Possible new light for the Club

[utfan98]

As some of you know there has been talk about getting "new life" in the Club. There has been some talk about asking the Condor guys to join, all mustangs and any mustang, hell even city buses with little to no interest in doing such.

The members in attendence to the NMRA event had a discussion about a "we need change Obama plan". One good idea was to contact MOCSEM-Mustang Owners Club of Southeast Michigan and maybe share with them our events/joining them/merging with them/giving them our money...whatever you want to call it. If you do not know of this club check it out.....Mustang Owners Club of Southeastern Michigan

I spoke (on the phone) to Mike, President of the Mustang Owners Club of Southeast Michigan tonight. He thinks it would be a win-win situation. He has invited all MCT members to join them for the Michigan Ave cruise this weekend. They have 2 locations to park, Village and Fairlane Ford. We are welcome to park at these locations.

They are a nonprofit organization which donates approx $15,000/year to charity. They average 3 events per month with the biggest event, Mustang Memories to be Held at Rock Financial and have biweekly organized meetings. Look at the website for all that they do, it is impressive.

Some of the other topics were discussed were sharing the Romeo Tour and fall cruise. He thinks there would be interest, maybe too much thus having to limit spots of each event.


For the ones who show up to the NMRA event (last year and definately this year) we know it is a drag for the limited people who are volunteering their time in the hot sun. With this being said, it may be benficial for them to host the NMRA/NMCA events next year with us participating as well.

Finally, he would give us a discount of $20.00/person to join versus the normal $30.00. (Got to talk to the Board/Doug about this one)

Just wanted to run this by the members that are still around and show an interest. Any input is appreciated.

 

[mattz03svt]

Hope and Change!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I agree. The MCT club needs an AED to bring it back to life. There is few to no interest in the 2003 and 2004 Cobra. It is NOT due to the members in MCT. The problem is, the "Termi" as UTFAN calls it, no longer is king of the hill. Many people have moved on to the newer GT 500 Mustangs. The people that are buying these "termi's" actually call them that and don't share the same type of enthusiasm as the original guys did. I see it as crutial to keeping the club alive to merge into a branch of a larger more active club. This is my .02 cents. Long live the "Termi". I for one will be joining MOCSEM and I will be out there Saturday before work at the cruise with them.

 

[utfan98]

I do not know if SE MI wanted a so called merger. The jist I got was MCT coming over to them and sharing our (both ours and thier) events under their name. Just a thought....I do not know if we or them would want a division of Motor City Terminators so to speak.

More on them per telephone conversation. They have approx 350 members, of that approx 15 are 03/04 Cobras. The car show and swap meet in Livonia was too large, cars were parking on the sideawalk and the police were called, hence movement to Rock Financial Show Place.

 

[plan b]

I don't see the 03/04 as being inferior. I would keep mine over a new gt500. It's not that I dislike the new car, it's badass. All the modding would start over and add up like a sonofabitch. The car payment on the new car would be astronomical unless you put 50% down. I'm done with $500 car payments.

 

[utfan98]

I don't see the 03/04 as being inferior. I would keep mine over a new gt500. It's not that I dislike the new car, it's badass. All the modding would start over and add up like a sonofabitch. The car payment on the new car would be astronomical unless you put 50% down. I'm done with $500 car payments.

I hear you on that one, nothing about the cars.

 

[Cobrasized]

It sure seems like the time for a gentle transition to something new. MCT member support has wained and doesn't show signs of changing. The MOCSEM-Mustang Owners Club of Southeast Michigan are a class act and would allow us to continue in the enjoyment of our vehicles in a larger setting with less stress on active members.

I would support folding into their organization.

 

[mattz03svt]

I was not saying I think the 03/04 cobra was inferior, just the opposite. I love this car, but the majority of the new owners of these cars could care less about them. My comment was just most of the people who started this club, have moved on to other things. The new owners of their cars just don't show the interest we share and that is why MCT is failing in my eyes.

 

[utfan98]

Well, I do not mean to throw MCT to the way side. I just think that it is not a Club with 5 active members.

As some guys know the numbers have been getting less and less over the last 4 years (some people have been around even longer) to the point to where you can not function as a club. Extrapolating to next year's NMRA event for example, there will be 3 people there. An other example is the same 5 members at the Romeo Engine Tour with 8 other people we have never seen before, etc.

I enjoy doing these events and will continue to do so if there is motivation and dedciation/intreast by other memebers. That is why I am advocating "giving" our activities to an estabilished more active club and as a group of members joining their club instead of all of us falling off the face of the Earth. I think that will be the best transition for continuation of MCT . I would hate to see us lose NMRA and not be able to participate in the same capacity as we have or no longer do a Fall cruise. You can't have a worth while cruise with 5 Cobras, you can with 30.

 

[Snakebite]

I agree that the MCT needs a transfusion to bring it back to life. Co-oping with other clubs is a great idea...as we have done in the past. For example, we have gotten together with the Motor City Mauraders and had a great time with another niche club. They are an example of a limited run vehicle club that remains relatively active.

But one thing I want everyone to keep in mind is that the MCT is not a club that offers memberships exclusively to 03/04 Cobra owners. During the formation of the MCT, the exclusivity topic was bantered about, but the wisdom of the day was to include anybody that was an enthusiast of the Terminator, the MCT...and what we stood for as a club. The MCT By-Laws clearly states this vision, with the expectation that at some point in time, we would need to expand beyond just Term owners to be a viable club as the years went by. Yes, many members, as myself, have moved on from the Terminator but not the club. I proudly displayed a MCT sticker on my GT500 when I owned it, as I do today on my Viper.

Clubs are about the people far more than they are about the cars. Most people dont even know that the word "Terminator" has a meaning that we who have owned, or currently own, endear. I think that if the MCT is to survive...it needs to build on that principal. Reaching out to other clubs is a great start....but generating excitement about performance vehicles and sharing that enthusiasm with like minded people is the key component to car club viability.

Yes, as in every club or social group, people will come and people will go. That is a given and should be expected. But the MCT started with one thought, that was shared with one person, that was shared with a few other people...and the rest is history. Just a few guys that enjoyed each others company and who had a shared passion for CARS...PERFORMANCE...LAUGHS...BEER...BEER...SUPPORT...and BEER!!!:beer:

Everything else was built around those principals which attracted people around the country.

So in wrapping up my .02 worth of long winded opinion...reaching out and finding a great core of like minded people who "want" & "desire" to gtg with their rides and their buds is what will work. Develop a revitalized vision statement for the MCT and share it with others. Even if it is just 5 people for now...it's a foundation in which to build upon.

 

[utfan98]

^^^ well said.

As far as the just Terminators go, I can speak for myself that the extended offer to join MCT by owners of other vehicles has and is being tried and will continued to be tried. I know a few other members extended the offer as well. We did review by-laws (as done by Doug) and started to extend the offer to others.

As far as the member involvement goes, I think we do have a tight fraternity. But the tightness of the fraternity sometimes does not hold up. First, is committing to host NMRA in the future. Next, 2 members attend the Downriver cruise this year when 3 years ago we had about 12 cars attend. I reserved 10 spots with ther owner of Dolce Vida this year.

This year I was approached by Lisa from NMRA to consider being the host club for NMCA. This would put $500.00 more in the MCT account and be a great opportunity to generate excitement about performance vehicles and sharing that enthusiasm with like minded people as you mentioned (NMCA caters to the Big 3 not just Ford or the Terminator). So I agreed, once again trying to bring life to the club. Hopefully we have more than 5 members willing to volunteer their time during this event considering it is a 2 day event.


The big question that I have (and have no answer to) is how and when do we do it (with consideraiton of the surplus we have in the account). Do we try to be proactive and work with another club(s) or just let MCT ride and see where it goes from there?

 

[T.Bone]

I don't think we need to host all these events, we have the same members coming out and working them all the time and this is why I didn't show up this year. We build money to put in the MCT account and never have events to pay the members back with it.

We need to build the club by taking what money we have and host a picinic at one of the metro parks or something simple like that. Hook up with one of the other clubs and have a Milan event.

I am not really a fan of merging the club with MOCSEM, but do what you think is right. If we merge, I don't plan on paying a second membership to the club since I am paided up with ours.

I plan on keeping the Mustang Alley site running until after the event is over. After that let me know what to do with the site.

[ranton] Also, talking about the web site. This is one of the clubs biggest down falls. We have a web site that no one pushes, we post all events on this site and no one ever updates the events list or local forums. People visit our site and think this is a lame club, there is never anything new on here. I keep it running, I expect the club officials to keep it fresh.[/rantoff]

 

[utfan98]

About the website.....

The question I have why is there not an elected or designated webmaster to update the site for recent events?

To be honest I do not even know the "secret" password anymore. You are right about the under utilization of the website, I can count on one hand the amount of times I was on the site.

Back in the day when there were larger turn outs, the MCT website was still not the primary means of communication. As you stated, and as I known since joining the Club 4.5 years ago, SVTP has been the site that we haved used.

 

[Blksnke]

from the last NMRA, my daughter has more enthusiasm then some members here. and we need to take this forum to our site , talk about not using it and the password for it is sitting on your engine.

I am for opening it up to " Mustang Entusiasts" I have met some guys who would like to participate, one has a roush, one a saleen and another who restored a 67. or we could be the Modular Engine power group. Again, I think we need to take this to the original site.

 

[Blksnke]

(ranton)why does the club always expect activity to take place downriver or west of 75, when I have posted events we could attend on the east side, it is"too far" (rantoff)

 

[utfan98]

(ranton)why does the club always expect activity to take place downriver or west of 75, when I have posted events we could attend on the east side, it is"too far" (rantoff)

You know it is funny that you mention that. I was looking at the Owner's site and the majority of their events are in the Downriver/Dearborn area and west of I-75. I think there is a cruise night to Port Huron. Their biweekly meetings are in Westland, west of 75...maybe that is the concentration/central location of their members.

I know I have plans with the wife for the past 4 years during the Romeo Peach Festival if that what you are referring to. Can't speak for the other members

The only event that I know of on the east side is Gratiot Cruise. I believe it early in the cruise season. If it is I do not have insurance on my car at that time.

 

[Blue03]

George, you definitely said it best. I was one of the first members of the club when we had about 10 cars meeting at the "Big Fish" in the Fairlane Mall lot. I'm guilty about not getting to many events these days but not so much for lack of enthusiasm, but time. We had many mod parties at my house and changed a few clutches on the hoist(which I enjoyed by the way) it's just been hard with the job changes I've had. I'm OK with merging but also respect Tim's take on it. As George said I remember it being open to ALL Mustangs so we could broaden the group's appeal. The other thing George hits on that I whole heartedly agree with is the comraderie. I just enjoyed hanging out with everyone with the common thread being the cars. It was also fun to wrench on the cars and see everyone achieve their goal. The '03/04 Cobra's have been overshadowed a bit by the 500hp(now 540hp) GT-500's but they still enjoy a following. I was asked 3x by 3 different friends this year if I would sell my Cobra because they knew someone looking for an 03/04. I almost sold it a couple of years ago but glad I didn't. What Plan B mentions is part of the reason I ultimately decided to keep my car(starting all over, big car payments, etc). My heart is still with the MCT but it makes sense to try and spark it up. If it doesn't do what's intended the group can always go back on it's own. Just my 2 cents.

 

[T.Bone]

About the website.....

The question I have why is there not an elected or designated webmaster to update the site for recent events?

I have maintained it from the beginning of the club, I got tired of it since it was never used. I would log into SVTP and see our event list posted here and thought what's the use. It would have been just as easy to say "see the site for the event list" with a link to our site.

 

[utfan98]

^^^ Yes the site needs to get used more.

Stan,

Do you have a list the car activities your way?

 

[dougwg]

Using MCT money to pay for activities

I have always been all for this.

We just need someone to step up and setup something.

JB and I setup the last "thing", it's someone elses turn.

 

[utfan98]

Ideas?