Car Clubs have their place and members reap what they sew,, Our club, Tri-City Rod & Custom' was established in 1972 and now is the oldest ongoing Hot Rod car club in the state of South Carolina,,it was started by a small group of guys that still enjoyed the early cars and not the new cars offered by Detroit. I joined in the late 70's and have been a member ever since,,I have seen a lotta guys come and go and can almost predict which guys won't stay members. I am presently the president but have been VP,secretary,Sargent of arms,and treasurer,,back in the day when we keep the dues in a cheese ball can,,,,remember Gary? Being in a club does take a commitment but our club has always been more about the friendships that are made,,,these guys are friends first,,club members second. We try to help fellow club members if they need it,,, These guys helped me when I didn't have a clue where to start or how to go about finding parts,,all I knew is I wanted to own a HOT ROD. remember,,this was before organized events,cruise-ins, we even had a ban on cruising in this town. I hope our club stays active for many more years,,, ,just one of the original member remains in the club,the others have since passed on. Sadly,,our club is a group of old graybeards,,heck,, the youngest member is probably 55 years old,,, I think Car Clubs still have a place in today's society ,,I just don't think they have the attraction they once had and a club is kinda like a marriage,,you have to work at it to make it last and many guys nowadays just don't want to commit. HRP
I'm presently in the Yakety Yaks but we got no dues, no don'ts, no worries. I haven't gone to a club meeting in about a year and it's ok. I will soon though, maybe.
Yep,left mine a while ago. Too many assholes who don,t drive their cars telling me what I should do with mine,
Tried to join a club called the Arrogant Assholes, but they turned me down. I was certainly a big enough asshole to join but, I wasn't arrogant enough to make the grade. That walking on water thing kinda tripped me up too.
I quit my club too. There always winds up being some self inflated blow hard who thinks he's more important than he really is trying to blow smoke up everyones ass telling them what to do. Screw that, I do my own thing. Too much politics and attitudes, its always the same thing. I enjoy being alone, the company is better.
Was in a loosely based club, some guys got togther, all racers/ builders and agreed to haul each others junk to swap meets, you had to sign up for swaps at the beginning of the year to set a schedule and cover events, we set limits on what was reasonable for size/ weight and met the thurs before to load gear. if you didnt show youre stuff didnt get loaded, we also had veto power on pricing so we werent loading a bunch of overpriced crap just to carry it around. 4 members turned into 7, worked for 2 yrs, surprisingly no money disputes, internet started ramping up and we dissolved. Talked about setting up shows, but we were all racers, no point, did work some deals with tracks with guaranteed 10-15 entries on grudge nights that were otherwise reserved or rented.
right on! We are just a bunch of cool guys who hang out and have a good time. No stress, we all do what we want but meet up when we can. The way a club should be! This is the second club I have been in and both have been the same. No stress, just tag the name to yourself to be recognized as a group that shares friendship and the same interests. I can't think of many(any) clubs in the HAMB world that are not a great bunch of guys/gals. This has to be the only group that gets along great club to club. Take a look at the Rust Revival, Hunnert, Symco or any of the other shows and you will see different club jackets together all the time. We all help each other out, regardless if your in a club or not.
I liked my old car club, but you had to join the national chapter in order to stay in the local chapter. I couldn't afford to join both so I bowed out. Honestly I get my car club fix in forums now.
I remember as a kid of maybe 12-14 begging to go to 'Club' night with dad. A few times he took me, I still remember the first night. A bunch of middle age guys sitting around complaining about what they had to do for the club. The different clicks in their corners fighting with the others, no one seemed to get along, and so I found out that was a good night!! Oh well at least we get to go for a ride in the hot rod! On runs there were almost fist fights............... Put me off clubs for along time. Then, when I was in the Army I tried to join one in Sydney in the mid 90s. That was until I was told that being deployed overseas into combat was not enough of a reason to miss 8 months of meetings, WTF???????? Haven't tried since, don't think I will again. Doc.
I once was part of a club. I got fed up when I was one of the few who regularly would drive their "ride" to the meetings. Everyone else showed up in mini vans and daily drivers. They never did anything! It was a waste of time. Now a group of like minded friends gather every tuesday and thursday to drink beer and talk cars. We race together, and each one of us build cars, and help each other any way we can... We accomplish way more than the "official" club I was once part of.
Haven't been in a club for about 33 years since we left Texas and moved back up here. I still have the vest from the Club in Waco but when we got up here and got invited to one of the local club's meetings it was the same drama all over again and we said bag it. But if it weren't for clubs we wouldn't have a lot of events to go to. And they can be motivators for a lot of guys in getting their car up and running. It makes getting up a volleyball or tug of war team easier. You don't have to decide on "which" shirt you are going to wear to an event. If you lay back someone else will decide where you stop for gas, eat (what you eat) go for a brew and stay when you go to out of town events. You plot and plan for 51 weeks a year so you can work your ass off and go nuts for one weekend a year so hopefully others will have a great time and fork over enough cash so you can do it again next year. Not all bad but not really my thing anymore. My honest reason for not being in a club is that due to my work schedule I don't have the time to properly commit to a club and most likely couldn't make the meetings or help with functions on a regular and or productive basis. My not so honest reasons are: I really don't want to be told where I am going with the car. Who I am going to park with. When I head out for an event or when I leave to go home. But if you are going my way down the highway to an event and want to cruise together cool, that's part of the fun of having a rod or custom.
Yup, no club here either. I was a member once a long time ago. Meet at the Golden Corral for breakfast once a month. I have an issue with megachains anyway but,,, Anytime we were gonna do something they wanted to start out at 5am. I dont get up at 3:30 to go anywhere on the weekend. Fund raisers, faincey doins and all, I dont use doileys and have a wife for a cup holder.
My club is laid back, no dues, no life constricting rules, There are only a few of us and we keep things simple and easy. We are car guys first and formost with a love of traditional rides.
I agree with the people that get together to go and DO something with their cars, not necessarily as an "organized club". I have far more fun when I get together for an event with several others and go have fun as friends. When I was in a local one-brand club, it was always a huge PITA to get people to go and do something as a club. And, it was all "bitch bitch bitch!" - no one was ever happy! That club is still that way! Another one-brand club I was in never does anything other than get together about every six weeks or so at a member's home and look at each others' cars. They never, ever go to a mixed-make show or any kind of cruise...that's as boring of a club as it gets! And then, most of the time, they don't drive their Club car to a GTG. Then, there is the politics. Like I said earlier, screw that! Life's too short for that kind of trivial BS. I've spent nearly twenty-five years in car clubs. I'll never do that again. Granted, clubs do serve a purpose, especially when putting on events and shows and such. Lots of people dig doing that, and that's cool. I don't like putting on shows anymore. I'd much rather pay my ten bucks or whatever and hang out with my other non-voting-on-cars buddies!
After last weeks meeting, I'm thinking of stepping back from my club for awhile. I never thought I'd see the day the club pres.would say "Stop working on that car we're trying to start a meeting here." If you can't help a fellow club member tune his carb at a club meeting then what the hell is the club for ? I've been in the club 20 years and even did v.p. duties last year but told them I didn't want another year of that, but don't work on your car WTF !
. . . Club ?, why do I need a Club to get together and work on a car or just to bullshit and have a good time, that's what friends are for . Also if I'm doing charity stuff, I just do charity stuff, I don't need some sort of acknowledgement because "my" Club is doing a great thing for _______ (fill in the blank). If you're in a Club and enjoy it, more power to ya, just has never been my thing and never will be.
I was even the prez in one club once, but after a bad experience I'm a lone wulf from now on. There are a few clubs where my buddies joined but I always says no.
I believe someone has a tag here that says something like " I would never belong to a club that would have me as a member " Makes sense to Me!!!
Get one of those "lone wolf" car plaques. You would look like an outlaw. Also you need one of those visors with the fake spikey hair. Those are neat.
ive been in clubs since 1960 . not the same one , but a few . i like the atmosphere . yea some members are a pain , but so am i ! i go to most club events , but also go my own way to shows . i belong to 2 right now & like em both . 1 is stock "A"s , mostly , the other is pre '46 . they actually fit nicely together . its all in what you make of it . im gettin old so i kinda do as i want , but like the clubs !! ... steve
Wow. Several posts, bitching about people bitching. In my club, one has to be ASKED to join. Keeps out the riff raff. There have been Vipers, slinking around the drag races, for many, many years. We hope for many more.
The Jalopy Journal
