A GDYNETS

PUBLICATION
2015, G. DAVID
YAROS. ALL
RIGHTS RESERVED.

Car Collector
Chronicles

Volume VIII, Issue 11

Exploring:

Ca

Car Collecting Today

High RPMs

Classic Rides
Reports From the Field
Oldsmobile (1897-2004)
Cadillac (1902- )
Allant (1987-1993)

Corvair (1960-1969)

= Clickable Link

IN THIS ISSUE:
High RPMs

A Look Back

Thank the Feds

Focus on Fun

With this issue CCC enters

into publishing year eight.
This edition shall take a look
back at the rides which have
occupied a stall in the Yaros
car barn during those 8
years.
Worthy of Note?- Presentation to the Japanese motoring public of a driverless car
at the Tokyo Auto Show. It
is designed to appeal to the
younger generation who
have little-to-no interest in
either cars or driving them?
November Automotive Milestones
11/1/1895 1st US auto club
formed
1st car mag published ("The
Horseless Age")
11/1/1955 Studebaker Hawk
debuts
11/1/2008
Car Collector
Chronicles debuts
11/2/1935 Cord debuts 810
Ford debuts Zephyr
11/3/1900 1st national auto

CCC -THE FORUM -A web

site to discuss the newsletter,
the hobby and our cars.

OldsD88@gmail.com

show of Automobile Club of

America; Madison Sq Garden
11/3/1911 Louis Chevrolet &
Billy Durant found Chevrolet
Motor Car Co.
11/5/1863 Jas. Warren Packard born
11/6/1893 Edsel Ford born
11/6/1899 1st test run of
Packard's first car
11/10/1925 Ford debuts TriMotor airplane
11/10/1775
USMC 240th
birthday! OOH RAH!
11/11/1940 Jeep makes its
1st appearance
11/12/1908 Olds joins GM
11/14/1914 1st Dodge rolls
off assembly line
11/14/1945
Tony Hulman
buys Indy Spdwy from Eddie
Rickenbacker for $750K
11/5/1895
George Selden
patents gas-powered car
11/18/1940 Buick builds its
four-millionth car
11/19/1959
Ford ceases
Edsel production
11/20/1920 GM names Pierre du Pont president

11/20/1951 Sears debuts Kaiserbuilt Allstate

11/25/1844
Karl Benz born,
Karlsruhe, Germany
11/30/1900
Germany patents
front-wheel-drive
11/30/1960 De Soto production
ends

- Pause and give thanks -

GDYNets on the Web

Find GDYNets on the web:

CCC Forum
EMail:

November 2015

Car Collector Chronicles

Saved 62 -Our 1962 Olds
convertible, Ransom Eli Olds
and things Oldsmobile related
web site.
The Gray Lady -1955 Cadillac
Coup 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
Oldsmobile cars and the company founder, Ransom Eli Olds.

THE GRAY LADY: This website features our 1955 Cadillac

Coup de Ville, lots of Caddy
information and an extensive
repair library.

DAVES DEN: -A site 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.

Car Collector Chronicles

Page 2

A Look Back

My high
school ride
was a black
1960
Oldsmobile
. I did, and
do, remember
that set of
wheels
fondly.

Iss. 1 of CCC had a pic of the steering wheel of Saved 62. The very next issue, December 2008, pictured a 1956 Cadillac and referenced my desire for a mid-50s Coup
deVille. Saved 62 was the first collector car we purchased. That was back in 2005. The
Gray Lady, our 1955 Cadillac was the last; at least to date. She was acquired in 2009.
Since CCC first appeared on the scene in 2008, there have been a few other old rides
entrusted to our care. So many, that our garage had to be expanded to accommodate
them!
Lets go back to the beginning. On attaining age 59 I reached a point in my life that I
determined would actually permit me to consider purchasing a collector car. There was
no question as to what kind of car that would be. The only marque under consideration
was Oldsmobile.
That is
because I grew up with
them, learned to drive in one
and misspent my youth behind the wheel of one. My
high school ride was a black
1960 Oldsmobile Super 88
Holiday SceniCoupe. She
boasted a 394 c.i. engine, a
4-barrel Rochester carb, a
factory 3-speed manual
transmission and positraction! Not only was I cool, but at the same time, I was hot stuff. Is that even possible? Needless to say, I did, and do, remember that set of wheels fondly. So, when I
took my initial foray into the old car market, I began looking for a 1960 Olds.
A decade, plus ago Mecum & Son had yet to reach the big time. Back then, their
annual Illinois extravaganza was held in Belvidere, IL, at the Boone Co. Fairgrounds.
Cars were displayed in tents, and throughout the year more livestock than cars crossed
the facility auction block. I learned they had a 60 Olds going under the hammer. With
high hopes I had my bank issue the requisite letter of credit, signed up for bidder credentials and headed down to Belvidere, IL.
The car in question was a white convertible with a green interior. Natch, it had an
automatic transmission. I had already reconciled myself to the fact that I was not going
to find another stick shift 60 Olds. After all, the only one I had ever seen in three score
years was my own! Realistically, this ragtop was a 20 footer. Another consignor had
mirrors under his nearby car to display the chassis. I asked if I could borrow one, and
was permitted to do so. To my horror inspection found gobs (pounds) of fiberglass in
the quarter panels. That it did made up my mind. We would not be bidding on the car.
Even so, the Mrs. & I did stick around for the auction. A 1962 Starfire had caught our
attention. The bidding on it was fast and furious. Jean said, May I bid? I said sure,
but nothing over $16K. With the bids at $12K she threw her hat in the ring. The auctioneer recognized her with a bid of $20K! Whoa, what was all this? Luckily, someone
else jumped in at $22K and took us off the hook. The bottom line was, we returned
from Belvidere driving the same car in which we had arrived.
The next summer Saved 62 came under our radar. The rest is history. She still occupies her place of preference in the Yaros Car Barn and is collecting 1st Place awards.
Acquisition of Saved 62 stirred memories for Jean of her first ride, a Corvair. She
thought it would be neat to have one again. A search began. It ended on ebay. A
turquoise 1963 Corvair Monza convertible then journeyed from VA to WI. I can say this
about the Vair, driving it required the operator to become one with the car. Ones
senses perceived every stroke of the engine and each shift of the tranny. I also always
had the feeling someone was on my tail, due to the sound of the engine coming from

Page 3

Car Collector Chronicles

A Look BackContd
behind me! I also want to say, Corvair
owners are among the most knowledgeable and helpful folk I have run across in
the car hobby. To this day I still frequent
the Corvair Center Forum in order to be
a part of the Vair experience. As for the
Vair, the Mrs. decided reality did not measure up to the memory. The last we know,
the Vair is being enjoyed in PA by its current owners.
While at a car show Jean took a liking to
a 1985 Buick Riviera; naturally, a convertible. She decided this would be more practical for her regular use in the summer months. To get it we needed to find a buyer for the
Corvair. That task accomplished, the Rivi took up residence in the Yaros Car Barn. While
the car did have a 307 c.i. Oldsmobile engine sporting a 4 bbl carb, it could muster only all
of 140 h.p. In other words, it was a dog! One of my vivid memories of this car is having to
spend $400 + to get the car successfully through the state mandated emissions test!
Jean decided to sell the car, as she
was uncomfortable with the crowd
it attracted. She now regrets that
decision. Unfortunately, her loss
became the gain of a federal judge
in IL. We trust he is still enjoying
the ride?
Jean, having seen an Allant when
we were on tour with Saved 62,
decided it would be the perfect
replacement for the Rivi. I eventually spotted a suitable candidate on
ebay. It was located in Palm
Springs, CA. Long story short, it
ended up in WI. It came with the
removable hardtop and chrome wheels in addition to the factory alloy rims.
I am sure this will sound a bit strange, but the driving experience with respect to this
$64K list price Allant bears similarities to the modestly priced Corvair. They both delivered a sports car feel; albeit much more with the Allant. The Allant engine has a lot of
low-end torque. This results in very good pick up whenever the pedal is put to the metal.
Additionally, these cars exhibit great handling and excellent braking. These features do
make them a very fun car to drive.
Having said that, one has to wonder what Cadillac was thinking when it determined this
$64K car would come with a manual soft top? Not only is the top manually operated,
there is a bit of a learning curve to understand how to put it up and down. Even more
confounding is trying to appreciate the rationale behind use of cheap plastic hardware on
interior componets. The visor mirror covers are notorious for breaking. When they do
they are not repairable or able to be replaced, except at great expense. Broken visor
mirror covers give off an appearance of neglect and abuse; not at all the look strived for in
a luxury sports car. Also, the cheaply constructed plastic seat back release handles are
known to fail. A mandatory Allant accessory should be a package of J-B Weld!
Given the sports car styling of the Allant it sits low to the ground. Entry and exit is not
easy for mature persons. For this reason, in the eyes of the Mrs., the initial appeal of the
Allant dissipated rather quickly. Luckily, we had a friend who lusted after the car. He
wanted to buy it for his daughter. He did. The car now sits and is seldom, if ever, driven.

[T]he driving
experience
with respect
to this $64K
list price
Allant bears
similarities to
the modestly
priced
Corvair.

Car Collector Chronicles

Page 4;;

A Look BackContd.

Last, but by no means least, there is The Gray Lady. While she may be gone, she is by no means forgotten. In fact, she lives on online at the The Gray Lady web site . She also is viewed daily by me in the
form of the screen saver picture on my computer.
In my youth Cadillac owners were envied. My father longed to own a Cadillac. Eventually he was able
to fulfill that desire. Like father, like son, I also yearned for a Caddy. In 2009 it happened.
A Coup deVille with a long family history of being appreciated and admired by its owners came our
way. We snatched it up! She was/is a veritable feast for the eyes. I cannot deny that the mere sight of

her on entering the car barn produced a feeling of all is right with the world. In addition to looks, she exhibits class. So much so that even Cadillac recognized her appeal by using the very same color car in
print ads.
So, why is The Gray Lady no longer occupying space in the car barn? The truth of the matter is that she
was not being used, or seen. In six years of ownership less than 200 miles were racked up on the speedometer. It is my belief that it is not good for a car to just sit year-after-year. They need to be driven and
used as intended. Others, in addition to me, need to be able to lay eyes on her and to enjoy her. That
was not happening. I deemed it in the best interest of all that The Gray Lady be permitted to move on to a
new custodian. She now resides in Amarillo, TX, and is able to be viewed by many at Bills Backyard
Classics museum.
In visiting the past, I am surprised at the role the state of IL has played in our car adventures. The first
car auction we attended was in Belvidere, IL. Saved 62 was delivered by Oldsmobile to a dealer in Lansing,
IL. She was purchased by us in 2005 from that same dealer. The 1985 Buick Riviera was sold to a party
in Rockford, IL. The 1992 Cadillac Allant is now titled and garaged in Oakbrook Terrace, IL.

Thank the Feds!

Hemmings Blog reports that on Oct. 27th the federal government modified U.S. copyright law to permit
private individuals to turn wrenches on their cars without being in violation of the law. Say what? You
heard me right. Working on modern-day cars more often than not requires accessing and manipulating
code embedded in the onboard computer(s). Present attempts to diagnose, repair or modify a vehicle
may result in circumvention of the software creators digital management rights, as that code is protected
under copyright laws.
Here is how the change in law reads
:
The "lawful modification" of vehicle software is authorized "when circumvention is a necessary step undertaken by the authorized owner of the vehicle to allow the diagnosis, repair or lawful modification of a vehicle function; and where such circumvention does not constitute a violation of applicable law, including
without limitation regulations promulgated by the Department of Transportation or the Environmental
Protection Agency; and provided, however, that such circumvention is initiated no earlier than 12 months
after the effective date of this regulation."
A valid question has to be, what is the rationale for the one year delay in authorization? An ever better
question is, why even bother trying to figure out why the federal government does what it does?

Page 5;;

Car Collector Chronicles

Focus on Fun

Study it carefully
Ok, Ive had my say for the month. Now its
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
months issue of the newsletter, if so inclined,
like CCC on Facebook by going here
_______________________________________

-- RESTORE 'EM, AND DRIVE 'EM!

COMING NEXT ISSUE:
TBD