To all CTZCC Members:

After seeing all the great Z cars and Roadsters at last year's Fall Outing, your Club officers got the bright idea that we should generate a CT Z Car Club calendar. We proposed this idea to you, and the responses were overwhelmingly positive ~ it seems that everyone would like to see his car on a Club calendar. To our knowledge, no other Z club has done this before.

We presently have two members involved in professional printing, and both have voiced a willingness to help create calendars for the Club at reasonable prices. One less thing to worry about!

Now what we have to do is photograph the cars.

HERE'S OUR IDEA:

Club photographer Phil Parent and I will try to make this project happen. We envision picking FIVE (5) spots around CT at which to photograph cars during 2009. We want YOU to suggest several picturesque areas to work in ~ one in each corner of the state, and one near the center. This will allow members from each area to meet at the site closest to them on their scheduled day, to have their cars photographed without having to dirty the cars up by driving halfway across the state. (If you miss your appointed day, you will have to drive farther to the next site during a later month). We would also enjoy making these monthly photoshoots into coffee runs for those who want to watch.

We have discussed a lot of details but they are not firm yet and there's no need to discuss them here. They will be clearly detailed for you in months to come as this project develops.

HERE'S WHAT WE NEED FROM YOU NOW:

Phil and I need you to start picking likely sites in your areas, and let us know where they are. We will drive there and scope them out, then pick the best five areas for photo shoots. Phil will make the final decisions, since he's the guy with the photographic eye.

We need sites which are INSIDE CONNECTICUT. Members in outlying states are certainly welcome to come and get their cars shot at the CT site nearest them. We will TRY (try) to arrange wash facilities nearby, to give the cars the best chance to look clean during the actual photographs.

We recommend you look at state parks, golf courses, hospital grounds, cemeteries, airports, boatyards, college campuses and racetracks. We need open areas which can park 5-6 cars together with a nice background, AND NOT DISTURB ANYONE. Phil and I will contact the landowners for permission ~ all you have to do is find the likely sites.

We envision shooting several groups of 5-6 cars together at each site. If we can get 15 or 20 cars to report to the same site, that's great. We can schedule 3 or 4 groups of 5-6 cars on a single day, from different angles. (Phil has this all planned out).

It would be cool to have a waterfall or pit area or boats or planes in the background, but rolling hills, rock cliffs, golfers, majestic fountains, horses or grand panoramic vistas will do just fine, too. Use your imagination and picture your car sitting in the foreground ~ that should help you chooZe the sites.

Just for present information, we envision a 16-month calendar which includes Nov & Dec 2009, all of 2010 and Jan & Feb 2011. They should be sold to Club members for about $20 each (probably $100 for non-members!), with all proceeds going to the Club kitty to help fund events. We are HOPING (hoping) to have the first issues available in time for the 2009 Fall Outing, so they can be bought for Christmas presents. We also foresee them being useful as Club awards and priZes during the year. Shooting should begin in early Spring and carry on thru the summer. We have to submit photo-ready pix NLT September in order to have them in-hand at the Fall Outing. Sales of the final product will be handled by Keith thru the Club Store.

We expect we can include roughly 70-80 cars if we're clever. Considering the rate at which this Club has grown during 2008, this might be our ONLY chance to print a calendar which can include all the members' cars. Don't miss out on this.

SO ~ please contact Phil and me ON THIS THREAD with recommended sites in your area. Lime Rock Raceway Park and Keith's Marina have already been discussed as likely spots in the North West and South East corners, but others in those areas might be better, so let us know.

Thanks in advance for your help in this. We'll be watching this thread for your suggestions.

Z Y'all later!
Frank T
Membership Director
CTZCC

for my two cents i think the mansion in darien would be a great spot! that is one of the prettiest front yards i've been on, and we know the owner and we know how many cars it will hold already. god , what a suckup!!!!! mike

Hey Mike,
The front yard is always available to club members! If you give me a few minutes advance notice I'll get the grill fired-up! I often look back at the pictures from October to remember the green grass covered by Z's. Currently it's a mix of snow and ice. Ross

I will help you lay the Calendar out and get it printed. We should discuss how much you want to sell it for and all the different ways it can be made.
Joe (Success Printing and Mailing)

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Always wanted one, now I have one!!!!

Joe, the fact that you're a member and a brother Z owner and a printer who joined us at the time when we want to print our first calendar CANNOT be a coincidence. You must have been sent to us by Someone who wants this to succeed.

Phil and I will have to make plans to meet with you long before the first photoshoot, to ensure we are planning this correctly. It's the first calendar any of us have done, but it's important enough to do correctly.

We suspect this will be the only year we get to do one ~ after another year the Club will probably be too big to fit everyone's car into one calendar.
It's good to know you're here and willing to help ~ we plan to make good use of you!

Frank T

I dont think that everyone's car has to be in the Calendar. If you are a Z enthusiast then you would just like to see Z cars every month. Maybe there can be a theme to the Calendar with shots in different seasons corresponding to the months. December can be a Z car with snow covering it with Christmas lights along the body edge or shots of cars with autumn colors in the fall. Once the photography is done it will not take long to produce. Four seasons of photos should not be too hard to get but the winter one might be too late if you want to have calendars for sale in the fall. Matbe somebody can take some "winter" pics while there is still snow on the lawn. In subsequent years you can feature one car per month that has won an award for something. Like best original paint, or best modified, best original condition, best restoration, rarest car or whatever. I dont know....just ideas. We can put a description of the car under each photo along with the owners name etc. We should be able to do December 2009 all of 2010 and Jan 2011 plus a nice cover shot. We will have to come up with a general layout and make up a dummy sample to make sure we are doing it right. Anyway, when you are ready to discuss it or get together let me know. Joe

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Always wanted one, now I have one!!!!

I got 4 Z cars covered in snow right now. (at least the 240 and 83 are in the garage all nice and snuggly.) Now how about somewhere's on the east coast, Mystic comes to mind, on the shore line with sailboats in the back ground. The sub base would be cool, with some subs in the background, (if anyone has clearance.) I like the above Ideas too. Now are photos going to be accepted from club members, of there own rides, to help give a wide array of photos to chose from??? If a page or 2 had several pictures layed out in a collage then more cars could be in that month as well. A page with all are Z's in project status would be an idea. O' and can't forget to mention Lime rock. So just some thoughts there while I watch the snow come down. I need a 4 wheel drive Z car.

Thanks Paul ~ good thoughts.

Phil and I discussed this and altho we're still undecided about a "collage" month, all photos will be shot by the Club Photographer (Phil) for continuity.

I personally like your idea about a "project car" calendar. I always felt if anyone printed a "Z Parts Car" calendar, I'd buy one for every room in my house. Something cool about picturing the potential of old "dead" Z cars!

We certainly need a photoshoot in your corner of CT ~ you own about half of the cars in this Club

Z Ya!
Frank T

You were in my thoughts Frank. So maybe some thought can go into a place south east, and with some boats and water in the background. For me it would feel like home. Well my car isn't ready for a professional photo shot until I get a repaint anyways, but from a distance it looks good.

OK, lots has been planned since this last Post.

The Western side of CT has been divided into two main areas for photographing the cars ~ Ross' front yard and Lime Rock Park.

Counting the New York and New Jersey cars, there are about 137 Club cars which are eligible to be photographed at Ross' house! That's the highest concentration of Zs in our Club and obviously, it would be a real hassle to film them all there (but it COULD be done if we need to).

In an attempt to hopefully trim that number down some, I'm asking this:

WHO WANTS HIS CAR(S) PHOTOGRAPHED THIS MONTH AT ROSS' YARD?
The shoot would be on a good-weather weekend. Phil Parent and I have some good plans for how it will be conducted. Please don't consider the time or date when answering this question ~ we only need to know now if you prefer to be photographed at Ross' or wait until later and drive farther to Lime Rock?

Please list your name in the space below where you would prefer to be photographed:

ROSS' YARD
1. Joe Plescia
2. Ross' GT 33
3. Ross' 280Z Black Pearl
4. Jim77
5. JerseyJoe
6. JimHagani
7.
8.


LIME ROCK PARK
1. Tom Wasney
2. Phrog
3. Mike Englehardt
4. Sparkman
5.
6.


*(This ONLY applies to the cars near the western boarder of CT ~ cars in the center and eastern areas will be filmed at other sites)
Thanks!
Frank@CTZCC.Com

I would like my car to be Shot at Ross's House.
But I am going to try and make the Lime Rock event also. Joe Plescia 1976 280Z

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Always wanted one, now I have one!!!!

Despite the hassle of moving my car from the garage to the lawn, I'd like my car photographed at Ross's house. Thanks

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Ross Williams
1978 280Z Black Pearl Edition 38k Original Miles

Lime Rock would be cool.........

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Now on my 15th/update/16th Zcar, Z's4vr....

I'm also for Limerock, but I have a Canon DSLR camera as well. I was thinking maybe I could "be different" and snap some shots at *gasp* Hammonasset (oh noes, teh salts!), then submit them to whoever's in charge.

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-Chris

All pictures will be taken by the Club Photographer, Phil Parent. Cars will be Photographed together in groups of 5 or 6. No individual photos will be accepted.

The photography resolution is to remain the same for each photo, in order for us to get this printed properly without costing a small fortune.

You've been added to the Lime Rock site.
Thanks!
Frank