A GDYNETS®
PUBLICATION
© 2010, G. DAVID
Car Collector
Chronicles
YAROS. ALL
RIGHTS RESERVED.
Volume III, Issue 10 Car Collector Chronicles
Exploring:
 Car collecting today
 Classic rides High RPMs is a journalistic
device I have created to permit
 Reports from the field
me to put my brain in gear, and
 Oldsmobile rev up my gray matter. In other
words, it is a column that will
 Cadillac permit me to burn some rub-
ber, albeit figuratively.
 Allanté
In the month of July, what
 Corvair with having to care for the Mrs.
because of a broken ankle, I was
able to spend a bit of time
watching the Mecum™ auction
from Des Moines, IA. It was the
only auction I have seen in the
last few years where mighty fine
iron was actually crossing the
IN THIS ISSUE: block at reasonable (read fair)
prices. I am sure they were not
concours worthy, but for you
and I, they were rides over
High RPMs 1 which we would drool.
The auction purchase prices
were a reflection of two factors,
I believe. The first, of course, is
GDYNets 1 the current state of the econ-
On the Web omy. The second, I suspect, is
folks in the heart of the Mid-
west are not as willing to readily
For Want of a 3 part with their hard earned
Nail—Fin
GDYNets on the Web
2010 NAOC 3
Nats — Not!
WHERE YOU WILL FIND
GDYNets (me) on the WWW:
Really Rare Rides 4 ests.
Dave’s Den -
http://GDYNets.WEBNG.com
Saved 62 -
Coming Next 7 http://www.freewebs.com/
Issue jeandaveyaros
The Gray Lady - 55 Cad de Ville
Car Collector Chronicles -
EMAIL:
OldsD88@gmail.com
®
October 2010
High RPMs
dollars. I say, good for them!
In August a member of the
Chicagoland Allanté-XLR Club®
pronounced that the value of
Allantés had bottomed out. He
premised this proclamation on
the fact that the individual parts
which originally went into the
manufacture of an Allanté are
now worth more than a whole
car! I guess his thinking is that
the economy simply cannot get
any worse?
I hope he is right, but I have
my doubts. What I do know for
a fact is, if one has both the
inclination and the money to get
into the collector car hobby,
now is the time to be out there mer steelworker. Consequently,
looking and buying! It appears anything related to U.S. Steel-Gary
that a semblance of sanity Works gets my attention. I still have
seems to be returning to the my hard hat from the mill, my over-
collector car market? head crane operator card, an em-
Are the rest of you like me, in ployee payroll badge, a US Steel Ser-
vice Award Wrist Watch, my father’s
the sense you collect other
30 year service pin and a couple of
“stuff”? I wonder what “stuff”
attracts your eye? I am a for-
Continued–P. 2
DAVE’S DEN: A website SAVED 62: A website devoted
devoted to a myriad of inter- to our 1962 Oldsmobile Dy-
Foremost is extensive namic 88 convertible. The site
also has a lot of information on
information on the “Steel City”
of Gary, IN. There are also Oldsmobiles and its founder,
offerings on steel making, U.S. Ransom Eli Olds.
Steel-Gary Works, U.S. Marine THE GRAY LADY: This web-
Corps, M14 assault rifle, of
site features our 1955 Cadillac
course Oldsmobile, and the
Coupé de Ville and Caddy infor-
tragic story of the murder of
mation.
Gary, IN Police Lt. Geo. Yaros.
Car Collector Chronicles Page 2

High RPMs—Continued

jackets that sport embroidered USS-Gary Works logos.

In my mill rat days, I was a big fan of Schlitz beer. Consequently,
the car barn displays a six pack of Jos. A. Schlitz Brewing Co. em-
ployee badges; feeling right at home here in Milwaukee! I bet you did-
“ [A] LP is ... a n’t know that Schlitz is now owned by Pabst, and brewed by Miller?
33 1/3 rpm I cannot say that I collect the next item. Rather, I do possess a
large number of vintage, vinyl LP’s. For those of you, and I suspect
long playing
there are many, who have no idea what a LP is, it is a 33 1/3 rpm long
record. playing record. Record? What is a record? Well, records are how
one listened to music before 8-track tapes, cassettes, Walkmans™,
Record? What
cd’s or I-Pods™. My LP’s were acquired during my misspent youth.
is a record? Many are far from being pristine. However, all are still playable. That
I still have all these LP’s attests to my being an inveterate pack rat.
Well, records
If I had the time to enjoy them, I could easily become a collector of
are how one
firearms. As it is, I do own several. I have a rifle and a couple of pis-
listened to tols. The rifle is a pride and joy. It is a Springfield Armory M1A. It
fires the 7.62 mm NATO (.308 cal.) round, from a 20-round magazine.
music before
The M1A is the civilian version of the M14 assault rifle. The M14 is
8-track tapes, what was issued to me during my tour in the Corps. It is a mighty fine
weapon, let me tell you! Unlike the standard military issue M14, my
cassettes,
M1A has a 3 x 9 scope in addition to the iron sights.
Walkmans™, Of course, an assault rifle is not very practical for fending off the bad
cds guys who have breached the perimeter of one’s home. The pistols I
own serve that purpose. I have two, both manufactured by Smith &
or I-Pods™!” Wesson™. One is a .38 cal. Chief’s Special. It fires five rounds. It is
small, compact and easy to handle. It is a good firearm for use by the
fairer sex, who tend to have smaller hands. The other is a .357 cal.,
with a 4 inch barrel and a six-round cylinder. True, they are not
Glocks™, or full auto. Then again, they are not intended for use in
taking on the world. Rather, their function is to fend off the occasional
bad guy. If you cannot get the job done with them, to my way of think-
ing you best avoid the fight!
Last I shall mention books, in particular presidential memoirs. I think
this comes from my being a history buff, as well as a history major in
college. It matters not if I liked the president. If they wrote memoirs, I
want them.
The most interesting presidential memoir I own is the 2-volume set
by U. S. Grant. What makes it both interesting and unique is the fact
that not once did Ulysses mention that he was President of the United
States! Given the egos of many who have occupied the White House,
his never alluding to that fact is down right amazing.
Car Collector Chronicles Page 3

FOR WANT OF A NAIL—Fin

I am finally able to conclude this saga. You should recall the horror
story presented in the July issue, about the 1962 Olds Dynamic 88
convertible purchased for $26,900 and shipped at the buyer’s ex-
pense ($10,000) to New Zealand. On arrival the local licensing au-
thorities refused to issue a title or plates. Why? The condition of the
car was deemed not fit/safe to be on the roads of New Zealand.

The ride was ultimately returned to the U.S., again at the buyer’s
expense ($8,000)! It arrived on the west coast around Memorial Day.
It was then land transported back to the seller’s place of business. It
was not until late July that the purchase monies were refunded. That
meant the seller had the exclusive use, interest free, of the buyer’s
$26,900 for over six months!

Interestingly, no sooner was the car physically back in the dealer

inventory and an ad for it appeared on the net. The first line of the ad “[T]he seller
read, “Just in, from Southern California!” While that is true, it cer-
tainly is a far cry from the whole truth! had the
exclusive use,
So, who is this dealer? It is Daniel Schmitt & Co. Motorcar Collec-
tion of St. Louis, MO. Here is the link to the car - http://schmitt.com/ interest free,
viewimage.asp?ID=3728 of the buyer’s
$26,900 for
over six
2010 NAOC Nats — Not!
months!”
You may have noticed I have not published anything regarding the
2010 NAOC National, held in Lansing in July. Sadly, there is a good
reason:

- For want of attention a step was missed.

- For want of missed step a fall was had.
- For want of not avoiding a fall an ankle was broken.
- For want of avoiding injury, the NAOC Nats became a non-event.

This is my way of saying, I have no report because we were not

able to attend. Jean broke her ankle on 28 June; a compound frac-
ture. She had surgery on 7 July, the day we were to head out to
Lansing. She has been immobile ever since. We are looking at a
10-to-12 week recovery period. As it was her right ankle, she is not
able to drive.

Needless to say, Saved 62 was more than ready. Hours and hours
 Car Collector Chronicles Page 4;;

were spent in the car barn prepping her. NORS, period correct, Guide T3 headlamps
replaced the factory T3's which worked, but sure did not throw much light on the road-
way. New interior door panels were installed. As were new armrest bases. The armrest
pads were recovered. The proverbial 6-step wax process (wash, wash, clay, clean
paint, glaze finish, seal finish) was undertaken. I even went the extra step and removed
some of the chrome trim to get at the built up wax underneath! The interior was detailed,
as was the engine bay. All windows were washed. The fluid levels were checked. She
also received a new oil filter and an oil change in readiness.

- Alas, Saved 62 remained suspended on the lift, all dressed up with no place to go!

The pics from the nats that I have seen indicate it was a more than impressive gather-
ing. There were a number of Oldsmobile Limiteds on display. These rides are more
than rare, to say the least. They are also attention getting, both in terms of bulk and en-
gineering. Don't forego the chance to see an Oldsmobile Limited, if it should come your
way. You will be observing automotive history.

REALLY RARE RIDES

Recently I came across some pics of a couple of American cars that I have never
heard discussed, let alone ever personally seen. I thought it might be interesting to ex-
plore these rides, and hope you find it so. The cars are the Dual Ghia and the El Mor-
roco. This month, let’s delve into the Dual Ghia a bit.
“ The Dual The name comes from the collaboration of Dual Motors Co. of
Ghia design Detroit with Italian auto body maker Carrozzeria Ghia. The Dual
Ghia was built only from 1956 through 1958. Total production
is based on equaled 117 vehicles. The purchase price was $7,648; making
the Chrysler them more expensive than a Cadillac Eldorado Biarritz. As few
as 32, and as many as 66, of the original 117 cars are be-
Corporation lieved to still be in existence.
1954 concept
The Dual Ghia design is based on the Chrysler Corporation
car called the 1954 concept car (pictured left). Called the Firearrow, it was
Firearrow … also known as the “Firebomb.” It sprang from the fertile mind
of Chrysler designer extraordinaire Virgil Exner. Exner in turn
also known hired Ghia to turn his mental concepts into reality. The Fire-
as the arrow made quite a splash on the show circuit. Even so,
Chrysler reached a decision to never bring it to production.
Firebomb.”
Enter Eugene Casaroll. Who is Eugene Casaroll, you ask? He was the owner of Dual
Motors Co. What is Dual Motors you ask? We shall get to that in a minute. Casaroll
found his niche in the auto industry with auto transport. Prior to him, dealers’ employees
went to either major U.S. rail terminals, or the car factory itself, and retrieved cars for the
drive back to their locale. Casaroll conceived the auto transport trailer and put it on
America’s highways under the label of Auto Shippers, Inc.

During WWII Casaroll made heavy duty vehicles for the military. His tank retriever had
two engines. Hence the name Dual Motors Co.
Car Collector Chronicles Page 5;;

REALLY RARE RIDES—Cont’d.

Casaroll’s business ventures earned him enough money that he was positioned
to jump in when Chrysler determined it would not be producing the Firearrow. He
bought both the car and the rights to Exner’s design. He then went back to Ghia
and formed a business alliance to create the four seat sportster. His Dual Ghia
first became available to the motoring public in the 1956 model year. Production
ceased with the 1958 model year.

The chassis was Dodge with a 115 inch wheelbase. Performance came from a
Dodge Hemi measuring 315 c.i., fed by a 4 bbl. Carter carb, putting out 230 H.P.
and capable of doing 0 - 60 in 7 seconds! The tranny was a Chrysler Powerflite 2-
speed automatic. By 1958 the horsepower output had been increased to 260 po-
nies. Over 1,500 man hours were invested in the production of each car. Need-
less to say, there was no profit to be had from the sale of these vehicles. Conse-
quently, production was short lived.

There is more than a bit of interesting trivia surrounding the Dual Ghia. Alleg-
edly, Dual Motors Co. President Casaroll determined who was worthy of owning
“ The Rolls one of his creations. This determination was made only after a personal interview
Royce was conducted by Eugene himself.
for the The car was a big hit among the Hollywood set, and in particular members of the
Hollywood infamous “Rat Pack”. Frank Sinatra, Joey Bishop and Peter Lawford each had
one parked in their drive. Eddie Fisher is said to have bought one for his then
rich who wife, Debbie Reynolds.
couldn’t get
Not only is it believed that Ronald Reagan owned a Dual Ghia, but it is also re-
a Dual- ported that he lost the car to Lyndon B. Johnson in a poker game. I find this last
Ghia.” one a little hard to believe on a number of counts. I do not see Ronnie and LBJ as
chums. Nor can I picture Nancy letting Ronnie spend his free time in a smoke-
filled room with the likes of Lyndon Johnson, while the booze was flowing feely.

I have also seen a report that Richard Nixon owned a Dual Ghia. I think the per-
son asserting such had President Nixon confused with Ronald Reagan. Nixon
was known to be an Oldsmobile man. This is based on his reference to his Olds in
his 1952 Checkers speech, and a picture I have seen of him taking delivery of a
1959 Oldsmobile at a Whittier, CA dealership.

The line about the car that I love is this one, from New York gossip columnist
Dorothy Kilgallen: “The Rolls Royce was for the Hollywood rich who couldn’t get a
Dual-Ghia.”

For the few fortunate enough to own one of these rare rides, there is in fact a
Dual Ghia Registry/Car Club. “Car Club” seems a little trite when referring to such
an august group of owners. The group boasts a membership of 75! One current
owner is Fred Kanter, of Kanter Auto Products™. The registry/club contact infor-
mation is:
Car Collector Chronicles Page 6

Dual Ghia Enthusiasts Association, 29 Forgedale Road, Fleetwood, PA 19522.

Dr. Paul Sable, docsable@fast.net, 610-987-6923.
Number Of Members: 75

Now, let’s talk about the construction of the Dual Ghia. The assembly process, as well
as the production history of the car, share uncanny commonalities with the Cadillac Al-
lanté. Casaroll had a deal with Chrysler on chassis procurement. The chassis were
shipped to the Ghia Works in Turin, Italy. There, the bodies were mounted on the frame.
Trim moldings were fastened with chrome plated brass clips. The sheet metal for each
car was formed by hand, using mallets and wooden bucks. No wonder it took 1,500
hours to assemble a car! It is unclear whether Ghia installed the lavish interiors in Italy,
or they were installed when the body and chassis arrived back in Detroit? At any rate,
once back in the U.S. of A., the aforementioned drivetrain was mated with the car.

The steering wheel was borrowed from the Chrysler Imperial. The instrument cluster
was taken from Dodge. Since Dodge instrument panels had no tachometer, Ghia de-
signed one that matched the speedometer. The dash knobs used in the car are from
Plymouth. The front and rear bumpers were Dodge OEM parts. If one so desired, an
optional phonograph player could be ordered.

Finally, let’s have a look at these machines …

Car Collector Chronicles Page 7;;

Auction Prices: Range from $27K to $418K.

Avg. Price = $179K

Note the cockpit in the lower pic-

ture. It has two clocks! One is in
the steering wheel (a Benrus). The
other is between the speedometer
and the tach. I do not know what
the lever is to the right of the steer-
ing column? It is not the E-brake. It
may be for the power top?

Yes, those are Kelsey-Hayes 40-spoke wire wheels.

Ok, I have had my say for this month. Now it is your

turn! I invite/encourage submission of your com-
ments, opinions and contributions, and ask that you
help spread the word about our pub. Everything sent
shall indeed be reviewed by me. Submissions should be sent to CCC® at: OldsD88@gmail.com.
Do feel free to rattle my tree … .

_______________________________________
-- RESTORE 'EM, AND DRIVE 'EM!
COMING NEXT ISSUE:
 This Day in Time
 The El Morocco