A GDYNETS®
PUBLICATION
© 2010, G. DAVID
Car Collector
Chronicles
YAROS. ALL
RIGHTS RESERVED.
Volume III, Issue 9 Car Collector Chronicles
Exploring:
 Car Collecting Today
 Classic Rides It is the first day of June, and
here I am working on the
 Reports From the Field
September issue of CCC®. It is
 Oldsmobile (1897-2004) hard to write something about
summer winding down, when it
 Cadillac (1902- ) has only just begun! It makes
you wonder how pubs with a 4
 Allanté (1987-1993)
to 6 month lead time do it?
 Corvair (1960-1969) I can report, summer has
been a busy time in the car
barn. The Gray Lady, at long
last, is “road worthy.” It took a
while, given that the ride arrived
in the car barn in March of ‘09!
I did discover the source of
her gas tank leak. It is leaking
IN THIS ISSUE: from the tank sending unit gas-
ket. The screws holding the
sending unit to the tank were
not very tight. They are now,
Car Barn Activity 1 and I am waiting to see if the
seepage has been stemmed at
the source.
GDYNets 1 Fasteners not being tight
On the Web seems to be a common phe-
nomenon with The Gray Lady. I
found the same circumstance
GM Marketing 3
GDYNets on the Web
Put a Shine on 3
That Baby!
WHERE YOU WILL FIND
GDYNets (me) on the WWW:
Name It! 5 ests.
Dave’s Den -
http://GDYNets.WEBNG.com
Saved 62 -
Coming Next 5 http://www.freewebs.com/
Issue jeandaveyaros
The Gray Lady - 55 Cad de Ville
Car Collector Chronicles -
EMAIL:
OldsD88@gmail.com
®
September 2010
Car Barn Activity
when I did the carb rebuild back
in May (discussed in detail in the
August issue). Also, when I
recently checked the screws on
the fuel pump, they too re-
quired tightening.
“Loose screws” remind me of
a favorite pronouncement of my
late father. If you went to dad
and said there is a problem with
the car, he would respond,
“You know what the problem
is? There is a loose connection
between the seat and the steer-
ing wheel!” Good ol’ Dad!
The top storage cover on the
Allanté, when raised, is held in
place by gas support pistons,
not unlike those seen on hoods
or trunks. Well, the ones on Jean drove Auntie Pearl down to
Auntie Pearl lost their holding Indy over the Memorial Day week-
power. I was able to get to- end. On the way back the car lost
gether with another Allanté the power steering. Let me tell you,
owner and replace the pistons she is not easy to handle without
on both of our cars. The task power steering. It was all I could do
was not particularly difficult, but
to turn the wheel to get her into the
it did take all four of our hands.
Continued–P. 2
It pays to belong to a car club!
DAVE’S DEN: A website SAVED 62: A website devoted
devoted to a myriad of inter- to our 1962 Oldsmobile Dy-
Foremost is extensive namic 88 convertible. The site
also has a lot of information on
information on the “Steel City”
of Gary, IN. There are also Oldsmobiles and its founder,
offerings on steel making, U.S. Ransom Eli Olds.
Steel-Gary Works, U.S. Marine THE GRAY LADY: This web-
Corps, M14 assault rifle, of
site features our 1955 Cadillac
course Oldsmobile, and the
Coupé de Ville and Caddy infor-
tragic story of the murder of
mation.
Gary, IN Police Lt. Geo. Yaros.
Car Collector Chronicles Page 2

CAR BARN ACTIVITY—Continued

car barn for a closer look! Inspection revealed the pump was bone
dry. Yet, there are no visible signs of blown hoses, or leakage? I
have refilled the pump and am now closely monitoring this situation. I
have been told to check the struts. Can one say “pump rebuild?”

This summer saw the installation of new door panels on SAVED 62.
On seeing them Jean said, “They do look good!” My response was
“… [T]he one of, “For what they cost, they better!” As I have said before, SMS
absence of Fabrics did a bang up job. If I have any complaint, it is that the exte-
rior finish material was not cut out for the window regulators, door
pre-drilled handle and armrest. That was easily rectified without incident. Of
holes for the more concern, and difficulty, was the absence of pre-drilled holes for
the trim screws, located along the bottom edge of the door panel. It
trim screws, takes a bit of patience and precise measuring to drill the holes in the
[at] … the right spot the first time, as there are no second chances!
bottom of the Last summer, when I actually had an occasion to drive SAVED 62
door panel ... after sundown, I became painfully aware of how poor the lighting was
on the car. I mean, I had to light a match to determine if the head-
[requires] a bit lights were on! Not literally of course, but figuratively speaking. I did
of patience in fact have to exit the vehicle and walk around to the front of the car
to see if the lights were working. To my chagrin, they were!
and precise
measuring to SAVED 62 was running the Guide™ T3 headlamps installed by the
factory in 1962. I am here to tell you, after two score years, plus, of
drill the holes operation they do not light up the road as they were originally de-
in the right signed to do, or may have done once upon a time. In fact, continued
use of these headlights was deemed by me to be outright dangerous.
spot the first
time … .” New headlamps are now in place. They are new ’62 era T3 head-
lamps. The “‘62 era” thing is of import to folks with a passion for au-
thenticity. The Guide Division of GM used several T3 headlamp de-
signs over the years, starting in 1956. The differences were purely
cosmetic, consisting mainly of the placement of markings on the outer
glass. This is the very kind of thing judges, who will mark you down
because you have radial tires on an originally bias ply equipped car,
look for to impose point deductions.

For a textual and photographic presentation on the T3 variations

over the years, check out the Lectric Limited web site. Lectric Limited
is the supplier from whom I acquired my replacement T3 lamps. Now,
I no longer have to put pedal-to-metal to avoid being out on the road
after dark; or worse, have a cop catch me out on the road after dark!
Car Collector Chronicles Page 3

GM MARKETING

Over the years Cadillac has had some memorable advertising slo-
gans, such as “Standard of the World”. Not too long ago, I was sub-
jected to a banner ad on the net for Cadillac. This ad proclaimed,
“Not Your Daddy’s Caddy Anymore!”

It immediately raised a question in my mind of how dumb can the

execs at GM really be? These guys are just out of bankruptcy, right?
So what does the new GM do, but start bad-mouthing their prior suc-
cesses? That sure does not sound like a shrewd business move to
me?

Obviously, the folks at Cadillac Division lack the innate inability to

learn from the mistakes of their sister divisions. That they cannot is
the reason history is able to repeat itself. Some of you may recall
that in its waning years (1988 -The year universally recognized as
the beginning of the end) Oldsmobile used the slogan, “This is not
your father’s Oldsmobile!” We know the result of that ad campaign,
don’t we? Then again, this is the same corporation that recently is-
sued a memo saying stop referring to Chevrolet as Chevy! They “Not your
backtracked on that one pretty quick.
Daddy’s
The denial of one’s roots, whether it be by an individual or a corpo- Caddy
ration, is never a good thing. One cannot escape their past, nor
should they want to. Especially is this so where one’s roots contrib- anymore!”
uted to a history that helped make Cadillac the premiere American
automaker, as well as one of the world’s top marques. Pray tell,
what are these guys thinking? As for the individual who sold Cadillac
on this campaign, I wonder how many times s/he has sold the Brook-
lyn Bridge?

PUT A SHINE ON THAT BABY!

In the January, 2009 issue I made mention of the fact that I had ac-
quired a Porter-Cable™ 7424 random-orbital buffer. Its use is for
waxing the car. What? Why not just grab any old can of wax, a
bunch of rags, and have at it? Ah, that life would be so simple.

In the ol’ days, when one wanted to get exotic with waxing a car,
they bought and used the ultimate, Blue Coral™. Is it even available
anymore? My recollection is that it came in two containers. One had
a blue liquid (cleaner/polisher) and the other a powder (sealer). It
entailed a 3-step process: wash, clean/polish and seal.

All this is by way of lead-in to present my experience after two sea-

Car Collector Chronicles Page 4;;

sons, of detailing the exterior finishes on my cars with the Porter-Cable™ buffer. The
first thing one may notice is, I said “detailing the exterior finish,” instead of waxing my
car. Believe me, there is a reason.

Now days, one almost needs a degree in chemical engineering to properly shine their
car. There are so many different products that one may use today, all having different
functions. Additionally, the item(s) used to apply them have their own unique character-
istics that one should appreciate before starting.

Let’s start at the beginning. The first thing to do is wash the car. Sounds simple
enough, right? In may ways, it is. The only point I would make is don’t waste your time
and money using any soap product that says it will, in addition to cleaning the surface,
give your car a shine. This is because whatever shine it may impart is only going to
have to be removed as you progress with the exterior detailing process.

Now that you have you car washed, what is next? Wash it again! Why? With the
first wash you have only hit the high spots, and moved the dirt around. The 2nd wash en-
sures that hard to remove, and overlooked, grime does not remain to mar the rest of
your work. With the car thoroughly washed the next step is claying the car.

I must admit that claying a car was a new concept to me. I did not understand what it
did, or how. Nor is what it does readily discernible to the naked eye. I subsequently
learned that claying removes pollution deposits, oxidants and contaminants that attach
to the finish, making it difficult to clean and polish the paint. To clay a car one uses a
clay bar, readily available at any auto parts store. It actually looks like, and has the tex-
ture of silly putty. Remember that? Shape the bar into a form convenient for you to use.
Have at the ready a spray bottle filled with warm water and no more than a smidgen of
plain, simple, unadulterated, liquid hand soap. Spray a small area and begin running the
clay bar in strokes over it. When you do so, you may notice the bar picking up minute
flecks of contaminants. Knead the bar when you want a clean working surface. As you
progress, you will notice the drag on the clay bar lessening. When done properly, the
car surface will actually become very slippery. It will also begin, minimally, to look better.

Finally, after all this, you are ready to begin applying chemicals. The first is a paint
cleaner. This chemical removes swirls in the paint, fine scratches and other imperfec-
tions. It does not put a shine on the car. To apply it a medium-coarse buffing pad is
used. You can tell which one is medium-coarse by the color. In my case, that color is
yellow. Place the liquid on the pad and smear it over the working area, without having
the buffer running. Use the buffer at a medium speed, and keep it flat on the surface.
Run the buffer over the working area in opposite directions, working the chemical into
the paint. Do not let it dry. Once you observe the resulting haze is diminishing, it is time
to remove it. To do so, place a microfiber bonnet over a dry pad and buff the area clean.
Again, here you will notice some improvement in appearance, but it is far from what you
are seeking, and will have when the whole job is completed.

Now that the paint is clean, it is ready to be glazed, or polished. What glazing does is
fill in any uneven surface areas, as well as make the paint pop. Use a fine, for me white
colored, pad for this step. You will definitely notice a difference now. Your paint will now
exhibit depth, luster and sheen, which is what all this hard work has been about.
Car Collector Chronicles Page 5;

The choice of a sealer, like all the other chemicals, is myriad. (I have found the Meguiar’s™ line
of products perform admirably.) You want a product that does one thing, and one thing only, seals
the surface. You do not need one that cleans, polishes or waxes. You have already done that!
For this step, I use an ultra-fine, black colored pad. On this stage, less works better than more.
What you need to know is, a quality sealer takes time to harden, before it can protect the surface.
How much time? It depends on the temp, but 24 to 48 hours is not unusual. During this hardening
time the finish is most vulnerable. So, avoid touching it, or exposing it to the elements. Let the
sealer cure. When it has, you are protected for 6 months to a year. Sit back and admire a job well
done. You have earned that right!

In my case, I am continually amazed with the end result. One of our cars, the Olds, is black. I am
telling you that one would have no problem at all using its hood as a shaving mirror! It is a thing of
beauty, a sight to behold, and well worth the couple of days of work required to “detail the exterior”
in 6 easy (?) steps: 1-Wash, 2-Wash, 3-Clay, 4-Clean Paint, 5-Glaze Paint and 6-Seal Paint.

NAME IT!

Here is a brain teaser, or two, for you. Left,

you will find pictures of a couple of common
items. The first person to contact me with
the correct ID of each wins the prize! What
prize, you ask? It is to see your name in
print on the pages of CCC®! Submit your an-
swers to me via email, here.

Item #1 Item #2

A word of caution — As to Item #1, we are looking for the correct name/nomenclature for this part.
Don’t tell me where it goes, what it does or its function. What it is called is the answer being
sought. Here is a hint: It is part of the door hardware.

Item #2 is a tool, not a part. What it is, what it is used for, or the name is an acceptable answer.

Ok, I have had my say for this month. Now it is your turn! I invite/encourage submission of your
comments, opinions and contributions, and ask that you help spread the word about our pub. Eve-
rything sent shall indeed be reviewed by me. Submissions should be sent to CCC® at:
OldsD88@gmail.com. Do feel free to rattle my tree … .

_______________________________________
-- RESTORE 'EM, AND DRIVE 'EM!

COMING NEXT ISSUE:

 High RPM’s
 For Want of a Nail—Fin