A GDYNETS PUBLICATION 2012, G. DAVID YAROS. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Car Collector Chronicles

Volume V, Issue 6 Car Collector Chronicles June 2012

Exploring:
Car Collecting Today Classic Rides Reports From the Field
Oldsmobile (1897-2004) Cadillac (1902- ) Allant (1987-1993)

High RPMs
This month we head out to London, ONT Canada for the Fleetwood Country Cruize-In. This is an extravaganza put on by Steve Plunkett, on the grounds of his estate. It may be the largest car show in Canada, and maybe North America? 3,000 + cars are expected to be on the show field! Entertainment during the show run includes Franki Valli & the Four Seasons and Paul Revere & the Raiders. Who is Steve Plunkett? Here is what I know: He is a gazillionaire. He is a lover of cars. He is a lover of Cadillacs. He is a philanthropist. He is also a down-to-earth, personable, approachable guy. Case in point: I had a question about pre-registering for the car show. My friend in Windsor, ONT called the Plunkett organization to get an answer. Who answered the phone? None other than Steve Plunkett! May provided two opportunities for showing our cars. They were the Indy show, discussed later, and the Badger Region of the Cadillac-LaSalle Club annual show. To be in the local Cadillac show, I need to waken The Gray Lady from her winter slumber. Hopefully, that process will go as smooth as it did in recently bringing Saved62 back
to life. It did! I used the technique of manually filling the carburetor fuel bowl discussed in the March 2012 issue of CCC. My dispenser was, as I indicated at the time it would be, a ketchup squeeze bottle. I was astonished, and it does take more than a bit to accomplish that feat, at how well it worked. I removed the air cleaner, filled the fuel bowl, got behind the wheel, tapped the gas pedal to set the choke, pumped it twice and turned the key. She fired up as though she had only been shut off minutes earlier. Truly amazing! I see Mecum is having another auction this week in Indianapolis.

Corvair (1960-1969)

IN THIS ISSUE:

High RPMs

GDYNets On the Web

Less is Better?-Pt II 2

Too bad Dana did not time it to coincide with the IMS Celebration of Cars show. Seems to me it would be a natural fit, and good for both organizations? As I write, a custom 1957 Olds with the J2 setup is among the high sellers. I do not subscribe to the Velocity channel, so I shall have to troll the net for other results - Enjoy your ride(s)!

Indy Celebration of Cars In the Year 19 and 62 (Ads/Events)

GDYNets on the Web

Find GDYNets on the web:

SAVED 62: A website devoted

to our 1962 Oldsmobile Dynamic 88 convertible. The site also has a lot of information on Oldsmobiles and its founder, Ransom Eli Olds.

CCC -THE FORUM http://ccc.activeboard.com Car Collector Chronicles-scribd Saved 62 - 1962 Olds web site http://www.freewebs.com/ jeandaveyaros The Gray Lady - 1955 Cadillac Coup de Ville web site

CCC Forum EMail:

OldsD88@gmail.com

THE GRAY LADY: This website features our 1955 Cadillac Coup de Ville and Caddy information.

DAVES DEN: A website 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.

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Less is Better? - Part II

Last month we bemoaned the removal of zinc additive (ZDDP) from motor oils by the federal government. We explained why it is important to older engines, and the potential adverse consequences from its absence. I also presented what I felt is one of the clearest, most understandable explanations of why zinc additive is important to the collector/ classic car crowd. Permit me to highlight some of the more salient points in the Joe Gibbs Racing article that jumped out at me:
In the old days, engine builders used SAE 30 grade, non-detergent oil to break-in an engine. The break-in period is the most critical time in the life of an engine. The non-detergent oil was effective at establishing a Zinc anti-wear film in the engine during break-in because the Zinc did not have to compete

against the detergent. As a result, the engine had better access to the Zinc it needed when we needed it the most. Detergents are also polar molecules, and the detergent is designed to prevent build up of deposits in the engine. As a result, both the Zinc and detergents compete against each other for the metal surface.

What I read between the lines here is that simply adding ZDDP to your oil at the time of change may not be the wisest course. It conceivably could result in the zinc additive working against you inside your engine.

What I read between the lines here is that simply adding ZDDP to your oil at the time of change may not be the wisest course. It conceivably could result in the zinc additive working against you inside your engine. It should be readily apparent, you are better off using an oil with a zinc additive in it that is known by the manufacturer to be compatible with their added detergents, instead of going with a home brew mix.
Older valvetrains have push rods, a flat tappet camshaft and big steel valves. These older engines feature increased sliding friction and weight. These engines need increased levels of Zinc.
The oils originally developed for our old cars used less detergent and more Zinc than modern engine oils. To protect a flat-tappet camshaft, you need to avoid high detergent oils for both break-in and service fill.

Believing that a picture is indeed worth a thousand words, here is what happens when an old engine does not have sufficient zinc in the oil. What happens is not good, as you can see! Fortunately, such disaster may be avoided. There are plenty of products out there that fill the need for motor oil with the correct amount of zinc additive. While on the subject, just what is the correct amount of zinc additive? According to Joe Gibbs Racing, 850 ppm or less guarantees catastrophe. To be on the safe side one

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should be looking for a ZDDP concentration level of between 1000 and 1400 ppm. But in no event should you use an oil with 850 ppm or less. So what oil does one use? Brad-Penn oils [http://www.penngrade1.com/ Zinc.aspx] will certainly fill the bill. While not the least expensive option, it would be my oil of choice, for whatever that is worth? Central Petroleums Cen-Pe-Co - The company has been serving extreme duty engines for 95 years. A problem is that they are a regional manufacturer, thus not readily available at the "corner parts" store. The oil is available in 10W-30 and 15W-40 multi viscosity, and straight weights (a tad more expensive) of 10, 20, 30 40 and 50. It is heavy with ZDDP, 1600 ppm zinc &1475 ppm phosphate (16% zinc and 0.1475% phosphate). A minimum mail order is 1 case of 12 qts. http://
www.cen-pe-co.com/Products/Engine%20Oil.html

[O]ne should be looking for a ZDDP concentration level of between 1000 and 1400 ppm. But in no event should you use an oil with 850 ppm or less.

Comp Cams swears by Shell Rotella T diesel oil for use in highperformance street cars. It's available in both mineral-based and fullsynthetic formulations with both types containing basically the same superior additive package. Rotella viscosities are generally higher than today's modern formulations, but that's not a detriment for classic/ muscle cars. Diesel oils add a superior detergent package that can keep the piston rings cleaner for better oil consumption control. The drawback, if any, would be on a high-mileage engine where blow-by can cause detergent to accumulate in the combustion chamber, possibly contributing to detonation. All of the extended life Mobil synthetics now have at least 1000 ppm. Because they do, they do not receive an energy conserving rating. Stay away from any nnW-30 oils and go to 10W-40 or higher if you have an older engine. 10W-40 and above is generally also not considered to be 'energy conserving. Since it is not classified or rated as such, it is not subject to the zinc reduction mandate. The Bottom Line: For 1975 or earlier engines (the ubiquitous catalytic converter arrived on the scene in 1976) you do not want motor oils that are certified to be energy conserving. Nor do you want motor oils that bear an API classification of SJ or higher. It is highly recommended that you do not try and mix your own zinc additive (ZDDP) concoctions; unless you just so happen to have degrees in chemical engineering and metallurgy! You are well advised to leave it to the experts in the lubrication field to come up with the proper additive recipe. It is to their benefit, and thus yours, that they get it right. I trust this clears up some of the confusion out there regarding the need for zinc in our beloved old cars?

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Indy Celebration of Cars

Here is my report on the Indy show: Where to begin? Let me state at the outset, we won no awards. Nor did we expect that we would. Virtually everything, including even the weather, was fantastic! Our Olds performed flawlessly throughout the entire trip, and averaged 17 mpg! The kind folks at the motel (Jameson Inn-Indy West) could not have been more accommodating. At their suggestion, I was allowed to park our car under cover all 3 days of our stay. I was also able to wash the car in the motel lot on arriving from Milwaukee. The Speedway folks know how to put on a car show! We were treated like royalty. That it was going to be a class act was obvious when our credential package arrived. It contained participant badges not only having our name on them, but a picture of our car as well. The first day of the event, Friday, was rather low key and limited mainly to entrants. Each car was given a display sign listing the year, make and model of the car; the name of the car owner(s) and the owner city of residence. The sign is constructed from heavyduty plastic, with printed graphics and able to be used at future shows. A neat touch in my opinion. The track treated us to lunch from 10-2. It was quite a spread with fresh salad, choice of vegetables, 2 entrees (chicken/beef) and dessert. Not your usual auto show fair of dogs and burgers. The highlight of the day was driving our car on the famed Indianapolis 500 Mile Speedway racetrack. As we entered onto the track at Turn 4 and exited at Turn 1, all tolled we did 2 1/2 laps, and racked up 6 1/4 miles on the brickyard oval. The one drawback was that we were not, for liability reasons I am sure, allowed to go full throttle. Even so, in the back straightaway I managed to put my foot into it and pass a number of cars, all against the rules.
Staging the cars for the track laps

Crossing the Indy 500 Finish Line

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At this point, do let me digress for a bit, on the subject of trailer queens. Naturally, the caliber of this show was such that many cars were trailered to Indy, instead of having been driven from wherever. Indeed, there are some cars which are of such significance that they do deserve trailer queen status. Having acknowledged such, I am still a firm believer that our old rides are best enjoyed when driven and seen on the public byways. In my mind the joys of ownership increase exponentially when our cars are driven, instead of being viewed as static display objects. All this leads up to an observation made during the track lap portion of the Indy event. More than a few of the trailer queens were not capable of making the less than 1/8th mile distance from the staging area to the track, let alone doing the allotted 2 + laps around the track. Friday night was a welcoming party, held in the 500 Mile Hall of Fame Museum. All food and beverages were compliments of the track. It was a chance to mingle with race drivers and crews. The Mrs. conned Helio Castroneves into posing with her for a picture. Myself, I had the opportunity to engage in one-on-one conversation with 3 time winner Bobby Unser. Saturday was show day. Both breakfast and lunch were supplied to show participants. There were a large number of spectators, each shelling out 10 bucks to view our rides. Additionally, show participants were granted access to the garage area of the track. It was an opportunity for us to watch the professionals turn wrenches. I am running out of room. Plenty of nice cars: A 1962 Chev Bel Air 2-dr. Hdtp. with a factory 409, a beaut of a 1962 Pontiac Bonneville convert and, for me, the highlight, a 1925 REO Roadster1 of 10 manufactured; and it was pristine, even though a driver! For pics of the show, see the album I have posted on Photbucket.com http://photobucket.com/IMS_Celeb_of_Cars

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, come start/ join an ongoing dialog with other CCC readers and like-minded car collector folk on the CCC Forum. Stop by, check us out and share your views . ______________________________________

-- RESTORE 'EM, AND DRIVE 'EM!

COMING NEXT ISSUE: The Fleetwood Country Cruize-In event Veritable gems, in terms of an online resources

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In the Year 19 and 62

The World Which Greeted Saved 62 June 62 Jun 5 - Axel Hannemann shot and killed at the Berlin Wall trying to escape East Germany Jun 6 - Beatles hold first recording session Jun 8 - Marilyn Monroe fired by 20th Century Fox Jun 11 - James Brown & the Famous Flames appear on American Bandstand Jun 13 - "Bob Newhart Show," last airs on NBC-TV Jun 15 - Port Huron Statement Manifesto of the fledgling Students for a Democratic Society released Jun 22 - The last B-52H, rolls off the Wichita line, ending 11 years of production Jun 25 - By a vote of 6 to 1, the Supreme court bans prayer in public schools Jun 27 - Ross Perot begins Electronic Data Systems