Fiat Run After the French Italian Car Show

[So Cal Mark]

why don't you come on down?

[deriley]

Oh, let see. Time & $$, both in short supply lately. lol
Maybe next year!

[TVST*R]

Yellow Font=Bad!
T

The plan is to arrive at LAX on Sat. about 5. Bob Dezzany, ICF Weekend Chairman, will be traveling with me. We hope to meet up with Merkle that evening.

We plan to be at Best of F & I early on Sunday. We will have a rental car but if anyone needs help shuffling a car Bob & I are at the ready. And we will catch the late flight out of LAX so we should be at the show most if not all of the day.

Naturally, I look forward to meeting Mark and Daniel while there. My cell is (817) 521-4400 and I will have it with me.

-Jerry Lee Phillips
Pres. - Italian Car Club of the Southwest (formerly the Fiat Club of North Texas) organizers of ItalianCarFest Weekend

PS - Thomas, here is the scoop on the Best Spider Challenge:

We have invited the 4 premier Fiat clubs to participate in answering the simple question: Of the cars produced between 1967 and 1985 ½ as the Fiat 124/Fiat Spider 2000/Pininfarina Spider Azzura, which one of the surviving cars is best?

To find the answer, each of these great clubs- FIAT America, Fiat Enthusiasts Northwest, Fiat-Lancia Unlimited and Fiats of So. Cal.- has graciously accepted the challenge. Each will host separate events around the country to find a car that their club will designate as their Best Spider. And those 4 cars will come to ItalianCarFest in Sept. 2007 to compete for the title ‘North American Champion’.

Each of the 4 contenders will receive:

· 2 ICF reception tickets
· A room Fri. night at the opulent Gaylord Texan Resort.
· Entry in Saturday's show in a special area for the challengers
· 2 tickets for Sat. evening- dinner, silent auction for charity
· A room Sat. night
· 2 for Sun. brunch

In addition to bragging rights, that owner will win:

· A fabulous Blenko Art Glass trophy worth at least $500
· $500+ IN CASH.

Each Fiat club will be identified with prominent signage by their entry at ICF ‘07. And the club that sends the car winning the North American championship will receive a special accolade.

So, Thomas, get out your wax and prepare your car! The Best Spider Challenge ’07 has begun!

[fiatS2000]

PS - Thomas, here is the scoop on the Best Spider Challenge:

We have invited the 4 premier Fiat clubs to participate in answering the simple question: Of the cars produced between 1967 and 1985 ½ as the Fiat 124/Fiat Spider 2000/Pininfarina Spider Azzura, which one of the surviving cars is best?

To find the answer, each of these great clubs- FIAT America, Fiat Enthusiasts Northwest, Fiat-Lancia Unlimited and Fiats of So. Cal.- has graciously accepted the challenge. Each will host separate events around the country to find a car that their club will designate as their Best Spider. And those 4 cars will come to ItalianCarFest in Sept. 2007 to compete for the title ‘North American Champion’.

Each of the 4 contenders will receive:

· 2 ICF reception tickets
· A room Fri. night at the opulent Gaylord Texan Resort.
· Entry in Saturday's show in a special area for the challengers
· 2 tickets for Sat. evening- dinner, silent auction for charity
· A room Sat. night
· 2 for Sun. brunch

In addition to bragging rights, that owner will win:

· A fabulous Blenko Art Glass trophy worth at least $500
· $500+ IN CASH.

Each Fiat club will be identified with prominent signage by their entry at ICF ‘07. And the club that sends the car winning the North American championship will receive a special accolade.

So, Thomas, get out your wax and prepare your car! The Best Spider Challenge ’07 has begun!

Can we get more info on the challenge? Like who can enter, when is the deadline to enter, does the car need to be in stock form or can it be modified, does it need to to be ALL italian or could it have a different powerplant...etc. Is Fiats of SoCal picking a car at the Best of France and Italy car show or are they going to have a separate event to choose the car? I hope it will be a separate event since there wasn't much of a notice of the challenge.

[mdrburchette]

Jerry, will there be 4 cars from each club picked or are you going to designate which club picks a certain year model (time period)? It would be great to be there next year just to see who wins!

[cecat]

Jerry, where do I pick up the plane tickets, how would the car be transported, and where would i pick it up in Texas.







Just Kidding,

George

[bandit]

I am not trying to answer any thing for Jerry he will speak for
him self and his Club but from what we talked about he was
looking for Clubs to enter the best Spider they had to offer
and the Car that was to Enter the Contest would be showing
for the Club it came from !
It seems like a great offer if only my spider was in show
condition

Daniel

[bandit]

If only we could get George to Enter for us I'll willing to sponsor
him !!!

Daniel

[mdrburchette]

That is a sharp car, George! Love the color. Where's your grille emblem?

[So Cal Mark]

the perfect grille for one of my new emblems!

[cecat]

Thanks Daniel, I thinks from all the cars i've seen in the area, my vote is for Alvon, he has the best all around look, period parts, and the fastest. I hope he enters his car.

Mark, bring your emblems to the park, like to check them out.

George

[bandit]

I don't know i think that Yellow is amazing on your car it really
stands out ! I was going to build a Red Spider some where
down the road but now Yellow might be the color of choice !!!


Daniel

[ventura ace]

Thanks George. I think we would all agree that our cars are the good condition that they are mainly due to the mutual help from each other, from the clubs that we form, and from the Fiat enthusiast web sites, and of course the help from the Fiat Vendors and devoted mechanics like Mark Allison. For the most part, we each have limited skills on the know-how of restoration, overhaul, customization, etc., but we get ideas and tips from each other on how to make the best of our aging cars. So, here's to all of you that have inspired me to keep the ol' girl purring -- I can't begin to list all the names, there are so many that I'd be afraid of slighting someone that I may forget!!

As far as colors go, I do like the red, but I agree with Dan that I love to see these beautiful cars in other gorgeous colors. The Ferrari yellow on George's is outstanding, and I'm really partial to the mustard yellow color on Gary Poage's car (a '69 with original paint!!). Denise's burgandy is really cool. The Green like Mark's and Rey's cars is another one I like. It's quite a treat to see them all together. We'll have to get a good picture of the variety of colors on Sunday.

George, Daniel, Ceasar: What's a good place close by there (Woodley Park) to meet up for some coffee and breakfast, say around 7:00 or so? Hess (3rdX from the Mira Forum) would like to meet us early. He plans to bring some choice parts for sale, and could probably use some help in unloading and setting up early in the morning.

alvon

[ICF]

Thanks for the great interest for the ‘Best Spider Challenge’ (BSC). Here are answers to your questions and others that have come up:

Q: What is the purpose of the Best Spider Challenge?

A: To promote the cars produced between 1967 and 1985 ½ as the Fiat 124 Spider/Fiat Spider 2000/Pininfarina Spider Azzura.

Q: Will there be 4 cars from each club picked?

A: No, each club (FA, FEN, FLU & FSC) picks only one car to compete in the final round at ItalianCarFest, Sept. 22, ’07 near Dallas.

Q: Are you going to designate which club picks a certain year model (time period)?

A: No. That would be great means to come up with a representation of all the variations of the Spider. In this case, that is not what we are after. Our goal is to generate maximum attention for our favorite cars. We see the best way to do that is to create a competition.

And to make this a broad competition we have not restricted entries to any specific models within the group.

Q: What is the role of the 4 FIAT clubs?

A: It will be up to each club to pick their contender using whatever criteria they detail. Each club is aware how the eventual North American Champion will be selected in the final round at ItalianCarFest ‘07.

Q: How how is that?

A: Subjectively, by a vote of entrants at ItalianCarFest ’07.

Q: Who can enter?

A: The 4 FIAT clubs are each having events to pick their contender. Your car will have to be selected at one of these events to compete.

Q: What’s in it for the clubs?

A: Plenty. Each club can use their competitions to boost attendance and membership. Each club will be recognized in ICF advertising that specifically promotes the BSC. Each club may get additional publicity from write-ups like the one on p. 14 in Nov. issue of Hemming’s Sports and Exotic Car Magazine. Each club will have signage beside their entry at ItalianCarFest.

Q: When is the deadline to enter?

A: That’s for the each FIAT club to decide for their events.

Q: Does the car need to be in stock form or can it be modified?

A: Great question. This project does not require concours judging.

Q: Is FSC picking a car at the Best of France and Italy car show?

A: Yes. Although this may seem early, this actually works out well. It will create an initial benchmark for others to consider. And in keeping with the goal of this project, that contender and that contender's great car can be publicized to promote the entire project.

Please keep in mind our goal: To promote the cars produced between 1967 and 1985 ½ as the Fiat 124 Spider/Fiat Spider 2000/Pininfarina Spider Azzura.
-Jerry
817 521-4400

[fiatS2000]

I still dont completely understand. FSC is nothing more than 7-10 people who used to get together every other month for a total of about 6 months after the BF&I last year. The club hasn't been active for about half a year. I haven't been able to find the website in months. I cant find a link to it on any of the fiat forums(FS.com, FC.com, Mira, or FLU). There is problably just as many people in the San Diego fiat club as there are(were) in FSC. I have a problem with just 7 people (Mark Allison, Daniel, Alvon Elrod, Rey Flores, George, Cesare Consaga and myself) picking the 124 spider that is going to represent Southern California. The other problem I have is that this post is the first I have heard of this challenge. It would have been nice to have had a few months notice. I also don't see why we are picking a car a full year in advance of the actual challange. Why not give everyone a chance to enter their spiders.

edit:
Another question. If FSC has nothing to do with the BF&I other than some of the members will be attending, why has this event been chosen to pick the car? Will this actually be a people's choice, where the general attending public will pick the car?