2021 NC Region Spring Meet May 8, 2021

2021 NC Region Spring Meet at New Bern May 8, 2021


Here are two stories with pictures of the NC Region Spring Meet hosted by the First Capital Chapter.   The first story is submitted by Bill Cox about preparing and bringing his  Corvette rolling chassis to the meet. The second story is by Denny Oestreich about the event and those who attended. Be sure to look at the pictures are at the end of each story.  Many thanks to the First Capital Chapter.  

To see the Spring Meet Judging Results/Winner List   Click Here 

NC Region Meet Spring Meet – New Bern! May 8, 2021

By Bill Cox

Lin and I love Newbern… especially during the beautiful Spring weather; and it’s even better with the NC Region Spring meet filling the downtown streets with beautiful antique vehicles. The hospitality from the folks in town is always warm and friendly. They close off Middle Street and Pollack Street and we bring on the bling that makes people flock to town for a spectacular day of antique cars and visiting the shops and restaurants. Downtown Newbern is filled with great spots to eat amongst historic homes, buildings and churches… and a Palace!

 I woke up Saturday morning at 6:00 with a little help- well, a lot of help, and started off to the show field. It was not a typical show for me as I had arranged to bring the rolling chassis for my 1965 Corvette Coupe project. It’s been almost 2 years in the making; and a couple of months ago, I realized that I just might have the frame and motor all together at about the same time as the N.C. Region Spring Meet. I began to think how cool it would be to display a finished rolling chassis of a ’65 Corvette for everyone to see what’s underneath the fiberglass body. The chassis judges can look at all they want without having to get down on one knee… or getting back up!


My project began like most projects – trying to plan a strategy for restoration. Like how in depth do you want to go? Do you want to clean and replace worn parts, or repair, replace and repaint? Or go all in and take it completely apart? In this case, it just grew and grew into a full body off restoration… yikes, what was I doing! Once I started planning replacing things like fuel lines and brake lines, and I had the steering column out because the gauges, clock and radio all needed restoration, then it became just 8 more bolts and a bunch of ground straps away from taking the body off the frame. Besides, I wanted to learn more about restoring a car to this level and specifically, more about the Corvette. Believe me, I have learned more than I intended to!

So, back to the car show… a lot had to come together for me to pull this off. I had to rush order new tires for the new rims I had bought and I wanted the motor and transmission as complete as possible so that it was interesting for folks to see. The last two weeks before the show, it was a day-to-day test to see if I was going to make it to the show. I spent an all-nighter, and several late, late-nighters working on this chassis and motor. I was exhausted before I ever got to the show. The Friday we were supposed to leave, I called for reinforcements to help me put the bling on the motor. All the ignition wiring with the brackets and chrome trim was a daunting task when you’re under pressure to get loaded into the trailer and drive to the coast from Hillsborough.

By 2:00 on Friday before the show, I had done as much as I could and with more help from neighbors, we loaded her into the trailer… in the rain. After grabbing a shower and a suitcase, this put us in Newbern about 8PM. Not exactly what I wanted, but we made it.

I had made arrangements with Zach Simons to let me trailer the chassis onto the show field early Saturday morning. I was feeling pretty good by then and cruised down Middle Street at 7:00 AM and with the help of several 1st Capital members, we pushed the chassis in to place and moved the trailer out of the show field. The organization for this show was nothing short of spectacular and everything ran like clockwork! As I was getting settled in my space, a restaurant worker from the breakfast café was sitting outside watching me and looking at the chassis. He had to ask… “You working on that?” Well, after containing my laughter, I just said Yep… sure am, and that was just the start of the crazy comments that just came one right after another all day….

I had a lot of strange looks from just about everyone… but there were some crazy comments that just got funnier as the day went on. “How did you drive that in here?” was next, then there was “You didn’t quite make the deadline for the show, did ya?”  I also liked, “Where do you sit?” and “Oh, you brought it like that!” Or, “that must be a convertible” and “well where’s the body?”

 Then there were all the helpful suggestions like “you ought to get a couple of buckets to sit on… it’d be like bucket seats!” Then there was the guy who took the chrome oil filler cap and got a napkin and with a little sugar from the sandwich shop and with a little spit, cleaned off some of the corrosion and pitting… he was actually quite helpful. Of course, Randy Stone had to explain to spectators that the reason it was in this condition is that a Mustang flew by me so fast on the way down here that it blew the whole body off the frame.


There were plenty of parents with their kids taking a look… it presented a good teachable moment… like the lady who told her daughter that it was a car without its shell. I pointed out that it was going to look just like the one sitting beside it, since Bennett Kennedy’s beautiful ’65 coupe was parked beside me. I enjoyed the young folks seeing the guts of a vehicle for the first time. It showed the major components of the drive train and allowed moms and dads to explain some things to their kids. It was all worth the effort to bring it to the show to see the light bulb come on in the minds of some of the folks who saw it. Even Randy Stone might now understand how to put a car back together!

Finally, as the show neared the end, there was “how are you going to get it home?” That one hit home, because after a fun filled day the party was winding down and the rolling chassis had to roll back in the trailer and head back to Hillsborough. We loaded up with the help of a few friends who’d been hanging around having fun all day. The show was one of the best I have attended in several years. The weather was outstanding, the group of participants and spectators were all in such a good mood and having so much fun we didn’t want it to end. What a great way to kick off 2021 and provide some relief from the restrictions of the Covid 19 virus. Everyone has been looking forward to moving on and getting back to normal life without the threat of the virus. I have been looking forward to getting back together with my friends in the NC Region and today was a reward for our patience last year and our efforts to keep our members safe.

I look forward to more events this year, even if there are more adjustments and postponements, we will get together again. Be sure and make it out to the next event if you can… one of these days you might get to see the whole car!


To see more of Bill Cox Pictures 2021 NC Region Spring Meet Pictures
 


NC Region Meet New Bern May 8, 2021

By Denny Oestreich
The First Capital Chapter hosted a very successful meet in New Bern, NC this year.  It was the first NC Region and Chapter activity since Covid restrictions were imposed in March of 2020.  The venue on the streets in downtown New Bern was excellent.  There were 75 NC Region vehicles registered.  The public turnout was tremendous and the enthusiasm was good to see.  Many of us stayed over Friday night in New Bern and enjoyed touring the city and finding a great restaurant for dinner.  The First Capital Chapter had the registration and parking well prepared.  There was a good combination of DPC, HPOF, and Class Judged Vehicles.  The judging went well with many teams assigned to judge 5-7 cars per team.

 

To see more of Denny Oestreich’s Pictures Click on:  2021 NC Region Spring Meet Pictures DO

2021 NC Region Spring Meet May 8, 2021 Read More »

2021 NC Region at the Southeastern Nationals April 8-9, 2021

2020 NC Region at AACA Nationals Concord, NC April 8-9, 2021

By Denny Oestreich
AACA members from many states were anxious to hold the first AACA National show of 2021 in Concord, NC April 8-9. The event was the Southeastern Nationals at the Concord, NC Embassy Suites Hotel and Convention Center. The weather included a brief rain in the morning during the CJEs and again at the end of the show but, held clear during the judging.  Most members stayed at the Embassy sites and enjoyed the hospitality and visiting with other AACA members and AACA Officials from around the country.

  

The Judges training was held in the Embassy Suites Convention Center where each person had a socially distanced separate table spaced about 8 feet apart. Dean Cain and Chuck Crane gave the judges training presentations.  The training was repeat of past training presentations with a few updates for the year changes.   This year the first Electric Vehicle, Honda EV, was eligible on the show field, although there were none on the show field.  Some HPOF vehicles were mixed in with the judged vehicles to demonstrate the differences.

  

The total of 238 entries were from many parts of Eastern United States, however there were only 186 judged. The entries include Judged Vehicles, HPOF, and Driver Participation vehicles. This was the first show of the year with many anxious owners wanting to get their vehicles out for judging. There were vehicles we had seen before. There were also many newly restored vehicles with immaculate paint and detailed finishes to admire.     

See full list of 2020  Judging results (Click Here).

2021 NC Region at the Southeastern Nationals April 8-9, 2021 Read More »

2020 NC Region Fall Meet October 17, 2020

2020 NC Region Fall Meet October 17, 2020

Thanks to the special negotiations done by Jack Harris and the Furnitureland Chapter with the NC Transportation Museum at Spencer we were able to hold the NC Region Fall Meet.  The show was very successful considering the special social distancing constraints.  The Museum Grounds were well manicured and seasonally decorated with many scarecrows including one representing the NC Region that was prepared by Jack and Audrey Harris. The NC Transportation Museum grounds had the show cars arranged over the entire campus area with vehicles parked at good distances from each other.  There were hand sanitizers everywhere and masks were worn by everyone .  The NC Region Board Meeting was held in the Back-shop building with social distancing.   

There were 63 entries for the show with many participants anxious to get out and show their vehicles for the first car show this year.   The entered vehicles were all excellent examples.  There were 6 first time Redbirds, 8 first time HPOF, and one 1 first time DPC award.

              
                       NC Region Scare Crow                                           Ray Crooke Award
     
     Herb Oakes Award (2nd Car), Bob MacAdam                        Fred Ross Award, Henbry Burgwyn             

Special Awards for the Fall Meet went to:

  • Ray Crooke Award Winner (Best Vehicle 1958 or later) Paul Haddock ‘69 Buick Coupe
  • Fred Ross Award Winner (Best Restoration 1926-1957) Henry Burgwyn ’57 Chevrolet Convertible
  • Herb Oakes Award Winner (Outstanding HPOF Vehicle) Bob McAdam ’68 Mercury Montego 2-Door

See full list of 2020 Fall Meet Judging results (Click Here).

To see more of Denny’s pictures and maybe your car (2020 NC Region Fall Meet Denny’s Pictures).

2020 NC Region Fall Meet October 17, 2020 Read More »

2020 Cape Fear Meet

Cape Fear Chapter Holds Only Chapter Show of 2020 

By Helen DiPietro
A windy but sunny day marked the first car show of the season. The wind did not inhibit people from bringing their vehicles out to display. Two hundred and twenty-seven (227) soles braved the winds. Cape Fear chapter members were ready to accept two hundred and three (203), and had to hustle to add the additional twenty-four (24) vehicles. During the awards ceremony, they ran out of trophies and asked the Cape Fear members not to accept theirs so that the visitors would have a trophy to take home. What a problem to have! 

 

 

More Pictures
See Helen DiPietro’s Pictures pictures of the event at: 2020 Cape Fear Chapter Show.

2020 Cape Fear Meet Read More »

2020 AACA Annual Meet, Philadelphia, PA

NC Region Members Attend AACA Convention

  

 

In February each year the AACA holds a gathering in Philadelphia for a combination of business, .awards, training sessions, technical presentations, and a gathering of friends.  If you have the chance, I recommend you attend one of these events. Here are some pictures of the event on February 6-8 this year. Pictures by Virginia Wright.

2020 AACA Annual Meet, Philadelphia, PA Read More »

2020 NC Region Annual Meet January 20, 2020

2020 NC Region Annual Meet January 17-18, 2020 

The NC Region Annual Meet was held on January 17-18, 2020. The meeting was held at the Ramada Inn in Raleigh, NC.
There were about 90 members attending the two day event. The first day was was dedicated to AACA Judges Training.
Dain King presented an AACA National Training School required for every AACA Judge each year. This training class is
also used by members showing their cars to understand how judging is done. Two additional Continuing Judges Education
(CJE) course were presented;  Mike Petersen presented a CJE on Documentation and Dain King presented a presentation
on Exterior Judging. 

Several activities were scheduled for Saturday. In the morning the NC Region Board Meeting was held and many plans
and actions taken.  At 10 AM a presentation was made by our speaker, Daniel Wagner on Defensive Driving for teenage
and older drivers. The presentation was on attentive driving techniques to avoid accidents that he teaches. Lunch was
provided as part of registration. 

After lunch the Chapters announce plans for their upcoming shows and the winners of the “What is it contest were 
announced. The NC Annual Meeting was called to order. The winner of the annual awards were announced. The 
Editors awards were announced    

 

 

More Pictures
See Ginger Wright’s pictures of the event at: 2020 NC Region Annual Meet Pictures 

2020 NC Region Annual Meet January 20, 2020 Read More »

2020 NC Transportation Museum Sports Car Display

NC Transportation Museum Sports Car Display 2019-2020

The North Carolina Transportation Museum & North Carolina Region of the Antique Automobile Club of America sponsored a 2020 Sports Car Exhibit.  The exhibit at the North Carolina Transportation Museum  in Spencer, NC features vehicles owned by NC Region AACA members from across the state of NC.  The exhibit was open from 18 November 2019 to 24 February 2020. The vehicles displayed included: 1950 MGTD; 1978 MG Midget, 1991 Toyota MR2, 1957 Thunderbird, 1956 Thunderbird, 1955 Thunderbird, 1993 Cadillac Allante, 1961 Corvette, 1967 Corvette,  1957 Corvette, 1991 Chrysler TC by Maserati1960 Triumph TR3a, and a 1959 Austin Healy.  The display was organized by NC Region member Tom Wright. The exhibit was a success.  Thank you Tom and Virginia for organizing the display with the NC Transportation staff. Thanks especially to the NC Region members who loaned their vehicles to make the display a success.    
 

See Pictures of all the cars at: 2020 NC Region Sports Car Pictures
See the NC Transportation Web site at: https://www.nctrans.org/Events/AACA-(1).aspx

2020 NC Transportation Museum Sports Car Display Read More »

2019 NC Region Awards

The NC Region has established recognition awards which are given annually to NC Region members for personal contributions to the region and for vehicle excellence awards. The awards are named for past key NC Region members. Large award trophies with the winners names are kept at the NC Transportation Museum located in Spencer, NC.  Award recognition is presented for all awards at the NC Region Annual meeting in January the following year.

Vehicle Excellence Awards
There are awards presented to vehicle owners judged at the Spring and Fall meets. The Award winners were all recognized at the Annual Membership meeting he following year. Click on the Award titles below to see descriptions and criteria for the awards as well as a picture of the permanent trophy.

2019 Spring Meet Awards
Herb Payne Memorial Award (Best restoration pre 1925)               Bob McAdam 1925 Ford Model T
Ray Crooke Award (Best Vehicle 1958 or later)                             Jimmy Evans 1966 Pontiac GTO

Spring Meet Host Chapter: General Green Chapter, James Mathews Chairman  

To see the Spring Meet Judging Results Click on:  2019 Spring Meet Judging Results

2019 Fall Meet Awards

Les Joyner Memorial Award (1964 1/2 and up)                           Michael And Lorrie Williams    1975 Moustang Coupe
Alvin B. Storey Award (Finest Classic Automobile)                       Not Awarded
Fred Ross Award (Best Restoration 1926-1957)                          Doug and Audrey Kincaid       1930 Model A Coupe  
Lester Brown Award (Trucks 1 Ton or Larger)                             Not Awarded
Herb Oakes Award (Outstanding HPOF Vehicle)                          Mike Parker                          1963 Buick

Fall Meet Host Chapter: Furnitureland Chapter, Jack Harris, Show Chairman
To see the Fall Meet Judging Results Click on:   2019 NC Region Fall Meet Judging Results

Personal Contribution Awards
Awards for personal recognition are announced at the next annual meeting in January of each year.

2019 Dave Hinkle Memorial Award              TBA

2019 Circle of Honor Award                        Jack Harris
                                                                        Larry Wright                                                     

2019 Newsletter Awards
Chapter Reporter Awards (Reports in all six newsletters in 2019)    
TBA
 

2019 NC Region Awards Read More »