A GDYNETS

PUBLICATION
2017, G. DAVID
YAROS. ALL
RIGHTS RESERVED.

Car Collector
Chronicles

Volume X, Issue 2

Exploring:

Ca

February 2017

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

Then & Now

Pics to Ponder

Please join me in the marking of a milestone. This edition of CCC is #100 of this
pub! Vol. I, Issue No. 1 saw
the light of day back in November of 2008. A few cars,
a lot of words and a lot of
pics have been enjoyed since
that initial issue appeared.
February Automotive Milestones
01-1898 Travelers issues 1st
auto ins policy
02-1923: Leaded "Ethyl" gas
1st marketed in Dayton, OH
03-1948 1st Cadillac with
tailfins produced
04-1922 Ford acquires Lincoln from Henry Leland
04-1941 R. E. Olds received
his last automobile patent for
an internal combustion engine design
05-1952 1st "Don't Walk"
sign installed in NYC
05-1970 AMC acquires Kaiser-Jeep Corp
06-1954 Mercedes 300 SL
"Gullwing" debuts in NYC

08-1936 Wm Durant, filed for

personal bankruptcy
09-1909 Fisher incorporates
Indianapolis Motor Speedway
11-1932 Ford announces
new V-8 engine
12-1898 1st car crash fatality
happened in Great Britain
15-1902 Olds ran its 1st national autoe ad in Sat Eve
Post
15-1968 AMC debuts AMX
16-1852 Henry and Clement
Studebaker founded H & C
Studebaker
17-1911 1st self-starter installed in a Cadillac
17-1972 Beetle replaces
Model T as world's bestselling car
18-1952 Studebaker celebrates 100th birthday
19-1954 Ford Thunderbird
born in prototype form
20-1909 Hudson Motor Car
founded.
22-1923 1,000,000th Chevy
produced
23-1893 Rudolf Diesel received German patent for

diesel engine
24-1909 Hudson Motor Car Co.
incorporated
24-1968 American Motors debuts
AMX
26-2015 Ernie Hemmings Died
28-1932 Last Ford Model A produced

- Keep em rolling!

GDYNets on the Web

Find GDYNets on the web:

CCC -THE FORUM -A web

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

CCC Forum
EMail:

OldsD88@gmail.com

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

Then & Now

The
Oldsmobile
that gave
initial rise to
this lifelong
passion was

What led to CCC coming into being in the first place? Back in 2008 I was still gainfully employed as a labor relations specialist for the Milwaukee Public Schools. A whole
lot, and I do mean a whole lot, of my 8-hour workday was spent online, trolling the net
for info on old rides.
To make the term a whole lot more tangible to the reader permit me to recount an
incident at work. One day my boss came into my office, closed the door and said, We
have to talk! She began the conversation by laying a good 4 thick stack of computer
paper on my desk. It was a printout of every web site I had visited on my work computer over a rather short period of time. While there was the occasional work related
site listed in the printout, most of the sites had to do with old cars. How I avoided being
fired over this is beyond comprehension? When it became apparent I was not going to
be terminated I stated my trolling would not be a problem in the future. It wasnt, thankfully, but it also did not stop!
By November of 2008 I had already owned
Saved62 for over three years. Saved62 is the
last in a long line of Oldsmobile cars both I
and my family have been privileged to own
and maintain. That long line stretches back
to the 1948 model year.

my high
school ride.
She was a a
1960 Super 88
Holiday
SceniCoupe
with 3-on-thetree from the
factory.

The Oldsmobile that gave initial rise to

this lifelong passion was my high school
ride. She was a 1960 Super 88 Holiday
SceniCoupe with 3-on-the-tree from the
factory. In all my three score + 1 years I
have never, ever, seen another. Even back then I knew she was special. Even finding
info online about full-sized Oldsmobile B-Body cars equipped with a factory manual
transmission is next to impossible. Believe me, I know as I spent hours looking!
At any rate, by November of 2008 I had collected gigabytes of info on Oldsmobile
cars and other old rides. I had even created a web site for Saved62. So I figured why
not share this info I had been acquiring. I had plenty of time to kill and knew others
shared my interest. So, CCC was born.
With the passage of time more than a few other rides found their way in and out of the
Yaros Car Barn. I believe the next ride to find a home in our garage was Jeans 1963
Chevrolet Corvair Monza convertible. It came to us from WV, via ebay. It was the
first car purchased sight unseen. Rest assured there was a lot of communication with
the seller before pulling the trigger on this purchase. Lucky for us, the seller was honest and not out to dump a car on unsuspecting buyers.
On the subject of Corvairs, I want to proclaim publicly that Corvair owners are the
friendliest and most helpful group of old car
enthusiasts I have ever encountered. Indeed, they taught me much about GMs air
cooled powered car. I was, and am, so impressed with their openness and willingness
to assist that to this day I still regularly frequent the Corvair Center Forum.
It is hoped this ride is still cruising the back
roads of PA, where she went after leaving
our care. It is also hoped that she is bringing
as much enjoyment to the current owners as she did to us.

Car Collector Chronicles

Page 3

Then & NowContd.

With the sale of the Vair the Mrs.
ride needed to be replaced. At a car
show we were participating in she
found a 1985 Buick Riviera convertible
that tickled her fancy. After a test
drive, some investigation and a little
negotiation, it became ours. The car
came out of an estate and the heirs
were very concerned that it go to a
good home. It did!
We even took the car on a vacation
trip out east one summer. I would be
less than honest if I did not acknowledge that the 307 c.i., 4 bbl. carb
Oldsmobile engine ran like a dog and
did not get good gas mileage at all. Also this is the only old ride I have ever owned that was
required to undergo emission testing. It did and failed. It cost me an arm and a leg to get it
to the point of being able to pass the mandated test.
While the Mrs. now regrets having done so, she decided to pass the car on to another
owner. This decision was predicated on the fact that the car had attracted a, for lack of a
better term, an urban following.
I can say that the new owner was more than excited about being able to purchase this car.
Not only was he excited, so were his wife and children. As Rockford, IL is not that distant,
perhaps we shall run across it some time in the future?
In my youth my now departed father lusted for a Cadillac. He never got to the point where
he could afford to purchase one new. To satisfy his desires he scoured the used car market
for a suitable candidate. One day in 1964 he asked me to go with him to look at a car. He
had spotted a 1955 Cadillac Series 62 4-door Sedan. It was Cape Ivory over Inca Gold in
color.
After a test drive and listening to the exhaust by cupping the tailpipe with my hands I proffered that the car needed at least a valve job, and maybe a major overhaul. Even so, Dad
was drooling and wanted it. I told him to negotiate down the price and if he got it I would
help him do the engine work. He did, and we did.
In 1964 both of us were working jobs in the steel mills in Gary, IN. We did not work the
same shifts, however. So he would turn wrenches on the car while I was working in the mill
and I would take his place in the garage while he went off to earn his daily bread. I do not
recall how long it took, but we were at it for quite a while.
We finally did get the overhaul done: new bearings, rings and a valve job. She not only
purred like a kitten, he thought it was the cats meow that he now had a Caddy to drive to
and-from work and grinned like a Cheshire cat! For this period in his life all was right with
the world!
Like father, like son. His appreciation for Cadillac was passed on to me. Although both of
us were Oldsmobile men tried and true, both of us were drawn to Cadillac cars. Like him, I
too acquired a 1955 Cadillac. Mine was a Series 62 Coupe deVille. She came to me in
2009 from New York state. As most of you know, I dubbed her the Gray Lady. On her arrival
I found out the car was too long to fit in my garage without alteration; alteration to the garage, not the car. That problem was immediately rectified and she took up residence in the
Yaros Car Barn. Just like Dear Ol Dad, the Gray Lady brought a smile to my face every time
I entered the car barn. She was a beauty to behold.
I was so into her I created a massive web site chock full of Cadillac information. Many
an enthusiast has commented about the web site. I did hook up online with a lot of Cadillac
owners. I have nothing but kind words for and about them. As for real, live, face-to-face
relationships with Cadillac owners, I shall only say I find them to be cut from a different cloth.

[H]e thought
it was the
cats meow
that he now
had a Caddy
to drive toand-from
work and
grinned like a
Cheshire
cat!

Car Collector Chronicles

Page 4;;

Then & NowContd.

While I did a lot of work on the car, and admired her a lot, I seldom drove the car. Just sitting and looking
pretty was beginning to visibly take a toll on the car. I decided something had to be done. I could not permit this fine specimen of craftsmanship and design deteriorate while under my stewardship. The something
to be done turned out to be passing the car on to another person who, hopefully, would make use of the car
and in the process let her be seen and enjoyed by others. The Gray Lady easily found a buyer in a very
short period of time. To the best of my knowledge today she is ensconced in Bills Backyard Classics Auto
Museum in Amarillo, TX, where she is able to be enjoyed and appreciated by a multitude.
When it comes to Cadillac appreciation it has been said:
The medical term for the affliction is Caddyholicism An addiction to the ownership of Cadillacs or the mental illness and compulsive behavior
resulting from Cadillac dependency.
Manifestation "He had a long history of depression, euphoria, cash flow problems and Cadillacs."
So what is the purpose behind this trip down memory lane? It is to show from where, and just how far,
we have come since 2008. The fact is that back then I was bubbling over with enthusiam and full of
questions. Whatever I was able to learn I made an effort to share. One, and the main, way of sharing has
been via the pages of CCC. It has been an enjoyable experience for me, and I hope for you as well.
It has also taken a lot of time and effort. In the early days I couild crank out a newsletter will little effort,
off of the top of my head so to speak. More than just of late it has been taking days to research and
compose what you read. And when I do so, I find myself dissatisfied with the product, which more and
more is nothng but a rehash of what others before me have said, and probably more eloquently. I find
myself creating original content less and less. I find myself dreading the approach of another publication
deadline. Pulling each issue together has become work, instead of a joy. That this is so has been
weighing on my mind for some time now.
Consequently, I have determined that issue #100 of CCC will be the last. I am retiring forthwith.
I shall still be around on the web. For those that frequent Corvair Center, Classic Oldsmobile, CadillacLaSalle, Mid-Centrury Cadillacs and the AACA fora, you will undoubtedly run into me there. We shall still
be driving and showing Saved62. So, it is not like we are dropping off the face of the earth.
In parting, let me say that it has been a great ride! I have enjoyed getting to know you and sharing our
love for old rides. We shall be looking for you on down the road .

Page 5;;

Car Collector Chronicles

Pics to Ponder
Adios folks!

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 the newsletter, if so inclined, like CCC on Facebook by going here. To UNSUBSCRIBE send an email to ==> OldsD88@gmail.com

_______________________________________

-- RESTORE 'EM, AND DRIVE 'EM!

COMING NEXT ISSUE:
You are on your own from here on out ...