Lone Star Chevy Club of Austin serves as the local chapter for the Late Great Chevrolet Association. The Lone Star Chevy Club of Austin is a family oriented club engaged in the preservation of 1958 through 1966 Chevrolet cars and trucks. Annual dues are $15 and officers are elected each year. Ownership of a Late Great Chevy is not required for membership but a sincere interest in these vehicles is necessary. Come visit one of our meetings or give us a call if you have any questions.
The club first met one January evening in 1989 in Oak Hill at Gertrude's Pizza. Marvin Severson had recently moved to Texas and had been active in Chevy clubs in Minnesota. And since there was no active club at that time in Austin for Late Great Chevys (1958 through 1964) he decided to organize one. There were five charter members in the club and two remain, Marv and his wife Paula.The first Golden Oldies car show was held at the Oak Hill Plaza in May of 1990 and has been going a favorite of many ever since. The first officers were: President Marv Severson, Vice President Mary Bowen, Secretery/Treasurer Paula Severson.
The club was also instrumental, along with other local clubs, in organizing the first "Kars for Kids" which continues to be a great fundraiser for charity.
On June 26, 1992 the club members volunteered to serve as a pit crew for one of the cars in the "Great American Race", bringing, for the first time, this event to Austin.
In 1993 the club voted to include the 1965 and 66 cars and trucks so the years now cover 1958 through 1966.
The club presently has 39 members and meets monthly. If you have an interest in these great cars or know someone who does, call us.
1995 is the 40th anniversary of the Chevrolet small-block V8. When it came along, it changed me to be a Chevy fan and I've been one ever since. When I was discharged from the Marine Corps, I purchased a used 1955 Bel Air Coupe with the V8. It was a ball owning that car. I did a mild customize on it and repainted it, courted my wife Nancy in it and did a lot of cruising in that car.Quoting from an article in Machine Design: "To celebrate the 40th anniversary of the small block V8, Chevrolet engineers took a 265 cid engine from a 1995 Caprice and installed it in a 1955 Chevy. The Chevy small-block revolutionized automobiles when it was introduced in 1955, says Mark McPhail, the GM engineer who headed the project. More than 60 million Chevys built since then have essentially the same engine. We did this to demonstrate the versatility of the small-block in today's world. Updates to the engine, including a prototype camshaft and Corvette cylinder heads, boosted the original 195 horsepower to 330. A change from a two speed to four speed automatic transmission with overdrive improved fuel economy while increasing acceleration. In this age of environmental regulations, this project is an example of how enthusiasts can enjoy a smog-legal vehicle without sacraficing the spirit and soul that they value in hot rods and street performance cars says McPhail." I thought that was quite interesting to read and so I wanted to pass it on.
Early this month I was on vacation traveling up I-5 through central California from L.A. to Portland, Oregon and had the time to stop at a few junk yards and look around. The yards that have older cars are just plain disappearing! And the prices are going up and up! I think we are pretty lucky here in Central Texas to have access to so many old parts as we do.
