Car Collector Chronicles 08-12.pdf

A GDYNETS® PUBLICATION © 2012, G. DAVID YAROS. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Car Collector Chronicles ®

Volume V, Issue 8

Exploring:

Car Collector Chronicles

• Car Collecting Today

High RPMs

• Classic Rides • Reports From the Field •

Oldsmobile (1897-2004)

•

Cadillac (1902- )

•

Allanté (1987-1993)

• Corvair (1960-1969)

IN THIS ISSUE:

High RPMs

1

GDYNets On the Web

1

Oldsmobiling with Oliver

August 2012

Not a whole lot to report on my end. What with the temps repeatedly at 100° plus, there just is not a lot of activity going on. Nor does it look as though there is any relief in sight?

I may have mentioned that I am now officially retired. That event happened on 15 June. I have not done a lot since. We have made a couple of trips to Canada, and I have read eight books, but not much else. Sort of “easing into it!”

I recevied my rebuilt vacuum advance back from Terrill Machine on 17 July, along with

the 57 year old diaphragm. The old diaphragm is brittle and has

3 holes in it. Gee, no wonder it would not hold a vacuum?

With a temp of 103° on the day of delivery, any reinstall shall have to wait.

I did go to a local car show on 16 July. I took our Allanté, as a form of transportation, not to show. When I returned to the car 2 hours later, she would not start. I baked in the 100 degree temps as I puttzed around trying t o d i a g n o se/r e s o l v e t h e problem. I finally had to call the Mrs. to come to the rescue with booster cables and tools.

As I had expected, the sidemount positive battery post had loosened, creating an open in the starter circuit. What is strange is that even in the loosend condition there was enough electrical current to operated the digital dash and onboard diagnostics? I now need to figure out a way to firmly tighten down the battery cable. The bolt in the cable is fine, so the problem has to be in

the side-mount post.. Perhaps I need to make use of the next larger size bolt, but with sheet metal screw threads. There is nothing worse than being dead on the side of the road, and I do not want to be caught in that cirsumstance again.

- Stay cool and Enjoy your ride(s)!

2

GDYNets® on the Web Find GDYNets on the web:

In the Year 19 and 62 (Ads/Events)

CCC® Forum EMail: OldsD88@gmail.com

6

CCC® -THE FORUM http://ccc.activeboard.com Car Collector Chronicles-scribd Saved 62 - 1962 Olds web site http://www.freewebs.com/ jeandaveyaros 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 Oldsmobiles and its founder, Ransom Eli Olds.

THE GRAY LADY: This website features our 1955 Cadillac Coupé de Ville and Caddy information.

DAVE’S DEN: A website 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.

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Car Collector Chronicles

Oldsmobiling with Oliver You have to admire, if not outright envy, this guy. His name is Oliver Sinden. He hails from Britain. I will let him tell his own story: Hello everyone. I am a Brit travelling around North America in a 1972 Cutlass (which was cloned as 442 by a previous owner). I found the car listed on eBay in Toledo, Ohio, and am starting to have one or two issues with the vehicle which are tough to fix on the road.

“I am a Brit travelling around North America in a 1972 Cutlass … found listed on ebay in Toledo, Ohio.”

I have taken a 'career break' for a year to see a bit of the world. I have always been fascinated

by North America so decided to make the trip across the pond. My uncle lives in Michigan, so I have a base camp. I arrived in September 2011.

So then I set out on the epic journey. By this time it was October. I'd had a nervously difficulty time getting insurance; the state of Michigan would not let me event take a driving test as I only had a tourist visa, and one insurance agent (incorrectly as it turned out) told me I would not be able to get insurance in MI without a US license. Eventually I found an insurer who would cover me with my British license, and subsequently I could get plates and registration.

Allegheny National Forest, PA Seneca Lake, NY Adirondack National Park, NY Green Mountain, VT White Mountains of NH USS Albacore, Portsmouth, NH JFK Library/Museum, Boston, MA Cape Cod, MA Newport, RI Citizens Bank Park, Philadelphia, PA Liberty State Park, NJ (squint and you can see the Statue) E Street and 10th Avenue, Belmar, NJ (I'm a Springsteen fan) The Delaware coast: The Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel, Virginia The James River, Virginia Hershey, PA [Back in Michigan for Christmas, 6,300 miles travelled] - The Oldsmobile museum in Lansing Of course I stopped at the Brickyard in Indianapolis, IN In Cincinnati, OH, the car iced up so badly I had to borrow a scraper to get into the boot (British for trunk) to get my scraper. It still took me about 20 minutes before the car was ready to drive.

New River Gorge, WV Near the John Henry statue, WV A lake in North Carolina, not far from the Virginia border The site of the Wright Brothers' first flight, North Carolina Stone Mountain, Georgia Palm trees in Tampa Bay, Florida The Sunshine Skyway, Tampa Bay Texarkana, Arkansas Kansas Welcome Center Heading to Breckenridge, Colorado to meet some friends for a ski holiday After a great week of skiing, and the second oil change of the journey, I headed back to Michigan, across Nebraska. This is North Platte, the largest railway switching yard in the USA. The arch across the interstate in eastern Nebraska After another couple of weeks in Michigan, during which time I gave the car a thorough service and detail (still not picking up on the seized fan clutch, however), I set off east to Detroit.

I crossed into Canada, where I was warmly welcomed as a Brit. God Save the Queen, indeed.

Niagara Falls, Ontario Pole position at the Montreal Grand Prix Circuit The Gilles Villeneuve Museum, Quebec The Big Nickel, Sudbury, Ontario

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Car Collector Chronicles

Oldsmobiling with Oliver—Cont’d.

Lake Superior. The drive from Sault Ste Marie to Thunder Bay is one of the best days of driving I have ever had.

Head-Smashed-in Buffalo Jump, Alberta, Canada The spectacular Icefield Parkway, Alberta Kamloops Lake, British Columbia Lions Gate Bridge, Vancouver, BC Green Lake, Whistler, BC The Sea-to-Sky Highway, BC On Vancouver Island I had the first major issue of the trip. The seized fan clutch finally took its toll. A fan blade let go. I finally had a use for all those tools I was carrying around. I removed the whole fan and clutch assembly and continued to the next town (Port Alberni, BC) where I learned that parts for 40 year old American cars are harder to get in Canada than the USA. I got myself mobile again with a crappy aftermarket electric fan which I was forced to mount through the radiator with zip-tie thingys. Wired to a switch inside the car, it did the job. Also I started to have intermittent ignition issues, which at the time I couldn't diagnose.

I crossed back into the USA into Washington state.

Seattle, WA (the car is in the picture): In Seattle the ignition problem became more serious. I lost all ignition on I-405. The problem was obvious - the connector to the HEI had come off. With some help from the Washington State Highway Maintenance department, I got to a hardware store, bought a new spade connector and was back in business.

Mount Rainier, WA: Mount St Helens, WA: By the time I got to Portland, Oregon, one the electric fan zip ties had cut through the rad and I was having temperature issues. I decided to ditch the electric system and go back to the original setup, despite the fact my gas mileage was about three mpg better with the electric rig. A new clutch was $30 from NAPA, and they pointed me in the direction of a classic car parts store in Portland where I might be able to get a fan. In the store (Dan's Classics) I met a fantastic guy called Tim who offered to help me fix the car at his place. I ended up staying in his spare room after a whole day of old car chat and tinkering. He soldered up the hole in my rad and fixed a few other issues as well.

The stunning Oregon coast The equally stunning Crater Lake, Oregon Driving through a tree in the Redwood forests of northern California California Route 1, surely one of the best roads in the USA Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco, CA Warner Bros. Studios, Burbank, CA The Hollywood sign from Mulholland Drive, Los Angeles, CA La Jolla, San Diego. (I was celebrating the Queen's Jubilee with a Union flag on the car) Salvation Mountain, CA. The desert would turn out to test the cooling system beyond its capabilities.

Saguaro National Park, Tucson, Arizona Looking over Juarez, Mexico from El Paso, Texas Cadillac Ranch, Amarillo, TX Sedona, Arizona At this point the radiator developed leaks in three places: at both end tanks, and the soldered repair. The car still runs fine, just hotter. Instead of the 180-190 Fahrenheit I was used to, it's now at 200 +. 230 is where I get worried and turn on the heater, but that is only climbing a hill in extreme heat. For example, Nevada route 190 out of Las Vegas towards Pahrump, NV: I was climbing a hill, coolant temp at about 230, when I saw smoke out the back. It turned out to be transmission fluid burning off on the exhaust. I decided to use my AAA card for the first time other than for museum discounts and called for a tow.

“On Vancouver Is. I had the first major issue of the trip. The seized fan clutch finally took its toll.

A fan blade let go. I finally had a use for all those tools I was carrying around.”

Car Collector Chronicles

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Oldsmobiling with Oliver—Cont’d.

At the garage the mechanic got the car on a lift, which was worth the $100 on its own. There was lots of oil under the car - it's always had an engine oil leak, from the rear main seal, which I understand to be a common issue on these engines. The transmission fluid was coming from the vent tube, which led the mechanic to tell me I needed a full trans rebuild, and launched into how he would have to drop the exhaust to get the box out, and how that would be timeconsuming as the bolts would probably shear, etc. etc. I could see the dollar signs in his eyes. The transmission had been rebuilt by the previous owner who I trusted to have done a decent job. I suggested it was just overheating due to the rad leaks, and of course the transmission fluid is cooled though a heat exchanger in the rad. He compromised by rigging up a hose from the vent tube back to the transmission fluid dipstick. I continued.

I got through Death Valley with no problems. The white sign on the cliff indicate sea level:. I had to turn on the heater at one point on the way out of Death Valley.

Yosemite National Park Lake Tahoe Bonneville Speedway, Utah Kolob Canyons, Zion National Park, Utah And here I am, writing this from St George, UT. My route from here will take me east to the other National Parks of UT, back into CO, then north to WY, west to ID, then north and east through MT, the Dakotas, MN, WI, then the Upper Peninsula of Michigan before another stop with my uncle in southwest MI, then IL, KY, TN, AL, MS, before Houston, TX; from where I will put the car on a boat and ship it home.

That is, assuming it gets there. The current issues, in order of importance: Radiator leaking in 3 places Brakes making a intermittent grinding noise - shoes worn? (This car has drums all round) Possible transmission problem, as discussed could simply be a cooling issue because of the radiator Oil leaking from rear seal and also somewhere at the front Cracked driver's side exhaust manifold. The seller gave me a spare - it's in the trunk. I was JB Welding it every few days but got sick of that and just let it leak. Annoying mainly as it is detracting from the car's sound.

Suspension isn't quite level at the front. Pressures in the rear air shocks are quite different left to right to balance out the back end.

Air conditioning doesn't get very cold. don't know how cold it should get, I may be expecting too much from 40 year old AC. Passenger seatbelt is broken - it doesn't retract License plate mount is a bit skewed.

Needs a good wash - I am using self service spray washes as I hate automatic car washes or anyone else touching my car.

Battery isn't mounted securely.

Probably forgotten something else I have now covered 30,000 miles, and used more than 1,700 gallons of gas. I have been to 38 states of the USA and 6 provinces of Canada. Not really a surprise that I'm having one or two issues. Is there anyone along my route who could spare some time/space / tools to help me fix one of more of those issues? It would be great if someone with more knowledge of the car than me could give it a once-over.

I should mention that the car is certainly popular. I've lost count of the number of times I've had thumbs up on the highway; conversations at gas stations; and huge interest and sometimes pure disbelief at my journey. Honestly I sometimes forget I'm driving a forty-year old, gorgeous, classic car. More than once I've walked across the parking lot and it's just struck me how lucky I am that the cherry-red beauty over there is mine. Then I turn the key, hear that V8 purr and the grin gets wider.

Driving through Zion National Park, Utah On the way to Bryce Canyon, Utah A view from the spectacular Utah Route 12 Continuing east, through Capitol Reef National Park Arches National Park, Utah (you can't drive close enough to the arches themselves to get a car & arch picture) Four Corners; the meeting point of Utah, Arizona, New Mexico and Colorado Red Mountain, Colorado Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park, Colorado Crossing the Continental Divide, Colorado Cheyenne Mountain (the fictional home of Stargate Command, and where the end of Wargames is set) At the summit of Pikes Peak, in a cloud

Car Collector Chronicles

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Oldsmobiling with Oliver—Cont’d.

I am now in Durango, Colorado. Aiming to get to Denver today.

Hell's Half-Acre, Wyoming (the alien planet in the movie Starship Troopers) The Teton Mountains, Wyoming The Tetons from across Jackson Lake, on the way to Yellowstone The first power-generating nuclear reactor - EBR-1, Idaho Craters of the Moon National Park, Idaho The Salmon River Mountains, Idaho Payette River Valley, Idaho Heading to Glacier National Park today, having been to Spokane and Couer d'Alene yesterday.

Flathead Lake, Montana Glacier National Park, MT Cathedral of St Helena, Helena, MT Roosevelt Arch, North Entrance to Yellowstone National Park Actually my second visit to Yellowstone, as I'd gone in from the south and out to the west last time. This time I went out on the famous Beartooth Highway, sadly I'd underestimated the time I'd spend in the park (low speed limits, bison in the road, slow drivers) and so it was pitch black as I wound across the pass. Certainly easier on the cooling system than trying it in the midday sun. My brakes, which still work, now make more noise. Really is time to fix that. I was going to have a look whilst camping in Glacier NP, but some friendly Texans camping next to me distracted me with food and beer. I am now across the Rockies for the last time, which is probably good news as the radiator is still leaking and I don't fancy too many more climbs with the heater on.

[ED NOTE—] All of the sites listed above are places where Oliver stopped and snapped a photo. Most pics have the ‘72 Olds Cutlass in them. You may follow Oliver’s adventures online at http:// www.oliversinden.co.uk or at http://classicoldsmobile.com/forums/newbie-forum/51041-travelling-north-america-72cutlass.html

– 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, come start/ join an ongoing dialog with other CCC® readers and like-minded car collector folk on the CCC® Forum. Stop by, check us out and share your views … . ______________________________________

-- RESTORE 'EM, AND DRIVE 'EM!

COMING NEXT ISSUE: • TBD

Car Collector Chronicles

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In the Year 19 and 62

The World Which Greeted Saved 62 — August ‘62

Aug 5 - Marilyn Monroe dies from an overdose of sleeping pills and chloral hydrate, officially ruled a "probable suicide" Aug 10 – Marvel Comics publishes Amazing Fantasy#15, featuring the first published appearance of the superhero character of Spider-Man Aug 11 - Beach Boys release "Surfin' Safari" Aug 18 - Peter, Paul and Mary release their first hit "If I Had a Hammer"