The Oldsmobile Club of America Last Oldsmobile Rolls Off ...

2 downloads 6371 Views 496KB Size Report
May 30, 2004 ... Employees watched as the last Alero rolled off the assembly line. The last ... Olds Museum to see the last Oldsmobile Alero being moved to the ...
OLDSMOBILE CLUB OF AMERICA EASTERN MA. GMO CHAPTER ROCKET POWER NEWSLETTER!!

Issue #7 April – May 2004

Last Oldsmobile Rolls Off Assembly Line It's the end of the road for the oldest automotive brand name in the United States.

The Oldsmobile Club of America from the office of the president To Paul Iantosca: I just received my August GMO Newsletter. Another great job. In reading the article by Doug Stavros, I was reminded that you have agreed to place the "Why Join OCA?" article in JWO. Just a note, Clay will need a copy of the article by the 1st of the month for the next month's JWO The Endicott Show looked to be a great success. 77 Oldsmobiles on the lawn of the Estate. What a picture. Wish we could have been there. And 12 new members. Wow, what a success story. I enjoyed Ted Loranz's article about his Endicott experience. You guys like to eat as well as us Texans. Hey Paul, A congratulations is in order for your 1st place in the Oldsmobile class. Keep up the good work and FUN. Happy trails, Pat Yancey OCA President

The Final Alero The last Oldsmobile rolled off the line after 10 a.m. ET Thursday at the Lansing Car Assembly plant, which has produced the venerable vehicles for nearly a century. Employees watched as the last Alero rolled off the assembly line. The last car will feature the signatures of the plant employees on the inside of the hood and be displayed at the R.E. Olds Transportation Museum in Lansing for about four months, said Rebecca Harris, a spokeswoman for General Motors (GM). Oldsmobile, the brand that pioneered chromeplated trim and gave drivers the Eighty Eight series, the front-wheel-drive Toronado and the Cutlass, was named for its founder, Ransom E. Olds, who started the Olds Motor Vehicle Co. in Lansing in 1897. It became part of GM in 1908. Of the 35.2 million Oldsmobiles built during the nameplate's existence, more than 14 million were built in Lansing.

GM announced in December 2000 it would end production of the struggling Oldsmobile line with the 2004 model year. The Alero is the only vehicle remaining in the brand's once diverse lineup. For more than a century, Oldsmobile meant steady jobs and decent paychecks in the state's capital city. The GM workers who have made Oldsmobiles over the years still will build Pontiacs, Cadillacs and Chevrolets, including the Cadillac CTS luxury sedan and the retro SSR roadster. But for those who gathered Thursday at the R.E. Olds Museum to see the last Oldsmobile Alero being moved to the museum and to catch a sneak preview of a "Thanks for the Memories" exhibit that opens Monday to the public, it was a sad day. Oldsmobile is the oldest U.S. automotive brand name, behind only the Daimler name worldwide. Oldsmobile's presence in Lansing has been fading since GM reorganized in the mid-1980s, and decreased even more when its main office was moved to Detroit in 1998. But affection and nostalgia linger, and Oldsmobile pride is as much a part of Lansing as the Capitol dome that rises within sight of what used to be Oldsmobile's headquarters on the south edge of downtown. Sons — and daughters — followed their parents and grandparents into the plants. "It's truly a situation where there's an Oldsmobile family," said GM spokeswoman Kim Carpenter.

experience the meet, and went with no hopes of coming back with any prizes. A team of six judges, judged our class, 1964-1967 442 Performance (Our car is a 1967 442 convertible in black & white) on Friday. This was the largest class, a group of 30, and the judges spent 20 minutes with each vehicle. Each man had their respective assigned area to evaluate: 1 for paint and chrome, 1 for the engine compartment, 1 for the interior, 1 for undercarriage, 1 for spirit items and general presentations, and the head judge who recorded their thoughts. On Saturday afternoon, the results were posted on the large billboards inside the convention center. At that point, Cathy wanted to go check to see who the winners were in our class. She thought she saw our name, but didn't have her glasses on so she wasn't sure! After she verified it with the office personnel, and signed for the trophy, she headed hack to the car where I was sitting of course. She handed me the box and said "Happy Anniversary- 1st place!" (our anniversary was the next day). My immediate reaction???? "Take it back it's a mistake!" She reassured me it was not, and we were both shocked!! Only after several minutes did it begin to feel real. It felt more real as other owners around us congratulated us We were proud to represent our Olds Chapter in that field of 700 beautifully restored Oldsmobiles!

Steve & Cathy Economou's Story - The 2003 Nationals This past July we had the pleasant experience of attending the 2003 Oldsmobile Nationals in Sharonsville, Ohio. Sharonsville is a small city just outside of Cincinnati. Being our first time to a national event, we weren't sure what to expect. It was very well organized with many events during the week. There was a welcome party on Wednesday night, side trips to the Wright Patterson Air Force Museum, a casino night, and the grand banquet on Saturday night. We were so impressed with the number of man hours it must have taken to coordinate this event!!!!. We went to

If you ever get the opportunity to go to a National meet, don't pass it by!!!! It does one's heart good to see rows and rows of great Olds vehicles. Ransom would be proud of all of us!!!!!! Steve and Cathy Economou

2004 GMO Event Schedule May 15 – GMO Cruise at Cliquot Grill – Rte 109, Millis, MA 5:00PM May 30 - Hemmings Muscle Machines presents MUSCLEPALOOZA. Lebanon Valley Dragway, NY. Car show and Drag racing. Domestic vehicles only. June 19 – GMO Cruise at Cliquot Grill – Rte 109, Millis, MA 5:00PM July 1 – 4 – New England Summer Nationals, Worcester, MA. July 11 – Bay State Antique Auto Club. Endicott Estate, 656 East Street, Dedham. Special Oldsmobile Class with more trophies this year. Over 70 Oldsmobiles! July 17 – GMO Cruise at Cliquot Grill – Rte 109, Millis, MA 5:00PM August 1 – New England Olds Club. All Olds Show. At Schaller Auto in New Britain CT. (Note new location this year) August 21 – GMO Cruise at Cliquot Grill – Rte 109, Millis, MA 5:00PM August 28 – 29 – Cruisin’ New England Magazine All Wheel Nationals. Barnstable County Fairgrounds, Falmouth. Saturday the 28th is the day GMO will attend. Special Olds Class with trophies. Cruise and BBQ is also on the 28th. August 25 – 28 OCA MINNESOTA NATIONAL MEET. Minneapolis, MN September 18 – GMO Cruise at Cliquot Grill – Rte 109, Millis, MA 5:00PM September 19 – Pontiac Oakland International All GM Show. Ashland, MA Dyno Day – TBA

GMO Members - Nostalgia Drag Day/Car Show by Hemmings on 5/30/04 You've brought your muscle car to cruise nights, car shows, swap meets and concours. Isn't it about time to figure out what that thing will really do? Hemmings Muscle Machines presents MUSCLEPALOOZA, Sunday (SUNDAY! SUNDAY!!) May 30th, 2004 at Lebanon Valley Dragway in West Lebanon, New York. Sure, you will be able to show your car in our huge car show field, but you will also be able to run the 1320 flat out to find out just who's king of the hill. Meet the editors and publisher of Hemmings Motor News, Hemmings Muscle Machines and the all-new Hemmings Classic Car at this inaugural event. Hope you can make it, and we hope we don't have to use our rain date on July 10. Directions: Halfway between Albany, NY, and Pittsfield, MA on Rt. 20, just a short distance from NYS and MA turnpikes. See : www.dragway.com Registration & More Information Please See: http://www.hemmings.com/index.cfm/fuseaction/e vents.musclepalooza From Your GMO officers and friends

Auction in Arizona 2004 It's 5 a.m. and here we are, heading to the airport in anticipation of what's ahead. Off we go to Scottsdale and the Barrett-Jackson Auction. We arrived about noon, checked into our hotel, climbed in our rental car and off we went. As we approached the fairgrounds, the tent loomed in front of us. We were finally here: here at the auction. We didn't know quite what to expect but it sure wasn't a disappointment. There were cars and people everywhere: as far as the eye could see. After getting our passes, my son Paul and I set out to investigate. Many vendors were outside selling their products. As we walked around, we just

couldn't believe all the rare and pristine cars available to the willing bidder. Unfortunately there were not many Oldsmobile's to be had but there were plenty of others.

All-GM Nationals at Carlisle (June 18-20, 2004) Hello OCA Chapter,

We entered the big tent and met up with Paul Iantosca and his family, who just happened to be auctioning of his car. No! Not the Olds! Spent some time with them and enjoyed every minute. Saw Tim Allen from Home Improvement. He purchased a truck. Finally we sat down and watched as the cars paraded onto the auction block: waiting for that important bid. Too many beautiful cars to name but I believe the highest priced was a customized Lincoln Zephyr that went for 400,000.00. We bumped into Everett Horton and his friend and chatted with them briefly. My wife Karen even called to say she had seen us on TV. It was quite a memorable experience even though I came out empty handed. Maybe next year. Rich Santucci

Cliquot Grill The GMO is attending a Cruise, as a club, at The Cliquot Grill in Millis on the 3rd Saturday of each month. May 15, 2004 June 19, 2004 July 17, 2004 August 21, 2004 September 18, 2004 The Cliquot Grill is a decent restaurant offering anything from sandwiches to full dinners as well as a full bar. They are located on Rte 109 in Millis just east of Millis center and they sponsor a cruise every Saturday night. Be there by 5:00 PM to get a good spot. To get there follow Rte 109 East from I 495, West from I 95 (Rte 128). Dates have been picked so they mostly aren't too close to any other GMO event. Ted Loranz

I apologize for the short time frame involved in the contents of this message, but I did not receive the info until a few days ago. For the last 3 years, OCA has had a tent provided to us to get out of the rain/sunshine/whatever during the All-GM Nationals. It was provided under the agreement that at least 25 OCA members signed up their vehicles for the show. In 2003, OCA came up short on this count. But this now sets a fire under out tushes. If we want a FREE tent, at least 25 members or 25 vehicles of OCA members need to pre-register with Carlisle Productions BY MAY 19, 2004. This is easily accomplished by going to http://www.carsatcarlisle.com and pre-registering there with your credit card (I already have) and MAKE DARN SURE that you put "OLDSMOBILE CLUB OF AMERICA as your club affiliation in the "Club" box when you enter your Oldsmobile. Just registering an Oldsmobile DOES NOT automatically make you registered as an OCA member. After you register, please drop me a note that you did so I can get a head count as to how much stuff to get. Saturday night we will be caravanning a couple miles to the other side of Carlisle to a Dairy Queen just as a get together and a "cruise" to show off what GM use to build. There will also be dash plaques for OCA members attending the show. If you want to display anything about your chapter, feel free to bring it or get it to me by June 9, 2004. Any questions, I can be contacted at [email protected] or by phone between 8pm10pm @ 410-256-0381 See ya there! Brad Nicholson

About the Carlisle Fairgrounds Located in central Pennsylvania, the Carlisle Fairgrounds is easily accessible from the PA Turnpike, I-81, I-83 and Route 11. The 82-acre complex is equipped with modern facilities both indoors and outdoors, including a huge food court with a variety of unique food vendors. Twentyfour-hour security and EMTs are on site. Ongrounds parking is available for $5. Plenty of offsite parking is provided by local civic groups and surrounding community. Parking fees vary based on location. Pets are strongly discouraged for health and safety reasons. Camping On Grounds Limited space is available for $15 per space for show field registrants and vendors. Spectators pay $50 and receive weekend admission for two. Camp sites are 10’ x 30’. There are no hookups. There are shower and restroom facilities on grounds. Call our information line at (717) 2437855 for reservations. Trailer/Aux. Vehicle Parking Weekend parking is available with overnight privileges. Space size is 10’ x 30’. The fee is $15. Space is limited. Call our information line at (717) 243-7855 for reservations. Sponsorship and Advertising Opportunities Available We have built our reputation on creating great events for true automotive enthusiasts – these are your customers and we know them well. Contact our sales department at (717) 243-7855 to find out what we can do for your business. 2004 GIVEAWAY: 1987 Chevrolet Caprice Landau To be given away Sunday at 3 p.m. No purchase necessary. Ticket holder must be present to win. eBay and the eBay logo are trademarks of eBay Inc. Make More Than Tires (MTT) your first stop at Carlisle Events for name-brand tires, wheels and automotive performance parts. MTT offers show discounts on hundreds of products from name-brand manufactures like: BFGoodrich, GoodYear, ProComp, American Racing, RO_JA, Cragar, Green Filters, Redline Oil, and Sta-Bil to name just a few. Stop by MTT to see our full line of performance products and take advantage of our great show deals.www.morethantires.com Year Round Service 1/800-656-3247 REGISTRATION FORM Register online at www.carsatcarlisle.com/register Information You Need to Know: Registering a vehicle on the show field allows three-day admission for two adults and one vehicle. Tow vehicle, trailers, support

vehicles and camping units must obtain auxiliary space. These vehicles are not allowed to stay on the show field. NO “FOR SALE” SIGNS allowed on the show field. Vehicles must stop outside Gate 3 for final check-in where all show materials for admittance plus goody bag will be distributed. Multiple-vehicle discount applies to vehicles titled to same address (owner’s card required upon check in). Price of $25 listed is the pre-registration fees. After May 28, an additional fee for all space requirements will be charged. See http://www.carsatcarlisle.com/schedule/gm/index. asp for more information.

1999 Alero 442??? I have seen a modified 1999 Alero at many area shows and cruises over the past few years. The owner purchased the car new and immediately started the following modifications (simplified version) The Alero chassis was channeled and installed over a 1995 Chevrolet S10 pickup truck frame which was modified to suit. The 350 CID rear wheel drive train from a 1990 Chevrolet (with a mild street cam) was installed modifying both the drive train and the Alero as necessary. The Alero was tubbed to accept the larger rear tires and rear wheel drive.

As you can see from the pictures, except for the bigger wheels, the car looks stock from the outside and the only hint on the interior is the missing rear

seat. Once the hood is opened it is obvious that this is not the original 4 cylinder engine.

A week or two later I brought the Rallye down to Doug’s warehouse in Lowell and was given the grand tour of his facility. After putting my car in its place I asked Doug if I could take a look at his ‘72 Hurst for old time sake. Upon removing the cover I started having those feelings of why I decided to get into this hobby to begin with – the ‘72 Hurst Olds. Knowing that owning two cars was not a possibility I felt I needed some expert advise just to make sure that selling the Rallye wasn’t a mistake. Using some of our clubs most valuable resources, the membership, I contacted Paul Iantosca , Ted Loranz, George Berejik and Doug Stavros to get their opinions on current and future values of a Rallye 350 vs the ‘72 Hurst Olds. Their feedback I received was pretty consistent and appreciated.

Perhaps Oldsmobile would still be selling cars today if they had produced something like this. The owner tells me it is a real Mustang killer. Ted Loranz

Steve Oberto Finally finds a 1972 H/O After a disappointing 2 year search for a 1972 Hurst Olds I decided to purchase a 1970 Rallye 350. Not only was the history of the car interesting but also a friend of mine once owned one in the early seventies. The Rallye was my first attempt at owning a hobby car and one, which eventually brought me to the GMO. I had a great time at club events and meetings, which allowed me to meet other Oldsmobile enthusiast and see some wonderful cars especially the display that was put on at Endicott. I attended my first GMO meeting last Spring and I will have to say everyone made me feel real comfortable. I also had the opportunity to see George Berejik who I haven’t seen in 28 years. I bought my first car from Berejik’s, which was a 1972 Hurst Olds. But in 1980 my ’72 Hurst would suffer the same fate as my baseball card collection, Lionel trains and PEZ dispensers. With my first season behind me it was time to put the Rallye away for the winter. One phone call to Doug Stavros and I was all set with winter storage.

Within a few days I decided to contact a gentleman, Brad, in Titusville Florida who originally advertised a ‘72 Hurst sunroof car on 442.com last Spring. I was able to track him down and found that he took it off the market after having mixed feeling about selling it. I think we spent a better part of two hours talking about everything under the sun. Come to find out he owns a 1970 Agean Aqua 442 convertible, 1970 SS 396 convertible, 1968 Chevelle, 1966 Malibu SS, 1970 Vista Cruiser wagon and of course the 1972 Hurst. After we spoke I wished him well and we exchanged email addresses as he was interested in seeing my Rallye. Two weeks later I received a call from Brad. He said he and his wife did some thinking decided he would sell me the Hurst. He told me that at 70 years old and six cars in the garage it was time to

let someone else enjoy this car. With a business trip already planned to the Tampa Florida area the seller agreed to wait until my arrival. In mid November I was able to finally get to Florida but a change in scheduled appointments meant my stay there was going to be cut short leaving no time to make it to the opposite coast. I called Brad to say that I couldn’t make it at this point in time. To my surprise he said that he would be willing to do whatever it took for me to see the car and “kick the tires”. That night I left my hotel in Tampa and drove over 4 hours across Alligator Alley and arrived in Titusville at midnight. After meeting his wife he took me out to the garage where the ’72 Hurst sat waiting for my inspection and eventual test drive. At 1:00 a.m. we took her out for an early morning cruise on the back roads of Titusville After my test drive he took me out back to a large garage where he kept the rest of his cars. After looking at his fleet we sat down and struck a deal on the Hurst. When I pulled out a check to write a deposit he politely told me my word was good enough for him. “Make out a Bill of Sale and send me a check when all the details are finalized” was all he asked. It was a very long night and a trip I’ll never forget but worth every mile.

but the friendship that I now have with the previous owner, Brad. Soon after taking ownership I had the car shipped up from Florida. After unloading the car the carrier gave me an envelope from Brad. I put the envelope on the garage stairs and spent the better part of an hour checking things out. Once I was done I went inside to review the documentation he sent. I opened the envelope the car carrier gave me I found paid membership for my wife and I in the AACA along with a note. The note simply said “Lois and I always get worried when one of the kids are on the road. Please call us upon her arrival”. Prior to owning an antique car I thought it was all about driving around town and entering a show or two. I look back at this past year and realize that it’s not the cars but the people that make this hobby. The cars are only along for the ride 6 months a year but the friendships will endure all year round. Steve Oberto

‘67 442 4 Speed Convertible To Paul Iantosca: I just wanted to give you an update on the lead you gave me last month. I contacted Everett Horton and he put me in touch with his friend in Vermont who had a '67 442 convertible. The car was very original, down to its original gold paint, and in near perfect condition. Needless to say, my 4 year (and often frustrating) search has finally come to an end as I got the car this past Tuesday.

I am again an owner of a 1972 Hurst Olds. Through prior ownership it has achieved an AACA First Junior Award in 1999, Senior Award in 2000 and many Preservation Awards. It has 54,000 original miles and is a highly optioned car having electric sunroof, A/C, power windows, power door locks, power trunk, interior hood lock, tilt wheel, and AM/FM Stereo with 8-track tape player. But the best part of this car is not an option

Thanks for responding to my ad. I finally have what I've been wanting since I was 12. Chuck Horst

Scott Parker Buys 1975 Delta 88 Convertible See his story in the next issue…

GMO Officers President Doug Stavros - 978-973-3882 [email protected]

Secretary & Webmaster Ted Loranz - 508-561-7613 [email protected]

Vice President & Editor Paul Iantosca - 617-543-0777 [email protected]

Events Coordinator Bill Reilly - 781-820-6552 [email protected]

Treasurer Kevin Crotty - 508-872-0435

Club Representative Everett Horton – 401-435-7139 [email protected]