Carlisle 2023??

Roger that.  Should wait to hear from @edsnova about what if anything he intends.

You sir are correct. I think that at a minimum there could be 5 or 6 of us. I would also guess that Ed is probably monitoring. 😁

Hey guys Carlisle is early this year: May 12 (which for us means like Wednesday May 10).

Charity Shreffler reserved our room deal months ago at the Courtyard Harrisburg West/Mechanicsburg (AKA the Usual Marriott), the listed rate is $139/night.

If people aren't into it I could let her know.

There are some nice roads running to the west of that location if some of you wanted to help plot a driving-oriented outing. In Mechanicsburg the average high temperature that week is about 70, low is about 50. We could also do it on another weekend, maybe looking to miss the rainy season.

Or we could bag the whole thing and try something out further west like Deep Creek Lake. It's nice country out that way and there are some amenities.

Ed.

As of now, I would be up for Carlisle, or some other gathering around the area.  The earlier date for Carlisle is better for us.

Bob

I will come to the event if we do the Carlise show date or another date.

Some of you may know we sold the speedster and bought a boat. We have a hole in the water that we can throw money into instead of a hole in the garage we can throw money into. We had the speedster for 14 years, took it to Carlisle a few times and only missed 2 or 3 years in that time. The month of May is prime boating and fishing time around here. If we go again it won't be for the showfield but to see old friends.

I'm glad there's apparently enough interest in this to keep it alive even if I don't plan to attend.  Having two (or more) east coast events (north and south) is fantastic.

As stated, I'm in, kinda don't matter exactly what it is.  So long as it is.

Yep! I wonder if the Marriott will honor the negotiated rate if the group doesn't come.🤯

Paul, I'm betting they will take whatever we have to offer, so long as we do it with enough lead time.

Interesting reading the comments about the "Carlisle" event.   For those who know me, I am somewhat to blame for it’s start going back to the beginning in 2004 - actually, we attended at the show field several years before we started the Speedsters weekend.  Don't know what to say to everyone but I put perhaps too much time and effort into organizing the event all those years and just flat got burned out.  My thanks to Ed, Alan and others for picking up the pieces the last couple of years and continuing the event. 

It would be great to have other locations for these gatherings and I encourage them. Keep I mind it’s the same old story - someone has to step up, invest the time, advertise, create something interesting and run the show.  And after a couple of years there will be the same restaurants, same venues, same country roads, etc.  People will still decide how far they want to drive (or trailer) to an event and if the venues are of interest.  The group will still split up based on who wants to drive fast, who wants to drive slow/sight-see, who wants to chill and hang at the hotel, who wants to hang with whom, who is going to dinner together, etc.  The available vendors are mostly in the western and north central states...will they travel to these locations that are picked?   

Did Covid hurt the attendance – you bet, just ask those of us who caught it there last year.  Hopefully that bridge is crossed and we can move on.         

Carlisle weekend was always cruising, seeing and meeting other folks, dinners and time at the show field.  A big reason for including Carlisle in the weekend was to take advantage of the large sports car crowd there so they could see these are more than cheesy, flimsy, plastic “kit cars” and hopefully draw more people into our world.

We tried to get away from people thinking it was a “Carlisle” weekend and renamed it the “Speedsters Meet Spyders” weekend.  Just want to stop by the show field for a few hours? that’s okay.  Don’t want to go to the show field? that’s  okay.  It’s about the people and the cars.  Want to start an event at another location like Lane did – great.  Start another thread and go for it…I wouldn’t mind attending more than one Speedster weekend event each year.  But please try to hold off on the negatives and offer up suggestions and ideas for those running this show.   

I could say more…that’s probably enough for now.   

As for this particular event, If there is one this year Hot Foot and I will be there.

East Coat Bruce

Here's my take on the more recent posts...People want to get together, enjoying decent weather and have some sort of daily driving event planned.  Whatever you all decide and as curtesy to Charity at Court Yard by Marriott, let her know as early on if possible. She has already set aside a room block without a formal contract in place. Charity has always gone way out of her way to get it done for us, that's the " can do " persona within her .

OK guys I'm going to Carlisle. Just bought my showfield pass. You save $9 if you order before Jan 3.

Go here to do likewise if you're into it. The hotel stuff is already posted above. You can reserve your room by emailing MarriottResLink@marriott.com. If that proves glitchy you can call the hotel and tell them you're with the Speedster group, or ask for Charity to make sure. The group rate is $139 per night.

Start Date: Wednesday, May 10, 2023
End Date: Sunday, May 14, 2023
Last Day to Book: Monday, April 10, 2023

Hope to see many of you there.

Glenn and I are registered for Mechanicsburg Marriott 5/11 - 5/14. Charity has transfered so the new director of sales is GRETA. Hope we see a lot of you.

Looking forward to it, Paul. And thanks for the update re the hotel.

Good morning all.  I am not an owner as yet, but we have a Beck speedster on order. We drove up to Carlisle last year for the day to look at the speedsters.  It was a pleasure to meet those who attended. If you all decide to attend once again, my wife and I will be at the show grounds viewing the speedster/coupes and asking lots of questions once again!

Heck.....

You can ask questions right on here!

We're a very answering bunch, for sure.  Sometimes, we answer stuff that you didn't even ask!

My best brochure from mgmt consulting days: "We can answer the questions you have. We can ask the questions you haven't."

I think the greatest benefit for us is seeing speedsters and coupes on the showground.  Our latest dilemma is color choice, which we know is very personal.  It is most helpful to see different color speedsters in the flesh.   Of course, the more the better!

Carlisle throw back: 2001. A time before "Speedsters Meet Spyders."

Anyone recognize the car at 7:48?

Today is the last day to order a pass to the Carlisle show field and get a 20% discount on the price.  Go to: Holiday Sale (carlisleevents.com) and indicate your club as "Speedster Owners". 

I just ordered mine. 

Looking forward to seeing the both of you.

It would sure be nice to have some kind of regional event to attend. 

Carlisle weekend is happening, will we see...you?

Back when I lived in Falls Church, Va. I went to numerous events at Carlisle.  Now that I have retired to Texas, the twenty-hour drive would be a little too much for me - even if I drove my wife's air conditioned, cruise-controlled Nissan.  Much less in a Speedster.   As much as I would like to be there, I think I will have to pass.

Dick - don't let the distance in a Speedster deter you from attending.  Good 16 hr drive for me from NW FL.  I flew into Philly, my NJ brother picked me and we drove his Boxster to Carlise.  Another time I drove a 4RNR, spent the night with Schu and towed his red MG TD up from N VA. Many Speedster owners have an empty front seat - so you can experience different cars.  Just be sure to pack a Hawaiian shirt, some local beer and a car related donation to the raffle!  Don't forget a raincoat to scare off the weather.

"Don't forget a raincoat to scare off the weather."

Gordon, do mark your calendar now .....

@Alan Merklin posted:

Carlisle weekend is happening, will we see...you?

There's a good chance we will be there. 

Not sure what we will be driving...

I am going to do my best to be there. I was hoping to bring the Magnum with the newly converted suby drivetrain and double wishbone /rack and pinion front suspension setup. At this stage Carey has all the parts at his facility including a Rancho Pro Suby 4 speed transaxle with quaff TBD. The red 9 front suspension, Suby donor car, new short block, used heads being rebuilt etc.. Waiting on Mike to come collect the Magnum. They are behind in having a new building completed and do not have the space to take my car on at this point. I was told it should be in the next few weeks. I hope the car will be finished by Carlisle but wouldn't bet much on it. If not, I may drive my Lotus Evora over to hang with you all.

I am going to try to have the Outlaw Project done on time :~)

Come one, come all!

Here, here!!!

So. By my count, currently, Jimmy, Bob, Glen, Paul, Kelly, Bruce, Alan and I are committed. I think that's a nice sized group to work with. A few more would not put things out of whack though.

I thought I saw Bob Carley was coming?  How about Dave Kumpf, Dale Schumacher, Paul Mossberg, Ron Fish, Steve Hayward, Bill Ascheman, Dwight Kennedy (Spyder), ...

My plan is to be there.  Will make that call very soon.

VERY SAD to Read this thread:
As an ex-Vintage Speedster owner and NJ Replicar/SOC member for 14 years (Bruce and Norma now own my 356, bought in 2016), I am a dune buggy guy now. I have attended, all but three, Carlisle events since 1998 in club affiliation. NJ Replicar, SOC, and Dune Buggy Club. I met and have known Alan, Max and Toni, Paul Mossberg, etc. for decades.

The one thing that I noticed was how regimented the SOC events were. Holy smokes the work that Bruce/Norma/Gordon/Alan did to organize every facet of the weekend was second to none - thats hard to replicate year after year after year.

It was way more casual with NJ Replicar folks (yea, we had a banquet), but in the end it was about hanging out together whether on the showfield or “if we did have the same hotel” we would gather in someones room and tell stories, jokes and share a cooler of beer.

The dune buggy club and events are even more casual… Yes, it looks like we are organized, we do plan cruises and meals, but EVERYONE chips in. We start a Facebook page or a forum page and someone takes organization of something. Thursday night is pot luck night in the camp ground, everyone brings a dish - someone has tables, someone has meat, someone has side dishes, someone picks up plastic cutlery (we chip in a few dollars to someone that went overboard, etc), everyone shares.   So the burden isn't on one or two people coordinating everything - we are all interchangeable.

Friday we have a 2 to 3 hour cruise for anyone wanting to get away from the infield - a volunteer has mapped out Friday’s cruise and thats their role for the weekend.   Friday night is a BBQ night in the Band Stand at the top of the hill - that is always available to use for this weekend, a simple call to Carlisle events to get the ability to use that and they have always said ok.

We have a volunteer that coordinates Toys for Tots and our caravan to the Renault tent for pictures and drop-off. Saturday we have a longer cruise planned again (another person has ownership of that and maps that out). We do valve cover races (other folks coordinate that), but everything is optional. In the end we have multiple cruises mapped by someone different (we do a winery trip), that is mapped out by the wine guys. There are no actual schedules on where to be or what to do, but we do have a home base.   Folks know who to ask on what they want to do.

The one thing that I noticed of significant difference, the SOC home base hotel is far away from the fairgrounds - that creates a big divide between folks wanting to stay closer to the fairgrounds and those that want the comfort of the hotel area.  Maybe suggest to find a closer hotel (book it earlier) place if camping/RV living isn’t your thing, at least you could get back and forth quicker.    

Our home-base for us is a fire-pit onsite and rolling with flames every night regardless in spades.  It starts again in the morning for community breakfast. Everyone is welcome from any club. Hotdogs and Bratwurst and Egg Scrambles are always available (someone donates that each year). We go through 100+ hot dogs each weekend. But if you forgot to eat, or are short on cash, lonely because your club went somewhere you didn’t want to go, you can always stop by the fire-pit for a hot dog after 9pm or some early morning breakfast.    

We have offered in the past few years to host the Speedsters with the Buggies (yea I know we are different, but we are all VW based for the most part and yes we do have Subi powered buggies too this has never materialized, and it’s ok.

Buggy guys are just like Speedster guys in the end, we are all older, we do have a younger upstart crew getting into the hobby, and thats cool to see. If you are having a problem with your webers - guaranteed a buggy guy that has webers can help and/or probably has the same issues.

My suggestion is “yes, you can’t make everyone happy” - but “at least make your self happy and relaxed”; and if the Grumpster isn’t happy, thats on them and they will always be that way.

Carlisle is Carlisle and if you want to go, great, if not, don't; but if you like the guys and gals you hang out with, don't miss the opportunity to get together with each other - especially knowing that it's always the same weekend in May.  And you do have friends and colleagues with the same VW and Subaru headaches as you do just a few hundred yards away - these guys would love to poke at your Speedsters.

Andy

Guess I've only attended maybe 6 events.  Kudos to all that planned events - yeah, a lot of groundwork to make things happen.  Always enjoyed the raffle - "won" some cool useful stuff there (Groit buffer, cam/solid rockers, Gallo watercolor rpints (2!) .  Also like the T-shirts which again is a lot of work --- so you pick a design all like and then don't end up with boxes of small/medium unsold.  I still have the Cory designed tool bag with embroidery.  Have a great glass SOC beer mug too.  Greatest was meeting faces behind the posts on SOC. 

Sign up here ....Thanks for the Carlisle comments and with that said, I have not signed the event contract,  Let's have a head count by Sunday PM  2/12. Tell us here if you're going so I have an idea for a room block contract.