You are on page 1of 5

A GDYNETS

PUBLICATION
2015, G. DAVID
YAROS. ALL
RIGHTS RESERVED.

Car Collector
Chronicles

Volume VIII, Issue 9

Exploring:

Ca

Car Collecting Today

High RPMs

Classic Rides
Reports From the Field
Oldsmobile (1897-2004)
Cadillac (1902- )
Allant (1987-1993)

Corvair (1960-1969)

= Clickable Link

IN THIS ISSUE:
High RPMs

GDY Nets
On the Web

Milwaukee: They
Have Come and
Gone

Keeping Up with the 2


Times

It appears that summer is


beginning its departure. Can
this be happening already?
Trees are turning, leaves are
falling. How can this be?
The month has been fairly
quiet around here. We did
take in the Milwaukee Masterpiece Concours. Kudos
to the ladies and gents for
bringing out their fine rides
despite the threatening
weather on concours day!
One of my current endeavors is to find a source
for reinforced rubber blanks
to fabricate a replacement
for the rubber piece used on
my Oldsmobile tailpipe
hanger.
In my minds eye I was
looking at using a piece of
old tire. While I am sure it
would work, I think I have
fund a supplier of the material I need in a size I can use,
and at a price I can afford. It

How Others View


Us Car Nuts
CCC Forum
EMail:

OldsD88@gmail.com

took a bit of effort, but my


continual searching online
appears to have finally paid
off. If you too are in need of
bulk rubber for your automotive projects check out
the folks at Rubber Sheet
Roll.
September Automotive Milestones
9/2/1959 Ford Falcon debuts
9/2/1893 Duryea builds/drive
first American automobile
9/4/1917 Henry Ford II born
9/4/1957 Edsel goes on sale
9/7/1954 Ford intros T-Bird
9/11/1911 Milwaukee Mile
Speedway opens
9/11/1970 Ford Pinto goes
on sale with MSRP below
$2K
9/13/1899 NYC site of first
U.S. auto fatality
9/15/2011 Last American
rear wheel drive auto produced (by Ford of Canada)
9/16/1908 GM formed by
Wm. Durant
9/17/1854 David Buick born;

Arbroath, Scotland
9/18/1886 Powel Crosley Jr. born;
Cincinnati, Ohio
9/19/1919 Buick founded
9/19/1937 Duesenberg closes
9/23/1969 Dodge Challenger debuts
9/26/1967 AMC's Javelin debuts

- Wash em, polish em


and drive em!

GDYNets on the Web


Find GDYNets on the web:

An Oldsmobile of
Note

September 2015

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

Milwaukee: They Have Come and Gone

[T]hreequarters of
what these
meets are
about is being
with like
minded folks.

CCC readers already know that Milwaukee hosted both the Cadillac and Oldsmobile
national meets this summer. They also know that yours truly attended both events and
was an active participant (greeter, parking attendant and show judge).
I have already remarked that as a daily commuter my perspective and level of enjoyment of these events differed significantly from that of folks traveling to Milwaukee and
staying at the host hotel. I still maintain the commuter misses out on a lot of just what
makes a national meet a memorable experience.
That having been said, permit me to comment on the two meets from my perspective.
Both were well worth all the time and effort required. I recommend that all old car buffs
take part in a national meet at least once. I recommend that you do so, even if you
choose not to have your car judged. After all, three-quarters of what these meets are
about is being with like minded folks.
Probably what surprised me the most about these meets was the difference between
Cadillac people and Oldsmobile folk. There is/was a readily discernable difference. It
is hard to describe, as it presents more as a feeling than anything else. Also, I am not
sure how much my own background contributed to what I felt? However, I do know that
my feelings were both shared and confirmed by others.
Cadillac people present themselves as being serious about their rides and the pride of ownership.
They focus on maintaining the status attached to
the Cadillac name. At a Cadillac national meet one
cannot help but get the feeling that this is indeed
serious business. This was most apparent from the
way outsider interest was handled. Onsite inquires
from non-Cadillac owners were responded to with
the statement, This meet is for Cadillac owners, if
you want to look we will let you.
Different strokes for different folks:
CAD PEOPLE
OLDS FOLK
Registration table open all day
Registration table kept limited hours
Tailgate Party
Welcoming Reception
- Beer & Brats
- Cocktails and Hors doeuvres
All/Anything Oldsmobile celebrated
Only non-modified Cadillac permitted
Most cars on display every day
Most cars trailered until judging day
Spectators welcomed
Spectators permitted
What I do know is that each meet had its own atmosphere, ambience, whatever term
you want to use to characterize it. That it did surprised me. Having experienced both, it
is hard not to be drawn to the merry men and women of Oldsmobile!

Keeping Up with the Times

This came to my attention and I initially thought it might have potential. CCInfo is a
smartphone app that permits people who have downloaded it to get info on your ride
while at a car show. It requires the car owner to add a special low-energy device to their
vehicle which broadcasts a sensing signal that is recognized by the mobile app.
you have had to have uploaded your car info to a master database.

For it to work

While at first blush this seemed like a neat idea, going to the retailers website revealed it is more commercially oriented than consumer focused. To get the transmitter,
database access and the mobile app costs $195 the first year, and then $60 a year going forward. The master database listing incorporates five advertising slots which I
could sell at whatever price I want. To whom I would sell them, I have no idea. Nor do
I have any interest in doing so.
What started out for me as a neat idea with potential ended up being a non-starter.

Car Collector Chronicles

Page 3

An Oldsmobile of Note

This baby showed up at the 2015 Milwaukee Masterpiece. A thing of beauty she is, no
doubt! The color combination is notable simply because it is not the usual white/red that
most seem to be. It is owned by Robert Cattelino from Jefferson, WI, has 50K on the
odometer and sports a wonder bar radio. She wears factory colors of Capri Blue over
Royal Marine. Here are more pics. Moreover, she can be yours for a mere $89,995!

She wears
factory colors
of Capri Blue
over Royal
Marine.
This car also appears to blow out of the water the previous assertions made to me at the
OCA Nats that there are only ten 1954 Oldsmobiles known to exist. I say that as the
owner/seller of this ride is also offering another 1954 for sale. That being so, I am able to
account for at least twenty 54s without too much effort or research. Over 354,000 were
made. How many still exist, I do not know. I shall continue to investigate.

How Others View Us Car Nuts

Ever wonder what others think of us car nuts/gear heads? One take on this recently
appeared on my computer. It struck my fancy. I present it to you in the hopes you too
shall be entertained by it:
What a Car Enthusiast Looks Like to Everyone Else
Ian Duer
11/14/13 5:20pm
I used to take it as a given that an interest in vehicles inherently made sense. People
were either into cars or they were not. I assumed that even someone who wasn't into cars
understood the fascination, even if they didn't share it. When I took the time to really look
at the world around me, I had a realization. I WAS WRONG.
To understand how a car enthusiast must look to anyone else, I needed an angle. I initially thought of using the perspective of a "car hating Millennial," which seems to be a
popular bogey-man. There were problems with this. For one, no one seems to agree on
what a Millennial actually is or if they really all hate cars. Secondly, I wasn't looking for an
antagonistic perspective. Instead, I decided to work from the mindset of someone who
views cars as another appliance, like a washing machine. Frightening.

Car Collector Chronicles

Page 4;;

How Others View Us Car NutsContd.


The other day, I was visiting Steve. I'd overheard him at work, talking to other wash-heads. I was mildly
curious about the hobby. I'd known some people who were into it, so I decided to bring up the subject.
Steve perked up immediately and asked if I wanted to see his laundry room. I can say this: my laundry
room is simply a place for my washing machine, his was something wholly other. All over the place were
posters of professional washers, and vintage metal signs advertising long gone brands of soap and fabric
softener. On the wall was a peg board with little silhouettes so that things like irons and detergent bottles
always went back in the right place. He also had a collection of tools, some of which were familiar and
some that I couldn't imagine the purpose of. In the corner were many boxes which seemed to be full of
vintage washing machine parts. Most shockingly, in contrast to my laundry room, he had not one but
FOUR washing machines.
"Why the
other three
when you
have that
one?"
I
was referring to the
newest of
the
four.
I'd
seen
ads for it
and I was pretty sure it could easily do anything the others could.
"Oh, that one. Never use it." He goes on to explain that his wife picked it out for when she has to wash
clothes. "Given the choice," he continues, "I'd have skipped the purchase, but she says mine are too complicated and touchy." He then motions proudly to the other three. "These are mine!"
I'm a bit confused by what I'm seeing. All three machines have all sorts of esoteric levers, switches and
gauges that seem outdated and out of place even on these machines. All of them are at least a few years
older than I'd expect someone "into" washing machines to care about. "Er. What does this lever do?" I'm
sort of embarrassed to ask, but how else will I learn anything.
"That one engages the linkage between the wash drum and the motor." The tone of voice he uses suggests I have asked a profoundly stupid question.
"Why do you want to do that? I'm pretty sure my does that on it's own." I'm sort of confused at this point.
He looks at me as if I've grown a second head. "Well I suppose if you've never tried it wouldn't make
sense. Let me tell you, once you get the hang of it you gain a fine control of the exact engagement point
that is far better and smoother than those automatic linkage systems. More efficient too."
"Wait just a second," I reply. "I'm pretty sure when I was purchasing my last machine the automatic drum
linkage was actually slightly more efficient than the manual version."
"Lies," he insists. "Those numbers only reflect the EPA tests. I've monitored my own usage quite carefully
and I always manage to exceed the estimate. Well, I suppose that's only when I'm not washing spiritedly,
but when I want to I can get better efficiency."
Over the course of this tour I find out that he has three machines because, he says, they all offer distinct
washing experiences. The newest, is what he calls his weekly-washer. It's a strange pale orange color. I
swear the last time that color was popular had to be at least a decade ago. Compared to the others it's
the most boring, but it's also the toughest and the most easily replaceable. Next comes the very loud
green unit. This is apparently the "fun" washer, it has a larger motor, upgraded stabilizers, and tons more
done to it. "Spins 20% faster than when it left the factory," he announces triumphantly. The last one, I
learn, doesn't work. He's restoring it and upgrading certain components along the way. I'm told that good
examples are too rare and too expensive but that he always wanted one.

Car Collector Chronicles

Page 5;;

How Others View Us Car NutsContd.

Apparently, all three washing machines have a bottom mounted drive attached to the wash drum, while
most modern washing machines (like his wife's) have a side mounted drive. I had thought side mounted
was better, even though I rarely consider it at all. He informs me that it was all clever advertising to hide the
fact that they were cheaper to manufacture that way. I then ask about models with dual drive that have
both bottom and side. Once again I am apparently wrong; Steve says those dual drive machines lack soul,
and detergent is far more important than extra driven parts.
Steve often washes clothes that are already clean because it helps him relax. I can kind of understand that.
Sometimes a load of towels is kind of meditative for me because it requires almost zero effort and lets my
mind wander. This, I am told, is not what he meant. For some reason he picks the most technical garments he can find to wash, because it requires full attention and really lets him test out the capabilities of
his machines.
I learn about washing machine shows. Steve apparently hates something called the "Pantz" movement.
These guys modify the stabilizers because it makes the machine look "cool" somehow. I'm told the result is
a machine that can only be operated on the gentle cycle. "These guys are ruining otherwise good machines," he says. Honestly I remember most of those models from high-school. I never thought they were
very impressive, but I don't tell him that.
At this point my brain is overflowing with technical jargon and details I once considered irrelevant. My head
is spinning faster than the drum in the strange olive green number which he fired up so I could see it in action. Now that I look at it, I notice it has had a bulge molded into the access panel to allow clearance for a
larger motor. The obnoxious whine it emits does nothing for me. It looks kind of silly. In short. I just don't
get it.
I resolve never to bring up the subject again to him. I may, however, ask him for advice next time I buy a
washing machine. I probably won't follow it.

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

You might also like