I have a favor to ask of the members of ShopTalkForums.
I don't know how many know of the Kelly Park Show put on by the Golden Gate Chapter of the Vintage Volkswagen Clug of America, or have had the chance to attend this great show. The show (going on 19 years now)
has always been a vintage VW show, in other words ANY and ALL VW's 25 years old and older have been welcome. For the 2003 show in April a few of the club leaders have decided that it should no longer be a true vintage show, but instead be restricted to 1967 and older vehicles, banning participation by any late-model VW's. This is
being done because last year a couple of 50's and 60's vintage VW's that arrived late were denied entry because the show grounds were already full. While I feel bad for the people that didn't get their cars into the show. It has always been known that the show grounds are small and that you had to get there early to assure you got your vehicle in. The club president decreed that next year he would eliminate the late-model classes to ensure that this wouldn't happen
again. No one took him seriously until now. As a loyal Golden Gate club member and a late-model (74 sunbug STD and 77 STD) owner I and many other club members (obviously all the late-model owner but many early-model owner that see this as unfair too) are upset at this decision that effectively rules that even one early-model VW is more valuable that all the late-models combined. One of the things that I have truly enjoyed about the vintage VW hobby is the comraderie that
exists in the air-cooled VW community, everyone banding together to preserve these amazing vehicles. Young, old, early, late, stock resto and custom, we all have done what we can in our own way to preserve the aircooled heritage. As Kelly Park is a show with national and international coverage, many of us feel that by restricting it to early-models only they are sending the message that the late-models are not worthy of inclusion in the Vintage VW community and are not worthy of preservation. We are trying to get them to reverse this decision by applying pressure in the form of protest letters. Even if you never plan on attending the Kelly Park show but you feel that the idea of excluding any aircooled VW from
the greater vintage aircooled VW community is a bad idea and that the late-models do count, please send a message to the Golden Gate Chapter leadership and let them know. It doesn't need to be long, but sincere and reasonably eloquent (please no swear words or
personal attacks) send it to the club webmaster rkatz2552@aol.com or to me estrins@tycoelectronics.com and I will forward it on.
Thanks, and keep Fweemin'