A GDYNETS® PUBLICATION © 2012, G. DAVID YAROS. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
Car Collector Chronicles ®
Volume V, Issue 11
Exploring:
Car Collector Chronicles
• Car Collecting Today
High RPMs
• Classic Rides
Let me note in passing that our first issue apppeared this month in 2008. Happy 4th Birthday, CCC®! I need to express my continual wonder at the power of the net. Recently trolling one of the many fora I frequent, I left a message stating I was looking for a copy of an Oldsmobile related article I had written years ago. I mentioned the name of the article, the pub in which it appeared, and the approximate date. Within 2 hours of leaving my message, I received a response. The reply
• 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
Readers React to Graying
2
Humor on Wheels
5
included a link to an ebay listing for the publication with the article. Not quite at the speed of light, but pretty darn close, I had purchased the article I had been seeking for years! Incidentally, I was off by a year as to the publication date; having said it was in 1995, when in actuality it appeared in 1996. A friend just leased a 2013 Cadillac XTS. The car comes
CCC® Forum EMail: OldsD88@gmail.com
6
with an iPad™. I kid you not! The tablet computer is deemed critical to understanding how to utilize all the cockpit touchscreen technology; dubbed by Cadillac as the CUE™ (Cadillac User Experience) system. For starters, there is no ignition key? You tell the car what to do via built in voice recognition. One also has the option of configuring the instrument panel display to their personal liking. All seem to think the technology does a good job doing what it is designed to do, However, some have qualms. Edmunds.com opines that tech overload could turn off traditional Cadillac buyers. This sentiment has been both echoed and amplified significantly by traditionalists frequenting the Cad-LaSalle Club Forum. Mind you, these folks are comfortable online and qualify as beng tech savvy. Even so, the concern is that operating a new Cadillac is
becoming akin to playing a computer game. It makes for anything but a “driving experience.” in their eyes. My concern is what happens when the CUE ’puter burps? How do I get from Point A to Point B when the computer will not start the car, and I have no key? - Care for and enjoy your ride(s)!
GDYNets® on the Web Find GDYNets on the web:
In the Year 19 and 62 (Ads/Events)
November 2012
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
Readers React to Graying Our column last month on the aging of collector car enthusiasts did elicit quite a bit of response; from both young and old. Here is what you had to say:
“In our generation the car meant mobility, status and a means of coming together. Today’s teens are communicating more than ever, but through electronic means.”
I’m not optimistic the younger generation will ever find interest in classic cars. It’s not a culture they grew up in. IMHO the interests of every generation change from the last. Oldsters like us grew up in a less competitive, simpler environment with little more on our minds than the high school dance on Saturday night, finding a date for the movies or hanging out with friends toasting marshmallows over an evening campfire. Our depression era parents lived an even less complex lifestyle than us; engaging in sports and other interests that cost nothing, or practically nothing. In our parent’s day young people dismantled cheap alarm clocks to find out how they worked. In our day … back in the 50’s and early 60’s … the automobile replaced the alarm clock as the Tinker Toy® of choice. Today the Tinker Toy® of choice is the latest electronic gadget which even the poorest youngster on the block must own …. just as in our day every teenager dreamed of owning an old car. Face-to-face conversation and personal interaction is a thing of the past, every bit as much as a 1958 Edsel. Today teens are more at home with texting than talking, or meeting. Even desk top computers are passé, in favour of hand held devices offering communication and apps for every imaginable application. The focus has shifted. In our generation the car meant mobility, status and a means of
coming together. Today’s teens are communicating more than ever, but through electronic means. There is less and less personal interaction. We’re fast becoming a society of solitary souls living in a hand held electronic bubble. A scary thought, but IMHO one that may have a smattering of validity. I just returned from checking out historic churches and vintage aircraft. This shows nothing more than how out of touch we are with today’s young people, who likely spent the day downloading stuff to their iPhone®. Oops, the iPhone® may already have gone the way of the ’58 Edsel in favour of the gizmo of the hour? Classic cars, and cars in general, are a million years behind the times for today’s kids. The toddlers of today will have their own interests when they reach teenage years or young adulthood. Technology drives culture. ————— One thing I've started doing at car shows for the young crowd is I have a little sign. Instead of saying "look but don't touch," mine says "get in and have a seat". Mostly youngsters will do that. Even though my "new" Corvette is 22 years old, it looks new enough for the younger crowd. Heck you can't hurt it. I understand $100,000 restorations make owners a bit nervous, but mine is an unmolested original. I figure it's already got its marks and dings. What harm can a sticky finger do? Ha Ha! Quite a few have taken up the offer, and the kids love their pictures taken in the Vette. ————— I think often guys our age (63 here) may forget, a paint job is big money. Repairs, if you are learning, are difficult as there are few places to learn about carbs, distributors, points, etc. I spend a little time giving some basic instruction, pointing out valuable forums (wish we had
these in the DAY!). The light goes on, and a new car guy is born. I think a lot of younger guys just don't realize that a "cool" ride can be affordable, cheap to maintain and even get decent enough gas mileage and it introduces them to our disease, er hobby. ————— Remember that for many in the hobby the cars they love are the cars they had when they were a kid. For younger folks today ’32 Fords, ’57 Chevys & ’69 Camaros have always been old cars that are rarely seen on the road and largely exist only at car shows. If they are interested in
cars at all, they are much more likely to be interested in the cars of *their* youth, cars of
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Car Collector Chronicles
Readers React to Graying - Cont’d. the 80’s, 90′s and 00’s. And if they *do* happen to be interested in collector cars, the hobby is often prohibitively expensive to get into. A lot of older folks who have money in the bank buying *their* dream car have driven prices well out of the range of what the average high schooler can scrounge up. ————— As someone who is on the younger side (34) and has been into old cars my whole life, the initial impressions the hobby gives to people kinda suck for making them want to hang around. A car show where the same dozen do-wop songs are being blasted over a PA interspersed with “witty” DJ comments. And where nearly every car gets driven in, parked, wiped down and then has the owners set up their displays of crying dolls & giant show plaques before retreating to their camp chairs behind the car to only talk with their friends. Dismissive comments if your car doesn’t meet their standards. ————— My g/f and I have gone to a fair number of car shows & local cruise nights, and most times we pull in, park, walk the circuit of cars there, stand around looking for someone to talk to or something to do, get bored and go home. I *have* a classic car, and the shows are often little fun for me, how much fun would they be for someone who doesn’t have a car and for whom this is their impression of what owning one is like? ————— I’m a Boomer and I frown deeply on some of the props that people bring to shows. I like plaques but I say, ‘Size them to show off the car, not the plaque.’ I also don’t care for every hood to be open. I take a lot of pictures and an open hood wrecks the image. If I want to see the engine, I ask the owner if he would be kind enough to open the hood. When I’m at a show, I (and others in my club) try to be available to answer questions although we’ve seen many owners who tend to be condescending to those asking the questions. But finally, don’t be afraid to ask questions yourself. You’ve got a voice; use it. A lot of owners are shy but will warm up tremendously if you take the first step. ————— I think we, the “Gray Hairs,” have to stop fretting about the value and invested costs of the cars we treasure and accept that what is important is the love and joy of ownership and use. Doing so will abate some of this ongoing “hand wringing.” The hobby, like most things in life, will shift and transform. It won’t die as one segment ages. ————— Today's kids are simply not in love with driving. Oddly enough, they seek the same thing
we sought as kids, freedom. But freedom is no longer found on American roadways. It is found on the Internet. The Internet is the last place on earth where liberty reigns. The explosion of the Internet is an example of what true freedom can accomplish. You don't need a license or "I.D." You don't need anyone's permission. You can go anywhere, anytime. You can see places you've never been, meet new people and have fun. ————— I can not count the number of old car shows that I have attended where the displayed car owners ignore everyone but their buddies. Its always the same, they sit at the back of their cars on lounge chairs and make no effort to meet or even bother to speak to the admirers of their cars. If the car owner shows no interest, why should younger people take a interest in cars they might have never seen or heard of? Of course, living in Palm Springs I don’t see all that many young people to start with, car shows or not. Ladies and gentlemen, if you show zero interest at these shows in anything other than yourselves, how can you expect anyone else to care about you or your car, or this hobby? You are part of the problem, and you can be part of the solution. It is up to you. Try getting off of your duffs and speak to those people that show interest in
your old iron once in a while. Until you do, nothing will ever change. ————— As a younger (31) car guy, I can say the problems of getting and keeping the next generation in the hobby, of which there are many, are there, but can be overcome. First is the perception that everything is expensive. If you watch auction coverage or a build show, most of what you see is the high-dollar, cost is no object, restoration or modification. It is nice to see what happens with unlimited funds, but then everyone thinks a beat-up old car is worth too much to buy. This is the same for parts & repair. Older cars, especially 60′s Ameri-
“… [F]reedom is no longer found on American roadways. It is found on the Internet.”
Car Collector Chronicles
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can cars, are hilariously inexpensive to work on. The perception of expense is due to the highlighting of expensive parts (think 426 Hemi) and comparisons to the cost of repairing the computerized systems on modern cars. Second is simple snobbery. Young and old, clubs and individuals are all guilty of this. If you follow the import scene, you’re looked down on by the muscle car group. If you’re a muscle car guy, you’re accused of being stuck in the past by those who follow the modern cars. The concours-correct crowd considers modifications blasphemous. The ecomodders (yes, I consider them enthusiasts as well) don’t get along with the high-horsepower racers. The best car show I ever went to was a little thing (about 20 cars). One group wasn’t dominant, so everyone got along. The participants ranged from an unrestored Jag XK120, to an Isetta, to a restored 1920′s Buick, to a beat-up 1950’s Ford pickup and a couple muscle cars. ‘It may have helped that the show was a side event for an area home tour. It was set up to give the “guys” something to do (the majority of home tour guests were female). It brought out a lot of people who wouldn’t usually go to a car show; male and female, young and old. Third is what has been discussed before: the push away from vocational education and working with your hands. In school, we were taught to work hard so you can go to college and get a good office job and wouldn’t have to work in manual labor. People are afraid to get their hands dirty, afraid to try and fix something, afraid they’ll break it. Gadgets and gizmos are disposable; simpler to buy a new one than fix it. Start someone off with a simple device to fix, show them how to diagnose a simple problem. Something as basic as a toaster, for example. One of the first things I remember fixing was my parents’ old toaster (a broken spring inside). Shortly after, I had the idea to put a bigger spring in it and shoot the toast up to the ceiling. A lifetime of modification was born. I was fortunate to grow up in the country when things were fixed, rather than replaced. The toaster fix led to tires & tubes on a bicycle, which led to brakes on a truck, which led to a new engine in a tractor. Fourth is the trifecta of time, money, and space. Most everyone will tell you they don’t have enough of them. It’s hard to justify a weekend car or project when the bills keep coming, work keeps calling and the garage is full of your daily driver. ————— An older enthusiast has a duty to help get the younger generation involved. You have a big garage and every tool known to man? Help a young enthusiast with a simple job; show them they can do it. I can say, without a doubt, I would not be as into the hobby as I am without the knowledge, tools, and garage space of other enthusiasts. Friends see what I’ve done with my old car and are thinking about modifying their daily drivers; something I’d consider a first step to getting into the hobby. “Could you do that?” they ask. “You can do it; I can show you how,” I respond. ————— We’re out there. You may not see us at the auctions or the cruise nights, but we’re there. Some of us may have an old car in the garage and some may just have the twinkle in the eye when an old car rolls past. We may not follow the same cars you do; may not have the same philosophy, may not have the knowledge of decades of working on cars, but we’re interested. We see a vehicle and don’t think, “Gee, that’ll get me from place to place.” We think, “Wow, that is really cool. I think I need one of those!” ————— We are often so concerned with preserving our definition of a car show and the car collector hobby that we drive younger people away by dismissing their definition as not worthy of a car show. Remember that many clubs are for late model Corvettes, Mustangs, or any number of specialty cars. These people love their cars and will often join classic car shows if invited. We often promote our shows and clubs to people with similar cars. Is this not like preaching to the choir? We must actively expand our definition and actively promote our hobby to anyone who shows interest in cars. We can promote our clubs by inviting other clubs with different cars for a combined show. Keep an open mind to promote the hobby to anyone who shows interest, and try to involve other people who may be interested after attending a club meeting or show. We must think broadly about expanding our definition to include cars which younger generations appreciate. Hopefully they will learn to appreciate our cars if we return the favor for their cars. Show as much appreciation for a good show car regardless of the make or year. To not welcome the younger car fans, regardless of the make and models they adore, is to relegate the hobby to a boring trip down Memory Lane, which by the way, is a dead end street.
Why is this of any import, if in fact it is? That question is best answered with one response I received which sums it all up rather nicely:
You won't be here forever, your car might.
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Car Collector Chronicles
Humor on Wheels
Smokin’ Olds
– 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: • Reality TV car shows
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Car Collector Chronicles
In the Year 19 and 62
The World Which Greeted Saved 62 — November ‘62
Nov 3 - Term "personal computer" is first mentioned by the media Nov 6 - Edward M. Kennedy first elected (Sen-D-MA) Nov 7 - After losing the California governor's race, in his concession speech, Richard M. Nixon states that this is his "last press conference" and that "you don't have Nixon to kick around any more". - Eleanor Roosevelt, First Lady, dies (b. 1884)