A GDYNETS

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

Car Collector
Chronicles

Volume VIII, Issue 5

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

GDY Nets

On the Web
CLC Judges

Training
SITEings

The Gray Lady

FOR SALE

It is the end of April and

we are still waiting for spring
to arrive in SE WI. There
have been one or two teaser
days, but for the most part
day time temps are still in
the 40s. One has to believe:
soon?
At the end of March I put
The Gray Lady up for sale.
To market the ride I have
listed her on a dozen car
sites, and created a web site
where detailed info may be
obtained. That web site
has a link on it to 80 photos
of the car. Those photos
have been viewed 185 times
to date.
Over the last 30 days I
have had a few inquiries. As
she is still up for the taking,
none of those inquires have
resulted in the passage of
money or transfer of title.
I have been told that my
$29,450 price is in the ball-

Find GDYNets on the web:

Pics That Caught

My Eye
CCC Forum
EMail:

OldsD88@gmail.com

park and to expect it to

take anywhere from 30 - 90
days to achieve a sale. If she
does not sell by the time the
Cadillac Grand National
Meet concludes at the end of
June, I will consider rethinking my marketing campaign.
May Automotive Milestones
5/1/1954 Nash & Hudson
merge, forming AMC
5/2/1918 Chevy joins GM
5/3/1899 Packard begins
operations
5/6/1928 Chrysler introduces De Soto
5/10/1923 GM names Alfred
P. Sloan president
5/14/1969 Last Corvair rolls
off assembly line
5/17/1868 Horace Dodge
born-Niles, Michigan
5/19/1903 Buick Motor Co.
incorporates
5/21/1901 Connecticut enacts first speed limit law
5/22/1929 Debut flight of the

Goodyear Blimp
5/23/1875 Alfred Sloan, Jr., bornNew Haven, CT
5/28/1937 Volkswagen founded
5/29/1946 First Kaiser-Frazer produced
5/30/1911 First Indy 500 held
5/31/1927 Ford built last Model T

- Spring is getting closer!

GDYNets on the Web

1979 Cadillac
Eldorado RoadStar

May 2015

CCC -THE FORUM -A web

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

CLC Judges Training

[T]he
standard to be
applied when
judging a
car ... is one
of As
delivered from
the factory to
the original
owner at the
time of
purchase.

I indicated last month that I would be attending a training

session in Chicago on car judging put on by the CadillacLaSalle Club. The biggest problem I had in connection with
the training session was finding the location. Fact is, I drove
right by the host hotel (Crowne Plaza in Glen Ellyn, IL). Luckily, I flagged down a passing motorist who informed me of the
error of my ways and got me headed back in the right direction. I did get to the session with a few minutes to spare before the start.
I was surprised at the number of participants and the distances some traveled to be in attendance. There were folks
from CT, NE and MO; in addition to the expected attendees from IL and WI.
The training took up an entire day, running from 9 to 4:30. The agenda did include
lunch at the host hotel. I have to say the meal provided was a notch above what one is
used to receiving at these kind of functions.
The morning session was spent in class. It concluded with a written exam. I was not
suspecting that and was taken aback, albeit only slightly. To my knowledge, I passed
the test with flying colors. Or perhaps I should say no one has informed me I failed?
I took away from the class session a few points. The most critical was the standard to
be applied when judging a car. It is one of As delivered from the factory to the original
owner at the time of purchase. Deductions are not taken for dealer installed accessories, so long as those accessories were factory authorized. Factory authorized in this
instance refers to Cadillac produced items that could have been installed either on the
assembly line or at the selling dealership.
Somewhat contradictory/confusing to me was
the admonishment that over restoration should
yield no point deduction. The reason I find that
to be contradictory/confusing is that over restoration results in the presentation of a car that
appears different from when As delivered from
the factory to the original owner at time of purchase.
An example of what I am talking about may
help. The sill plates on The Gray Lady are made
of aluminum. The finish at best is one of being
slightly brushed. Some car owners enhance the appearance of the sill plates by taking
the time and effort to polish them to a high lustre; to the point that some might mistake
them to be chrome instead of aluminum. While I do not deny that the polished aluminum sill plates do look good, they do not look anything like the as delivered factory
part. Additionally, the polished sill plates seem to defeat the intent of factory engineers.
Brushed aluminum shows scuffs and scratches far less than highly polished aluminum,
which I assume the factory at the time thought was a good thing.
But who am I to complain? I do not set the standard. I did note that these kinds of
concerns are addressed, somewhat. While points are not to be deducted for over restoration, adjustments may be made with regard to authenticity. It is a bit hard to argue
that highly polished sill plates are an authentic presentation of this factory part as delivered?
The training conducted in the afternoon consisted of hands-on inspection and evaluation of cars. It took place at a nearby Cadillac dealership. The cars made available to
us where a 2015 Cadillac 4-door sedan (Sorry, I do not know the model. To me they all
look alike!) a 1955 Cadillac Sedan de Ville and a 1954 Fleetwood limo.
While it may seem strange to have a brand spanking new car in this group, it served a
very useful purpose. That purpose was to serve as an exemplar of the as delivered by

Page 3

Car Collector Chronicles

CLC Judges TrainingContd

the factory standard. The cold, hard truth is that brand new cars are anything but perfect.
Moreover, standards of perfection change over time with improvements in production
methods. So, what might be acceptable in 1929 might not be acceptable in 1955, and
what might be accepted in 1955 might not pass muster in 2015.
The hands-on session presented real life questions and challenges. Right off the top
one had to deal with the not at all uncommon situation of how to handle the presence of a
battery cutoff switch and/or Battery Tender type connection. Neither device was ever
installed on any car by any automobile manufacturer. That being the case, the answer of
what to do should be obvious, right? I must report it is not. The correct answer, at least
as regards the CLC, is to do nothing. No points are to be deducted?
Our trainee group was not able to agree on what was proper when it came to the hood
pad on the 55. The pad in question was vinyl covered. Everyone, except a guy who
owned a 55me, opined that the vinyl covered hood pad was not factory original. I took
the question to the instructor. He advised I was correct and the others in the group were
wrong on this score.
I mention this instance only to point out that a judges assessment is only as good as
their knowledge, experience and philosophy. Is s/he a strict constructionist or mildly progressive when it comes to interpreting and applying standards? Despite both a desire and
need for uniformity of judging criteria, there exists a wide variance.
One thing the training taught me is that it is no wonder the owners of judged cars get
upset at decisions reached! Why should points be deducted for putting radial tires on a
car that did not come with them originally, but none for installing a battery disconnect?
How does one know in advance, what is permissible and what is not? The CLC, and
hopefully other organizations, do make their judging standards readily available to the
membership. Doing so is of great help in knowing what is allowed, and what is not. I can
also see problems arise when a car owner elects to have their ride judged by another organization, say by the AACA. There is no requirement that it use the same judging standards/criteria as the CLC. Consequently, one groups 100 point car may be seen as being
only a 95 point car by another?
Hopefully, I shall be able to do some real judging at the upcoming Cadillac-LaSalle Club
Grand National Meet in June. It will be both an interesting and learning experience. I will
be most interested in learning more about the conduct of this somewhat esoteric craft.

Why should
points be
deducted for
putting radial
tires on a car
that did not
come with
them
originally, but
none for
installing a
battery

SITEings

I recently stumbled upon a web site that I want to recommend to all. I found that I could,
and most probably shall, spend hours there. It is titled The View Through the Windshield. The referenced page is, for lack of a better term, an index page or table of contents. Many
links are presented there for your consideration. Do take a look at the offering Its a Classic. It
should elicit a chuckle or two.
I also found the Auto Sketch section to be very entertaining. In addition to a discussion of the
listed vehicle, a short synopsis of events for the year of the auto being discussed is presented under
Remember When at the bottom of the sketch page.
This site is not just about cars. That being said, after spending time on the site exploring the offerings, one cannot help but be reminded of just how much the automobile permeated our culture back
in the day.
The lives of a wide divergence of folk are highlighted by Mr. Sherlock in his People section. I
could not begin to list them all, but will note they run the gamut from Annette Funicello to Margaret
Thatcher. To say the least, the scope of personalities represents a pretty broad universe.
In his Pop-culture area, among other things, he discusses the bottled water craze. I guarantee
you that it will yield a laugh or two.
The offerings are varied. So much so that you are certain to find something of interest. The humor strikes a responsive chord precisely because it contains more than a modicum of truth. The
entertainment received is well worth the time spent here. I hope you enjoy it as much as me.

disconnect?

Car Collector Chronicles

The Gray LadyFOR SALE

Page 4;;

The Gray Lady was acquired by us in 2009. Six

years have seen less than 200 miles put on the car.
She spends her time silently, parked in the car barn.
It is criminal to not be driving, showing and sharing
her! Such a beautiful car should be seen and
appreciated by all who admire old cars. Given this
view, I have come to the decisiion it is time to pass
on stewardship over The Gray Lady.
I have created a web site to market The Gray Lady
and tell her story in word and picture. I have tried to
be transparent in the telling. The site links to 80
pictures on Flikr and details both what has been
done to the car, as well as what needs to be done.
Check it out here. Should you know of anyone
with an interest in owning a truly fine automobile that
exudes both style and class, do send them my way.

1979 Cadillac Eldorado RoadStar

This baby appeared in Hemmings Motor
News as a 2014 Find of the Day. That it
did was not an aid in its sale. The car is a
prototype vehicle manufactured by the
Damen Corp. out of Las Vegas, NV. To
achieve the roadster look the sheetmetal
was stretched 16 in front, and shortened
8 in back. It features a louvered hood as
well as functional side pipes.
When initially presented at
the 1979 LA Auto Show as a
pre-production prototype, the
suggested MSRP was $55K.
When offered for sale in
2014 the asking price was
$62,950. I have since seen
the car advertised at
$35,000.
It appears the car is still for
sale, as I found a listing on

getusedcar.net from February of this year. I

also noted that an unsuccessful effort to sell
the car on ebaY closed on 2 Apr 2015. A
high bid of $20,000 failed to meet the set reserve.
Evidently the designer/creator of this ride is
no longer in business; making this a 1-off car.
Per secretary of state records Damen Corp. is
no longer active.
Having owned a Cadillac Allant I see more
than a few similarities between the two cars. I
do wonder if Cadillac had this very car in its
mind when it discussed Allant design with the
folks at Pininfarina?

Page 5;;

Car Collector Chronicles

Pics That Caught My Eye

Ran
when
parked?
Courtesy
Facebook

OCA

on

A 1949 Hudson Commodore restoration

currently underway in Volgograd
(formerly Stalingrad), Russia.
- Gotta love it!
Courtesy AACA Forum

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