Get Your Motor Runnin'

Get Your Motor Runnin’

WITH THE WEST ENDER’S CAR CLUB

WRITTEN BY JACLYN RITTER

PHOTOGRAPHY BY RHONDA KUYKENDALL

Do you remember your first car?

Many of us remember pulling out of our driveways for the first time on our own and experiencing a small taste of freedom. We compared cars in the school parking lot and dreamed of one day having a sleek sports car. In a blink of an eye we find ourselves older and often proud owners of a practical car – a van or SUV for hauling the

kids and dogs around town, or a small eco-friendly one to save on the daily commute. For some, cars grew to be so much more than just a way to get from point A to point B; they became a culture, a lifestyle.

The West Enders Car Club is comprised of men and women from varying backgrounds and careers who have a passion for cars.

Forming & Organizing THE CLUB

George Kelley, a resident of Weston Lakes and club founder, is a self-described “gearhead” who hails from Detroit. “I got my first hot rod in 1962,” shares George. “A ’31 Ford sport coupe (cabriolet) body with a later flathead Mercury engine.”

Through the years, George could not help but notice the surprising number of classic cars throughout the Fulshear area. The idea of a club--whose purpose was simply to get the local car folks together to share the collector car experience, help each other with technical support and go to car shows--was born. George and his friend Jim Lovelace put a blurb in the community newsletter seeking others, like themselves, who have an interest in cars and would like to see this idea up and running. To their surprise, roughly twenty people showed up for the initial meeting, and many more indicated an interest.

The West Enders Car Club has come a long way since George and Jim threw the initial idea on the table. To date, the club is comprised of over forty active member with roughly one hundred fifty cars among them! One member alone owns over 100 cars, all housed in a private 15,000 square foot facility. And while the club originated in Weston Lakes, it is open to everyone. Current members hail from Simonton, Sealy, Katy and downtown Houston.

“We have always been an open-format type of club,” emphasizes George Kelley. “We welcome all types of specialty cars: vintage, sports, custom, muscle and exotics.” In fact, members do not have to have a specialty car to join the club. Appreciation is the only requirement.

Former West Enders president, Pete Sandy, extrapolates on this by saying, “That’s what is so great about the club; it is a multi-make, multi-year car club.” Pete’s interest in cars began at a young age. “As a kid in London, I was infatuated with the Austin Healey 3000. I managed to buy one in 1968 and had it until we moved to the United States in 1993. After retirement, I just began acquiring more cars--Jaguars, MGs, corvettes and, my favorite, the Austin Healey.” The car club has helped keep Pete active and engaged post retirement from the oil industry. “It’s recreational psychology for me, getting my hands dirty and working on the mechanics of a car.”

Vice president and Cross Creek Ranch resident, Bill Heede, can relate. “I grew up in southern California in the 50s, and that is when hot rods were big. I had a Jaguar convertible XK120 in school, and I enjoyed racing it. It was an American Graffiti kind of time; it was the culture.”

A culture that Bill and other club members have enjoyed long after it was cool.

“It was an American Graffiti kind of time; it was the culture.”

FORMER CLUB PRESIDENT BILL HEEDE WITH HIS 1940 FORD

CLUB MEMBER MARK HAAG, HIS 1962 CORVETTE, AND HIS DOG SCOUT

CLUB FOUNDER GEORGE KELLEY WITH HIS 1967 BUICK GS CONVERTIBLE

Activities & Outings

West Ender club members can be seen out and about town on a regular basis. Besides their monthly meetings, they make a habit of cruising around town and grabbing a bite to eat as a group. They can be seen every Saturday morning from 8:00 to 9:30 at Shipleys Donuts, located at 6300 FM 1463. They enjoy coffee and donuts with friends, while showing off their cars and swapping garage stories.

A favorite activity amongst the group is attending various car shows around the area. Many of the club’s members even return home with a trophy or two. West Enders Car Club was awarded the Participating Club Award winner for four years in a row at the Wallis Fine Ride car show. They are proud to acknowledge that, while they show their cars individually, they attend the shows as a group. Many members lean on one another for tips and tricks to ready and improve their cars. Member Chuck Heath, and owner of Fulshear Car Care, if often their go-to guy.

CHECK OUT THE UPCOMING ANNUAL “COPS AND RODDERS” CAR SHOW SEPT 19, 2020 TO BE HELD AT PARKWAY FELLOWSHIP CHURCH. BENEFITS THE FULSHEAR POLICE FOUNDATION.

FORMER CLUB PRESIDENT PETE SANDY & HIS 1967 AUSTIN HEALEY

“It’s recreational psychology for me, getting my hands dirty and working on the mechanics of a car.”

THIS YEAR, THE ANNUAL CAR SHOW IS ADDING A SPECIAL INTEREST GROUP OF CARS, FEATURING CORVETTES. ALL 5 HOUSTON-AREA CORVETTE CLUBS HAVE BEEN INVITED. THE VENUE HOLDS IN EXCESS OF 300 CARS.

Educating Younger Generations

While these men and women enjoy the camaraderie and support the club offers, they are actively looking to reach out into the community and educate younger generations on the art of mechanical classic cars.

“Our sport and our passion could be dying if we don’t continue to have folks who can work on and appreciate these cars,” says Pete Sandy. “Cars of today are all software driven, while ours are mechanical.” Bill Heede adds, “It is difficult to interest the kids of today in these old cars, unless you do it through their fathers and grandfathers.”

Club members hope to spread the word. They are actively trying to stock local libraries with books and magazines on classic cars and their mechanics. Members have also reached out to the local high schools to inquire about starting up auto-shop classes. Some have gone as far as offering to donate their cars to the schools for demonstration purposes.

George Kelley, member and founder, would like to see the club’s membership expand and draw more young people into an interest in automobiles from both a sport and technical perspective. “Many of the advances in engineering over the last one hundred years were driven by the automotive industry and competition between the manufacturers to keep up with enthusiast demands.”

West Enders Car Club is centered on an appreciation and passion for cars. Only by working closely with these kinds of cars can you truly appreciate the little nuances that make each car unique. While camaraderie and technical support are the primary focus, the group hopes to spread the excitement classic cars bring with younger generations. After all, the cars of today will be the antiques of tomorrow. d

WANT TO KNOW MORE ABOUT THE WEST ENDERS CAR CLUB?

CONTACT BILL HEEDE AT (847) 980-7246 OR WILLIAMHEEDE@AOL.COM

WESTENDERSCARCLUBTX.COM

FACEBOOK GROUP PAGE: WESTENDERS CAR CLUB

CLUB MEMBER DAVE FOSHEE & HIS 1941 WILLYS