[AMC-List] On the way to Dayton Nationals 2006

["Richard Estermyer" <javelinman74@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Hey Gang,
Just had to relate my AMO Nationals experience as I have a lot of people to 
thank!
Also a lot of left over pre-printed t-shirts and a couple AMC Javelin parts 
are going on e-bay today.

Richard

Richard Estermyer
6235 S. Mohawk Avenue
Ypsilanti, MI 48197

javelinman74@xxxxxxxxxxx


    I have a 1975 Matador Station wagon. 7 passenger car I bought in 
Richmond, VA in November 2005.  I brought it back to MI and have been 
driving it ever since, paying only $250.  Before Dayton Nationals I replaced 
the radiator and water pump.  Went and replaced all hoses, belts and put 
everything in its place.
    I left Thursday around 5pm and as I got to Toledo, I stopped for gas 
and it would not start.  Well, I had left the cooler plugged in and thought 
maybe the battery was not up to par.  I got a jump and was on my way.  It 
started to rain hard so on went the headlights and windshield wipers.  Boy, 
the wiper motor must be getting old, cause it was barely wiping.  Now it is 
also starting to run poorly, what gives?  When the rain stopped and I shut 
off the headlights, zoom, it ran better!  Oh no, the alternator must be bad.
    I got off at Bowling Green in hopes to find an AutoZone.  I came to a 
stop at a light on State Route 25 right across from the Chamber of Commerce. 
 Immediately, a man and his son came up.  They pushed me back from the 
intersection out of the way.  They said they just got their dinner with 
their family and if I was still there afterwards they would drive me to 
wherever I needed to go.
I got on the cell phone to my wife to get the number for road service.  A 
city police officer came up and got out to help.  Officer Rot?? Told me 
about his first car was a 77 Monte Carlo and could relate to big boat cars.  
As I got the call back from the towing company, saying they would be a bit 
later because of needing the flat bed truck, I mentioned I was fine as an 
officer was with me and I was OK.  We?ll be right out if it can be towed 
with a traditional truck, it can.
    Tow guy was there quickly and very helpful and I called AutoZone 
(#1969) and they said it would be fine to drop it on their side lot.  We got 
there and as always, for me, the AutoZone people were more than helpful.  
Looked up every possibility and the only thing they could get for it would 
take three days to order.  They then called Advance Auto to see if they had 
one.  They did, and AutoZone help took me down there.  Well, it turns out 
that that wasn?t the correct one and he looked up 1973 and had a picture 
that matched mine, but not in stock.
    AutoZone (I apologetically cannot remember his first name) got the 
phone number of the place in Findley that rebuilt alternators to call and go 
to Friday morning.
    FYI?in 1975 AMC used the last of the Motorola brand alternators ?and- 
Delco brand.  Well it didn?t look good for that night and they took me to a 
local motel and waited to make sure I had a room.  Best Motel was available 
and very affordable.
    Friday morning I started calling around to all the parts place in 
Bowling Green and they all had the same answer.  I contacted the company in 
Findley and they had one.
I then found the auto junk yard parts store in State Route 25 also that had 
one on the shelf.  I went to the office to see if there was a taxi service 
phone number.  Sooney, the husband owner of the motel offered to take me 
where I needed to go!
    We went back to AutoZone to get my old one and headed to the junk yard. 
 The owner pulled it down and started to change the face for me.  Through 
the normal interruptions of business, we found that it would work the way it 
was and it was being a bit stubborn to come apart.  We were on our way.
    Returning to the AutoZone, I put the new alternator in and of course 
the battery was dead.  They brought their company truck and jumper cables 
and gave me a jump.  After running a few minutes and they were putting the 
truck back, when I shut it off and it would not start.  They came back and 
jumped it again and went in to get their tester.  The engine needs to be 
running and after they left, it stalled, so the battery was bad.  I went in 
and bought a new battery and was on my way again,
    Before getting to Dayton, later that day, it started running bad again. 
 I pulled into the park at 3:30pm and that day was over for the show.  I 
checked around and found a vendor, Kennedy American had another original for 
me.  I bought it and put it in and was back to near normal.  It still did 
not sound quite right.
    I had a AMC friend that offered me to stay with him at the Super 8 as 
the other Super 8 did not have even record of my reservation, which I called 
about the previous day to let them know of the car trouble.  I did find a 
charge on my credit card and I have written to see if I can get it reversed.
    During the show I had a friend under the car to tighten up the exhaust 
as it also came loose.  A bit later I reached in to try it and low and 
behold it would not start.  I have one family of friends from Wisconsin who 
I know from previous shows, who said he could come over after loading up and 
help me out.  I did have one friend from my local club check on me before 
leaving.  Shannon got all his large items packed up and came over to spend 
some time before the dinner banquet.
    He determined that there was a dead short somewhere in the system 
somewhere.
I have another club friend who loaned me a voltage regulator to try and we 
determined that it wasn?t the problem.  Another AMC?er came by and dropped 
off 2 Delco alternators to try.  Well, the Delco has a single wire and that 
bypassed the the problem and would cause no more problems.
    Shannon also took out the battery from his race car for us to use while 
working on it.  Then suggested that I take my previously new battery to 
AutoZone and get it recharged before putting it back in so as not to ruin 
another alternator.  AutoZone was busy, but very friendly and helpful.  
There was another battery charge in front of me and it looked to be about a 
3 hour wait.
     They suggested that they check out the battery first, just in case.  
Well, it turned out bad and I was able to get a replacement and be on my 
way.  I dropped Shannon?s battery off at the motel parking lot and was 
finally, safely and securely on my way home.
     I just have to write this long story because of ALL the kind and 
generous people who took out their time to help me.  I did not have to have 
my wife come 1 ½ hours from Michigan nor anyone come 2 hours from Dayton to 
help me out.  God sure sowed me that there are great people around that are 
ready to help out a stranger, especially one from Michigan.  They assured me 
that I would have been treated the same during Michigan Ohio football time 
too!
    Sorry it is so long, but the story has to be sent to Bowling Green 
Chamber of Commerce, AutoZone headquarters and anywhere else the needs to 
know that their people are the best.  From the family at dinner to the last 
AutoZone employees, Thank You Very Much and God Bless you as you blessed me!
Richard Estermyer
Ypsilanti, MI


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