One thing that I haven't seen addressed is the matter of affordable lodging and activities. I'm not going to even get into the issue of where to have the event, I'd just like to point out the fact that many of us aren't wealthy (myself included) and I wonder how many people will shy away from a venue like Vegas for example. I'm not saying don't try for a place that offers some fun activities, but a little balance between fun and affordability might help the turnout.
I'm not posting this to be a PITA, just thought I'd bring it up....

sorry about the angry post. no disrespect intended. :hail: i just was scrolling down and saw all this stuff about ohio and it made me mad that everyone was trying to put words in my mouth when i never even suggested ohio in the first place. i would rather have it somewhere that would be fun and alot of people can attend. i personally wouldnt come to it if it was in ohio or vegas just because ohio is boring and vegas is just too far. i thought i would suggest somewhere in the middle where maybe we can all come and not have issues over who is driving farthest. i think it would be awesome to have a lot of third gens all lined up under the st. louis arch or around some national landmark. just a thought though.

HAHAHA... dude, its not like im not watching them. The gas door is right there. All they do is open the cap and put in the spout and leave. Dont get upset because we have a higher level and class of living. Why should i pump my own gas? Doesnt make me a man any more by doing so. Do you guys have people that wash your windows too at stations? Or do you have to do that to? Jersey it is. Las Vegas... thats a trip and a half. If it was in Middle america, that would be cool. It would be a trip still. Probably a 5 day thing. day and half there, 2 days there, day and half back.

Where did you get that i was mad or even slightly unhappy? I enjoy friendly banter!!

2nd, Higher level and class of living??? You guys are full of yourselves, I guess its par for the course. Im not gonna start the "My city is better than your city" because...neither of us really care. Also where I live is too rich people.(I think they forgot me, damn them!!) lol

Well, as far as lodging in vegas... Depending on the time of year and where you want to stay you can get away for $18 a night! Check out any of the downtown hotels. Fitzgeralds, 4 queens, these places are actually not bad (I like the fitzgeralds) and typical rates are around $25 a night. That's cheaper than motel 6! Now if you want to stay at the paris be prepared to pay at least $80 a night and that's booking well in advance, but for accomodation costs etc... you can't beat vegas. I mean steak and eggs for $1.99, All you can eat buffets for $6.99 including drink, awesome atmosphere, tons of things to do... Plus we can get group rates at any of the hotels with more than 20 of us. We get convention rates at that point. My vote is still for Las Vegas. My second vote would be Texas. Third vote would have to be San Diego.

I guess when I go to car shows I go for the cars, not for other things to do. I went to the Trans Am Nationals and I did not go anywhere except Tipp City for the TA show there and to get something to eat.

Vegas is an awesome place, lots of things to do, but when would I get a chance?

John

Call me crazy, but for some reason I think #2 would get a bigger turnout...LMFAO!!


Isn't AZ central US? j/k I must say NOT because I'm in AZ and NOT because I'm MidWest but BECAUSE Vegas would be a great place to have it. Jstcrzyengh is right, Vegas can be REALLY cheap as long as you don't need to stay at the Polo Towers or what not. Heck, Circus Circus is an awesome hotel and it's like $30 a night, and they got like $5 all-you-can-eat buffets all the time. I would have gone to the 2003 gathering but it was just too far away. If not Vegas, I'd have to say vote #2 would be Texas also...

Bruce (90RS305)

As long as it's not in a dusty parking lot, I'm cool....

It's easier to convince family and friends to come along when it's near an attraction or nearby a big city.......

It needs to be within a days trip or so... so if its in vegas, i gotta be doing over a 120 to get there.

WooHoo! Sounds good to me! Just kidding.... kinda

Other than a slight vibration, I think I could handle that

John

I think my wheel bearings would die quickly if I made a trip at 120mph. Though the car rode smooth as glass the few times I've been past 110mph. Don't imagine it getting much worse at 120mph.

Hey, if I'm speeding to nationals and a cop pulls me over will the excuse, "I'm on a mission from G0d" work?

Only if it's dark out, you're wearing sunglasses, and a black suit

why dont we just get off the vegas thing and think of somewhere else? it sounds fun and all but i personally wouldnt be driving that far to go to the meet even though i was really looking forward to meeting you guys. if thats were it is going to be then ok i guess thats just another year i have to get my car modded and looking good.

didnt say i couldnt handle it... im just saying i would have to do 120.

I'd be screwed, my govenor kicks in at 119!

How about halfway between the east coast and the west coast....Iowa! I hosted a midsized f-body meet last June, it turned out pretty good.

But I'm game if it's anywhere in the midwest.

Josh, if Nationals is in Maryland again you can bet I'll plan on attending your meet. That is if you intend to host it again. 3 hours is much better than a 12 hour drive!

Besides, perhaps my car will be in better shape by that time next year. New paint hopefully, and a decent trans that can take a small amount of abuse.

put my vote down for IL. i have a lakehouse in MI, and it would only be a few hours driving. besides i dont know about you guys but i like driving my thirdgen, nothing wrong with a few hours in my bird . esp when im going to be with the few people that share and understand my obsession with TGO

Ok, heres how I see it people. I obviously will vote for the closest to me, as well as everyone else will. We either have to take a population sample of everyone and find out who is interested in going if its a reasonable distance from them, and find out where the highest concentration of people will be. It seems that the majority of people on here are from the east side of the country. There are a bunch of people out west, but I think its a much higher concentration from the midwest to the east. I didn't go to this years nationals, but I would do my best to make the trip next year if it were in the same place, because its only about an 8-10 hour drive for me. I live just around the middle of what is considered the middle of the midwest, and if i were to go to california or vegas, the drive would be much worse. Wheather or not I attend, I believe that the goal of this event is to get as many cars as possible to go. Someone should set up a post or something where everyone just puts their location if they are interested in going, and we could find a location that best suits the majority of the crowd.

As long as its within about 4 hours from me, I'd probably go. I don't trust my car going for anything further than that. I don't even know if I'll be able to make it anyway cause right now its in storage and uninsured probably until I graduate, which is 12/04 meaning it won't be out until spring/summer of 2005. So, lets have the 2004 Nats in Vegas and the 2005 Nats in Illinois

i think the post about location of everyone to see where the highest amount of people that are interested is a great idea. i would pretty much try to go anywhere even vegas if i could but it being that far i doubt i would make a serious effort to attend. i wanted to go to 03 nationals but something came up with the family and i was unable to go. i was hoping to go this year if it isnt going to be too much of a hassle for me. if i had the money and the time i would deffinately go to vegas but that far out there kind of seems pointless when i imagine 7 out of 10 of us are from the east coast. either way i think there should seriously be the post for a poll to see what most people think. :hail: :hail:

It started in MD, keep it in MD. Mark is the one that did all the work so he should be able to reap all the benefits. The people that live too far away to drive here can have their own meets and call them whatever they want.

Hi,
My 82 Firebird was build on Dec 21st, 1981 at Van Nyes. Ok maybe it needs to return to its birth place at least once in its life. I'm in!


It would be great to traval all the way from NC to CA. I could have drove that distance without any problems 10 years ago. But now I don't think I can do it. So if we have this some where east of the Mississippi River, I will be there.

It needs to be a sensible distance from the east coast, so all the NE3G crew can come and ambush the award voting.

I'll come wherever it is.

I say just keep it where it was. no one seems to be complaining about MD. the only thing i think i heard that could be considered a complain was about the track and that it was 1/8 mile and dirty or something. i am not sure about it but isnt there somewhere else in MD we can have it? or what about cetral usa like i said somewhere like missouri, arkansas, oklahoma, texas, kansas. like right in the middle.

Okay, there was talk about making my party the Nationals but I think I'll just keep mine separate. That way, if one is too far away you can always go to the other. I'm about 40 minutes south of Chicago so I'm pretty much in the middle of the country. I'm pretty sure mine will be just as big if not bigger than the Nationals anyway. I've got three big advantages to my party as well. First of all, my party is completely free. I pay for all the food, pop, and beer. Second, I have one of the largest collections of thirdgen parts in the world so people can pick up a lot of the parts they need while they are here. Third, I'm planning on raffling off a car at my party as long as there's enough interest. I just picked up a '91 RS B4C that I plan to give away at next years party. Tickets will be $50 each and you don't have to buy one if you don't want to but I think you would have to be crazy to pass up the opportunity to own a very rare B4C car for $50. I think having two large Thirdgen parties is a good idea as long as they're at different times. My annual party is every Memorial Day weekend (last Saturday in May.) This way people can still go to one of the big events if the other is too far away. I'm planning on promoting my party a lot for next year and I'm sure you'll see a lot more infomation on it in the spring.

Well LFN AT U, i think i will come to your party then if you invite me sounds like a blast. Email me i have some things i would like to talk to you about. my email address is KEVS87z28@aol.com

Just watch the Midwest, and NW In. South Chicago boards. He'll post the info when the time comes.

And from there we do the ol' Sign up routine.

I know i'll be there, and I think I might buy a ticket.

Can I buy a ticket without going?

James

If its in IL, ill go. Im sure anyone else from njfba will show up also.

I will try my hardest to go no matter where it ends up. Being I'm in the SW more than likely I won't be able if it ends up out there, but I'll try anyways. Heck....for a $50 B4C I may just fly...

Bruce (90RS305)

I would suggest finding a place where someone owns the land. Perhaps try to hit up one of the thirdgen parts companies and get them to donate use of their land (maybe beg year one). The benefit of not having to pay for fair grounds goes a long way.

Another reason for Denny to have it in Crete

i 2nd that

I'm no geography major,....but logically it seems to me that the population of the US almost looks like a reverse bell curve with a lot of people on the west a few people in the middle, and a lot of people in the east. So I would say that a meet somewhere a centrally-located as possible would be good: like Texas, Crete, Il, or St. Louis, MO (gateway between east and west)? This would be generally fair to everyone because most people would be driving roughly about the same distance. But, with a meet in the middle, it is still a bit of a drive for everyone,...so you might end up with the problem of not being able to get many people there because everyone will have a good day or so's drive to get there. With this in mind, another idea that would lead to more people showing up is to have two meets,....one centerally located in the west and one centerally located in the east. Looks like that would be Vegas for West and somewhere near DC for the east. (How about VA?


But,.....What is wrong with you guys!??? Nobody trusts a thirdgen to drive more than 4 hours? If it's gas prices I can understand,....but seriously? I drove to MD for the nats last year uninsured in my old 89 Formula without even thinking twice about it. It was a little over 6 hours in the rain, only stopping for gas. The car had over 170k, tranny was going bad, rear tires had about as much tread as slicks, and I had absolutely no brakes at all! (ask someone there how bad my brakes sounded) The only problem I had was when a deer came out on the road and decided to hit my car on the way home.

These are thirdgens...let's show a little respect and confidence!

4mul8r,
Do you go the Trans Am Nats there in Vandallia??

John

Yeah, i hear ya.... I made a 4-5 hr trip from NJ in my Z and I didnt question its readyness for a long haul, but I dont want to go 2 days west for a show that lasts 2 days, then come all the way back! Im game for anything thats this side of the Mississippi.

My car runs kinda hot and I think by not wanting to over heat it and ruin the car, I am showing it respect.

Yep, I was at the TA Nats too. I saw your car there and even got a pic of your seats. I was actually pretty close your car. Mine was about 50 yards away in the 'M' class. Car 350, next to a night rider conversion. I didn't have a Formula though, I took my TA.



When I first got my first Formula your web site helped me out tons with attaining my full interest in third gens....And that was only a year ago.......Here's a pic you might like though. My three red babies:

Gah that must be awesome to see everyday. Its pictures like that one that make you just sit back and reflect....

.....especially when those paint jobs reflect so well.....

Bruce (90RES305)

What Have I DONE!!!

just kidding, I am glad to see that there is someone as nuts as me about these cars... I see you like red, I like collecting yellow ones ...

this was a few years ago, and the middle one I sold, I really liked the car, and if it was yellow I would have kept it.

John

I'm all for a central location. Texas has 2 of the best raceways in the country (Dallas and Houston). And it's not far for me to drive

I drove 4 1/2 hours from NJ (flew in from UK) in a borrowed IROC only to find the oil filler cap missing, and a funnel and rag in the filler hole!!!!

I wonderd why i could smell hot oil!!!

hehe ouch. Yeah.. what almost killed my trip down there was that I woke up in the morning to pull the car out of the garage, and as i was dusting her off, i looked at my rear passanger side tire and it was flat. I almost broke down in tears!! I had to do a major haul over to the garage near me and have them plug and reset the tire on the rim... Sooo pissed off. anyway, i had a great time. I really cant wait till next year!

i want to have a good time guys why cant we have it on the east coast again and then the year after have it on the west coast. dont make it out west i want to come. lets hope it doesnt rain though

You guys gotta remember something, Mark organizes this event.......I don't think he would organize it to be on the other side of the country.....

I think that people on the west cost should organize their own event if enough interest is present.....

Depending on where i am located in the country at the present time(either california, Iowa or Maryland). I will make it to one event hopefully....

yeah im definitly thinking east coast. or at least east of the mississippi. there are a lot of guys hanging around here that i would really like to meet in person and check out your rides for myself. flynlow92RS, MdFormula350, metalicamaroRS, you know who you are. it seems to me that the majority of the senior members and people we see all over these boards are back east.

oh and i wouldnt sweat the drive. if it drives 1hr on the highway, chances are it will make 10 or 12. nothing really changes provided that the basic parts of the car are good. just do the usual tune up the night before. oil, filter, plugs, wires, check the tranny, you know the drill. my bird has 160k on it and i drive it up to my girlfriends dorm all the time, 8hr away. no prob. just pull in the left lane, set the cruise at 90, turn on your detector, and enjoy the ride

Well I might as well chime in on this I'm from the cleveland, Ohio area and ohio is fine with me LOL. but anywhere is ok to. can some one tell me how many cars were there.