PCA Membership

[porschzilla]

Hi All,

Do many of you have a membership to the PCA?
I have been a member for over 25 years and I am about to not renew, due to the fact that I never use it. The mags are for the newer cars and I get no benefit from the membership. I have never been to a club meeting. I get more help here.
Any thoughts on this ?

Thanks
Jack

[TechnoViking]

I join because I have to in order to register for the one PCA club race I do each year. If it weren't for that I probably wouldn't bother.

The magazine is occasionally interesting, but I don't have the jack to buy new cars and drive through the Swiss Alps or whatever is coming next in that thing.

Edit: See post below about local vs. National PCA

[crustychief]

I am in the same boat, I keep renewing but only make it to one or two functions a year, which I seem to do the same with Pelican functions. I enjoy the good company when there is a dinner or social though. I like to look at the classifieds in the magazine but other than that it is just a collection of pretty pictures.

[javadog]

Originally Posted by porschzilla

I have never been to a club meeting.

Well, maybe this is why you don't feel that you benefit from membership. I'm a long time member (since '82-83) and am pretty active in my region. In my area, we have some sort of activity once or twice a month. In addition, we get together for breakfast at a local restaurant every Saturday morning. I have a lot of good friends that I've met through the club and the Saturday breakfasts are a lot of fun.

I'd suggest you particpate for a year and then re-evaluate the question.

JR

[GH85Carrera]

Originally Posted by javadog

Well, maybe this is why you don't feel that you benefit from membership. I'm a long time member (since '82-83) and am pretty active in my region. In my area, we have some sort of activity once or twice a month. In addition, we get together for breakfast at a local restaurant every Saturday morning. I have a lot of good friends that I've met through the club and the Saturday breakfasts are a lot of fun.

I'd suggest you particpate for a year and then re-evaluate the question.

JR

+100

I have been a member of PCA for most of my life. We have several club events each month. I have a LOT of friends in the club that I would have never known without PCA. I can't think of a better group of people. We have charity events and give away thousands of dollars to charities each year.

We have a autocross each month, all year. We have a breakfast each month.

The club is what YOU make of it. If you don't go to the events that is not the club's fault, it is you. If the club has events that don't interest you get involved, suggest an event and volunteer to run the event. Attend the meetings and you will meet some great folks.

[Embraer]

My local chapter sucks...so I intentionally specify that I want to be part of a different chapter.

My local chapter sends the newsletters out 2 weeks after the most of the social stuff takes place. Lame.

The chapter I'm involved in is more active, more fun, and less wine and cheese.

[TechnoViking]

To be clear, my local PCA club is awesome. And I think I can still join locally without joining National.

I would highly recommend getting involved with your local club.

[McLovin]

I am in the exact same boat as you.

20 year member. I used to be very active, was on the Board for several years, did autocross, concours, etc.

But I don't get anything out of it any more. I used to like the Panorama magazine, but it doesn't have much interest for me any more. I don't really care about SUV's, bloated sedans, etc. Or, really, any of the modern Porsches. I'm sure they're great cars, but just not interested.

I also really dislike Panorama being Porsche's b!tch when it comes to journalistic integrity. There really is none. Panorama is nothing more than a giant advertisement for Porsche, there is absolutely no critical analysis at all. Porsche gets taken over by VW? Greatest thing that could happen! Etc.

My local chapter is good, no complaints there, but they are mostly boxsters and other newer porsches that are of no interest to me. Nice people and I think the events are fine, but I'm just not interested in it anymore. I guess I'm just not a "car club" type of person any more.

The only thing that has kept me going is momentum, I seem to resist canceling after 20 years. (Once you cancel, your membership is wiped out and if you rejoin, you are a new member again).

But, this may be the year that I finally quit.

[GH85Carrera]

Our local region has about 160 members total. Of that 25 to 35 regularly show up to events. About a dozen active members do most of the work. We welcome any new members that want to help. We have the occasional whiner that only complains on what the club is not. We ask for any help to improve the club, they just wonder off and complain more. Sometimes we get someone new that is willing to help.

I don't remember the club having a wine & cheese party in the last 20 years. We have drives, autocrosses, car shows, poker night, and breakfast. Get involved, show up at the board meetings and make suggestions on how to make the club better. What event would you want to participate in? Suggest it and do the work to put it on. When you see how much work it takes you might understand. If you work hard and do it right you will really enjoy it.

[pwd72s]

Originally Posted by porschzilla

Hi All,

Do many of you have a membership to the PCA?
I have been a member for over 25 years and I am about to not renew, due to the fact that I never use it. The mags are for the newer cars and I get no benefit from the membership. I have never been to a club meeting. I get more help here.
Any thoughts on this ?

Thanks
Jack

39 years PCA membership, but I didn't renew to make 40...They will send you a questionnaire.

[URY914]

The Pano is lame and people have saying it for years. Yet no changes at all.

[Tidybuoy]

We have a great local PCA club in Fresno. We have a monthly dinner meeting which is basically a social event. We have road trips about 10 months of the year, we have auto-x in the warmer months, and various other events.

When I initially joined, I was nervous & shy. I thought the club would be a bunch of 911 snobs and I was merely a 944 & 914 guy - I was dead wrong. It turns out that this is a great group of people who happen to love cars. Many are new 911 owners and they are some of the nicest people I've know in my life (of course, if I drove a new turbo, I'd be a happy guy too).

The club is very diverse in activities. Many people only like to come to the dinners. Some only like the road trips and some are only into the hard core racing events. But, there's something for everybody.

I love the road trips. We have driven all over the local foothills & mountain roads and been to places that I never knew existed (right in my own backyard). We've had many multi-day trips but I haven't attended any of those because I really just like the one day things.

We had a fantastic detail clinic last year where a company came out to show us their products and how to use them. Let me be clear, I have always been a detail freak and I was not expecting to learn anything but I have never washed my car the same way since.

I've even driven a few 911's since being in the club because members "made me do it". I drove a friends Boxter on a recent road trip and I have a new love for that car.

I definately feel that joining the local PCA was a good thing. And, if your local club is not great...hopefully, you can add to it and make it great.

[Nine17]

PCA is a tough one. My local chapter is a bit "old" for me and I've never been bitten by the autocross bug (which they do well). I don't race either, so Hooked on Driving is a better track club for me. I mainly pay PCA dues so that I can get soaked for corral parking at Laguna for the Monterey Historics when my friends run out of crew passes. I have to agree that the Panorama is pretty lame other than Mike Cotton and Bill Oursler and there are better classifieds online at Pelican, Early S, Rennlist, or even Craig's List. PCA membership just doesn't seem to mean what it once did and I've been meeting more interesting people on the Pelican "flash mob" drives, which seem to attract more of a hot-rodder/air-cooled crowd.

Incidentally, I've been a BMWCCA member for years as well and it's been a much better deal. Local shops offer 10% on parts and the local dealer offers 20% on parts AND labor to members, the Roundel is a pretty good full-sized glossy magazine with a great Tech Talk section entertainingly written by Mike Miller, and BMW's "Membership Reward" program has netted me $1500 in cash over the past five years, including $500 for buying a CPO used car!

[Noah930]

Seems to be quite chapter dependent. I noticed no one posted about the LA region. Maybe because in the two years I was a member, I don't think they did much more than a monthly breakfast at Santa Monica airport, and an occasional day at a car museum. Odd lack of activity, considering that about every 5th car around here is a Porsche. So I quit.

But the OC chapter actually does stuff relating to the driving of Porsches. So I'll rejoin (and see if I can sign up for that group) to try out some of their monthly autocrosses.

[wolf76]

I'm glad I've read this post. I've been debating joining for over a year now. I think I might just do it and see what happens. The local chapter seems pretty active with DE's and autocrosses. I would love it if they have some wrenching sessions as well (that is what I really need). If anyone here is a member of the Northern NJ chapter please share your thoughts.


Thanks,

Chris

[Wyvern]

I feel the need to chime in .

Any club is as good (or bad) as the members make it.
With cars and motorcycles I am a member of no less than 9 "clubs" they all seem to have the same issue of pleasing everybody and have the same percentage of members / active members / involved members.
Its is fine to be any part of any of those groups.

I am a strong advocate of PCA.
Don't know if you know my history ? ...but my dad is PCA member # 15. (was part of the original "Gripe Group") He started and served on many chapters.
And part of the focus group that brought the Speedster to life.
I have seen many changes and many different structures. In do feel and this is not a slam that the internet has hurt many clubs. ... there are now forums (I LOVE Pelican !!) but with them some the clubs functions are less needed. Back in the 50s and 60s the ONLY way to get info was to be a part of a club or group. The PCA was a group with a GRIPE.

I talk to him often about the club ... it has changed and I will agree that it is very focused on the new. I do agree that some of its heritage and focus on all members needs may not be met by local chapters.
I am fortunate wher my local chapter is a great bunch of folks.
We have weekly breakfasts, drives, wash N shine, DE and buddy up with the next closest chapter for Auto-X.
We have 914s, all the way to GTs.
Some only meet for breakfast. others are into the DE and other than Superbowl or Awards don't see them.

Would be cool to see sections in the Panorama maybe by decade or even model family. even if they rotated them. I am an "impact Bumper" guy.

I will bet that if you got involved and, involved even in a self serving way (to focus on things that interest you) you would have others joining in. You may also be exposed to a function that you wouldn't usually be a part of.

[Joeaksa]

Originally Posted by Embraer

My local chapter sucks...so I intentionally specify that I want to be part of a different chapter.

My local chapter sends the newsletters out 2 weeks after the most of the social stuff takes place. Lame.

The chapter I'm involved in is more active, more fun, and less wine and cheese.

Bingo! I stopped renewing years ago for this very reason. They are all into the new cars and "the wine and cheese" circuits...

[javadog]

I'll give you guys another perspective. I am also in several other clubs; the BMWCCA, the Ferrari Club of America, the Audi Club, etc. PCA in my region is vastly better than all of the others combined. The types of people that are members of the other clubs are quite a bit different than the Porsche crowd. There is no activity of any consequence in the BMW club and the members there aren't all "car guys." Every time I meet with them, I think half of them ought to go out and buy a copy of Road & Track, to replace reading their monthly subscription to Consumer Reports for once. Really. not. car. people... The annual Christmas party reminds me of an SCCA event. Crap food, crap location, nobody dresses up, it's a real bummer.

Then there's the Ferrari club. It's a struggle for the chapter president to find any activies for them, other than F1 race watch parties. We hosted the club at our house once and my wife never wants to see them again. Some are car nuts, some are just rich, some are eccentric as hell... some really shouldn't own a car. It's hard to describe how diverse this group is. It doesn't make for an exciting time together.

The Audi club seems to exist to drive their (mostly ill-suited) cars at DE events. They have an annual get-together at Road America, or Brainerd, or somewhere up there and the rest of the time there isn't much happening. The annual meet is such a downer, compared to a Parade. Half the participants in the car "concours" don't even wash the road grime off the cars first. I have to admit that Oklahoma isn't the center of the Audi universe but still....

Carry on,
JR

[porsche4life]

Originally Posted by GH85Carrera

Our local region has about 160 members total. Of that 25 to 35 regularly show up to events. About a dozen active members do most of the work. We welcome any new members that want to help. We have the occasional whiner that only complains on what the club is not. We ask for any help to improve the club, they just wonder off and complain more. Sometimes we get someone new that is willing to help.

I don't remember the club having a wine & cheese party in the last 20 years. We have drives, autocrosses, car shows, poker night, and breakfast. Get involved, show up at the board meetings and make suggestions on how to make the club better. What event would you want to participate in? Suggest it and do the work to put it on. When you see how much work it takes you might understand. If you work hard and do it right you will really enjoy it.

He tells the truth.... I joined the WBR in April and they have welcomed me like family.... I got involved and elected to the board somehow... I've mad lots of good friends there.... Usually up there with them several times a month.

[Oh Haha]

I've only been a member for 9 years. Last year when I was laid off I contemplated not renewing my membership but did anyway. Now, with our financial situation so much better,I intend to do more with the club as far as track days and driving events. My new job will allow for the time off to do this. In fact, a fellowPelican(Chemman)and I are heading up the annual Color Tour this October.

As someone else posted, the club is what YOU make of it.

Our chapter, Rally Sport Region, is made up of folks that like to drive more than eat cheese and drink wine although we do usually end up at an eatery. I'm not a social butterfly but our club welcomed my wife and I like old friends.