"Plans are well under way for the worlds largest Pontiac convention to take place in 2009.
For the first time ever, the Pontiac-Oakland Club International and the GTO Association of America will host their annual conventions together. This huge all-Pontiac party will take place in Dayton, Ohio, from July 7-11, 2009. Hosted by the Ohio Valley GTO Association and the Grand Prix Specialty Chapter of the POCI, this very special event is a must for all Pontiac enthusiasts to attend.
From pre-war Pontiacs and Oaklands, Firebirds and Fieros, Catalinas and Chieftains, GTOs both old and new, all the other outstanding automobiles that Pontiac produced will take part in what very well may be the greatest all-Pontiac show on earth. This is truly going to be an historical event. For more information check out POCIs Web site at www.poci.org or GTOAA at www.gtoaa.org. " This was posted on Hemmings web page. Todd you better inform them of our demands on Canadian Poncho............. Oh yeah, do we have any???? It would be a nice cruise from S-W Ontario for a day & overnite trip.
Send POCI an E-mail at their website and ask 'em.... no demand recognition!!! I've never been to a convention, so they may already have a Canadian Poncho section. So i'm likely stirring an empty pot.
Boy, some incentive to get my Acadian done in time....
Do you think they are letting Acadians and Beaumonts in?
They always have when I've been there. Hopefully that has not changed.
As a matter of fact, many years after I showed my Acadian at the convention in 1990, John Sawruk from Pontiac was using pictures of my car in a presentation he gives at car meets.
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1966 Strato Chief 2 door, 427 4 speed, 45,000 original miles
1966 Grande Parisienne, 396 1 of 23 factory air cars
I've been to 6 POCI conventions, displaying my 2+2's in the 2+2 class in Popular Vote at 5 of them. I've been fortunate enough to win 3rd place in my class in Minnesota 2001, 2nd place in St. Louis 2002, 1st place in California 2006 & South Dakota 2008. (If I would have been thinking, I would have grabbed cdn2plus2's ballot in St. Louis as he left before the big show day. Maybe I could have taken 1st place then). Full size Canadian Pontiacs (Laurentians, Parisienne's, etc) would go into their year class, Beaumonts would likely be put in with the Tempest's and LeMans'. Not sure where they'd put Acadian's. Station Wagons go in the Station Wagon class. All of the above info is for "Popular Vote" category. If you go "Points Judged", there are no classes, your car is judged against the score sheet. Fortunatly, the "Points Judged" judges don't know much about Canadian Pontiac's, so they don't know what's right and what's wrong.
I really encourage those of you out east (especially those in the golden horseshoe area, it's only an 8 hour drive) to go, you'll see some fantastic cars, and meet some good folks. And you can proudly display your cars to a new group of people who have never seen a "Canadian Pontiac", built by GM of Canada, not the Pontiac Motor Division of GM.
The 2008 show in Spearfish SD was smaller than usual, and to be honest the convention wasn't up to POCI's usual standard. The convention was originally to be in the Detroit area to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Oakland (the predecessor to Pontiac), but the host committee had to pull out. So a convention was set up, and while they did the best they could, it was missing the little things. I expect Dayton to be very well organized, and likely to see up to 500 cars.
For 2006 in California, We had 5 cars make the trip down from Alberta (4 Calgary, 1 Edmonton), we all won trophies. Fortunately we were all in different classes, so we all voted for each other.
In KC, I was put into semi-modified. They wouldn't believe that there was a production 65 Acadian with a 427 in it. Go figure!
Anyway, if I show up with a stocker, they have nothing remotely related to an Acadian as far as classes go.
The funny thing is, I have never attended a convention with an award in mind yet I've won 2, second in semi-modified in KC, losing to Jim Hand's wagon, and Most Interesting Post War Pontiac in Greensboro with my 427 4 speed Grande Parisienne.
Never mind the awards, we've made some great friends that we met at POCI.
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1966 Strato Chief 2 door, 427 4 speed, 45,000 original miles
1966 Grande Parisienne, 396 1 of 23 factory air cars
My first POCI show was Grand Rapids Michigan in 2000, I had no idea what it would be like. I had previously talked to Astro Jet on the phone, and I thought he might be there. I drove my low mileage 70 350 2+2 hardtop across the prairies, and took the ferry across Lake Michigan. I met a 65 2+2 owner at the ferry terminal, and we've been pals since. Astro Jet spotted my car in the parking lot (which is like a car show in itself for a few days prior to the actual show), and I also parked beside Cdn2Pls2 in the lot one day (the day I had my protect-o-plate on the dash, and the raised lettering on the dymo tape sunk back down because of the heat - it tooke me a while to figure out how to get that replaced). I attended some of the seminars, but it was tough being inside watching slides as there were so many nice cars in the parking lot.
For show day, there were 9 cars in the 2+2 class, including the dentists 69 427 4 speed, Cdn2Pls2's 69 350, and Big John's loaded 70 454. I thought I would never win a trophy, as the other cars were gorgeous. The next year, with the field reduced to 5 cars, I was fortunate enough to win a trophy. I don't go just to win a trophy, but it's an nice bonus.
The Grand Rapids show had lots of cars, with good representation in most classes. It was also the last time the "Points Judged" judging was the same day as "Popular Vote". They now do the "Points Judged" cars the day before. I think Dayton will be a bigger show than Grand Rapids, and again good representation in most classes.
And yes, for those who know me, I got a speeding ticket in Saskatchewan on my way back from Grand Rapids 2000, and one in N Dakota on the way to Minnesota 2001.
If you go, to avoid any confusion about semi-modified, etc, take a copy of your build sheet from Oshawa. We're fortunate to have that service at our fingertips.
For you western guys, one of the shortest routes would be through here on your way there. Better than going south and going through the US. That is one boring drive down there...
Hmmm, a mini Canadian Poncho gathering at Carl's next summer?????
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1966 Strato Chief 2 door, 427 4 speed, 45,000 original miles
1966 Grande Parisienne, 396 1 of 23 factory air cars
Could be a lot of fun. Think I will probably put in an overdrive 700 or 200 before then so I don't have to finance the gas. A 200 would be a bolt in no driveshaft problems, its a 350 trans now. Anyone got a good or rebuilt 200 for sale?
That would be like a 2 week vacation for me, LOL, not that I couldn't use it but it would be a lot of drivin. Especially in a unfinished part Canadian and part US car, LOL. They wouldn't like it down there. Would be neat to go though.
Go figure!