PCA Membership

[Looking_for_911]

I wrestled with the decision to rejoin.
I was a member back when I had the 944 in the early 90's. I didn't recall getting much out of the club back then. Tried to interact with some of the club members only to be treated like a bastard-child at a family reunion... thought it may have been the fact that I was in a 944.
After almost nine months of thought I decided to re-up and just did so in the past two-weeks. January 9 I got my new member packet. I only did it because I had to be a member to do the track day stuff, if I read the rules correctly.
It remains to be seen how this experience with the local club will be. But I am hopeful things have changed for the better.

[regency]

Well, I was a PCA member for quite a few years. I have a 73 914 2.0 Fi & a 73 911 MFI Coupe. My Business partner has a 89 Carrera and a couple of years ago, I encourged him to join the PCA along with me & my wife. Upon renewall time, I added him to my membership ( mistake looking back ). So, when the new listing came out, it looked like my business partner & I were "partners". I tried to correct this many times and could never get the changes right. Seems like an ok club but just got tired of screwing around with it. I like the Pelican group now.

[aigel]

I only was a member when running with PCA on track / time trials. I let it expire after quitting PCA. Like OP mentioned, there is no benefit unless you join their events. Pano magazine is just a glorified collection of ads.

George

[campbellcj]

My chapter is pretty much all "wine and cheese" although they do actually have two autocrosses a year now I think. It's been little more than a magazine subscription for me since a long time ago when I actually went to numerous autox and concours events with SD, OC and LA regions.

[cairns]

I would encourage you to reconsider and if you're thinking of joining I'd highly recommend it. The Club is indeed what you make it and I've met some of the most wonderful people I know there.

Virtually everyone agrees the magazine is garbage and that Leonard and Betty Jo are long past their sell by. But I suspect it will change greatly in the next year or so...and it does seem to have improved a little bit lately.

[Oh Haha]

I just recieved an email from PCA which reminded me of a perk of membership.

If you are a member you can park in the car corral at the Rolex races.

[agrimmitt]

Jack:
Any club {PCA included} has it's good points and things that someone in the group would like to change. Any club is what you make of it, or more over what you put into it. I attended the first Porsche Parade in Santa Barbara with my dad in his coupe in 1965. I have over the years come and gone a couple of times, leaving for good and bad reasons. Yes, Panorama needs to be freshen; it's lost some of the original feel of years past. But, in any region the members who put in the time to run the local chapters, set up the meeting, put together the Road Trips and events, and arrive at 5am to set up the Autocross course are the reason for being a member. I remember first meeting Joe Schneider when I was pushing a bike around the SB Airport races watching my dad. It's been a long time since someone flashed me coming from the other direction, but I still remember that as a kid {the '55 could flash as I remember, just shut them off an on}. And I still remember my new '66 911 that sound from the bursch exhaust or the punch of my 1976 Turbo Carrara!!!!! Over the years I have own more Porsche's than half my age, which includes just about everything but a water cooled Porsche. But at the end of the day it's about the people you meet along that long road, and PCA is a big part of that!
A Grimmitt Santa Barbara Chapter.

[cl8ton]

Most regional and other events require a PCA membership which is the only reason I stay a member.
I really do not like the $20 a salad events in the spring/summer.

I more enjoy tearing up the asphalt with other PP’s where we meet early Sat AM in the summer and help each other in the winter with engine drops

[URY914]

This same thread has been played out on every P-car board on the web. Nobody is changing anybody's mind.

[Dottore]

As others have said the value of the PCA membership pretty much depends on your local chapter.

Some local chapters are a complete waste of time. Others are active and interesting.

So check out the local chapter as a guest, and try to get a sense for what they're about.

[Noah930]

Originally Posted by URY914

This same thread has been played out on every P-car board on the web. Nobody is changing anybody's mind.

What?! There are other P-car boards out there?

[porsche4life]

Originally Posted by Noah930

What?! There are other P-car boards out there?

There is rumor of one that starts with an "R" but I've never mustered up the stupidity to look elsewhere.....

[Noah930]

Originally Posted by porsche4life

There is rumor of one that starts with an "R" but I've never mustered up the stupidity to look elsewhere.....

Aaah. Got it. R-Gruppe didn't take so kindly to you when you applied to get in with the 944, huh?

[gsmith660]

I didn't renew this year as I emailed my region tech adviser and PM'd him here on pelican several times for a reliable machine shop to get some engine parts cleaned up and checked locally and I got nothing when I contacted the region executives I got run around so I had had enough.

[GH85Carrera]

Originally Posted by gsmith660

I didn't renew this year as I emailed my region tech adviser and PM'd him here on pelican several times for a reliable machine shop to get some engine parts cleaned up and checked locally and I got nothing when I contacted the region executives I got run around so I had had enough.

Dude, those are all VOLUNTEERS. No one is paying them a dime to answer your questions. They all have a life, and a job outside of the club. They do not owe you anything.

[gsmith660]

Originally Posted by GH85Carrera

Dude, those are all VOLUNTEERS. No one is paying them a dime to answer your questions. They all have a life, and a job outside of the club. They do not owe you anything.

They are elected to the position and expected to perform the duties assigned as per the region president and you need to climb off the horse your on. Do you have a dog in this fight? Your coming off very hostile I didn't pick a fight with you and wont persue one. Your right they dont owe me a thing but I paid dues for 20 years to get blown off by my elected regional officials so I dont owe them anything either and I dont owe you anymore explanations go yell at someone else.

[porsche4life]

Glen is on the same horse I am on... We are both board members in the same region... there are less than 10 of us in a club of almost 200... Thats a pretty small ratio and it still takes us time to get stuff done... Did you ever think to go to an event and just ASK other people... I guarantee someone would have known where to go.... I'd bet at a WBR breakfast 3 or 4 good shops would be suggested.... You come off as hostile... You could have tried harder....

[gsmith660]

Sidney I dont have a clue why you guys are attacking me here I am not in your region and the one I was in is quite large but is mostly a social club and not much into wrenching but the tech guy is also on the national tech commitee and is expected to answer these questions. I have other issues with pca like the lack of anything on the older cars I used to love the tech articles and have used many. My opinion is if you are a VOLUNTEER and are ASKED a question then you should answer it I do every time I am asked to volunteer info. You guys are making my point as to the attitude and direction pca is going as most services are going away at the national level. Just for the record you have no idea how many events I have been to.

[porsche4life]

How many events you have been to is irrelevant.... You could have gone to one more and asked your question...

Yes I realize you region is way larger than ours... We are small..... And if someone emailed me a question I would either get the answer or pass the question on to someone that could have... Did you ever pick up the phone? I'm sure you had the guys number....


I'm not jumping on you... I'm just pointing out that you had other options than publicly slamming people and quitting PCA....

[gsmith660]

Yes to most of your questions. Since you aren't really up on all the story here there is really alot more to this than you know and yes I did pick up the phone and I saw the person that had the answer post less than an hour after I asked my question and 3months later he never responded even though he did rebutt one of my posts pointing out I didn't have a clue ( my membership renewal was in my hand as I read the post and that made up my mind ) which was totally uncalled for and as for slamming people I am slamming the entire organization because it is not what I joined 20 years ago and that is why I quit. Now I have spoke my piece and am sorry you guy are so sensitive I expect pca membership is declining.