Tag Archives: adventure

2015 Hagerty Spring Thaw Entry Forms!

Ball drops, champaign and a list of resolutions…who cares!?! The best part of every New Year is the opening of entries for the Hagerty Spring Thaw Classic Car Adventure! We might be a little bit biased, but the crowd of folks who drive up to our office each year suggests we aren’t the only ones thinking the same thing.

Before we release you to the entry forms, you might be interested to hear we’ve been hard at work all Fall planning the Hagerty Spring Thaw. This year’s version will combine many of your favourite things, along with a few new changes which are sure to excite you. “Changes,” you say, “you can’t change it!?!”  Well, lets not panic too early! We’re not tossing out the carburetors for fuel-injection, or opening the entry list to 1990 Cavaliers. But we are, for starters, changing our sweep team. Our regular guests on the Hagerty Spring Thaw are all familiar with Nigel and Yoki, who have for years followed our event ensuring each and everyone of our guests has made it to hotel in the evening. Nigel is one of the most passionate classic car enthusiasts we know of, but he’s only ever experienced the Hagerty Spring Thaw from the very back of the pack. Wouldn’t it be great to have him running ‘in the pack’ with the rest of us?

Fortunately some great friends have also wanted to give Nigel and Yoki a chance to experience more of the Spring Thaw for themselves. Robert and Jacyln, from RWM & Co. had so much fun joining us as sweep at the Fall Freeze, they asked if they could do the same for the Hagerty Spring Thaw. We couldn’t be more delighted! Robert has done more than a few road-side repairs for guests in previous Spring Thaws, and having a classic car restoration specialist at the back of the event is never a bad thing! Hagerty Collector Car Insurance will continue to offer the roadside assistance package should a breakdown be terminal, but RWM & Co. will be offering their assistance to help you repair your car and avoid the dreaded flat-deck. If you’re at all concerned about the need for our sweep protection, it might be wise to book your car in with RWM & Co. for a pre-Thaw inspection?  For more info about the shop, and photos of current projects, visit their facebook page here.

Hopefully you’ll agree with us that our “big changes” for 2015 are a great idea, and will only change the event for the better. We’ve been very careful to stick to our recipe of Great Roads, Great Cars and Great People. Speaking of which, we should mention Dave Koszegi and Mid-Island Realty. Dave Koszegi (Dave K) is always the first person to approach us about supporting the Spring Thaw each year. As we sit writing this, it seems to us that it was at registration for the 2014 event that Dave K smiled his traditional huge smile and confirmed “we’re doing this again next year, right?!” Mid-Island Realty loads up our prize table each year like it’s a Christmas Tree for the whole event, helps to fill your schwag bag with items you really want to keep and use, and (most importantly) reminds us often how excited everyone is for another year of adventures. Whether you’re looking for a home on the island, or elsewhere, it would be wise to call up Dave Koszegi. Mention you’re a participant of the Hagerty Spring Thaw and he’ll make sure you’re well taken care of.

But wait! We’re not done yet. We have one more change we think you’re going to like, especially if you live in Seattle or Portland.

For the past few years it’s been quite popular for Vancouver-area entrants to drive their entry form up to the Classic Car Adventures office in Squamish. So popular, in fact, that we’ve had to implement a new rule where you are only allowed to drop off your personal entry, and one other. This rule was put in place to allow our friends south of the border time for their couriered entries to arrive. New for 2015 we’re also going to have a drop-off option in Seattle, and one in Portland! The time frame for each drop off is a little truncated, but if you’re able to meet-up with Warwick at either location it will save the stress of tracking your entry form via Fed-Ex! Warwick will be waiting for you at the following times and locations:

Friday, Jan 2nd
3:00pm to 4:00pm
Starbucks Coffee, Capitol Hill
1600 East Olive Way
Seattle, WA
98102

Saturday, Jan 3rd
12:00 noon to 1:00pm
Trackside Motorsports
8131 N Interstate Ave
Portland, OR
97217

…and finally, HERE are the 2015 Hagerty Spring Thaw Entry Forms!

Road Exploration – Join the fun!

I’ve been living in BC for about nine and a half years now, and have had the pleasure of driving many of the great roads in this province. Between our own Classic Car Adventures’ events, coaching Mountain Biking or rallying with the West Coast Rally Association…I sometimes feel like I’ve seen it all. I’ve been as far North as Smithers, all the way to Tofino and as far East as the Alberta border. I once tried to highlight all the roads I’ve driven on a Provincial map, but it simply ended up soggy with ink and unreadible. Despite all of this, there are still roads untraveled…and it’s driving me crazy!

R2GB_2012_0277prep_WEBSome of my “must try” roads are going to require a significant amount of pre-planning. I’ve always wanted to drive to the Yukon, why? Just to say I’ve done it. I’ve heard the road to Bella Coola and back is incredible…but that’s not exactly a day trip from Squamish. My ultimate adventure is a story for another time, but lets just say I haven’t tried it yet for fear of having to leave a Beetle buried deep, VERY deep, in the BC backwoods. So while some of the roads on my list are perhaps overly adventurous, some are just a morning away.

Case in point: The Highline.

HighlineRoad

This potential gem links the community of D’arcy (North of Pemberton) with Seton Portage, a community about 25km West of Lillooet. Officially named “The Douglas Trail Road”, it was finally ruled a Provincial Highway in a court decision back in Feb 2013.  I’ve been paying close attention over the years on Motorcycle forums, to figure out when the best time to try the road is, and this is the year! From the un-confirmed reports I’ve read, the road is quite a bit better than previous years, smoother then the Hurley, and should be doable in a classic car. Since adventures such as this one are more fun, and safer, with friends…I’m inviting you along!

Vehicle Eligability
I’m bringing my classic car, but feel free to bring your modern day vehicle if you like. I already know we’ve got a Ford Focus & an approaching-classic Honda along for the trip. I think we can be open to Adventure bikes as well, but would like to discuss mixing cars and bikes with the riders first to ensure we’re as safe as possible.

Important Note:
Please note that this is not an official CCA event, but just a group of friends getting together for some back country road exploration. There will be no sweep, and instructions will be a sheet of Google Map directions (if Dave remembers to print them off).

Packing List
If you’re planning on attending, you’d be nuts not to have the following with you:

  • Warning Triangle (30cm reflective sides)
  • Tow Strap
  • Spare Tire (I don’t recommend a space saver spare, at the very least throw a full size one in the trunk)
  • Tool Kit
  • Basic spares
  • Minimum 2 Gal spare gas tank.

When
 – Saturday June 14th, email the link below for timing and schedule.

Lastly, to ensure that we don’t leave without you. Please email Dave to confirm you’ll be meeting in Squamish at the North Petro Canada on Saturday morning.

  1. Dave Hord – 1979 VW 1302s
  2. John Hinde – Ford Focus Wagon
  3. Tony Latham – Honda Civic Rally Car
  4. Jos Van Berckel  – BMW 1200 Adventure Bike
  5. Regien Van Berckel  – BMW 1200 Adventure Bike
  6. Mark and Jeff Dykstra – Ford Cortina or Dodge Dakota

 

R2GB_2012__0150prep_WEB

 

 

 

The Porsche from the Winter of 53

This morning, while recovering from Jet-Lag, I figured a little catch-up around the internet would be a great idea. Following the jump, you’ll see a fantastic video about the daily use of a ’53 Porsche 356. True, snow and classics might not be for everyone, but the owner sure makes some valid arguments about driving the car year round. While you may not be ready to order a set of European studs for your classic, the video is at the very least inspiration for all of us who feel locking up a classic is a crime. Take the time to view (4.5min), and then head out for a quick evening spin in your classic.

-Dave

Video created by Will Rogge (http://www.willroegge.com/blog/), and originally featured on Speedhunters.com

Win an 2014 Hagerty Spring Thaw Classic Entry!

Hagerty_CCI_black_registered

As the presenting sponsor, Hagerty Classic Car Insurance has secured the No. 2 entry spot for our 2014 event. Starting today, your opportunity to win this spot has opened up! For further details, and to enter the free contest, simply visit this link for all the details: http://www.hagerty.ca/Articles-Videos/Articles/2014/02/20/Spring-Thaw-Rally

Vancouver Open House

Lets be honest, you can’t really complain about the warm sunny winter we’ve been having here in Vancouver. But for many of us, the Classic Cars are tucked away in storage, insurance policies dropped to Storage-Only, and we’re feeling the withdrawl from our Classic Car Adventures. While hosting all our friends who brought their Spring Thaw entry forms up to Squamish, we couldn’t help but think of how much fun it would be to get a group together. With in minutes we had an offer to use RWM&Co’s shop, and it was a perfect opportunity to launch the Valdy 911 Project.

RWM&Co

Over the course of four hours we had between 175 and 200 of our closest car-nut friends drop by for a visit. In addition to the incredible cars being worked on inside the shop, the road and parking area outside was better then a televised Vehicle Auction. There were Triumphs, Porsches, Rovers, Volkswagens, Ferraris, Aston Martins and more. At times I think the crowd checking out the cars outside was bigger then the group inside. But most incredible was the diversity amongst the group. We saw lots of old friends, and made plenty of new ones.

DJH_6402

Also in attendance was Brendon McAleer from the Vancouver Sun & Province. He’s written a great article on the event, which you can find on the Drive.ca website. The beginning of the article may make it seem like our events are races, but CCA events are not a competition and there are systems in place to deter over exuberant participants. Ask any past participant about our yellow card system!

PhotogBrendanMcAleer

Center stage for the event was Dave Koszegi’s ‘new’ Porsche 912. Originally purchased for it’s motor, upon picking it up Dave discovered it has a history unique to B.C. We originally teased the idea of a Classic Car Adventures Restoration during the Fall Freeze, guests on the event were the first to see the car up close. Over the next two years Dave is going to have the 912 restored to its original glory, using shops and experts he’s met on CCA events like The Spring Thaw. You’ll be able to follow the whole process right here on the CCA website.

DJH_6407

Jellybean Autocrafters Fall Colors Tour

Another new must-try event has been announced for the 2010 season. Inspired by the Spring Thaw, Jellybean Autocrafters will be hosting their Fall Colors tour October 1st-3rd. The event is 3 days and will take you on an 1100 kilometer journey, highlighting some of British Columbia’s nicest roads. Your hosts are Ewald and Kurt Penner, owners of Jellybean. The entry fee includes two nights hotel, gala dinner and a lunch…but the best part of this event doesn’t end with planning. The real gem is going to be the participants.

If you’re a regular here at Classic Car Adventures, you’re probably someone who appreciates more then just one marque or era. Jellybean shares that attitude, and are open to a wide variety of entrants. If you’ve got a classic, vintage, hot rod or car of interest, you’re in! Vehicles earlier then 1979 are the primary interest, but they’re also accepting limited entries from 1980 to 1986. If you’re into driving, this Fall event is definitely one to check out! See the Jellybean website for more details.