Car of the Month
For both Larry Nichols and MOCA, the year 1980 is of particular
significance. Not only was that the year in which three young guys in
Austin first met to form the Mustang Owners Club of Austin, it was also the
year Larry acquired his 1966 Wimbledon White convertible.
In the late 1970’s, teen-age Larry was cruising the streets of Austin in a
’66 Mustang coupe, but the car he truly longed for was an early Mustang
convertible. Fate intervened one day in 1980, leading him to an ad in a
local newspaper listing a ’66 convertible for sale in Lampasas. Larry
phoned the owner, got some details, then persuaded his dad, Bill, to go
with him to Lampasas to get a first-hand look at the car - and to tow a
flat-bed trailer, just in case.
“Barn finds” have not only become legends, but with the growth of the
collector car hobby, the subjects of whole books. What Larry and Bill found
was indeed in a barn, but not quite the perfect if somewhat dusty,
low-mileage gem described in those stories. The owner’s free-range chickens
had, over the years, become intimately familiar with the white convertible,
and had grown used to using it as a comfy roosting place with an attached
bathroom (do you get the picture?). Nonetheless, Larry and Bill performed a
careful inspection and found it to be a restorable, fully-optioned C-code
(289, 2bbl.) car which started and ran. Although there was some rust in the
floor pans – a common situation in early convertibles – it was complete and
seemed to have had minimal body damage. After the price negotiation was
complete, the car was loaded on the trailer, and the journey to a full
restoration was begun.
Over the following 18 months, the father and son team completely
disassembled the car, located replacement parts where needed, and
straightened, de-rusted, and repainted the reusable parts. After the body
shell was sent to an Austin shop for replacement of floor pans, the left
front fender, and the left rear quarter panel, repainting, and installation
of a new red interior, Larry and his dad reassembled the car. (It should be
noted that this project might never have seen completion, had Larry’s mom,
Ruth, not been present to keep peace in the restoration crew!)
During the restoration process - sometime in 1981 - Larry heard about and
subsequently joined MOCA, and became acquainted with one of the club’s
co-founders, Mike Jenniges, who then helped Larry and Bill install a
factory-replacement 289 engine in the completed car.
The family team deserves a great deal of credit for their work: In the
years since completion, the car has been featured on two nationally
released calendars, included in the Motorbooks’s Color History Mustang –
’64.5 - ‘68 by Tom Corcoran, and has been driven in several Aqua Fest,
Veterans’ Day and Texas Governor’s Inauguration Parades, including carrying
Governor Ann Richards in 1991. In addition, the convertible has a roomful
of trophies from over 20 First Place awards in various Mustang shows,
including the Texas Sesquicentennial MCA Concours judged show in Arlington,
TX in 1986. However, one of the most memorable recognitions came in 1992,
while on his honeymoon in San Francisco with his new bride, Tracy. Larry
happened to stop in a bookstore and (naturally) checked out the newest
issue of Mustang Monthly. What car was one of the featured Mustangs that
month? His Wimbledon White 1966 convertible, of course!
Neal Armstrong
Life Member Larry Nichols has been associated with MOCA for 27 years. As
Larry is currently hospitalized to deal with the continuing effects of his
2005 stroke, the information for this story was gathered by his long-time
friends, Bob White and Brian Pulis.
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