Serving the Northeast Ohio AMC enthusiast since 1991
AMX-Clamation!!!VolumeVolume 15 Number 3 May- June 2006
American Motors Ramblings... Scott Campbell
When it was decided to send a two car team to compete in the 24 hour endurance race in Nurburgring, American Motors teamed up with BF Goodrich and Amos Johnson’s Team Highball, a successful organization sponsored by AMC since the early 1970s. AMC plucked two new AMXs from dealers’ lots, one black and one yellow, both 304, 4-speeds. BFG supplied plenty of new T/A Radials and a semi rig to haul the cars and spares. Team Highball had just a few weeks to ready the cars. They were prepped, including bolt-in roll cages, painted in the current BFG colors and tested at Mid-Ohio before being loaded on a ship for Germany. AMX #1 was engineered to be the faster of the two with the best possibility of winning the race. It would be piloted by Amos Johnson, Dennis Shaw, and actor James Brolin. AMX #2 would be the “slower” car intended to fi nish the race no matter what. It would be driven by Lyn St. James, Jim Downing, and journalist Gary Witzenburg. Upon arrival in Germany, the rig containing the cars was promptly impounded by customs offi cials. Not a big problem as the race cars were not permitted on the track until race day. While BFG guys were cutting through red tape, the drivers were busy learning the course in borrowed street cars. On the day of the race, thankfully everything came together for the team. By all accounts the little AMXs did remarkably well, especially as the only American cars in attendance and the only cars racing on street rubber. There were some problems, however. Both cars were plagued by brake and suspension issues. But none were serious enough to sideline them for long, so on and on they ran with the 304s screaming and each driver taking an eight hour shift in conditions ranging from rain to the dark of night. Since BFG was videotaping the race for a promotional fi lm they were elated that zero tire failures occurred with their new T/A’s. That fi lm, “The Ultimate Challenge” includes highlights of the race and is narrated by driver Brolin. After twenty-four hours (and in a strange twist) the #2 AMX fi nished fi rst in class while the #1 car fi nished second, 25th and 42nd overall in a fi eld of over 100 entries. The fi rst ever American team to enter the 24 Hours of Nurburgring did American Motors, BF Goodrich and the USA proud! Contact Information... President/Treasurer Advertising Director Newsletter Editor Scott Campbell Dale Veverka Javlynn Sue Leair 5340 Columbia Rd. 6934 Brookside Rd. 4904 Edsal Dr. Medina, OH 44256 Independence, OH 44131 Lyndhurst, OH 44124 Phone: 330-725-3824 Phone: 216-524-5977 Phone: 216-381-7859 E-mail: [email protected] E-mail: [email protected] E-mail: [email protected]
West Side Coordinator East Side Coordinator Shaune Zavertnik Don Moyer 1254 Catherine Dr. 9027 Lakeshore Blvd. Brunswick, OH 44212 Mentor, OH 44060 Phone: 330-220-7264 Phone: 440-257-5615 E-mail: [email protected] E-mail: MoyerGraffi[email protected] Deadlines... July/Aug. newsletter – July 1 Sept./Oct. newsletter – Sept. 1 Exhaust Notes…… June 9th - GAD V is coming faster than you think. Great AMC Day returns to Norwalk Raceway Park. For information contact: Mike Luke at (740) 929-1300 or e-mail him at [email protected]. The North Coast AMC club is proud to sponsor the peoples’ choice award at GAD this year for the display only cars. Late Breaking News!!! The Drag-On Lady AMX will be in attendance!
On June 24th from 8am to 5pm Royalton Automotive, a newsletter advertiser will be hosting a Grand Opening. NAPA representatives will be there to provide free safety inspections and Pennzoil representatives will be present to discuss lubrication issues. Hot dogs will be provided. The owner Gary Stinnet is very AMC friendly and has offered to provide a group parking area for AMC vehicles. Gary has also offered to host a few Saturday or Sunday North Coast AMC cookouts at his place of business. Shaune, our west side events coordinator will be working with Gary on his kind offers. Royalton Automotive is located at 10050 Royalton Road west of York Road in North Royalton.
Hotel rooms are going fast for the 2006 AMO International Convention. If you are planning to attend be sure to make your room reservations now. Also be sure to get your vehicle registration in for the show. You must be a current AMO member in order to show your car. Please visit the Ohio AMC web site for details. http://clubs. hemmings.com/ohioamc 2006 Car Show Schedule For an up to the minute show schedule, visit the NorthCoast web site http://clubs.hemmings.com/northcoastamc
June 3 - 10: Hot Rod Magazine Power Tour - Web site: www.hotrod.com:
June 4: 10th Annual 2006 Ypsilanti ORPHAN CAR SHOW, Riverside Park, Ypsilanti, MI. Featuring Foreign Built Orphan Cars. For Registration Information call: (734) 482-5200 Or write: 100 E. Cross St. Ypsilanti, MI 48198 Web site: www.ypsiautoheritage.org/
June 9: GAD V - Great American Day V - Norwalk Raceway - Norwalk, Ohio. See page 2 under “Exhaust Notes”.
June 10: 17th Annual CEMA Car Show - Walter P. Chrysler Museum - Auburn Hills, MI. Celebrating the 40th Anniversary of the Dodge Charger! Web site: www.cemaclub.org/
June 11: 8th Annual “Graduation Car Show” - Jefferson, WI. Contact: Mike Spangler (920) 674-4482 or e-mail [email protected].
June 24: Grand Opening at Royalton Automotive. 8am - 5 pm; See page 2 under “Exhaust Notes”.
June 24: Mid-Atlantic Classic AMX Club’s 15th annual “All-AMC Day”. Cecil County Dragway - Rising Sun, MD. Web site: http://macacamc.tripod.com
July 7 - 8: 24th Annual Arthritis Foundation Classic Auto Show & Cruise-In. Dublin Metro Center - Dublin, Ohio; Friday Cruise-In and Saturday Car Show Car show features “show within a show” for AMC and others.
July 27 - 29 American Motors Owners International Convention. “The Wright place to be with your AMC” Carillon Historical Park - Dayton, OH. Contact: Mike Turner (937) 865-0940 or e-mail [email protected]. For more information: http://clubs.hemmings.com/ohioamc; Host hotel: Dayton Marriott.
Aug. 5 Independence Home Days Car Show - Further info. coming soon.
Aug. 19 12th Annual Woodward Dream Cruise - Nine suburban communities near Detroit, MI. The Woodward Dream Cruise celebrates the hey days of the ‘50s and ‘60s when Woodward Avenue was the heart and soul of cruising in the city that put America on wheels. Web site: www.woodwarddreamcruise.com
Sept. 3 20th Annual Glass City AMC Show - Veteran’s Memorial Park - Genoa, Ohio This is a new location for this show. Open to all American Motors and Jeep vehicles through 1988. 9:00am - 4:00pm; Car Show - Swap Meet. AMC model Display - Trophies - Door Prizes - Food and Refreshments - Spectators Welcome - Show Participant Voting. Dash Plaques to first 100 registrants. Display Car - $6.00; Car Show - $10.00; Swap Meet Area - $15.00; For info call Randy 419-483-9917 or e-mail [email protected]
Oct. 1 2006 Mopar Blast presented by Chrysler Classic Car Club of Toledo and Vin Devers Dodge Vin Devers Dodge, 5570 Monroe St., Sylvania, OH - Registration 9am - noon; Show 9am - 4pm AMCs Welcome! Free dash plaques, T-shirts and goody bags Info: Becky Kotnik: (419) 866-4631 or Tom Devers (419) 885-5111 Member Profile Dan Koch
This edition of our Member Profile finds us taking a closer look at our “fearless leader”, Scott (and Marlene) Campbell. Scott has owned more AMCs than you can shake a stick shift at, and I for one need a program to keep ‘em all straight. This accounting was sent to me by Scott on 3/31/05, and I’m sure he has engineered several transactions since then - not the least of which is the infamous “Pink Panther”. So I’ll apologize in advance for not being up to date, but this is the most recent information I have.
Name(s) Scott and Marlene Campbell
Current AMC 1969 AMX
Engine 390
Transmission Automatic
Modifications I have made to this car None, I’m picking it up next week in St. Louis. This was a year ago; this car is nearly complete in its restoration by now. – Ed.
Other AMCs I currently own – ‘69 AMX 290, ‘77 Hornet AMX, ‘77 Levis Pacer X, ‘82 Eagle 2-door sedan. Again, this can not possibly still be an accurate head count. How about updating us, Scott? -Ed.
Other AMCs I have owned in the past Five ‘68-’69 AMX’s, a few Jav- elins, Pacers, several Hornets and Eagles, a Matador Coupe, a ‘77 Gremlin X, a ‘69 SC/Rambler, (And a partridge in a pear tree – Ed.)
Future projects Restoring the current fleet
Other AMC’s I have lusted after ‘71 Hornet SC/360, ‘70 AMX/ 3
How I got interested in AMCs “About the time I was 9 years old, my parents bought a new ‘71 Sportabout, and then a ‘73 Gremlin. They were base models, but brightly colored, so I liked them! In 1974, I joined an automotive postcard collector’s club, and another member of that club was none other than Richard Teague, AMC’s styling boss! We corresponded for a couple of years, and he even autographed a Pacer brochure for me when that model came out. When I turned 16 in 1980, I looked at only AMC’s for my first car! I wanted an SC / 360 or a V-8 Gremlin, but “settled” for ‘69 AMX 290 – automatic because it was a local car. I only kept it for a few months in 1980, but ended up buying it back from Don Moyer in 1997!”
That’s quite a pedigree, Scott! You are definitely my “AMC-Hero-of-the-Month”. May the Force be with you in your quest to single handedly recover and restore every AMC ever produced!
A note to new members who have joined within the past year: Dan will be sending you a form to fill out and send back to him so you, too, can be included. Why We Weren’t at Dale’s House for the Winter Meeting... Gary & Jesse Marr
My 16-year-old son, Jesse and I had plans to drive to my daughter’s house in Georgia for a little vaca- tion. While on our way down, we decided to take a side trip to Pikeville, North Carolina to check out what we have heard of as the last “Surviving?” AMC dealership. When we got there, we found that the owner, Robert Collier was there. He invited us in to look around and to take photos.
His dad started Collier Motors in the late 1920s as a Whippet deal- ership. When the depression hit, his dad stopped selling cars and only repaired them. In the 1950s, Robert Collier took over the family business selling the Hudson, Nash and Ramblers, later known as the AMC cars. In 1987 when AMC closed its doors, Mr. Collier put up a six foot high chain link fence around the dealership leaving the cars parked where they were.
Just recently he has reopened the dealership selling used cars and some AMC cars out of the back lot. Robert Collier is a very friendly person to talk with. He gladly told us the history of Collier Motors and AMCs as well as showing us old photographs.
COLLIER MOTORS AMC 4713 OLD US 117 NORTH PIKEVILLE, NC. 27863 Which Cars Would You Own? Scott Campbell
In our last issue Shaune posed the question of which cars you would own if price is no object. He’s absolutely correct about the first list. Who wouldn’t want a Viper, Cobra or new Z06 Corvette to drive?! So in no particular order here’s my “other list”...
1)1963-64 Studebaker Avanti. My first favorite car from about the time I was nine years old. Make it a turquoise metallic ‘64 with the Paxton supercharger.
2)1964 Ford Galaxie 500 XL. Hardtop or convertible, doesn’t matter. This one year only body style is just gor- geous with its unique side spears and round tail lights. I actually looked at one for sale about 20 years ago but wound up buying a set of AMC Magnum 500s from the guy, instead!
3)1974 Bricklin. Gull wing doors and AMC 360 power, does it get any better? Make mine one of the rare 4-speed cars.
4)1969 Dodge Daytona or 1970 Plymouth Superbird. Really the only vintage Mopars I lust after, they are just so over the top!
5) 1993 Mustang Cobra. This limited edition came out the year after I bought my 5.0 LX. I’ll hold out for a teal colored 5-speed car with leather.
6) 1969 AMX, Big Bad Blue, 390, automatic, saddle leather, tilt wheel. The one that got away, I sold this car back in 1986 and haven’t seen it since. That’s okay, I probably couldn’t afford it now anyway!
7) 1971 Hornet SC/360. The first AMC I ever wanted and one I still haven’t owned. Let’s see, GO Package, 4-speed, blue, green, red, whatever.
8) 1990-92 Lincoln Mark VII LSC. Had one already but next time in mint condition. How about Jade Green on a ‘92?
9) 1967 Cougar XR-7 Dan Gurney Special, Another I owned but I’d love to have one a little nicer. Those hide- away headlights and sequential turn signals are sooo cool!
10 - 12) A SC/Rambler, a 1978 Gremlin GT, a 1973-74 Javelin AMX in plum.
What, no Chevys!? A Good AMC Day Ken Walker
Not feeling much like crawling around on a garage floor under a car supported by a couple of floor jacks, I took the day off to visit one of our newsletter advertisers. I drove Sue’s Javelin to Royalton Automotive to have the rear springs replaced and to have a wheel alignment done. They say first impressions are lasting ones. The first impression you get as you enter Royalton Automotive is how new looking and clean the place is. The second impression you get, and in my opinion the more impor- tant one, is that they like AMC cars. No bad jokes, no knocks about AMC, they really like AMC cars. The mechanic was careful to cover the driver’s seat and was careful with the doors around the lift towers. The work went quickly, and it appeared they were well equipped for the job. Every bolt was set to proper torque settings according to the AMC TSM specs. I made sure to bring along a copy of the TSM just to be sure the information was available. Once the new springs were in place, it was off to the alignment rack to check for any changes in the front suspension geometry and to check the rear axle for thrust. The alignment equipment did not have AMC information pre programmed in. After a quick check of the AMC TSM, the numbers were programmed in, and the work began.
The ride home was much nicer with those 31-plus-year-old springs now a thing of the past. What stuck with me was how nice the day had been spending time with people who care about cars and who don’t have a negative attitude towards AMC. I would say that Royalton Automotive is a great place to take your AMC or your daily driver, even if it is not an AMC. In my opinion, Gary Stinnet and his crew are a real pleasure to deal with.
All in all, just another great AMC day…
Classified Corner Dale Veverka
It’s nice to see some ink splashed about, as long as it spells AMC. The article “AMC can spell out fun for one car enthusiast” was included in the March 16, 2006 Sun Courier. Stan Czworkowski is the proud owner and builder of a 1973 Javelin AMX. Stan’s 401 drag car with air induction popping out of its hood is a product of typical AMC ingenuity. He did virtually all the work himself with the main requirement that it “goes fast”. His problem was a common one for all of us AMCers, namely finding parts. The car was a breath of fresh AMC air at the 40th annual Autorama at the I-X Center. His most frequent difficulty at the show was dealing with experts who took a look at his car only to pronounce it a Ba**acuda. When he’s not working on his car it has been spotted at Southwest Café on Broadview Road in Parma. Hemmings Muscle Machines for May 2006 has a cover splashed with Bag Bad Orange color. Inside is the eight page story of the late Mel Valentine’s 1969 390 AMX. The car was purchased new by Valentine and he was its only driver until his recent death. He was an active member of AMO and played a strong role in the AMO Nationals hosted in Atlanta recently. The one poignant issue that slapped me in the face was when he began to become weaker in his fight against cancer and took each of his children out in their first drives in his car. Here’s hoping that we look more closely at the way we share our hobby with our children. Shaune Zavertnik points out how he has adjusted his own car show atten- dance to better foster his boys’ involvement in his car hobby. There is nothing quite as much fun as going to a cruise-in, crawling under the car to do an oil change, or buzzing to the parts store with that special son or daugh- ter. Give your kids a chance to share your hobby. Hemmings Motor News for May 2006 sports a neat one pag- er on the 1954 Nash Ambassador Custom. The car, when originally introduced in 1952, was a little bit Italian and all the rest Nash-Kel- vinator. The continental kit on the back did little to reveal if the car had the mattress and screen set-up for the fully reclining Airliner seat option, available on this premium Nash. Three cars showed up as sales at auction. Strangely enough two of the three were Americans. A 1965 American 440 convertible in #4 condition fetched $9,350 at the ICA auction in Phoenix during January. The writer suggested that the car seemed to be caught up in bidding enthusiasm and probably was overbid. The second American was a 2 door with a 6-cylinder and air conditioning that earned $4,700. The author seemed to think that this car also was the recipient of bidder’s fever. The final AMC was actually a 1948 Nash Ambassador that was a no sale at the November Krause Auction where it was a no sale at $19,500. But when rolled out again a few months later, a bidder was willing to part with $27,750 (pretty amazing for a sagging #3 condition car). American Pie? I began hummin’ the song as I made one final check of my e-mail before finishing my pages for this newsletter. Why you say? Well this issue’s classified section is as bare bones as it can be. It seems that despite members’ frequent needs for certain parts we seem to all fall captive to the phenomenon of eBay. This modern, at your fingertips, tool has made parts finding warm in the winter and cool in the summer without the adventure of discovering a hornets’ nest, snake or family of field mice blocking the way to a salvage yard jewel. The U.S. Postal Service and our friends at Brown and FedEx are pleased with our ready compliance to shelling out $$$ for the pleasure of opening the front door and dragging in a mysterious box. I have been watching with interest as Hemmings Motor News adapts to the electronic age. Having scanned Hemmings for all too many years I am well aware of the drastic increase in editorial and feature pages as the classified section shrinks, not unlike the effect of a dip in an icy lake on the human anatomy. Classifieds seem to be suffering shrinkage. So it is with some level of disappointment I offer this month’s classified listings. My greatest concern is that we still display the willingness to provide help to our fellow club members in finding that special piece that is hiding under a cloak of dust in another member’s shed. New members need to be made aware that one of the greatest benefits of their membership in a club, such as NCAMC, is the willing exchange of parts, tools, expertise and even a helping hand. I have been the fortunate recipient of all of the above and I hope that more members pick up the phone or fire up the computer e-mail to ask others in our group to share what we have. As the song ends “the day the classifieds died.”
Classifieds
For Sale: none
Wanted: none
5340 Columbia Rd. Medina, OH 44256