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Chapter News

Cape Fear Chapter
By Bob Plassman

Our club members have made the transition from a hot and dry summer into a cooler and damper fall.  Our cars have also made the switch, and all concerned seem to be happier with the pleasant change.  The jackets have come out, and the heater cores are once again earning their rightful place in keeping our tootsies warm.

We had a lot of fun on August 18 at our annual Ice Cream Social at the home of Neil and Fran.  A nice cool evening, a plush lawn, plenty of comfortable seating, and one of the largest selections of ice cream and other deserts to be seen in three counties!  Over 30 club members came to partake of the goodies, exchange all sorts of conversation, and enjoy the antics of the two family dogs.  And where else can you see a 1915 Model T with a GPS? 

This year’s Shrimp Festival on August 14 in nearby Sneeds Ferry gave our club a special invitation to bring some classic cars to be part of the festivities.  The club members attending reported a very large crowd and many admirers of the fine automotive art on four wheels.
While this festival was being held locally, member Bennett Kennedy took his 1966 Chevrolet Corvette to the Southeastern Fall Meet in Bristol, Tennessee.  The HPOF (Historical Preservation of Original Features) vehicles were being given special attention.  Of the approximately 350 vehicles at the event, about 75 of them were HPOF cars.  Bennett was at the end of the line…he thought he was in Virginia!  Bennett earned a special certificate for his participation in this show.  Bennett is only the second owner of this original, unrestored car; the only improvements have been mechanical issues.  As Bennett states, “They are only original once.”  Congratulations to Bennett on his achievement, and my hat is off to any car guy or gal who values and preserves the originality of their vehicles.

Several club members made the 200 mile trek to the Hornet’s Nest Regional Autofair the last weekend in August, and all reported having a very good time.  The event is not quite on the scale of Hershey, but the show has something for everyone, and certainly worth the trip.
Our September meeting was held at Seapath Marina, and was a pizza party.  It was a pleasant evening with good friends and plenty of (low calorie/low cholesterol?) pizza and soda too.
Club member Ton Getz helped host the Brass Nickel Wilmington Tour on September 17; many fine “Brass Era” cars were seen on the streets of Wilmington catching many admiring glances.  Thanks to Tom for bringing the tour to town!

A new event was added to our calendar on September 24, when our club was invited to participate in the 2nd Annual Wooden Boat Show in nearby Southport.  Member Bob Plassman took his 1946 Ford Special Deluxe Coupe to the event, and reported that he hardly had a chance to sit for the six hours he was there, because of the interest in old cars.  Many viewers stated that they were far more interested in old cars than they were in old boats, but that they came to the show to get out and about.  Several folks indicated an interest in becoming part of the hobby, which makes one think of the untold number of “Classics” that are sitting in a barn or a garage just waiting for the opportunity to come out and play with others.

That evening was an event called “Leland Under the Stars”, presented by the North Brunswick Chamber of Commerce.  This was the 11th anniversary of this event, but was poorly attended due to rainy weather and a change of location to a largely undeveloped portion of a larger development.  Four club members braved the conditions that night, finally going home after the ‘stars’ failed to appear.

October starts with a Cars and Coffee event, held from 8-10 every Saturday morning in the parking lot of a shopping mall in Wilmington.  This is a gathering of car guys, who bring their special cars, and exchange ideas of projects they are undertaking or planning.  This is a nice gathering without any pressure to show and shine and allows a free range of ideas to be exchanged among folks who understand the language.  Your club may want to start one of these events, and invite other clubs in your area to participate, too.

Later that night, on October 1, another club in the area is hosting another evening event, and this one is to be held in the parking lot of the “Big Boy’s Toy Store” better known as Harbor Freight.  Over 100 cars are expected, so we hope this Saturday night special event is fun for all.
Wilmington hosts an event called Riverfest during the second weekend in October, and our club is invited to participate in a special Sunday showing of Classic Cars as part of the event.  In the years past 10 to 12 of our members have shown their cars to an admiring public; last year even Bill Cox was kind enough to participate.  You’re always welcome, Bill!

Then on October 15, the Southeastern North Carolina Mustang Club hosts their annual “Ford Show” at, where else, a Ford dealer (Capital Ford on Market Street in Wilmington).  This is open to any Ford powered vehicle, and the lot is often full of unique vehicles, all Ford powered, in addition to the Mustangs.  This show attracts Ford owners from several states, and is always a popular event for those displaying vehicles and for those just observing.

Our local event season comes to a crescendo in November with two very special events.  First off, our friends at the British Motor Club of the Cape Fear presents the Brits at the Plantation Car Show, held for the first time this year on November 5 at Poplar Grove Plantation, just north of Wilmington on US 17.  The show is being held at this location because the previous location became too small for the number of folks showing up with all things British.  Never will you be able to see so many Triumphs, MGs, Austin-Healys, Rolls-Royces, Bentleys and Jaguars in one place, all nestled amongst towering pines surrounding the plantation house and other outbuildings of this lovely place in our area.  The event is always fun filled, well organized, and guaranteed to give you an authentic accent!

We’ll wrap up our show season with the Annual NC Holiday Flotilla Car Show, held at the Municipal Park in Wrightsville Beach.  This show is for the truly hardy souls (and cars) to come out on what is usually a brisk fall day and enjoy the event; this is also the time when Wrightsville Beach throws itself a party, and the field full of vendors gives us show participants an opportunity to grab some truly unique Christmas gifts for our loved ones.  And you ain’t seen nuthin’ yet (to borrow from a show tune) until you see the marina full of boars decorated for the holidays, especially in the evening when the lights are all aglow and reflecting upon the waters of Banks Channel. 

All that being said, by the time you read this we will be hard into the Christmas and Holiday season.  Rest assured that all of us down here in this corner of the state wish all of you a fantastic, safe, and heartwarming period of fine food, fine friends, and fine family gatherings.  If you don’t have a family, come and join ours…always room for more! 
Merry Christmas, everyone!