A GDYNETS® PUBLICATION © 2011, G. DAVID YAROS. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
Car Collector Chronicles ®
Volume IV, Issue 5
Exploring:
Car Collector Chronicles
High RPMs
Car Collecting Today Classic Rides Reports From the Field Oldsmobile (1897-2004) Cadillac (1902- ) Allanté (1987-1993)
Corvair (1960-1969)
It is not even the first day of March as I am putting together the May issue of CCC®. My experience is that here in Wisconsin, spring/summer seems to come more than late. I do not know about you, but I am ready for warm weather? I want to fire up a machine and take a “top down” drive! I have resolved that The Gray Lady will log some miles this year; whether it be to/from some shows, or out on the open road. I did not spend all that time last fall rebuilding the carburetor to let her just sit in the car barn and look pretty!
IN THIS ISSUE:
High RPMs
1
GDYNets On the Web
1
Among the Cadillac items I acquired over the winter is a 3’ x 5’ flag featuring the crests Cadillac has used over the years, displayed on a field of blue. My plan is to mount it on a pole and plant the pole next to the car at car shows. For our ’62 Olds, I recently
Kiwi Oldsmobiles
2
Automotive Ancestry
3
Coming Next Issue
Find GDYNets on the web:
4
CCC® -THE FORUM http://ccc.activeboard.com
CCC® Forum EMail: OldsD88@gmail.com
5
purchased a 6’ runner that formerly saw duty in an Oldsmobile dealer showroom. It is red and has a 60’s era Olds crest in black on it. I shall place the carpet runner on the ground, along the driver side of the car, when SAVED 62 is displayed on the show field. I also know that Auntie Pearl will earn her keep by racking up some miles this summer. That is because we have every intent of taking her on our summer sojourn, wherever that may happen to be. Before that can occur I do need to bleed the braking system. It is one of the critical maintenance items on the Allanté. Nor is bleeding Allanté brakes as simple as on older rides. The Bosch braking system is fantastic, but it does require reqular attention to reliably function. Just talking about the rides gets my blood flowing, and makes me want to go out to the
car barn, wake them from their winter slumber and fire ‘em up! Can you tell that I am suffering from “cabin fever?” Of course, my first task is to shovel away the pile of snow currently barring the car barn door! One day/ thing at a time, right?
GDYNets® on the Web
Car Collector Chronicles-scribd
Photos
May 2011
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.
Page 2
Car Collector Chronicles
KIWI OLDSMOBILES Another New Zealand (Kiwi) acquaintance has purchased an Olds. It is a ’62 98 Holiday Sports Sedan. By the time you read this the shipping container should have arrived in NZ from Los Angeles. (The car was driven to the port of California from Henderson, NV.) Of course, a May date of arrival in NZ means it will be late fall there. Hopefully, there will be time to sort her out and get her ready for the road before having to take a winter nap. “… I have yet to actually see a 1962 98 model that did
For the unknowing, “road ready” does not have the same meaning in NZ that it does here in the states. The NZ authorities are a little more picayunish than we are when it comes to automobile safety; in particular with respect to imported classic rides. My understanding is that such vehicles must be “officially deemed” roadworthy, or they are not able to be titled/licensed.
not have a 4 bbl. carb. Absent a build sheet, I have trouble accepting this car came out of the factory
This is the ride that is crossing the wide, blue Pacific to its new home!
that way?”
The purchaser of this ride is more than familiar with Oldsmobile. This is his second. The earlier car was a 1962 Dynamic 88 4-door sedan. He has now gone from the bottom of the line of full-sized Oldsmobile offerings for the 1962 model year, to the very top! I hope he does appreciate the fact that this 98 is 6” longer than his former 88? Let’s keep our fingers crossed that it fits in his garage! The one aspect of this car that stands out to me is that, reportedly, it sports a 2 bbl. carburetor. I need to get that verified by means of personal observation. That fact stands out to me as, with all my years of involvement with Oldsmobile I have yet to actually see a 1962 98 model that did not have a 4 bbl. carb. Absent a build sheet, I have trouble accepting this car came out of the factory that way?
Page 3
Car Collector Chronicles
AUTOMOTIVE ANCESTRY Yesterday I saw a car and said to myself, “Boy, one does not see too many of them on the road anymore?” That sighting is the genesis for this article. The vehicle in question was a PT Cruiser. Wait one! I thought this pub was about collector cars? How do PT Cruisers fit in that category? Read on. Here are some cursory facts regarding the PT Cruiser: Launched by Chrysler as a 5-door hatchback in late 1999 (for the 2000 model lineup). Originally conceived as a Plymouth model. It received the Chrysler nameplate on introduction in anticipation of the 2001 discontinuation of the Plymouth brand. Designed by Bryan Nesbitt, who later also styled the Chevrolet HHR. Chrysler specifically designed the PT Cruiser to fit the NHTSA criteria for a light truck, in order to bring the average fuel efficiency of the company's light truck fleet into compliance with CAFE standards. Plants — Toluca Car Assembly, Mexico and Graz, Austria. In some Austrian versions, one could actually get a Mercedes-Benz engine. On 9 Jul 2010 the PT Cruiser ended production. Worldwide production totaled 1.35 million units. “PT” stands for ‘Personal Transport.’
At one point in its history, PT Cruisers were not able to be produced quickly enough to meet consumer demand. This resulted in waiting lists and dealers being able to sell them well above MSRP. Now, they are not made. Will they become collectibles? Only time will tell. One does have to wonder though, where are all those 1.35 million rides now? So what is the collector car connection? It is that the PT Cruiser design was based on the Airflow. The Airflow was also a Chrysler Corp. product. The Airflow was produced from 1934 through 1937. Not a lot were sold, and not a lot survived. Being able to actually see/touch one is an experience few have had today. The reason the Airflow, badged as both a DeSoto and a Chrysler, did not sell well was that it was way too advanced for its time. The Airflow represented implementation of the “form follows function” concept. The design of the car was dictated in the wind tunnel, with assistance from Orville Wright. Until then (1934) not a lot of car manufacturers considered, let alone used, wind tunnels when conjuring up their creations.
“Being able to actually see/ touch one (Airflow) is an experience few have had today.”
Car Collector Chronicles
Page 4;;
AUTOMOTIVE ANCESTRY—Cont’d. More than interesting facts were learned through wind tunnel testing. Perhaps the most peculiar was that the vehicles of the day were more aerodynamic when driven in reverse! This was because they all had long snouts with both upright radiators and windshields in front, and a somewhat abruptly sloping tail in the rear. The lines of the 1933 Oldsmobile (left) exemplify that fact. The Airflow challenged the thinking of the time. The engine was moved forward, placing it over the front wheels. All the wheels were shrouded, by the fenders in front, and by fender skirts in back. Both the hood and windshield were canted back to reduce wind resistance. The windshield also sloped to the sides of the car, further reducing drag. The car had problems. Some resulted from such a drastic change in the production process. The Airflow utilized what we now refer to as unibody construction. No other manufacturer had attempted that in 1934. One serious problem was that at what was then high speed (80 MPH), engines were prone to come free of their mounts! However, the biggest problem with the Airflow was that the public simply was not buying. The design was simply too radical. It represented a radical break from the norm. Total production over four years equaled less than 53,000. The price ranged from $1,245 to $1,610, depending on the model. The next page has pics for you. For more in-depth info, go to the Airflow Club web site at http://www.airflowclub.com
Ok, I’ve had my say for the month. Now its your turn! I invite/encourage submission of your comments, opinions and contributions, and ask that you help spread the word about our pub. 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 our pub, 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:
High RPMs I’ll Take One of Each! Kiwi Olds - Followup
Page 5;
Car Collector Chronicles
The Airflow, from Chrysler Corporation
Airflow and PT Cruiser