Keeping the Pontiac Tradition Young & Alive

[duncan2plus2]

I see and hear a lot of discussion about the need to attract new young members and agree wholeheartedly that this is absolutely essential to the survival of the Pontiac tradition.

For me, it's the cars that keep me involved. I don't think a person has to be young or old to appreciate and love these old Pontiacs and the technology and art form they truly represent. However, some of the older clubs and organizations seem to be focused on the purist or concours restorations only, which as many of us know is only part of the enjoyment and interest. I also think many of us, including many of us over 50, still like to build these cars up, add options, boost performance, and bring back some of the unique equipment and features that made these Pontiacs so famous and cool.

I think part of the solution to attracting new younger members, and keeping many of the older ones, is to add focus to cars that may not be perfect restorations based on build sheet stats, but rather cars that have been put together with authentic stock and optional equipment that was available when the cars were coming off showroom floors. I read recently of a person trying to create a "correct" judging class and feel they are definitely on the right track. I'm almost 57 years old, but still love to look at a tripower or dual quad setup on big block Pontiac, and don't really care if the build sheet shows it or not! I would like to think a lot of people feel the same way. After all, we owners build these cars for ourselves, not for a bunch of purist judges.

I also think shows and club functions should be centered on car activities like racing, cruises, drive-ins,fun contests, etc...not just tours to wax museums and famous landmark plaques along the roadsides.

I think "putting the excitement back " about the cars into our clubs and functions will save our organizations. And after all, isn't that how Pontiac saved itself from closure a few years back?

[50scars]

Back when POCI was considering a judged set of classes, I sort of tougue in cheek suggested a class named conceuers de' ordinaire. All right, I can't spell french. Anyhow the class would be made up of cars as they would actually appear when they were say 5 years old. I suggested after market parts, and displays of objects that would be around a real life car of the period. The cat got out of the bag when I asked if rust would be considered a modification or just a fact of life.
Early times Chapter runs a show that encourages period costume, and period displays. It is a whole lot more fun to look at a show like that than one that looks like a dental convention--with all the hoods and trunks open.

[bencar]

Pretty close to what I've felt would make the hobby even more attractive, not only to young people, but to ALL potential newcomers. The less daunting it is for someone of limited means to participate in the hobby, the more likely they are to give it a try. This is not to say that there shouldn't be classes for 'numbers matching', down to the last bolt correct vehicles, just that it wouldn't hurt to make as many people as possible, feel comfortable with their being able to be a part of things.

[Stu Norman]

I would agree with the comments so far. I have been told many times "Oh, I can't show or cruise my car, it is a little rough."

Those are exactly the people we want! My cars are not perfect, they get driven.

[bencar]

I run the NY/NJ Slant-Six Club of America, and my feelings toward what one can bring to our events are, if it runs, bring it, if you can push it, bring it, and your vehicle's appearance doesn't disqualify you from attending our events, heck to a point, the owner's appearance doesn't disqualify one from attending our events, you ARE welcome. However, regular bathing is required . I'll also add, that my cars didn't start out as eye catchers, in at least one case, it was more like eyesore, and it took me YEARS to get them to where they are now, which still leaves room for improvement.

[Bodyworx]

Im always disappointed when i see a cool car and the owner says " I dont show it cause its not show worthy " Whats Show worthy ? If i look hard enough i can find a flaw in anyones car but i like to see what some people are working on. Even when its far from done. The place to learn the easiest wayz to do something is with people that have done it already like people at car shows. So dont be afraid to tell people that your car is a work in progress. Not everyone will laugh and the ones that do are the same ones that came in a Cavalier so dont take it so personal. No offense to Cavalier owners by the way.

[Stu Norman]

I can honestly say I have never seen a Cavalier at a car show.

[Bodyworx]

I meant in the parking lot !!! Coming as a spectator. The most critical people are generally the same people that know not one thing of what is involved in auto restoration. People with knowledge share experience and positive criticism and the people with no knowledge use negative criticism.

Basically i dont take it to heart when someone says they dont like my project if they have no experience in Auto restoration. I will however listen to constructive criticism from someone who has done it before. You cant put a price on experience.

[bencar]

Amen to listening to those who've been there, done that. The others who haven't, and berate your vehicle, just like to show how important they are.

The truly considerate, will understand it when you say-'I did the best I could, with what I had to work with in terms of money.'

[Bodyworx]

This will sound funny but please hear me out first ... I sometimes look for the guy with the biggest shitwagon in the local show because generally he has worked with less money and knows where to conserve time & money. More resourceful. I ( most of the time ) have no money for pricey fixes or repair shops so im forced to do it myself with little time to spare or money. When i see a 95-100 point show car i always think i wonder where the guy is who really built that car cause its probably not the guy in the lawnchair. Not to say that some guys dont do the work themselves but its not very often. Lets be honest. Im not hating on the rich or well to do crowd but if you have the money to have a shop restore your car thats great but i dont.

Most of the wealthier owners know what items or products were used but seldom can tell you how to install them or use them. Im a more hands on guy. i like to know how something was done or what WORK went into it. Its more satisfying for me. Shows like Barrett Jackson kind of irritate me and ill tell you why. If you have enough money to spend sometimes 5-6 times what a car is worth why dont you take a car thats destined for the scrap heap and save it.

If you are truly passionate about Old cars you should want to save as many as possible. If i was rich or had that kind of money to burn i can honestly say i would have as many of those cars as possible in a Body shop gettin worked up to MY specs and at least i would be saving them from sitting in someones backyard to Rot. I know i said that was more hands on and i would still want to take part in the restorations but if i had the money i would let someone do the things im not so great at like Body Filler and welding. ( Im working on the welding and getting a little better.)

Sometimes it ticks me off when i see a car in someones yard and approach that person about selling and i hear the old " No ! Im gonna fix her as soon as im able" Then 4 years later i see it in a wrecking yard. Be honest with yourself. If there is one thing i have learned over these years its that i dont buy cars that i cant fix. If i see Bad Motor , Bad Trans , Needs Quarters , Floors are rotted. Im not gonna buy that car cause i dont have the money to fix something like that. I sold one of my GTO projects to a guy in Belvidere Illinois only because i knew he would fix it and i had one that i was into deep already and he did restore it and its beautiful. Id rather see someone fix it and take care of it rather than me just store it and let it sit. Please dont be offended this is ONLY MY OPINION.

[bencar]

Join the Club in the no money department. I do as much of the repair and maintenance on my cars as I can, because if I had to pay someone for every little thing I needed done on my cars, I couldn't have them. The major things (i.e., Bodywork) that I did have to send out, took me years to save up for, and now, there's NO way I could do what I did years ago, so I'm very careful NOT to mess up what I worked so hard to get done in the first place. I also like to talk with, and look at those cars that a guy/gal worked on themselves, and if they say-'Well, it really isn't that great a car I have'- I'll, respond with-'My cars didn't get to where they are overnight, so hang in there.'

I just wish that the biggies (certain other Forums and TV shows), wouldn't show nothing but the Creme-De-La-Creme of our hobby, because that really doesn't reflect what this hobby is all about, or who makes up the total population of the car enthusiast crowd.

[duncan2plus2]

I think the one of the most disturbing things for me regarding the direction of some Pontiac clubs is to spend all the time and attention on "build sheet" originality and blow off the cars that aren't.
My Dad and Grandfather both drove Pontiacs, but they both had big families and had no extra money for add-ons or dealer options, so their cars remained bone stock.
On the other hand there were lots of younger guys who were regularly making changes to their cars (like tri-powers) to make them more to their liking when they got a few extra bucks in their pocket to afford them.
I think this "pure factory original" tendency is keeping a lot of people away from our car clubs and shows, especially those of us who like both bone stock original and rodded up Pontiacs, and think there should be a place for both, since there definitley was 40 years ago!
Here in California, a majority of car guys build their cars to hot rod standards and to be driven regularly. They really get twisted up about the purists who build trailer queens that don't get driven, and feel it is a lot more important to keep these cars on the road versus sitting under a cover only to get driven once or twice a year. You also see great attendance at the better organized car shows, including people who have worked with tight budgets and long schedules. But, they are all welcomed as if they had beautiful 100% restorations or big-money hot rods. Recently I took mine to a Sunday meet at the VA Hospital and there were about 2000 cars there!
I was surprised at how many Pontiac owners brought cars but didn't attend the summer POCI show. Some also just attended as spectators and talked about how they didn't take their car to POCI because of how critical the car would be viewed since it was not bone stock!
I think if we are going to have car clubs that succeed, we need to give every car owner a chance to show their stuff with pride and dignity, not a bunch of criticism about trivial detailed stuff that didn't matter to Pontiac drivers 40 years ago and shouldn't now.

[bencar]

No arguments from me with what you've said. Anyone in the New Jersey area interested in trying to pull off what Duncan2plus2 has mentioned trying to do? Maybe a joint effort between PontiacRegistry.com, and the 'Firebird Nation of North America' (FNONA).
You all know that there's a huge bunch of us who can barely manage to do what we've done, and have what we have, so maybe it's time for us to be not only heard, but seen.

[duncan2plus2]

For me, the fun is pulling these old Pontiacs out of garages, barns, salvage yards, and back yards then getting them back in shape like they were 30-40 years ago (you can tell I'm a sixties guy). Back then not everybody drove a creampuff, and the cars were typically used pretty long & hard because not too many people had a lot of bucks. Even so, a lot of car people made dealer modifications when they could spare the cash just to get the car the way they wanted it.
Now that I have a little extra money now & then, like a lot of other folks, I can get my cars very nice with a lot of my own elbow grease, time and money (it only took me three years to come up with the money for body & paint thanks to the real estate boom in CA).
I think it would be nice to have events and car clubs that don't necessarily CATER to those of us who have made the commitment to pull one of these old cruisers out of a salvage yard, back yard, or barn and get it back on the road but at least appreciate the time and work we have put into the car to save it even if we didn't have the money or time to restore a museum piece! Personally I also like driving my cars!
In my case, I added certain equipment and options I always dreamed of having on my car, and stayed true to the year and model, but not necessarily to the build sheet. Even then, I hear a lot of questions if the car came with this or that, and am still wondering why it's so darned important! I could understand if I had added a bunch of after market performance and dress up stuff (Like I am doing on another Pontiac convertible ) but just don't get it about options and accessories that were available to any Pontiac owner back then.
I too think this PontiacRegistry is a great web page and just hope others who agree with others like me will start letting some of their club leaders know how they feel. If we can't keep the members we have, how will we ever get more and younger people involved??

[bencar]

Now, we have two of us agreeing on some things: A. Not everyone can afford a creampuff, 2. The cars people like us have, are still decent, 3. It wouldn't hurt the hobby if we could either have some events, or get some events going, that recognize those who have worked hard to get what they have, but who don't necessarily own perfect restorations, 4. It is okay to add things to your Pontiac, that weren't on the build sheet, 5. Elitism hurts the hobby.