August's America of the Month

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August's America of the Month

August's America of the month has been at the top of my 'must be featured' list since I started this website. It is truly a great America and is probably one of the nicest and most original cars you'll ever see.

If you believe in Karma...or in this case, Carma, then this 1969 model car has a trunk load. It has had a very nice life, with several very kind owners, seldom driven and always stored inside. For an America, it just doesn't get any better. Next stop, the Smithsonian!

I first found out about this car back in 1998 after finding a website dedicated to it. It had recently been purchased by Brian Barney. Brian started a website dedicated to Austin Americas, and to document his ownership and restoration of the car. His is really the very first Austin America website and was an inspiration to my creation of this site.

Brian's goal was to restore this car to its original condition, in every detail. He sourced original parts from all over the country and even the UK. The car was completely taken apart, repainted in the original 'Snowberry White' and meticulouly put back together. As you'll see in the pictures below, he did a remarkable job.

This is the kind of car that when you park next to it at a car show, you realize how lacking your own car is...take it from me! It's also the kind of car that you scour with your eyes and try to remember every last detail, because it's put back to it's original condition and everything is correct. A true time piece!

Unfortunately, after Brian finished the car, he lost interest in it and it remained parked in his garage for several years. I saw it for the first time in 2001 at the Hayward Field Meet in the San Francisco Bay area. This was really one of the car's first big excursions since being restored several years earlier. It was great to see it!

The car has now been sold to Jack Davis of Silver City, New Mexico. He purchased it back in April and drove all the way to the San Francisco Bay Area to pick it up with a trailer. No small feat indeed, but I give Jack a big pat on the back because he turned 80 in January!

Jack is a very talented mechanic and still does his own work. He's currently restoring a 1957 MG Magnette and has several Citroen's. In fact, his latest repair to the America was to replace a failed rear hydrolastic displacer unit. We all know...or should know, that this is not a job for the novice, or for anyone new to America (1100/1300) ownership. However, Jack located a used displacer and replaced it by himself, without taking the rear subframe out of the car! And, without taking a cutting torch to the back end and 'making' himself some extra room. He's built his own hydrolastic pump out of a grease gun and figured out how to pump up the opened system without using a vacuum pump first.

I say that's pretty darn remarkable...to say the least. In fact, you'll soon find his article on how he did it, on my "Tip & Troublehshooting" page.

A short story about my car affliction:

"I was born and raised in Los Angeles, California. My first car was a 1929 Ford Model A. I cant tell you how many cars I've had, I suppose I could, but it would take up too much space. I lived a great part of my working life in foreign countries so I have had a connection with European cars. Some of the cars were Citroens and some were British. I still have a Citroen and of course the Austin America, and I am now restoring a 1957 MG Magnette. I was born in January 19, 1922, you figure. The reason I still work on cars is it gives me a reason to get out of bed in the morning. Believe me, if you don't get out of bed, you wont last long.

For some time I'd been looking for an MG 1100 or preferably a 1300. I had one lined up about 180 miles from where I live, but was never able to get my contact to get it out of the pre-used car lot (junk yard). Recently, while cruising the internet, I came across a 1969 Austin America located in Antioch, California. I contacted the owner by telephone and online, and thought the car was what I wanted. I received pictures via online and also some CD's. I bought it.

My next problem was to get the car to Silver City, New Mexico, about 1,200 miles from where the car was located. I contacted a car hauler broker and a deal was made. After waiting for three weeks for an assignment to be made, I gave up and took off with my 1991 Dodge Diesel Pickup and a rented car hauler. I left on April 20, 2002, picked up the Austin on April 21^st and was back home on the 24^th. If you are a Senior Citizen like me, you will appreciate what I did. You really have to be bitten by the car bug to do a dumb think like this.

The car turned out to be what the owner said it was, I mean very nice. I test drove the Austin, that is, I backed it out of the garage, lined it up with the trailer and had the seller drive it onto the trailer.

The British Motor Car Club of Southern New Mexico was having a meet on April 27, 2002 and I hoped to enter the car. I had two days to check over the car and was able to drive to the meet, 120 miles. I didn't receive any trophies, but that's not the most important thing about entering a meet anyway."

Jack E. Davis

Silver City, New Mexico (6,000 feet above sea level)

2cvdav@cybermesa.com

Jack, thanks for letting me feature you're great looking America! Congratulations on being the owner of the August Austin America and enjoy your plaque.