Folks Of Interest How do you join a car club ?

Good luck. I have actually never joined a local car club, but all my friends have also been into cars. So, I can understand why you might want to. Funny enough, even though I have never been in a local car club, I am listed as a founding member of one in the town I live in on their website. I would have been 4 when I helped found the club.

 

My club

 

He said he reached out to several clubs, didn't get any response.

 

@Blues4U Sorry, didn`t know what Cricket`s on there end meant.

 

I had to be a Pledge for 2 years , steal my car coat and boost two cars , before I became a full patched member .

 

Look on the internet for any "cars & coffee" get togethers in your area, then drive your car to a couple of them, buy a cup of coffee & talk to the car guys at the meeting. After you've been to a couple of them, hopefully you will be able to determine what clubs are represented & if you share similar interests, & if they have meetings for that particular brand, & if they are welcoming new members (& it's a rare club that's not!) After that, you're on your own!!

 

I don't know anything about car clubs, but I would be interested in meeting anyone who has a 1949-51 Ford car close to Davenport, Ia. I might join. (563)209-0474. Kevin.

 

You are right!! It was Gil Gonzales’ car his **** was parked on!! I need to go review now!

 

I've been a member of 3 different car clubs over the years, been a founding member of 2 of them.
Two of the three are extinct now (both after I left, but I was not responsible for their ending). Times changed.
The 3rd one is still going strong. They still put on a great show and are involved with several other shows. The distance to the meetings, and mismatched schedules are the primary reason I left that club, but several of the guys are still friends. I'm at a different place now then I was back when we got it started. I've changed, they did not.

I suggest that if you want to join a club, you need to find a club where you enjoy hanging around with a few members. Invest the time to get to know them and become friends. Expect to participate in as many club activities as you can. If they put on a show, expect to spend most of the day there and volunteer to help make it a great show as much as you can. I suggest you do all of that before you even attempt to join the club! Its only be participating with the club will you know if its the right club for you. If you can't make those kind of commitments, the timing or reasoning for joining a club might not be right. All active clubs have politics going on. Its the nature of the beast. You have to have a close relationship with several members to be able to endure the politics.

For the most part, you have to act like a club member before you join a club. Gene

 

Make friends with someone in the club and let him/her guide you.

The only car club I ever belonged to recruited me. Pretty much the same with the bike club I belong to. But we don't do bike clubs here so back to car clubs.

make friends with a member and let him guide you.

 

How do you join a car club? That is the question. I myself find the best way is to just find a club which suits your interests and then ask what it takes to become a member.

 

it is better just to hang out with guys in a club, then you don't have to do any work when they put on a show.

 

easiest way would be to start your own club, then no one could kick you out!
jus kidding,...good luck,
my club organized solely to put on a car show/ swapmeet (1965 and older) in our area ; we are now planning our 17th annual show/swap, so it can be done.
good luck.

 

What part of oregon? I tried starting my own but couldnt get enough people interested enough to keep it rolling. I had nonprofit setup and everything!

 

If you can weld, paint, fabricate, do upholstery, have a lift or a great garage they will come recruiting you!

 

Hell yeah. I was in a band once where we let a guy join basically because he had a truck to move our stuff. He couldn't play worth a chit, but we couldn't gig without him! Lol.

 

Exactly! Maybe the fact that I have always had a shop and could paint is why all my friends were into cars... I did paint lots of friends cars and Harleys early on.

 

Your first paragraph describes exactly how the group I belong to is structured.I’ve been a part of it for over 25 years now,works for us.

 

Good active ones are a dying breed these days, age has a lot to do with it. Rather than a lot of car clubs around here like there used to be, people seem to be more on the "nightly cruise in" circuit around here.

 

I know our friend in Detroit used to belong to a club. I asked him about joining and he said the same thing that's been echoed here, it turned into politics and he got out. Every club is different I'm sure. I live in bfe, so the few rods that are around, I bump into the guys at the local joints and have a beer or whatever, but not really much organized club action near me...

 

Our friend my brother or the other one? If my brother, I didn't realized he had bailed on the club but can sure understand that.

 

The other one....

 

Hello,

As an individual as we all think we are, we are not dependent on others for our likes and dislikes, especially in hot rods or custom cars. Joining a club or ***ociation has to have some good points, as they have, but sometimes, there are negative drawbacks to the organization and or its members.

Our experiences with car clubs goes back to the early teenage years. Sure, it was cool to have a metal sign sticking in the rear window panel and/or stuck to your rear bumper. But, the metal sign was not the most important part of being in a club. When we knew several guys that actually had signs on their bumpers and were a part of a local club, we thought that was cool. But as we grew to know several other guys, we thought they were not as nice to us as our friend.

As we entered high school, we, like most teenagers were overwhelmed at the amount taller/older students walking around. But, groups played a big part for a lot of students in this new environment. The car clubs still had the feel of being not a part of the high school scene. It did not help that the school district issued a stern warning of expulsion, if outside of school clubs showed their “colors” like jackets, T-shirts, or sweatshirts around at the school campus and activities.

Only school sports teams and school activity clubs were allowed to wear their jackets/shirts to all school events and on campus. So, letterman’s jackets were popular. But, as we started going to the surf spots on a regular basis, the letterman’s jacket was just not the thing to wear while hanging around. So, when the Flathead Sedan Delivery arrived, that jacket got sold, Varsity letter and all for a dollar to a friend from elementary school that was on our team. He could not afford to buy a new jacket when he lettered as a bruising linebacker. If boxing had been a H.S. sport, he would have been the heavyweight champion!!!


Jnaki

Many years after high school, I was hanging around with some L.A. Roadster guys and it would have been nice to be a part of their history, but at the time, I did not have a roadster. A sedan delivery would not do a**** the m*** of cool roadsters. The other club in Long Beach was also enticing with several folks I got to know well at the time. But, there were some that just did not give anyone, a good warm feeling when in their company. There are always a bad apple or two, but that is life as we understood it.

So, for the rest of the activity time in hot rods and photography, we tended to stay in neutral country and never had the inclination to join any club or group. At one time, there were several surf clubs along the Westcoast. They had great parties, friendly compe***ion and were a big deal in some circles. We were invited to join the local club, as our skills were very good. But, we decided to stay out of the politics of even something like surfing. They all had nice T-shirts and jackets, too.

My wife and I both became individuals with our own ideas and personalities forging ahead through thick and thin. We had no need to be a part of a collective. But, some people just have to have that connection… YRMV

 

As I have gotten older and my gearhead friends have either p***ed away or moved away, I think that it is maybe time to get involved with a car club. Went to a club meeting to check it out and while the people there seem nice enough, it brought back memories of past car club involvement of sitting around, reading the minutes of the last meeting, how much money was in the kitty, and all that stuff; decided that I wasn't ready for it. Back to being a hermit.

 

Well @VANDENPLAS First you've gotta find an area where your reputation doesn't precede you...

 

I have never been in a car club, but have been asked several times to join our local old time car club. They tell me the meeting date and time…usually two weeks or more out….I forget and miss the meeting! Me trying to remember the next month meeting, six weeks away….ain’t happening! Lol.
I have been in several motorcycle clubs/ organizations over my years! Some good things some bad things. Unfortunately the clubs seem to be dwindling, just like some of the benevolent organizations I have belonged to. Signs of the times!





Bones

 

Welp ……. Fu!k. I guess I’m done then !!

 

A good group for you in Ontario would be the Early Ford V8 Club but it is based out of Oshawa, Another is Back Alley Cruisers based out of Bradford but they have many chapters and vehicles are HAMB friendly, ACCCC is good but mostly stock an HASC many chapters but seems like older folk!
I am president of the Huronia region around Barrie but a region in Niagara.
Attend the International Center swap meet in Dec and you will meet lots of enthusiasts. The show is run by a group out of Oshawa.

 

I'm a friend of Bill W. During nice weather, the cars at our get togethers are amazing..

 

Hold up a minute there... Mr Vandenplas, my name is Lloyd and I'm the president of the cool *** hot rod snakes. Actually I'm the only member, well, until now. You're in! Not only are you in, you're the vice president!! Now we grow! The opportunities that await us are endless! I'm excited! Finally got a member! congratulations