66 Olznut

He's my room mate, yes, no joke, 1 house with 2 Olds freaks in it

66-3X2 442

I've never seen as much dissension over $30 freaking dollars in my life,have you? Getting JWO alone is worth the $30 price tag. Guys invest thousands in their cars and freak out over $30.

starfire

The hotel situation might be able to work itself out, but remember the Homecoming is nowhere near where the 97 Nationals was (Nationals were downtown, Homecoming is on the outskirts). Also, once you make it more than one day you have security issues to deal with. Do the cars stay on the show field? If so, how do people get back to their hotels, no hotel within walking distance of the Homecoming show field. You would need to provide overnight security for the swap meet and the show field. Right now the county sheriff's office provides security for the show, you've seen them there on their quads, and I don't know how much that costs, but security for a two day event would not be cheap. If you told everyone there woudn't be security then many people would not come for the two days anyway as they wouldn't want to leave their cars/swap stuff unsecured, even in a hotel parking lot.

starfire

But it's $30 (insert whiney voice here) a yeeeaaarrrr!

Seriously though, I agree with you 100%, especially about JWO. Heck, Nance's column alone is worth $30.

jaunty75

The '97 event was the Oldsmobile Centennial Celebration, and the OCA Nats were held in conjunction with that. I was there with my '75 Delta 88 convertible. There was no separate OCA Nationals that year, and the centennial event was not a judged show, which made some members unhappy.

As you say, the cars were parked all over downtown on streets, in parks, everywhere, with 24-hour security for all the days of the event, and you were specifically told NOT to move your car over the course of the show because of all the congestion and logistical problems that would have caused. The only time you were "allowed" to move your car was if you wanted to drive in that caravan around Lansing on the interstate highway that looped the city.

People were housed in hotels all over town, and shuttle buses were provided from the hotels to the downtown area free of charge.

I still have the issue of the Lansing State Journal dated August 24, 1997 with coverage of the event on the front page. About 2,500 Oldsmobiles were registered for the event (MUCH larger than any other Oldsmobile event in history I'm sure), and, yes, you had to pre-register. The Saturday parade alone had almost 400 cars in it, and the size of the crowd that watched it was estimated to be 150,000.

It is not fair to compare the '97 event with a "normal" nationals, the homecoming, or any other show in terms of how it was organized, costs, tours, location, lodging, anything. It had a large level of financial backing from Oldsmobile division. It was a once-in-a-lifetime event.

TK-65

Thanks Sgt. Internet. Ill make sure to never do it your way now.

I wont comment on the Seven Springs location.

jaunty75

I didn't expect you to.


Not surprising, since it's an example of why your argument has no leg to stand on.

TK-65

You know how strange some people are when it comes to money.

66 Olznut

Makes you wonder, huh? I'm in a car club to hang out and have fun with other car guys but when I brought up a large GM show that happens every year at our local chapter meeting, I was chastized by a select few of the old timers, saying that I should support their shows instead of other shows. Well tell you what, when an All GM show pulls in more Oldsmobiles (50 last year) than your annual show (30 something), there's a problem. When I tried to promote the local chapter at the GM show, they all tell me the same thing, stubborn old timers stuck in their own ways so they don't bother with the local chapter, only the OCA. Sorry if you don't want to support the hobby.

TK-65

My argument is to have it in the same place, say the location of the Mopar Nationals. That show pulls in a huge number of cars, probably more than an OCA with club members and day of show non members would. Have it there, invite everyone with an Olds, and have a side for OCA judging and a side for non members. Theres the legs Jaunty.

Seven Springs was an awesome venue, but not for a car show. Swap meet up a hill in a dirt parking lot. Spectator parking up another hill, trailer parking and unload on top of the mountain. Again, another dirt parking lot. Location of Seven Springs was in the middle of nowhere on top of a mountain.

The cruising during the Mopar Nats is as known as the show itself. During OCA 2008, Woodward was a half hour away. I was out there with 6 other 65s. There were a bunch of Oldsmobiles out cruising on that Saturday night. Couldnt do any of that at Seven Springs.

So, I like Mikes idea of Columbus as the permanent site. For the show, the drag race and the after hours cruising/hanging out/etc.

66 Olznut

How bout this idea, Virginia St is like the Vegas Strip and is also the same route used by Hot August Nights cruisers, they can take pics under the arch, etc. I think I might pass that idea around up there. Here's a pic of a rig I took cruising down Virginia St and a '72 H/O I took at the hotel lot in 2004 at Hot August Nights where the nats will be. HAN04047.jpg HAN04034.jpg

starfire

But the Mopar Nationals is not run by the Chrysler Club of America. They have their own Nationals, this year July 13-16 in St. Johnsbury VT, last year June 30-July 4 in Dayton OH.

"Every summer the members of the WPC Club gather for our annual meet and car show. Over the thirty years since I started attending these meets they have taken place in such places as Detroit, Minneapolis, Chicago, Los Angeles as well as Plymouth, Massachusetts, Elmira, New York, Colorado Springs and Sacramento. "

Looks very similar to what the OCA does. Having said that, that doesn't mean that the OCA needs to continue to do that, but I figured we should compare apples to apples here.

I can't figure out who runs the Mopar Nationals (their mailing address is a PO Box in Dearborn MI), but the prices are twice what the prices for an OCA Nationals are ($65 for non-judged entry, $93 for judged entry, $100 if you want to race, $95 for a general swap meet space) and after hosting an OCA Nationals, I know that Olds people are not going to pay those prices (you should have heard the bitching when Bowling Green raised the price of a Judged Car up to $35 and we continued that in '08). I'm betting that the Mopar Nationals are run for profit, which means the people putting on the show get paid, which means that they are more than happy to run the show in the same spot each year.

jaunty75

Thank you. You'd be surprised at how hard it is sometimes to get people to do this.

Clipperet

So, did I miss something? Where is the Nationals going to be for the next couple of years?
My $0.02: Keep Homecoming pre-registration, open it to non-OCA but include a year's membership in the entry for those who are not current members, leave it a one day event (I can usually find other things to do anywhere I go), and move Nationals around.

starfire

Umm, re-read the thread and you'll see the answers to your question, but I'll recap it here anyway:

OCA Nationals:

2012 - DeMoines IA (Indoor showfield!)
2013 - Tentatively Springfield IL (waiting OCA board approval)

The OCA Nationals have been a 5 day event (if you include Sunday) hosted by a different chapter in a different part of the country each year at different times. Non-members have plenty of time to join before the event, as registration begins in January, and the event is never before the end of June. The registration forms are found on the OCA website (www.oldsclub.org) and in the publication Journey With Olds, which is received by every member. Having the host chapter have to deal with forwarding on funds to the OCA for new members adds a job to an event where there are usually already more jobs than workers (most everybody in our Nationals wore two, sometimes three hats to get the job done).

The Oldsmobile Homecoming in Lansing MI is a one day event, always the Saturday before Father's Day.

jrzybob442

I think this discussion has merit - on both sides. But the real merit of a National meet in the same location, works because:

1. The infrastructure remains the same - area, hotels, etc. This makes planning a no-brainer.
2. People know where it will always be, making planning attendance etc easier for participants
3. Chapters can still "host" the meet, providing personnel on the meet days
4. A revenue sharing program can be put in place to ensure that no host chapter gets stiffed
5. You can place the meet where the maximum participation from members and vendors will occur.

Significant in that is that if you were to draw a 450 mile circle on the map from somehwere in Ohio/Mich you would encompass the greatest majority of Olds Club and non Olds Club members. (this was done statistically not long ago, so please don't debate this it is a fact).

There is a reason why the meets that stay in one place draw the most cars - and instead of arguing why this isn't a good idea (we can argue about anything), why not consider trying to overcome the issues in a positive way?

Frankly getting 300-500 cars to a national meet is pathetic when there are about 6000 members in the Olds Club and that many non-members.

The mandate that people be a member to participate in the meet is bass ackwards because the Club is doing nothing to encourage new members. All of us who have campaigned to use the National Meet as a recruiting method have always been rebuffed - dumb - and also haveing the meet in one location would encourage people who are not notified about where the meet is to participate.

Anyway - let's debate how to do a meet in a single location, instead of going back and forth with reasons on how not to do it.

bigin1978

2014 nationals in Cincinnati Ohio was apporved in Reno.

jensenracing77

good! looks like i will be going in 2013 and 2014

dc2x4drvr

The Good Guys Show is the same weekend in Des Moines.., might be a good idea to book a room asap. Apparently, if you put your car in the exhibit building, it stays 'til the show is over, no in and out allowed.

Hark442

In 2011 Homecoming was basically a 2 day event and definitely worth coming up here a day early. Let me state that I live within 10 miles of the homecoming show lot.

They incorporated a car show / cruise in in beautiful downtown Dimondale - It was great and everyone hung out on the street. Some Music & Many Oldsmobiles. But not exclusively.

The next day the homecoming show is exactly what it has always been - Awesome! Then everyone drove to Eaton Rapids for some evening activities.

If you come up here a day early to make it a two day show you could spend the day at the REO museum then the cruise / show in Dimondale / Beers at my place/ Then the Olds show!

BIGJERR

Ill be in Des Moines..........Other wise that show stuff is for the nice cars,I like rubber on my quater panels.......


And oh yeah and please buy a calendar......

Run to Rund

Jerr, in OCA Race Car Class (#19) you are allowed to have rubber on the quarter panels and underneath behind the slicks. 19 is for "working cars" and need to bring recent time slips. It is not for cars kept in ziploc baggies. Theme, materials, workmanship are the key elements to scoring high in 19.

BIGJERR

Cool.....Iam going to support the cause and give her a whirl i hope!

I will at a minumum attend and enjoy the many great oldsmobiles that will be there!

BIGJERR

2012 Oldsmobile Club of America National Car Show

Wednesday July 4th thru Saturday July 7th, 2012

The Oldsmobile Club of Iowa will Host the 2012 Oldsmobile Club of America Car Show and Swap Meet July 4-7, 2012 at the Iowa Event Center, Downtown Des Moines, IA. Just off I-235, Exit 8 A

I will not be able to take off work for 3-4 days so more than likely I will shoot for Thursday-Friday and hit the races Friday night before driving 3 hours home Friday nite.....

Check out the venue...Cool stuff....

http://www.oldsclubofiowa.com/files/...%20picture.jpg

D. Yaros

Which hotel is the hotel of choice? It looks as though the Quality Inn is the closest to the venue? That is critical, given not be able to have use of one's car during the show run!

Run to Rund

Quality is a bit closer than the other two. You can opt for inside or outside space. The race cars may be inside at first, leave for the race, and stay outside for the Saturday show. The state Fire Marshall doesn't want more than 1/4 tank of gas in a car that is inside. After the race, some cars may have more than that--I have to fill my tank over half way so the pickup doesn't get uncovered on take-off. A local dealership will have means to empty gas tanks and I hear they will change $50 to do so.

We plan to put the rules etc. for the Race Car Class #19 in JWO. Basically, bring race history, have a "story board" describing the theme/history etc., bring your helmet and rule book, time slip within past 12 months (if none, be sure to race at the event; you lose points otherwise, once for no racing in the past year, second time for not racing at the OCA race). Bring required safety items (like 3.2A1 or 3.2A5 suit). Cleanliness, workmanship, materials, consistency of the car with stated theme matter. Don't bring 10 second time slips and expect people to believe they belong to a car with stock axles! #19 is not a phony class for wannabe modified cars that really don't race--it is an honest class for actual race cars. In return, the judges expect to see some signs that the car is actually used and don't deduct for them.

D. Yaros

It is going to be kind of hard to mingle with all the other Olds fans if we are all spread out at various hotels, and do not have access to our cars, isn't it?

Run to Rund

We will have access to the cars, and I guess the thought is that we will be out of the sun and humidity. The convention center people just don't want us going in and out of the center all the time, I guess. You could sign up for race class and then you will be guaranteed the ability to get out Friday, lol. There is no reason you can't take that Dynamic convertible down the strip. you do use "passing gear" don't you

D. Yaros

Either I am not making myself clear, or you are not hearing what I am trying to say?

Let me try this: I am staying at the Quality Inn. You are staying elsewhere. Both of our cars (driven to the meet) are safely ensconced in the convention center exhibit hall from Weds. through Saturday. How do you and I, should we so chose, get together on Friday night, say around 8:30 p.m.

That is my question/concern.

bigin1978

I agree it will be real difficult to get around and do things with the cars locked up all week. I like how they were thinking outside the box with the convention center , but I don't think it will be well liked. I still plan on going , just going to leave my 56 in the garage here at home.

jaunty75

One of you goes to the hotel of the other, or both of you go to where the cars are parked or maybe a nearby restaurant.

I presume, though, that they'll have the show area open well into the evening as people will want to be near their cars most of the time. I would think having it open at least until, for example, 12 midnight each night would be appropriate.

Run to Rund

I agree with the concerns, but this isn't the first Nationals to have people spread out. It is common for the host hotel to fill quickly and many or even most attendees at other nearby hotels. There will probably be a message board at the registration area, but how about leaving a card under a windshield wiper, or making contact beforehand, and using a cell phone (if you planned to see that person before the show). Some people wear an item that identifies their major interest and that can help too; we have badges and the Olds community is small so you can probably ask someone and get information.

D. Yaros

I just feel it may be kind of inconvenient, if not difficult, to run over to Hotel A to hook up with a person, then move on to some eatery, bar, whatever and then back to Hotel B, if all the running has to be done on foot?

jaunty75

Good point. Maybe they'll have a shuttle running amongst the hotels and the show site. Sorta depends on how close the hotels are to each other, too.

Bunser

I've never been to Des Moines, after a person has viewed the cars and perhaps met a few of the members, what else would there be to do in the city? Are there any CO members in the area?
I know that I won't be taking my Cutlass [Canada revenue is taking all my ''Cutlass parts fund'', so there will be no 3:42 gear set being installed anytime soon.''] On the bright side, I would be passing very close to Chicago, so perhaps I will be able to return the El Camino parts that Parts Place sold me a few years back. [I've never had an El Camino and I ordered Cutlass parts!]
Anyhow, any info on things to do in the area will make it easier on the decision making.

BIGJERR

Desmoines is a BIG city for Iowa.......Plenty to do and see....
I have never been to a OCA event other than the one in Cedar Rapids,Ia early this year ,But it seems to be well run and nicley put together....i would sure trade a inside venue over July in Iowa....I think the inside venue will be real nice.....When I go somewere with a huge turnout like this I wear my name on my shirt.....hello my name is BIGJERR.....Its amazing how many people remmeber your name from forums etc ..It has also scored me free beer......Hey you did this for or made a sigline up etc i owe ya one! Good times! lol

Run to Rund

There will be shuttle buses. Things to do as well as "official" tours will be described in future JWO's.

toro68

2015 might be in Mass. The 2013 Cadilliac Nationals will be in Quibmy, Mass.

allyolds68

I lived in MA for 16 years and have never heard of Quibmy. Quincy maybe (I lived there) but never Quibmy.

Run to Rund

He's probably texting on his phone, I never heard of Cadilliac either. . .lol. The 2010 OCA Nats were in Sturbridge, Mass so another Nationals in Mass may be more years away than 2015.