Hot Rods to club or not to club

Where I live there are more than a few classic & hot rod car clubs, there are people who join multiple clubs at the same time.

Myself coming from the new car scene for the last 15+ years, I have only really been involved with new custom car's "a Bagged 2005 Silverado, Bagged 2001 Ford, 1991 Mustang".

I was the President of two clubs, both of which I got out of and eventually fell apart due to the drama that the younger generation car clubs seem to have, both internally with each other and with local cop's due to stupidity of donuts and such.

Now with my classic Dodge I am debating on joining a club but am not sure if I should from past experiences, I did go to a meeting for a local club last night to see how it is ran and it seemed a lot more structured.

what are your experiences with classic car hot rod clubs? what do you recommend?

 

Oganization's mindset, ie purpose helps.
By example: to contribute, or enjoy...or mis-behave!
View(s) & intentions of leaders matter here. NHSRA held an annual benefit Show & Shine for rehab center. Our club ran for forty years. Best wishes on your decision!

 

My experience and memories of being in car clubs goes something like this.
Hey, why don't we put on a car show!
Ok, any volunteers?
I can't, I've got soccer, church, little league, honey do's, hemmroids, blah, blah, blah.
Been there, done that and yes, got the T-shirt.

 

i wouldnt join a club that would have me

 

The old car clubs are much better than the ricer/minitrucker/Mustang groups I have encountered. Much more subdued and layed back, they enjoy cruising and working on their cars more than vaping, boasting about sound systems, and quarter mile times the younger crowd cares about. I just got out of high school recently, so I certainly have experience with both crowds

 

I only club when baby seals are involved.


Sorry, someone had to say it. It's kinda like "That shit will buff out." Carry on.

 

I`m fine not belonging to a car club.Committees,meetings, blah blah blah I retired to get away from that life. I`m not against `em there just not my thing

 

Car clubs are not for everyone,I am a member of a club that is celebrating 48 continues years and we all get along,that not to say we haven't had any serious discussions but 99% of the time it's great.

Tri-City Rod & Custom is the oldest club in South Carolina and we have hosted a lot of shows over the years but we let the younger & newer clubs deal with that.

I've seen a lot of clubs go down in flames over the years for various reasons,several years ago a club started where they wanted their wives and girl friends as members and decided that they needed to attend all the meetings,one gal got mad at another wife,a cat fight broke out and within a few months the club was disbanded.

We include our wives and girl friends at outings,event's,shows and picnics but not at meetings.

Most of us are over 50 and don't have anything to prove, our meetings are more of a social event and we eat good.

What brought us together were the love of old cars but what keeps us together is our friendship. HRP

 

Yup, right on......but I didn't get the T shirt.

 

I'm just here for the cars. If you need others to help you enjoy yours, that's up to you. I don't get it, but then I have friends.

 

Not interested. Around here they all want to put on shows and expect you to work those shows.

 

Are you a giver or are you a taker. Car shows are put on by clubs- and other organizations.

 

Last time my and I were invited to a club meeting as potential members we looked at each other and said "same old six and seven" and haven't belonged to one since and that was 40 years ago.
I'm not anti club by any means as they can be fun and for some a real motivation to get the car done and out on the road to go to events with the club. Some have some real good things going.

My personal preference though, is to travel at my own pace rather than the pace set by the self designated road leader for the club, eat where I want to rather than having to stop where someone else decides and stay at the motel/hotel I choose rather than the one someone else picks for the club because it fit's their lifestyle or budget. I don't have to park with a group unless I choose (Hamb parking) and I don't have to arrive or leave with the group.
That said, there is one local club with a mix of vehicles that always appears to have something fun going on. You do see them at local events as a group but most often as not you pass them on the road in the middle of the week when they are taking a drive to some burger joint or other place to eat as a group.
It's personal choice on this and what works or some may not work for others.

 

There's a car club's headquarters in another part of the building my shop is at, and with my last truck build and into my current personal project, have been approached a several times about joining, but it just doesn't seem like something for me. They have been around since the mid 50s I believe, but from what I can see it seems closer to a drinking club with some blown apart cars collecting dust. There are some cool guys with some cool cars that will wonder over to my area and shoot the shit for a bit, but for every one cool person, there's 3 or 4 obnoxious assholes who I couldn't imagine being around voluntarily. Plus I barely have enough time to go plug away on my stuff, never mind spending more time going to just sit around and listen to people complain.

Previously I had a few newer clubs approach me because of other cars I have/ had but they were mostly filled with cheeseball imports or newer trucks with purple headlights and big wheels, neither of which I am a fan of

Aside from those, I have never actively looked into joining a car club, its just not something I care too much about, though as mentioned, I do appreciate some of the local shows that are put on by clubs.

 

There's clubs and then there's clubs....

'Classic' car clubs (for restored cars) generally won't be very welcoming to hot rodders, while most hot rod clubs won't care as long as it's old. I'm a member of two hot rod clubs, and two things I like is the social functions and the organized cruises. I don't always like the eating places they pick, so I don't always go. Locally, most of the area clubs communicate and participate with each other so it can be a great way to find out about events. Yes, you'll run into some a$$holes, but by and large most members are nice people.

Yes, the clubs that do shows do require some work but it's usually only one day a year so it's not particularly onerous. Both clubs I belong to donate excess proceeds from their shows to good causes. Dues are usually pretty cheap (both of mine are under $20 per year) so if it doesn't work out you're not out much. As with any group of people, club politics will be present in some degree or another; you'll have to decide what level of it you'll tolerate. They can be great places to 'network' if that's your bag. Sometimes a club can get into places that you as an individual can't. Some specialty insurance companies offer a discount if you belong to a club.

If occasional Sunday drives is enough to scratch your 'car itch', a club may not be for you.

 

If there are dues or a show involved, run away. Money ruins everything. And shows are a pant load of work, none of it fun. The guys I hang out will all agree we are all assholes, but somehow we get along. And so do our wives! Keep it about friends and it will go well.

 

I belong to a club- not sure why...
I have never been to a meeting, an "all clubs breakfast", or a cruise.
Guess I joined to get the newsletter and find out about the local shows.
Probably not worth $20 a year...

 

Hang out with your friends.
If they're in a club, then consider joining.
Otherwise, just hang out with your friends.

 

I belong to a club and we are the largest in Wisconsin. We are basically a non working club except for the officers. We have a spring meeting every year and a club paid for picinic every summer. It is catered and the beer and soda is provided. We are mostly all good friends and it works for me. We also have one show a year that is recommended and the club pays your admission.

 

Being a member of the HAMB, is as close to a club as I'll be getting in. I do volunteer to assist local clubs that put on good events, lucky for me, they never take me up on it!

 

Excellent example of the 80/20 rule. That is where 80% of the work is done by 20% of the club members. Around here it is more like 95/5. Most clubs that I've bee exposed to seem to have the same mantra of if it's FREE, I want THREE, but if it requires some money, time or effort then don't look for me!

 

I came, I joined, I quit.
Too much BS. I guess I had a pre conceived idea of what was going to take place ( building cars, helping guys fix shit, sponsoring a club race car for the drags) that was all in MY head.
No more clubs; clubs are for dancing and cavemen.

 

Club's?
My experience is club's are made up of "the ones that have talent's" and "the ones that don't." The ones that don't have a particular talent feed off the ones that do...................................................
Can you paint my car for nothing???????????????????
Can you sew this thing up for nothing ???????????????????
Can you rebuild my motor for nothing ?????????????????????
Can you work on my car for nothing this weekend while I have BBQ and BEER with my friends?

 

I enjoyed my time in our club ( now disbanded). We put on great car show down at The Swiss in Tacoma.
Hot Rod-A-Rama... RIP Mischief Makers CC.. still sport the Club Coat at times.. as someone said above, been there done that, got the T-shirt (s)

 

From reading the other comments, one thing is fairly clear; many want a club to function like they did back in the '50s/early '60s. Those days are long gone pretty much. Too many things have changed...

One, most clubs are aging. The younger guys are usually in the minority these days; while there's a fair number here, dilute them across the whole country and you'll realize that their numbers are pretty limited. When you do get younger members, their disposable income doesn't match what us retired 'baby boomers' can show. Plus not many are into older cars; they grew up with musclecars (or if even younger, imports), not hot rods.

Two, the whole dynamic of car building has changed. The days of going to the boneyard for vintage parts are all but gone; sure, there are some yards but they're spotty at best. The older guys may be physically challenged, and with their higher disposable income simply hire a lot work done. If you're good at what you do, do you want to give away your skills to club members, or do you go into business? Most choose the latter, and when they do they don't have time for a club. And club race cars are a thing of the past for sure. The cost of fielding a competitive car these days are far higher than it used to be.

 

Clubs are good things to get involved with, if you are bored and want something to do and like politics. Everyone has a different idea how the club should be run.

 

First club I was in was in 1957. In those days guys hung out in each others garage and either worked on a car or dreamed. Real clubs attempted to build a car for the drags. It was all about the cars.
Now days, it seems it's all about shows, fund raising, obligations of one sort or another, comparing paint jobs, etc.
Car clubs have evolved into social clubs. Not for me, thanks.

 

Now that is an open relationship, HRP.

 

everyone is dying off...I'm the kid in our car club (been in it for 30 years), and I'm 57 years old.

 

I've been in good and bad clubs over the years. I think it has pretty much been said above.

The politics get old real fast. There's no need to deal with that. I have been president of 2 different clubs and getting participation on events is always a struggle. I'm still in an organized national club chapter. I'm also involved with a group of guys that just hang out, have lunch and work on our traditional cars. Guess which one is more fun .