Bury Me in An Old MOWOG Parts Box - Creative Juices
By Jay Lockrow
My column “In the Still of the Night” raised a few people from their sleep trying to figure out what I was talking about. Seems there are people out there with no sense of humor or can’t figure out things that have double meaning. Anyway, there are a few more like that in the list. For example the sheep-herders song “There will never be another you (EWE), or the groundhog’s song, “Me and My Shadow” and of course the old favorite the photographer’s song “Someday my prince (PRINTS) will come. These were thought up sometime when we had the type of job where we could talk about such things without distraction. We were imaginative and clever and we had a lot of fun.
This brings us to the subject of the hour. That of being imaginative and clever without overdoing it. First of all when putting together some sort of activity for a club event that isn’t a black tie, or formal affair why not have a little fun with it. Most of us have gone to car shows by the dozens and more than once about halfway through the afternoon before the awards I myself get a bit restless. Why not something to do? For example in the entry envelope why not put some sort of automotive game someone could pursue while waiting. How about the alphabet and for each letter name a car. Or a crossword puzzle about automobiles or makers? Still better how about some different type of prizes. Preservation prizes are now popular or how about a prize for the car with the best presentation? Best picnic, the car we would all like to take home, dirtiest car, car most in need of restoration. Something a little off the wall and not so serious. We are there to have fun so let’s have a little.
So now we have cheered up the car show a little how about those runs to different places? Do you have a recent copy of the Moss catalogue? Inside the back page there is a contest called the Moss Motoring Challenge. This is a challenge from Moss and believe me reading the rules etc. it would be something to get all the categories. There is again the alphabet, this time you have to find a location for each letter and take a picture of your car in front of a sign that has that location on it. For example the letter “A” you could use Akron, NY and a sign on the town hall or “Welcome to Akron” sign. You are also required to have your cars picture taken in front of a helicopter, pink Cadillac, ice cream truck, caboose and several other fun things. There is also a list for State and National parks and others. Basically it is a sort of scavenger hunt with a car and camera. Very different but it could be much smaller with say six or eight places or things. Moss runs his I believe for the whole season.
Rallies! Remember the time, speed and distance rallies where you spent the whole afternoon in the car doing your math? I gave up on those years ago because they were no longer fun. The guy with a brain like a Univac always came in the winner anyway. What I did like were some of the little inter club rallies that were say an hour and a half to two hours long and had a “FUN” theme. One I went on once was a takeoff on the old TV series “The Addams Family” and everyone was dressed in black and there were references to Uncle Fester, Morticia and you had to do things like count cemeteries and unusual headstones and possibly funeral homes. Another had a jumble word arrangement. All the road names were jumbled and you were told to turn right on ( WOTORSOR), you had to un-juggle it to read STORROW.
All right I will get off my soapbox now but I hope I have given a few ideas. Here is one last one. For a good number of years the SCCA had what was known as the “Vintage Tour.” This seems to have fallen through the cracks in the floor. Someone creative could revive this and give it another go. Lots of Vintage cars out there who wants to give it a go? Not too long and limited to just vintage cars.