Re: Ripley's AMC

[route66rambler@xxxxxxxxx]

Subject: Ripley's AMC
Date: Mon, 27 Mar 2006 17:31:53 -0500
From: "Mahoney, John" <JMahoney@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: <mail@xxxxxxxxxxxx>

> (Doesn't such stuff call for an AMC Museum? Oh. There isn't one?)

 ---------> I will say it here.
  I am in this "hobby" for the express purpose of establishing a museum concerning American Motors Corporation, Its component companies, and related and predecessor makes. Any "museum" worthy of the term must also relate the existence of these cars to societal and political trends, economic influences, and the general development of American popular culture, as well as engineering trends and advances. Otherwise, it's just another collection. Archaeology combined with anthropology, that's what you need.  The history of AMC as carried forward by sympathizers and fans since 1987 has also been neglected. Believe it or not, examples like Kenosha Homecoming, Eddie Stakes' PlanetHoustonAMX, and the AMC-List, along with Doc's journals of repairs made and the 61,000 dollar AMX are all historically and socially significant items. So are the rambling, ranting posts of one John Mahoney. And that's only a fly-speck on the AMC grille. However,since I am a broke-ass redneck hick living out!
  in the desert, such an undertaking is liable to take an entire generation. After all, it took at least the last two generations to FORGET the legacy. Fortunately my son and three daughters have signed on to continue the effort after I am gone. This is NOT a call for contributions, especially in light of the recent World Clubs fiasco. I have to develop a system of archiving and storage, establish a web presence, and obtain non-profit status. Then there's a shop for the cars and other exhibits to receive what they need for proper preservation. As a start, I can tell you that it ain't about to be placed in Kenosha, WI. I was born and raised in the Sonoran desert, and you can just plain forget sub-zero weather. However, we do have a stretch of blacktop out this way known as the Mother Road, America's Way West, Ghost Highway, and many other colorful terms(not all complimentary). I am speaking of U.S. Route 66. If there is a place for a Rambler museum besides Kenosha, it would b!
 e the Turnpike of Dreams.  Hence my handle. I would like for the Route
 66 Rambler museum to be set up in the physical form of a dealership, with some of the exhibits outside, a film room for features like the Nurburgring and Le Mans films, commercials, etc. Obviously there is much more that could be done. In that part of the state, there is snow in the winter, and you don't get temperatures in the summer of much more than 90. 
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>Wow. Simply write: "A grille is a 'grill'" eleven times and it can be.

--------> I was the Arizona state spelling champion in 74 or 75, and went to D.C., where I was eliminated when I spelled "insolence" incorrectly. This word is coming dangerously close to describing your attitude on this subject.  While proper grammar and writing skills should be the goals of every literate American, some brains do not function in ways which make this easy for their owners. I notice the "dot edu" portion of your address, and assume some connection with a university. Surely you know genius mathmeticians who can barely read, or  brilliant lawyers who constantly use the wrong homonym. My best friend operates a modern water-supply system for a town of 25,000, wins awards for it, and is so dyslexic he can barely sign his own name. Besides, Doc is just cantankerous, and will probably spell the word that way just to irk you.
-------------------  /;]  ---------------------

> What he began at BMW is being copied by the best of the rest, among them the once stuffy (and old) but now slick (and new) M-B.

---------> This is a perfect example of the post-1987 AMC history which I mentioned above.  We HAVE to care, or there will be nothing left to care about.

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> The point was equally simple. When someone passes your car at any show, simply ask if they know how influential weird AMC was. Give them a song and dance about bubble fenders...

-------> Hear, hear. John is absolutely correct about this. These are the kinds of things that get Joe Average actually looking at these cars instead of just seeing them.
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>And finally, realize that no one finds it easy to change.

------> Exactly. Grille.

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> It won't be long before much plastic trim will be as "unobtanium" as are many pre-war metal parts: the only source for such is custom fabrication and that's another good reason why AMC must become a bigger, better, and more "appreciated" (in both senses...) segment of the collector car hobby.

No one will pay the freight to replicate parts for cars of limited value and interest. The -full- AMC story will become even more forgotten, and fewer will ever see the whole of AMC the way it once was really meant to be. Row after row of four or five models. "Bellybutton" AMC like Chevy and Ford. No national museum for one-off, original-condition, survivors to be seen. AMC documents scattered hither and yon; its archives a hit-and-miss thing. Who will tool up for "forgotten" AMC models? Who will pay big bucks for such stuff? Who would even elect to? Money plus time can be either friend or enemy. Which for "the rest" of AMC?

----------> Once again, this is correct. Is anyone out there? Yes, there ARE others. The silent majority needs to sound off from time to time, so that we don't lose resources like the AMCyclopedia (or John Mahoney's rants). Or Thomas Benvie's film reels, for that matter. <:<

 mike

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