Gary Freelen Henry Joneit sent the link below about a 1976 Pacer which was auctioned off in Las Vegas and drew a record price. Now, I won't spoil it for you but there was something very special about this particular Pacer - it was from the movie "Wayne's World"! Enjoy!
https://blog.hemmings.com/index.php/2016/10/18/the-worlds-best-known-76-amc-pacer-sets-auction-record-in-las-vegas/?refer=news
We started our first adventure with the AMO+ Car Club by attending the Fall Colours Tour/Poker Run on October 1st 2016.
For those of you that don't already know, Mike and Gail Putz are my uncle and aunt. We purchased our 1969 Javelin from Mike and decided to join the club (Editor's Note: was it a condition of the sale?? Hmm).
The day started at Ken & Roberta's house in Cameron. This was our first introduction to some of the other members of the club. Cameron was also the staring point of the event. We were all given a sealed envelope with emergency contact numbers on the outside, and a list of questions to answer with directions for the ride. Roberta gave us all instruction on what to do with the envelope and the list. Pretty straight forward - follow the directions and answer the questions, and don't open the playing cards, and only open the map if you get lost. The ride through the country side would be approximately 2 hours.
So, off we went in five minute intervals. Mike Putz, Andy and myself were in one vehicle. Andy and I looked for clues to the questions, and I gave Mike directions when to turn and where to stop to pick up the playing cards.
One of the questions was "the kings Pen" which turned out to be the tattoo parlour In Fenelon Falls called Kings Ink. The answers to all the questions could be found along the route. Some were harder to spot than others. I have to admit we had to back track for one of the answers to the clue!
The ride was great and went through several towns - Cameron, Fenelon Falls, Kinmount, Norland then down Victoria Road to Elm Tree Road. Even though the day was a bit overcast, the colours were great and the scenic drive was awesome. What a perfect way to see the country side.
We ended the ride at Harm and Barb's place. This is where the poker cards and question sheets were handed in. There were prizes awarded for the best poker hand and the most correctly answered questions. The best poker hand was won by Joanne Legon with a prize of $50.00. Most correctly answered questions went to Ken and Irene Perrier who won the frame with three colour sketches of Javelins. No one was left out - everyone was a winner, everyone got a prize. Eight in total.
There was no lack of food since everyone contributed to the pot luck supper we had. What a feast. At the end of the day, I would say a great time was had by all and new friends were made. We look forward to our next gathering we are able to attend.
Terry and Andy Baril
1969 Javelin Owners
Harm and I have known Randy Weales for many, many years (probably since he was a teenager) when we were in the Classic AMX Club of Central Canada and then the Northern Ramblers Club. He usually attends the international conventions so many of you will already know him. He and his wife, Michele, live in Cobourg where Randy's main passion (besides his 1973 [I hope that's right] Hornet) is playing the drums in his band.
Please welcome Randy and Michele at our next function (hopefully soon).
Gary and Sonia welcomed a new addition to their family this week. The big question - is he considered an AMO+ member by association? He's a two-year old miniature Dachshund named Cashew. I foresee more cleaning chores in their future - Gary has already commented on the fact that Cashew is shedding. Bad time of year as they prepare to get their winter coats. Welcome to the "cleaning" club, Gary and Sonia, and welcome Cashew!
Doug and Jenny Barker just left our farm this morning, after visiting to pick up a rear axle for his Spirit (sorry, can't remember what year). They are very excited to join our club - Doug has been passionate about AMCs for many years. Harm and I have known him for years as well, seeing him at car shows around the Midland area. In fact, Doug and I worked at the same hospital for years. Jenny is a retired school secretary who runs a little antique business from their home.
Please welcome them the next time we have a get together (perhaps at the Fall Colours Tour?).
Through Darryl Rae, Harm was given the number of a guy in Erin who had "some Javelin" parts he wanted to get rid of, as well as a 1969 Javelin. Wayne (AMO member but not AMO+) has had some health problems so he was wanting to simplify his life (and garage). As Harm and I have a few projects that could benefit from some spare parts, we decided to visit Wayne on Saturday, August 20th. I packed a picnic lunch and off we went in our 3/4 ton truck (Harm didn't want to appear overly excited by bringing the trailer). When we arrived, we were treated to a very nice Javelin (hunter green with white stripe down the sides). It was complete but needed a restoration. He wanted more than we would be able to pay (and besides that, we have enough projects to do) but if anyone is interested, we'll provide you with his name and number. He had lots of parts though - doors, glass, 1968 SST hood, seats, door sills, etc., etc. We picked up everything he didn't need for his Javelin and crammed the parts into the box and back seat of the truck! When we got home, we sorted them into categories (our ability to remember things just ain't what it used to be) and put them into Harm's barn. They will certainly come in handy for us and, whatever we don't need, we will be selling to others in the club.
Barb van der Veen
Ha ha! Fooled you! No Orillia Show to report on. That morning, Marty and Sandy Davis (who host the post-show barbecue) woke up to a deluge of rain which hadn't yet reached the Lindsay area (Ken, Roberta, Harm and I were planning on going). Between texting back and forth at 5:30 and checking the weather network, it was obvious that the day would quite simply be a wash-out. We decided we wouldn't make the trip (not that our SC 360 couldn't use the bath) and instead headed back to bed. It's too bad because the Orillia event is always a great time - lots of amazing cars, fabulous downtown shopping and dining, and of course good friends to chat with! We'll be there next year - don't forget to register early to ensure a spot.
Welcome, Andy and Terry Baril, our newest members!
Andy is a retired Niagara Hydro linesman. As a "youngster", he used to tear up the streets of Toronto in a fast '70 Mustang. Terry still works as a receptionist for a company in Niagara Falls. Over the years, the two of them have enjoyed camping, RVing (no, it's not quite the same thing as camping), trail bike riding and, more recently, going on motorcycle trips together (they each have their own bike) all over Ontario and the US.
Andy wanted to get back into a fast car to rekindle those memories and what better way than to buy your uncle's '69 Javelin. No, this is no ordinary stock Javelin - it belonged to Mike and Gail Putz and is pretty quick. I don't remember what times Mike turned at the drags but let's just say, it was no slouch!
Our 1977 AMC Pacer (“Zippy”) Concours Story
Our first American Motors Owners (AMO) National Concours with Zippy was in 1997 in Concord, North Carolina. We were so green then that we failed to even win a Junior Bronze in AMC Stock class, so we decided to compete in Non-Stock class after that. In the following nine years, we competed with Zippy six times in AMC Non-Stock Junior class. In 1998, we drove “home” to Kenosha, Wisconsin, where we won a Bronze award. In 1999, we drove to St. Louis, Missouri, where we won another Bronze award. In 2000, we drove to Berlin, Connecticut with our orange tabby kitten “Pegasus”. Pegasus played in the lobby of the host inn with the innkeeper’s St. Bernard puppy, entertaining everyone. Meanwhile, we won another Bronze award. In 2002, we drove “home”, again, to Kenosha, Wisconsin where we won our first Silver award. In 2003, I retired from Norfolk Southern Railroad, but we missed the National in Lansing, Michigan while moving from Atlanta, Georgia to Duluth, Minnesota. In 2004, we drove to Scottsdale, Arizona where we won another Silver award. In 2005, we drove back to our old stomping grounds in Atlanta, Georgia where we won yet another Silver award. We were unable to attend in 2001.
Seemingly stuck at Silver level, we decided to forego the 2006 convention in Dayton, Ohio, and instead spend the time, energy and money giving Zippy a fresh look. We decided to give Zippy a major, full-body restoration. This was body only, but complete disassembly, soda-blasting down to bare metal (over, under, around and through), patching rust spots, etc. When Zippy was stripped bare, we loaded his unit-body carcass onto our utility trailer and had Bobbie’s 1975 Pacer X haul him to the body shop along with all the assorted doors, hood, fenders, hatch, etc. still detached. The painting was done locally by a professional body shop, in Bobbie’s beautiful color choice of a misty green two-tone. The complete underside, inside floor wells, door insides, and roof underside was painted to match using a tint-able bed liner for sound and rust-proofing. While the body was disassembled and curing over the winter, I couldn’t resist cleaning and painting every little item, preparing for re-assembly in the spring.
Successfully re-assembled, we proudly drove Zippy to Denver, Colorado in 2007, where we won Junior Gold in AMC Non-Stock and advanced to Senior class with a near-perfect score, deducted only for the cracked windshield which I broke during installation and did not have time to replace. In 2008, we drove Zippy into Canada, to Kingston, Ontario, where we won Senior Gold and the Roy D. Chapin award, advancing to American Cup class.
In the following eight years, Zippy has been driven to the AMO National Convention to compete six times in the American Cup class: 2009 in St. Louis, Missouri; 2010 in Detroit, Michigan; 2011 in Sedona, Arizona; 2013 in Auburn, Indiana; 2015 in Cleveland, Ohio; and finally, 2016 in Rockford, Illinois. We were unable to attend in 2012 and 2014.
Zippy won the AMO American Cup award in 2016 in Rockford, Illinois showing nearly 330,000 miles as he turns 39 years old, having never been towed to a show. It was the first and only time that Bobbie had not been with me at an AMO National. Bobbie stayed home to care for Pegasus who died within a week of my return. Although we haven’t brought Pegasus with us for several years, people still ask about him. He was such a good traveler and will be missed.
CLASSICS ON KENT – July 10, 2016 – by Jodee Scott
A bunch of us met and proceeded to the registration check in point at 8am Sunday morning. Harm and Barb van der Veen had their Hornet S/C360, Ken Edwards was accompanied by Aunix Lockyear-Breen, Roberta’s grand-daughter in Ken’s AMX, Bonnie and Terry Forbes in their 1970 Ford Cyclone 429 – yes, I know, the odd man out – but being such good friends, we let them join our convoy! – John Vander Meulen in his AMX, and Marty and Sandy Davis in their Bricklin (which has lots of AMC parts in it so it counts). I, of course, had my Ambassador and our club mascot Seymour the dragon accompanied me. The kids wandering around with their parents loved him!
We got to park on the main street – haven’t done that in a few years and headed off to get registered. During the day, we wandered around admiring the many wonderful vehicles on display. My favourite was a Chev Impala called Poison Kandy although a close runner-up was the Berlina Coupe we spotted by the park.
Sandy and I saw a vehicle with a registration number of 479 so I figured there must have been close to 500 vehicles at the show and lots of spectators. We stuck around for the awards presentation but no one in our club received any awards. Ah, well, we really didn’t mind as just getting a chance to drive our cars and exhibit them at a show is enough for most of us.
It was a great day, the weather was very warm but the light breeze that sprung up from time to time gave welcomed relief.
The next event is the AMO International Convention – can’t wait!
