Loss of CCCA Icon Jack Nethercutt

[Dave Mitchell]

Jack Nethercutt, early CCCA member, who set up one of the greatest car collections and free museums in the world has passed away at age 91. If you have seen the museum or his cars at Grand Classics you will know that he had rare and unusual cars, very nicely restored in house by a shop with truly awesome capabilities and displayed with style and class and administered by a kind and enthusiastic staff who was always willing to help an enthusiast and take time to show you the phenominal collection. If you can, visit the museum set up by this man who was a true icon in the classic car world, the cars are almost exclusively prewar, big classics and huge brass, American and foreign, one more magnificent than the last. It is truly a collection that would be impossible to put together today.

[Guest Chuck Crawley]

Jack Nethercutt's passing

I was saddened to hear of the passage, first of Dorothy, then Jack Nethercutt.

All of us who love "Old Cars" (Classics now) owe Jack a debt of gratitude for his many contributions to our "hobby". I was priveledged to mee Jack Nethercutt's passing

I was saddened to hear of the passage, first of Dorothy, then Jack Nethercutt.

All of us who love "Old Cars" (Classics now) owe Jack a debt of gratitude for his many contributions to our "hobby". I was priveledged to meet Jack in May, 1956 when he made a u-turn and came back to a gas station where I was filling the gas tank on my duPont Merrimac towncar. He was on his way back from Glendale, where he went to buy a Duesenberg dual-cowl phaeton from Marshall Merkes. Marshall had taken the Dusey apart to make some castings. By that twist of fate, Jack's first classic became my duPont. It is the ONLY time I have ever taken a personal check (on Saturday,no less) for a car and title. Doing so tells one how much of a gentleman Jack was. He came from the same school of ethics as my father. A hand shake carried far more worth than a room filled with lawyers. (No offense, Bob G....) He was very happy to have an "old car" that he could drive. He often referred to the "Upholstery flapping out the window." when in fact, it was a blue Air Force blanket over the front seat.

A few days later, we went down to 19020 S. Figueroa to see Mike McManus and Jonny Edwards, at what was then Atlantic Auto and Truck Wrecking. Jack was like "a kid in a candy store"! He had never imagined that there was a "junk yard" for us old-car-folk. They became best friends, and stayed so, till Mike "headed for the hills".in 1964 (I was the only person to ever live there. In the earlysixties,I lived in the loft above Mikes office.)

I was truly amazed when Jack finished the duPont. He had spent over $58,000 on the restoration. Machining 10 Buffalo Wheel caps from a solid billet. Hunting down a huge cow in Argentina, and having it "converted" in order to have a leather roof covering that was one piece. With Jack, there was only one way to do things RIGHT and that was the best that it could be. Everything was held to his same high standard. Never fast, never cheap, just right.

I had a feeling after his Dorothy passed away that he would follow soon after. Theirs was a true "love story". In addition to being a wonderful woman, (and hostess) she was a true partner to Jack in everything he did.

In almost fifty years, I have never known their equals. I know that I never shall. They were both from "one-off" molds.

They will be missed and thought of frequently.

My sincere condolences to Jack Jr. and Robert. (It hard to imagine you all grown up..You both were students at Harvard (High) School when we met at Rockingham.) It is very comforting to know that you and all the crew at San Sylmar will carry on with one of the most important museums in the United States.

God bless you all.

Charles H. "Chuck" Crawley

[West Peterson]

Regarding Mr. Nethercutt spending $58,000 to restore the DuPont in 1953:

Yes, that figure is printed in Dennis Adler's latest book on Nethercutt, and probably went through proof reading by the head honcho himself, but that's a large chunk to swallow. That would have bought around 40 (Forty!!) nice Duesenbergs at the time, if you could have found that many for sale. A man like Nethercutt didn't make his fortune spending unwisely like that.

It would seem more likely to me that figure has a decimal point in the wrong place, and that would still be a HUGE figure back then.

I may be wrong, but I'd love to hear some insight on that figure.

West

[PackardV12]

CHUCK CRAWLEY ? Saw your above "post".. Is it really you? It's been a LOOONG LOONG time! I dont come in here much any more...but when I saw YOUR name...WOW...did that ever bring back memories.

So glad to see at least a few of us old-timers are still aggrvating the young-uns ! Can you imagine - Gottlieb is gone...Tony Heinsbergen is gone..Charlie Last....all gone.

And of course Mike "M" is gone too..I hear...Ahh..that big billboard with the "Impeach Earl Warren" sign he had! Perhaps you remember the day, in the early-mid 1950's..when I came down to 19020 to buy a replacement fender when I got hit in my '34 Super Eight....Mike chewed me out when I complained that twenty bucks was WAY too much for a front fender ...even tho it was "mint"!

Did you by chance see a "new" magazine called CLASSIC CARS ? It is put out by Hemmings Motor News. On their first issue, which came out about three months ago, they had a picture of a 39 PLYMOUTH...! There is an editorial in that "first issue" explaining why they chose the name "CLASSIC CARS". It turns out, that it is nothing more than a "re badging" of the old SIA ( Special Interest Autos ) magazine. At least the editorial was honest...as he explained, of COURSE the staff of Hemmings knows what a REAL classic car is...but they have magazines that need more circulation, and advertising space to sell. As they note, they found that they faced either going out of business, or cooperating with the modern trend of calling EVERYTHING "classic". Now that they are doing that, their issues are selling well. Ah...sic transit gloria!

Ah, yes...Jack was a giant in the classic car hobby! Can you imagine..cant really blame this fellow West (see his above post) who finds it hard to believe that Jack really DID throw FORTUNES at his cars to get them right!

Do you remember hearing about the fuss at the '59 Grand Classic...when a certain "something" on that Du Pont wouldn't work..(bet there arent too many reading this..who have a CLUE what I am referring to...!)

Of course you know there were a few who, at the time, resented Jack's coming into our Region and pretty much taking over its management. Others, such as myself, were grateful for the way he gave our group some real 'class' - yes - he organized some pretty expensive meets, but what the heck...we had our classic cars in surroundings that matched the cars ! Did you know he and Bob "G", years later, actually shook hands !

I was just a college kid supporting my classic car hobby with summer jobs, so it was hard for me to save up for those elegant meets, but...were they ever WORTH it...remember that "blast" at the Hotel Del Coronado in '57?...lines of 16 cyl Caddies, Packard and Pierce V-12's....oh..we sure knew what a classic car was then !

My favorite JB story may not make sense to the younger people who read this column..but I bet some of the older ones get a laugh out of it. So that we dont loose the younger readers, I have to explain that Jack was a bit of a stickler for being a VERY conservative perfectionist about getting his restorations "authentic"...

Chuck..I dont think you were on the tour we took to Las Vegas around 1958. The caravan of about 50 big classic cars ground slowly up the Cajon Pass, at around 45 mph. Then..it happened...what was the name of the guy who had that "ringer" Lincoln Continental..the one with the '56 Caddy El Dorado engine and transmission in it...he got bored with the slow pace...took off like a shot. Soon, other "big iron" classics broke out of the Caravan, and next thin you know...about half a dozen huge classics are tearing across the desert at 85-100 mph...and...much to my surprise...WHAT is in MY rear view mirror...but Jack's Marmon V-16...with one of his sons driving..(Jack and Dorothy were in the back seat..grinning like Cheshire cats...!).

Anyway, VERY early next morning, at the hotel in Las Vegas, when it was still nearly dark, I snuck out to the cars, crawled under that Marmon, determined to see what he'd done to the gearing so he could cruise at sustained speeds that would have killed most "stock" cars of that era. Much to my surprise...Jack had an OVERDRIVE stuck up in there ! Now...my Packard V12 was parked the next car over...and..lo and behold....guess who is under MY car trying to figure out how I re-geared it...but JACK ! He's gone now...so I can now break my promise to him that " we wont say anything about this..will we"....!

I am sure you will join me in recommending to any legit old car buff who happens to be in Southern California, to make it their business to go to the Nethercutt Museum (known as San Sylmar) in Symar, California, at the north-west end of the San Fernando Valley. Words can not describe the visual treat and learning experience about REAL classic cars that is available there. All right...all right..so Jack did have a few non-classics..but...they are nicely restored too !

(they keep guys like me in glass bottles, tightly sealed, and marked with a skull and cross-bones...and a warning sign..."DO NOT OPEN EXCEPT IN TIME OF WAR"...!)

[DizzyDale]

Dear PH,I had the privilege to see a couple of Mr.Nethercutts cars at Hershey the last couple of years.WITHOUT a doubt,ALWAYS without question the BEST iron on the showfield.His cars bring NEW meaning to the word restoration and PERFECTION.Those were great stories,may he Rest In Peace.diz

[Guest FE-L2-57]

I noticed in this post that both Chuck Crawley and PackardV12 mentioned knowing Mike McManus. I have a car that was bought from Mike in 1955 from Atlantic Auto Sales for $200 by the family I purchased it from. I was wondering if either one of you know what ever happened to the records from his business?, or if there is any source of contact that would have either the old records or photo's from his yard from back then? I am trying to track down the ownership trail of my car and thought it might be nice to see if any old records still exist of who the owners were of the cars he sold from Atlalntic Auto sales to see who he possibly bought my car from? Anyone know any leads?

[West Peterson]

I suggest making your own post with Mike's name in the title line.