Membership Subscription Question

[ejmsvo]

I Recently ( January 20, 2011 ) Joined MCA -

On 12 Feb I Received the MCA Card after I posted a note on the MCA web site indicating that nothing had been sent to verify membership.

In less than two weeks it will be two months since I joined.

I just spent another $90 to register my SVO for the upcoming "Mustangs at the Beach" to be held on LI NY in June 2011. Which was the principal reason that I joined MCA

Confirmation of our registration has been to us and we look forward to the event.

Next Question is:

When does the Subscription to Club Magazine Begin ?

EJSVO

[Seldoon]

When does the Subscription to Club Magazine Begin ?EJSVO

I hate to say it but to me the magazine isn't that exciting. Guess I somehow expected more useful stuff. Seems to really be very oriented to the much older cars.

[ejmsvo]

Seldoon:

Thanks for the "heads Up" as to content. I am trying to keep an "open mind" as to MCA and what to expect. Having been an original member of the SAAC, and still am despite having sold my 1967 GT350 last year after 35 years of ownership, I watched that organization go through it's growth and various issues over that same period of time. So perhaps based on that experience I am willing to see where things go here. So far I am not very impressed with what I thought was a mature Enthusiasts club. But again I will give it a year and see what happens.

[FastDad]

My feelings exactly. I keep waiting for "how-to" articles. I read the racer's column, but so far there's been no hard info conveyed there. Just vague concepts. Most of the feature cars seem to be owned by "checkbook restorers" (people who write a check and hire someone to do the work), rather than hands-on folks. Don't get me wrong; it's glossy, it's pretty, but there's nothing really that holds my interest for longer than the time it takes to page through it. There's nothing to save for future reference. I would contrast it with my subscription to Grassroots Motorsports. Tons of "how-to" articles, whether it's "how to prep your car for painting" or "how to get starting running track events". I keep those magazines for reference. I constantly refer back to old issues.

I really wish MCA would offer an option to receive the magazine online or as an emailed PDF because for me it's typically in the trash within a week of receiving it in the mail.

[Seldoon]

The magazine usually takes me about 15 minutes to page through. Even the ads aren't very interesting. Seems to me the ads are mostly people catering to vintage cars selling parts to do restores. And no offense intended but the BB doesn't seem that lively. I see old posts sit and sit forever as there don't seem to be any new posts to displace them. And the board constantly seems to have some problem or other like often I can't get to click on the area that should read new posts. And if I move the cursor out of the reply block then the block seems to go wild. So the magazine seems to be a dissapointment as well as the BB. I admit I have yet to try and attend a local Mustang owners meeting so maybe that would be better but they apparently only meet every other month. I own a 2011 Shelby and find the free Shelby BB to be more livlier and better run though I guess if you don't own a Shelby it would be a lot less interesting though it is STILL about Mustangs and also has many other side issues. I got a big kick out of a poster there knocking my Indy-cator gear shift knob by saying he would install such a shift knob at the same time that he put curb feelers on his car. So then I kidded him by saying that I was thinking about installed some curb feelers and wonderd how his worked. Then someone said they too wanted curb feelers and maybe we could do a mass buy of curb feelers for the group. Good humor. Of course the main use of curb feelers was for the old days of white side wall tires when if you hit the curb you had a big black spot so to avoid the curb you installed curb feelers.

[probkauz]

The way to make the magazine better, guys, is to suggest what you would like to see in it. Remember, it is a magazine about the MCA, for the MCA, and not a magazine geared to Mustangs alone. It contains regional club schedules and info, articles on club members rides, etc. Feel free to add your input to the Editor, her email is on the site, or in your magazine. I'm sure she would welcome constructive input as to what you, as a member, would like to see in the monthly issues. This is how a club grows and improves, with suggestions and the action taken by members to put them in motion.

[FastDad]

I admit I have yet to try and attend a local Mustang owners meeting so maybe that would be better but they apparently only meet every other month.

The next general meeting of the National Capital Region Mustang Club is at 7:30pm on Wednesday, April 20 at the JukeBox Diner @ 7039 Columbia Pike, Annandale, VA.
There is our Annual Spring Show at Cowles Ford in Woodbridge on May 7.

The website is at www.ncrmc.org

Come on out, we'd love to see you. We have old and new Mustangs.

[ejmsvo]

The way to make the magazine better, guys, is to suggest what you would like to see in it. Remember, it is a magazine about the MCA, for the MCA, and not a magazine geared to Mustangs alone. It contains regional club schedules and info, articles on club members rides, etc. Feel free to add your input to the Editor, her email is on the site, or in your magazine. I'm sure she would welcome constructive input as to what you, as a member, would like to see in the monthly issues. This is how a club grows and improves, with suggestions and the action taken by members to put them in motion.

Probkauz:

I agree as to member input with regard to the MCA Magazine content improvement. But that said in order for me to determine what I might recommend I still need to receive the magazine. Which was my original point.

Perhaps my initial MCA Magazine input suggestion would be to please find a way to get new club members an issue in under Two Months from the time they joined the club. I believe that is a reasonable initial request.

[Seldoon]

The way to make the magazine better, guys, is to suggest what you would like to see in it. Remember, it is a magazine about the MCA, for the MCA, and not a magazine geared to Mustangs alone. It contains regional club schedules and info, articles on club members rides, etc. Feel free to add your input to the Editor, her email is on the site, or in your magazine. I'm sure she would welcome constructive input as to what you, as a member, would like to see in the monthly issues. This is how a club grows and improves, with suggestions and the action taken by members to put them in motion.

Well unfortunately it is often easier to say what you don't like than what you do like. Similar to going into a mens clothing store and not knowing what you really want but 'you will know it when you see it'. So likewise I'm not sure what to say I want but I'll know it when I see it. As I think about it I guess I do like road trip suggestions though I can get more interested in those when they are closer to my area. Like a road trip through Skyline drive or down the Blue Ridge parkway. Or some articles on the sound pipe in the Mustang GT, why it is there, how to disconnect it or enhance it. Something on the skip shift feature in the Mustang GT and how to disable it. Maybe something in each issue on the old cars as well as the new cars. I can't really generate much interest in the articles on Mustang owners and why bought the Mustang and their pictures. Not unless it tells how they upgraded their ride with twin turbochargers or something. Maybe some electronic stuff on radar detectors, infrared viewers, red light camera avoidence systems, license plate blockers for red light cameras. Back-up cameras. Laser jammers, etc. Something about how to clean convertible tops, especially white ones. Detailing a car. I found a video on detailing a car one time that blew me away. The guy used two buckets, one with the detergent and one to rinse the sponge so you didn't wash the car and then put the dirt back into the bucket with the suds. And in the bottom of each bucket was a grid, to allow the dirt to settle to the bottom but where you couldn't pick it up with the sponge. They had special vacs, special brushes for cleaning wheels. They even cleaned the rear part of each wheel with the special brushes. It just blew me away. All this stuff that I had never even thought of or dreamed of. I should have marked that video though if I try hard I could probably find it again. Anyway stuff like that. Useful things, things to save the magazine for.
For me anyway, I am not into the shows and the judging but am probably in the minority. I guess I would like to go to the shows but would never enter. I would like the watch the judging and see how you win or lose but would not want to be a judge. Just saying what MY interests are not knocking anyone!! Maybe some articles on the future Mustangs. I guess I am not interested in Rousch or Saleen much as to me all they seem to do is stick their name all over cars and then charge you more money for the display of their name. But there may be some special Ford Mustang makers who DO something special, worth of an article. Something on methanol injection. Maybe accessories for your car, rain sensing wipers, shaker wiper blades, skip shift eleminators, Indy-cator, TPMS, under the hood dress-up, etc. Just some of my ideas, probably not very good ones but easier always to say that I'll know something good when I see it.

[probkauz]

These are all good suggestions, there is no such thing as a stupid question, same with suggestions. I would hesitate to include things such as laser jammers or license plate blockers, red light jammers, because in many places those are illegal. But many of your other suggestions could be valid.

As for the receiving of the first issue, or any issue, if you are having a problem, please contact the Editor or call the 800 number on the website. When my car was featured in the magazine in APril 2009, I simply called and they sent it right out.