| Author | Message | ||
| Martin (Miami348ts)
Intermediate Member Username: Miami348ts Post Number: 1865 Registered: 5-2001 |
I do wonder too. At least as far as the national club level. Then what I really care for is how much fun can I get out of the club and that is worth $120 to me. Dilly, I am sure one day we will meet. I never though all members are jerks but it was kind off odd to see all that crap transpiring and I have met more nice people in the first FOC event than in my first FCA event. Very subjective of course! | ||
| david schirmer (David)
Junior Member Username: David Post Number: 230 Registered: 2-2001 |
FCA is like any other organization. You get out of it what you put into it. In the Northwest Region we have a great group of enthusiasts. There is a wide variety of events and different people participate in the events that interest them. I don't know if being part of the national FCA really has a great impact locally. I wonder if our membership would be as high if we were just a local Ferrari Club instead of part of the national organization. | ||
| Cmparrf40 (Cmparrf40)
Junior Member Username: Cmparrf40 Post Number: 166 Registered: 3-2002 |
FCA dues are $120.00 dollars. $90.00 goes to the National club to cover insurance costs, publication of Prancing Horse Magazine, national newsletters and to help support national events and formula 1 events that are not 100% self funded. $30 goes to the region you live in, and under new guidelines, is paid to the the local chapter (if you have one) for events and newsletter costs at the local level. The costs are high as FCA is a very small club as compared to PCA or the Viper club or the Miata club that can get significant economies of scale and can be subsidized by the manufacturer. Yes it is high, but some other clubs are higher, ......... Chris | ||
| magoo (Magoo)
Intermediate Member Username: Magoo Post Number: 2344 Registered: 2-2001 |
Exactly Ed, Doesn't anyone care where the money is going?????Obviously not. | ||
| DBP (Dilly)
Junior Member Username: Dilly Post Number: 75 Registered: 9-2001 |
Edward, you need to contact Pat Current at [email protected] as she can respond to your questions better than I can. Publication concerns may be sent to Casey Clavin at [email protected] | ||
| Edward Gault (Irfgt)
Intermediate Member Username: Irfgt Post Number: 1019 Registered: 2-2001 |
I get their publications and they are great. | ||
| David Bob� Jr. (Supraoz)
Junior Member Username: Supraoz Post Number: 79 Registered: 9-2001 |
Edward, here's the link to the publication of the FOC Florida, http://www.focfloridaregion.com/tifosimag.htm. Its published every two months. I think its an excellent newsbulletin for a club that is only 10 months old. Has articles written by members and the latest issue has an article written by Marc Sonnary. The club already has more than 120 members in that time frame and will continue growing. | ||
| BretM (Bretm)
Intermediate Member Username: Bretm Post Number: 2241 Registered: 2-2001 |
I too must admit that I wonder at times. They charge you out the ass for everything. The only reasonable (aka not exorbinantly overpriced) things are track days in which you're really going through a dealership for the most part and not the FCA. I'm still in the FCA and probably will stay in it just because it keeps me up to date on things. BUT, you could do without it. If you knew a group in the area you could have fun with them. And you can always just go to the dealership who will be able to tell you of any important event, such as track days, tech sessions, etc. | ||
| Edward Gault (Irfgt)
Intermediate Member Username: Irfgt Post Number: 1015 Registered: 2-2001 |
I certainly do not think the FCA members are jerks, I just want to know where the money is going. Dosen't anyone else care? Why is the Corvair club publications better than the more than double the price Ferrari ones. If I was only in one club { Ferrari} I would not know any better but being in several and the Ferrari being the most expensive and receiving the least, I have a comparison. Where's the money going? | ||
| Mitch P (Mitchp)
New member Username: Mitchp Post Number: 6 Registered: 1-2002 |
Martin I'll be in a red 400 GT ('77)...I'll be there all weekend | ||
| DBP (Dilly)
Junior Member Username: Dilly Post Number: 74 Registered: 9-2001 |
Well, I learned something new today thanks to this site. Martin, I am very sorry that you won't be renewing your membership but I somehow didn't expect that you would. I do hope to meet you one day so you can see that we are not all the jerks that you think we are. | ||
| Martin (Miami348ts)
Intermediate Member Username: Miami348ts Post Number: 1817 Registered: 5-2001 |
 that is soooo true. | ||
| Tony Cantafio (Tonycan)
New member Username: Tonycan Post Number: 6 Registered: 3-2002 |
To paraphraze Grouch Marx, "(you) shouldn't belong to any organization that would have you as a member." | ||
| Martin (Miami348ts)
Intermediate Member Username: Miami348ts Post Number: 1812 Registered: 5-2001 |
Mitch what are you driving? I will be there in my 348TS red/tan license plate "ICT1" with a gorgous blond in the passenger seat. can only make it Saturday. Will arrive early morning and stay late. Maybe have dinner in the Keys as well. | ||
| Mitch P (Mitchp)
New member Username: Mitchp Post Number: 5 Registered: 1-2002 |
Martin I'll be at the keys rally..hope to finally meet you face to face | ||
| Martin (Miami348ts)
Intermediate Member Username: Miami348ts Post Number: 1802 Registered: 5-2001 |
Dilly, I have been at last years Sebring and that was done as a FCA event with FCA members. The FOC was then not even active. As a result of the political crap that the current president of the FCA-FL has started the club was split in FCA-FL and FOC-FL. As I always say, if somebody puts up a fight and a smear campaign to get into a non paid job, there is something wrong. Trying too hard NOT to get paid! As far as Magoo is concerned, you are right. It is the attitude that makes the difference. I have seen some great changes in the FOC FL. The Keys Rally for example. This is going to be a great event. It will be so much fun! Just the right people. �nd as you said Dilly, if the banquets stink all over, why have them then? Rather go and rent a room in a restaurant and have real food. My decission is made, sorry FCA, here goes another member! | ||
| David Bob� Jr. (Supraoz)
Junior Member Username: Supraoz Post Number: 78 Registered: 9-2001 |
Try both clubs, if you enjoy them then join. Nothing wrong with that. I was fooled about Sebring last year also. Don't remember reading a word about it in the Redline. Guess it was a FOC event. I had a wonderful time. Lots of people attended! | ||
| magoo (Magoo)
Intermediate Member Username: Magoo Post Number: 2331 Registered: 2-2001 |
Ok, We have gotten the likes and dislikes about the FCA. Unfortunately it is either join them or forget them. It is a social club not a nuts and bolts kind of organization. Much like when you buy a new Ferrari, Take it or leave it attitude and what you get and when, is what you get. That's the Ferrari story even the FCA. BRGDS | ||
| DBP (Dilly)
Junior Member Username: Dilly Post Number: 72 Registered: 9-2001 |
Martin, I hope you will renew as I think you will enjoy the National Meet that will be at Sebring next year. Remember, that with most car clubs you don't have to signup for all the meals. I haven't attended a Friday night meal in years at an FCA event. We will be attending an MG car meet and the food there will be just as bad as any other banquet. Let's face it banquet food is just not that good, they do charge a fortune for it and it doesn't seem to matter what organization you are with. However, the food on Saturday night at Sebring this year seemed to be better than most. I would urge you to give the FCA a chance as, by what I have read, you have yet to attend an FCA event. That's right, Sebring 2001 was an FOC event according to Pilota and the FOC national website. Fooled me too, I thought the last and only FOC event I ever attended was in 1984! | ||
| Edward Gault (Irfgt)
Intermediate Member Username: Irfgt Post Number: 1006 Registered: 2-2001 |
The biggest problem that I have with FCA is the price of membership. It is around $80.00 and all I get for that is a folded black and white stapled flier each month full of ads that the club profited from and every three months a color publication full of ads that should be sent out every month. In comparison, the National Corvair Club has a monthly publication in color that rivals the quarterly Ferrari one, is not full of ads and is a lot more informative about the Marque. And to top it off the dues are $36.00 per year and the club is well in the black. My question is where is the Ferrari club money going? The Corvair club is a non profit organization and pays a company to organize and print the magazine monthly and all officers are elected and serve voluntarily. | ||
| Martin (Miami348ts)
Intermediate Member Username: Miami348ts Post Number: 1801 Registered: 5-2001 |
$25 Regiostration $ 45 dinner on arrival day $ 200 hotel room $ 175 track day 1 $ 200 school day 1 $ 25 garage at track $ 25 lunch $ 55 dinner formal $ 200 hotel room $ 175 track day 2 $ 25 lunch except the hotel room all times 2 if you have a hip wife that loves to step on the metal as well. | ||
| Martin (Miami348ts)
Intermediate Member Username: Miami348ts Post Number: 1800 Registered: 5-2001 |
Lou, If you travel with your wife or significan other ("not that ther eis anything wrong with it..."LOL, you can end up spending a $1000-note. I look at most of the events and think what am I getting here. $55.00 per person for a dinner is high considering that you get a lousy steak or fish or chicken and still have to pay for your drinks. I am better off going into the fancy steakhouse and spend about the same but get grade A steaks. From what I understand now it is that the club does not even make money off the food. It is just overpriced lousy food. (thinking about Sebring last year). Thank God David has realized that this at the FOC and for the Keys Rally there will be free dinner arrangements and breakfast. I think that is much more attractive to people. Also you can chose when you want to have dinner. Just some of the things I see wrong. | ||
| David Jones (Dave)
Junior Member Username: Dave Post Number: 105 Registered: 4-2001 |
I have not renewed mine. It's a little too much $ for a monthly newsletter and no activities in my area. I travel to Texas or Tennessee to Ferrari get together's... | ||
| Frank Parker (Parkerfe)
Member Username: Parkerfe Post Number: 777 Registered: 9-2001 |
There are several FCA events per year that are expensive. But if you would try one I think you would agree that they are worth it. The accomodations are always first class as well as everything else. You wouldn't want a bunch of Ferraris parked in front of the Motel Six now would you ? Owning a Ferrari says a lot about a person other than they like unreliable Italian cars. Whether you like it or not, it also shows the world that you have succeeded. A lot of the people at FCA events that one may perceive as "snooty" are just quite reserved people who don't do a lot of hooting ,hollaring and back slapping. If you will talk to them about their cars and other things, I think you will find most of them are good people. I have been an FCA member for 12 years now and have found very few snooty people at club events. And it seems the ones I did find had ratty Dinos rather than Daytona Spyders or F40s. | ||
| Lou B (Toby91)
New member Username: Toby91 Post Number: 36 Registered: 4-2001 |
Mitchel, what $3000 FCA rally? Must have missed that one. | ||
| Mitchel DeFrancis (4re308)
Member Username: 4re308 Post Number: 478 Registered: 6-2001 |
Martin, I let my membership lapse for a couple a years, because there were some VERY snooty people in the club, and to be honest I could not afford to attend any of the events. How about a $3000 FCA rally, to put miles on my Ferrari?! I think not. | ||
| BretM (Bretm)
Intermediate Member Username: Bretm Post Number: 2213 Registered: 2-2001 |
I have to admit that the FCA has really picked up in the northeast this year IMO. If only my damn car wasn't in 1000 pieces. | ||
| Lou B (Toby91)
New member Username: Toby91 Post Number: 35 Registered: 4-2001 |
I have joined both, smile at everyone and enjoy what both have to offer. By the way, the FCA Sebring event was well done and very enjoyable and the FCA National Meet is scheduled for Sebring next year. The FOC also has great events and great people and why make a choice? | ||
| Martin (Miami348ts)
Intermediate Member Username: Miami348ts Post Number: 1797 Registered: 5-2001 |
I am hesitant to renew. The FCA has really slacked here in Florida and has become more of a country club for a few. I have not been impressed. Political fights and just plain no fun. The FOC Florida is doing a great program with lots and lots of activities and lots of fun people. All the outings are great. What would you do? |