Newsletter of the American Motors Club of Houston

Newsletter of the American Motors Club of Houston
JULY 2014 Issue 15
From the Officers - Latest Club News You Can Use
Upcoming Events
Club Information
Onnie Weaver’s 1947 Nash 600 Coupe
A Love Affair with a 1974 Javelin
AMCs on Television
The Charles Nash Story – 1st in a series of articles
Hanging on the Wall in Don Garlits Museum
Club Store
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From the Officers:
Cover Photo: Onnie Weaver’s 1947 Nash 600 Coupe
Free National Club Membership!!
In an effort to get more folks to attend our monthly meetings, a giveaway will be held a couple of times a year to
award some lucky members with a free membership to the American Motors Owners Association (our Club is an
AMO chapter). If the lucky winner is already an AMO member, he or she will have the option of a free
membership in one of the other national AMC clubs, such as AMCRC or NAMDRA. Keep an eye out for email
regarding the giveaway.
Recent Club Event Report:
The club had a great turnout for the Pearland Adventure cruise-in at Lowe’s in Pearland on Friday night, June 6,
2014. Those in attendance were David Hughes (’69 Butternut Beige AMX), Steve Colello (’68 Yellow Javelin), Ted
Davis (’70 Blue AMX), Larry Roberts (’69 White Javelin), Tim Gould (’74 Black Javelin AMX), Tom Taylor (’78 Jeep
Renegade), and Mark Perkins (’73 Plum Javelin AMX).
Upcoming Events
August
 12th – Club Meeting at Hickory Hollow Bar B Q
 16th - Niftee Fiftee’s
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Every Sat evening during the summer
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Corum Shopping Center 4880 Louetta Rd Spring
September
 6th – E.T. Bracket Racing Series Finals- Royal Purple Raceway, Baytown
 9th – Club Meeting at Hickory Hollow Bar B Q
 12th - Pearland Cruise Night
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LOWES Parking Lot at FM 518 & Pearland Parkway starting at 6 pm
October
 11th – Cruisin the Coast – Ocean Springs, Mississippi
 14th – Club Meeting at Hickory Hollow Bar B Q
 18th - Space City Cruisers Annual Fall Show.
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Open Car Show, Swap Meet, Arts and Crafts, Show and Shine, Walter Hall Park,
807 Hwy 3 North, League City, TX 77573
Registration - $30.00 7:00 am till noon
T-Shirt and goodie bags to first 150 cars
Raffle drawings – 2pm Awards – 3pm
25th - Niftee 50’s at Spring Cypress Annual Halloween Car Cruise
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AMCoH Officers
President
Tom Taylor
4406 Mize Rd
Pasadena, TX 775045
713-249-2466
[email protected]
[email protected]
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Vice President
Mike Knuckey
713-253-8276
[email protected]
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Co-Secretaries
Ted Davis & Scott Stubler
713-721-8960 & 713-569-8421
[email protected]
[email protected]
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Treasurer
Kevin Dalley
281-481-6363
[email protected]
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Activities Director
Tim Gould
281-435-4452
[email protected]
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Membership Chairman
Kevin Dalley
281-481-6363
[email protected]
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WebMaster
Peter Groenewold
708-431-0987
[email protected]
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Newsletter Editor
Gary Parente
713-859-7249
[email protected]
Ownership of an AMC vehicle or residence in our local area is
NOT required to join our group. Interest and enthusiasm are more
than enough. We’ll gladly help you find your own treasured AMC
if you don’t already have one!!
Dues are *$20 per year – we are a non-profit organization, and
100% of your dues go to supporting club activities. The club officers
do not receive a salary for their efforts. Dues and an enrollment form
may be submitted at our monthly meetings, or mailed to our Treasurer,
Kevin Dalley, 12207 Courtney Greens Rd, Houston, TX 77089.
AMCoH exists specifically to support you in your AMC
endeavors, and we look forward to adding your own AMC experience
to our knowledge base. If you need any additional information, feel
free to contact any of our club officers.
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Onnie Weaver’s 1947 Nash 600 Coupe
One of the stars of the recent 2014 Lufkin AMC Cruise-In was Onnie Weaver’s beautiful 1947 Nash 600 Coupe. Onnie was
gracious enough to send us some history and pictures of this great car for our newsletter.
Onnie has owned this amazing car for 17 years. He bought it from a friend who is a wholesale car dealer that found it for sale in
Louisiana. When he bought the car, the body was perfect with no dents and no rust. The interior, mostly original, was still in
good condition. Now for the bad part; the original engine (a small 82 H/P 6 cylinder) had been replaced with a 1974 AMC 304
V/8. It was a horrible job that had been done. The motor support brackets had broken off of the frame structure (this car has a
unibody) and the oil pan was resting on the frame. It had an AMC cast iron automatic transmission and that installation was a
disaster as well with the torque tube drive from a 1965 Rambler and the rear end also. The drive shaft in the torque tube was a
worn out two-piece that had a constant vibration. Onnie had a new one-piece drive shaft built with a constant velocity joint on
the front and it is now smooth.
The front suspension had been cut up and disc brakes from a Pacer were installed and it drove horribly.
Onnie found another 600 that was being street-rodded and he got the complete front suspension from
it and modified it to accept disc brakes from a 1978 AMC Concord. He also installed a power booster
and the brakes are now excellent! He installed a power steering sector from an Olds Cutlass and
connected it to the original steering linkage, and it now drives like a dream. He installed a front antisway bar from a 1978 AMC Concord and an after-market rear anti-sway bar and it corners flat. He
installed the seats from the 1978 Concord and had the complete interior done in real leather. The a/c
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and heater are after-market but work very well. It also has a Pioneer A/M-F/M radio with a CD player for
listening pleasure.
Onnie rebuilt the old 304 engine and up-graded it a bit with higher compression pistons and shaved the
heads and installed a dakota digital cruise control. He stripped all the paint off the body and there was
no body filler or rust to be found. It was repainted with a PPG base-coat clear-coat in Copper Brown and
Tan. All the door and glass seals have been replaced and insulation installed everywhere possible. The
car has virtually no wind noise or road noise. After correcting all of the problems created by the
previous owner, this car is now a reliable car and a pleasure to drive, a real go anywhere car! Onnie has
driven it over 35,000 miles and it has never failed to bring him home. He takes great pleasure in
assuring that this car is never trailered.
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A Love Affair with a 1974 Javelin
Submitted by Dickie Towers on behalf of his wife Linda
This is a brief recap of how my family became a part of the “AMC Family” and how the love for one particular automobile by my
wife inspired her to hold onto the car for nearly 40 years and have the determination and dedication to dream that someday
the Javelin would be restored to its youthful appearance and performance that had brought so much joy to her in the past.
The story of my wife and her 1974 Javelin actually began in April 1974, when my parents bought my younger sister, Debbie, a
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brand new 1974 Javelin for her 16 Birthday from Hooker AMC, 118 West Pecan Street, Sherman, Texas 75090, which is about
75 miles from our home in Paris, Texas. Hooker AMC was co-owned by brothers A. R. Hooker and Howard C. Hooker.
My wife, Linda, fell in love with my sister’s Javelin, and wanted one herself. So, on May 24, 1974, Linda and my mother, visited
Hooker AMC, and Linda special ordered her new Javelin with the same options as my sister’s Javelin, except my wife wanted G4 Plum exterior paint. My wife loves anything related to the color purple. (This picture shows a copy of the original Buyer
Order Form and the Receipt, dated May 24, 1976, for $200 down payment, signed by the AMC Dealership owner, Mr. Howard
C. Hooker and my wife).
The Javelin arrived at Hooker AMC on 11, July 1974, and we
purchased the Javelin on July 16, 1974. The odometer had 6
miles on it when Linda drove it off the sales lot. At the time we
purchased the Javelin, Linda was 21 and I was 22, and we had
just returned from West Germany in January 1974, where I had
been serving in the U.S. Army. The Javelin was the first new
automobile that we had ever purchased. From 1974 until 1998,
my wife put 118K miles on the Javelin as a daily driver. In 1982, a
massive tornado struck Paris, Texas with little warning, and the
Javelin was parked in our driveway, and had been severely
damaged on the top and passenger rear quarter. The insurance
company considered the Javelin a total loss and wanted to scrap
it, but Linda refused to concede that, and instead had the Javelin
repaired and drove it for several more years. In early 1998, we
put the Javelin in storage, with the goal of having it restored
someday.
In May, 2010, we decided it was time to get the Javelin out of storage, to assess what shape it was in, and drive it a little. After
sitting idle for about 12 years, the automatic transmission would not operate, but a cleaning of the screen and new fluid, and it
worked properly. Linda drove the Javelin on a limited basis for the next 2 years.
In July 2012, we decided it was time to get the Javelin restored,
but we had no idea what was involved. Linda was not interested
in making the Javelin a Concourse Rotisserie Level Show Car, she
just wanted it restored so she could drive it and enjoy it, as she
had in the past. Like most folks, we got a few bids on the
restoration work, and took the lowest bid….Big, Big Mistake.
The agreement with the initial body shop was that they would
work on the Javelin part-time at night, and on weekends.
Initially, this body shop did a few repairs on the body, but after a
couple of months, they basically quit working on the Javelin.
Every time we would visit the body shop and inquire about the
Javelin, they would give an excuse as to why they had not been
working on the Javelin, but promised to start again on it “Next
Week”.
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For several months we believed them, but finally, in June 2013, after the Javelin had been at this body shop about 11 months,
and no work was being done, we knew we had to take the Javelin somewhere else, and we were lucky enough to find another
local man that agreed to restore the Javelin.
When we picked up the Javelin from the initial body shop, it was in 1000 pieces, like a jig-saw puzzle, nothing labeled or
categorized, parts thrown everywhere, bolts/nuts just piled in floorboard, chrome trim pieces and misc parts thrown in the
trunk, even the radiator was laying in the back seat, still with antifreeze in it. The initial body shop had let their kids play in the
Javelin and they broke several items: front windshield, steering wheel, dome light lens, sail panel, turn signal lever, etc. To top
it off, the body shop even had large dogs in the shop at night, and they urinated on the Javelin’s wheels, causing them to rust.
Linda actually started to cry when she saw how her baby had been treated. Overall, the experience with the initial body shop
was a complete nightmare, but a valuable lesson learned.
Most restoration shops probably would have walked away from
the project, considering the mess and disarray the Javelin was in,
but to his credit, Mr. Gary Armstrong, of Reno, Texas, agreed to
complete the restoration. Mr. Armstrong had previously
owned/operated a Corvette Restoration Business in Wylie, Texas
for many years, and this was his “First” experience in restoring a
Javelin, or any AMC vehicle, so he was unfamiliar with sources for
parts, etc. I agreed to supply all parts as needed, and the very
first thing I bought was a complete 1974 Technical Service
Manual (TSM) for him to use. In mid-July 2013, work again was
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started on the Javelin, at the 2 Body Shop. As the Javelin had
been torn down by another person, this caused a lot of extra
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work by the 2 Body Shop to sort and figure out what parts were
there and what was broken/lost.
Along the way there were several bumps in the road, one being that the initial body shop had supposed to have rebuilt the
engine, and we took them at their word, but after Gary installed the engine and primed everything, there was no oil pressure
and a very loud noise coming from the lower engine area. In order to find out exactly what was wrong, Gary had to remove the
engine and tear it completely down. When he torn the engine down, he discovered that the initial body shop had rebuilt the
engine, but did not order the correct size main and rod bearings, and there was excessive slack in the rods, which was the
reason the engine would not pump up any oil pressure. So a new crankshaft and matching bearing kit had to be ordered, the
engine was rebuilt, installed, and oil pressure was correct. This was just one of “Many” things the initial body shop had done in
a non-professional way.
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The Javelin was basically put back as original equipped from the factory, using Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) and
New Old Stock (NOS) parts. The wife did want a few items on the engine chromed (air cleaner and valve covers) and she also
wanted the wheels painted to match the color of the Javelin. Also, the exhaust was changed from a single pipe to a dual
exhaust system. **The original Motorola Multiplex AM Radio w/8-Track Stereo Player was refurbished. ** The original 40 year
old Goodyear F70-14 RWL Polyglas spare tire is still in the trunk and has never been used. **All original data plates/tags on
components are still attached.
Linda’s Provenance of Ownership is that
she is the owner of this 1974 Javelin since
new, has all original dealership provided
documentation, Window Sticker, Car Build
Order, Warranty Card, and Service
Pamphlets.
The restoration project has taken nearly 2 years, and overall we spent about 3 times what our initial budget had intended for
this restoration. But, that “Tear” that I saw in my wife’s eye’s when she was handed the keys to her restored Javelin on 16, May
1974, by Gary Armstrong was priceless. My wife plans to enjoy the Javelin for many more years, then keep it in the family by
passing it on to our daughter.
In closing, I can honestly say that this preservation and restoration of a piece of AMC History would have never occurred
without the persistence and dedication of my wife, Linda, and her sentimental attachment to this car, and I personally feel that
this story needs to be told, to provide an inspiration to others interested in keeping the AMC Hobby alive.
Respectfully,
Dickie & Linda Towers
4420 Wood Creek Drive
Reno, Texas 75462
AMO # 10403
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AMCs in the Movies
In the first Terminator movie, Arnold Schwarzenegger ‘The Terminator’ tries to run down Sarah Conner
(Linda Hamilton) with a semi-truck. Unfortunately for him, an AMC Gremlin gets in his way.
However, in his persistence to try to kill Sarah Conner, he obliterates the Gremlin.
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This is the first of a series of articles on the Charles Nash story submitted by
club member Larry Roberts
The following is a book review of the first of three articles that are under the heading "The Nash Story" which covered
50 of the 108 total pages to just one marque, in Automobile Quarterly, Vol 15, No. 2, published Second Quarter,
1977. Beverly Rae Kimes is the author of this article.
The first article is entitled, "Blueprints and Balance Sheets - The Company That Charlie Built"
A review of this article reveals that Charles W Nash had a very difficult childhood He was born on a farm in DeKalb County,
Illinois on Jan 28, 1864. He died on June 6, 1948, at the age of 84. At the age of six, his parents separated and neither parent
wanted the child. He was "bound out" by the court to a farmer in Flushing, Michigan. In exchange for work on the farm, Charlie
was to receive room, board and three months of schooling per year. When Charlie reached age 21, he was to receive $100, a
new suit of clothes and his freedom.
When Charlie Nash was 12 years old, he skipped town and walked 15 miles to another farm and took a job for eight dollars a
month. By the time he was 13, he was on another farm making $12 dollars a month. He used his savings to buy ten sheep, his
first capital investment. In five years his flock numbered 80, he had learned the carpenter's trade and had acquired mechanical
training via a portable steam hay pressure. At the age of 20, he was pressing hay at the Halleck farm when he saw the farmer’s
daughter, Jessie. They were married on April 23, 1884. They moved to Flint, Michigan.
Charlie's second job in Flint was as a cushion stuffer at the Flint Road Cart Company. That company was controlled by William
Crapo Durant and Josiah Dallas Dort. Within 6 months, Charlie Nash was a Department Superintendent. In 1895 the company
was reorganized as the Durant-Dort Carriage Company and Charlie had a new title and many new responsibilities As a banker
in Flint said, "I believe he did everything down there but run the books " Durant-Dort was soon a two million dollar concern,
America's largest producer of road carriages.
It was in 1897 that Charlie Nash saw his first automobile, an electric on the streets of New York City. He coaxed
the owner into giving him a ride. He was initially not impressed with the horseless carriage. That was to change
in a big way.
In 1904, W. C. Durant (one of the co-owners of the Durant-Dort Carriage Company) bought the Buick Company which had been
started by David Dunbar Buick. In 1906, W.C. Durant founded General Motors In 1908, W.C.
Durant was in financial trouble. Durant had badly overextended himself, persuading Albert Champion to move to
Michigan with his spark plugs, buying Cadillac from Henry Leland, plus a good many other companies that
weren't worth very much. The bankers behind GM were aghast. GM was reorganized with a James Storrow of a
Boston Bank being named president of GM. W.C. Durant recommended Charlie Nash to head the top Buick post.
Charlie Nash took the Buick job and set about to improve production. Although he had developed the straight-line
conveyor assembly system at Durant-Dort, he realized he didn't know much about the mechanics of the cars he'd
be building. He brought in to Buick a railroad man and tinkerer of automobiles, a go-getter by the name of Walter Percy Chrysler.
By Nov. 1912, Charlie Nash was President of General Motors.
During the next 3 years, General Motors profits doubled and trebled. However in 1916, W C. Durant was back in
control of GM. Charlie Nash said of Durant "..his policies and mine, of course, were absolutely opposed to each other, but I like
him " A man whose guiding maxim was a dollar saved is worth two dollars earned could not work
in harmony with a man who preferred earning two dollars and spending three dollars. Even though W.C. Durant
offered Charlie Nash a salary that was quite high, Charlie resigned as President of GM on June 1, 1916, to be effective Aug 1,
1916. Charlie was 52 years old.
Charlie Nash told reporters he was going fishing. And not just for fish as it turns out. On July 13, 1916, in Chicago, Charlie Nash
and another man met in the Blackstone Hotel in a small room. Charlie asked how much and the other man told him the amount.
The price was high, but he felt it was worth it. Charlie took a checkbook from his jacket and wrote out $500,000 to bind the deal.
The men shook hands and left. Charles W. Nash had just bought the Thomas B. Jeffery company of Kenosha, Wisconsin. Charlie
had decided to build the Nash. The trade papers reported the purchase price as being $9 million dollars.
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The Jeffery company was one of the oldest, best-known and largest companies in the automobile industry. It had made the
Rambler name famous first as a bicycle and second as a car. John North WiIlys had been a dealer for Rambler. In addition to the
Rambler, another successful vehicle was the 4-wheel drive Jeffery Quad Truck.
When Charlie Nash took over the Jeffery Company, he did not change the middle and lower echelon levels of management. He
did bring in his trusted friends and associates for the key posts. He continued to bring in the best qualified people he could find,
with the raid on General Motors being felt keenly at GM.
With the war in Europe (WWI), in July 1918 Charlie went to Washington, DC, as Assistant Director of Engineering and Production
in the Bureau of Aircraft Production. It seems the appointment was widely cheered. After the Armistice was signed, Charlie Nash
returned to Kenosha.
Even during the Roaring Twenties, the number of automobile manufacturers dropped from 108 in 1923 to 44 in 1927. While the
other companies may have thought that the good times were going to go on forever and they should keep expanding, Charlie
said, "There's a 'Rainy Day' coming, and we must be prepared for it." He remembered all too well his childhood and doing
without, to expand the business and run the risk of going bankrupt. Nash's export business continued to grow.
Contrary to what some may have thought, Charlie Nash could change his mind, given time and persuasion. An
example was in 1919, when he was approached with the novel idea of selling cars on a deferred payment plan.
Charlie was adamant, "Young man, before I permit one of my automobiles to be sold on installment credit, I will
see the company in receivership.” After about two years of thought, he decided it was a good idea after all.
Charlie Nash had a very modest office and genuinely liked his workers, probably because he believed he was one of them. In the
factory he always ate in the employee cafeteria, carrying his own tray and sitting down in any seat he could find. When Christmas
came around, he personally handed out to every one of his workers as they passed through the gates a holiday present. It was
usually a crisp new ten dollar bill. Charlie Nash was a very nice guy.
With the onset of the Great Depression, things were really bad for the auto companies. While 1928 was a terrific
year for the industry, by 1932 industry-wide production was only 13% of Pre-Depression levels. Nash still made a
million dollars profit. The only other car company to make an official profit at all was General Motors, and it was about a million
dollars as well, although the figure was said to be a bit contrived.
By 1933, even Nash lost $1.2 million for the first time in its history. In 1934, the loss was $1.6 million and in 1935,
the loss was $610, 277.
By 1936, Charlie Nash was 72 years old, and tired. He needed a successor. Charlie turned to his good friend Walter Chrysler for
advice. Walter suggested a man who had worked for him some time back who might be just
the fellow Charlie was looking for. Charlie picked up the phone and called George Mason. George Mason had been President of
Kelvinator Corporation for eight years and didn't want to leave. But then, that's another story.
Next time, a review of the second article, "Refrigerators and Two Georges - From Nash--Kelvinator to American
Motors."
Larry Roberts
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These pictures may be hard to see due to the glare created by the camera, but
they include our own club member, Cliff ‘Ozzie’ Osbourne, with a group of young
drag racers taken years ago in Houston, TX. The pictures are hanging on a wall in
drag racing legend Don Garlits Museum in Ocala, Florida.
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