A GDYNETS PUBLICATION 2013, G. DAVID YAROS. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Car Collector Chronicles

Volume VI, Issue 1 Ca nicles January 2013

Exploring:
Car Collecting Today Classic Rides Reports From the Field Oldsmobile (1897-2004)

High RPMs
Change! I know I am getting old, as I find change of any kind frustrating. Yes, I admit it, I am set in my ways! This griping is a lead-in to reporting a change by scribd.com, the home of CCC. I guess it could not leave well enough alone? That it could not means there is a new link for CCC, as well as a new listing display format. I hope you do not find it too confusing. You will now find CCC online at http://www.scribd.com/ D_Yaros. Permit me to note that I have uploaded the CCC Annual Index for 2012 to the scribd web site. I do have a couple of items of interest to report this month. SAVED 62 made it into the All Oldsmobile 2013 Calendar. We are found in the month of July. Yours truly also had some remarks published in the Backfire (Letters to the Editor) column of the Jan 2013 issue, p. 10, of Hemmings Motor News. I just learned a few days ago that the lead additive I use, note that I said additive, not substitute, is back on the market. It has been unavailable for well over a year. Luckily, I buy in bulk, so I did not run out during this hiatus. For those with an interest, the product is called Octane Supreme. It may be ordered online here. Be forewarned, it aint cheap folks!, As I am sure most of you know, I am an avid admirer of both Olds and Cadillac. That I am caused me to notice this ad on the net: 2001 Aurora. Pearl
white, tinted windows, no rust or dents, new tires, brand new battery, clean interior, heated seat, leather, wood grain, moon roof, power everything, aftermarket alarm system, kill switch, floor shifter, 3.5 v6. Car does need some work (tune up, front passenger side strut). Heat and ac work. Call 313-817-****. Someone just tried to steal the Cadillac converter, so call me with best offer. The car still runs and drives great. Its just loud now.

Cadillac (1902- ) Allant (1987-1993) Corvair (1960-1969)

IN THIS ISSUE:

High RPMs

GDYNets On the Web Reality TV Car Shows The Last Time I Saw ... In the Year 19 and 62 (Ads/Events)

I guess one can get a little loud when bragging to all who will listen about their exploits in converting a Cadillac into an Oldsmobile? I presume that option is no longer working on this particular Olds? Query: Did GM task Cadillac dealers to perform the repairs to Cadillac converters after it pulled the plug on Olds?

GDYNets on the Web

Find GDYNets on the web:

SAVED 62: A website devoted

CCC -THE FORUM http://ccc.activeboard.com Car Collector Chronicles-scribd Saved 62 - 1962 Olds web site http://www.freewebs.com/ jeandaveyaros The Gray Lady - 1955 Cadillac Coup de Ville web site

to our 1962 Oldsmobile Dynamic 88 convertible. The site also has a lot of information on Oldsmobiles and its founder, Ransom Eli Olds.

CCC Forum EMail:

OldsD88@gmail.com

THE GRAY LADY: This website features our 1955 Cadillac Coup de Ville and Caddy information.

DAVES DEN: A website devoted to a myriad of interests. Foremost is extensive information on the Steel City of Gary, IN. There are also offerings on steel making, U.S. Steel-Gary Works, U.S. Marine Corps, M14 assault rifle, of course Oldsmobile, and the tragic story of the murder of Gary, IN Police Lt. George Yaros.

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Fire Consumes 20 Antique Lincolns

From the NW Indiana Times, by Reporter Stan Maddux, 10 Dec 2012 Investigators on Monday were trying to determine the cause of a fire that destroyed a pole barn and nearly two dozen antique Lincoln vehicles inside the metal structure outside LaPorte, IN. Just after midnight Saturday, firefighters responded to the 4800 block of North 100 West. The property owner, Kenneth Coates, told investigators he was getting ready for bed when he looked out and saw an orange glow. The 120-by-60-foot metal structure with a concrete floor was quickly engulfed in flames. Despite no gas or electric running to the building, LaPorte County Sheriff's Department fire investigator Mike Raymer said no assumptions of foul play can be made and there's nothing to indicate right now the fire was intentionally set. Coates said 21 classic vehicles, mostly Lincolns, as old as the 1950s were destroyed. His late father started the collection but Coates said he began adding to it in the 1970s, when he bought his first Lincoln in high school and kept driving it while in college.

Do you disconnect the battery in your ride as part of your winter storage prep?

Coates told officials he did not have insurance on the vehicles, but did have coverage on the building. He estimated the loss at $150,000 to $200,000 on the cars alone. I never would have imagined that building catching fire. It's just the way it goes, Coates said. [Ed.: Mr. Coates seems pretty nonchalant about the whole affair?] I have seen no follow-up report as to the cause of the fire. If, as reported, there was no electric service to the building, the fault could not be a faulty battery charger. I suppose a short in the wiring of one of the cars could be the culprit? Barring that, one has to wonder. Having no insurance on the cars, liquidating his collection via insurance fraud is not available as a motive. This incident makes me wonder about my own practices. Do you disconnect the battery in your ride as part of your winter storage prep? I dont. Not only do I not disconnect the batteries, I have each of them hooked up to a Battery Tender Plus charging device.

Reader Feedback
Steve S: I've seen all those TV shows. I look at them for the entertainment value and most are funny. None are accurate or perform even what I'd call decent restorations. I do enjoy Wheeler Dealers, again not that they are doing restorations but doing practical things to get a car safely back on the road. Yup, Desert Car Kings is the worst! Lipstick on a pig. Junk cars with questionable fixes. David L: Just read CCC, another excellent edition. Youre right about TV car shows displaying more glitz than detail. I suppose thats necessary to attract ratings? It would be nice to see them go into a bit more than just surface talk. As far as butchering rare classic cars goes, I couldnt agree more with you. Its a travesty to see the original style destroyed through someones over-zealous imagination. Theyre not making these beauties anymore and the supply is finite. Would be refreshing to see some young blood get involved in the classic car scene.

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Follow-up to Coverage From Last Month

This first item deals with whether the tv car shows are staged/scripted. It comes to us from the show Counting Cars, featuring the antics of Danny "The Count" Koker If you can

make yourself available in the Las Vegas area, send us a detailed description of the vehicle you would like to sell or of the custom project you've always dreamed of buying. Email countingcarscasting@leftfieldpictures.com now. You are sending an email to Leftfield Pictures, the producers of Counting Cars. You will be contacted only if they are interested in your project idea or vehicle. The next epitomizes what having a bad hair day is all about Wife Gets Husbands Beloved Classic Car On Wrong Auto Restoration TV Show, By Larry Appleby Sally G thought she was doing a great thing. And really, she was. While her heart was in the right place, her husband Eds 70 Boss 302 ended up in a very wrong place. Sallys husband owned his grabber orange Mustang since his father died in 1994. Ed has kept the car in climate controlled storage until he could restore it the way it deserves to be restored. Sally, knowing how much Ed loved the car, thought she would help out by applying to several of the auto restoration television shows shes come across. Much to her surprise and joy, she was selected by MTVs Pimp My Ride. Pimp My Ride host, rapper and auto enthusiast Xzibit, showed up personally to take the selected ride to Galpin Auto Sports for restoration and customizing. This is where things went awry for Ed and his cherished muscle car. The Pimp My Ride modus operandi is to customize each car to fit the personality of its owner, usually by outfitting the car with items that match the owners hobbies or interests. On the application Sally filled out for the show, she listed Eds interests as eating, sleeping and listening to classic rock. When Ed and Sally were brought in to see the newly restored Mustang, Ed was shocked to see the car now had a gas stove where the passenger seat was, a bed (complete with bed posts) where the trunk and back seat once were and a sound system that allows people as far away as Sintown to hear Ed playing his old Boston CDs. Ed tried to remain calm and put on a good face for the camera, and more importantly, for Sally. But the eyes do not lie. Oh my God, Im about to be sick, was Eds first response. I know, dude, said Xzibit, this car is sick! Ed walked to the back of the garage. No, no. Im about to vomit. You trashed my car. Even before he spoke, Sally knew immediately Ed was disappointed at best, and on the verge of catastrophic violence at worst. But he held it together until the taping was over. After the taping, Ed was still beside himself. I cant believe they did that to my car. I mean, didnt someone at the shop, or one of the producers, know what they were dealing with? Its one thing to put a smoothie machine in a 92 Sunbird or a hair salon in a 95 Astro Van, but this is a real classic. This car I just dont get how no one stopped to think while they were, say, fabricating miniature bed posts or installing a grease hood for a Boss 302. It just doesnt make sense. Ed believes the work done to the car, while of the finest craftsmanship, has actually lessened its value. The car as was could have netted a hefty sum. And if you watch the Barrett-Jackson auctions, the Boss 429s and concourse restored 302s have been getting six figures. Now? Its worth about the price of that Coleman stove and Sealy mattress that now make up my interior.

Sally, knowing how much Ed loved the car, thought she would help out by applying to several of the auto restoration television shows shes come across.

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Rare/Unique/Interesting Rides
As I peruse the net, I come across a lot of stuff; some of it interesting, and some not so much so. This column, from time-to-time, starting now, shall share some of my findings. The AACA Forum of late has been discussing Really Cool Cars. One such ride is the 1953 Pontiac Parisienne. This is a Pontiac concept car. It did escape the crusher, and still exists today. Here is what she looks like A bubble top for the driver was contemplated, but never made. Believe it or not, the interior is pink! Hopefully, it is a muted, tasteful hue of pink? Note the stripes on the hood. They did make it into production on the 1955 model year Pontiacs. Also, the Parisienne name became a Pontiac model name in Canada.

My next offering comes from Cadillac, sort of. It is a 1931 tow truck! You can bet that Cadillac did not manufacture it. The front-end is all Cad; the front fenders coming from a 33. The bed and rear fenders were fabricated by the builder or scavenged from other vehicles. It is a mighty sharp looking tow truck, which brought about a bit of panache to the denigrating plight of being dead on the side of the road. Plus, one must imagine the tow truck driver enjoyed being behind the wheel?

There are plenty more, and as the months go by I shall bring them to the pages of CCC.

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What is it?

A Buick ventiport key; circa 1950.

Oldsmobile Rocket Fuel!

Ok, Ive had my say for the month. Now its your turn! I invite/encourage submission of your comments, opinions and article contributions. I also ask that you please help spread the word about our publication. Everything sent shall indeed be reviewed by me. Submissions should be sent to CCC at OldsD88@gmail.com. Now that you have finished reading this months issue of the newsletter, come start/ join an ongoing dialog with other CCC readers and like-minded car collector folk on the CCC Forum. Stop by, check us out and share your views . ______________________________________

-- RESTORE 'EM, AND DRIVE 'EM!

COMING NEXT ISSUE:

TBD