SMOKE SIGNALS Pontiac - Oakland Club International Est. 1972 • November 2020 • Twin Ventura Sprints: Rough & Rougher • ’48 Streamliner: Patina on Purpose • GM Gold: Not-So-Nice Trade-Ins • A Pair of “Beater” Wagons Roadkill 1971 LeMans Sport Convertible Expanded Members’ Motors Featuring the Not so Good, The Bad & The Ugly 2 SMOKE SIGNALS •NOVEMBER 2020 SMOKE SIGNALS The Official Publication of the Pontiac - Oakland Club International Volume 48, Issue 11 • November 2020 • www.poci.org page 12 FEATURE STORIES 8 ........GM Gold • Not-So-Nice Trade-Ins 12 ........Roadkill • 1971 LeMans Sport Convertible 14 ........1948 Streamliner 8 Hot Rod • Patina on Purpose 18 ........The Inner Beauty of a Beater Wagon page 14 24 ........Twin Sprints • A Rare Pair of 1977 Ventura Sprints 32 ........ Members’ Motors • The Not So Good, The Bad & The Ugly DEPARTMENTS 5 ........Editor’s Note 50 ........President’s Message page 18 50 ........Vice President’s Message 54 ........Chapter News 58 ........Calendar of Events 59 ........Members’ Bulletin Board 60 ........Members’ Motors 62 ........2021 Convention Update page 24 70 ........POCI Directors, Divisions & Chapters 72 ........Tech Advisors 73 ........Classified Ads Cover: Darren Schmitt’s 1971 LeMans Sport convertible, photo by Tim Dye. Background picture: Carlos Jimenez’s 1955 Star Chief page 32 NOVEMBER 2020 • SMOKE SIGNALS 3 (‘71 LeMans Sport LeMans (‘71 4 SMOKE SIGNALS •NOVEMBER 2020 EDITOR’S NOTE Great Interest in Not-So-Good Rides! POCI OFFICERS It’s finally here! What started out as a what I was thinking about!” He agreed to an President simple photo showcase for a few “Not-So- impromptu photo session, and with that, we Larry Crider, 12510 West 67th St. Nice” member vehicles evolved to cover all were off and running with our cover feature. Sapulpa, OK 74066; (918) 798-2765 sorts of “Not-So-Good, The Bad, and the Ugly” Things just continued to fall into place from [email protected] cars and trucks. Thank you, everyone, for your there. Smoke Signals contributor Scott Scheel Vice President submissions! had often joked with me about featuring his Ron Berglund, 2101 West Spruce Ave. In fact, your responses were so vast that we rough-looking pair of Safari wagons. Well, Fresno, CA 93711; (559) 259-2079 actually ran out of space! We will pick up this Scott’s wish just came true, and I think the final [email protected] theme again next month, so if your photo entry result was worth his wait! didn’t find its way into this edition, I ask that I want to take a moment to also explain the Secretary you please be patient — it will very likely be photo of his wagon that appears on this month’s Peggy M. Cox, 7345 Old Springville Rd. presented in the December issue. Again, thank Table of Contents page. Scott and I arrived Pinson, AL 35126 (205) 602-6463 you a thousand times over! I don’t recall ever at a local restaurant where, inside, I ran into [email protected] getting such a favorable response for any other yet another friend who operates a restoration Treasurer special topics. shop. After introductions, I tried to explain the David Stafford, 902 Lafayette St. And, due to the sheer volume of member unfortunate condition of Scott’s Pontiac to this Godfrey, IL 62035 (618) 225-7516 submissions, some of our recurring features fellow by suggesting that he go by the museum [email protected] won’t be seen this month. There is no Ridin’@ where it was parked to see it for himself. The Random or Distinctive Deeds entry this time, photo presented here is what he snapped upon POCI BUSINESS OFFICE but those — together with Dimitrie’s popular In discovering Scott’s rusted barge. — absolutely the Shadows of Pontiac column — will indeed priceless! Office Manager return for December. Then, John Gunnell submitted a feature on a Paul Bergstrom, PO Box 421 Long Lake, MN 55356 Some of these cars have been owned by you ‘48 Streamliner — a modified cruiser that some Phone: (763) 479-2111 for decades, yet your pride still remains quite might call a Rat Rod. Others might claim it has Fax: (763) 479-3571 “patina on purpose.” Either way, this Pontiac evident. Others involve more-recent purchases [email protected] that offer a fun and fascinating story. perfectly fits our special theme. I want to point out that while some of our My submission this month tries to explain “Not-So-Nice” feature cars are here for obvious the somewhat mysterious 1977 Ventura Sprint SMOKE SIGNALS Magazine reasons, others might seem out of place. Trust program. This story, for me, began in the early Editor me when I say that some cars can hide their ‘90s when I purchased one, but it was only after Tim Dye, 205 N. Mill St. rust, wear and tear better than others. Also, the just recently buying a second, “twin” Sprint Pontiac, IL 61764 (815) 844-0282 lighting and angle of a photo can truly make or (in quite poor shape) that their story could be [email protected] break a car. (You have probably run into this properly told. Creative Design/Graphics in the process of buying a car at some point.) Gerson Goldberg’s column this month also Pontiac Vintage Press Having worked with all of the pictures, I can say mirrors our topic quite well as he recalls a trio of 205 N. Mill St. with confidence that each car featured today not-so-nice trade-ins from his years operating a Pontiac, IL 61764 (815) 844-0282 has a fair amount of patina and has rightfully Pontiac-GMC dealership. [email protected] earned its place within these pages. Anticipating just how popular these Sprinkled throughout, you’ll find some submissions might actually prove to be, I Commercial Advertising Coordinator expanded feature stories that reinforce our encourage others to realize that your Pontiac, Paul Bergstrom, PO Box 421 theme. The first of those tales came about only Oakland or GMC Truck is also good enough Long Lake, MN 55356 when Darren Schmitt — while on his way home for this magazine. Clearly there is an interest, Ph: (763) 479-2111 • Fax: (763) 479-3571 from a trip to Pikes Peak and the Bonneville Salt because your not-so-good car can still have a [email protected] Flats — pulled-up in front of the museum in his really-quite-good story. Keep the submissions Contributors to this issue 1971 LeMans Sport convertible (you can still coming! Scott Scheel, John Gunnell, see the salt on the car in the photos). I walked Gerson Goldberg, Darren Schmitt outside to greet him and said, “This is exactly Tim Dye Smoke Signals (ISSN 1042-4571), November 2020, Vol- ume 48 No 11. Published monthly by Pontiac-Oakland Club International/Pontiac Vintage Press 205 N. Mill St., Pontiac, IL 61764. Periodicals postage pending or paid at Long Lake, MN mailing office. POSTMASTER: Please send address changes to: POCI, P.O. Box 421, Long Lake, MN 55356. Articles, letters and editorial comments found in Smoke Signals represent the views and opinions of the individual authors and are not necessarily those of POCI or any of its officers or staff. The Pontiac/Oakland/GMC Trademark(s) are used with the permission of General Motors. NOVEMBER 2020 • SMOKE SIGNALS 5 So, we did occasionally take in cars that weren’t quite what I probably would have torn down the engine anyway be- As a retired Pontiac-GMC Truck dealer, I’ve had we thought they would be. Or, on rare occasions, the random fore restoring it for myself, but now there was no question: my share of one-of-a-kind automotive adventures. failures of something on the cars would happen seemingly Because of this new oil, all the built-up internal sludge had within five minutes of being traded in. If either happened, once come loose and her engine was now R.I.P. Here are some fun nuggets from the many that vehicle was in our possession, there were a few choices. If Second tale: A customer is looking to trade-in a red 1966 great years spent with my two favorite brands. those cars were readily repairable, we would correct (at our Tri-Power 4-speed GTO convertible. I’m drooling. Before we expense) any defects. But if they were too rough or still had even appraise it, I already have images of me buying and do- known defects, we just wouldn’t offer them on our used-car ing what seemed to be a minor restoration. We make the deal. RED LETTER DAY: THE lot; our reputation had too high of a value. Upon inspection, we find the car has a cracked frame. Not Those cars we would sell to wholesalers who would regu- only do I not want to do the frame restoration for myself, I NOT-SO-NICE TRADE-INS larly descend upon our dealer- don’t feel comfortable offer- ship looking for just those ve- ing a repaired-frame car for hicles. We would describe THE RANDOM FAILURES OF SOMETHING ON sale. With an announcement known defects, but these concerning the frame prob- wholesale buyers thought they THE CARS WOULD HAPPEN SEEMINGLY lem, we sold the car at auc- could sell them to their own WITHIN FIVE MINUTES OF BEING TRADED IN. tion. customers (other used-car deal- Third tale: Another trade- ers). Occasionally, we would in memory stems from the take cars to the wholesale car auction. There were new and mid 1970s, shortly after our family added the medium- and used car dealers and others, such as leasing companies, that heavy-duty GMC Truck lines to our longstanding Pontiac deal- did that on a regular basis.