header.gif (12101 bytes) April / May 1998

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Smiles, smiles and wherever you look, more smiles ~ all the way around! There is no better way to describe this year's C5 Birthday Celebration at the National Corvette Museum in Bowling Green, Kentucky. The slightest memory brings a renewed smile to my face.

We have so-o-o many to thank ~ Chevrolet and the National Corvette Museum of course. Many members outdid themselves including John Vogt [C5R# W0053] who recorded video throughout the weekend; Bruce Cervany [C5R# W0020] whose great talk and demo on Shifter Rattle Fix was of special interest. Scott Jarvie [C5R# W0018] (Area Coordinator - Canada) and Bill Wolfe [C5R# W0309] (Area Coordinator - Midwest) and Bob Hardt [C5R# V0022] (C5 Registry NCM Ambassador) willingly and unselfishly assisted wherever and whenever needed. Check out Bill's Indy Pace Car Registry. You can access it at http://www.98indypace.com Other individuals including Michael H. Shaffer from the Y-Car Internet Magazine who along with his associates, Shane Reagan and Adam Boca, set up our super Road Tours. If you would like to drop him a note as to how much you enjoyed the Road Tours, please do through his Internet site http://www.y-car.com . Of course with Chevrolet's John Cafaro, Dave Hill, Jim Minneker, Wil Cooksey, Dave Wickman, Mike Rizzo and others on the Chevy Dream Team providing technical, professional and the all out really good time (could they have possibly signed one more hood or souvenir?) I know I am not alone in my feeling that this event has been the finest C5 Registry members' gathering to date! By the way, it can never hurt to tell Chevrolet how impressed as individuals we were. A short note to them (GM Corporation, 30001 Van Dyke Avenue, MC 480-210-252, Warren, MI, 48090-9020) will go a long way in securing their participation in future years. For those members able to attend, and there were 306 of us, based on the quantity and content of the e-mails, letters and faxes I have received, was a weekend long remembered.

I am always impressed by the camaraderie that develops among our members. To see friendships begin and others flourish beats breaking into the 12s in the quarter mile. I hope that we continue to keep up with each other. This really enables the Registry Spirit to thrive! I was glad to hear from Greg and Suzie Jackson [C5R# W0405] who are doing much better now. For those of you who don't know them, they were in their new (less than 500 miles) '98 C5 on their way to Saturday Night's Museum Dinner when they were hit by a drunk driver. Fortunately, they were not hurt but the C5 took quite a hit. They are not 'on-line' so members, if you wish to offer some words of encouragement, write to them at #7 Springside Drive, Cold Spring, KY, 41076-1935.

We have added a new feature ~ the C5 Net! It is our Internet Bulletin Board to which you may post a message for other members to read and respond. You must be a member to participate and directions are on our home page in the Members' Section: http://www.C5registry.com/Members/C5Net/C5Net.htm.   Presently we have over 155 participating with more logging on daily ~ we ask that you remember your manners when posting to the C5 Net. I believe that this feature that so many members have requested has the potential to become one of the most popular aspects of our C5 Registry. I would appreciate your thoughts as to adding a select few non-members such as Chevy engineers, people known for their technical knowledge of the C5 or even editors of various Corvette magazines to the C5 Net.

The success of the C5 Net is do in part to our splendid Webmaster Frank Smith. (Frank is also the guy who kept everyone who was unable to attend the Birthday Bash informed with his spectacular updates during the event.) The hits the site received especially during that period were nothing short of phenomenal! Richard Newton, editor of Corvette Fever, said our updates definitely broke new ground in the coverage of Corvette events.

As we grow, other sections of our web page will also become 'For Members Only'. For instance with 'Hot News' we will be able to cover more sensitive subject matters for our members than we are now able to do on our open pages.

We have a number of events coming up for our C5 Summer ~ such as Corvettes at Carlisle, Route 66 – America's Corvette Show, and the NCM for their big '98 Labor Day event and the unveiling of the '99 Fixed Roof Coupe. (This also will be the Official C5 Registry's First Birthday and we have some very special surprises in store for those members who attend.) In October, we will be the featured group at the Eckler's Family Reunion.

The Dash Plaques for the Birthday Bash were such a hit that we would like to continue providing specially designed ones for our members attending a specified Dash Plaque Event. Watch for these announcements and make your reservations! Many of you caravan to shows together. Others of you may have considered trying this great way to travel to a C5 event. Andrew and Bethany Roderick of the tri-state area of the Ohio Valley (WV,KY,OH) are spearheading a group to go to Bloomington and welcome any other members who may wish to join them. You can contact the Rodericks (day 304-697-0289 or night 740-886-7818) to let them know.

Now for something else that is in the works here at the C5 Registry. We would like to have an event for our West Coast members and possibly one for those in the Southwest. We are in the preliminary planning phase, so please, members on the 'Left Coast' share any ideas or comments with us.

The order time for 99s is here! If you are getting one and will be trading your '97 or '98 C5 be sure and let us know here at the Registry so we can send you a new decal and record your VIN, Job # and Options. We are planning a Buy/Sell Section in our Newsletter and on the Internet. This would provide members with a place to advertise their C5s and even possibly accessories that they have for sale. We are also considering including our Member Dealers so that they may post their available inventory of new and used C5s. (Hey, sooner or later supply has to catch demand!)

A final thought before I close ~ I get a lot of questions every day from the Internet. I like to respond to members first and then as time permits reply to non-members; so however you contact us, include your membership number to guarantee a speedy reply! Also there is the misconception that you must own a C5 to belong to this Registry. NOT SO! About 20% of our members do not own a C5 at the present time (some are waiting for delivery ~ others are in the 'planning to purchase' stage). The reason they join is to be able to make a more informed buying decision. My philosophy is, Join the fun ~ Join the C5 Registry NOW!

Until next time, in the words of Dave Hill, "Miles of Smiles" … C5Ya! Dan

 

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