A GDYNETS® PUBLICATION © 2016, G. DAVID YAROS. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
Car Collector Chronicles ®
Volume IX, Issue 3
Exploring:
Ca
Car Collecting Today
High RPMs
Classic Rides Reports From the Field Oldsmobile (1897-2004) Cadillac (1902- ) Allanté (1987-1993)
Corvair (1960-1969)
◄ = Clickable Link
IN THIS ISSUE: High RPMs
1
Dissecting the Desert Doings
2
Muscle Cars
3
Olds Oddities
4
Late February in SE WI means it is cold, and with no snow on the ground the environs are dirty and depressing. There is little to do here but wait and hope for the arrival of spring. My recent trolling on the net brought home to me the realization that a similar mindset is not shared by all car owners. Far from it. My daily driver is a truck, a 2002 Ford F-250 Super Duty V-10. On the Ford Truck Enthusiasts Forum ◄ I ran across this: My truck (2014
system instituted 04-1902 AAA organized 05-1929 David D. Buick died 06-1896 Chas. B. King 1st to drive a car in the Motor City 08-1969 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am introduced 09-1901 Fire destroys Olds Motor Works factory in Detroit 11-2009 Toyota sells one millionth hybrid car in US. 12-1831 Clement Studebaker born 16-1958 Ford produces 50,000,000th car 18-1947 Wm. C. Durant, founder of GM, died 18-1858 Rudolf Diesel born, Paris, France F250/6.2L Super Duty) sits 18-1927 Sir Henry Seagrave because I bought a 2003 Cadil- breaks 200-mph barrier lac to beat around in for winter. 18-1933 Studebaker goes This saves miles and salt expo- into receivership sure on a truck that I've got 19-1952 -Kelvinator and some years of payments left on. Only a truck owner would HudsonOne millionth Jeep produced view an ‘03 Cad as a winter 19-2005 John DeLorean died beater vehicle! 20-1928 Jas. Ward Packard March Automotive Milestones died 02-1925 US Hwy numbering 24-1954 Nash merge
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CCC® Forum EMail:
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OldsD88@gmail.com ◄
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25-1920 Walter P. Chrysler quits his job at GM. 26-1932 Henry Martyn Leland died 30-1947 Tucker announced concept for a new automobile 31-1932 Ford unveiled its "V-8" engine
- How long until spring? -
GDYNets® on the Web Find GDYNets on the web:
The “Green Thing”
March 2016
s
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 Coupé 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 Coupé de Ville, lots of Caddy information and an extensive repair library.
DAVE’S 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
Dissecting the Desert Doings
“Although it may not seem to be so, the Arizona happenings are impacted by, and do mimic, somewhat, the goings on in the real world.�
The 2016 Arizona extravaganzas have concluded. I must acknowledge that I did not follow every minute of every auction, as I have been known to do in past years. What I watched seemed more like a minute of auction sales wedged between 5 minutes of commercials. I have to wonder whether Barrett-Jackson gets a cut from the advertising revenue? I suspect it does. All the advertising mandates that the coverage be viewed on a delayed basis. Doing so permits one to fast forward through the ads. Trust me when I say that is the only way to go! An item of interest with respect to this annual exercise in pretentious pomposity is the impact of the current economy on the events. Does the state of the economy have any bearing at all on the decisions made by buyers and sellers in the desert? Although it may not seem to be so, the Arizona happenings are impacted by, and do mimic, somewhat, the goings on in the real world. Witness the fact that notwithstanding more cars crossing the block in 2016 than 2015, total sales were down a whopping 40 million dollars! The depressed sales contributed to the average car sales price being reduced by $15K or 13%. Of all the auction houses operating in Arizona every winter, only two were able to better their sales figures over those attained in 2015. They were Russo & Steele and Silver Auctions. In 2015 the Arizona auctioneers managed to get 34 individuals to pony up a million or more for a single ride. This year they could only coax 25 persons to reduce their liquid holdings by six figures. Hey, when times are tough, we all have to sacrifice! Of those willing to shell out the bucks, one RM Sotheby buyer coughed up a mere $9.9 Million for a 1937 Mercedes-Benz 540K Special Roadster At the opposite end of the spectrum, Silver Auctions hammered a 1999 Cadillac Eldorado at all of $600 when it reached the block! I cannot help but wonder if the buyer just so happened to be a Ford truck owner looking for a winter beater? The consensus of opinion seems to be that astronomical auction prices paid in recent years have brought more sellers into the market, looking to cash in while the iron is hot. This surge has yielded an oversupply of cars. The oversupply, combined with the fact the cars now coming to market are less than top tier has resulted in lower prices. That should be good news for you and me, right? Being a former Cadillac owner, here is a sale that caught my eye. I would also note that at a mere $1,430,000, comparatively speaking, it was a veritable bargain: a 1953 Cadillac Series 62 Coupe by Ghia. Even though I deride the desert doings, I cannot deny that it would be fun to be present and take in the happenings, albeit as a spectator. I am certain it would be a fun (in the sun) time!
Car Collector Chronicles
Page 3
Muscle Cars My intent here is not to define the term, or to argue which car was the first muscle machine. In that regard we all know that the 1949 Oldsmobile Rocket V8 holds that distinction. Right? Case closed! Rather, this article shall make note of some interesting aspects pertaining to muscle cars. Muscle car popularity increased significantly precisely because baby boomers financially positioned themselves to acquire the rides they coveted in their youth. While they could only dream of owning one of these cars in the 1960’s, in the 21st century they possessed the wherewithal to actually acquire them. Folks who worked hard all their lives made the conscious choice to turn their dreams into reality. That desire translated into demand. Demand drove the prices up, up and up. Consequently, it was not at all unusual to see what may only be characterized as ridiculous prices being paid by willing buyers for muscle iron. Moreover, at the time doing so did not seem particularly foolish dollar wise. Especially when one compared continually rising muscle car prices to returns obtainable in the poor performing stock market. That same poor performing market has contributed to stagnation in the current muscle car market. Boomers need funds going forward to keep a roof over their head and food on the table during the next 25-to-30 years of retirement. They cannot live in, or nourish themselves on, their muscle cars. So what do they do? As they age, more and more boomers convert their collections into readily available funds to use for other purposes. While there is still a pool of boomers willing to buy, the numbers are on the decline. It does not take an economic genius to figure out the consequence of reduced buyer numbers and more muscle on the market. At present prices are holding their own. Soon they shall begin to turn downward. When the baby boomer generation has passed on, it is not likely that the Gen X’ers or Millennials will develop a passion for muscle era cars such that they shall be willing to spend their money for the privilege of parking a 409 in their garage. What spurred this train of thought was info I stumbled upon about the Muscle Car Museum ◄ in Sevierville, TN. Sevierville is the gateway to the Smoky Mountains and all the surrounding tourist attractions. The museum promotes itself as the home of the muscle car collector Floyd Garrett, displaying over 90 cars. One of those cars is a 1962 409 Chevrolet. Another is a very early Hemi-powered Dodge. Of note is a 1962 C1 Z06 Corvette on loan to the museum from Tom McNeal of North Carolina. What makes this particular Vette stand out in the crowd is that its 327 c.i, fuel injected engine has never, ever been fired up ◄. The backstory is that the car was shipped to the purchaser unassembled. The drive train was to be installed by the owner, who was a racer. That never happened. It was the second owner who put all the pieces together. When he did, he ended up owning a “brand spanking new, used car.” I do have to ask myself why anyone would have a car that has never been run? Having asked the question, I must also acknowledge that I do not have the answer. Back to the theme of this article: The life cycle of the muscle car museum parallels that of the muscle car market. Floyd Garrett reached the point and age in 2010 where he wanted to liquidate his muscle cars and sell the museum. While the museum may display 90 + cars, Floyd has managed to reduced his personal holdings to as few as 10 cars. Whether or not he has been successful in selling either the balance of his collection and/or the museum, I have not been able to ascertain. The museum is still open. Floyd Garrett is still affiliated with it. All indications are that he has yet to find a buyer. That he has not tells me the muscle car market has peaked.
“[B]aby boomers financially positioned themselves to acquire the rides they coveted in their youth.”
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Car Collector Chronicles
Olds Oddities I come across more than a few automobile photos while trolling the net. If they happen to strike my fancy I save them for possible later use. Being an Oldsmobile admirer, a lot of the pics I save are of Olds cars. I thought this issue would be a good time to present some photos of Oldsmobile vehicles that are, shall we say, a bit odd. These cars never rolled of an Olds assembly line. They are all the product of the imaginations of the owners. Some are quite intriguing, while others are just ‌? Here we go: Whatever floats your boat?
Have to admit, these Shriners have taste! -
Anyone besides me notice something wrong here?
Liftoff, we have liftoff ―
A camping we shall go!
Car Collector Chronicles
Page 5;;
The “Green Thing”, by Debbie Donivan ◄
Checking out at the store, the young cashier suggested to the elderly lady that she should bring her own grocery bags, because plastic bags are not good for the environment. The woman apologized to the young girl and explained, "We didn't have this 'green thing' back in my day." The young clerk responded, "That's our problem today. Your generation did not care enough to save our environment for future generations." The older lady said that she was right -- our generation didn't have the "green thing" in its day. The older lady went on to explain ― Back then, we returned milk bottles, soda bottles and beer bottles to the store. The store sent them back to the plant to be washed and sterilized and refilled, so it could use the same bottles over and over. So they really were recycled. But we didn't have the "green thing" back in our day. Grocery stores bagged our groceries in brown paper bags that we reused for numerous things. Most memorable besides household garbage bags was the use of brown paper bags as book covers for our school books. This ensured that public property (text books provided for our use by the school) was not defaced by our scribblings. Then we were able to personalize our books on the brown paper bags. But, too bad we didn't do the "green thing" back then. We walked up stairs because we didn't have an escalator in every store and office building. We walked to the grocery store and didn't climb into a 300 h.p. machine every time we had to go two blocks. We didn't have the "green thing" in our day. Back then we washed baby diapers because we didn't have the throw away kind. We dried clothes on a line, not in an energy-gobbling machine burning up 220 volts. Wind and solar power really did dry our clothes back in our early days. Kids got hand-me-down clothes from their brothers or sisters, not always brand-new clothing. But your are right young lady, we didn't have the "green thing" back in our day. Back then we had one TV, or radio, in the house -- not a TV in every room. And the TV had a small screen the size of a handkerchief (remember them?), not a screen the size of the state of Montana. In the kitchen we blended and stirred by hand because we didn't have electric machines to do everything for us. When we packaged a fragile item to send in the mail, we used wadded up old newspapers to cushion it, not Styrofoam or plastic bubble wrap. Back then, we didn't fire up an engine and burn gasoline just to cut the lawn. We used a push mower that ran on human power. We exercised by working so we didn't need to go to a health club to run on treadmills that operate on electricity. But you’re right; we didn't have the "green thing" back then. We drank from a fountain when we were thirsty instead of instead of grabbing a plastic bottle of water every time we wanted a drink. We refilled writing pens with ink instead of buying a new pen, and we replaced the razor blade in a razor instead of throwing away the whole razor just because the blade got dull. But we didn't have the "green thing" back then. Back then people took the streetcar or a bus, and kids rode their bikes to school or walked instead of turning their moms into a 24-hour taxi service in the family's $45,000 SUV, van or car. A vehicle that costs what a whole house did before the "green thing." We had one electrical outlet per room, not an entire bank of sockets to power a dozen appliances. And we didn't need a computerized gadget to receive a signal beamed from satellites 23,000 miles out in space in order to find the nearest burger joint. But isn't it sad the current generation laments how wasteful we old folks were just because we didn't have the "green thing" back then? Please pass this on to other selfish old people who need a lesson in conservation from a smart aleck youngster. We don't like being old in the first place, so it doesn't take much to tick us off… Let alone a tattooed, multiple pierced know-it-all who can't make change without the cash register telling them how much!
– Ok, I’ve had my say for the month. Now it’s 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 the newsletter, if so inclined, like CCC® on Facebook® by going here. To UNSUBSCRIBE send an email to ==> OldsD88@gmail.com _______________________________________
-- RESTORE 'EM, AND DRIVE 'EM! COMING NEXT ISSUE: TBD