NSW MX5 CLUB OF NSW CONCOURS D' ELEGANCE SHOW & SHINE

[Hurricane]

MX-5 Club of NSW Concours d’ Elegance and Show & Shine

Our annual Concours d’ Elegance and Show & Shine will be held this year at The Mean Fiddler Pub, Cnr Windsor & Commercial Rd, Rouse Hill.
We will take pride of place in a reserved area at the front of the car park. All MX-5s will be able to be view by the public and hopefully attract fans and some new members to our Club.

All NA, NB and NC categories from stock to modified and customised are catered for, so check out the Club website for handy guides to the preparation of your car and details of how the judging takes place.
Don’t be put off because you have an old or high mileage MX-5 because there are allowances for these vehicles, so everyone stands a chance of picking up an award.

The details are:

When: Sunday 25th October 2009

Where: The Mean Fiddler Pub Cnr Windsor & Commercial Rd, Rouse Hill

Time: From 8:30 for a 9.30 start.

RSVP: Is required no later than Sunday 11th October 2009.

The entry forms have been e-mailed to Members or you can get them from the Events section on the Club site.
Send your RSVP to socialsec@mx5.com.au or Fax to 9484 9893 or post to PO Box 402 Beecroft NSW 2119.

I’m often asked what is the difference between Concours d’ Elegance and Show & Shine.
In the Concours class the car is judged on the condition and cleanliness of the exterior, interior, under bonnet and boot.
In the Show & Shine class only the exterior and interior are judged. We don’t look under the bonnet and in the boot.

_________________

[Jeo]

No NC2 class?

[Hurricane]

All NA, NB, NC any model, any class!

[Regie]

oohh nice. ill be able to clean my car with the little pink bag of goodies before the show

[Bex037]

Do you have to be a member to enter?
Is there an entry fee?

[Hurricane]

Yes you do have to be a member of the MX5 Car Club. You are also required to have attended at least 3 Club runs or events for the calendar year. There is currently no cost to enter.

[StanTheMan]

is this to insure that cars get used? or try to get atendance up?

[Hurricane]

It is to reward members who come on runs and participate in club events and to eliminate those that just turn up once a year for concours!

[Bex037]

Roll your eyes all you like Hurricane, but I've got a concourse ready car that doesn't go on long drives at any time, so your average hunter valley run is out of the question. This may come as a big surprise, but that is a big part of the reason that the car is special.

Furthermore, I joined the winter run at Yarramalong a number of months back and followed the convoy back to the freeway - I didn't get so much as a sideways look from the group. Nor did I get any sort of comment or encouragement on this forum. So, I figured that tacking onto the group when it suits me isn't going to work. Since thats all I'm prepared to do with this car it seems membership to the club is also not for me and your email appears to confirm that. Nice way to turn off members

I thought a drive down to the Mean Fiddler could be possible. Yes, its a lot of kms, but I'm keen to see how the car goes in a concourse event; its probably the only one I would ever do in Sydney.

Anyway, looks like I'll just take it to Wyong race course in November for the show and shine day. Its a pity; I don't think the hot rod brigade will appreciate this car as much as fellow MX-5 owners.

[Hurricane]

I am sorry you feel that way, but I don't know of any Club where you can enter an event of any sort to win something if you are not a member. We have over 500 active members of our Club and all are always made feel welcome. I suggest that if you joined the Hunter Chapter of the Club they also would welcome you. I guess maybe the fact that you just tag along and don't want to join is why you haven't been noticed.

[Bex037]

Read my lips pal: I did join in and was pretty much ignored. I want to go to concourse and am not allowed. I have no problem with the requirement to be a member to enter, but to not be entitled to enter concourse unless I do at least 3 club runs per year seems counter-productive for people who want to show a pristine low kilometre example. How far away is the closest social meet? (keeping in mind that my car has averaged just over 20km per week for nearly 20 years).

I guess the club is just not interested in attracting people like me who love having an MX-5 in near showroom condition and don't live in Sydney or Newcastle. Perhaps they're just jealous.

Anyway, its not my club and kudos to whomever does run the club for providing that to the 500 members. My 2 cents worth is above and you're welcome to ignore it at your own leisure.

[StanTheMan]

this is a potentially an explosive issue.

I completely understand Bex's point of view. But also do I understand that the club committee can do what it see's fit.
I also believe they not wish to discuss or justify these matters on line. That's why committee meetings are held.
I can see this coming out of hand very quickly. So for the moment I'm going to lock it until someone with a little more experience than myself can watch it & moderate it more sensibly.

[Okibi]

Thanks to STM for stopping everyone before this got out of hand and for contacting me. I ask that everyone maintains a certain level of diplomacy.

..I joined the winter run at Yarramalong a number of months back and followed the convoy back to the freeway - I didn't get so much as a sideways look from the group. Nor did I get any sort of comment or encouragement on this forum...

Firstly lets make something clear, while this forum encourages its members to join their local MX-5 club the opinions of the members of this forum do not constitute the opinions of the MX-5 clubs of Australia (and vice versa).

If you have any issue with an MX-5 club I suggest you contact them, it's the most productive way for them to recieve feedback on their events. If you were a member of the W.A. club i'm sure the committee would strongly consider adding a specific category for low km MX-5s. In the overall scoring I think most MX-5 clubs have a correction factor build into their concourse rules so that cars that get dríven regularly have a chance of beating those that are hidden away in garages all year.

I'm sorry that you didn't feel welcome on the Yarramalong drive, you can't expect much more than a "sideways" look from another owner while on the road but at the different stops please make an effort to introduce yourself to those people attending, i'm sure you'll find they're a great bunch. I hope you find encouragement to attend more runs and give yourself the oppertunity to make some life long friends.

You have to appreciate that most (but not all) enthusiasts within MX-5 clubs join the club specifically to drive their MX-5s at club events. As such many of the club events revolve around driving MX-5s (as you'd expect). Unlike a typical vintage car club many of the enthusiasts within MX-5 clubs tend to appreciate cars modified to improve performance and/or aesthetics over a bog stock model.

Now that MX-5s are reaching their 20th year I'm sure there's a growing appreciation for well maintained vehicles. But like many vintage car clubs, I think an owner will get much more respect from club members if they've restored the car to original condition rather than left the car unused or simply used their cheque book purchase create a concourse standard car.

Even in hotrod circles a member who's dríven their car thousands of miles to the event will get more respect than one delivered on a trailer. Perhaps that's why "rat rods" have gained such a big following, they're more about passion and individuality than keeping a vintage car polished and shiny.

[Bex037]

Relax people, I don't have a problem with my situation, the club policy or the opinion of others on the forum. Truth be told, I love driving myself. Up until Jan 2009, I was doing 60,000 per year and enjoyed doing runs through the Hunter Valley, up Bells Line of Road and up the Pacific Highway amongst others.

Okibi, you now raise some new points of discussion which I can't help but respond. Again, I've got no problem with you having an opinion, but do feel like I should have the right of reply.

I'm sure the club members on the Yarramalong run were a great bunch, but I simply couldn't chat with any of them because they didn't stop close enough to me. I checked the run sheet and they were all too far away. I appreciate that that is my problem, not theirs. I wasn't expecting anyone to roll out the red carpet for me in the middle of a run but it doesn't change the fact that I simply couldn't meet anyone from the club without racking up more clicks than is acceptable for my car.

I'm not looking for the respect of "rat-rod" owners or gen-y homies who've shoehorned a subwoofer in the boot /shoved any number of mod kits on the car. If thats what it takes to be respected in the MX-5 club then I'll give it a miss thanks (and I'm guessing it probably isn't what it takes but, as I said, just responding). I simply love the MX-5 design concept; especially in its rawest NA form; and my car is a fine example of what would have come out of the dealer's showroom in 1990. I bought my first new car in 1986; a Ford Laser TX3 which cost about $13,500. I remember wishing I could afford the MX-5 when they came out, but on apprentices wages it wasn't going to happen. Yes, I "used my cheque book to purchase a great concourse car", but at 42 years old its not exactly throwing caution to the wind to part company with a 2008 VE Commodore SV6 to buy a 1990 NA MX-5; and I'm not about to apologise or feel guilty that I happened to find an example that would be suitable for concourse.

Anyway, this thread is probably way off topic now. Probably should resume the Concours D'Elegance Show and Shine discussion ASAP.

[Guran]

Maybe I can suggest a bit of a compromise here.

Personally I'd love to see a near mint NA6 in showroom condition. How cool would that be! A really rare sight! I see that the club is happy to have nonmembers attend the trackdays so maybe the committee could consider a similar approach for the concours? Charge (say) $20 entry and those cars go into their own nonmembers category. That way everyones happy and the club might gain some more potential members who have a different perspective on MX-5 ownership. What do you think Hurricane?