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.

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

It’s Big Announcement Day at Classic Car Adventures! Entries for the 2011 Spring Thaw Classic Car Adventure are now officially OPEN! We can hear the stampede to the post office starting already, but fear not – the application process has changed from previous years and it is no longer a race requiring the postal service to get your entry here first. Instead, there is now a soon-to-be infamous “page two” on the entry form where you will be able to convince, bribe, or otherwise tell us why you should be one of the 60 entrants in the 2011 Spring Thaw. Have fun with it – make us laugh, make us cry, make us cringe – we look forward to reading them all! If you don’t feel like writing, you could always make a video or sing us a song! Don’t take too long, however, as entries are due by December 20th. Note, the entry fee now includes selected meals including Saturday night dinner. Find out all the details and download the entry form on the Spring Thaw Info page.

Secondly, we are thrilled to announce a full year’s worth of events in 2011, including a luxury vintage event, an adventurous backroads exploration, a Fall Freeze event, plus we are bringing the adventures to Ontario!  The calendar at-a-glance is below, and you can see more details for each event on the Full Calendar page. We can’t wait to be back on the roads with you all!

April 29-May 1, 2011 – Spring Thaw Classic Car Adventure
June 12, 2011  – Classic Rag Run (Magazine Swap/Food Bank Benefit)
August 5-7, 2011 - Rush to Gold Bridge
September 9-11 – Autumn Amble Vintage Tour (pre-’59 5-star tour)
September 16-18 – Fall Freeze Classic Car Adventure
September 23-25 – Muskoka Mille, Ontario, Canada
October 10, 2011 – Sea to Sky Thanksgiving Run (Food Bank Benefit)

Happy Motoring!

Photo: Goodwood/Marcus Dodridge

The Festival of Speed
The 2011 Goodwood Festival of Speed is provisionally scheduled to take place over the weekend of 1-3 July, the same weekend that the world’s largest celebration of motoring culture has been held over the last two years. The 2011 Festival promises to be packed with action and excitement as the planet’s most glamorous racing machinery and famous drivers gather together in the beautiful surroundings of Goodwood Park. The 2011 theme for this leading motor sport event is currently being finalised and will be announced in the coming weeks.

Photo: Goodwood

Goodwood’s Moving Motor Show
The day before the 2011 Festival of Speed gets underway, on Thursday 30 June Goodwood’s second Moving Motor Show will provisionally be held, giving new car buyers and motoring enthusiasts the opportunity to see the very latest models up close, and in many cases drive them on a dedicated vehicle evaluation route within the grounds of the Goodwood Estate, which includes the famous Festival hillclimb.

Photo: Goodwood

The Goodwood Revival
The unique Goodwood Revival is provisionally scheduled for the weekend of 16-18 September next year. The Revival is truly a magical step back in time and celebrates the halcyon days of motor racing as it used to be with all of the accompanying spectacle and glamour of the era. Competitors and spectators alike dress in period fashions with the finest sights and entertainment of the pre-1966 era for all to enjoy.

Photo: Goodwood

Goodwood motor sport events
All of the 2011 Goodwood motor sport events promise a spectacular array of cars and motorcycles, plus star drivers, riders and plenty of other fabulous attractions to thrill the crowds. Goodwood will provide all the latest news and updates on these ‘must attend’ sporting and social events in the coming weeks and months, when the finalised dates will also be confirmed.

As in previous years, admission to both Goodwood motor sport events will be strictly by advance ticket only, with 2011 ticket sales commencing from Monday 1 November 2010. All orders placed before January 2011 will benefit from a VAT saving of 2.5 per cent.

New for 2011, young adults aged between 13 and 18 can now purchase Festival of Speed and/or Revival tickets for half the full adult price. Previously all visitors aged 13 or over would have been charged at full price. Children of 12 years or under remain free of charge, as does all car parking.

Find out more at http://www.goodwood.co.uk/motorsport/motorsport.aspx

We don’t normally post for sale ads in the regular flow of this site, but we caught this craigslist ad for a 1967 Mercedes 250S in Victoria and we instantly want to meet the owners and invite them on our events!  The description is great, and sums up why most of us are into enjoying classic cars. Someone should grab this and run it at Thunderbird Rally in February!

1967 Mercedes 250S – $900 (craigslist link)
Four speed manual transmission, engine was swapped for a 2.8L. Comes with several boxes of extra parts, and a spare set of wheels with studded snow tires. This car is driveable but the alternator output is weak. Requires a couple minutes to warm up in the morning. Shifter is loose and the gears are a little tricky to find. You have to stand on the clutch to shift gears. This is really a parts car – unless you truely want a project.

This Mercedes has no seatbelts in the back, and the ones in the front are of the airliner lap-best variety. There are safer cars out there for sale. Cars with thick slab like steel pillars cocooning you from the outside world. Cars with 7 airbags. Cars with airbags for your knees. They have fancy GPSs that will tell you where you should go; they have systems that will brake for you, before you even notice that the car in front of you is slowing down.

This Mercedes has none of those things. This Mercedes barely even has brakes. This Mercedes doesn’t even have a conventionally operational heating system, or a radio. There are no power windows, locks, or mirrors. This car does not have seven airbags.

And those other cars, Their horns make cute little beeping noises, so considerate to not be rude. They don’t have horns that sound with the arrogance and fury of some long dead Mongol warlord. They don’t come with apocalyptic snow tires, all spikes and brutal tread. You cannot fix those cars on the side of the road, using a wrench as a hammer. Those cars will never force you to think, never allow you to exercise your own ingenuity. In those cars you can’t stand up illegally through the sunroof from the back seat, and watch the moon with the cool night air blowing through you air.

Richard Nixon once said “Human existence is in the struggle.” You could buy a car that will try and hide you from all the dangers of the world, but it won’t save you; all the alarms, all the air bags, and the low sodium lattes in the world won’t save you. Some day you will die. But at least you can die with the wind in your hair.

Alternatively it would make a good parts car.

Read the ad and get in touch with them here: http://victoria.en.craigslist.ca/cto/2027409438.html
Leave us a note in the comments if you buy it!

When Malcolm Barber, CEO of Bonhams, first caught sight of what was to be his 1903 Peerless Model F (16HP, Twin Cylinder, Rear Entrance Tonneau) just over twenty years ago, he thought he had found something unusual. He found the car in a Hawaiian collection, and discovered it had previously been part of the Denver Colorado Transport Museum collection, but as to who had originally owned the car and the story of its past remained a mystery.

Nearly twenty years later Malcolm received a call out of the blue from the Silver Times newspaper in Lake City, Colorado in collaboration with the Horseless Carriage Club of America who told him that his 1903 Peerless had been the Hinsdale County’s first motorcar and invited him to attend a summer tour organised by the Club. The aim being to reunite the Peerless with the family who bought it originally.

The car was shipped from London to New Jersey by container, couriered from New Jersey to Denver and then driven by Malcolm from Gunnison (west of Denver) to Lake City, a mining town 9,000ft high in the Rockies. So, 108 years after its first drive, the car still made it up the steep, precarious roads to the town. Waiting for the car to arrive was the 102yr old granddaughter of the original owner, the mining engineer at the Lucky Strike mine, who had not seen the car since 1952, when the family sold it. She said she always remembered the car and was astonished to see it again.

As the Peerless was a local celebrity at the time, numerous postcards taken in 1903 were sold in the local shop. Thomas Beam bought the Peerless for a pricey $2,300. They were considered one the three ‘P’s of American manufacturing: the Peerless, Packard and Pierce Arrow, the US’s best early motorcar manufacturers.

Still going strong, the Peerless, now back in the UK, will be making its 20th run from London to Brighton on November 7th. Malcolm comments: “When you have had a lifelong love affairs with cars, to own one of the great originals like this is an enormous privilege. You realise you are driving automotive history and that the car is never going to be yours, you are merely its keeper for a time. Taking it back to the scenes in which it first saw the road in the breathtaking settings of Colorado, that has to be one of the highlights of my life.”

Ever wonder how our great grandparents got by without GPS, iPod hookups and cruise control? Well, Hagerty Media does and so do many of our readers. Jonathan Klinger has agreed to act as the closest thing we’ve got to our great grandparents and has volunteered to chronicle what it’s like to drive an 80+ year-old car every day, rain, shine, snow or tropical storm for the next year.

Why are we doing this? Hagerty Media thinks there’s a great story in this and Jonathan is going to record the good, the bad and the hilarious in print, on the Web and in video for our magazine readers, Facebook fans and Website visitors. Although the car’s daily use for the project precludes its insurance with Hagerty (therefore it is not insured by Hagerty), the point of it is, we want people to know just how usable and easy to own great Pre-War vintage cars like the Model A really are.  In other words, if Klinger can drive one every day through every season, you can darn sure enjoy one every possible weekend while looking after a great piece of our motoring heritage.

The 1930 Model A being used for this project is not the same Model A that the employees restored (the employee-restored Model A is far too nice to drive through the winter and it doesn’t have roll-up windows). If Jonathan has to travel to an event by plane and the rental car company can not offer him a Model A Ford, he can take a newer vehicle. (We’d like to know what rental companies offer Model A’s…they’ll get our business! – Ed)

So follow his exploits, laugh with him, grit your teeth with him and give him an occasional push as we officially kick off “365 Days of A” today and will end with the car being driven to the annual Hershey swap meet in October of 2011.

Follow this journey through Hagerty’s magazine and website, and a regular blog with photos and video at www.365DaysOfA.com.