Chevy Owners’ Club Pays Homage to Classics
As a teenager growing up in Pico Rivera in the 1960s, Danny Bogner found lack of money was the only thing separating him from getting behind the wheel of a 1957 Chevy Nomad.
Decades later as a married man in Oxnard, Bogner finally had the money for his dream car, but had a new obstacle: his wife, Kitten.
But when Bogner saw a black ’57 Nomad--with crushed velvet red interior--on sale for $10,000 five years ago, he couldn’t pass it up. So he wrapped the car up in a large red bow and gave it to Kitten for Mother’s Day. Like her husband, Kitten was hooked.
The Bogners are among the growing membership of the Ventura County Chevys, a club of mostly middle-aged enthusiasts fascinated with classic Chevrolets. The group meets the second Friday of each month.
Club members gather for social events, to share technical tips and to sponsor an annual car show. Proceeds from that event, which celebrated its 18th year in September, benefit the Oxnard/Port Hueneme Boys & Girls Club. The Chevys’ membership has grown from 15 to 60 in the past four years, said Julianna Gutierrez, club president.
A handful of Chevy owners, with models from 1955 to 1957, organized in 1982. Today, about 50 members own vehicles, such as Bel Airs, Del Reys and Apache trucks, Gutierrez said.
“There is a commonality, and that’s the cars,” she said. “Everybody comes from different walks of life and different occupations. The cars definitely bring everybody together.”
In the case of the Bogners’ Nomad, one might think otherwise. Although both Bogners use the car, Patricia Kitten Bogner quickly staked her claim and got KITTEN’S 57 license plates and a frame that reads, “It’s mine and he can’t drive it.”
Now the 45-year-old legal secretary cruises on weekends with female friends. And they turn plenty of heads.
“My friends like it because people stare. When girls get older, we need all the encouragement we can get,” she said with a laugh.
The Bogners learned about the Chevy club at a car show in Camarillo two years ago, and they immediately knew they had to join.
“I was pretty excited to find some people my own age that were into cars,” said Danny Bogner, a 53-year-old retired Southern California ironworker. “It’s a new group of friends to get involved with and a really family-oriented club.”
Clubs for classic Chevy lovers are nothing new. About 120 such groups have formed around the world under the wing of Classic Chevy International, said Carolynn Pearson, art director for Classic Chevy World, an Orlando-based monthly magazine specializing in Chevys from 1955 to 1972. Most clubs average 50 to 60 members, Pearson said.
“It’s a passion for most of these people and a sense of community that they have for the era and cars,” she said. “It’s like nothing I’ve ever seen.”
The Ventura County club’s monthly “cruises,” which attract as many as 15 cars for outings like a wine tasting excursion to Santa Ynez recently, are known to catch more than a few eyes.
“We came back and there were about five or six cars in a row and a [California Highway Patrol] cop came by and gave us the thumbs up,” said Ted Hetherington, 54, a logistics manager at Naval Base Ventura County in Port Hueneme.
Hetherington has owned his black 1957 Chevy Bel Air Sport Coupe since 1989. He bought it when it had about 115,000 miles on it and has put on about 15,000 since.
Like most club members, Hetherington drives a different car most of the time. The Chevys are usually reserved for group outings or special occasions. Their owners consider the cars more works of art than modes of transportation.
Gutierrez’s red 1955 Nomad is kept covered and in her garage most of the time. She waxes it twice a month. Hetherington spends many afternoons working on his vehicle. He has restored some of it, including replacing its front end and entire interior.
Bogner has done even more, spending $20,000 and nearly 500 man hours to upgrade his Nomad, including its suspension, transmission and 383-cubic-inch V8 engine.
“It now handles like a new Lexus or Mercedes,” he said.
Aside from keeping their cars in pristine condition, club members often assist one another. Gutierrez took a longtime club member with her for expert advice when she purchased her car two years ago. And Hetherington got the help of five other club members a few months ago when replacing his car’s bushings and ball joints.
“It’s kind of like a second family,” Hetherington said. “We band together and if somebody needs some help, we’ll give them verbal help on how to do it or go to their house and help them.”
When the entire club assembles, it’s even better, Gutierrez said.
“You get caught up in the enthusiasm,” she said. “When you see the cars and how nice they look and sound, it puts a sparkle in your eye.”
FYI
The Ventura County Chevys charge a $30 annual membership fee, which includes a monthly newsletter. For information, contact club President Julianna Gutierrez at 388-3083.
