By the way . I love my hellcat !!!

It’s next level !!!!!!!!

21 hours ago, Frosty said:

Next year I want to be 31pontiac at the convention. Hang out and shoot the shit with your buddies, bitch about those damn Phillies, go on trips, attend seminars, look at chrome and tetanus, and generally have a good time! Let the missus do the volunteer work!

It is a thankless job, but one that I willingly take on just to save others from the pain and suffering.😉

Also, just happened to run across this pic of Frosty sitting in the front row of the awards ceremony anxiously awaiting his name to be announced!🤣🤣🤣🤣

2 hours ago, 31pontiac said:

It is a thankless job, but one that I willingly take on just to save others from the pain and suffering.😉

Also, just happened to run across this pic of Frosty sitting in the front row of the awards ceremony anxiously awaiting his name to be announced!🤣🤣🤣🤣

Thanks 31pontiac. And it was! Finally! Actually the Widetrackers won a lot of awards tonight, in both judged and popular vote.

Oh, and we signed up two new members at the car show today. They are from New Zealand! We were able to even give them their free membership t-shirt.

I have one last duty to perform. I need to take the Kiwis to the airport in the morning, After that my wife and I might run to Port Huron. The next two weeks our lives belong to our grandson…..yup day long babysitting…for two weeks. I know JUSTA has no sympathy for me since has twins to deal with.

I had one more stroke of bad luck. I filled up my 32 GB SD card in my camera today. I had to use my phone camera the rest of the day.

Edited June 28Jun 28 by Frosty

On 6/27/2026 at 1:46 AM, 64 kiwi boni said:

By the way . I love my hellcat !!!

It’s next level !!!!!!!!

Very cool Toy...least it doesn't end in yota.

I love my Yota!

carry on...

Parts arrived yesterday afternoon. Got to workin on the Sunbird and fired up. Called Frosty to see what was going on for last night and today. He informed me that the convention was over and they were heading for dinner before the awards ceremony. Double dangit. We saw every model from 1926 to 2010. NOT one Sunbird in my bodystyle. Coulda been somebody. Dangit again! Many thanks to Joe for picking me up to check out the Exbo center and crashing the parade. Left some marks on the roads and had a great time!

This is going to be another multi-part posting, like Power Tour. So much went on.

This is my second POCI convention in 20 years of membership. My first convention, in 2010 in Charleston WV, literally nearly killed me. That year the convention was held the week after the 4th of July. My wife, son, and I decided to make the convention a family vacation too. I was president of the Michigan Widetrackers at the time too. On the 4th of July, unbeknowst to me at the time, I suffered a diverticulitis colon burst and walked around another 3 days poisoning myself. I ended up with an emergency colostimy. I spent the next 22 days in ICU in a medically induced coma. My kidneys came close to shutting down in the process. I recovered but I spent the next 5 months recovering.

So I am hoping this convention doesn't try to do that again. However, with everything I have committed to, I am not so sure.

Monday - June 22

While working the registration help desk, I had the good pleasure to meet 31pontiac and his wife Karen. I can't say how thrilled I was to meet them both during the convention. My only regret is not getting a chance to say a proper goodbye at the end of the convention.

From the host hotel, the Centerpoint Marriott.

In the lobby is the last Pontiac (the G6) and a 1926 Pontiac. Essentially the alpha and the omegas of Pontiacs.

Nothing significantly planned for the day to speak of. Registration opens up at 1 pm. Tech inspection and swap meet setups for early arrivals begin. There is a welcome party for early arrivals and convention volunteers at the Pontiac Transportation Museum. So here are the pictures from the PTM party.

This cinder block ramp is new. It was installed literally within the last 2 weeks, since the last time I was at the PTM for a meeting about the parade.

Desserts for the show. Merle refers to Merle Green, a legend in POCI. He has restored over 11 cars and he has been a huge contributor over the last 50 years to POCI.

Eating dinner on the freshly minted PTM patio, out back.

This one choked me up. The late Pontiac Historian, John Sawruk's GT-37. His widow, Marge, and his son's, Jeff and John Jr. were there too.

This was new. The Can-Am prototype?! Cool beans!

The original Pontiac Grand Prix 2+2 prototype that was given to Richard Petty and a production 2+2 next to each other.

Similar to Buick selling Opel GTs, Pontiac dealers once sold Vauxhalls too.

The only 4-passenger Fiero.

Another new addition was this WWII GMC deuce and a half that was used a a maintenance support vehicle.

A GMC Suburban pickup

This is POCI business office manager, Paul Bergstrom, standing next to brick in front of the PTM. I helped Paul with registration for nearly three days. He is also the newsletter editor for the GMC Times, the newsletter for the GMC speciality chapter that I am president of. I figured I owed Paul big time!

KITT

The Pontiac Hall of Fame display. Last year it was in Pontiac Illinois.

Fieros and the famous "Harry on the Hill" indian. Harry was a legendary highway figure near Asheville NC for decades. He was removed, restored, a third feather was added, and now here he stands proudly.

The Widetracker's chapter bricks at the front of the PTM.

End of Day 1

The last thing I had to do was airport duty. I was asked by POCI convention coordinator and former VP to pickup some Aussies from Detroit Metro airport. The airport is about 50 minutes away from Pontac and their flight didn't land until 10 pm. Ugh.

Well, first thing that went wrong is the people I was getting were not Aussies. They were Kiwis. Wayne and Lisa Bates. They live in Kineith Tokoroa, about 40 minutes from Kiwi!!!! Wayne and Lisa own a '70 Trans Am, '70 GTO, a '61 Bonnie, and a '61 Ventura.

I contacted Kiwi during the convention. Kiwi has seen their Ventura. They have a mutual friend. I sent something home with them to give to Kiwi, so they can meet face-to-face and raise a pint or two ol' sneaky Frosty.

Kiwi - you are on the hook for showing us what I sent you. I have not told Kiwi what it is either and I am not going to say what it s here either. Kiwi will have to show us once he gets it.

Edited 22 hours ago22 hr by Frosty

Day 2 - June 23

I spent the morning in registration but I had some time to look around a bit too.

From the host hotel's reserved show car parking lot. I would take frequent trips out to this lot over the course of the convention to see what was new.

I brought Black Beauty with me so I could go thru tech inspection and be ready for later on tonight.

My big responsibility for Tuesday was with the Firebird Chapter. I guess it is a tradition that the Firebird chapter does a cruise at every convention (since they are speciality chapter like my GMC chapter). This year they wanted to cruise Woodward and I volunteered to help them (sometimes I am such an idiot).

We choose Tuesday night for the cruise simply because there were no other nights available during the convention to do it. We meet at the PTM. We had a driver's meeting around 5:30 pm. We headed south on Woodward (which is 2 blocks from the PTM) and headed for dinner at Nicky D's Coney Island on Woodward. After dinner, I would leave ahead of the pack and photograph each car as is passes the legendy Vinsetta's Garage (a former 99-year old garage now turned into a restaurant).

Here is the meeting in front of the PTM.

Notice anything about BB? More on her later.

This is Scott Schneel. He is the new editor of the Smoke Signals magazine, replacing Tim Dye. This young lady came up to him and asked him for his "audio graph" (e.g. autograph) on this issue of Smoke Signals. POCI Treasurer Scott Van Tamelen is my witness. We heckled Scott pretty good for it.

Time to mount up and head to Nicky D's on Woodward near 14 Mile Road.

We got very lucky. We did not call ahead or make reservations with Nicky D's since we had no idea how many cars and people could go. They were not busy. We filled the place up and gave them some added business on an otherwise ordinary Tuesday evening.

Next was staging the photographs in front of Vinsetta. Firebird chapter president John Frohele and I took off ahead of everyone else. I asked for a 10 minute head start so I could park and get set up. John and I got there and then we waited closer to 30 minutes. It seems one of the Firebirds would not start at Nicky's. It was a stick shift car, so the group pushed it to the back of the parking lot and then push started it. So that took awhile I am told.

Note that where the gas pumps should be, they are EV charging stations now. Ugh.

Did you notice something wrong with Black Beauty? Well one head light was popped up. Turns out I have electrical issues with BB now. The headlights come on but only the driver side lights pops up, passenger side stays down. I have no dash lights. I have no rear running lights. Turn signals and brake lights still work.

I returned John to the hotel and started heading home. Unfortunately the sun had set by the time I was close to home. A cop pulled me over 5 miles from the garage mahal. He let me off with a warning because it was clear to him I was having electrical issues and he simply told me to get it fixed. Yes sir!

BB sat in the garage for the next 2 days. I would only need her for the parade on Friday afternoon and from 7-3 on Saturday for the formal car show (I was enrolled in Popular Vote).

So ended Day 2.

Day 3 - June 24

I spent most of the day working registration again.

All three Michigan POCI chapters worked the convention. The West Michigan Pontiac Club manned the pre-registration and convention T-shirt tables. The Motor City group managed the hospitality suite for all the convention's volunteers, provide lunch for all of us. I greatly appreciate what they did for us. The Michigan Widetrackers were in charge of marshalling the 300+ expected cars for the parade for the original Pontiac Administration building parking lot to downtown Pontiac (.8 of a mile).

Wayne and Lisa got on the tour of Frankenmuth, to shop at the Bronner's Christmas store and eat chicken downtown. Lisa showed me all the Christmas stuff she bought. I warned Wayne his credit card would be melting. I sent the picture of what Lisa bought in Frankenmuth to Kiwi. For some reason, he refuses to show them to his boss!

Views of the show car lot at the hotel from the hospitality room on the 11th floor.

Down in the lot itself.....

This Judge belongs to a buddy from the West Michigan chapter.

Going through the outdoor swap meet area....

The evening ended with a welcome party and trip to PMD Garage (a local restoration shop near the PTM) and the Treasury. It turns out that we could not go into PMD Garage, we could just use their parking lot. The Treasury is an old building with Chief Pontiac on the front and it is rather art decco on the inside. This was once a bank or government office.

The Bates and me.

L-R - The Aussies, Geoff and his wife, Paul Adams, POCI Convention Coordinator Larry Crider and his wife, and the Kiwis - Wayne and Lisa Bates.

The DJ was trying to do his best Frank Sinatra singing Fly Me to the Moon.

Outside was an Oakland

The survivor. The autograph on it is hilarious! Arnie "The Farmer" Beswick!

The Treasury served hors d'oeuvres of blacked shrimp, watermelon over balsamic vinaigrette, ice cream and cocktails. The ice cream and cocktails were cash bar. The food was tasty but not filling.

On the way back to the host hotel, I took Wayne and Lisa to get beer that's cheaper than the hotels.

So ended Day 3.

Edited 19 hours ago19 hr by Frosty

Day 4 - June 25

Day 4 - I was a free agent. I had signed up for a bus tour around the local Pontiac-Oakland-GMC area sites in the afternoon. The evening was the formal convention awards dinner/banquet.

I ate with folks from the Motor City chapter and Dmitri.

Widetracker's newsletter editor Dave Todd won an award. There is just one typo. Motor City is chapter 91. The Widetrackers are 16. So I turn the award upside down, it goes from 91 to 16! I told Peggy Mullinax about it and she said she would correct it the next day.

The Motor City chapter won Best Junior Chapter of the Year. This a big deal. A junior chapter is a chapter with 50 or fewer members. It is essentially the things they do for their communities. Hats off to them. They are a great bunch of people!

The National POCI BOard of Directors

Day 5 - June 26 - Parade Day. Ugh.

I took a look at Black Beauty. She runs okay except for the aforementioned electrical issues. My plan is simply. Drive in the parade today and get home before sunset. Ditto tomorrow. So that's what I did.

Last day of the outdoor swap meet at the host hotel. Then it shifts to the Oakland Expo Center tomorrow.

I was hoping the was a Ram Air pan for a 71-72 GTO. Nope 66-67.

I loved this triple black GTO. There was no For Sale sign on it, so I am not sure if it was for sale or how much.

Back to the parking lot.

A rare FWD Phoenix - the Pontiac version of the Chevy Citation.

My second Pontiac was a used '81 Phoenix hatchback I got in early '85. It was the worst car I ever owned. It had the Pontiac "Iron Duke" gutless 4-cylinder (often called the Iron Puke). The floor boards were already rust through (I patched with aluminuim siding), and the classic X-body / X-brake problem. It was while driving this POS that I ordered Black Beauty. BB arrived in late November '85 and my Phoenix was G-O-N-E!

I had a brief window to run to the Oakland Expo Center to look at the Points Judged cars before having to come back to host my GMC chapter meeting and then run to the parade marshalling area.

This is where the Points Judged (inside), and Popular Vote and Road Warriors (outside) will be held.

Every car in here is gorgeous.

Both Big Waumpam and the Untamed Tiger are both owned by fellow Widetracker, Jeff Bourcier.

More race cars.....

For the first time in 58 years, since the TV show ended, Monkeemobile #1 and #2 are together again!

Monkeemobile #1 - this is the car that Geore Barris bought and updated after the show. Mel Guthrie of Livonia Michigan now owns it.

Monkeemobile #2 - now owned by Tony Rota in New Jersey. This is the one that was left in Australia, found it's way to Puerto RIco and used as an airport car, and then purchased and restored. More on them later.

Coach Reeves car from the movie "Slapshot". Paul Newman actually tried to buy this car after the movie. A nice Hansen Brother's towel is on the front seat.

The XXX GTO!

The '69 GTO from "The Last Ride" with Dennis Quaid

An actual Rockford Files Firebird

I shot back to the hotel to host my GMC chapter meeting and then I was off to the parade marshalling area.

John Z DeLorean and Widetracker's president Tim Mays. Time to start lining up the cars!

This is a Michigan-based Roadkill inspired '72 Lemans Sport convertible. I ran into this guy on Power Tour a couple of years ago. My name and car is on his hood tach - right next to David Freiburgers!

This Fiero is a Woodward regular.

This guy was the talk of the convention. He literally drove this '38 Pontiac from Washington State to the convention with only one problem along the way. Not a trailer queen!

We had six GMC motorhomes to add to the parade too. They were once built in Pontiac at the truck assembly area.

The Torrent TA Edition! LOL!

Justa and Indyman show up together in Dirty Girl! I found out later that neither of them had actually signed up for the parade but since they were Widetrackers we let them in. Justa though Joe had signed up, Joe thought Justa had signed up. A classic Polish salute. Thanks guy - you made me laugh that day. I definitely needed it.

OMG. Someone actually brought a BBC '69 Beaumont to the parade!

A better look at the '38 from Washington.

Meet our parade grand marshall.....from All Girls Garage and Garae Squad.....Miss Cristy Lee ....and me.

Now the parade actually begins......

After Cristy and the mayor on Pontiac came all the Pontiac city council persons.

WIdetracker Mary Woody

A '26 and 2009 Sostice

A rare '73 Lemans GT

There goes Justa and Joe!

I was also in the parade with Wayne and Lisa. I brought my Badflag.com flag poles with me. I had an America 250 flag and a flag Wayne had given me - Pontiacs Down Under.com

Driving the parade route from my perspective

Parade is over and we find Justa and Joe. I can't help but wonder where they stole those signs from.

Online I found this drone shot of the staging area and part of the parade.

Here is someone's Facebook video of the parade!

https://www.facebook.com/watch/live/?ref=watch_permalink&v=4647085935614098

Here is another video link I was sent.

https://www.facebook.com/reel/947514705054294

Justa and Joe appear at the 7:29 mark. I am struggling to find the audio mark of Cristy announcing Joe's car.

My car appears at the 9:28 mark. You can see BB with the flags and the Kiwis in tow!

You can hear Cristy announcing my car at the 11:10 mark

Somebody had a picture of my car as I drove by. I will post that here too once I find it.

Obviously we hooked up briefly with Justa and Joe after the parade. I left Lisa and Wayne with Justa and Joe but they ended up getting a ride in Larry Crider's GTO convertible instead. I got BB back home safely well before sunset.

Tomorrow is it, car show day! My volunteer work is finally and completely over. I get to enjoy the show. However, we have to be on the show field before 8 am. Ugh. Another early and long day.

Day 6 - Car Show Day and Awards Ceremony

I had to be on the show field by 8:00 am, according to the rules. I was frankly expecting a huge line of cars as I was late getting to Pontiac in BB. It was 20 minutes to 8:00 when I got there. There was no line, no waiting. I cruised right in and found my assigned spot.

GMCs

I voted this for best of show 1992 and later.

I wanna do the Bandit Run someday!!!! Sniff! Sniff!

How about a Fiero Lambo?

I was sorta surprised to see Camaro conversions allowed at the show. I was never sure where POCI stood on these. They are six figure cars all day though.

It was nice to see a GMC 60 degree V6 in this truck. I couldn't what the displacement was though.

Presentation of the colors, the singing of God Bless America. God Bless the USA, and the National Anthem.

Monkeemobile #2

Monkeemobile #1

Aussie Paul Adams lives in Queensland. When he was seven years old, he saw Monkeemobile #2. Later in life, he spent seven years recreating his own Monkeemobile down under. He took me on a personal guied tour of both cars and he pointed out the differences between the two. Some obvious and some very subtle. This was very cool. These are my dream Pontiacs!

Note the switches in front of the shifter. They were used for in-car microphone hook ups.

The Last Ride GTO

Slapshot GTO

The xXx GTO. This looks seriously badass!

At the awards ceremony, we had speeches from the Mayor of Pontiac

,,,,and Ben Hinmon, he iis the seventh great-grandson of Chief Pontiac.

He spoke at length how the U.S. government has tried to systematically eliminate the Indian culture over the decades and he cited examples. He said his tribe isn't even recognized by the state of Michigan, which means they can't get any federal assistance. He noted that the highest participation in US military service by race are native Americans. The average native American lives below the poverty level. His tribe has signed 17 treaties with the US government and the US government has broken every one of them.

As for awards, the Widetrackers did very well. I hope to have a final report sometime in July. Motor City and West Michigan members also won awards.

So ends the 100th anniversary of Pontiac and the 54th POCI national convention.

I'm tired....but I survived this convention better than the last one! I think I am finally caught with my posting.

Next year's convention will be in Norman Oklahoma.

Awesome pic's. Thankz for sharing

fantastic pics mate