I'm thinking of joining our local PCA.

Looking for thoughts and your experience.

Good points and bad.

We are going to have lunch with some of them saturday, we wanted to meet a few before we officially join, to see if we have anything in common with them.

PCA has been very good to me, for 38 years. Most of my best buds are those that I met along the way.

I'd advise you to sign up & become active. Volunteer for any help you can provide for events. Go to as many events as possible & meet the folks. Find your niche & go with it.

I was at a SCCA autocross in 73 when I met two unique PCA personalities. They convinced me to meet the rest of the folks at a simple picnic. I was instantly sucked in & enjoyed every minute. Learned to rally, autocross & concours from the best of the period. Chaired many auto-x, rally and concours events through the years & held every regional office position (President twice). Became hardcore concours & chaired the 93 Parade concours.

Did it all! Loved it all! Unfortunately, I'm now separated by 600 miles from my buds of PCA. Thanks to the internet, we maintain contact & I can't wait to move back.

Immerse yourself in PCA. You won't regret it.
Pat

You get a pretty darned good magazine for free and PCA discounts at most Porsche retailers. Some regions have a good AX program and some have a really good club racing program. Most regions will have a good social program, like a yacht club but with cars. Around here there are a lot of wine related events (Ca's WINE Country!!!) and I don't give a shit about wine but I help out with a lot of the racing related stuff.

Been a member for 23 years....Panaroma mag is good to get...some great people belong...can do events and DE's as a member....most won't look down their nose at you driving a 914....

If you like the people and they do fun things go for it. I've been in for 15 years and been president of our region for 3 of those. We sponsored the Mid US Ramble several of those years as well to provide insurance and organizing manpower and love it when people drive their Porsche cars (any of them) with gusto. The PCA DE's are great to learn how to drive your car on a track and if you don't have an active AX chapter then there's the SCCA too.

It's all about the people and will be what you make of it. The more you contribute to the experience the stronger the chapter will be for it and the more invested you'll be in the outcome. If you don't like it change it!

Good luck with 'em

Some great members in PCA and I agree, the magazine is great. I'm on a PCA hiatus right now while I finish up college but in June I'll renew my membership. Most regions put on some great events as well.

Now the counterpoint.....

I was a PCA memeber for 15 years. The Pano is a marketing arm of Porsche North America and is a POS compared to other club's mags. Have a look at the BMW club's mag to see how it should be done. It seems as if most members now are Boxster drivers/leasers and haven't a clue about 914s.

Flame away....

Get involved! The Club isn't a magazine!
Pat

Really depends on the region, there are some really good one, then there are others that suck, it is the people that make it, as others have said.. The wine & cheese boxster leasing crown tend to look down on old Porsches in general, they just don't get why we don't go lease a new Porsche like them and why would we want to do anything other than wash our cars
Many of these same people have no life and are like a mall cop, they get a PCA office & think they are "Top Shit"
BTW, over 20 years PCA, been VP, Adv chair, Photo, Hosp, Rally Chair, PCA cert. Driving Instuctor, hosted many great events over the year & I'm sure a few things I'm forgeting

with Byron. Some people are a-holes and are really on a power trip. Also many many cool people / experiences. I have some great friends because of this. This is how I first met Trekkor. I remember his first autocross. He was dangerous. Looked like he was sawing wood while he was driving.

Thanks for the info

B.V.D. i think we are in your region, but the panhandle area.

from what i understand they hold AX at Brookley Field o a regular basis, (about 2mi from my house)

i hope i get a good group of people, and if not oh well ill make the most of it.

B,
Agree totally.

The people make ALL the difference. Most (I think) contemporary Porsche owners lease, so they have no "roots" in the marque. They'll get something else when the lease expires. I would bet that most of them have never "owned" a car in thier lives. So, why should they build allegience to a marque?

The PCA people I know have never leased a Porsche. It's the pride of ownership. I take that back, I do know one who has leased Porsches for almost 30 years, but it's a strange case.

Regradless, join PCA & immerse yourself in the fun. Some regions are more active, some are not. If you join a region that is not so active - change it!

i have been a memeber for 5 years and i have had good experiences. i haven't been going recently because they are a older crowd and want to do things while i am working.
Overall good exeriences.

Ravi

I meant to join at Petit last year, but I got drunk...

Joined shortly after I bought my 914. Haven't done much with it, although I brought my 914 to a tech session just to get it up on a lift and got some good advice.

I'm finally taking advantage of it though... registered for the High Performance Driving Clinic next month. Get to take it around a track with an instructor. Excited for that!

I joined when I bought my 911. In my local region, the demographic is older, rich, retired people and Doctors. I hang out with them sometimes. They do put on really cool cruises and parties.
I'm not sure they know what to think of my V8 914. Now that I'm putting a Turbo Wankel in it, they will be even more confused.

Bottom line... Join. It's fun to meet people. Many of the 911 guys are closet 914 owners.

After 36 years as a PCA member, I'd also agree that it's all about the people. If you get involved, you'll find folks with similar interests.

We have a large region (Chicago), so there are people that are into Club Racing, Rallying, Concours, and Social Events. As our kids were growing, we didn't do as much with PCA, but the memories of the Porsche Parades we attended are well worth the dues.

Go to a few of the local region's events and you'll get a feel for the membership and if you feel you fit in.

Try it.. its not that expensive. If you decide its not worth it, just don't re-up.

Well, thats my .02

Sorry, but that isn't the local FL region (I'm a member of the San Diago region) but I live in the Jacksonville area, the fact that the region you are in does AX is great, the local region here hasn't hosted their own in years, in fact they piggy back on the local Corvette clubs AX. If they are AXing, that is a good sign that there are real car people, many region have been taken over by Boxster/996 leaser, and the guys with the 996C4s do very well at the AXs, and think they are great drivers, but it typicly is the car & not them (really) I have lots of stories and I forgot, I was the Club Race Hosp chair for years as well..

Forums like this one will get you more info faster and more friends that know the cars better, you just won't meet them face to face too offten. Forums don't give you a magizine that will fit in your glove box, a Christmas party, a scheduled autocross or dues to pay.