derBayerische March/April 2022 - 26

By Mike Bevels
NCC Gears and Cheers -
A Two-Part Automotive Event
T
he allure and intrigue of " a special indoor enthusiast meetup featuring
rare cars " at " a secret automotive location " with " a tour, light refreshments,
and lunch " was more than enough to quickly sell out all 40
spots for NCC's first Gears and Cheers, an event named and organized by
our chapter President, Paul Seto. Catchy title, right? Some CCA members,
like James Contreras from New Jersey, drove long distances to unravel this
mystery for themselves.
This NCC event started at
Hunt Valley Horsepower Cars &
Coffee, an event founded and
organized by Rich " Will " Williams,
who happens to be an NCC member.
Will says the goal is to
" celebrate all-things automotive
with all generations of enthusiasts.
Respect each other, the automobiles,
the gathering area and the
surrounding community. Give
back to the community whenever
possible. Set the best standard for
automotive enthusiasm for current
and future generations. "
For the Saturday before
electrical systems on my car began to turn off a few minutes from my destination
- instrument cluster, radio, fan, even the turn signals (yes, some
BMW owners actually use turn signals, despite the stereotype).
When I arrived, I turned the car off and began to investigate with the
help of some NCC members already enjoying Cars & Coffee. Amongst the
NCC braintrust that was present, it was decided that my battery simply died
and needed replacement, but that I should also keep an eye on battery voltage
as it could be something else in
the charging system. NCC member
Devin Moreno was kind enough to
both find a local auto parts store
and give me a ride to pick up a new
battery in his stunning 2017 M3
Competition.
I swapped out the battery and
Christmas with temps in the 50s, it
still seemed chilly compared to
unseasonably warm weather earlier in the week. While there was a possibility
of light scattered showers in the forecast, the roads were still untreated
so I brought my '91 318is for the 90-minute drive to Hunt Valley
Horsepower Cars & Coffee. The drive was quite enjoyable until all of the
26
■ (Top) An E9 and De Tomaso Pantera GT5. (Above) NCC Gears and
Cheers: A Ferrari 512 TR and De Tomaso Pantera GT5.
the 318is fired right up with no
lingering issues. A morning that I
thought was going to end with a
tow back to Virginia was just the
beginning of a wonderful multi-part
automotive event thanks to the
kindness and support from our
club members like Devin Moreno.
The day was still young and there
was plenty of time to enjoy Hunt
Valley Horsepower before our group caravanned to the next " secret " location.
Walking around the damp parking lot and taking photos of a variety of
makes really hit the spot. While I'm a regular at a few Cars & Coffee events
in Virginia, this was my first time at Hunt Valley Horsepower. It was great
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