A GDYNETS® PUBLICATION © 2015, G. DAVID YAROS. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
Car Collector Chronicles ®
Volume VIII, Issue 5
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
GDY Nets®
1
On the Web CLC Judges
2
Training SITEings
3
The Gray Lady FOR SALE
4
It is the end of April and we are still waiting for spring to arrive in SE WI. There have been one or two teaser days, but for the most part day time temps are still in the 40’s. One has to believe: soon? At the end of March I put The Gray Lady up for sale. To market the ride I have listed her on a dozen car sites, and created a web site where detailed info may be obtained. That web site ◄ has a link on it to 80 photos of the car. Those photos have been viewed 185 times to date. Over the last 30 days I have had a few inquiries. As she is still up for the taking, none of those inquires have resulted in the passage of money or transfer of title. I have been told that my $29,450 price is in the ball-
Find GDYNets on the web:
Pics That Caught My Eye CCC® Forum EMail:
◄
OldsD88@gmail.com ◄
4
5
park and to expect it to take anywhere from 30 - 90 days to achieve a sale. If she does not sell by the time the Cadillac Grand National Meet concludes at the end of June, I will consider rethinking my marketing campaign. May Automotive Milestones 5/1/1954 Nash & Hudson merge, forming AMC 5/2/1918 Chevy joins GM 5/3/1899 Packard begins operations 5/6/1928 Chrysler introduces De Soto 5/10/1923 GM names Alfred P. Sloan president 5/14/1969 Last Corvair rolls off assembly line 5/17/1868 Horace Dodge born-Niles, Michigan 5/19/1903 Buick Motor Co. incorporates 5/21/1901 Connecticut enacts first speed limit law 5/22/1929 Debut flight of the
Goodyear Blimp 5/23/1875 Alfred Sloan, Jr., bornNew Haven, CT 5/28/1937 Volkswagen founded 5/29/1946 First Kaiser-Frazer produced 5/30/1911 First Indy 500 held 5/31/1927 Ford built last Model T
- Spring is getting closer!
GDYNets® on the Web ®
1979 Cadillac Eldorado RoadStar
May 2015
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
CLC Judges Training
“[T]he standard to be applied when judging a car ... is one of ’As delivered from the factory to the original owner at the time of purchase.’ ”
I indicated last month that I would be attending a training session in Chicago on car judging put on by the CadillacLaSalle Club. The biggest problem I had in connection with the training session was finding the location. Fact is, I drove right by the host hotel (Crowne Plaza in Glen Ellyn, IL). Luckily, I flagged down a passing motorist who informed me of the error of my ways and got me headed back in the right direction. I did get to the session with a few minutes to spare before the start. I was surprised at the number of participants and the distances some traveled to be in attendance. There were folks from CT, NE and MO; in addition to the expected attendees from IL and WI. The training took up an entire day, running from 9 to 4:30. The agenda did include lunch at the host hotel. I have to say the meal provided was a notch above what one is used to receiving at these kind of functions. The morning session was spent in class. It concluded with a written exam. I was not suspecting that and was taken aback, albeit only slightly. To my knowledge, I passed the test with flying colors. Or perhaps I should say no one has informed me I failed? I took away from the class session a few points. The most critical was the standard to be applied when judging a car. It is one of “As delivered from the factory to the original owner at the time of purchase.” Deductions are not taken for dealer installed accessories, so long as those accessories were factory authorized. “Factory authorized” in this instance refers to Cadillac produced items that could have been installed either on the assembly line or at the selling dealership. Somewhat contradictory/confusing to me was the admonishment that over restoration should yield no point deduction. The reason I find that to be contradictory/confusing is that over restoration results in the presentation of a car that appears different from when “As delivered from the factory to the original owner at time of purchase.” An example of what I am talking about may help. The sill plates on The Gray Lady are made of aluminum. The finish at best is one of being slightly brushed. Some car owners enhance the appearance of the sill plates by taking the time and effort to polish them to a high lustre; to the point that some might mistake them to be chrome instead of aluminum. While I do not deny that the polished aluminum sill plates do look good, they do not look anything like the “as delivered” factory part. Additionally, the polished sill plates seem to defeat the intent of factory engineers. Brushed aluminum shows scuffs and scratches far less than highly polished aluminum, which I assume the factory at the time thought was a good thing. But who am I to complain? I do not set the standard. I did note that these kinds of concerns are addressed, somewhat. While points are not to be deducted for over restoration, adjustments may be made with regard to “authenticity”. It is a bit hard to argue that highly polished sill plates are an authentic presentation of this factory part “as delivered”? The training conducted in the afternoon consisted of hands-on inspection and evaluation of cars. It took place at a nearby Cadillac dealership. The cars made available to us where a 2015 Cadillac 4-door sedan (Sorry, I do not know the model. To me they all look alike!) a 1955 Cadillac Sedan de Ville and a 1954 Fleetwood limo. While it may seem strange to have a brand spanking new car in this group, it served a very useful purpose. That purpose was to serve as an exemplar of the “as delivered by
Page 3
Car Collector Chronicles
CLC Judges Training—Cont’d
the factory” standard. The cold, hard truth is that brand new cars are anything but perfect. Moreover, standards of perfection change over time with improvements in production methods. So, what might be acceptable in 1929 might not be acceptable in 1955, and what might be accepted in 1955 might not pass muster in 2015. The hands-on session presented real life questions and challenges. Right off the top one had to deal with the not at all uncommon situation of how to handle the presence of a battery cutoff switch and/or Battery Tender® type connection. Neither device was ever installed on any car by any automobile manufacturer. That being the case, the answer of what to do should be obvious, right? I must report it is not. The correct answer, at least as regards the CLC, is to do nothing. No points are to be deducted? Our trainee group was not able to agree on what was proper when it came to the hood pad on the ’55. The pad in question was vinyl covered. Everyone, except a guy who owned a ‘55—me, opined that the vinyl covered hood pad was not factory original. I took the question to the instructor. He advised I was correct and the others in the group were wrong on this score. I mention this instance only to point out that a judge’s assessment is only as good as their knowledge, experience and philosophy. Is s/he a strict constructionist or mildly progressive when it comes to interpreting and applying standards? Despite both a desire and need for uniformity of judging criteria, there exists a wide variance. One thing the training taught me is that it is no wonder the owners of judged cars get upset at decisions reached! Why should points be deducted for putting radial tires on a car that did not come with them originally, but none for installing a battery disconnect? How does one know in advance, what is permissible and what is not? The CLC, and hopefully other organizations, do make their judging standards readily available to the membership. Doing so is of great help in knowing what is allowed, and what is not. I can also see problems arise when a car owner elects to have their ride judged by another organization, say by the AACA. There is no requirement that it use the same judging standards/criteria as the CLC. Consequently, one group’s 100 point car may be seen as being only a 95 point car by another? Hopefully, I shall be able to do some real judging at the upcoming Cadillac-LaSalle Club Grand National Meet in June. It will be both an interesting and learning experience. I will be most interested in learning more about the conduct of this somewhat esoteric craft.
“Why should points be deducted for putting radial tires on a car that did not come with them originally, but none for installing a battery
SITEings
I recently stumbled upon a web site that I want to recommend to all. I found that I could, and most probably shall, spend hours there. It is titled ► The View Through the Windshield. The referenced page is, for lack of a better term, an index page or table of contents. Many links are presented there for your consideration. Do take a look at the offering “It’s a Classic.” It should elicit a chuckle or two. I also found the “Auto Sketch” section to be very entertaining. In addition to a discussion of the listed vehicle, a short synopsis of events for the year of the auto being discussed is presented under “Remember When” at the bottom of the sketch page. This site is not just about cars. That being said, after spending time on the site exploring the offerings, one cannot help but be reminded of just how much the automobile permeated our culture back in the day. The lives of a wide divergence of folk are highlighted by Mr. Sherlock in his “People” section. I could not begin to list them all, but will note they run the gamut from Annette Funicello to Margaret Thatcher. To say the least, the scope of personalities represents a pretty broad universe. In his “Pop-culture” area, among other things, he discusses the bottled water craze. I guarantee you that it will yield a laugh or two. The offerings are varied. So much so that you are certain to find something of interest. The humor strikes a responsive chord precisely because it contains more than a modicum of truth. The entertainment received is well worth the time spent here. I hope you enjoy it as much as me.
disconnect?”
Car Collector Chronicles
The Gray Lady—FOR SALE
Page 4;;
The Gray Lady was acquired by us in 2009. Six years have seen less than 200 miles put on the car. She spends her time silently, parked in the car barn. It is criminal to not be driving, showing and sharing her! Such a beautiful car should be seen and appreciated by all who admire old cars. Given this view, I have come to the decisiion it is time to pass on stewardship over The Gray Lady. I have created a web site to market The Gray Lady and tell her story in word and picture. I have tried to be transparent in the telling. The site links to 80 pictures on Flikr® and details both what has been done to the car, as well as what needs to be done. Check it out here. ◄ Should you know of anyone with an interest in owning a truly fine automobile that exudes both style and class, do send them my way.
1979 Cadillac Eldorado RoadStar This baby appeared in Hemmings Motor News as a 2014 “Find of the Day”. That it did was not an aid in its sale. The car is a prototype vehicle manufactured by the Damen Corp. out of Las Vegas, NV. To achieve the roadster look the sheetmetal was stretched 16” in front, and shortened 8” in back. It features a louvered hood as well as functional side pipes. When initially presented at the 1979 LA Auto Show as a pre-production prototype, the suggested MSRP was $55K. When offered for sale in 2014 the asking price was $62,950. I have since seen the car advertised at $35,000. It appears the car is still for sale, as I found a listing on
getusedcar.net ◄ from February of this year. I also noted that an unsuccessful effort to sell the car on ebaY™ closed on 2 Apr 2015. A high bid of $20,000 failed to meet the set reserve. Evidently the designer/creator of this ride is no longer in business; making this a 1-off car. Per secretary of state records Damen Corp. is no longer active. Having owned a Cadillac Allanté I see more than a few similarities between the two cars. I do wonder if Cadillac had this very car in its mind when it discussed Allanté design with the folks at Pininfarina?
Page 5;;
Car Collector Chronicles
Pics That Caught My Eye
Ran when parked?” Courtesy Facebook®
OCA
on
A 1949 Hudson Commodore restoration currently underway in Volgograd (formerly Stalingrad), Russia. - Gotta love it! Courtesy AACA Forum
– 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 this month’s issue of the newsletter, if so inclined, like CCC® on Facebook® by going here ______________________________________
-- RESTORE 'EM, AND DRIVE 'EM! COMING NEXT ISSUE: • TBD