Porsche Club of America, Join? yes or no Options

[gregrobbins]

I just got my first 914. I have been told I should join the PCA. What are the benefits? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/cool.gif)

[machina]

I just got my first 914. I have been told I should join the PCA. What are the benefits? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/cool.gif)

I have been a member since 1986.

Besides the cool magazine "panorama" which you will recieve, you will be part of a regional group. They have social and sporting functions like auto-x and drivers ed. Even club racing if you like.

I say go for it.

plus you get a cool sticker for your car. I have 18 of them in a drawer somewhere.

dr

[carr914]

I've been a member for 17 years, so I would say yes. They have one of the best monthly mags in the Panorama, Auto-Xs, Driver Eds and social events. Here in Tampa, we have a great region and that can vary

[gregrobbins]

Sounds like I should join. Thanks for the posts.

Anyone with experience in the South West Chapter? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/cool.gif)

[ArtechnikA]

I just got my first 914. I have been told I should join the PCA. What are the benefits? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/cool.gif)

varies by Region, except for the Panorama.

i suggest people try it, and give it a chance, for a year. attend some meetings and events - see if they are a good match for your goals and expectations.

if you're a hard-core competitive driver-type looking to participate in lots of autocross and DE events, you'll probably be unhappy in a Concours-oriented Region. some Regions form cliques and are very socially exclusionary. if you aren't "in" - running in the high-powered doctor-lawyer upper-crust, you are "out" - but PCA Regions aren't unique in this respect - lots of clubs get that way sometimes...

my (dated) recollection of the AZ Region was that they like to drive the cars and only BTW put on one hell of a Concours event. some Regions don't warm to the 914 and the fact that they can beat the pants off their big-bucks new 911's...

the Regional newsletters vary considerably, but you'll discover the advertisers in your area who can provide services you may require.

if, after a year of giving it a chance, re-evaluate, and if it hasn't been a good experience for you, don't renew.

[seanery]

It's worth the $40 to find out if it's for you. Some areas regions are great and others are not (as others have said). When I lived in LA, the region I was in seemed pretty lame. I switched to the Gran Prix region and was much happier. When I moved back to Indy I have been active in our club. We have nice events, but our region's participation (from the members) is poor. We're working on offering more types of events to get new folks involved.

My region (and the Gran Prix region as well) seem to like the 914s, kind of like the little underdog. It was fun passing Boxsters, 911s, 951s and Boxster Ss at our spring Driver's Ed. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[machina]

if you aren't "in" - running in the high-powered doctor-lawyer upper-crust, you are "out" - but PCA Regions aren't unique in this respect - lots of clubs get that way sometimes...

Its true about the doctor and lawyer types but you still find nice people who share a common interest. I got tired of doing DE a few years ago and now run with SCCA.

What's great about SCCA is that just about any guy in the paddock could probably pull their motor in between sessions and not think twice about it. I like that grassroots feeling. Anyone would lend a hand or a tool to help you out.

With PCA there are nice folks but most guys think that changing their exhaust and putting in smoked tailights is a big deal.

Either way the magazine is worth the membership price all by itself.

dr

[Joe Bob]

Fuck em....I just resigned.....worthless pain in the ass concour weenies.....

Not that it's a bad thing.....

[i love porsche]

ill be joining as soon as i turn 18

[thomasotten]

Interesting. Now does Panarama actually have article about 914s in them? I am to the point now, that if I don't see 914s in the magazines, I don't buy them. Remember the glory days of VW & Porsche magazine? Now that was a magazine.

[Joe Bob]

Interesting.  Now does Panarama actually have article about 914s in them?  I am to the point now, that if I don't see 914s in the magazines, I don't buy them.  Remember the glory days of VW & Porsche magazine?  Now that was a magazine.

Rarely....mostly they suck up to the new models....

[skl]

Been a member since 1971 when I got my 914. If you have an active region it's great. The magazine is good but in all honesty I don't think it is as good as it used to be. It isn't very objective- anything Porsche makes is the best as far as they're concerned and being honest, they've made some lemons... Excellence is IMHO a better magazine these days...

[ArtechnikA]

Interesting.  Now does Panarama actually have article about 914s in them?

Pano has many constituencies. they do have a lot of coverage on the new models, but for me, "new model" tends to start with the 911SC in about 1978... okay - they talk a lot about the REALLY newer models but - the preponderance of current members HAVE really newer models. should they not provide coverage of cars the members actually own ?

Porsche has been making cars for more than 50 years, and plus or minus a little, i think Pano's coverage of all models across the entire spectrum has been pretty even. but you must understand that unlike the commercial press, they have basically no editorial staff. this means they print articles that people write and submit.

did you send in an article about an especially enjoyable 914-oriented experience ? if not, there is zero chance they'll run that article. if they start seeing articles come in from people across many regions having fun, they start to pay attention. and, frankly, since it is a PCA publication, it couldn't hurt if it's an actual PCA event you had fun at. (if your article says "we're just an informal bunch of 914 enthusiasts who have no use for PCA" guess what - they won't have any use for you either ...)

the 356 guys have their own (formal) club, but Pano still runs articles on those cars from time to time, even tho the 356Registry have their own dedicated magazine.

the Tech Q&A section is pretty broad in its coverage. this month, there are questions about both 914's and 356's.

Excellence is a really good magazine, but Pano has the targeted ads and THE CLASSIFIEDS! i bought my first 914.6 through a Pano classified. most of us have other Porsche models, or will want to, or will want to sell one we've got, and the Pano classified section is not only a great resource for doing this, but it's a decent "first-approximation" sanity check on pricing.

there really is no 914-oriented publication. i know we have enough talented people in the Club to -produce- such a thing. we, of course, have no budget to produce it, and while my local PCA Region has a similar circulation, it is subsidised by the Region and the advertisers we do have are primarily of local interest. getting a set of National sponsors interested in supporting a 2000-member niche publication - and then keeping them out of editorial policy - would be quite a coup.

[rick 918-S]

I never joined. I met some "P" club guys at a joint event with the BMW CCA (I'm a member of BMW CCA) I had the 914 as it looks now but with the 1.7. They were a little too whine and cheeese for me. They kinda gave me the brush when I asked about joining. The membership guy didn't seem to care if I did or not. After the interest by all at the Show and Shine, (911, 928, and other guys) I may try again. After all. It has been 7 years since that event.

[tod914]

Goto pca.org Check out your regions website. Im sure they have alot going on. Well worth joining.
There are track events, autocross, concours, and ralley. Enjoy!

[Pnambic]

.... I had the 914 as it looks now but with the 1.7. They were a little too whine and cheeese for me. They kinda gave me the brush when I asked about joining ....

I would love to see the whine and cheese jaws drop when Rich stands up to introduce himself and his 928-S powered 914. It'd prolly be like one of those cheesy 80's movies where the kid that's shunned at the beginning of the movie is all of a sudden Mr. Popular at the end.
(IMG:style_emoticons/default/cool_shades.gif)

[Eric_Shea]

It is what you make of it.

Pano blows but I look through it for classified deals and see what the new advertisers are up to.

The local clubs vary. Here in Salt Lake the club is awesome. Real down to earth. I was in Chicago for 12 years and that club was active but not as open/friendly.

The question is... do you get your monies worth? I think with the classifieds (Pano and Web) alone I can justify my expense. If the club (local) is cool then it's a no brainer.

One way to find out...

[thomasotten]

I wonder what would happen if one were to show up at the PCA with a "I hate those Cayenes" window sticker. Only kidding, if I was rich, I would probably get one too, I mean, if money is no option. Anyways, I am always leary to throw in with the Porsche club, I just don't know if I would get enough out of it to justify it. This 914world.com has been what I have been wanting for years. Basically, I can get all the techno info here, without the attitudes, snobbery, and know-it all attitudes.

This brings up another interesting question. Isn't there a national 914 owner's club? I think I found them on the web one time. They had a pretty dilapidated web site. Is anyone here a member of that, and what do you get out of sending them your money?

[ArtechnikA]

... I just don't know if I would get enough out of it to justify it.

...Isn't there a national 914 owner's club?

you'll never know unless/until you give it a chance and check it out. check out your Region's web site and find out when they are having their next general membership meeting or something like a drive & dine event. talk to the membership chairman. show up at a SOCIAL event.

everybody's typically just a little bit too busy, a little too pre-occupied, and a little too "game face" at a competitive event. if you go to a low-key social event and you STILL get attitude, it might not work out in your region. if you want to rallye or concour in a region that doesn't do those things, you'll be unhappy. if you want to AX in a socially oriented show-the-cars region, you will be unhappy.

this, AFAIK, is what the "National" 914 Club has transitioned into...

there is, of course, the 914 Special Interest Group (SIG) which is a model-specific subsection of the PCA. they charter and organise the Mid-US Ramble (MUSR) but they're not otherwise a "club" - more of a support network and car-tracking substructure.

[STL914]

My wife and I joined the St. Louis PCA 6 yrs ago after I bought my first 914.

Back then, we were the only 914 participating in road trips and other events. Felt out of place among the 944s and 911s. However, the people were greatand we developed some long friendships. I even held a board
position for several years.

Times and club officers have changed. Road trips are few and far between. Top dogs are more into club
racing and dining at expensive bistros. Many of the "old gang" have lost interest and attendance has dropped off. Also gone are the 944s and older 911s, replaced now by Boxters and 996s. We are still the only participating 914 owners, although there are roughly 10 other owners in the club.

I'm still a PCA member and will remain so for the near future. Hopefully, things may change again.

I'd say, join your local chapter and see how the people
are and how active they are during the year.