<VV> Thoughts on VCCA

[Dave Newell]

I sent this to Bill Hubbell earlier today...

---------- Forwarded Message ----------
Hi Bill,
Thanks for your thoughts about the VCCA. I've been a member for over 25 years and am happy about the news of their management change. I can only offer my observations from an historical perspective, and as one who deals regularly with the most of the major collectors of Chevy memorabilia. The main reason I belong to the VCCA is to keep up with the literature classified ads. 
Despite their efforts to cover 1960s and early '70s Chevies in their Generator & Distributor magazine, the VCCA remains weighted mostly towards the pre-war crowd. There's strong interest in Chevies through 1954 (end of the stovebolt era) but for the years after that the club fades to a "me too" effort. Very few Corvair, Camaro, Chevelle etc. members join the VCCA on purpose; rather, most of these later cars in the VCCA are usually owned by members who also own the older cars and who owned the vintage machines first.
The VCCA is generally perceived as an old timers' group, and though I'm in that bracket myself, it does ring true. They've been going through the process of dwindling older members a few generations ahead of CORSA and the VCCA is known for obituaries taking up lots of space in the G&D.
The editors and publishers, husband & wife Dennis & Jean Fink, have been rock solid and indispensable for as long as I can remember. It's possible that they're thinking of retirement. The Whitesell's that handle the Secretary & Membership duties live close by. The VCCA has always been Southern California based. The VCCA has a library but it's NOT the huge literature library that a friend of mine brings to their national meets every 5 years for member access.
There's really no benefit for late model Chevy owners to join the club. There's just no new info presented for them to use in the G&D. The VCCA has two Corvair advisors but both are previous or current owners of earlier Chevies. I know their late model advisor, Mike Stanley, and he's a great guy. But there aren't any Vair heavyweights in the VCCA that I know of.
Similarly, there's never been a single tech, resto or history Corvair article in the G&D. Just the occasional (and rare) one or two page "this is my car" type of thing over the years. I know, because I collect and save every Corvair reference in the G&D (and every other) publication. More often, though, a Corvair will show up in a car show report, but again they are usually owned by VCCA members who happen to buy a Corvair rather than Corvair owners who join the VCCA. There are some exceptions but they're not the rule.
Over the years that I've been a member, I haven't seen any new Chevy history presented in the G&D other than that written by their excellent "Chevrolet Review" columnist Ken Kaufmann who's a friend of mine. His focus is the teens and twenties & Louis Chevrolet. I also know Mike Trudeau who writes their "Mystery" column about dealership emblems. And Ray Holland covers memorabilia. But other than that there's no new historical content in the G&D.
Pinky Randall was the VCCA liaison in the 1960s to the 1990s but his health is poor now. After selling his literature and some his cars (including his new 69 convert) to GM for the Heritage Center he's no longer active. Plus the fact that there's no more Chevrolet to be liaison with.
We can learn a lot from the VCCA and they from us. They do a fine job for the earlier Chevies and make a valiant attempt to include later cars. I'd shudder at the idea of a merger, but perhaps we could share some services down the road, for economy of scale.
Dave
  

-- "Bill Hubbell" <whubbell at cox.net> wrote:

<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />I was poking around their web site today and I have made a number of observations that I think are worth sharing with the CORSA B.O.D. and other interested parties.
 
<?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" />Bill Hubbell
 
VCCA appears to be a much larger organization than CORSA – well, they should be, since they are “inclusive” of ALL Chevrolets, as opposed to our single mark club.  I like their website – it is very functional, informative and easy to navigate – unlike CORSA’s.  They obviously benefit from having a large enough pool of members to get division of labor among many people as opposed to the few we have trying to do it all.
 
Public Relations w/ Chevrolet Pinky Randall 
Technical Advisor Coordinator Robert Hensel 
Awards Coordinator Russell Heim 
Technical Articles Committee Forest “Chip” Sweet 
G&D Editors Jean Fink 
Librarian Pat McGowan 
Membership Secretary Shirley Whitesell 
VCCA Historian Chuck Whitesell 
Webmaster Bill Barker 
 
They look like an interesting organization.  I was just reading their judging manual and I have to say, as a guy interested in stock preservation, I really like the way they deal with the whole issue of preservation vs restoration.
 
2. HPOCF (Historical Preservation of
Chevrolet Features) Process
Philosophy
Since our founding in 1961, the VCCA has been dedicated to the restoration and preservation of vintage Chevrolets. In furtherance of our “preservation” mission, the VCCA National Board of Directors voted in
the year 2000 to have the National Judging Committee establish a program that would encourage owners of vintage Chevrolets with factory original features, in unrestored condition, to display them at Nationally
Sanctioned Meets for award certification. This program, the Historic Preservation of Original Chevrolet Features (HPOCF) class, was implemented in the year 2002. In this class, the VCCA recognizes and presents awards for Chevrolets that have been properly maintained and preserved. The certification process is not intended for deteriorated vehicles in need of total restoration. Further, this classification differs from normal class judging in that it will be non-competitive.  Vehicles will be “certified” rather than judged and all vehicles that receive HPOCF certification will be eligible to receive various National Awards as they continue to certify at subsequent Nationally Judged Meets. 
 
It goes on and on from there about HPOCF – qualifications, etc, with MUCH greater detail and recognition than what we (CORSA) do for our similar Factory Stock Original classes.
 
They also have a DRIVERS’ CLASS: I know a LOT of people in CORSA who would be interested in THIS: http://vcca.org/classes/drivers_participation_class.htm
 
The more I read about them, the more this looks like a club I think a lot of Corvair people might find interesting.  I suspect that a lot of potential (or former?) CORSA members may be in this organization as opposed to (or possibly in addition to) CORSA.  I have anecdotally heard stories that a lot of Corvair owners belong to car clubs other than CORSA and I suspect it is somewhat true.  Anyway, there is certainly evidence on their site of Corvair Owner membership:
 
http://vcca.org/album/slides/1961.html
http://vcca.org/photos/100years/1963.jpg
http://vcca.org/photos/100years/1965.jpg
http://vcca.org/photogallery/45thGallery2/pages/Img0444.htm
http://vcca.org/photogallery/45thGallery2/pages/erling92.htm
and, of course, this video link:
http://vcca.org/videos/65_ChevyCommercial.wmv
 
Here is an interesting item on their website.  I wonder WHO is their Technical Advisor for Corvair??
 
The VCCA has Technical Advisors for the following areas:
 
Passenger cars
Component restoration
Forerunners
Chevrolet, all types
Camaro
Caprice / Impala
Chevelle
Chevy II / Nova
Corvair
Corvette
Cosworth / Vega / Chevette
El Camino
Sedan Delivery
Trucks
Carburetors 
Electrolocks 
Engines 
Fuel Pumps 
Gauges / Speedometers 
Overdrive 
Paint
Starters 
Generators, & Distributors
Tools 
Transmissions 
Water Pumps 
 
 
Guild
Fisher Body Craftsman's Guild
 
It is interesting to note their dues structure.  I see they have no qualms about charging a premium for first class delivery of the magazine.
 
U.S. DUES PERIODICAL MAILING: Member (1 vote): 1 YEAR $35, 2 YEARS $69, 3 YEARS $103
U.S. JOINT DUES PERIODICAL: Member & Spouse (2 votes): 1 YEAR $40, 2 YEARS $79 3 YEARS $118
 
U.S. DUES 1ST CLASS MAILING: Member (1 vote): 1 YEAR $55, 2 YEARS $109, 3 YEARS $163
U.S. JOINT DUES 1ST CLASS: Member & Spouse (2 votes): 1 YEAR $60, 2 YEARS $119, 3 YEARS $178
 
U.S. LIFE MEMBERSHIP:  $700 U.S. JOINT LIFE:  $100 (Spouse of Current Life Member)
 
 
Bottom line: maybe it is time for CORSA directors to open a dialog with other Chevy clubs and see what we can do to survive and thrive together.  For a long time we have shunned our Chevrolet and GM heritage, but with a dwindling supply of Corvairs and Corvair owners, there is a compelling argument to rejoin the larger Chevrolet-GM community.
 
 
Bill Hubbell