I have been a CVOA member since the mid 20 teens. Since joining, I have been a pretty active member. I spent some time as the Midwest region director and as the H-body region director. I have hosted a Roundup and hosted and participated in several regional gatherings.

I live in eastern Nebraska in the small town of Elmwood, about halfway between Lincoln and Omaha, and I'm roughly 15 miles south of interstate 80. I am retired from both the military and federal civil service. That does not mean I don't work as I am a volunteer at the Museum of American Speed in Lincoln, Nebraska. Tasks range from being an ambassador for the museum, cleaning displays, moving and arranging displays, attending special events on behalf of the museum and some tour guiding.

My association with H-bodies dates back to my teens. I purchased my first car when I was 14, a 1974 green Vega GT. I learned to drive with that car and it was my transportation until late in 1976 when I purchased a new 1976 Vega Sport Coupe with Cabriolet Package that was black with a silver half vinyl top. I always regretted selling that car and for many years starting in about 1987 I was on a mission to recreate that car. Even at that point in time that proved to be difficult as finding a worthy candidate was nearly impossible. Details about that would turn into nearly a novel so I will save that for a future storytime. The next meaningful H-body related incident occurred in 1987 or 1988 when I had my first encounter with a Cosworth. It was at a used car lot in Lincoln so once I saw it checking it out became job one. It wound up being in way worse condition than I had the desire to take on and the seller literally thought he was sitting on a gold mine (it was priced at $4500 firm). It was hilarious because he had a really nice 1972 Chevelle on the lot that he stored in the showroom and it was priced at $5250. I did not buy either one. About 2 years after I ran across another Cosworth in Lincoln and it was a Firethorn, I really wanted to buy that one but the rust worm had destroyed the battery tray area and the unibody frame member beneath it, putting it out of my budget range and capability. My job moved me from Lincoln to North Platte in 1991 and while there, 1996, I bought a darn nice 1976 Astre that was sitting in the backyard of my neighbor. I wound up visiting some salvage yards to procure some better parts for it and during that process I saw the first Cabriolet I had seen since selling mine. Unfortunately the reason it was there was a very severe front end collision, but the fire had now been lit. The Astre wound up being my daughter's first car. The search for a Cabriolet to be restored became heated from 1998 and going forward, a task that did not yield fruit until 2007, and to avoid a novel, you know the drill. Long story short the restoration was not completed until 2016. For what it's worth, why would one only corrupt themselves? My brother Jay got the bug when I showed him a low mileage 1976 Vega that he wound up purchasing, but that story will be his to tell one day. The H-bodies that have happened in my collection kind of read like a who's who of H-bodies, that list includes, a 1977 Monza Spyder, a 1975 Monza Towne Coupe, CV #1930, CV #1951 (Heritage Gold), CV #1977 "The CV California Showcar" and a 1976 Kammback.

I really hope that my goals for the club are the same as all of you. First, continue to preserve our cars and our relationships, second, encourage and promote participation in the CVOA and third, work on creating plans to aid in the continuity and sustainability of our functions, programs and Roundups.

I look forward to the next 3 years working with you all, preserving the current friendships and meeting those I do not yet know.

Cheers to the CVOA!

Jack Hovick

CVOA President