A GDYNETS® PUBLICATION © 2012, G. DAVID YAROS. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
Car Collector Chronicles ®
Volume V, Issue 9
Exploring:
Car Collector Chronicles
• Car Collecting Today
September 2012
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—Part II
2
There has not been a lot of car activity in the Yaros Car Barn of late. I did get the vacuum advance changed on The Gray Lady. On firing her up, it was obvious the old one did not work properly. This became evident when the fast idle speed settled in at about 2,000 RPM! I had to slow it down, which I did. I still need to check the timing to see if it is where it should be. I had the occasion to help my step-son install a new oil pan on his Honda Pilot.. In that process I learned that modern day oil pans, at least on Hondas, are not steel. They are made out of aluminum. A weight saving measure, if I had to guess? I also learned that modern day oil pans do not have gaskets. Instead, a bead of silicone sealant is applied to the mating surface. Seems to be a strange way to do it, but hey, it works? I am also learning about life as a retiree. The biggest thing I
have learned is, “There is always tomorrow!” There sure is no pressing need to do whatever needs to be done, immediately if not sooner. Life in retirement definitely proceeds at a more leisurely pace. I am toying (actually mulling over in my mind) the idea of selling The Gray Lady. I do not feel I am at the point of seriiously considering doing so. I say not yet to myself every time I open the garage door and see her seductive body lines. The fact is, however, while I do enjoy looking at her, I do not take it out on the open road very much at all. I bet I have yet to put 500 miles on her since acquiring it back in 2009! I am a firm believer that classic cars are made to be driven, not stored. I am not utilizing her to her potential, and feel guilty about this. A part of me says pass her on to someone who will make better use of her. I suppose
that for the right price I would part with her, but even then, doing so would be painful. Do other classic car owners go through this sort of agony, I wonder? I see the Old Hwy. 27 Tour in MI has extended to six days. It is a must tour, which I heartily recommend! - Stay cool and Enjoy your ride(s)!
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.
Page 2
Car Collector Chronicles
Oldsmobiling with Oliver - Part II By the time you read this Ollie will be, or is, on his way home. That is only after having racked up 36,000 + miles on his recently purchased 1972 Oldsmobile 442 while traversing the U.S. and Canada.
“By the time you read this Ollie will be, or is on his way, home. That is only after having racked up 36,000 + miles on his recently purchased 1972 Oldsmobile 442 while traversing the U.S. and Canada.”
Just where is home for Ollie? He hails from Cornwall, England. Cornwall is at the southwest corner of the country, bordered on the north by the Celtic Sea, and on the south by the English Channel. Cornwall, a county, has a population of 535,000 and boasts of all of one city, Truro. It’s most famous location is probably the port of Falmouth. Cornwall was a mining area (tin and copper) for a time. The major industries now are tourism, fishing and agriculture. A bit about Cornwall cuisine: One famous local fish dish is Stargazy pie, a fish-based pie in which the heads of the fish stick through the piecrust, as though "stargazing". The pie is cooked as part of traditional celebrations for Tom Bawcock’s Eve, but is not generally eaten at any other time. Cornwall is perhaps best known though for its pasties, a savory dish made with pastry. In the day, pasties were the lunch meal of choice for Cornwall miners. Today's pasties usually contain a filling of beef steak, onion, potato and swede (rutabaga) with salt and white pepper, but historically pasties had a variety of different fillings. "Turmut, 'tates and mate" (i.e. turnip, potatoes and meat) describes a filling once very common. For instance, the licky pasty contained mostly leeks, and the herb pasty contained watercress, parsley, and shallots. - Pasties are often locally referred to as oggies. - Historically, pasties were also often made with sweet fillings such as jam, apple and blackberry, plums or cherries. The traditional Cornish pasty has Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) status in Europe. Ollie was obviously excited to get back to Michigan as there, once again, he could partake of pasties!
Page 3
Car Collector Chronicles
Oldsmobiling with Oliver - Part II, Cont’d. At our invitation, Ollie overnighted in Milwaukee. It gave us the opportunity to discuss a myriad of subjects: American and British politics, gun ownership rights and controls, the classic car scene in Britain and many other topics. I learned that gasoline is over $8/gallon in the U.K.! And we think we have it bad? A few things did surprise me. First and foremost was the age of this traveler/tourist. He is all of 28. To me, that is pretty young to be in the position to undertake a year long sojourn. How was he able to do it? The answer is, thanks to a recent inheritance. Another interesting fact was that he had no qualms over either quitting his job, or finding suitable employment on his return. Ollie maintains that the English economy is not that bad, at least in his line of employment. He was working as a financial analyst/programmer probing marketing data. It was more than obvious that Ollie researched every aspect of his trip abroad. He knew what was where, how to get there, and where to stay. “Where to stay,” I might add, often mean pitching a tent. It also meant sleeping in his car on rare occasion. So now that the trip is over, what happens to the Olds? No surprise, Ollie is taking it back with him. What is a surprise is that it is actually cheaper to ship the Olds to England from Houston, TX, than from a port on the east coast. I find that to be a bit strange, given the additional nautical miles that must be traveled to get to England when departing from Houston versus, say, New York City. One thing Ollie shall be taking back with him is a copy of Runabouts to Rockets, the monthly publication of the National Antique Oldsmobile Club. We do want to keep Ollie in the Oldsmobile family, no matter where he might be! We thoroughly enjoyed having Ollie as our house guest, our conversations, and giving him a brief tour of Milwaukee. I also think Ollie enjoyed taking the wheel of our ‘92 Cadillac Allanté. Notwithstanding all the miles traveled, that was a first for him on the trip. One more thing, Ollie, you left your shaving gel at the house. You can pick it up the next time you are in town!
“So now that the trip is over, what happens to the Olds? No surprise, Ollie is taking it back with him. ”
Car Collector Chronicles
Page 4;;
Drive a 109 Year Old Olds Across the U.S.? BY KURT ERNST-http://www.motorauthority.com/
[9 Aug 2012]
Joy Rainey’s motorsport résumé can hold its own against most non-professional drivers. The U.K. resident is a veteran of events including the London to Brighton Veteran Car Run, the London to Sydney Marathon and the Carrera Sudamericana. She also campaigned a Jaguar E-Type in hill climb events before switching to a 2.3-liter formula car. The fact that Rainey is a “person of restricted growth” hasn’t impacted her ability to drive cars old and new with haste, as she has broken several hill climb records during her career. These days, Rainey prefers vintage cars over the faster stuff, but hasn’t lost her sense of adventure. On November 4, Rainey will drive her 1904 Oldsmobile, in all of its seven-horsepower glory, in this year’s London to Brighton Veteran Car Run. The 60-mile drive will be a brief shake down for what Rainey is planning for 2013: a 2,826 mile drive from Los Angeles to Daytona Beach in honor of her former co-driver, Treveor Hulks, who died of cancer in 2010. We’d consider a 60 mile drive in a car that’s over a century old to be about our limit, so we can’t fathom crossing the United States in one. It will require careful planning, more than a little bit of luck, and the ability to fabricate spare parts en route. After all, Pep Boys doesn’t stock many replacement parts for vintage Oldsmobiles. Rainey’s goal is to raise 20,000 pounds ($31,254) for cancer research in Hulks’ name. Her trip will begin in Los Angeles on April 14th and will (hopefully) end in Daytona Beach some time after. Given that the Curved Dash Oldsmobile had a top speed of just 20 miles per hour, at least Rainey won’t have to worry about speeding tickets along the way.
Car Collector Chronicles
Page 5;;
Ed./Pub & The Mrs. piloting SAVED 62 across the finish line at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway as part of the 2012 IMS Celebration of Automobiles event.
– 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
In the Year 19 and 62
The World Which Greeted Saved 62 — September ‘62
September 21 - A Liverpool group, The Beatles, records 'Love Me Do' for Parlophone Records September 23 - ABC's airs first color TV series-The Jetsons September 26 - TV comedy series "The Beverly Hillbillies" premieres on CBS
Page 6;;