Planning Thread for Collective Texans Meetup

[HookEm]

Ok fellow Texians, as discussed on garner's welcome thread, I think there's enough interest in getting a cruise/drag weekend together for all our Texan members.

So let's use this thread to pin down some details, i.e. what dates work best, where's a centralized location (maybe all those interested can tell their locations and I can log them), do we want to include any racing, or simply do a cruise/car show (perhaps have a trophy and cash prize). Anyway these are all ideas we need to hash out and this is the place to do it. When we've got a good amount of ideas, I'll create a poll and we can vote on the ones we like best.

So go ahead, let's throw some ideas out!

Ok, after some discussion, here's what we've got:
Confirmed:
Hookem
garner
TexasBlownV6
Szuszka
Silver_sixer05
oddysey

Maybe:
BalckStang06
Downtime!
yoda13
screamingyellow2005
08stang40
acrozier

Here are the areas suggested (we'll get a poll going once we get some more commitments, especially from other sites possibly)

Austin (Austin/Llano)

Northeast Texas (Paris/Mckinney area)

East Texas (Lufkin/Palestine)

Central/West Texas (Waco/HWY 281)

Central (Temple/Bryan)

Central/East (Hunstville/Conroe)

Coast (Padre Island/Corpus Christi)

We have some in favor of drag racing and others simply want to hang out and cruise. I really like the idea of maybe having a cruise to a state park and then a big BBQ there!

[TexasBlownV6]

I always enjoy the hill country cruises, curvy roads and hills, instead of straight flatland cruising. Curves are fun and let you drive the car in a way you don't usually get to drive on a daily basis, really pushing the handling characteristics and making you really drive. Straight roads are good, on the other hand, for leisurely moving along, in a nice long parade of ponies. (except some areas where people tend to "open up" and fly). A combination of different types of such driving mixes up the cruise and makes the whole thing more fun.

As far as drag racing, you'll get a mixed bag on this one, for different reasons. Some people simply do not go to tracks to race; others require supporting equipment and setups that are not compatible with driving on winding roads (different tires, suspension changes, race fuel, etc.).
So a poll of what you'd rather do, such as cruise, racing, or both, may be useful. But, please only answer if you are interested in going to something like this.

One thing we used to do locally was to have a "track day", where we'd rent out the track for a whole day and have car shows, give-aways, etc. at the track. Kind of like what's already done with the Brawl...we could sure use a Texas Brawl!!! Or some kind of road coarse would be fun, too.


The location of any event is indeed critical. So getting some reasonable geographical choices is going to be a bit of challenge. If you take the big "triangle" of let's say DFW/San Antonio/Houston, most people will be within that general area. However, what are some good locations in those areas for cruises and/or track meets? Track choices and availability are limited and seasonal.


As far as location head-counts of where we are, I'm near Austin.

[LisaJ429]

whatever you guys decide to do...make sure and take some photos/videos!

[HookEm]

Originally Posted by LisaJ429

whatever you guys decide to do...make sure and take some photos/videos!

For sure, I've got alot of professional camera and video equipment that I'll use!

I'll agree that autoX/drag may be difficult and would perhaps add a layer of planning that we'd rather do without for now. Keep it low key for the first year to judge the turnout.

I love the hilly country too of east Texas and it may be able to use Canton or the Tyler/Palestine area for a meetup. Now the area I'm in (Paris/North East) has a great highway that's lined with trees and has some windy roads. It also has a fairly large civic center where they host two or three car shows a year and can easily fit 200 cars. But I know NE TX would be alil far for most.

[TexasBlownV6]

Tyler, Houston, Dallas...all are about 200 miles or less from here. Reasonable locations.

[garner]

Originally Posted by HookEm

For sure, I've got alot of professional camera and video equipment that I'll use!

I'll agree that autoX/drag may be difficult and would perhaps add a layer of planning that we'd rather do without for now. Keep it low key for the first year to judge the turnout.

I love the hilly country too of east Texas and it may be able to use Canton or the Tyler/Palestine area for a meetup. Now the area I'm in (Paris/North East) has a great highway that's lined with trees and has some windy roads. It also has a fairly large civic center where they host two or three car shows a year and can easily fit 200 cars. But I know NE TX would be alil far for most.

The racing may be difficult because, yes there are places like TAD that have test and tune and ford shootouts and all that on friday nights, but we won't be as combined as we may want to be while doing a cruise.

I love any area of Texas to go driving. What about Brenham/Lake Somerville?

I'm in Harker Heights which is near Austin and Waco

[Szuszka]

I'm in for a nice cruise! Have yet to take my stang to a track or auto x. I'm right outside of San Antonio in Converse and what not lol Let's do this!

[garner]

I think HookEm might feel a little left out since he's the only non windveil blue mustang on this list so far

[HookEm]

Originally Posted by garner

I think HookEm might feel a little left out since he's the only non windveil blue mustang on this list so far

lol I think I'll manage...that is kinda odd that there's alot of Texas windveil blue...maybe it's the bluebonnets?

[garner]

Originally Posted by HookEm

lol I think I'll manage...that is kinda odd that there's alot of Texas windveil blue...maybe it's the bluebonnets?

Could be. Or it could be that everything is bigger in Texas including the number of windveil blue mustangs