A GDYNETS

PUBLICATION
2014, G. DAVID
YAROS. ALL
RIGHTS RESERVED.

Car Collector
Chronicles

Volume VII, Issue XI1

Exploring:

Ca

Car Collecting Today

High RPMs

Classic Rides

SAVED 62. made it home

Reports From the Field

Oldsmobile (1897-2004)
Cadillac (1902- )

on 10 Nov! She is now

tucked away for the winter,
anxiously awaiting the arrival
of spring.

While out on one of my daily

walks this bumper sticker recently caught my eye:

Allant (1987-1993)

Corvair (1960-1969)

WATCH OUT FOR

THE IDIOT BEHIND ME!

= Clickable Link

IN THIS ISSUE:
High RPMs

GDY Nets
On the Web

SAVED 62 Saga

Whitewall Tyres

For those so inclined, there

are a couple of very important
collector car related events
taking place in Milwaukee that
you might want to mark on
your 2015 calendar.
Milwaukee shall be the host
this summer for both the Cadillac-LaSalle Club and Oldsmobile
Club of America national meets.
The Cadillac folk will gather
June 2427.
The following
month the Olds people converge July 22 through 26. Both
meets shall be held on the
grounds of the Sheraton Milwaukee in Brookfield.

Food For Thought

CCC Forum
EMail:

OldsD88@gmail.com

More to come as these events

draw near. In the meantime,
block off your calendars and
book a room at the host hotel.
I hope to see, and shall be
looking for, you and your rides
at these meets!
December Automotive Milestones
2nd-1927: First Model A sold
7th-1931: Last Model A
made
-1950: Buick builds its sixmillionth car
8th-1861: William Durant
born, Boston, MA
9th-1963: Studebaker
ceases production
13th-1939: First Lincoln Continental produced
15th-1861: Chas Duryea
born, Canton, IL
17th-1791: NYC creates first
one-way street
20th-1868: Harvey Firestone
born, Columbia County, OH
-1892: Pneumatic tire patented
-1951: Sears, Roebuck &

Co. debuts Kaiser-built Allstate

22nd-1900: First "Mercedes"
delivered to Emil Jellinek
29th-1800: Charles Goodyear
born, New Haven, CT
30th-1936: UAW strikes at Fisher
Body

- A very Merry Xmas to all!

GDYNets on the Web

Find GDYNets on the web:

Tis The Season

December 2014

CCC -THE FORUM -A web

site to discuss the newsletter,
the hobby and our cars.
Car Collector Chronicles
Saved 62 -Our 1962 Olds
convertible, Ransom Eli Olds
and things Oldsmobile related
web site.
The Gray Lady -1955 Cadillac
Coup de Ville web site.

SAVED 62: A website devoted

to our 1962 Oldsmobile Dynamic 88 convertible. The site

also has a lot of information on
Oldsmobile cars and the company founder, Ransom Eli Olds.

THE GRAY LADY: This website features our 1955 Cadillac

Coup de Ville, lots of Caddy
information and an extensive
repair library.

DAVES DEN: -A site 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.

Car Collector Chronicles

Page 2

Saved 62 Saga

The power
feed on the
third brake
light began
smoking
heavily as the
insulation
melted while
the brake
pedal was
depressed.
Surprisingly, I
did not panic
or go berserk
at this turn of
events. I
knew the shop
would make
things right
.

48 days and $3,252.32 later, SAVED 62 is home! On Thursday, the 6th of November,
the shop called and said my car was ready. I hightailed it down to pick her up. There
she sat looking clean and pristine! However, on closer inspection I spotted a couple of
things I did not like.
There was a paint defect, in the form of two fish-eyes on the top of
the rear fender by the tail light. Fish-eye results from the metal surface bearing a contaminant which does not allow the paint to flow/
adhere evenly. Also, the body area behind the rear bumper wrap
around on left side looked gray or whitish.
I explained the fish-eye simply was not acceptable. A statement
that the paint defect would be corrected issued Immediately. As for
the whitish area behind the bumper, it was explained that it was polish/compound that
had not been thoroughly removed. I said it needed to be removed. I was assured it
would be.
SAVED 62 has a third
brake light, which is
mounted on the rear license
plate frame. I purchased
and installed the device myself, for added safety.
When I took the car in I explained that it would be necessary to be careful with the
license plate frame, as it
was hard-wired to the brake
light switch under the dash.
In other words, merely taking the license plate frame
off the back bumper would not result in it being removed from the car.
I go through this explanation for a reason. My final question at the initial inspection
was, Does the third brake light work? The answer I received was, There is no reason
why it shouldnt. An employee was directed to step on the brakes. Lo and behold not
only did the third brake light not work, neither did the right tail light. A bit of scurrying
around checking bulbs and fuses proved ineffectual. My third brake light wiring began
to be examined. A connection was bared to check continuity. The now bared wire lay
on the metal trunk pan. While so situated someone again stepped on the brake pedal.
The power feed on the third brake light began smoking heavily as the insulation melted
while the brake pedal was depressed!
Surprisingly, I did not panic or go berserk at this turn of events. I knew the shop
would make things right, eventually, no matter what it took. Instead, I said, do what you
have to do to get everything corrected and give me a call when the car is ready.
Another day of work righted things. The second come and get it call came the following Monday.
On the drive home I did notice a lot of rattles. Maybe they were so noticeable because it had been a long time since I had been behind the wheel? Whatever reason, I
definitely need to get underneath the car, inspect and tighten anything/everything I can.
As I was pulling SAVED 62 into her stall in the car barn I stalled the engine. Sure
enough, there was not enough juice left in the battery to restart the car. I had to have
the Mrs. bring her car along side and jump start the car to get it into the lift bay.
For now, SAVED 62 sits in the garage, with all four wheels on the ground. I need to put
her on the lift and cover her for the winter. To do that, I have to wait until the snow
clears! Yes, we have had our first snow here in SE Wisconsin, It is not a lot, but the
streets are covered.

Page 3

Car Collector Chronicles

Whitewall Tyres
Shortly after putting the November issue of CCC to bed I was out on my daily walk and
noticed a recent vintage Cadillac ATS sporting whitewall tires. On closer inspection it was
revealed that the tires in question were from Vogue. I have to admit the whitewalls
looked pretty good on this car. The reason they did is that the car was solid black, but for
a pin stripe running the length of the car. Also, the white wall itself could not have been
over 3/4s of an inch wide and was offset with the Vogue patented gold stripe.
Since the CCC November whitewall article was still fresh in my mind I decided to do a
little internet research on Vogue Tyre (that is the spelling used by the company).
My online research reveals that Vogue Tyre & Rubber Co. was the brain child of a
Chicago chauffeur named Harry Hower. Harry must have been a smooth talker, as he
was able to convince the Chicago Woodburys to finance his endeavor. In fact, Harry must
have been a really, and I do mean really, smooth talker. The evidence of this is that in
addition to tapping into the Woodbury family funds, he was able to convince Margaret
Woodbury to accept his hand in marriage!
In announcing his business creation in 1922, Harry stated that the tire he was manufacturing would be a cord, hand-built and considerably over-size designed so as to occupy a
place in the tire business reserved for custom-built motor cars.
It took five years for Harrys tire business to take off. In 1927, one Warren Dodson was
visiting Chicago from California. While in the Windy City he observed a set of Vogue
tires cruising down Michigan Av. The sight was so impressive to him that he took the time
and trouble to track down the manufacturer; Harry Hower. At the conclusion of this meeting Dodson left as the exclusive distributor of Vogue tires for 11 western states.
More importantly, as a result of this westward expansion Vogue tires became associated
with the cars owned by the Hollywood elite. One could not pay for this kind of publicity.
Ever since that time, Vogue Tyre clientele have been folk of wealth and stature who want
to parade their status, make a statement and present an unique appearance. The combination worked then, and it is still working 100 years after the first whitewall appeared on
the motoring scene.
Initially, Harry Howers whitewalls were made by his own company, the
Falls Rubber Co. As business boomed, in 1935 he contracted with
Kelly-Springfield to make his tires. Kelly-Springfield was acquired by
Goodyear Tire and Rubber, who continued to be Howers supplier
through 2012. When Goodyear closed its Tennessee plant, Vogue had
to seek out a new manufacturer. Like all things these days, Vogue tires
are not now American made. Today, the tires come from a Sailun Tire
plant in Qingdao, China.

Hower bailed from the company in 1942, after enduring the

economic hardship of the Great Depression and government
takeover of all natural rubber for the war effort. The same gent
who acquired the exclusive western state distribution rights in
1927, Warren Dodson, bought the company outright from Hower
for a mere $50K. Warren Dodson stayed active with the company until his death in 2011. His familys involvement with company continues on the board of directors.
Today, in addition to tires the company sells wheels, aftermarket grilles and trim kits.

Vogue tires
became
associated
with the cars
owned by the
Hollywood
elite.

Car Collector Chronicles

Tis The Season

Page 4;;

From all of us here at CCC to all of you, the best this Christmas and do have a safe and Happy New
Year!

Car Collector Chronicles

Page 5;;

Food For Thought

I do not know about you, but here in SE Wisconsin we have already experienced 10 straight days of
below freezing temperatures. Of course, our inconvenience is nothing in comparison to what the poor folk
of Western New York have been forced to endure. 8 foot of snow is difficult to comprehend, let alone to
have to actually experience. I remember full well our winter of 2013-14. I know not what the winter of
2014-15 will bring, but am expecting the worse. If it does not materialize I win by being wrong! That is
fine with me. At any rate, let me leave you this month with this thought:

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, if so inclined, like CCC on Facebook by going here
______________________________________

-- RESTORE 'EM, AND DRIVE 'EM!

COMING NEXT ISSUE:
TBD