Story Photos
 This 1939 Nash two-door coupe is the favored ride of Pete and Charlene Kissler of Castle Rock. Brenda Blevins McCorkle / The Daily News
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People and Their Wheels: Pete and Charlene Kissler's 1939 Nash two-door coupe
Friday, October 10, 2008 11:32 PM PDT
By Brenda Blevins McCorkle
Printable version
E-mail this articleBackground: Pete moved to the local area after a stint in the service. He met and married Charlene 37 years ago. They have two children, six grandchildren and five great-grandchildren. Pete is retired from the city of Longview street and stormwater department. Charlene is a retired nursing home administrator and licensed practical nurse.
Their wheels: A 1939 Nash two-door coupe they purchased in 2001. The vehicle has a 350 Chevy motor, a 350 transmission and Mustang II front end. It has a custom interior, tires and wheels, as well as a tilt wheel, tinted windows, classic instruments, and an AM/FM radio and CD player.
The couple owned a 1954 Ford two-door coupe for about seven years before buying the Nash.
“It just wasn’t as nice to drive. It had no power steering,” Pete said.
A friend of his, the late Wayne Upchurch, had a 1940 Nash convertible.
“I saw that car, and it was just so cool. It was the neatest car,” Pete said.
When he and Charlene came across the ‘39 Nash at Memory Lane Classic Cars in Portland, it practically sold itself.
“We had to have it,” Pete said.
The paint job for the car was done in 1976. Aside from a few road chips and a classic design that dates it, the red over Rio red color still pops.
Charlene said another aspect of the car she enjoys is the large back seat.
“You can have four adults back there, or me lying down,” she said.
The couple enjoy getting together with fellow members of their car club, the Gearlords. Pete said the old adage about car people being the greatest in the world is true. They’re fun folks too, he added.
“I’ve never seen adults act more like little kids than at car shows,” he said. “They get all excited over the raffles, they go up and check their tickets and get all excited, I won, I won! These people are so funny.”
Many of those members and friends have helped Pete and Charlene with the minor work they’ve done to the Nash.
The folks at Evergreen Paint in Longview helped him match the car’s paint.
“Thanks to people like that and Al’s Place, a little shop there on Oregon Way, and just a bunch of friends who are knowledgeable and willing to kick in and help every now and then is the only reason I have it,” Pete said.
“I’m mechanically inclined, but I’m not so that I could build a car. I’m better at maintaining them,” he added.
Although the price of gas has kept them from attending as many car shows as they’d like, the couple said they enjoyed a few this summer.
“When we go to our shows, we don’t always get a prize,” Pete said.
On the other hand, they enjoy quite a following at the events. Young and old stop and share stories or ask questions about the car.
Sometimes people confuse the vehicle with a Ford because of the shape of its body and its art deco look.
“Most people think it’s a Ford or a Plymouth. Then they look at the lines,” Pete said.
Starting at the fenders, there’s a line that runs from the headlight down, over the hood and up over the top.
“Clear down the center there’s a rib and the same thing on the other side,” Pete said. “Now Ford didn’t have those. People see that and they think that’s pretty unique.”
Even when they don’t win an award, the attention they receive makes their day, the couple said.
“In your heart, when you have eight or 10 people stop by during the day and they just talk to you about the Nash, that’s a winner right there,” Pete said.
lucky1 wrote on Oct 11, 2008 8:52 PM:
Plato wrote on Oct 13, 2008 8:22 AM:
Even at that it's a nice looking car. I remember the Ford Pete had before, seeing at the Clatskanie July car show on occasion. "
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