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Car Collector
Chronicles
© 2009, G. DAVID
YAROS. ALL
RIGHTS RESERVED.
®
“The two best The two best features of going digital are instant viewing on the
features of camera, and being able to delete crummy shots. Take your pic and
look at it. Does it meet your needs? If not, delete it and try again.
going digital
Our digital camera happens to be a Kodak™ EasyShare, but the
are instant purchase of any major brand will do the trick. Ours also happens to
be a warranted, refurbished camera. Factory refurbished means less
viewing on the
cost, and we are all interested in saving money, right? To be truthful,
camera, and we continue to be astonished at the quality of pictures it produces. All
of the photos of our rides, the Yaros Car Barn, projects, etc. that you
being able to
see on the pages of CCC were taken with it.
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delete crummy
How many times have you heard about how much documentation
shots.” enhances the value of a ride? How many times have you seen photo
albums on display with restored machines? With a relatively inexpen-
sive, easy to operate, digital camera you too can impress the world
with your vehicle documentation.
Have you ever completed the purchase of auto insurance for your
classic without having to submit pictures? I haven’t. With your digital
camera you can email those pictures to your insurance company.
Those very pictures may help resolve a damage claim, should any
questions arise during the settlement process. You will be able to
show the part was NOS, as you gave them a picture of it.
On a more mundane, but practical, level, when working on a project
you should no longer have to resort to scouring a wiring diagram to
find out if it is the blue or black wire that should be connected to this
terminal. Just look at the before picture!
Photographing the before and after is also a great way to involve
others in your passion for old cars. While they may not be interested
in turning wrenches, they may gladly become your official photog.
So, if you are not doing so now, it is highly recommended that you
do get a digital camera, become familiar with it, and start shooting.
You won’t regret the decision.
Page 3
In the August issue I hinted at the fact we were going to take SAVED
62 (our 1962 Dynamic 88 Olds, convertible) on an organized driving
tour of Old U.S. 27 in the state of Michigan. The driving tour was 5
days in length, and encompassed 10 stops enroute. Here is a map of
the driving tour:
You, along
with 200 other
like-minded
souls, head
out on the
road with a
You can see, it ran right up the heart of Michigan, on U.S. Hwy. 27.
police escort.”
Let’s go back to the beginning. In the fall of ’07 I found a driving tour
online for the summer of 2008. Unfortunately, it was booked, and not
accepting more participants. I was never able to find that trip again?
Wanting to spend more time driving our car, than showing it, I kept
looking for something similar. In early 2009, I stumbled upon the His-
toric Hwy. 27 Tour.
Equally attractive was the fact we would not be taking the tour alone.
Quite a while back a fellow Oldsmobile aficionado made contact with me
Car Collector Chronicles Page 4;;
electronically. We not only shared a fondness for Oldsmobile, that interest was mutually
focused on the 1962 model year. His interest focuses on the Starfire. He has a true
beauty in which he has invested a lot of time, energy and money. The best thing about
his ride is that he drives it regularly, weather permitting! We have been exchanging infor-
mation, viewpoints and you name it, via email, ever since. In fact he even contributed an
article to the March 2009 edition of CCC on his first ride, a 1938 Dodge coupe. In the
®
process, I have determined that for a foreigner (Canadian), he is not too bad a guy!
When one sees the craftsmanship that Studebaker incorporated into the construction of
conestoga (covered) wagons, an appreciation is gained for his solid reputation as an
automobile manufacturer in the early days. His 1920-30 vintage rides are mighty classy
looking machines, easily able to hold their own against the competition of the time.
BACK TO THE TOUR— Kudos have to go out to the organizer, Craig Parrish. He puts
in a tremendous amount of effort to assure things go smooth, and it shows. First off,
there is a police escort along almost the entire route. Just to have law enforcement at an
appointed intersection on an appointed day, at an appointed hour, requires massive
amounts of coordination. Law enforcement was on the scene, permitting our caravan of
200 + rides to cruise through traffic light controlled intersections without a hitch.
As a spectator, it would have been nearly impossible to not find a ride that held some
personal interest. This is because the number, model years and makes of automobile
on tour ran the gamut. One of my favorites from among all the cars was a 1960 Chrysler
300 F. It had ram induction with 2 fours, and swivel bucket seats.
I am proud to say that Oldsmobile was quite well represented; going as far back as
1939. Model year 1962 had 3 entries; two Starfires and SAVED 62. A number of Cut-
lasses and later full-sized Olds were also part of the entourage.
TOUR HIGHLIGHTS — One of the neatest things about the tour was to see the joy in
the faces of spectators as we rolled by. Residents would come out of their homes to
meet/greet us. Oncoming traffic would pull over to the side of the road, park and watch
the caravan make its way past them. There were waves and smiles all around. For
Jean and I, it was really neat to be able to share the joy inherent in classic car ownership
with all the folks we encountered enroute.
It was neat to hear a spectator say, as we pulled into Lansing, “There’s another one
that has come home!” (SAVED 62 is, in actual fact, a Lansing built machine.) Finding
pristine copies of Setting the Pace; the tome when it comes to Oldsmobiles; at bargain
basement prices, and good food, also made the tour all the more enjoyable.
3 hardy souls traversed the entire tour route on Cushman motor scooters. Their feat
was all the more remarkable, given the prevailing weather; it rained 3 out of 5 days, off
and on.
Most gratifying was receiving compliments on SAVED 62 from fellow classic car own-
ers who were driving what I thought was some mighty fine machinery. I am proud to say
that she ably held her own amongst a group of pretty select automobiles.
For our return trip, we drove the 2-lanes around the southern shore of L. Huron and the
eastern shore of L. Michigan. At Luddington, MI we loaded/boarded a ferry that took us
to Manitowoc, WI. This eliminated having to make another trip through Chicago with
SAVED 62. By the time we arrived home, we had logged a total of 1,192 miles!
On the way to MI, particularly on the Indiana Toll Road, we were alongside an 18
wheeler in a construction zone. The road was curvy and sported concrete barriers. Had
the semi not been pulling 3 trailers, with the third and final one swerving side-to-side, it
Car Collector Chronicles Page 6
The logical question must be, “Hey Dave, where are photos from the tour?” Below are
a few, solely as a tease. You may view all the pics taken at the Studebaker and Hud-
son museums, and on the Hwy. 27 Tour, on Photobucket.com.
Ok, I have had my say for this month, and 2009. Now it is your turn! I invite and en-
courage submission of your comments, opinions and contributions. Everything sent
shall indeed be reviewed by me. Submissions should be sent to: OldsD88@gmail.com
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-- RESTORE 'EM, AND DRIVE 'EM!