Wee

I agree....It would also be nice to have more experts be able to inspect "Drivers" and maybe offer some level achievement or overall condition including frame inspection. There are a few members here that I would love to have inspect my car and verify the things that I believe are correct and the issues that I still need to work on. Maybe joining a local club would more fit my idea of what I would like out of an organization I give my membership money to....?

Brian

gbvette62

I'm not sure what you mean by a "drivers category", but instead of what everyone seems to think, the NCRS does promote driving the cars. If you drive your Corvette to a judging meet, you receive extra points for driving it. There's a minimum distance required to qualify for the bonus points, but it works out to something like an extra 45 points if you drive 100 miles. The NCRS has an award called the Founders Award, and one of the requirements to receive it, is to drive your car to the National Convention, as part of an NCRS road tour.

The NCRS also has a category for modified cars, the Sportsman award. Cars in Sportsman are not judged, but they're placed on the show field and receive a participation plaque, that gets updated every time a car attends another NCRS event.

The notion that only trailered cars are welcome in the NCRS is silly. Most shows see between 50 and 100 cars entered in Flight judging, and of those, maybe half are trailered to the meets. There are over 14000 members in the NCRS, and percentage of members that trailer their cars, or even enter them in Flight judging, is relatively low.

You don't have to have a 100 point show car, to bring it for NCRS Flight judging. In fact, I often recommend to people to bring their car out to be judged, before trying to restore it. Then you have a base line as to what's correct and what you might want to address.

The NCRS has three awards if Flight Judging, Top Flight, Second Flight and Third Flight. To receive a Third Flight, you have to score 75%, or 3375 points, out of a possible 4500. If you drive to the show, bonus points are added to your raw score, and you also get bonus points for having a fire extinguisher and an NCRS window decal.

The car is judged in 5 category's, operations, interior, exterior, mechanical and chassis. As each category's completed, the judges will go over with you, what they found, and what they deducted for. After the show, your judging sheets will be mailed to you, so that you have a reference to go by if you decide to make changes, based on the judging results.

In NCRS judging, originality and correctness are far more important than condition. Condition isn't even judged, if a part doesn't receive at least 10% of it's possible originality points. My 81 is unrestored, but extremely original, and has receive a Top Flight in judging. It's not perfect, with some marks in the paint, slight wear to the seats and carpet, and other typical worn finishes that you would find on a 35 year old, unrestored car. Other than 4 or 5 points for a newer style Delco battery and oil filter, it had an over wise perfect score on originality. It barely reached the 4230 points needed to top Flight, because of the condition deductions, but it did get there. That was without the driving points, when they were factored in, it Top Flighted easily.

homestead

I have thought of joining for a while but it just never felt like I would fit in. I still need to restore my car and it definitely isn't survivor status. If they ever thought of doing a drivers quality category then maybe I would be interested. I have been to shows where the trailer queen people were snobbish and really arrogant which turns me right off for ever joining an organization like that. Maybe it needs to die and come back as something we can all take part in? Just my .02 cents

Bajaholic

I have been a member of NCRS since 1983. (sometimes very involved, other times I take a few years off in between) There has been lots of up's and downs in the membership. I feel this is because most people that join NCRS do not really know what to expect. And it can become very intimidating.

Number one: It is about Corvette history and restoring your car to FACTORY ORIGINAL. This is not an easy task. Because it become VERY specific about what it is you need to have to reach this goal.

I cannot tell you haw many times we have judged a car over the years that is ABSOLUTELY Beautiful in every way, except it BOMBS in NCRS standards. This is because it is restored to be pretty, not original.

This will VERY quickly make the owner disillusioned with the NCRS organization and all the people associated with it.

Then comes the money side. People keep saying you pay to have your car judged to raise the value. No it does not work that way. I can guarantee you have spent WAY more in getting it correct than the increased value. Especially in today's world because it is getting harder and harder to find the correct parts you need and re-fabricating the correct part is extremely expensive. people see the Top Flight cars pull big money, yes that is true, once you have reached that level it does gain respect and will bring better money, but that is also because it has taken $$$$$$$ to get it to that level.

I do not know of any chapter that is over run with money, including National, yes the numbers may look big but again, it takes money to produce the materials you receive through membership. The magazines are high quality and rival any other publication, I call them the shop encyclopedias. Because they will be reference items for years and years to come...

But I feel the BIGGEST problem with NCRS is the age of the people that are participating. I am in my 50's now and have always been one of the younger guys around me. The people that have the knowledge, experience and determination to keep the hobby alive is getting harder and harder to come by. (unfortunately they are aging out) Unfortunately many of the younger generation are not wanting or caring about restoration to original, they are more caught up in the customization side.

Funny how that goes full circle, for those that remember; prior to the 80's everyone was customizing, then it was restoration, now it is back to customization.

I will still be involved, it is in my blood and encourage anyone that enjoys history, and the challenge of making a Corvette correct to original specs, join NCRS, then participate as much as possible because the generation that enjoys that aspect is getting older and will not be around forever...

mikelj

Frankly, after I joined I came for the cars and the judging, after all that, and doing it a few times, the people are the best part. Still fun to take a car through judging, awards are not the be and end all, but being with friends and sharing is the best for me.

vettefred

I agree with you Rescue Rogers...many of the NCRS car owners truly do not Know their cars from a drivers perspective. Hopefully NCRS will get better. They sure have helped me with information and finding out where my car was delivered.



Fred

Sunstroked

I am not a member of the NCRS, but I sure hope the organization can continue in its effort of helping owners to restore these cars to original "factory" condition.
Like many of you, I modified my car as I wanted it. I did it to please me.
To bring a car back to original condition takes real dedication. And I commend the efforts.
But to see an organization flounder because of overly critical judging, or stodgy members is a shame.

73 Scott

I guess I'm one of the younger ones here at 43.....44 on Wednesday.
When bought my car I didn't even know it was numbers matching and I didn't care......it's kinda cool that it is but I just ripped out the 4 speed and put a 5 speed in it so wtf. While I have respect for the guys that restore the cars to original status I couldn't care less about doing it to mine. I want to drive it as a daily for eight months of the year. I want to travel with it and I plan on putting thousands of miles on it a year. I want to keep it in good running condition and upgrade it as I go along.
I build guitars for a living and I deal with this whole "correct" mentality everyday with fanatical guitar players. Correct this and vintage that. Correct glue and old growth wood, proper coloured plastic and truss rods....it's crazy to witness grown men act like this. Most guys don't even know how to play them to their full potential. If their guitar was a car it would be trailered to gigs.
I didn't go that way building guitars and I'm not gonna do it with my car. I bought it to enjoy not to be judged.

Bob K

I'm a NCRS member, even though I'll never get my car judged. I find that the judging guides are a big help when putting a corvette back together.

I've purchased things from The NCRS Driveline and also found some vendors there.

I'll maintain my membership until I stop playing with Corvettes. I do hope that they open it up for cars that aren't perfectly correct, as there are lot's of them out there.

Bob K.

Don Rickles

Look forward to "NCRS Sportsman Concours Judging" coming soon! A ditch effort to pull in some revenue, in an to attempt to sustain the "CLUB". Can anyone see the future in the judging of a C 6 or C 7 model? Break out the QC handheld code readers! Who knows it's a possibility?

jnb5101

A "Brought Back From The Dead" category is needed. Awards should be given to those truly motivated enough to rebuild (not necessarily restore to OEM perfection because of availability or cost of parts) the 99% of these cars that have been wrecked, modified or otherwise neglected. If someone is fortunate enough to obtain an untouched 40 year old car, that person has a much better chance of meeting NCRS goals than the average Joe that starts with a basket case. By abandoning this 99% of the owners, the membership will continue to fall.

Don Rickles

Hum, that's quite interesting and brings to question some statistical information.

How many Corvettes were built within the years of cars being judged today? How many Corvettes are or have been judged by the NCRS since it's beginning. I believe you should find a VERY small percentage have been entered or taken through "the system". A very small number of cars in comparison, but a much larger amount of enthusiasts. So, more people, for its continuing future?

Rescue Rogers

Good info. I'll have to look for a northeast chapter

Revi

I'm an NCRS member. I drive my 1970 around 2k-4k miles per year (on bias ply tires). It has never been "frame off" or on a trailer. Currently has 105k miles on it. Is has scratches, dent's, paint is a "five footer", looks more like a war wagon.

My car has been Judged five times. Four Chapter, one Regional, and next year the National. It has always been driven to the judging events, anywhere from 50 - 600 miles each way. What my car does have going for it is all of the "correct" parts. So most of my deductions are "condition" points. It's not pretty up close, but still Top Flights.

So, some of us do drive.

crf311

Sorry to hear about their troubles. NCRS is not for me. If I want stock I would look at a magazine picture.

ddawson

I hope they do figure it out.

I started as a member to learn and get contact information while I searching. They are the history keepers.
Like Alan and his great pictures that help us figure out what goes were.

After my purchase I let my membership expire.
At least here in California it’s a hotrod culture. I never see stock cars at the local shows or large events.

As Vettebuyer6369 pointed out when he went to Reno NV Hot August Nights some time back “very little stock”

I would love to hang out and meet more people but with NCRS focus being pure stock you just don’t feel welcome.
Keep the judging for stock cars, but open your mind to a completely different group who also enjoy Corvettes of any type.

chucksingh

blue67ragtop

I've been a member for many years and learned much from the NCRS. When I read the president's message in the last magazine I was concerned regarding the financial state of the club. As others have said the aging demographic is catching up. The same thing happened to the Classic Chevy Club, Chevelle club etc. NCRS has done so much to benefit the Corvette hobby whether you are a member or not. I believe it will ultimately succeed and find a way forward.

Dean_Fuller

I have been a member on and off since 1995. I feel there IS a place and a purpose STILL for NCRS. I feel if it weren't for them there would be very few correct or near correct re-pop parts produced for our cars. Why would suppliers want to go to the trouble of getting it right if it weren't for the market NCRS furnishes? I am 56 years old now and building probably my last frame off 1972 base numbers matching car. I plan to DRIVE this car so polyglass tires, points, dated spark plug wires , correct oil filters are not in my future but I still like to know about them. I DO however what the seat covers, dash , door panels it would have come with in 1972. If it weren't for NCRS we would be picking between close...and WAY off for such parts. I do fear we will be missing more than we know if NCRS goes belly up.

bj1k

I couldn't agree with you more. You are spot on. Most of the guys that I know that used to be all into NCRS and factory correct Corvettes are even starting to gravitate to other cars like Chevelles , Camaros, and Chevy II hardtops because they don't have to be so factory correct to still be in high demand. I remember when the only cars that demanded matching numbers were the Corvettes. With the other cars they didn't care about matching numbers. I just think the demand for factory correct cars are dying off unless it is a rare car. Things seem to be changing more to restomod cars and they are something that you can actually use and have fun with.