Howdy from Houston, where all good things must come to an end. It’s my sad duty to inform yall that the ’54 Ford Club of America will be closing its doors, effective at the end of this year 12/31/21. The reasons for this are as follows (in no particular order): - Membership is steadily declining as members are passing away. I receive at least two, and sometimes more, notifications per month of a member passing. - The website and forum require a non-optional, massive overhaul that will cost thousands of dollars before the end of the year. The club dues barely cover the costs associated with the website as it is. - My business and personal life are hectic. I’ve just come through a divorce and my lab business is extremely demanding. Time to properly manage the car club just doesn’t exist. - I think Tom Hoskins, John Strobeck and I have collectively written just about everything that can be written about a ’54 Ford over the last 35 years. So…I’m going to close the doors and turn out the lights while the club still has some dignity. This is exactly what Tom Hoskins instructed me to do, almost exactly in those words. He took me to a bar-b-que place in Arlington and, after the good-natured banter for which he was known, he got serious, looked me in the eye and made me promise to not let the club become a burden. He wanted me to close it down if it ever got that way. And please…those of you inclined to negativity, please refrain. I shut down the club’s Facebook presence a few months ago and you’d think I clubbed a puppy to death on national television. I was insulted, accused of terrible things and even physically threatened by one person. It pains me that I even have to say this. I also ask that you please refrain from calling my phone number. It’s the cell phone that I use for work. I’ll be happy to refund any dues that anyone feels like they’re owed. It may take a few months for me to get it all back to everyone if I’m deluged with requests. Please email me or write me with this request. The website and forum will operate until at 12/31/21. After that, I’m told by the tech wizards that the antiquated software that they’re written in will not be supported and will no longer work. They can’t tell me if that means everything will crash and burn at midnight, or if it’ll continue limping along indefinitely. Time will tell I guess. It’s been my honor and privilege to steward the club for the last 7 years and I sincerely wish all of you the very best. Regards, Don _________________ Don President, 54 Ford Club of America
Sorry to hear. All would be welcome to join and participate in the Crown Victoria Owners group. It is open to ALL models of 1954 -1956 Ford’s and Mercury’s. It’s just not for Crown’s. I don’t own one and been a member for almost 10 years. 1954’s are well represented at the yearly meets and new members would be welcome. Their publication, The FOMOCO Times, comes out once a month featuring articles written by the owners. There are “how too” articles and a classified section in the back. Many advertisers for our cars too.
Sorry to hear but I understand. I checked the forum regularly but really didn't have a lot to contribute.. Just another sign of the times unfortunately.
How dare you abandon this?!? You mean you'd rather eat, sleep for more than 2 1/2 hours a night, have a roof over your head, be able to afford the occasional beer and have a real life than provide a site for the forum-starved masses? Well, I never!! Seriously... I've never even thought about something as ambitious and time consuming as what you've maintained over the years, and although I'm not a '54 Ford owner, I'm sure your efforts have been greatly appreciated by that crowd. Us average Joe's have no idea what goes into it, and how demanding it can be. You are to be commended for your devotion and hanging in there as long as you have. I hope those that are/were devotees of your site will understand the toll it takes, and rather than beating you up, will thank you and wish you well. I sure do (even though I don't usually read F*&% stuff. Good luck!
A very well written notification. I have no affiliation with the club, never been to their website, but I do feel for all of the folks involved. It's sad for sure, change often is. Life will go on.
.......and for all of those who may have bitched or complained or actually threatened, one word of advice, "Get your head out of your ass!"
Sorry to hear that Danny. Most of the site is archived at archive.org. Some is missing, including the images on the patent plate page, which I suspect would be one of the most sought after.
It is always sad to hear of a club/group/forum shutting down, but I understand completely. Membership dying off is the eventual end to many of them, as younger folks don't have the interest in those older cars (with some exceptions of course) It is also a sad commentary on our society when people bitch, complain & even threaten the gentleman who put all his free time into keeping it running. I would venture a guess that NONE of those idiots did anything to help it continue, except possible paying a yearly membership.....Pathetic! God Bless Bill https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum...ar-transport-hauling-open-or-enclosed.614419/
The members dues were just covering the expense of the news letter and the impending website update would no longer be practical for one man to fund out of his own pocket, it is a small site dedicated to a one year only car and it did help create a lot of interest in the '54 Ford's, the Hamb & the Ford Barn can fill the void. Again, Don put his heart and soul into the site but it's time to let it go and move on. HRP
Hopefully one of the members will download all the important information onto a hard drive and save it for posterity in case someone ever wants to resurrect it.
HRP my comment was not aimed at anyone in your group but rather at people in general who bitch about thing while not contributing to the solution. Sorry I was not clearer.
I have encouraged all the members of the '54 Ford Club of America and website to join the hamb & the 52-59 Social Group,also check out the Ford Barn that would probably be better suited for the hard core restorers in our group. Many of the members wee already members here. HRP
The lights were finally turned off on 3/22/2022 , The '54 Ford Club of America has officially met it's demise. It has been my privilege to serve as Moderator until 2014 and at that time Don ask me to tale over the Administrating duty's when Tom Hoskins tapped him to take over as President & newsletter editor for the '54 Ford Club of America. I would like to publicly thank two exemplary members JeffB2 & Paul2748 for helping make the web site a valuable source of information, the site ran smooth and I never had to intervene, no arguments ever and no one ever got banned. that's something to be proud of and a indication of members that really wanted to help each other. HRP
A sad day Danny! Every time we lose a group, we ALL suffer regardless whether or not we happen to have an interest in that particular vehicle at that particular time or not! God Bless Bill https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum...ar-transport-hauling-open-or-enclosed.614419/
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