think about trailer folks, they are a part of the car hobby, they spend money and they share their pride & joy with others. So all in all, it's just another way to enjoy the hobby.

So driving it or trailing it, really doesn't matter. What does matter is to always enjoy yourself & have fun.
Michael41

Our State club gives an award each year to the car driven the farthest, based on points assigned for age, and also an award for the car trailered or towed the farthest. I have been a member of the club for about 10 years and have never heard of any one cheating. All we do is ask the owner how far he drove/trailered and accept that.

MM is right in MHO and Joe, Chipper, Mike make some good points too, IMHO.

Why would a club member look down on someone who trailers his vehicle for whatever reason? What if the trailer people started saying that members that drive their vehicles must not care very much about their cars because they are wearing them out. That sounds silly too doesn't it. IMHO

As long as they are keeping Chevys alive, that is what is important to me...MHO.

PS...One other reason I trailer to away events is that it makes my family happy and they enjoy the event more and that will keep my kids and grandkids involved in the hobby, sure don't want them to start to whine (or hate to go) about an event. MHO

And another point might be, Why Judge people ?

especally our friends...

Different strokes for different folks. Deal with it. It's gonna happen.

And some people display the following sign on their vehicle: If you see this vehicle on a trailer, "call the police because it has just been stolen".

I also believe in personal choices and I know that there are many reasons for towing a vehicle to an event. I condemn no one for their personal preference. My direct question pertained to whether the VCCA was becoming a "trailer to" activity club. I apologize if I offended anyone.

No one answered the question directly but apparently the consensus is a yes. Sad.

My underlying question was intended to be, "Does any one believe that cars, driven to an event, should receive some sort of recognition similar to cars trailered to an event and driven for only a short distance?"

And to Hoppy, I don't know why you think that I drove from Denver. I live in Washington state and drove well over 2600 miles to Grand Junction and home. I would find it quite amusing if you labeled your trailer as you suggested. I'm sure that it would lead to many interesting conversations for you in your travels.

Dave

There was a proposal before the board in Flint to use the passport for those that drive their cars to Meets. It failed because it was the same passport that has been used on Four Cylinder Tours, Six Cylinder Tours and the tours in Grand Junction.

Those that voted against it (I included) felt that those that drive their cars to events should have a separate and distinct award for driving.

Be patient, I believe something is in development and it will happen.

I have chosen to drive my car to EVERY VCCA and AACA meet, and have succeeded to reach the highest levels possible. I respect those who choose to trailer their cars. I have always wanted to compete on a level playing field where the judges do NOT know which cars are driven.(I am one of those judges) I am grateful for the awards I have earned. To dilute the judging standards for driven cars would erode the very reason I joined VCCA, where preservation and restoration in the truest sense really mean something.

Awards for driving your Vintage Chevrolet is complicated by the fact that VCCA sanctions cover such a length of ages of cars, It isn't quite the same thing of driving a 1915 thru 1930 car to an event as it is for driving a 1967 to 1981 car to the event. Either car would be credited the same as the other,while the diffuculty of driving those same miles is entirely a different matter. We bought a 1968 Impala Sport Sedan with a 327 275 Hp engine, factory air, power steering and power brakes. Driving this car for 400 to 1000 miles in a weekend on its new set of Goodyear Radial tires is nothing compared to driving the 1928 National Sedan for 200 to 300 miles on a weekend outing. No, you won't see the 68 on a trailer except in a major breakdown which happened on one drive to a tour because the fan clutch locked up and caused the waterpump to go out also. But anytime we drive a couple of hundred miles with the 1928 it will be in it's covered trailer, and the 53 BelAir Sedan will ride on it's open trailer when going 1000 miles to an event. I actually can justify hauling the 53 in my own mind because it does not have power or A/C and during the round trip from Dallas to Grand Junction The Tahoe tow vehicle, averaged 18.9 MPG for the entire trip, and we drove at 60 to 65 MPH, in Airconditioned comfort.
At my age, comfort is way ahead of any macho ego factor that I may enjoy by being able to say "Yeah, we drove the 1928 across Texas and back yesterday!"

drive them, trailer them, love them. there is room for everyone. jfl