re: show & go museums ha!

[<eddiestakes@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

This never showed up so resending it.....

John Mahoney said:
. > I had hoped to donate them to a national Nash-Rambler-AMC museum
(which does belong in Kenosha --- whether or not there's money or madness
to build it there...) to become part of a permanent collection that would
show and tell (like a URL) the full and accurate history of American
Motors from 1954 to the present.>
to which Jock replied:
John, the City of Kenosha is going to build a multi-million Civil War
Museum. Gee, I don't think any of us were living during the Civil War.
The proposed Transportation Museum in Kenosha that the government blew
(and the money) would of seemed to me to be a better choice than a Civil
War Museum.

Out of curiosity, what the heck did Kenosha have to do with the civil war? I
don't recall any major battles, treaties, anything up there? Maybe I need to
brush up on my history lessons or should not have slept in history class in
high school. That is what happened though after getting off work at Burger
Chef at midnight. Hey, $1.75 a hour in 75 put gas (about 39-50 cents a
gallon) in the old 70 Javelin, 360, AT.

I found this out there:
http://www.cc.edu/news/readnews.asp?id=208
and groan.........this in a paragraph: "The new Civil War Museum in Kenosha,
a nearly $15 million project, is  planned for the Harbor Park site near the
Kenosha Public Museum. The museum will showcase the contributions of upper
Midwest states to the Civil War effort."

Also found this later:
"Civil War tourism is a billion dollar a year industry."
> From ABC News, read the first paragraph:
http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory?id=1361602

Interesting to also note here that the two largest 'AMC Museums' I know of
are no where near their origins. One is in the Netherlands, the other in
Colorado.
Terry Gale's Rambler Ranch:
http://www.pnwnash.org/museum/
and across the pond in Berlikum:
http://www.rambler-amc-museum.nl/

As for NY, there used to be a real big meet up there in Albany, NY, Tim
Tracy and AJ Grimaldi used to sponsor it each year. And everything was free,
they paid for everything out of pocket. Been there done that! No mo!
However, I recently learned Tim Tracy (Doc of the Doc & Jessie fame) passed
away a few years ago, often wondered what happened to him. However, in a
conversation with Tony Grimaldi, Tony is doing fine and his son has taken a
liking to things AMC and is following in his footsteps. Good job raising the
boy! Maybe one day the big Albany meets of old will be plastered all over
AMC and non AMC rags...wall to wall cars in every condition from pushmobiles
to trailer queens...
http://www.carhopp.net/new_york_clubs_2.htm
some sites (including Hemmings) still lists a number of chapters long since
gone. Not only AMC but other marques. This is also a problem in Old Cars
Weekly and they ask you to send in current information, otherwise they
consider it gone, kaput, muerto, and delete it into the bannals (can I say
bannals here?) of wherever those British Lotto 'you are a winner! Again!'
and Nigerian scams 'help me share my wealth, buy a AMX prototype!' and so
forth.

Mahoney mused (or sighed) "I'm glad 1998, 2002 and 2004 were good years for
Nash-Rambler-AMC meets; I'm glad AMC shows took place in northern PA and
western NY.  I'm glad I attended one and spent some time looking, listening,
and learning about today's AMC.  I didn't find 1300 or 300 cars on its
field, but the 30 or so there made it worth  the required [in mi, h, and m]
expenditure to go."

A number that kept getting tossed around as far back as 98 was '2000 cars
for 2002' which i thought was neat. However at different meetings the number
was downsized to 1500, (by 99) to 1000 (00 and 01 here in Houston) was 'more
realistically'. Regardless, hats off to anyone who worked to put any of them
on. Whether you judged, ran sheets, help park cars, vended, emptied trash,
sold sodas or tshirts, volunteered, or showed car, it all mattered and had
never been done. (In 1998). Something I don't know if it was mentioned was
that in 1998 the state was involved, as was Kenosha county and the city of
Kenosha, so it had the blessing...and the money...behind it, as they knew it
would bring in the same thing that they are trying to do now....but with the
civil war museum. I don't know what, if any, state/city/county had to do
with 2002, didn't get to go. Putting on a meet, whether a local/area
regional, or a national is a taxing and time consuming adventure. Zinn,
after the big 1994 mixed club nationals in PA said "never again" and didn't.
I said same after 2001 AMO national in Houston, and I'm sure a number of
others feel the same when you have years/$$$ poured into one. Sure, it is
great, but wow, let someone else do it 'next time'.

There have been a number of meets (not only AMC, but classic car clubs who
parent organization is still in business) seen major drops in attendance in
2005. Not sure that will be the trend for 2006. I like to think that it
probably has to do with Katrina and Rita. Might be the whole economy. Might
be gas prices which then in turn makes folks think if going to City X
trailering their ride at $3 a gallon...or flying to City X and all the
airlines fares have skyrocketed many of them with "fuel surcharges". Less
money for the old swap meet. Some swap meets have seen drops in vendors. I
have said it for years, "to see 25 AMCs together and it ain't in a junkyard
that is a successful meet". Unfortunately can't use that anymore as many of
the salvage yards have also closed, or crushed the old cars.

I may add however, some of the best meets I have been to thru the years are
spontaneous get togethers and local cruise nights. No trophies, no troble,
no pressure, just get together with other old car fans in the Sam's Club
parking lot on Saturday Night for a coupla' hours and let the BS fly.

"I'm still seeking a place to appreciate AMCs."
Hopefully this online place is one place you can yak with others of same
interest. And shows are another, support them! There are hundreds....no
THOUSANDS of AMC fans out there who make a difference, small and large. The
loudmouths like me :~Q) get the press, the real 'heros(?) are those who
plan, pull off, a event, or write a article about their car, recruit
volunteers, and make a silent difference. I noticed a number of "lurkers"
with "test" messages the other day on here. Hmmm.
Ya'll speak up! Even if you stop in, say hi, tell everyone about your car
you just won a award with, or took to a cruise night, or kid's first aMC, or
you did a burnout with a six, or painted your car turqoise.

Oh, one more thing before I go, watch for Mel & Barb Valentine's BBO AMX,
and the development and interesting history of the Big Bad Colors, in a
upcoming issue of Hemming's Muscle Machines. Hee hee.

"a flame still burned after AMC candles went out."

Here here. And a toast to all those past, present and future who by their
individual and collective efforts make a difference with AMC anything.

Eddie Stakes'
Planet Houston AMX
713.464.8825
eddiestakes@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
www.planethoustonamx.com