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EFV-8 Club Forum / General Ford Discussion / Early Ford V8 National Meet

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Posted By Discussion Topic: Early Ford V8 National Meet -- page: 1 2     Cecil/WV 03-21-2012 @ 9:48 AM reply profile send p.m. Member Posts: 66 Joined: Oct 2009 I joined the EFV 8 club in May of 2003 and found out about a National Meet in Dearborn that summer. My wife and I drove to Dearborn from WV in our Cougar just to see what it was all about and we have been to 10 National meets since that time and still going. We were there on Concourse day only the first time as an observer. Shiny side up! Cecil/WV trjford8 03-12-2012 @ 6:30 PM reply profile send p.m. Senior Posts: 4202 Joined: Oct 2009 34 Ford, I understand what you are saying, but how do you control it? We get the guy who wants to show his car in display class for one day and only pay $35 or $40. Yet that same person wants the inexpensive hotel rate and to take advantage of the freebies(seminars, etc.) offered at the meet. This same person may use a motel room that could actually go to a person who has paid the full fee and wants to participate in all the events. The people who have paid the full fee and have to stay somewhere down the street get cheated out of staying at the host hotel because people with the "show only" fee have used up the rooms. There is a variety of issues here that can create problems and sometimes create hard feelings among the participants. At the last National BOD meeting there was a discussiion of having National Tours in addition to the National Meets. If this concept becomes a reality (and I believe it will) there will be a place for many folks who don't come to the meets to gather together and have a good time without the show and trophies. If this sounds like a good idea I encourage you to e-mail or call the National Director in your area and recommend that the club adopt a policy for National Tours. As one who organizes tours out here on the "left coast" I can tell you that I get a lot of people from my RG who come on the tours , but do not attend National Meets. The "Spring Fling" and the "Texas Tour" are two big tours that come to mind where V-8ers just get together for a good time.I think there is room for more of this type of event. This National Tour idea was brought forth by National Director Lou Mraz and he should get the credit for bringing it to the BOD. I welcome your opinion on this tour idea. FrankM-RG5 03-11-2012 @ 11:32 AM reply profile send p.m. New Member Posts: 135 Joined: Oct 2009 We probably spent 3500 just renting the facilities. Where does that money come from? Someone asked why I put my car in display and I told them because I did not want a trophy. It was with all the other 49s it just did not get judged or voted on. These meets are typically 3 or 4 days. That is a lot of work. We do a swap meet that lasts about 6 hours and makes more money on a nice day. The national meet was much more work and no one got compensated. We spent most of the profits reimbursing our members for a small portion of the travel expense. One meeting in Saratoga used more than $85 worth of gas in my truck. If anyone thinks they can do a meet better/cheaper just put in an application to run one. If you want to make it a one day event then good luck enticing people to travel. You may have run other events but until you put yourself in the middle of this one you do not have any idea what it entails. I tried to let people know what goes on behind the scenes in the article I wrote in the V8 Times. 1934 Ford 03-10-2012 @ 1:32 PM reply profile send p.m. Senior Posts: 567 Joined: Oct 2009 Don't shoot the messenger, there are more of us out here that could be brought into the National Meets if our fees didn't signal that we were just subsidizing the trophy fund. If somebody wants a trophy, that's fine and we all admire those cars. The big draw of a National Meet is to be with other V8 people that have a similar interest in the early flathead Ford V8's and to see what they have done with their piece's of history. Not all of them are after the Best in The World Trophy . I guess I opened a can of worms, but I'm not alone here. I never said that I felt like anybody was being cheated. I was noting that most of our members and most of the V8 Ford owners don't register at our national meets. Maybe there is a correlation here with the $85.00 fee and the small attendance compared to other marques and club shows. My suggestion is to have a "Display Only Class" for a reduced rate, (Example, $35.00) For the Concourse Day only. That $35.00 X 100 additional cars = $3,500.00 for the club and a bigger and I think better show. Remember most of our members don't give a flip about trophies or judging, but we all like to be part of the event and the early Ford V8 community. Or is the purpose solely to win trophies? For 2012, here's how we compare: We're at $85.00 for our EFV8C national event in Hiawassee in June 2012. Let's compare: MARC - Model A Restorer's Club $50-$78.00 for 3 day national meets (Lots of stuff Included, but you can pay extra for "Fine Point Judging", or just participate) NSRA - National Street Rod Assoc. $30.00 3 days (Draws 12,000 cars in Louisville KY) AACA - $30.00 for national meets (Similar to EFV8C, I actually went to one in Hiawassee a few years ago at the exact location, which included a great tour and all the trimmings and a good flea market) This year there is one at the Lowe's Motor Speedway in Charlotte. Turkey Rod Run- At Daytona Speedway $40.00 (Draws 5000 cars, 2000 vendors,car games, entertainment) Hudson Essex Terraplane Club Nat'l Meet, Gettysburg PA $25.00 I went to the AACA National Meet at Hiawassee and the Moonshine Run there too for $30.00 and walked into the EFV8C there as well, when it was $75.00,. All good shows! Yes, I've been to lots of other clubs national meets and enjoyed the event as a paying participant. The money I paid was a donation to the sponsoring club. I understand what the registration fee goes for. All big shows have expenses, I just don't understand why we can't raise revenues with more participants instead of increased fees. I was planing on driving our unrestored 35 Ford Pickup from about 50 miles away, just for the Concourse Day in Hiawassee, then drive it back over the mountain to its home. I thought if I came in the pickup I could take home the raffled Flathead V8 engine, that I intend to win at the show, in a flathead. I guess I'll come in modern iron now, just to see the trophy queens and pick up my engine. To bad because those mountains are loaded with Ford V8's that I won't see there either. I'm sure it will be a wonderful show, but not as good as it could be if we tied to be more inclusive. I try hard to defend antique car clubs against the "Clique of Trophy Queens" charge, but sometime it's difficult. My opinions are Free and are based on hundreds of antique car meets, tours, rallies, displays, movies, a barn full of unique trophies (I give away the bowling trophies with a car on top) and 40 years of multiple club memberships including the Early Ford V8 Club. Again, don't shoot the messenger. The V8 Times, this forum and the V8er's we meet on tours are worth the dues. We would like to participate in the National Meets too, but not at $85.00 plus banquets, etc. And we're not alone! The vast majority of members never register for the National Meets, although many of us come to see them. Many folks just don't want somebody telling them their cotter pins are backwards and feel they are subsidizing trophies for trailer queens. Wouldn't it be more fun if we all brought our V8's? P. S. To the claim that I was unfamiliar with planning large car events: I've been a volunteer show organizer since 1975. The most successful show was FREE for the participants and we gave only 3 participant choice trophies (It lasted 23 years) Not having to buy trophies for the Display Only Class saves a bundle. (A dash plaque is fine) Our club paid the bills and donations from the spectators garnered enough money that the profits, after expenses could be donated to charity that supports the park where the shows were held. If it was to be a fund raiser for the club, maybe FREE wouldn't work. If lower fees got us many cars that would otherwise stay away, our meets would be better. The largest local street rod show followed our format with a $25.00 registration fee and gives about $20,000 to the Veteran's Activity Fund at the local VA Hospital (Yes, 20K) and has one of the biggest an best car gatherings in the Tampa Bay area. They actually auction off all the donated door prizes! Everybody loves it. And, lots more car guys participate! There is another invitational show in Lakeland FL that has been very successful in placing the invited cars around Round Lake and opening the rest of the city to display only cars. They've grown tremendously by being inclusive. We could too! 42wagon 03-10-2012 @ 4:32 AM reply profile send p.m. Senior Posts: 584 Joined: Oct 2009 I just took a look at the registration form for the Model A Restorers Club national meet in Oshkosh Wisconsin in June. $78 just gets you a family ticket to the grounds. Want your car judged?-an additional $20. Seminars vary but there is a charge for each of around $8. Then there are things like the awards dinner, ice cream social, pig roast that you have to pay additionally for. Your expenses to attend the meet not counting the cost to get there,your hotel,or meals outside of the club events can easily exceed $200. I attended the Early Ford V8 eastern national meet a couple of years ago and I know it cost no where near that amount. FrankM-RG5 03-10-2012 @ 3:47 AM reply profile send p.m. New Member Posts: 135 Joined: Oct 2009 Registration supports the whole hobby. Without the meets would not be the opportunity to see how a properly restored car should look. Registration covers so much more. You would not believe the amount of work and money these volunteers put in to make this happen. As a host of a meet I could not believe how much we were still doing 3 months later. Your host club is acting as your travel agent to make tours and lodging available at the best price. Then they throw in seminars and a car show. Just volunteer for one thing and multiply it by 10 and you will see what your host has done for $80. trjford8 03-08-2012 @ 8:11 PM reply profile send p.m. Senior Posts: 4202 Joined: Oct 2009 I don't know what other clubs charge for their meets, but I do know what the Goodguys and NSRA charge for their shows. It's usually $40 or more per car and you only get the privelege to park your car and get a plastic drinking cup for your efforts. This club offers so much more for the money than any other "car show" that I doubt you could find another event that can match it. Registering for the event gives you a tour bag full of very useful goodies, allows you to attend any of the seminars, allows you to go on all the tours during the meet and attend any function that is free. Those that put on the meet spend a lot of time getting discounts on hotels in the area. Doing the math you'll find the discount rate can pay the cost of the registration when you realize what the normal rate is on that hotel. Meets cost the host regional group a lot of money in insurance, facility rental, etc. The registration fee helps pay these expenses. My father always told me "there ain't no free lunch". I've been to every Western Meet since 1979 and there is no way I would let a registration fee keep me from going there and having a lot of fun with fellow V-8ers. Here's a thought, put two dollars a week in the coffee can beginning in January and by December you have $104. You now have enough for the registration fee for the next meet and a few bucks left for McDonald's. Sign up to be a judge at the meet and you'll get a free breakfast and a free T shirt or hat. You will also learn something to boot. If you want to stand on the sidelines and park out on the street that is O.K. with us. We don't twist anyone's arm to attend the meet. You'll still be welcome at the concourse, but from my perspective it doesn't look like a lot of fun standing on the sidelines. JMHO This message was edited by trjford8 on 3-8-12 @ 8:14 PM ford38v8 03-08-2012 @ 5:18 PM reply profile send p.m. Senior Posts: 2736 Joined: Oct 2009 Paul, Now I understand your question and your concern. While we would certainly love to have you and your '34 with us, it will not be able to be on the Concourse without being registered, nor would it or you be able to participate in any of the club events. These rules are required for compliance with our liability insurance, and to insure that we will at least break even on the costs of the Meet. (We have lost money on many meets.) As others have said, street parking is certainly one way to go (walk onto the Concourse), and just to be cruising the local streets during a V8 Club Meet is awesome in itself, but one parking ticket would cost more than the Registeration fee! Alan nelsb01 03-08-2012 @ 10:38 AM reply profile send p.m. Senior Posts: 975 Joined: Oct 2009 All Early Ford V-8 Club National Meets have always been open to the public. WIth that being said, I take it that you have never been associated with hosting a Early Ford V-8 Club National Meet, otherwise you would understand what the registration fee goes for. It covers such things as any permits that maybe required, and then there is the mailing costs to respond to inquiries and acknowledgements for registering. There could be long distance phone call fees, down payments for rooms, supplies needed for registration, and let's not forget any special items like give aways for those that register. And then there are the cost of the awards. Now, if you think that a registration fee is too much to pay to park your Ford in the lot, then by all means park out on the street and walk on over to the lot and look at the Fords that belong to owners that registered. You will still be welcomed to view the vehicles. And, by the way, the Early Ford V-8 Club has had a Display Class, for as long as I can remember (36 years for me) for those that don't feel the need for awards. I take it that you also don't participate in any National Meets for other marquee car clubs. We certainly are in line with our registration fee. Again, we invite you to come to the event, if you don't want to register, then that's your choice. Just be aware that when there is a 'free' seminar that you want to attend, you will not be able to be seated without Meet credentials. Registering is just part of the event, and for years I never had a Club car that ran, and I paid the registration fee and never once thought I was being cheated. 1934 Ford 03-08-2012 @ 7:43 AM reply profile send p.m. Senior Posts: 567 Joined: Oct 2009 Has it ever been suggested that a class for "Display Only" be created for Early ford V8's that don't care about trophies, dinners, seminars, etc.? It could have a separate fee (Like $20.00) and encourage both club members and prospective members to participate without the $75.00 fee paid for full benefits. Just a thought to include the many V8's that don't ever show up at the $75.00 rate. (Then they might see what a wonderful thing full participation could be) Just a question and observation from a 40 year member who won't pay $75.00 for a parking space, when it's 3 times more than other clubs charge for their national shows.

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