®
A GDYNETS PUBLICATION © 2010, G. DAVID YAROS. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
Car Collector ® Chronicles Volume III, Issue 5
Gentlemen, Ladies, Start Your Engines!
Car collecting today Classic rides
When the calendar turns to May, eyes turn to Indianapolis and the 500 Mile Race. So, what does that have to do with collector cars, you might be wondering?
Reports from the field Oldsmobile Cadillac
Well, brickyard history includes a chapter on Oldsmobile. Olds first paced the 500 Mile in 1949 with an 88, driven by Wilbur Shaw. This choice was undoubtedly inspired by the introduction to the motoring world by Oldsmobile of the now legendary Rocket 88 V-8 engine. This engine was quite a technological marvel in its day.
Allanté Corvair
IN THIS ISSUE:
Gentlemen, Ladies, Start Your Engines!
1
GDYNets® On the Web
1
Indy Side Bar
2
Spring Has Sprung 3
Eleven years would pass before Oldsmobile again led the open wheel racers around the 2 1/2 mile oval. Sam Hanks piloted that ride, a 1960 Ninetyeight convertible. Of particular note with respect to the 1960 pace car(s) was the fact they came directly from an Indy Olds dealer, not from the factory.
Coming Next Issue
4
Oldsmobile Indy 500 Pace Cars Photos
5
OldsD88@gmail.com
Another decade elapsed before an Oldsmobile was put in front of the pack in 1970. Roger Ward was behind the wheel of a 442. Who doesn’t remember the Hurst Olds (H/O) and Miss Hurst Golden Shifter, Linda Vaughn? The H/O, with Jim Rathmann in the driver seat, was selected to pace the race in both 1972 and 1974. In 1978, James Garner, of Maverick fame, wheeled a Delta 88 at the head of the pack. Oldsmobile had more than a big success with its Cutlass line. Strangely, it took until 1985 for a non-H/O Cutlass, this one a Calais, to lead the race. Once again, James Garner drove. Three years later, in 1988, a Cutlass Supreme assumed the same role. Driving honors went to Chuck Yeager that year. The Olds Aurora may not be
a household word, but the car did receive rave reviews from engineers and owners. I am aware of certain folk who swear a finer car has never been manufactured; before or since. The Aurora had the honor of pacing the race twice. It made it’s first — Continued on p. 2.
GDYNets® on the Web WHERE YOU WILL FIND GDYNets (me) on the WWW:
EMAIL:
May 2010
Car Collector Chronicles
Exploring:
Dave’s Den http://GDYNets.WEBNG.com Saved 62 http://www.freewebs.com/ jeandaveyaros The Gray Lady - 55 Cad de Ville Car Collector Chronicles -
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. Geo. Yaros.
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.
Car Collector Chronicles
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Start Your Engines! -Cont’d. appearance in 1997. Its last was in 2000. The respective drivers were Johnny Rutherford and television actor Anthony Edwards. To me, perhaps the strangest possible choice for a pace car was the 2001 pick of the Oldsmobile Bravada. I mean after all, isn’t it really just a six-banger station wagon/SUV? The strangeness of this choice was also reflected in the naming of the driver, Elaine IrwinMellencamp. She is a fashion model who happens to be the spouse of Seymour, Indiana’s own, singer John Cougar Mellencamp. That equals qualified to pace the race, right? Let’s go back to 1997, the year an Aurora first paced the race. Not only did Olds pace the race, it also took the checkered flag! This was a first in the history of the 500. Never before had an automobile manufacturer both paced and won the 500 Mile race. Oldsmobile would go on to duplicate that feat two more times, in 2000 and 2001. “Olds Racing and the Aurora engine owned
During the late 90’s and early 2000’s Oldsmobile could do no wrong at Indy. Olds racing and the Aurora engine owned the oval. Everyone else was a mere “also ran.” This is evidenced by Oldsmobile/Aurora powered wins in 1997, 98, 99, 2000 and 2001.
the oval. Everyone else was a mere 'also ran.'”
Indy Sidebar My college days were spent in Indianapolis. Going to the track during the month of May was de rigueur. The athletic director at my school happened to also be the track fire chief. That equated into access to the oval itself, pit row and the garage area. Mere mortals were not allowed in these sacrosanct areas by USAC in the 1960’s. True story → One sunny day in May, I was standing in pit row with 35 mm Canon™ camera in hand, watching practice. I casually watched as a racer exited the track, onto pit road. I was thinking, this will be a great photo op. However, the car did not seem to be slowing down, as I thought it should. It also seemed to be coming right at me? Eventually, something clicked and I decided I had best get out of the damn way. I jumped, and the race car abruptly stopped precisely where I had been standing! What I did not know at the time, or realize, was that I was standing smack-dab in the middle of the pit row fire station! Unbeknownst to me, this guy was on fire. Unbeknownst because burning racing fuel does not give off a flame. My other story is being in the garage area while qualifications were going on. I was able to capture a shot of one crew sitting on a stack
Car Collector Chronicles
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Indy Sidebar - Cont’d. of racing rubber, intently watching a television mounted up in the corner. It had all the makings of the shot, right? When I developed the image I what I had was a picture of a group of guys watching Saturday Afternoon Wrestling!
Spring Has Sprung! Finally, it appears that spring may have actually sprung here in SE WI? Figuratively, I typed that last sentence with crossed fingers. The arrival of warmer temps, for me, means having to get it together. Before I am able to start on anything, I have to first, literally, “clear the decks.” In my case the decks equal the garage and workbench. An entire day was spent sorting through items piling up on the workbench, and opening boxes of shipments received over the winter. I have to admit that some of it, I do not now even recall buying. The getting organized process also revealed, I am embarrassed to admit, that I even have two of some items! Anyone in need of a set of NORS splash aprons for a 1955 Cadillac Coupé de Ville? After organizing things, I have four Allanté factory aluminum wheels sitting on the garage floor, awaiting a trip to the tire shop. Next to the them is one OEM Cadillac turbine (sabre) wheel. It shall make the trip also, so that the spare time for The Gray Lady may be mounted on it. Also taking up valuable garage floor space are the newly minted Oldsmobile door panels for SAVED 62. But where did I put with the armrests, handles and window cranks? Oh yeah, they are in the car. I put them there so I would not have to go looking for them! Keeping the door panels company are NORS sill plates and door weatherstrips. What I can say is that, at long last I do have all of my carburetor stuff (stand, tools/gauges and rebuild kit) in one location. The time to start on that project has come! If and when I get the necessary projects done, I need to build an accessible book shelf in the garage. I have amassed more than a bit of factory literature, manuals, etc. They are kept in expandable binders, like those found on parts counters. The problem is that I cannot readily get to them in their current location. What good are they to me if I am not able to easily pull one off the shelf for reference purposes? Not much, obviously. I have to correct that situation.
“I have to admit that some of it, I do not now even recall buying. … I now have two of some items!”
Car Collector Chronicles
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Spring Has Sprung - Cont’d. The biggest task is going to be repositioning of all the cars, so that I will be able to do the work that needs to be done. At present, going from right→ to→left, I have The Gray Lady, then our daily driver, then the Allanté, Auntie Pearl, and above it on the lift, SAVED 62. I cannot rebuild the carb of The Gray Lady where she sits. This is because nothing can get in front of, or along the passenger side, of her. She will have to go where Auntie Pearl is currently sitting, in the lift bay. Auntie Pearl will go where the daily driver is and SAVED 62 will occupy The Gray Lady’s slot in the garage.
“I cannot
If all this sounds a lot like musical chairs, there is a reason. It is! And, the loser is the Toyota daily driver. She gets kicked to the street until such time as The Gray Lady can return to her own bay.
rebuild the carb of The Gray Lady where she sits. … because nothing can get in front of, or along … side of her.”
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 do help spread the word about our pub. Everything sent shall indeed be reviewed by me. Submissions should be sent to: OldsD88@gmail.com _________________________________________________
— RESTORE 'EM, AND DRIVE 'EM!
COMING NEXT ISSUE:
For Want of a Nail (A Long-distance Buying Saga)
Car Collector Chronicles
Oldsmobile Indy Pace Cars
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