Cadillac & LaSalle Club Northwest Ohio Region News

March 2015 Volume 8, Number 3

NORTHWEST OHIO REGION

Save this date! In this issue… Officers, Board Members...... 2 Spring Crank-Up Driving Tour Featuring cars of the 1930s...... 2 Saturday April 25, 2015 President’s Message...... 3 See page 8 for details. Prewar cars bridge auto generation gap ...... 4–6 New growth on Detroit’s Clark Street...... 7 Activities Report, Trivia—by George!...... 8 Minutes and Treasurer’s Report ...... 9 My First Car by William Shepherd...... 10–11 e Editor’s Inbox ...... 12–13 CLC/NWO monthly meeting Editor reveals secrets—at least some of them ...... 14 Saturday, March 14, 1:30 Brass era history continues from February ...... 15 Uncle John’s Pancake House For what it’s worth…...... 16–17 Classified plus stuff that fits no place else...... 18 3131 Secor Road (near Central Avenue) CLC/NWO Region Featuring cars of the 1930s 2014 Officers and Board Members by Elden Smith President/Director...... William Shepherd HOTOGRAPHED AT THE MEADOW 8310 Garden Road BROOK Concours d’Elegance in 2010, was Maumee OH 43537 567-277-6215 this 1930 Cadillac V-16 roadster. It was [email protected] P part of the RM auction held on the grounds. V.P./Activities Director...... George Louthan e official auction catalog said: “RM Auctions 1321 East Beverly Hills Drive Toledo OH 43614 Preview—Vintage Motor Cars of Meadow 419-754-4454 Brook 2010. A 1930 Cadillac V-16 Roadster. [email protected] Estimate: $375,000–$475,000. A three-time Secretary...... Philip Vrzal 3401 Swan Ridge Lane 100-point CCCA winner.” Maumee OH 43537 Meadow Brook Hall, a Tudor revival style mansion, at 419-867-2110 [email protected] 480 South Adams Road in Rochester Hills, Michigan, Treasurer ...... Andrew Shepherd was the property of Matilda Dodge Wilson (widow 8310 Garden Road of auto pioneer John Francis Dodge) and her second Maumee OH 43537 husband, lumber broker Alfred G. Wilson. Construction 419-349-5692 of the house occurred between 1926 and 1929. [email protected] Membership Chair ...... Andrew Shepherd Mrs. Wilson, a co-founder of Michigan State University– 8310 Garden Road Oakland, (now called Oakland University) donated the Maumee OH 43537 mansion, the surrounding property, and buildings to the 419-349-5692 State of Michigan in 1957. In 2012, it became part of the [email protected] National Registry of Historic Places. News Editor...... Elden Smith 4541 Gilhouse Road Meadow Brook Hall was the site of the Meadow Brook Toledo OH 43623 Concours d’Elegance from 1979 until 2010. On July 20, 419-754-3923 2010, promoters announced that the Concours would [email protected] leave Meadow Brook Hall after that year for the Inn at Member at Large ...... Robert W. Stahl 8991 East Mulberry Road St. John’s in Plymouth, Michigan. e event is now the Blissfield MI 49228 Concours d’Elegance of America at St. John’s. 517-486-4818 [email protected] e 37th annual Concours will occur Sunday, July 26. Event planners will soon announce featured vehicle Member at Large ...... Tom Tapp classes and marques for this show. 2550 Eastmoreland Oregon OH 43616 Cover photo credit: Darin Schnabel courtesy RM Auctions; Sports Car Digest. 419-346-3573 [email protected] Save this date! Spring Crank-Up Driving Tour Saturday April 25, 2015 See page 8 for details.

CLC/NWOHIO REGION NEWS 2 MARCH 2015 CLC/NWOHIO REGION NEWS 3 MARCH 2015 President’s Message by William Shepherd ELL NOW, WHAT COULD BE FINER that to spend a snowy Valentine’s Day in the company of fellow WCadillac lovers? I can’t think of anything. Twenty other people agreed with me and were in attendance for our CLC/NWO meeting at Uncle John’s Pancake House on Saturday, February 14. If you didn’t venture out that day because the weather was too terrible and your distance too far away, we can all understand that. I try not to use this column to complain about the weather because, as the old saying goes, everybody does yet nobody does anything about it. After last year’s record-breaking winter, this winter seems like more of an annoyance than anything. When the middle of February arrives and we’re battling below zero temperatures, it’s difficult to “think spring.” But in typical Northwest Ohio fashion, the weather will probably turn decent all at once and winter will once more be but a memory. In anticipation of the arrival of spring, I ventured out into the barn recently. Some of the old cars were raring to go, others were still hibernating, their batteries not quite up to the task yet. Once the snow and salt disappears, I will look forward to doing some crank-up cruising. Speaking of which, I hope you will be able to join in the I hope you will be able to join in the central Ohio tour being headed up by Phil Compton (details central Ohio tour on page 8 in the Newsletter). I always look forward to driving being headed up by Phil Compton tours with a mix of excitement and anxiety. e destinations are usually one to tickle the fancy of an old car lover. e concern is will that pampered old car make it there and back. We have a pretty good track record as a Region of avoiding breakdowns while on tour. Maybe we should push our luck a little bit and venture further from home. And gas prices do seem to be trending downward. Springtime is also a good time to promote our club to other lovers of old Cadillacs. If you know someone with an old Cadillac who is not a CLC/NWO member, invite them to join the club, or maybe share one of our award winning newsletters with them. If every CLC/NWO member brought in just one new member, our Region size would double. I’ll see you on the Cadillac road.

NORTHWEST OHIO REGION CLC/NWO monthly meeting Saturday, March 14, 1:30 Visit the CLC/NWOhio Facebook page at Uncle John’s Pancake House www.facebook.com/CLCNWO 3131 Secor Road (near Central Avenue) Toledo

CLC/NWOHIO REGION NEWS 2 MARCH 2015 CLC/NWOHIO REGION NEWS 3 MARCH 2015 Prewar cars bridge auto generation gap by Elden Smith ARS OF THE 1930S PROVIDE A BRIDGE between the somewhat “clunky” style of the brass era and the Cstreamlined style of postwar years. Design features typical of cars from the 1930s include: • Running boards, • Side mount and rear mount spare tires, • Banjo steering wheels, • Wire and spoke wheels, • Free standing headlamps, • Floor mounted three-speed shift levers, • Push up cowl ventilators (in rear center of hood). Young readers might remember none of these, except those seen at car shows. During the war years when no one had new cars, I recall admiring a navy blue 1937 Packard 120 Coupe owned by a neighbor. It seemed gorgeous with its side mounts—one on each side. My father proclaimed it “old fashioned” because of these. Our 1935 Hupmobile Aerodynamic had a rear mounted spare effectively camouflage by sheet metal. A small panel on this enclosure flipped up to enable one to check the air pressure in the spare. Folding the back seat forward gave access to the Hup’s miniscule trunk. Base models did not include radios, heaters, dome lights, clocks, lighters, and other features that we view as common comforts—maybe even necessities. Dashboard- Above: 1937 Packard 120 Coupe mounted fans served as defrosters. Sun visors were also Below: 1935 Hupmobile Aerodynamic scarce—often limited to the driver’s side, if at all. Some Note the main (central) portion of both roofs is coated fabric. cars had only one windshield wiper! Some items were available as after-market “extras” at the Moore’s Store, Sears, Cussins and Fearn, Montgomery Ward, and some “filling stations.” Dealership prices for these seemed high, but installation and parts were dependable and of better quality than work done under a shade tree. All 1930s models had vacuum-powered windshield wipers plus dashboard controls labeled choke and throttle. e starter operated through a shiny button often located near the ignition switch. Another of my childhood neighbors had a Buick (probably a 1941) that hid its starter under the accelerator. Chevys had their starters just to the right of the gas pedal. Leather tops, and canvas or coated-fabric roof-covers were universal until about 1936. Car enthusiasts waited more than two decades after the 1912 invention of the all-steel automotive body to get a steel roof over their heads. In 1932, the Inland Steel Company in Chicago opened America’s first mill capable of making 76-inch hot-mill sheets. All-steel sedan and coupe roofs

CLC/NWOHIO REGION NEWS 4 MARCH 2015 CLC/NWOHIO REGION NEWS 5 MARCH 2015 Prewar cars bridge auto generation gap, continued

first appeared on 1933 Oldsmobiles as the Fisher Body “Turret Top.” By 1936, nearly all US carmakers had adopted the solid steel top. A popular but seemingly erroneous tale often quoted by car show commentators claims that the reason for soft inserts lay in the inability to make dies able to stamp the entire roof in one piece. e Old Motor magazine gives credit for the new one-piece roof to rolling mill advances mentioned above. e 1937 Cadillac Fleetwood 70 sedan exemplified a new era in body engineering. Beginning with the dominance of closed-bodied cars in the early 1920s, carmakers sought all steel roofs. Initial attempts to Above: 1937 Cadillac Fleetwood 70 build boxy car bodies failed due to air turbulence Below: 1938 Cadillac Series 6127 Coupe drumming the top panel. e drumming phenomenon was similar to the noise that occurs by lowering a side window an inch or two while driving. As long as flat car tops remained, the solution was to clothe them in canvas or coated-fabric roof-covers. Styling dictated more streamlined contours in the 1930s. e fabric panel on the roof deck covered the flattest center portion of the roof. Full fabric roof- covers sometimes provided decorative effect on high- style cars. ese fabric covers presented a maintenance problem. Annual coating with waterproof material prevented residual moisture from attacking both fabric and perimeter steel. is material gave the roofs the appearance of a freshly tarred flat roof on buildings. Furthermore, it smelled awful for a number of days. Since this maintenance usually happened during warm months, a ride in the old Hupmobile was unpleasant with the odor and with windows closed to escape from it. Alfred Sloan mentions Below: Ford Model T tire pumps some of these challenges in his book, My Years With General Motors. Tires provide another development in brass era and 1930s automotive technology. Here is a quick look at those events. • In 1895, André Michelin first used pneumatic tires on an automobile but these were not successful. • Not until 1911 did Philip Strauss invent a successful tire—a combination tire and air filled inner tube. Strauss’ company, the Hardman Tire & Rubber Company, marketed them. • P. W. Litchfield of Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company patented the first tubeless tire in 1903, but it was not until the 1954 Packard that it found acceptance and application. • Beginning in 1904, mountable rims allowed drivers to fix their own flats. Patch kits were popular during the war years. I used to own a tire pump that bore the script Ford trademark.

CLC/NWOHIO REGION NEWS 4 MARCH 2015 CLC/NWOHIO REGION NEWS 5 MARCH 2015 Prewar cars bridge auto generation gap, continued

• Frank Seiberling developed tire tread in 1908 to improve traction. • e B.F. Goodrich Company added carbon to the rubber to give it longer life in 1910. Binney & Smith was the source for this carbon material. Binney & Smith later switched to making school products, and, eventually, re-named their company after their most popular product—Crayola Crayons. It always interests me to see owners of brass era cars with all-white tires drive onto grass show fields—with their tires wrapped in cloth covers to prevent stains. • Goodrich also invented the first synthetic rubber tires in 1937. Next month, the focus will turn to cars of the 1940s.

The Crimson Rides Car Show, July 7, 2010 (above and below) held at the Automotive Hall of Fame, Dearborn MI featured red cars only. The 1936 Cadillac Series 60 Business Coupe exhibited by Fred and Berna Swan, Oxford MI partially eclipsed the Ford Model T with white tires. This Cadillac has a “banjo” steering wheel.

Prewar cars in this column from top: 1934 V-16 1935 Model 370 Coupe 1935 Coupe with rumble seat 1937 V-16 Imperial Limousine 1939 Series 90 Convertible 1939 Series 90 Formal Sedan

CLC/NWOHIO REGION NEWS 6 MARCH 2015 CLC/NWOHIO REGION NEWS 7 MARCH 2015 Forward glance reveals new growth on Detroit’s Clark Street a reprint from www.dailydetroit.com From our CLC/NWOhio September 2014 newsletter: “General Development and the Friedman group are very “e Clark Street plant was home to many excited to be developing this project and look forward innovations. e V-12 and V-16 engines, to the strong economic activity that it will generate in all-weather, closed-body cars, the first high- the community,” said Bruce Brickman, co-owner of General Development. “To have a major industrial user compression, overhead valve V-8 engines, the first make this sort of commitment is another positive sign car to offer a tilt and telescopic steering wheel, of Detroit’s comeback and indicative of strong optimism and the first domestic car to have an electronic for a continued robust recovery.” fuel injection system resulted from Cadillac Construction is expected to begin shortly and take eight engineering. Today, those forty-seven acres are a months to complete. “is is great news for the city, and weed-filled memory of historic Detroit.” another example of how Detroit’s progress reaches into E-mail subject: areas beyond downtown and midtown,” Detroit Mayor Cadillac Clark and Scotten Street Property News Mike Duggan said. “Construction of this new facility This empty property was once Cadillac’s home. will build on that momentum, as well as create new job Forwarded by Alan Haas opportunities for Detroiters.” Twenty-five acres in southwest Detroit sold to become e RACER (Revitalizing Auto Communities logistics center with 228 jobs. Environmental Response) Trust, created as part of the by Daily Detroit Staff · January 13, 2015 General Motors bankruptcy proceedings, disposed of e RACER trust, formed to deal with land left over much company abandoned real estate. from the General Motors bankruptcy in 2011, has e trust took possession of eighty-nine properties in apparently put some more of that land to work. is time, fourteen states on March 30, 2011. Its charge is to clean 25 acres in Southwest Detroit, just off Michigan Avenue. up, position for redevelopment, and sell them. Some of A statement says that the buyers, General Development the sites sold within the first year of the trust’s operation, and Friedman Integrated Real Estate Solutions, “are at but many remain in the possession of the trust. work on behalf of a major manufacturer to develop a A view of the Clark Street Plant, c. 1965 190,000-square-foot logistics center that will employ an estimated 228 people” with the identity of the end user will be disclosed at a later date. e sale involves three clustered parcels at 2751 Clark Street, 2860 Clark Street, and 2730 Scotten Street, an area known as the Clark Street Technology Park. “We’re very pleased that General Development and Friedman Integrated Real Estate Solutions chose this location and excited about the opportunities it will create for the people of Detroit and surrounding communities,” said Elliott P. Laws, of EPLET, LLC, Administrative Trustee of RACER Trust. “In addition to the direct employment, this project will create jobs for truck drivers and logistics support staff. We look forward to the successful redevelopment of these properties and the broad benefits that will flow from the project.” In addition to a warehouse and cross-dock facility, the proposed project also will include a paved yard for up to 350 trucks.

CLC/NWOHIO REGION NEWS 6 MARCH 2015 CLC/NWOHIO REGION NEWS 7 MARCH 2015 Activities Report by George Louthan, Vice-president, Activities Director HEN IT COMES TO ACTIVITIES, I believe the weather is about as active as it should be allowed to be. With congress’s inability Wto act on many things maybe they could find time to pass a law against this kind of weather. Minus ten should be outlawed. On a personal note, my 1996 Fleetwood has changed ownership and is now in the capable hands of fellow club member Duke Gercke. Aside from all that, the coming of spring will bring exciting activities to the club. Below you will find Phil Comptons’ invitation and description of the Spring Crank Up Tour. Please give Phil the courtesy of an e-mail or phone call, letting him know Trivia—by George! if you will attend. at is in fairness to his hard work planning this event. February trivia question: I look forward to seeing many of you attending. In the April newsletter, I What car first used electronic turn will announce a meeting place near Toledo for those planning to attend that signals and in what year? would like to go as a group. Answer: ere is no May activity planned other than the May membership meeting. e 1938 Buick was the first to I will not be available that month. Attending two grandchildren’s weddings introduce them and they were only 3,000 miles apart is plenty to do. Looks like frequent flyer miles to me. visible on the rear lights. March Trivia Question: Don’t forget the club picnic on Saturday, June 13, hosted by the Shepherd’s at In what year did Cadillac introduce their new home. I look forward to seeing their new car collection residence. the option of power steering? E-mail As soon as the cruise-in schedule is published, I will tell you of the club’s Elden or me if you have the answer. plans to attend some of them. Spring Crank-Up Driving Tour Saturday April 25, 2015 Enjoy a drive to the beautiful Piatt Castles in southern Logan County, Ohio e tour will begin at the home of Phil and LaDonna Compton. Plan to arrive at 9:30 and we will leave by 10:00. We will travel to Bellefontaine and drive Please RSVP soon! on the first concrete street in the U.S. We will then proceed to West Liberty. in writing, Our first stop is Marie’s Candies, where all the candy is made on site with by telephone, a good assortment of samples and plenty to purchase. Lunch will be at the or e-mail. Liberty Gathering Place restaurant—reasonably priced sandwiches and salad Philip Compton bar. From there, we will drive a short distance to the two famous castles built 0475 Township Road 30 by the Piatt brothers. We will then travel through the hills of Logan County Ada Ohio 45810 and on to the Amish area of southern Hardin County before returning home. 419-634-9582 ere is no fee for Marie’s Candies. e Piatt Castles fee is $20 for adults [email protected] ($18 for seniors) if we have 20 or more in the group. Let Phil know by our next meeting. Directions to the Compton home: • Coming south on I-75 exit at SR 235—the first exit ten miles south of Findlay. • Proceed south on SR 235—cross U.S. 30 and enter Hardin County at the S curve. is is Road 10. • Proceed another two miles on SR 235 to Liberty Township Road 30— Look for the Airport sign. • Turn right (west) on Township Road 30 and travel two miles to 0475—the house is on the right.

CLC/NWOHIO REGION NEWS 8 MARCH 2015 CLC/NWOHIO REGION NEWS 9 MARCH 2015 Minutes of February 14 SATURDAY FEBRUARY 14, 2015 the Stahl family’s 1948 Cadillacs (Bob Sr. and Bob Jr.), UNCLE JOHN’S PANCAKE HOUSE and one on George Louthan’s 1976 Cadillac convertible. George also shared a book on automotive mascots, loaned HE MEETING WAS CALLED TO ORDER through the generosity of Steve Taylor, and George at 1:30 by President William Shepherd. brought a 1929 Buick mascot featured in the book. Twenty-one participants total ventured George shared a Hemmings Classic Cars magazine that T featured the 1958 Eldorado Brougham owned by Motor out in the cold and snow for the meeting; eleven City member Dave King. Mr. King is also Director of members and ten associates. A total of three the CLC Chapter devoted to 1957–1958 Broughams. Mr. Cadillacs were driven through the snow to carry King’s car was formerly owned by CLC/NWO member their adventurous owners and family members and CLC Museum Representative Alan Haas. to this meeting. Treasurer Andrew Shepherd gave the Treasurer’s A Christmas card from Central Region V.P. Gary Fisher report. Any recent fees extracted by the financial was shared with the membership, said card temporarily institution have been rectified. Andrew will also misplaced by the President in the move from one house investigate the use of check cards by the club officers to to another. A letter from CLC member Jeff Shively of cut down on financial paperwork and postage; he will Indiana, who is the Development Director of the Kokomo report his findings at the next meeting. Auto Museum in Indiana, was reviewed. Mr. Shively Interim Membership Secretary Andrew Shepherd invites us to attend the museum, which has some 100 cars indicated he is working with the President to update the on display, and a staff that can also provide lunch for any membership roster. size group of CLC/NWO members. It was noted that the job of Region President/Director carries with it the Newsletter Editor Elden Smith reported that the responsibility of numerous reports. ose have all been short month of February results in earlier deadlines. He delivered to the CLC on time, but not necessarily at the requests that all submissions for the newsletter be in earliest possible moment. hand by Friday, February 20. e members were asked how many would like a e CLC Museum Representative, Secretary, and printout of the updated roster to be delivered to the next Photographer were not in attendance; no report. meeting. Six members requested a printout. Respectfully submitted, Per last month’s meeting, the President would like William Shepherd to hold a CLC/NWO Board meeting on Saturday, May 2, 2015. e meeting will be a dinner meeting, the specific time and location to be decided later. e President, Activities Director, Treasurer, Membership Secretary, Newsletter Editor, Secretary, CLC Museum Representative, Board Members at Large, and Photographer should attend. Activities Director & V. P. George Louthan detailed the Crank Up tour under the direction of Phil Compton to be held on Saturday, April 25. George asks that members who plan on going fill out the registration form for the event to help the Comptons to plan appropriately Treasurer’s Report for whatever the number of participants. by Andrew Shepherd George also noted that the national CLC has four Balance January 19...... $ 1,921.29 upcoming e Self-Starter articles related to the Newsletter printing and postage...... -$42.03 Northwest Ohio Region: one on the Taylor Cadillac Balance February 14...... $1,879.26 Dealership, one on the CLC/NWO Taylor show, one on CLC/NWOHIO REGION NEWS 8 MARCH 2015 CLC/NWOHIO REGION NEWS 9 MARCH 2015 My First Car by William Shepherd Y FIRST CAR WAS A 1961 OLDSMOBILE SUPER 88 M2-door coupe. It was painted Garnet Mist, with a red interior. I regret that I lack a picture of that car to share. I started my driving career using my Dad’s 1964 Mercury Park Lane. A couple of floor mats from that very car reside in my nearly identical 1964 Park Lane. When I started college, and on days when I had classes, I would take my Dad to work and then head to the U of Toledo where I was studying engineering. After a year of this arrangement (in 1971), I decided I needed my own car. Both my older (by 4 years) brother and older (by 8 years) sister were looking for new cars. My sister had a 1967 Camaro, and she was pregnant at the time. She needed something more practical. But the car was a six-cylinder, brown and white, with a noticeable dent behind the driver’s door. Plus the $1,450 asking price was more than this poor college student could afford. My brother had recently received his engineering degree from U. T. He went to work for Industrial Nucleonics, headquartered in Columbus. is company made automated equipment used in the production of cigarettes. My brother would often drive from Columbus to a plant in Toronto to which he was assigned. He had purchased the 1961 Oldsmobile (Old-smob-o-lee, as he liked to pronounce it) in his senior year. Whether it came from a dealer or a private owner, the previous owner was allegedly a banker. If this was true, Top the man didn’t overly invest in the car. It did the job, but was not what you 1948 Olds logo might call a cream puff. e winters in Toronto are usually worse than those Center in Toledo. As a single engineer, my brother would often work long hours at 1961 Olds 88 engine the plant, no matter the weather. One winter night he left after midnight. e Below parking lot was empty except for his car. Ice and snow had accumulated on a 1961 Oldsmobile Super 88 Holiday hardtop similar to the first car owned by and around the ’61 Oldsmobile. After the lengthy effort to clean it, he hopped our president Bill. in. e car was literally frozen in its tracks. Being an engineer, he realized that more force was needed. So he put the car in reverse and got out and pushed—and pushed. Eventually, the car broke free and proceeded to travel around the parking lot with my brother in hot pursuit. A snow bank put an end to the car’s merry motoring, and also bent up the skeg on the left rear corner. e long hours and lack of a family made for lots of dollars with which he could buy a new car, so the ’61 Oldsmobile was for sale at $100. I tried to get him down to $95, but he wouldn’t budge. So for $100, I became the proud owner of a ten-year-old car. e trips from Columbus to Toronto

CLC/NWOHIO REGION NEWS 10 MARCH 2015 CLC/NWOHIO REGION NEWS 11 MARCH 2015 My First Car (continued) by William Shepherd took a toll on the car. e biggest problem occurred upon deceleration. If the car was going slow enough, it would slip into neutral. e only way to remedy this was to bring the car to a complete stop, and then start back up. Stop and go traffic going from the U.T. parking lot up to Bancroft was murder. I would always try to keep the car moving at a fast enough speed (under 5 mph) so it wouldn’t slip out of gear. I got honked out by many a lead-foot stuck behind me when the car misbehaved. Another problem was the car’s loud exhaust system. I sought my brother’s council to go with me to the Midas Muffler shop on Reynolds Road, to help me decide what to do. His advice was to just get a new muffler and let it go at that. Living at home, all my income was discretionary, so I decided to spring for a whole new exhaust system from stem to stern. My brother was miffed that I would seek his advice and then ignore it, but I was in seventh heaven—my car was as quiet as a brand new one. is car instilled in me the philosophy that as long as a car can still get me from point A to point B, it didn’t need repair or replacement. One cool spring morning, I was rounding the curve from US-23 to I-475 near Sylvania. I flipped on the heater only to have the cabin fill with smoke as I drove down the Interstate. I immediately rolled down the window and stuck my head out to see. On my way to getting an engineering degree, I was meticulous in keeping records on my car. I would figure my weekly miles per gallon and record the information in a notebook I kept for just that purpose. Ten mpg was all the car could muster. After I repaired a leaking fuel line under the car, the mileage shot up to 13 mpg! I was elated that I would need fewer of those 29-cent gallons of gas. All the years parked out in the sun had changed the Garnet Red paint to more of a pink, but I still loved that car. It had a smooth and slow idle. I Below could sit at Berdan and Jackman at the light on the incline heading east, and the interior of the car would sit there with no brakes required. Going the other direction a 1961 Oldsmobile Super 88 Holiday once, the dip at Berdan and Upton took out my car’s last remaining rear shock. As I drove the rest of the way home, the Oldsmobile would bounce about six cycles if I hit a bump. I look online from time to time for a ’61 Oldsmobile. It must be Garnet Mist, but I hope this time I can find an exquisite ’61 Oldsmobile Starfire convertible.

CLC/NWOHIO REGION NEWS 10 MARCH 2015 CLC/NWOHIO REGION NEWS 11 MARCH 2015 The Editor’s Inbox

Hey, Elden: ENJOYED READING THE DISCUSSION between you and Alan Haas. Your question regarding timing chains verses belts is what prompted this note. I thought I would offer you, or the statistically inclined, this bit of possibly useless trivia. e first use of a timing belt on a production car was in 1966 on a Fiat 124 Coupe and Spyder, then introduced as a 1967 model. ey made a really big deal about it. is was a double overhead cam engine and the supposed advantage was that it was quieter than a chain. Save this date! Now, I don’t recall any car that I owned where the chain ever drowned out Spring Crank-Up Driving Tour the radio! If your chain is loud enough to be heard inside the car, you have a Saturday April 25, 2015 bigger problem than noise. See page 8 for details. What they didn’t mention in the ads, only in the Owner’s Manual, was that the belt needed to be changed at 60,000 miles. is is about one third of the normal life of a chain. And, if you didn’t change it, and the “teeth” stripped, disaster ensued. If the cams stopped and the crank kept moving, which almost always happened, you would bend, at least half of the valves! Don’t ask how I know this little bit of information. With more widespread use of belts, not every engine will incur this disaster. Some are designed with more clearance between pistons and valves, so this will not occur, but not all. To be safe, it should be changed. Check the Manual. As far as I’m concerned, give me a chain, if I have a choice. Hope you find this obscure knowledge interesting. B.W. (Mr. Bentwrench, a.k.a. Bob Morrow)

Some online humor Upcoming shows from Gary’s Cruise Calendar (pro.wkko-fm.tritonflex.com) SUNDAY, APRIL 19, is Monroe’s fortieth annual swap meet and car show. It is one of the oldest and largest meets in the Michigan area. is year’s car show will be in the MBT expo building and the rabbit building. Included are two feature cars from super Chevy magazine and elite cars from the area. ere is room for plenty of show cars outside. Trophies will be awarded to the top twenty cars. Registration fee is only $15. Car corral is $10. Doors open at 7:00 Sunday. Plenty of free and convenient parking. For info, call Nick at 419-579-4845 or visit our website www.monroeautoswapmeet.com

Plan ahead for a road trip! CLCMRC National Meet September 27 at Gilmore Car Museum Hickory Corners MI

CLC/NWOHIO REGION NEWS 12 MARCH 2015 CLC/NWOHIO REGION NEWS 13 MARCH 2015 The Editor’s Inbox, continued To: Elden Smith From: Phil Compton I have three pictures of the car on this month’s cover. If I can figure out how to send one to you, I will. On the front of the radiator is says “Firestone Columbus” without the Cadillac script. I have it listed as a 1910. e name on the radiator is Herb Baas. To: Phil Compton From: Elden Smith (Phil’s reference is to the invitation to help identify the car and the owner on the Cadillac that appeared on the cover of the February issue.) anks for the information—this is far more than I had. anks for writing and special thanks for the pictures. ey opened just fine. I will use them on the Inbox page in the March newsletter. Pictures at the right (2 in number) speak to Phil’s information.

To: Elden Smith From: Phil Compton is has to be a cover photo!! To all: Phil’s refers to a photo included on e-mail and Facebook meeting reminders about the February 14 meeting. For those who do not use either of these resources, the applicable portion of the text follows. “Duke Gercke sent this photo from Sonora Pass, California, a long time ago. Red and snow fit the Valentine theme and the winter weather quite well.” The photo was part of an article about Duke and Donna and their travels in the ’59. The article appeared February 2011, pages 12–13, titled “Duke and Donna bring their 1959 out to play in the snow.”

CLC/NWOHIO REGION NEWS 12 MARCH 2015 CLC/NWOHIO REGION NEWS 13 MARCH 2015 Editor reveals resource secrets—at least some of them

Electrically powered streetcars came on the scene in the late 1800s and became powerful and reliable enough to clear their own way. Equipped with a front-mounted plow, the streetcars kept running through storms. In most instances, the vehicles could keep the tracks clear. With the use of a wing plow, the vehicles could keep the width of a city street clear. A streetcar fitted with such a plow cleared snow on Berkeley Street in Boston on March 2, 1916.

Among the resources I consult for this newsletter is e Old Motor. More about that publication appears below. eir web address appears below. Another is http://www.sportscardigest.com. A third is http://www.classiccarclub.org/. I hope you will enjoy these sites as much as I do.

www.theoldmotor.com next. All of the photographs are enlargeable, providing “e Old Motor is a comprehensive online vintage auto- that the file size is larger than the one shown on the page mobile magazine that is updated daily. Featured are well simply by clicking on them. over eleven thousand classic car, antique car and old car If you have any exceptional old car photos of your own photos and videos along with information about them. that you would like to share with our audience, we would In addition, a quick look at our categories menu will interested in learning about them. Contact us here and show you other sections that cover antique motorcycles, leave your email address that will remain private and we antique trucks, steam cars, old gasoline stations, old will contact you. repair garage and old dealership photos and more. We also include work from contemporary vintage e home page is a mixing pot where all photos enter in automotive photographers and artists, and welcome the order that they are posted. Many people enjoy this submissions from either. format because it is like a treasure hunt; you never know ank you for your visit and please tell your friends what automotive oddity or masterpiece you might see about e Old Motor.”

CLC/NWOHIO REGION NEWS 14 MARCH 2015 CLC/NWOHIO REGION NEWS 15 MARCH 2015 Brass era history continues from February by Elden Smith HE BRASS ERA WAS AN EARLY PERIOD of automotive manufacturing and named for the brass fittings used Tduring this time for lights, radiators, and decoration. It lasted from the 1890s until about World War I. e term “Brass-era automobile” refers to “horseless carriage.” During the Brass Era, in the United States alone, there were over 1,000 documented car builders. In the fifteen years that make up this era, experimental designs and alternative power systems would all but cease. Karl Benz invented the modern touring car earlier, but it was not until Panhard et Levassor’s Système Panhard licensed the Daimler engine design in 1890 that anything resembling an automobile by current standards came into being. is system specified front-engine, rear-wheel drive, internal combustion engine cars with a sliding gear transmission. Traditional coach-style vehicles fell into disuse, and buckboard runabouts lost favor with the introduction of tonneaus and other less-expensive touring bodies. roughout this era, automotive technology grew rapidly, partly because hundreds of manufacturers competed to gain attention. Above: 1905 Cadillac radiator and car Below: 1909 Hupmobile Key developments included the electric ignition system, independent suspension (conceived by Bollée in 1873), and four-wheel brakes (by the Arrol-Johnston Company of Scotland in 1909). Leaf springs for suspension came to favor, but other systems were still in use. Angle steel took over from armored wood as the frame material of choice. Transmissions and throttle controls that allowed a variety of cruising speeds took over. Safety glass made its debut, patented by John Wood, in 1905. It would not become standard equipment until 1926. From 1907 until about 1912, the high-wheel motor buggy resembling the pre-1900 horse buggy was in its heyday. e Ford Model T (1908–1927) would kill the high-wheeler. In 1912, Hupp pioneered the use of all-steel bodies, joined in 1914 by Dodge who produced Model T bodies. Two more decades would pass before all-steel bodies would be standard.

Left: Brass era Overland Right: 1905 Packard

CLC/NWOHIO REGION NEWS 14 MARCH 2015 CLC/NWOHIO REGION NEWS 15 MARCH 2015 For what it’s worth… an opinion by Elden Smith ATCHING AUTO AUCTIONS ON TV plus gaining my weekly car fix viaMotor Week on PBS, leads me Wto venture a few thoughts about future collector cars. I began with a bit of simple research, looking at the 2014–2015 models online and visiting carmakers websites for those that will come to life in 2016. My view is that in 2040, when the current new cars become eligible for classification as antiques, collector car prospects look dim to grim. e generally horrible state of US domestic car design in the late 1970s comes to mind when I try to forecast future admired collector cars. While a passenger on a Toledo expressway, the driver and I speculated about which vehicles would be attractive in twenty-five years. Many of the cars built in the past ten years look alike. It is hard to find many distinctive qualities or designs in my opinion. at is not to say that they do not exist. It is just that I find few that really “light my fire” and stir my enthusiasm for the future. In 2040, will SUVs, crossovers, and vans seem as attractive as collectibles just as they are as daily drivers now? e current spotlight focuses on economy, convenience, and practicality for families. ese popular body styles might not survive future auto auctions. Trying to leave a mall parking spot in my Allanté when sandwiched between two vans does not make me love them more. Understandably, auto design teams cannot do their work while speculating on what collector car hobbyists will treasure in the future. e March issue of Hemmings Classic Car spent numerous pages on sleek prewar designs. ose pages prompted me to try a homegrown version earlier in this newsletter. Clearly, cars of that design era are not everyone’s cup of tea. e cars listed below are new ones that have caught my attention. is is only a beginning list. Readers might try making their own lists of future collectibles. Submit your nominations for future collector cars, and I will publish them. Here is my dream list, and, yes, they are all luxury vehicles. • e 2016 Buick Cascada, available Spring 2016, will have a 1.6L 200-hp turbocharged engine. is is the first convertible produced by Buick in 25 years. Note that the Lacrosse Premium package starts at $38,950 for a price comparison.

CLC/NWOHIO REGION NEWS 16 MARCH 2015 CLC/NWOHIO REGION NEWS 17 MARCH 2015 For what it’s worth… • e 2016 Cadillac ATS-V will have a 3.6L twin turbo V-6 engine. Its statistical forecast says that it will feature 450+ HP, 440+ lb.-ft. torque, 0–60 mph in under four seconds, and attain 185 mph top speed. For price comparison, the 2014 CTS-V starts at $71,200.

• e 2015 Mercedes SL-400 starts at $84,000. It will accelerate 0 to 60 mph in 5.1 seconds. Horsepower at 5,250–6,000 rpm will be about 329 hp and the torque at 1,600–4,000 rpm, 354 lb-ft.

• BMW 428i Convertible for 2015 prices start at $48,750. Fuel economy is 34-mpg highway, and it develops 240 horsepower.

CLC/NWOHIO REGION NEWS 16 MARCH 2015 CLC/NWOHIO REGION NEWS 17 MARCH 2015 Classified plus stuff that fits no place else— For sale by friends of the club Humor found on Facebook • 1951 Cadillac Series 62 4-door sedan. Original interior, new jet-black paint, new tires, rebuilt engine. Runs great. $25,000 OBO. CLC/NWO reference: Mike MacAllister for Len Gallagher (419-478-1140) or Pat Gallagher (419-392-4170). Picture below.

Save this date! Spring Crank-Up Driving Tour Saturday April 25, 2015 See page 8 for details.

My first car—April A primitive snowmobile for winter’s last gasp?

e earliest automobiles converted into snowmobiles pre-dated Model T Ford conversion units by a few years.

1950 Ford Custom V-8 sedan is 1908 Hupmobile Model 20 Torpedo Roadster It will be the subject of “My First Car” in April. Can you sat on a framework with two sleds and appears to be guess which member owned one of these? Do not submit propelled by two helical screws. your guesses. Keep wondering.

CLC/NWOHIO REGION NEWS 18 MARCH 2015