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.