Update: As of December 20th, the entry list has 68 entries including the waitlist. See the full list HERE.

Entries will be accepted on a first-come, first-served basis, so put down the wrenches for 10 minutes and submit your application before its too late! As many of our repeat participants know, this event sells-out well before the deadline each year. The fourth annual event will start AND finish in Hope, BC this year.

For full information, here are the two PDF documents you need to read and submit:

1. Supplemental Regulations (Event Details)

2. Entry Form

We look forward to seeing all our classic car friends again, plus we encourage any first-timers to come join the fun! You can watch the entry list HERE.

We often hear a lot about stalled restorations, or the stressful race in getting the car ready for the Spring Thaw, so here are some tips to help you get it done on time…

Partner with your parts guy.
In this day and age most of us buy our parts online, but it’s high time we all went back to a local parts source. Through the Spring Thaw I met a VW parts supplier, and he’s really become a partner on this project. He’s seen far more restorations then I have, and often suggests parts or order of assembly that I hadn’t thought of.  And while his business is selling parts, with me he allows returns and works hard to be competitive at price. It’s refreshing to be able to pickup the phone and say “it’s rear brakes time, can you order in the stuff” and not have to click through 18 pages, only to find out when the parts arrive I totally forgot I would need flex lines. How do you find a good parts guy? First, ask around…and then commit. Make a series of orders with him, and show you’re a ‘return’ customer. If he starts to ask about how your project is going, and shows genuine interest…you’ve found one.

Post a build thread.
Stop wasting hours surfing other peoples threads and questions, and instead start a build thread. Every time you get frustrated or burn out, it’s great to go back and witness all the things you’ve succeeded at. Keeping the story going, also helps to keep you going on your project. And the best part? Build threads with regular post counts attract those experts who surf forums regularly. Stuck on a problem, a simple post about it will result in answers being directed right at your project. Lastly, the encouragement from other enthusiasts on your posts is a huge boost after a tonne of work.

Implement “The Harrison rule”
Years ago I was burnt out on a rally car project which had sat for a long time. My buddy Harrison finally snapped me into it, by implementing what became known as “The Harrison Rule”. The rule is simple: Spend a minimum of one hour each day in the garage. You are allowed to work more hours in a day, but you can’t “bank” or miss any hours. Thus, two hours tonight doesn’t mean I can skip tomorrow. During your one hour a day, you don’t even have to touch your project! You might clean the work bench, sweep the floor, I’ve even just sat looking at the car for an hour. After a few nights, however, you get bored and touch the project. You might just turn a few bolts. Soon you find yourself excited to get back in the garage because you can once again seeprogress on the project. Eliminate the TV. the internet surfing, the sitting back on the couch, and suddenly an hour a day becomes available. The Harrison Rule has saved me from more projects then I could count.

Hopefully these ideas keep you from having the perpetual “project” sitting in your garage!

-Dave

Sitting in the CCA garage right now is a bare Volkswagen Beetle pan. So far in the first two months I’ve managed to strip the car down, repair the body, and prep the pan. The last month has been quite a bit slower though, as I’ve accomplished nothing more then mounting the transmission, shift rod and shifter. True, I did manage to squeeze a Porsche 5 speed into the Volkswagen floorpan, but the entire job was nothing but frustration. Two transmission rebuilds, plenty of cutting and welding and then finally 39 hours to setup the shift linkage so I could get all five gears and reverse while using the stock Beetle shifter.

While I have a mountain of things to do ahead of me, the experience has taught me just how insane some of you are each year. There are a few things I just don’t understand about this restoration thing  though. Like….

Where did all the parts go?! 
When I tore the car down, I put every nut, bolt and part into a ziplock bag, labelled it and placed the bag into one of three plastic bins. Now, as I go to rebuild the car, I can never find the bag I need. And why does the “front suspension” bag contain both the left and right side bolts, but the “rear suspension” bag only has 1-side? To make matters even worse, I tore down two other parts cars, labelling the parts as well. Why is it when I can’t find “rear suspension bolts” for my car, none of the parts car bins have them either!?!

Where does all the money go?
Back when I had a running, driving, car, the finances were simple. I needed something, I bought it. If I needed something big, I saved and I bought it. Most importantly, though, once I bought something there was a appreciable difference. Silent bearings, good brakes, new cosmetics. Now I just have boxes of parts, a floorpan…and no money. I’m working, I’m getting paid every two weeks but the car remains just a floorpan and there is no money. I knew restorations were bad, but this is black-hole suction!

Why doesn’t this fit!?!
Seriously, did an evil elf sneak in here with a hammer? Parts that came off the car were cleaned up, restored and painted…you’d think they’d fit. None of that seems to fit without grinding, drilling, modifying or dancing an ancient ritual found on the internet. I suppose, in hindsight, I should have just built a stock restoration…maybe then things would go together?

(this one is for Warwick) When will the mess stop?!
I think its about once a week that I announce I’m finally done with the grinding, cutting, drilling, welding and spilling. “Don’t worry Warwick,” I tell him, “it’s all clean bolt-together stuff now.” Um, I started in September…it’s the end of November. I mean, it has to stop before the car is driving, right?

-Dave

P.S. Stop in tomorrow to see my four tips for making it through a major restoration…

It’s that time of year again! Winter is closing in and for some that means the days of driving their classic car are numbered. But don’t pull the cover over your baby too soon, because the 3rd Annual Thanksgiving Day Sea to Sky Run is back!  Once again, this is a quick, local, and fun meetup to “give thanks” for another fine season of motoring. (Note: The details and times are exactly the same as last year, so if you were there you know where to go!)

What: A casual cruise and meetup with fellow classic car owners of all pre-’79 marques and types. Drive the best part of the Sea-to-Sky Highway on a quiet holiday morning, and enjoy the company of classic car nuts before you have to head off to the in-laws for thanksgiving dinner! We have planned it so that you can be back home by midday. Some of you might have done a Sea to Sky run recently with your various car clubs, but its always fun to mix all the marques together and meet new people. And really, who can say no to the beautiful views and winding turns past ocean and mountains – especially on a holiday!

This year’s event will benefit Sea to Sky Food Banks. Please bring a non-perishable boxed or canned food donation (canned fruit, veggies, tuna, etc.).

When: Thanksgiving Monday, October 10, 9:00-11:00am. CONVOY DEPARTS PARK ROYAL AT 8:30AM. (SEE BELOW for detailed convoy meetup times)

Where: Galileo Coffee, 173 Highway 99, Britannia Beach, BC

West Vancouver Gathering Location: If you’d like to convoy with others up to Britannia Beach, we will be gathering at the Park Royal Shopping Centre in West Vancouver on the UPPER PARKING LEVEL on the SOUTH side (See image for location). The group will be LEAVING this spot at 8:30am. Just take any “up” ramp in the parkade and you’ll find the group.

Squamish Gathering Location: For those coming from Whistler and Squamish who want to meet the others in West Vancouver first and make a drive of it, we will depart the Squamish McDonald’s parking lot at 7:20am. Otherwise, just plan to be at Galileo at 9:00ish!

Are you coming? Got any questions? Join in the discussion about this event on the forum!

Each year there have been a few stand-outs for the award, but never before have I had such a strong feeling that we needed three or four to hand out. Usually Warwick and I write down our ideas and at the last moment show them to each other, but this year I relied on all our participants to help me find “the right one”. Out of the suggestions provided to me, here are the four other teams I wish I had made awards for. In no particular order…

Amos Rowsell & Sherri Collis - The idea of the Spring Thaw was borne from a desire to share our driving adventures with others. We had so much fun doing silly things in classic cars, wouldn’t it be more fun if we could find other people to do them with!?! When we couldn’t convince our usual crowd of friends to buy a classic and go driving, so we started this event and found the Spring Thaw crowd. Throughout the weekend Amos and Sherri were suggested to me a few times by other enthusiasts. Apparently when not participating in the Spring Thaw, they are busy trying to convince everyone else around them to join in. One car in particular mentioned that it was Amos and Sherri’s enthusiasm alone which prompted their entry. Infecting others with our particular disease of adventure? Yup, that is definite Spirit of the Thaw material.

Phil & Cayle Lacefield - To be honest, giving Phil and Cayle the Spirit of the Thaw award is almost too easy. From the moment they arrive at Registration you just know this event was made for people like them. Whether it’s the rare (and somewhat odd) Saab 850, or Phil’s (some might say rare, and somewhat odd) Kilt…you just sense the excitement the two of them have for being on the Thaw. If there is anyone who can name every participant in the event, it’s these two. I actually feel somewhat bad that we haven’t awarded them the Spirit Award, if you think about it…its so darned obvious we simply over look it!

Miles and Rosie Fenton - Where Phil and Cayle are instantly recognizable with their 850, you might not have noticed Miles and Rosie in their ’59 Alfa Giulietta Sprint. Inside the beautiful Alfa is a pair of road enthusiasts like no other. Classics are meant to be driven, and Miles takes to the task wholeheartedly! The pair was suggested to me by more then a few teams as someone deserving of the Spring Thaw award. At every moment they’re enthusiastic, full of fantastic stories and an absolute pleasure to spend time with. Miles and Rosie are type of people you go home from the Thaw wishing you could have spent more time with. In my eyes, that’s exactly the type who should win the Spirit award.

Dave and Kelly Beddows – Dave and Kelly were joining us on their first Spring Thaw Adventure. I imagine it must be tough standing there in the parking lot during our first driver’s meeting…all around you are “old friends” reuniting and joking around about past ‘Thaw activities. While we’re all a very sociable crowd, I suspect it takes a couple of days to “break in” and meet people. Apparently not, if your last name is Beddows! I saw the couple in their BMW as they stopped in Lillooet. Already they were traveling in a small group of cars, and I admit to having to look up whether or not they were “first timers”. But where they really shone was at the site of the failed 2002. It takes a special kind of person to rope-tow with a classic, but that wasn’t it. Before the car was even tucked away for the weekend, Dave and Kelly had offered up their truck and trailer, and the time to go and rescue the 2002. It also wasn’t the only time, or team, they offered this to throughout the weekend. I hope you had a chance to meet these two this weekend, they were without a doubt Spirit of the Thaw.

These were four stand-out entrants for 2011, but it doesn’t end there. You simply need to visit a car show, suggest to someone that they drive their classic 1200km…and instantly you’ll find that all of us are a special bunch. ‘Normal’ classic car ownership suggests you park, cherish and preserve your classic. Every one of our participants cares for their classic, but more importantly they use their classics. That alone is worth a Spirit of the Thaw award for each of them.

-Dave

Despite the months of planning, the days of prep and lack of sleep throughout…the hardest part of the event is sitting down to write this post. How do you compress three incredible days into a few mere paragraphs? 2011 will definitely be a year to remember!

Leading up to the event, every town was experiencing heavy rains. Were we going to experience crazy weather like in 2010? Thursday morning was pouring, and while I was mentally preparing for an indoor registration…the sun popped out! If cruising twisting roads in your classic is appealing, our three days of beautiful sunshine was certainly icing on the cake!

While the weather was striking, the ‘competition’ for Hard Luck Award was unfortunately fierce. The Opko’s started us off,  with a failed wheel bearing early on Friday morning. Dave Koszegi wasn’t to be outdone, and soon discovered a used motor wasn’t the bargain he was hoping for. With the 356 heading home on a trailer, we had high hopes that was the end. Matt and Lee’s BMW 2002, however, had different plans. The connecting rod was curious to see what was on the “other side”…so out through a hole it went!  We weren’t finished there either. A couple of cars spat out their generator pulleys in pieces, a Sprite slowly ate it’s rear differential for lunch, and just when we thought it was all over, a Beaumont transmission pan discovered rocks are much harder then steel.

Losing your car to a mechanical failure is not fun (trust me, as 2010′s Hard Luck winner I know), but it did highlight the best part about the Spring Thaw. With each failure came a group of fellow entrants eager to assist with repairs, transport and other options. Back seats were made available, trucks and trailers offered for retrieval, and perhaps the best part…a chance to drive other classics throughout the weekend. A motor failure might be the end of your weekend in other events, but in the Spring Thaw you might just be tossed the keys to something else!

The best part, for me as an organizer, was when I walked over to the Friday Night Bonfire. When you host an event which invites cars of all marques, you’re used to seeing the italians, british and german enthusiasts hanging out in smaller groups. Upon arriving to the bonfire, however, I could see the entire group was mixed. We are no longer enthusiasts of a particular marque meeting for a weekend of fun together. We are the Spring Thaw. Enthusiasts of fantastic roads, classic cars and above all else, great people.

I commented in our first Driver’s meeting that this no longer feels like hosting an event, but rather an annual reunion of some of my greatest car-nut friends. As I sit here sifting through the photos, looking out my window at a Volkswagen desperate for a wash, I find myself drifting back to conversations at dinner with new friends, road-side wrenching sessions, twisting corners and ribbons of blacktop. You’d expect after a weekend event for 126 people that I’d need a rest, but I’m simply filled with an overwhelming urge to do it all over again. 2011 will certainly be memorable, but 2012 is going to be even better!
- Dave Hord

As promised, the accepted entries for the 2011 Spring Thaw Classic Car Adventure, April 29-May 1, have been posted HERE!

Congratulations to everyone who made it in – and thank you to everyone who entered! As in previous years, we will be running a waitlist in case of last minute cancellations. If you’re still interested in entering the Spring Thaw, feel free to send an application for consideration to the waitlist.

In a tizzy because you’ve forgotten to go to the post office today? Panicked because you’ve just realized the Spring Thaw application deadline is THIS Monday, December 20th?

Fear not!

We’ve heard from quite a few people this week who have been busy/distracted/procrastinating on their applications and so we’ve decided to be nice and extend the application deadline to Friday, December 31st. (Merry Christmas!).  That said, please make every effort to send us your PDF application form via email by Monday, December 20th while we await your hard copy.

Thank you to everyone who has already sent in their application – it has been another great response this year with lots of hilarious and entertaining “page 2″ stories. If you know of someone who is slacking on sending in their entry, please motivate them appropriately!

Thanks again,
Warwick & Dave

Eric Horst (WA) & Stephen Mats Mats (WA) carve through the snow on their way to 2nd place Historic, 5th Overall. Photo: Tony Latham

Snow is a four letter word. It was also the dominant factor that shaped the 2010 running of the Totem Rally. With 17 crews gathering from BC, Alberta, Oregon, Washington, The Yukon and Arizona, everyone involved knew the competition was going to be tough.  Organized by the West Coast Rally Association, the event started in Cache Creek, BC on Saturday morning with an overnight stop in 100 Mile House before returning to Cache Creek on Sunday. Up to 20 cm of fresh snow in the area added to the challenge.

While most crews arrived with modern all-wheel-drive Subarus or BMWs, a select group choose a different path, the Historic class. Open to cars 25 years old or older, the Historic class honours the 50-plus year history of the event by encouraging owners to actively use their cars over 800 kms of the best back roads BC has to offer.

Gary Webb (AZ) and John Kisela (WA) won Historic Class in their Toyota Celica GT. Photo: Tony Latham

Top placed historic for 2010 was the 1983 Toyota Celica GT of Gary Webb and John Kisela, only seven points clear of Eric Horst and Stephen Mats Mats in their 1983 Audi Quattro. Both teams finished top-5 overall. Full results can be found at www.rallybc.com.

Words & Photos by Tony Latham