A GDYNETS PUBLICATION © 2009, G. DAVID YAROS. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
Car Collector Chronicles Volume I, Issue 1
Car Collector Chronicles
November 2008
Exploring: • Car collecting today
INAUGURAL EDITION
• Classic rides
This publication represents a new venture for GDYNets. GDYNets is nothing more than a moniker I have coined to refer to all of my WWW activities.
• Reports from the field • Oldsmobile
My name is Dave, and I have had a presence on the web for many years, covering diverse subjects. However, this is my first effort concentrating on a single topic, car collecting. Future newsletters will present info on collecting classic cars. That information will be culled from personal experiences, and hopefully, contributions from you, the readers.
IN THIS ISSUE:
Inaugural Edition
GDYNets On the Web
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1
This inaugural edition features a somewhat autobiographical article on The Making and Education of a Car Collector. Future articles are projected discussing the tools of the car collecting hobby, addressing the never ending need for car collector storage space and various
The Making and 2 Education of a Car Collector Coming Next Issue
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WHERE YOU WILL FIND GDYNets (me) on the WWW: Saved 62 Car Collector Chronicles -
OldsD88@gmail.com
The obvious question is what makes me an authority? The simple and honest answer to that question is nothing! I am just one of many individuals who has a love for old rides, and does not mind sharing his experiences. It is hoped those experiences will be of interest and help to others. You will come to learn that I am an Oldsmobile fanatic, and why. Consequently, much of what I shall write shall be about the beloved Oldsmobile.
GET BEHIND THE WHEEL
Here are the classic cars with which I have experience:
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1962 Oldsmobile Dynamic 88 Convertible (1 of 12, 212)
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1985 Buick Riviera Convertible (1 of 400)
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1963 Chevrolet
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Corvair Monza Convertible (1 of a Gazillion)
Currently, the Olds and Corvair occupy stalls in my garage.
- What do you say we take a ride! -
GDYNets on the Web Dave’s Den -
EMAIL:
and sundry subjects.
DAVE’S DEN is a website devoted to a myriad of interests. Foremost is extensive information on the “Steel City”
of Gary, Indiana. There are also offerings covering the making of steel and U.S. Steel-Gary Works, the U.S. Marine Corps, the M14 assault rifle, of course Oldsmobile, and the tragic story of the murder of Gary, Indiana Police Lt. George Yaros. SAVED 62 is a website devoted to my 1962 Oldsmobile Dynamic 88 convertible. The
site also has a lot of information on Oldsmobiles and its founder, Ransom Eli Olds. CAR COLLECTOR CHRONICLES; you are looking at it. It is a work in progress. It is envisioned as a repository of interesting and helpful newsletters covering the car collector hobby, from the perspective of an average Joe.
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The Making and Education of a Car Collector
The Car Collector By G. David Yaros
Who/What is a car collector? I suspect there are many different answers to this question. Truth be known, there are probably as many answers as there are collectors!
“The car collector drives his classics. They are not the least worried over getting their hands dirty.�
Let me start off by defining the term "car collector." When I use that term, I am not referring to the person who owns a stable of vehicles that is constantly changing; autos that are seldom, if ever, driven. Rather, a car collector to me is an individual who started out as a shade tree mechanic and who, over the years, developed a level of respect for what it takes to manufacture and maintain a vehicle long term. He or she recognizes both performance and engineering. They may also possess a certain affinity for a particular make, model of car, or feature. A classic car collector has owned may automobiles. However, their car collection is most likely limited to ownership of one or two classic cars at any moment in time. The exception to this rule is Jay Leno. With his bucks, he can own whatever he wants, and as many as he wants, whenever he wants. Would that the rest of us aficionados would be so lucky. The car collector drives his classics. They want their ride(s) to be seen. They enjoy talking about their car(s) to all who will lend an ear. S/He is willing to share whatever automotive expertise they have been fortunate enough to acquire over the years, with whomever has a need. They are not the least worried over getting their hands dirty while working on their car(s). At the same time, they abhor the thought of anyone else getting their car(s) dirty! Now, that we have an understanding of who, what is a car collector; let's examine this beast. Becoming a car collector entails a process. It does not happen overnight. It begins at a very early age, well before ever acquiring that first car. Telltale signs are enjoyment in playing with legos, tinkertoys or erector sets (Remember them?). Another obvious sign is taking some sort of step to make their first form of real transportation, a bicycle, different or unique in some sort of way. Additionally, they actually maintain that bicycle; both mechanically and in terms of appear-
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The Car Collector – Continued from p. 2 ance. A budding car collector is also a kid who actually wants to go to auto shows, be they of either the commercial or custom variety. Another sure sign one may in the future be afflicted with car collectoritis is their reading of car magazines. Instead of speaking in mere generalities, let me relate my own experiences relating to the above referenced process. You may find a bit of yourself in them. I do remember the Erector Set. Mine was a hand-me-down from my older brothers. I spent hours fabricating who knows what. I do recall one project being a ferris wheel. Innumerable hours were spent sorting parts, designing a machine of some/any kind, and bolting it all together. When things did not go as planned, one diagnosed the problem and made adjustments or changes. Gee, it sounds an awful lot like what I do today in working on my classic cars? Just like the erector set, my bicycle was a hand-me-down. There was certainly nothing about my bike that made anyone in my crowd drool with envy. Come on, the bike came from a Western Tire-Auto store! Yes, I know Western Auto has long departed the scene. What that bike did have, however, was a racing sprocket. That gave it an edge over other plain vanilla bicycles of the day. It also sported a pair of struts. Struts are nothing more than an after market add-on accessory. They were chromed bars running from the fork up to just behind each handle grip. Each strut incorporated small reflectors into the design. Bottom line is that the bike looked and performed different from the run-of-the-mill 2-wheeler. Do you see the seeds of car collecting here? That bicycle and I were together for a long time. I identified with it, I am sure. I also maintained it. I remember giving her a paint job. I also recall having my father help me adjust the cones and tighten the spokes. Adjust the cones you say? Think of it as doing a wheel bearing job. Tightening the spokes is akin to balancing the tires on a car. The idea behind both these tasks was to eliminate any wobble in the tires/rims. In my day, the month of September was always pregnant with excitement. This was because that is when the new cars made their debut at the dealerships. The dealers had a significant role in adding to the
“In the month of September the new cars made their debut.�
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The Car Collector – Continued from p. 3 hype of the event. The showroom windows were papered over to prohibit any early peeks by the car consuming public. The annual September model year rollout was followed by the auto show, in January. In my case, we are talking the Chicago Auto Show. One could go there and, in one place, compare all the offerings of the Big 3 and independents, lay hands on the cars, pick up literature and speak to people who knew about the vehicle features. It was a veritable dream for a car junky. Custom car shows were also a vital part of the maturation process for a yet to be car collector. They served to educate, and planted ideas which would see fruition in later years. The custom car shows introduced terms like shaved, nosed, decked, frenched, lowered, louvered, tuck & roll, etc. into one's growing vocabulary. One learned not only what lake plugs were, but also how/why they improved engine performance. Having said that, it is fact that far more time was spent at the consumer car shows, vs. the custom variety. The youth of a budding car collector, including me, also witnessed hours spent perusing the pages of magazines like, Car Craft, Custom Car, Rod & Custom, etc. Not only were these pubs devoured, they were actually discussed among one's circle of friends. I also anxiously awaited the arrival in the mail of items like my Warshawsky (J.C. Whitney) and Honest Charly Speed Shop catalogs. A defining car collecting moment for me took place during my sophomore year in high school. This moment, I acknowledge and hope, was atypical. For reasons that I need not elaborate on here, I was removed from a required class. To occupy my time, I was placed in a second study hall period. Having completed all my homework in the first study hall period, how and the h . . . could I occupy my time in the second? I spent the entire semester reading the thousands of pages bound between the covers of Glenn's Auto Repair Manual! In doing so, I developed a more than basic understanding of things like carburetion, automotive electronics, cooling systems, clutches, differentials; you name it. It is knowledge I still call on today. So there you have it, the making and educating of a car collector. It begins early. It never ends. One aspect not discussed, though equally critical, is the requisite financial wherewithal necessary to feed car collectoritis. Financial means provides more than just dollars to feed the disease. Perhaps more importantly, it also provides a modicum of leisure time to devote to the treatment of car collectoritis. Ok, I have had my say. Now it is your turn! I invite and encourage submission of your comments, opinions and contributions. Everything sent shall indeed be reviewed by me. Submissions should be sent to: OldsD88@gmail.com _______________________________________
-- RESTORE 'EM, AND DRIVE 'EM!
Car Collector Chronicles
COMING NEXT ISSUE: • • •
Dealing with “Never Enough Space” Classic Car Pictorial The classic car I want
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