North American Clunker Rally Association

Don't blame me, I didn't name it, seems there's a great opportunity for a pun in there.

Anyway the NMNA statement. This is NOT my organization. But I do have a vested interest in their success. As you know my wife and I operate Asphault Adventures along with other event planning businesses. We took over for the BABE rally when it went away and have had some great clunker car events. But we really didn't want to get into the event ownership business. We are a service provider. So when we announced that we would no longer be putting on the events for ourselves the hardcore memebers of the clunker rallying groups banded together under the leadership of Gary Leib to form an association to group together and contract our services for future rallies.

If the idea of driving across country on epic adventures with like minded weirdos appeals to you I encourage you to check them out. Currently they only have a FB presence but hopefully they'll be able to expand that soon.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/999789513394806/

They are currently discussing a reverse BABE rally (New Orleans to New York) for next year and are also trying to get interest behind my own terrible ideas for Beetleball (cannon ball run, NY to LA in aircooled VWs)and a TRABI style event (blind buy limited prep time and budget clunker rally)

Oh, looks like the group itself is public so anyone should be able to see it. I don't know if you need an invite to join but if you do just holler at me and I should be able to invite you or ask Gary to do so.

Beetleball sounds awesome

captdownshift wrote: Beetleball sounds awesome

Get in touch with those guys then. I'm a service provider, if they come to me and say we want to do Beetleball, I'll do beetleball. If they say we want to drive around camden NJ in rainbow colored miatas, we'll do that.

And I can't take credit for Beetleball. Another group had planned that event in 2012, unfortunately they never actually did it. I was signed up for it and I REALLY want to do it so if there's enough teams to do it it will get done.

And unlike most of our other events Beetleball (if I get a say in it, client is king) is not a scavenger hunt rally, its straight up cannonball, fastest time coast to coast with the caveat being STOCK aircooled VWs You can't break too many laws in a stock VW anymore.

If you ever do a One Lap-style thing, but with autocross instead of tracks, and land yachts instead of race cars, I'm in.

In reply to JThw8:

I was hoping to cheat with a 912

Having read many adventures on things like the Mongo rally and other European banger rallies I'd love to do one one day. Not keen on the idea of Air Cooled VW's only, or blind buy. I've got my crappy Saab 900 which is definitly in the spirit of banger rallies.

I've been jonesing to some kind of adventure rally since reading this.

It covers both banger rallies and road rallying (high speed TSD"s on open roads).

I feel the Alcan is in my (probably retired) future. Some kind of coast to coast or BABE is very tempting.

G_Body_Man wrote: If you ever do a One Lap-style thing, but with autocross instead of tracks, and land yachts instead of race cars, I'm in.

That's the point here. I dont "do" anything. If we are approached by this group, or any other group that says "hey, I want to do a one lap style thing but with autocross instead of tracks and land yachts instead of race cars" we'll put on the event. You bring us the idea and the teams we'll take care of the rest. Or work with NACRA to build out that idea, that's their goal, to bring people together to plan these type of events.

Adrian, BABE and the AA rallies are European Banger rallying in the US. Everyone calls it European but the Europeans brought it to the US over 15 years ago, just no one paid attention. That is what NACRA is all about, to get people to pay attention and to hopefully expand what is known in Europe as banger rallying in the US.

Th problem with a true coast to coast "BABE" or any event of this style is the time. BABE started as a 4 day rally and became a 5 day rally. AA continuted with 5 day rallies but most people have trouble finding the time for it. Or at least that's the excuse all the "next year" people like to give

eh...berkeleyit.... I was trying to NOT make this a sales pitch because I'd rather everyone go check out NACRA and see what they are up to so I'll leave it with this and we can do a separate thread or you can just email me.

If you ever said "I'd like to do a rally where we {insert your flavor of awesome here} and I got buddies that would do that too" but you dont know how to make it happen. Asphault Adventures will make it happen, you bring us the idea and we'll tell you how many teams you need and at what cost to pull it off. Then you go get the teams and we'll set you up the killer event you always wanted.

That's what NACRA is doing. They want to continue to do US Banger Rallies (but the non brits dont know banger so they call them clunkers) so they are getting together the teams to participate and have asked AA to quote what it will cost. They may choose another provider or we may be involved. But more than the business I personally love banger rallying so I support them because I may just want to be a team on one of their events :)

YEah, I get the time comitment thing. For me to do something like the BABE and enjoy it, not kill myself getting there and back. It would take:
One full day to get to NY
Five days on the rally to get to N'orleans
One or two days once there decompressing and doing so fun stuff
Two days back home

That's at least 10 days. Yes you can do it in less, but I'd want to enjoy it to the max. YEs I could sell the car down there and fly back, but I'm the kind of guy who gets attached to E36 M3 and if I've put love, effort and time into a car and bonded with it on the way down I know I'll want to keep it.

Now people here think I'm soft as I get four weeks off plus the week from Pagenmass to the new year meaning five weeks, but to me that's not enough time for family as it is, so right now two weeks to do the BABE isn't happening. Give me a few more years and if these things are still going on I'm in.

Hell once I'm retired in 20 years sign me up for the Arctic circle to Panama rally with the only rule being the car must be at least 50 years old

I'm with Ya Adrian, its all about the trip and I refuse to rush a roadtrip.

On my personal adventuring if/when we aren't busy with other people's events I'm getting more into doing fly and drives to bring solid western cars out the the northeast. I fly out, and enjoy the drive back, 300-500 miles a day is a leisurely cruise for me but I've put down 1000 in a day when I had to.

It's actually why we've been trying to talk some clients into 3 day rallies. You still get a flavor of what we do on an organized trip but you get time to explore the "ends" and take your time getting there and back.

JThw8 wrote: On my personal adventuring if/when we aren't busy with other people's events I'm getting more into doing fly and drives to bring solid western cars out the the northeast. I fly out, and enjoy the drive back, 300-500 miles a day is a leisurely cruise for me but I've put down 1000 in a day when I had to.

NExt summer I'm seriously looking into buying a late 986 Boxster S in the LA region where they are plentiful and thus cheap, flying in and driving it back to Michigan with my wife.

Adrian_Thompson wrote:

JThw8 wrote: On my personal adventuring if/when we aren't busy with other people's events I'm getting more into doing fly and drives to bring solid western cars out the the northeast. I fly out, and enjoy the drive back, 300-500 miles a day is a leisurely cruise for me but I've put down 1000 in a day when I had to.

NExt summer I'm seriously looking into buying a late 986 Boxster S in the LA region where they are plentiful and thus cheap, flying in and driving it back to Michigan with my wife.

Why not? I'll assume you are buying such a car to drive so DRIVE! When I bought my Marauder last year I didnt limit myself by location, I went looking for the best car I could find in my price range and then I drove it home. It was a glorious drive and I got to know my new car very well. I almost find it boring when I do buy a car locally anymore.

Side note, Gary, as well as some of the other NACRA guys are in Cali so they'd probably be more than happy to do some pre checks for you. If not then check out Jewelorjalopy.com for a local inspector before you make the trip. I love fly and drives, but I hate surprises ;)

So, uh, bump!

Anyone know of any events like this in the works for this year?

bluej wrote: So, uh, bump! Anyone know of any events like this in the works for this year?

3 weeks away...
https://grassrootsmotorsports.com/forum/grm/chop-top-challenge/108029/page1/

Facebook only access?

bluej wrote: So, uh, bump! Anyone know of any events like this in the works for this year?

None that I could recommend unfortunately. I miss it, been thinking about putting something together just so I can go have fun, but time and money, always the issues.

drainoil wrote: Facebook only access?

For NACRA? I believe so, I don't run that group so Im not certain.

JohnRW1621 wrote:

bluej wrote: So, uh, bump! Anyone know of any events like this in the works for this year?

3 weeks away... https://grassrootsmotorsports.com/forum/grm/chop-top-challenge/108029/page1/

hmmm... that actually works VERY well date wise.

hmm.

Watching with great interest!

Seems we've had enough casual interest that the boss said let's see if we can pull one together this year. So if you are interested in a banger rally this year please head over to the survey and weigh in.

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/CCQXMJD

Details and discussion on the book of faces for those who participate in such things.

https://www.facebook.com/AsphaultAdventures/

The people have spoken, the weekend of July 4th it is. Hope a few of you can join us for the adventure.

Rally 2016 - Back to the Big Easy

Waiting to see how some things go and if I can get the time off from work.