F-Chat Chicago Planning A Western Michigan Group Drive | FerrariChat

F-Chat Chicago Planning A Western Michigan Group Drive

Discussion in 'North Central - USA (MI, IN, OH, KY, WV)' started by Dave Bendl, Jan 1, 2004.

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  1. Dave Bendl

    Dave Bendl Formula Junior

    Dec 7, 2003
    757
    Chicagoland
    Full Name:
    Dave Bendl
    Hi,
    A western Michigan group drive is currently being discussed by the F-Chat Chicago group. We are tentativly planning this trip for a weekend in June. The current plan is to cross the lake via the new 192' ferry service from Milwaukee, Wi to Muskegan, Mi. The service is slated to be in service by June 1st. See this link for details: http://www.port.mil.wi.us/ferrypress0703.html

    We hope we can link with Michigan F-Chatters once we arrive. We can keep you posted once we firm up the details. The plan is to make this an overnight drive. We would like to visit a few points of interest while there such as Gingerman, Saugatuck, and Holland.

    Can you guys make some recommendations for Hotels in the area that might be F-car friendly? Any other sites of interest you might suggest ?

    Thanks,
    Dave
     
  2. Jerrari

    Jerrari F1 Veteran

    Jul 24, 2001
    5,463
    Michigan
    Full Name:
    Jerry Wiersma
    Dave, I live in Muskegon and can help you with whatever you need. I am currently planning a car show for July or August in Muskegon (3 miles from where the ferry comes in). It will be from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on a Saturday. I am awaiting word on the availability of "heritage Landing" (see www.heritagelanding.com), which will be an awesome venue, right on Muskegon Lake. If you could coordinate your ferry trip with my show, it would be incredible! This is going to be a 1st class show put on by myself and some other businessmen/enthusiests. It is titled "Wide World of Cars" and will showcase cars from the whole world....Italy, England, Germany USA, etc. (no primered Novas allowed). Let me know if this is of interest to you. Thanks, Jerry.
     
  3. carguy

    carguy F1 Rookie

    Oct 30, 2002
    3,401
    Alabama (was Mich.)
    Full Name:
    Jeff
    I just have to say it warms my heart to see some plans in the making for a Ferrari related activity here in Michigan.

    Tork1966: Is the Gingerman Ferrari gathering on August too? There is also a nice but small foreign carshow in K'zoo called Italian Plus in August, it's held in downtown Bronson Park. Very nice and clean with great cars.

    I can't wait for winter to leave!
     
  4. Jerrari

    Jerrari F1 Veteran

    Jul 24, 2001
    5,463
    Michigan
    Full Name:
    Jerry Wiersma
    Jeff, Gingerman is May 2 & 3 according to a calendar someone else posted on Chicago Area F-Chat.
     
  5. Jerrari

    Jerrari F1 Veteran

    Jul 24, 2001
    5,463
    Michigan
    Full Name:
    Jerry Wiersma
  6. Dave Bendl

    Dave Bendl Formula Junior

    Dec 7, 2003
    757
    Chicagoland
    Full Name:
    Dave Bendl
    Thanks guys!
    Great to see hospitality is alive and well in Michigan, and we really appreciate the assistance.
    I'll post Jerry's suggestions in F-Chat Chicago, and see what others might think.
    How's Skip ? Did he finish the GT4 ?
    We met during the F-List Gumball Charity Drive in 2001. I was the Chicago-Western Michigan link.

    Dave
     
  7. tifosi12

    tifosi12 Four Time F1 World Champ
    Lifetime Rossa Owner

    Oct 3, 2002
    48,581
    @ the wheel
    Full Name:
    Andreas
    Hi, I'm Andreas and I'm a Ferrariholic. From Chicago.

    We "crashed" a car show last summer on one of our group drives and it was fun parking the red cars in their own corner. The spectators liked it. So coming on to the tail end of a car show in MI in a civilized and planned manner would be a fun part of our drive.

    Dave is doing a great job planning this trip and I just wanted to say hello from my part. It'd be really great to actually team up with a few Ferraris from MI. After all we kinda know our group, so adding a few cars to the contingent would be a nice change.

    PS: Oh and did I mention, that Dave and I both like taking pictures of Ferraris?
    :)
     
  8. skipgt4

    skipgt4 Formula Junior

    Nov 3, 2003
    441
    GR Michigan
    Full Name:
    Charles VDB
    Hi Dave, I am doing fine. No the gt/4 I not done but it is running again. The brakes are done, the belts ect. are done but the interior / Exterior cosmetics have made no progress. I did get my '77 Lotus Esprit S1 done but early spring so I had a great time driving that around. Plus I had to get one of the cars done so my son had a car to drive to his senior prom. I am in the process of getting a new business started so I am not sure how much work I will get done on the gt/4 this winter. Keep us up to date on your plans for the tour. There are quite a few people with Italian cars (Ferrari or Lambo) in the Grand Rapids Holland area. You said you were looking at an overnight stay. What price level are you thinking about? How many people / cars? -Skip
     
  9. tifosi12

    tifosi12 Four Time F1 World Champ
    Lifetime Rossa Owner

    Oct 3, 2002
    48,581
    @ the wheel
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    Andreas
    Probably a dozen cars, Best Western style would be fine.
     
  10. skipgt4

    skipgt4 Formula Junior

    Nov 3, 2003
    441
    GR Michigan
    Full Name:
    Charles VDB
    Jerry, Keep us all up to date with the plans for the car show. I think we can round up quite a few cars if we give poeple enough lead time to plan.
     
  11. skipgt4

    skipgt4 Formula Junior

    Nov 3, 2003
    441
    GR Michigan
    Full Name:
    Charles VDB
    Here are a couple of ideas to start for places to stay.

    Holland:
    Hampton Inn is on US 31 a little north of town. It is near the mall but has a large parking lot so you could keep the cars away for everyone else.

    Grand Haven:
    The Harbor House is a nice place. It's an upscale bed and breakfast, on the river, on the road from downtown to the beach. I'm not sure about getting 12 places. Plus, the parking is right there, where all the action is.

    The Best Western is on U.S. 31, in Grand Haven. The place was recently rebuilt and is quite nice. The parking is plentiful, and it is well back from the highway and away from the craziness of the waterfront. Of course, they don't have a view of any water either.

    The Grand Haven Holiday Inn, which is actually in Spring Lake, might be OK, but the parking is outside the hotel, and the hotel is on the water and surrounded by a marina. Sometimes crazy things might go on in the parking lot.
     
  12. Jerrari

    Jerrari F1 Veteran

    Jul 24, 2001
    5,463
    Michigan
    Full Name:
    Jerry Wiersma
    As soon as I get word from Heritage Landing, I will post it here. Should be by the end of January. Jerry.
     
  13. Dave Bendl

    Dave Bendl Formula Junior

    Dec 7, 2003
    757
    Chicagoland
    Full Name:
    Dave Bendl
    Thanks for the info guys. I'll run with Skip's advice on the hotels and will be in contact with them for further details. I have notified the F-Chat Wisconsin & Iowa chapter to see what their thoughts are, and will be inquiring with the ferry service as soon as their schedule & rates are released.
    Again, thanks for your assistance.
    Dave
     
  14. Meeyatch1

    Meeyatch1 Formula 3

    Dec 28, 2003
    1,343
    Low flying jet.
    Full Name:
    Mitch
    Hey gang...do you have to currently own a Ferrari to come to this? I still have my NSX and have not yet stepped up to the F355, but would love to come along. Can I? I promise I will have my F355 within 2 years. :)
     
  15. tifosi12

    tifosi12 Four Time F1 World Champ
    Lifetime Rossa Owner

    Oct 3, 2002
    48,581
    @ the wheel
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    Andreas
    It is primarily for Ferraris, but we won't be too snobbish. NSX is ok too. We'll just mount the camera in your car...
    :)
     
  16. Meeyatch1

    Meeyatch1 Formula 3

    Dec 28, 2003
    1,343
    Low flying jet.
    Full Name:
    Mitch
    Sounds fair...typical courtsey when being allowed into an event like this with a 'Non-Ferrari' is to stay at the back and not break up the line of Ferraris. Thank you for letting me join in the fun. Of course, if there is a spare seat in an F355 I would be happy as well. :)
     
  17. tifosi12

    tifosi12 Four Time F1 World Champ
    Lifetime Rossa Owner

    Oct 3, 2002
    48,581
    @ the wheel
    Full Name:
    Andreas
    Hey, I might have some spare magnetic S/F shields somewhere. Would look nice on a NSX...
    :)

    If you end up as a camera car, pls break up the field, so we get everybody onto the tape. That's more fun.
     
  18. Meeyatch1

    Meeyatch1 Formula 3

    Dec 28, 2003
    1,343
    Low flying jet.
    Full Name:
    Mitch
    I would love to get everyone on tape, as long as they KNEW that is what I was doing. I try and respect club rules and etiquette and know there are certain unwritten rules regarding a 'non-club car' breaking up the pack. If it is okay with everyone else, then it is fine with me. :)
     
  19. FerrariFrank1

    FerrariFrank1 F1 Rookie

    Aug 15, 2003
    3,887
    Chicago-Phoenix-L.A.
    Full Name:
    Frank
    The more,the merrier,I say!! (and as long as meeyatch1 doesn't try to race us-:) )
     
  20. Tod328gts

    Tod328gts Formula Junior

    Jul 23, 2003
    626
    River Forest, IL
    Full Name:
    Tod Whitmore
    I agree, the more the merrier... Remember last year we had Dave Sweet in his Corvette drive with us too....

    Andreas, i'm still planning on making a camera mount for my car, actually a few different types, like one that will mount under the door and aim the camera down the side of the car and at the wheel, maybe another mount on the spoiler and then a front and rear bumper mount too.. Be cool to get a bunch of different camera angles while driving.... Or passing an NSX... hee hee ;)
     
  21. tifosi12

    tifosi12 Four Time F1 World Champ
    Lifetime Rossa Owner

    Oct 3, 2002
    48,581
    @ the wheel
    Full Name:
    Andreas
    Way cool!

    One way to do it is to use 'lipstick' type cameras. They're about the size of lipsticks and connect via a cable to your camcorder (into Video IN). A lipstick camera can be mounted basically with a strip of duct tape. I used them a lot in my former rocketry hobby. They're pretty durable and today's models even have some decent resolution and are of course in color.

    Some even come with a mic, but we would have to dub the sound in after the fact anyway.
     

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