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Quote:Well even thou my car in not a V-8 you all can swing by my place with some paint brushes and help me paint old Bessie. I will supply the

A regional meet sounds like a great idea to me too. Now, all we need is some volunteers to help out/give ideas on locations, and we'll be set. I'm willing to take on the Central Division of PV8C. It might not be a bad idea to plan a "Nationals Meet" every year, at different locations every year, to make it so everyone can say they've been to a Nationals. Always remember, Packard V8 Club meets are about the cars and the engineering that goes into them, along with a few beers and some BS stories about Packards, women, fishing, etc. We strive to give the Meet a "welcome buddy, have a beer" feel to it, instead of judging your car, being bored just sitting by your car all day, charging $5.00 for a hotdog, etc. Think "car buddy backyard BBQ", and you've hit the nail on the head. I also think that this may expand into a "Postwar Packard Club" sometime down the road, now that it's really taking off. It's fine by me if that's what happens. I like those old straight eights too, ya know! ;)

One thing I can say about my experience with the first "National PV8C Meet" was that it was a heck of a lot of fun, Craig is an excellent host, and both Craig and Kevin G. know how to BBQ!

The formation of Regions and having Regional meets is only a natural progression.

Spending a week of Packarding at a National meet is a great way to enjoy the cars (and I like that PV8C has a hands-on focus on the cars, with no tea and scones), but - for a variety of valid reasons - not everyone can make the long trip or be away for an extended period.

Yet, there's no need to make another expensive social event out of these Regional meets. Seems like it would easiest to piggy-back PV8C Regional meets on top of existing Packard events - like the annual meets at Perrysburg and Warren, OH - even if only to shake hands, compare notes, and chew the fat with fellow members. Beyond that, some of the best get-togethers don't have any fee but involve a pot-luck approach, where everybody brings some thing to the table (literally).

I don't see any need to expand the PV8C to include postwar cars, when we already have a growing online community for those owners right here. Start additional online clubs, if needed, but keep them separate from PV8C.

Meanwhile, members of PackardInfo and even the Packard DF should feel more than welcome to stop by at PV8C events. We've made a lot of good friend along the way since the days of the old ClassicCar Packard chatroom (and a few enemies).

Beyond good people getting together, however, members of the PV8C need to promote public awareness of the club, the cars, and the support available for them. While more people seem to be interested in V8 Packards than ever, there are still plenty of detractors out there who complain of poor quality, difficulty of service, and the price and availability of parts.

So, give the cars more exposure than just an appearance in someone's backyard. Put in a group appearance at other general car shows or even a local cruise-in, but have something printed up to hand out to interested spectators (to inform them of PV8C and PackardInfo.com). Believe me, the rest of the viewing public will enjoy seeing something more than the run of the mill Big Three product.

I have seen this phenomenon time and again with the Cosworth Vega. Although my unrestored '75 Cosworth has been mothballed these past few years, the last time it was entered in a show, it bested an immaculate 1974 Firebird for 1st Place in Class - under participant judging. Then, while only handful of CV owners made it to Lordstown, OH for an all-GM show to commemorate the Plant's 40th Anniversary last summer, the Cosworths in attendance got a lot of attention.

Tom wrote:
"Well even thou my car in not a V-8 you all can swing by my place with some paint brushes and help me paint old Bessie. I will supply the "

You should never paint a car with a brush-never!


Use a roller, it's faster