What a great car season this year was!
The
weather was nice most of the time, and car show attendance was very high!
The
cruise nights were packed, and despite the economic downturn and the record high
gas prices; car owners bought and sold, restored, and participated in the hobby
in record numbers!
I
attended Chryslers at Carlisle, and the field was inundated with glorious
Mopars from around the country! People didn’t let $4.50 gallon premium deter
them from trips of hundreds of miles. That’s the wonderful car spirit at work!!
All
around Long Island there were rallyes, cruises, and trips in classic cars. Long
Island car owners – you, the readers of this Newsletter – defied the oil
industry and enjoyed your rides to the fullest! MORE POWER TO US!!
That
brings me to the present: Just because winter is coming and the weather is
getting chilly, it is no reason to put those beasts away! (I say this every
year) GO OUT! CRUISE! HANG OUT!
Keep
driving ‘til that first snow and road salting arrival. Hey, these cars love the
colder air anyway!
I’ll
be out there. Even though cruise nights are ended, you can still find guys
hanging out. Up in Glen Cove I know some fellas that represent all areas of the
hobby that took over a school parking lot on Saturday nights. They have a great
time from 6-9PM.
Muscle
cars, modern cars, street rods, pro-street and race, high-end exotics, foreign
machines and trucks from every make all head down for a few hours. It’s on
Forest Avenue by the corner of Dosoris Lane.
Come
on by, or start one in your town!
Enjoy
it all until the last possible minute. If it doesn’t snow and they don’t
salt/sand the roads; come on out in Jan. and Feb!!
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
I
have received a lot of feedback and comments from people, both in e-mails and
in person at various events, regarding our Newsletter’s quarterly format this
past year. While everyone enjoys the Newsletters, they are dissatisfied with
the frequency of them! It seems they are longing for more! “Four times a year
is not enough.” I am repeatedly told. I hear you! I thank everyone for their
input and appreciate the sentiments. With that in mind, we are going to a
bi-monthly format for 2008!
There
will be six issues commencing in January.
As
of now, all our writers are staying on board for the year. That’s great news as
I constantly get wonderful feedback about them!
Anyone
else out there who wants to contribute a column, either on a one-time, semi, or
continual basis, feel free to let me know!
* * * * * * * * * * *
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
One
more point regarding oil & gas prices: (actually two points about how we
get ripped-off big time!)
Primarily
and on a grand scale – we all have seen time and time again, how as a report of higher
crude prices is given, that on that same day gas stations raise their prices!
Why? The gas they have in stock at that point has not gone up in cost to them!
They are just raising prices anyway to rip us off!
Oh
sure, they try and say its in anticipation of what is coming and that it will
reflect the true cost to them in short order. Bull%&*t!!
If
that were true, why then doesn’t it happen the other ways around!?
Because
they are gouging us! That’s why!!
If
station pump prices were to indeed rise and fall based on price reports of
crude oil, then why don’t they fall just as quickly!?
Again
– because the companies and gas station owners are ripping us off!
When
oil crude prices drop, you don’t see station owners running out there and
lowering the prices on their signs do you?
Hell
no!
Caught
in their lies again!
Why
do they not apply the same rules to drop prices the same day as they do to
raise them the same day!?
Once
more and to the point: BECAUSE THEY ARE DECEITFUL AND RIPPING US OFF!!!!
Secondarily
and on a smaller scale – Hess gas stations are all corporately owned and not franchised out
to individuals. Therefore the cost for gas at each station that was bought by
the company at the same point in time is the same. Follow me so far? Good.
Now
then, since gas costs the same at each station, the retail markup and price
should be the same too! UNLESS of course we are getting ripped-off again and
being charged more based on where we live!
And
that is happening on a consistent basis!
I
live near Oyster Bay. And in Oyster Bay on Route 106 near the fuel depot where
gas comes in, the Hess station continually charges us MUCH higher prices than
other Hess stations around the Island charge! Why, if costs are the same to
them? Its very simple you see; THEY ARE RIPPIING US OFF!!
I
am not talking about two, three, or even five cents a gallon (Which is bad
enough), I am talking THIRTY cents a gallon!!
YES!
THIRTY CENTS A GALLON!!!!
Here
is an example of it: Yesterday, Sunday, October 26th, 2008, my
family and I passed by the Oyster Bay Hess and didn’t fuel up as we headed out
east (where gas should cost MORE since it has to be trucked over a longer
distance!) because we knew the gas would be cheaper out there! Sure enough, it
was a HUGE DISPARITY!!
At
Hess on North Ocean Avenue, off exit 63 on the LIE, prices were $2.77 for
regular, $3.09 mid grade, and $3.19 for premium.
Oyster
Bay Hess’ prices (for gas that costs them the same amount) - $3.05 for regular,
$3.25 mid grade, and $3.35 for premium!!
RIP
OFF TO THE MAX!!
They
can’t explain it. Hess can’t and won’t explain it! (I have written to them and
received no response)
We
are being charged more because there are so few gas stations up here, that they
know they have a “captive clientele” so to speak, and they take full advantage
of the situation (As do the local Gulf stations by the way) and RIP US OFF!!!
If
this were happening in a poorer community, they were getting charged higher
prices than the rest of the Island, you would see every news crew and civil
activist from a hundred miles around gathering, protesting, and reporting it.
But since it is happening up here on the North Shore, it goes unmentioned!
But
not by me it doesn’t!
I
am going to send this article to Newsday. Keep an eye out, see if they print it
in the editorial pages, I doubt it!
It
doesn’t smack of a liberal cause so they probably don’t care about it. But I do.
We as a community should. Because the rip-offs mentioned affect all of us at
one time or another!!
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TABLE OF CONTENTS:
1
Editor’s Introduction
2 Q & A Contest
3 Cruise Night Information
4 Guest Writer’s Columns
Tom
Sebastian
Lou Refano
Justin Appelbaum
Dennis Quitoni
Rich’s Tech Tips
My Car Story x 2
5 The Archive
6 Editor’s Closing
___________________________________________________
Long
Island Classic Cars’
Submit your entry along with your name and e-mail
address to: newsletter@liclassiccars.com
This contest is open to everyone! (LI Classic Cars.com
paid personnel, regular column writers, and business advertisers are not
eligible.)
Winners will be notified by e-mail and/or phone.
Please submit all entries by the 20th of the next
month. (Ex: for Wiinter’s contest the entries are due by December 20th)
No substitutions of prizes will be allowed.
In the event of prize choices, winner will be given
the opportunity to select the one they want.
All decisions are final and are made by the paid
personnel of Long Island Classic Cars.com
Winners must claim their prizes within 30 days of
contest end or forfeit the prize to the runner up.
If there are multiple correct entries on puzzle,
matching, fill-in, or Q&A contests - winner will be randomly selected from
all correct entries.
A few simple rules:
1) Think !
2) Answer by 12/20/08
Here is last month’s
winning entry from Jim Mastrodomenico…
Newsline:
Beijing, China: After numerous patrol cars have
become non-responsive to calls after lunch, the Chief of Police
has instituted a "No MSG" policy for all the patrolmen.
Jim wins a cool SET of
FOUR LED Flashlights!!!!
Congratulations!
OK - Here are the questions for our Winter “Contest”!!
1) What is
the largest cubic inch displacement engine Buick ever offered in a passenger
car?
2) In what year
was Ford’s Model T first rolled out?
3) What
were the names of the original Dodge Brothers?
4) In what
country are the 2008 Maseratis made?
5) The
Rolls Royce Silver Shadow was last made in what year?
Go to it! Send in your answers by 12/20/08 and win the prize!
___________________________________________________
“EXTRA EXTRA!
READ ALL ABOUT IT!!”
The Cruise Nights are all starting to end or are over. Check back for listings in
the Springtime.
If anyone knows of any cruise locations
that are fully up and running and not in danger of being cancelled
please let us know so we can post them for all to see - here and in the EVENTS
section of the website in the Spring. Minimum 40 cars attending.
___________________________________________________
GUEST WRITERS’ COLUMNS
Tom Sebastian takes a ride in a reliable, fun, and sporty Japanese car! See what his
latest ownership tale is…
( PS –Don’t forget to check his footnotes when
reading the article!)
Lou Refano writes
about the largest and grandest automaker in US history, and incorporates into
it some personal info about a trip he took this past summer. Great read – full of
information – as is Lou’s style!
Justin
Appelbaum from AutoMat describes a
full-blown and complicated restoration on a classic Buick! Read it in full to
see all the details that must be done to ensure a proper restoration on a
worthwhile machine!
We welcome a new writer
this issue! Dennis
Quitoni is known to many of you,
and is a looongtime participant in the automotive scene on LI. In fact, over 50
years! Dennis will be writing for us from time to time and we welcome his
knowledge, expertise, and sense of the hobby to our Newsletters. This time out
he gets you all to thinking with a few pertinent questions!
Rich’s
Tech Tips blasts away any
ill-conceived notions about soda blasting! Check this out for some advice and a
good comparative lesson learned as well.
In the My Car Story section we have a double-feature! We are delighted
to have the first van to grace our Newsletter! It is the property of Arnie Brulhardt. Arnie has owned this van for many years. Find out
the particulars in his story.
Next up we showcase
another father and son vehicle. I love these stories as they show the best part
of our hobby - Dads and kids spending time together in a common interest! Jim and Chris Wright tell us about their love for a 1971 Chevelle SS!
Enjoy…
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Tom
Sebastian
Tom goes from this..
…. to this!
The Prelude: Honda Does It
Again (and again, and…)
Although
it is listed in some collector car books, from the standpoint of traditional
“classic”, it probably shouldn’t be.[1] But you can’t blame people for falling in love
with this thing -- the developing after-market support for it and on-line clubs
display that emotion quite clearly. So,
let’s call it a “semi classic” then.
No
matter what we call it, it really is one invincible Sports Car.[2] The 4th generation, especially,
has that indelible, low-rider, svelte profile; there is no better driver
feedback with its tight, sporty suspension; and that crisp, short-shift 5-speed
is frosting on the cake; it is fuel efficient, well built -- and a great
performer. And, as with VW in a previous era, incredibly easy to
maintain.
Few
remember the fact – especially in America – that this car was hatched and
developed during Honda’s phenomenal run in Formula One racing, winning several,
consecutive Constructor’s Championships -- the most prestigious title in all of
motor sport. The late, great, Ayrton
Senna and Alain Proust were so far ahead of the pack in their Honda-powered
McLarens, that Formula One was losing viewership by the millions: Who wants to
watch a race where only one engine dominates the whole show?
The
racy feel you get inside this car -- that low to the ground, fit-like-a-glove,
open-wheel sensation -- was put there by design. Unlike Ferrari, who kept its passenger and race divisions
separate, Honda and a few other manufacturers brought the bacon home to the
consumers. Its entire line-up reflected
the glories of the track, including all the high-tech knowledge gained from
racing at the highest level -- and at the front of the pack.[3] You get all of this firepower with the Prelude
– and all from just 4-cylinders with incredible fuel efficiency.
When
the 4th generation Prelude made its appearance in the early
90’s[4]
people hardly noticed. U.S. Honda fans,
impervious to the F1 circus, were thinking either of the economical Honda Civic
or the ever popular, Accord. Of
course, a few uptown folks were marveling at the Integra. (And a very, very few others were
getting dazzled in a test-drive of the fab, new NSX – a show-stopper if
there ever was one.[5])
Mine
had just under a quarter of a million miles on it when I bought it (!! -- I’ll
let that one sink in), but it was still flawless in every respect. I actually tried to find something wrong
with it so as not to appear dishonest when it came time to sell. Couldn’t do it! Nothing wrong with it!
Even the finish was incredible – all original and untouched after 16
years.[6]
All
this and comfort too. Drove it all the
way from rural Virginia to Upstate NY -- without a hint of a backache.
When
Peter asked what it was like to own this car, the first word I thought of was, effortless! In my rather eclectic history of car
collecting, this was not the word to use to win my (granted, peculiar)
affection. My neighbors -- who
absolutely love that adjective – drive the dullest road machines
imaginable. To me, one of the last,
great pleasures in this world was at least the possibility on starting
out from A and never reaching B. You
know: Hannibal crossing the Alps, Alexander in Egypt, The Spartans at Syracuse,
Odysseus’ return to Ithaca (OK, ok… a real nutter here on the car front…)
But
the Prelude pulled me beyond my own affliction. First, because its stunning lines and then
because… (it’s hard for me to admit this) it was so much fricking fun to bang
it to the max and not have to worry about not making it home!
If
I have succeeded in raising your interest, try and find an Si, 4-Wheel
Drive version, or else the fabulous VTEC[7]
produced during its last year -- and you will have one of the best cars
ever made: For a song!
NEXT TIME: The B1-B
(– With the Wings!)
(Tom,
you never cease to surprise me! Never figured you for a Honda – but that’s what
makes it all so interesting – the diversity you embrace!!) Pete
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
GM AT 100
by
Louis Refano
On September 16, 1908, a group of
executives and financiers got together to form a corporation. Little did
they realize that on that day began an earth-shaking journey that would change
both the transportation and corporate landscapes of America. For these
men created a giant enterprise of forward thinking, progress and innovation
that lives on today. Their dreams not only propelled motorcars but also
propelled a nation. Their legacy is one of America’s greatest triumphs:
General Motors. And in Flint and Sterling Heights, Michigan, artifacts of
this great legacy live on for all to see.
GM is known for its heritage of
landmark automobiles, but it is just as much a history of the people that
envisioned and produced them. At the forefront was the driving force who
laid the foundation: William C. Durant. First, a little background before
“Billy” entered the picture: In the late 1890’s, David Dunbar Buick, a
Scottish-born inventor, was building internal combustion gasoline engines for
marine use, but soon after, he concentrated on automotive engines. In
1901 he became friends with Walter L. Marr who was a successful inventor and
engineer. Marr had worked with Buick, then left to start his own auto
company. He experienced some success but a fire destroyed all of his
assets, so he came back to work with Buick. By this time Buick was
manufacturing his own engine with valve-in-head design. The first actual
production Buick was built in July, 1904. Walter Marr and Thomas Buick
(David’s son) drove the car from Flint to Detroit and back, covering 230 miles,
to test the car’s reliability and convince financial backers that they were
making a good investment.
A total of 26 Buicks were produced in
Flint in 1904. The fact was, David Buick had a good product, but
unfortunately he was not a shrewd businessman and quite often ran out of
capital while working at his ideas. After several business
reorganizations (and lost investments), Buick‘s executives approached Durant
for financing. Durant was an energetic, self-made millionaire, owner of
America’s largest wagon works and regarded as a genius in the business
world. At first he was hesitant, not having any particular interest in
this new technology. But he was finally convinced, apparently partly due
to his determination to take on a new challenge. He also drove a Buick
car around Flint in September 1904, and was convinced that it was a durable and
marketable product. Billy’s Durant-Dort Carriage Company purchased a
majority of Buick Company stock in exchange for Billy being in full control of
management, production, promotion and sales. With Durant at the helm,
things turned around and Buick never looked back. Whereas in 1904 the
Buick Company manufactured 28 cars, by the end of 1905 the Durant-led company
pushed out 750...which was better than Billy’s goal of a car a day. For
1905 this made Buick the ninth largest automaker in the U.S. (that was a very
big deal, because there were literally hundreds of auto manufacturers at that
time).
Engines and transmissions were produced in
Flint, and bodies were made by Billy’s Flint Wagon Works company in Jackson,
Michigan, but eventually the production was consolidated in Flint, which
remained Buick’s home for decades. From this promising beginning, the
sales chart kept an upward march. Production reached 1,400 for calendar
year 1906 and by ‘07 the company claimed 2nd place in the sales race, only
behind Ford. At this time Billy had built a powerful organization and had
dreams of expansion. He met with banking interests from Ford, Briscoe
Motors, Olds Motor Works and others, to form a holding company for the primary
auto manufacturers of that time. His plan was to use Buick as the
foundation for a new automotive combine called General Motors. On
September 16, 1908, GM was incorporated in New Jersey and Oldsmobile was merged
into the new company. Soon other automaker and parts companies were
acquired.
Eventually Durant’s tenacity forced
him out of the board of GM. He financed a new auto venture with Louis
Chevrolet in 1911, again showing the Midas touch and creating a very successful
car company. He regained control of GM’s board through the purchase of GM
stock and brought the Chevrolet company into the fold. Durant was finally
forced out in 1920 during an economic downturn, and his stock was bought out by
the DuPont family, at which time Pierre DuPont became president and chairman of
GM. But Billy cemented his legacy as a tireless, brilliant executive, who
sacrificed a great deal of his own wealth to ensure the success of his vision
for the automotive industry.
The next great driving force at GM
was Alfred P. Sloan, who became President of the company in 1923 and eventually
Chairman of the Board. His vision was for a company that provided a car
“for every purse and purpose”; and establishment of a pricing structure for
each automotive division. That way the divisions did not directly compete
each other on price. A young person could start with the entry-level Chevrolet
and as they matured and rose up the economic ladder, could buy a more expensive
Oldsmobile or Buick and stay with a General Motors product rather than have to
go to the competition. Sloan was also credited with annual styling
changes, keeping the cars fresh and generating more buyer anticipation.
An individual who kept GM fresh in
the styling department was the man who created the modern styling studio,
Harley J. Earl (see the Long Island Classic Cars article from December 2003
). From his Art & Colour Section his designs were truly advanced and
beautiful and brought about the rapid evolution of auto design from the boxy
descendants of the horseless carriages to modern streamlined and
aircraft-inspired works of art. His protégé was William L. Mitchell, who
was a GM designer from 1935 to 1977. Mitchell directed styling after the
retirement of Earl. He is most noted for his work on the 1963 Corvette
Sting Ray, the ‘63 Buick Riviera, and the ’66 Olds Toronado, among
others. His last design was the “bustle back” Cadillac Seville of
1980. Under Mitchell’s direction, GM maintained a consistent level of
style leadership.
Another person who had a huge influence at
GM was Edward N. Cole, named chief engineer at Chevrolet in 1952, who would
rise up the ranks to become GM President in 1967. He brought Chevy and GM
to insurmountable heights in the 50s and 60s through his engineering
prowess. He directed and brought about the famous small-block Chevy V8,
the first production Corvettes, expansion of GM‘s engineering staff, the
rear-engined air-cooled Corvair, the performance engines of the 60s, and
promoted corporate safety research and the introduction of the catalytic
converter.
I
had the distinct privilege and pleasure of seeing some of the historic
automotive landmarks that GM was responsible for, truly the end products of
creative genius in transportation design. Last July while I was attending
the Buick Club of America 2008 National Meet in Flint, I took a bus trip to the
GM Heritage Center in Sterling Heights. This is a museum not open to the
general public, but is available for car club tours. It is a giant
warehouse of approximately 200 vehicles, covering every time period and
representing every division of GM, including Saab. Most of these vehicles
are of special interest, such as cars that were the last of a particular model
produced, or concept cars.
Among the cars that were on display, which you can see here, are
the last 1999 Buick Riviera; the Oldsmobile Aerotech concepts of the 1980s; the
first Saab imported into America in 1952; a row of Oldsmobiles built before
1920, including an example its first product, the 1903 curved-dash Olds.
Other Olds representatives were a humongous white phaeton with at least 30-inch
wooden spoke rims…the big SUV of its day…along with the 1972 Hurst/Olds Indy
Pace Car, the last full-size Oldsmobile convertible of 1975, and the
1,000,000th 1977 Oldsmobile produced--the first time the rocket division
accomplished that feat. Pontiacs included the 1979 “TransAm Kammback”
concept decked out in that classic late-‘70s gold paint, and the advanced
Firebird II concept from 1956, one of the three famous Firebird show cars
created by GM design chief Bill Mitchell. When was the last time you saw
a 1953 Corvette? I saw one here, in showroom new condition.
Another treat over in Flint was visiting the Buick Gallery and
Research Center, which was formerly a Buick production facility. During the
time the Buick National Meet was going on a special exhibit was taking place at
this building, entitled “General Motors Gems: A Look Inside the Nicola Bulgari
Automotive Collection”. Mr. Bulgari is the vice chairman of an
internationally famous Italian jewelry company and has a huge collection of
over 150 American classic cars, which have been his passion for decades.
This exhibit included the 1956 Wildcat concept car as well as several handsome
antique Buicks from the teens, 20s and 30s. What was parked in front of
the building was a real gem though…a restored 1905 Buick Model C.
General Motors began 100 years ago
and dominated the automotive landscape for most of the 20th century. It
is so engrained in the American way of life that it is hard to imagine that it
could be struggling so mightily at the present time. A company that is so
far-reaching and ubiquitous, a constant presence for all of us growing up in
the classic/muscle car generation, and for our fathers and grandfathers.
And God willing, this American icon will continue to thrive, innovate and
create automotive gems to serve the world’s transportation needs long after
we’re gone.
Sources: Hemmings Classic Car Magazine, Buick Club of America, Buick
Motor Division, Seventy Years of Buick by George H. Dammann, National Corvette
Museum.
(
Lou, Amazing. Great historical overview. Musta’ been a great trip you had!) Pete
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
"From Bolts to Riches"
By Justin Appelbaum
When Tony Ardito brought us his 1941 Buick it had already been passed around over the course of four years to a handful of shops in the north east that all promised him that that they would be able to complete the job. Unfortunately for Tony none of them were able to do so. That is when AutoMat Co. of Hicksville was called in for their expertise and to complete the job
The rolling chassis arrived at AutoMat in the fall of 2006 along with crates and crates of unmarked, unorganized parts, tin cans full of nuts, bolts and brackets were filling the empty cabin of the ’41. Long rolling fenders, hood panels, grille and running boards lay next to the car along with the freshly rebuilt engine, which was sitting nicely in a wooden crate ready for installation. The interior, consisting of front and rear bench seats, four door panels, carpet and dash was in tatters when it arrived later on a second flatbed. There was no glass in the car and the four-year-old paint job had seen much better days. The only saving grace to this project was that the all the pieces of the car that were already sent out for chrome were all still in perfect condition and wrapped in their protective material.
Where does one begin when a project of this magnitude arrives on your doorstep? First, deciphering which parts go where is a good start. Putting some organization to the confusion sometimes is easier said then done, especially when you did not create the mess in the first place. So what could be organized was, and the rest would hopefully sort itself out as the project moved along.
Getting the engine in the vehicle and the car
running were top priority.
Unfortunately, even before an attempt was made to get the engine out of the
crate, while installing some of the accessories, the mechanics noticed that the
crank was frozen. After some mild
disassembly, it was determined that the bearings the crank rides on were not
the correct thickness and needed to be replaced. With that done, the engine was reassembled, mated to the
transmission and put in place in the engine bay. Over the course of the next few months the rest of the engine
parts, such as the intake and exhaust manifolds, radiator, gas tank, fuel
system, ignition system, engine wiring were installed, and for the first time
in years the engine came to life.
With the ’41 under it’s own power bringing it to a stop was the next issue to tackle. All new brake lines were run from the rebuilt master cylinder to the four corners where the rebuilt brake drums lay behind the refurbished wheels and vintage tires.
Now that the car was mechanically sound, the time had come
to put the rest of the body back together.
Going through the numerous tins of nuts, bolts and brackets, the correct
mounting hardware for the fenders, running boards and grille were found and
these parts were able to be put back onto the car, making it look like the
classic that is. All the window
regulators were remounted into the doors and the corresponding glass was put
into place. The front windshield and
rear 
glass
were the next to go in. Making the car
as watertight a possible was the next task at hand. When it comes to weather stripping, the reproduction stuff is
never a good as the original, but seeing as trying to find 70+ year old weather
stripping is next to impossible, reproduction will have to do. Everything from the door mains, window
felts, headlights, taillights, cowl, and trunk were replaced on the ’41. Once the weather stripping was in place, all
of the headlights and taillights could be mounted.
There is no point in restoring a classic car to the point that this car was being restored to without entirely rewiring it. Fortunately, the correct wiring harnesses needed for this job are readily available. While it is easy to get the necessary parts, actually rewiring the car is a very time consuming and intricate process. Making sure that all of the wire leads are going to the correct end points is a rather critical aspect to this endeavor!
The dashboard, door toppers and rear divider all have an intricate wood grain look over metal finish pioneered by GM designer Bernie Estes. That part, like the chrome, was all refinished prior to AutoMat receiving the car and was now ready to be installed. The dashboard on this car like many others of the period typically needed much restoration work. The gauge cluster, clock and radio were sent out to be rebuilt to ensure their proper functionality. Once back, they were reinstalled into the dash along with all the chrome trim pieces that make up the various control functions, such as the lights, cigarette lighter, heater controls, and interior and exterior lights.
With all the mechanical and electrical restoration complete, the time to focus on the interior aspect of the restoration was now at hand. For starters, the bench seats were stripped apart down to the frames. They were then sand blasted and powder coated. The springs were reinforced, new burlap and padding was installed creating a fresh seating surface that makes for a nice cushy ride. Original gray wool broad cloth in the original stitch design, based on vintage publications supplied with the vehicle was used to upholster both the front and rear bench seats. All four door panels received the same treatment including gathered map pockets and a handful of chrome trim. A new headliner and sun visors along with new sail panels, window divider panels and grab handles were all installed as original. Keeping noise from entering the cabin, a layer of sound deadening Dynamat Xtreme was installed across the entire floor pan. Carpeting in this vehicle is not the same as you would find in today’s vehicles. It is actually just large bound pieces of material cut to shape and laid in place. In this case the original material once again used was gray wool mohair. On top of that, custom floor mats embroidered with the Buick logo were installed as finishing touches, both front and rear. All of the courtesy lights were installed along with the ashtrays and cigarette lighters. Finishing off the interior was a newly manufactured reproduction steering wheel.
Just prior to delivery, the old-new paint job was given a heavy dose of compounding and multiple coats of wax, bringing out that rich luster that the ’41 deserves.
It took AutoMat Co. just about 2 years to finish what multiple other shops couldn’t and Tony Ardito could not have been happier. In fact he took delivery on a Friday and won 1st place at a car show on Saturday. So when you see him around, let him know how much you like his car. And if you have a vehicle in this or any condition and you are looking to have it restored, feel free to drop by AutoMat’s shop and take a look for yourself!
(Tremendous article Justin! Great job on the car too!!) Pete
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Rides ………all Types of Rides.
by Dennis Quitoni
I’m not so sure that any of us can recall the exact moment when it first happened, although I’m sure that somewhere in our minds we each have an event that leads us to believe that’s when we first became involved. Some times it was a magazine on a rack in a store that caught our attention, maybe it was a custom car parked somewhere that stopped us in our tracks, or maybe it was a friend that was already bitten by the bug. Then again, it may be the curiosity of the mechanicals behind all those parts that made us think “ How does all this work!” What ever it was, for me, I remember when I first became involved. You see my first memory was the sound of what was then called a “Hot Rod”, now called a “Street Rod”.
Around the corner from my house there was a gas station. I remember four older teenagers, and the noise they made with this hot rod drew my attention to the point where I would walk around the corner and just stand there looking. At the edge of the station I would watch them playing, tinkering, and revving the engine on what was a primer painted, chopped, and channeled early Ford Coupe. At least that’s the way I remember it when I was about fourteen.
I bring this up because I have a question to ask you. It’s not really about where you got the proverbial bug, or when; but what it is that interests you? Why are we so ready to spend so much time, so much money, and put so much effort into a hobby that for the most part, everyone around us is thinking: “They must be a little nuts!”
As I go through life, I am reminded of the one single fact that both separates and binds us together. Do you know what it is? It’s diversity! We all like something different. No, no I don’t just mean Chevy people, or Ford people, or Harley guys and Rice Burner dudes, I mean deeper than that. There are Corvette people that only see the goodness in a numbers matching fully restored Corvette. They frown upon one that is modified. Some guys look at drag racers and question the sanity of someone that spends that much time and money on something that gives such a short time period of satisfaction. (ie: quarter mile runs) Just ask the circle track racer who spends as much time and money, but justifies what he does because he can drive around the track longer and be in closer contact with his competition.
The custom car crowd! They hardly drive them, won’t let them get dirty, you can’t touch them, but they want every one to see them! The custom car guys don’t understand how the roundy-round racer can take his car to the track each week, and most likely come home all crashed up! Bikers are bikers? I don’t think so! Just ask the Harley -Davidson enthusiast how they feel about the foreign built two wheelers. I think that at this point you get my drift. WE are all different in our beliefs and desires, what turns you on in this hobby may not excite me, but I’ve come to understand that its the diversity I’ve seen for over forty years now that makes me most proud of our hobby. We can all like different things but can at the same time appreciate the others’ interests too!
Walking around the pits at the race
track, cruising the Bellmore Train Station on a Friday night, or watching a
hundred bikes parading by at sixty miles an hour down Sunrise Highway on a
Sunday morning, its all the same; its what we are and what we love. So, here’s
another question: what, and why, do you do what you do in the car hobby? Tell
us; what sparked your interest in customs, street machines, bikes, dragsters,
boats, hot rods, etc. You think you have a cool car to show? Or maybe a good
story to share? Let us know. What sparked your interest? Did you also hear
that primed, chopped, coupe in your memory too!
(Dennis, my interest started
almost at birth from my Dad – Rocco Giordano, who always had some cool Chargers
when I was a little kid!!) Pete
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RICH’S TECH TIPS
By Rich Fiore
SODA
BLASTING... WHAT'S IT ALL ABOUT?
I have been reading about soda blasting
for a few years now. It was a service that only professional shops would
handle. Now the do it your-selfer can perform the same thing at
home.
Soda blasting is nothing more than using plain old baking soda as a blast
media to remove paint. I recently purchased a unit from one of the big
name restoration catalogs. The unit is nothing more than a 10 gallon sand
blaster which is shipped with a retrofit kit to convert it for soda
blasting use. The nice part is that you have the best of both worlds. If you
want to go back to sand blasting its not a big problem.
So what are the pros and cons of soda blasting? I thought you would never
ask. First off; as stated it is good for removal of paint and grime. It will
not beat up on the metal like sandblasting. Sandblasting will leave the metal
pitted and will harden it to a certain extent. Sandblasting can also heat up
and warp panels if one is not careful.
Soda blasting will not remove rust though. It is not that aggressive.
Since it is not that aggressive the claims are that glass, plastic and chrome
can be left unmasked. That can save plenty of time in itself. Personally I
would mask these items just to play it safe. Another big advantage to soda
blasting is the clean up. Since it is bio - degradable just blow it away. No
sweeping up since it cannot be re-used. Another nice feature of soda blasting
is that it leaves a coating on the metal that blocks moisture. This
means metal will not rust immediately like sand blasted bare metal can. Keep
in mind, this coating must be thoroughly washed with a spray solvent or good
ole soap and water before you attempt to prep and paint.
So lets look at exactly what I found after using my new blaster for the last
two days. First off, finding the soda blast media locally was not an easy
chore. I finally went to a business that performs blasting and they did
sell me a bag ... something they normally don't do. After the
conversion of the machine, the first thing I did was try it on a fairly detailed
part which was a set of hood hinges. With the first blast it did remove
the paint and left behind the galvanized coating. I was pretty impressed. I
then used it on some other items which had forty year old paint and again it
did a nice job. When it came to the underside of my hood, which had two coats
of paint, it took a little longer. It occurred to me that the blaster was good
for detailed parts or corners which are tough to get to. After seeing how slow
this was, I broke out the heavy-duty artillery-like sanding disks and wire
wheels. Paint removal was obviously quicker but sanding disks can
leave scratches. That's the trade off. Also on some items I did soda blast, I
did find rust under the removed paint. Obviously this must be removed by
another means.
The bottom line is that soda blasting is a fairly slow process unless the paint
is very old. You must have at least a sixty gallon compressor for the volume of
air which is required. Again it is good for small parts but other means are
quicker for larger panels. Also keep in mind the price is quite steep. A 50 lb.
bag is $ 40.00 and approximately $ 20.00 to ship. So one must use it sparingly.
Overall I thought it was a worthwhile investment since the blaster can be
converted back to sand media if necessary. It is ideal when you’re doing a
major job and there are many loose parts to be cleaned up, as I found when
I removed my engine and transmission for a rebuild. Again in the end the
clean up was the best ... there was none.
(Sounds like you had a “blast”
Rich!) Pete
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Arnie Brulhardt: 1983 Ford E 100
When
I was asked by Pete to write an article about my 1983 Ford E-100 Shorty Van I was
taken by surprise. To me it’s just my van, something I’ve used and taken care
of for twenty five years, then I realized, it has been twenty five years and
could have “Historic“ plates screwed on
it’s bumpers. I don’t totally buy into that, mainly because to me it’s just my
van. One that I use a lot to drive my sons to college with all their garbage,
and also to tow my real classic, a 1963 Thompson Sea Coaster Runabout. (See more
about it at - http://www.home.earthlink.net/~oldspiker
)
I fell in love with vans
years ago. My second vehicle was a 1968 Chevy Suburban that was given to me by
my father and uncle in 1977, it was used to haul furniture. I know it wasn’t a van,
but it was close enough, and it was free! I customized the interior and
repainted the exterior, nothing too fancy or tricked out, but it was great to
have. I kept that truck for about six years, which I thought was a very long
time. I named it the “Sweet Spot”. I got the name after taking a tennis class
with my wife-to-be in college. They told us to hit the ball with the sweet spot
of the racket, she thought the name sounded cute, so it stuck.
In 1983 I finally bought
my van. It had to be a shorty so I could fit it in my garage. I wanted to keep
it nice and safe! I ordered it as a standard cargo van. No side or rear
windows, no rear seat, not even a passenger seat! AM radio, that’s all. Also,
it had absolutely no interior, you could hear an echo! The reason I ordered
like this was due to the fact that I was going to do the work to it myself,
like I did with my Suburban.
It just so happened that the dealer
that I ordered it from in New Jersey also dealt with an outfit called Van House
Coach that did customizing work on vans if customers desired. At first I was
against it, but after realizing the cost factor and also the fact that I could
get a pretty good product in one month, I changed my mind. I figured I always
could improve upon it. I didn’t want a whole-hog excessively tricked out van,
just something that looked a little different and clean. The package that I
picked came with the following: large side windows in the rear, running boards,
contrasting painted bands on the sides and front, insulation, paneling, minor
use of short nap shag carpeting, two captains chairs, and an AM/FM radio with
cassette player and four speakers. It wasn’t a lot compared to today’s
standards, but it fit the bill for me. In this condition, more or less, I’ve
kept it till this day. For a twenty five year old van it doesn’t have a lot of
mileage, only 99,000. I had to put in a new rebuilt tranny at 78,000, a new
carb at 85,000 but besides normal maintenance items, that’s about it. The engine
still runs good, maybe better in some respects than it did when it was new.
Still doesn’t burn oil, and with tune-ups it still starts quickly.
Here’s a little list of
what I have personally done to it:
1.) Built a rear
bed/seat ( there was nothing there before ). We did enough of camping years
ago.
2.) Installed a trailer
hitch to the frame to pull the boat, and electric lines for the Power Winch.
3.) Installed a front
anti-sway bar.
4.) Replaced standard
shocks with Monroe-matic gas shocks.
5.) Hand lettered "
Sweet Spot 2 " logo.
6.) Installed wooden
cabinet around the front doghouse.
7.) Installed new Baby
Moon hubcaps.
About a year ago I
started thinking that after my boys graduated college I would buy myself a new
vehicle. What kind, I had no idea. Long wheelbase vans were out of the
question, so were SUV’s. I’ve been looking for about eight months now and
nothing has caught my eye, there’s nothing that I crave, nothing that I look at
and say “ God, I have to have that!! “. The new vehicles have so many features
and most are lost on me as far as importance. I’ve heard many good and bad
things about possible replacements. The thing is, none of them seem that
special to me. This van and I have a history. People know that if they see my
van, I can’t be far behind. For better or worse, we have each other. I know
it’s just a simple van, just has a 300 cubic inch 6 cylinder engine, but it’s
special to me. Don’t get me wrong, if I had the room and some extra funds I
wouldn’t mind a classic Chevy Nomad or Bel Aire. But that’s not the case.
So now the decision had
to be made. I would keep the van and over the next few months and/or years
replace-update a few items. That’s where I need some help from you guys. I hear
that the readership of this newsletter is pretty knowledgeable and experienced.
I want to do the following: either replace the front captains chairs or get
them reupholstered, buy a rear bench seat to replace the bed I built years ago,
have some minor bodywork done, have an air conditioning system installed, and
have rear door windows installed. That’s just the short list, I could go on for
a while!
The main thing is I want
to keep this van, it has become part of me for the past twenty five years and
my life wouldn’t be the same without it. So if anyone has some suggestions
about what to do and where to go, please let me know! oldspiker@earthlink.net
(Good luck Arnie. Its nice to not only keep a classic, but especially
one that has meaning to you!) Pete
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Jim & Chris
Wright: 1970 Chevrolet Chevelle SS
I was bitten by
the Chevelle bug at the age of 14, so I went to my father and told him that
I thought it would be good for us if we got a car and restored it together. My
father told me that if I found one locally and it was within our price range,
we could take a look. We had only two conditions; it needed to be a Big Block
and 4-Speed. Didn't matter if it was original, SS, clone or anything else.
Well, after a few weeks of searching, my father found one online and fell in
love. The problem was it was way out of our price range, and in Ohio. Now the
hunt was truly on.
After perusing countless
ads online, and in the newspaper, we found one about 2 hours away from our
home. We called the man, and there was no answer. We figured it was to good to
be true, and shrugged it off rather quickly. At about 9:00 at night, we got a
call back. He still had the car and he would send us pictures. The paint was
dull, there were no trim rings on the wheels, the bumpers were painted, and the
header was cracked. But, it was a 4 speed and a Big Block! The next weekend the
whole family went up and looked at the car.
We pulled into a
neighborhood in the middle of nowhere, to be confronted with very large and
beautiful homes. There was one street that was a dead end. We saw the car
sitting in the driveway and knew the car was for us. After going over the body,
which was not too bad, we took it for a test drive. It sounded healthy, but
needed headers and exhaust. We checked if it was a posi-tract rear… and it was.
The transmission shifted fine, but the linkage hung up. After talking it over,
we decided it was exactly what we wanted and the next week it was home.
In looking hard at the
car, we found that it was built in Canada, which meant that we could get the
build sheet. After getting the build sheet from GM of Canada, we found out that
our car was a true SS454 originally equipped with the M-22 4-Speed
transmission. One of 138 built in Canada in 1971. The original motor and
transmission were long gone, but we still had the documentation to prove how it
left the factory.
We started our work on
it by getting a new set of headers and a new 2.5" Flowmaster exhaust. Then
we turned to the interior and exterior of the car. This is where we found a
company called Ground Up. After searching the Internet and looking at places
all around the country, Ground Up turned out to be only 20 minutes from us. We
started by purchasing a front bumper to replace the painted one that was
currently on the car. Then a new grille and a lot of extra parts. After
receiving the bumper, we were very pleased with the quality and service that
Ground Up had to offer.
After three years of playing with the car and
replacing the things that we were capable of doing, we decided to do the body
on our car. After hearing many horror stories about cars going into the body shop,
and not coming out for years, we were a little apprehensive at first. We found
a body guy through a friend of a friend. His name is Tony Saragias in
College Point, Queens NY. Tony is a real car guy and he only does one car at a
time. We gave him the car, and he gave us a time frame of Three months. Three
months to the day, we drove the car home! While in the body shop, we found the
car needed new quarters and full floor board, in addition to the two
fenders and functional Cowl Induction hood that we were going to
install. After extensive bodywork, four coats of Dodge Viper Red were
sprayed and three coats of clear followed. The car came out amazing!! The
difference between the two bodies was unbelievable!
After getting it home, we began the reassembly. We had to put on the console mounting bracket which gave us some diffictlites, but that was the hardest part of the whole reassembly. The new carpet went in beautifully, and after some trimming, looked brand new. The door panels fit perfectly, and all the weather stripping seals everything together for a nice finished look and feel.
The new emblems are
beautiful and really look nice next to the Viper Red paint. The new chrome
shines great, and the turn signal lenses are as clear as water. The most interesting
aspect is the sport mirror that we built for the passenger side. These are not
reproduced, but can be made with a little fiberglass and a repro Camaro mirror.
The body and interior are completed, and even though I may be biased, is one of
the better looking Chevelles around!
That takes us to the
present. We are currently having a lot of fun taking the Chevelle to the
local cruise-ins, shows, and are having the most fun just driving it! This car
is meant to be driven and we put about 2,500 miles on it annually. If it gets
wet, it gets wet. It's not a trailer queen, and is definitely not pampered.
It's being driven like the purpose is was created for when was built: hard,
fast, and often! What the future holds for us and the car is uncertain, but we
are having a lot of fun with the car now, and it all would not have been
possible without the helpful folks at Ground Up.
Update: It is now one year
later and we have installed a 468 cubic inch full race motor. Now “Big Red”
runs even better!
(Another
great father and son resto story guys! Wonderful to read about!) Pete
______________________________________________________
Here
is where you can access previous editions of the Long Island Classic Cars
Online Newsletter.
http://www.liclassiccars.com/Newsletter/
You can also access the previous Newsletters through a
link on the main page of the website.
___________________________________________________
Folks, I hope you enjoyed this edition of the Newsletter! Thanks to all
our writers for another great year! We will see you soon!
Look
for the bi-monthly edition to start up early in 2009.
I wish a Great Thanksgiving, Happy Hannukah, and Merry Christmas to all of
you!
See you next year!
Pete Giordano
Editor
Long Island Classic Cars.com