A GDYNETS®

PUBLICATION
Car Collector
Chronicles
© 2011, G. DAVID
YAROS. ALL ®
RIGHTS RESERVED.

Volume IV, Issue 6 Car Collector Chronicles June 2011

Exploring:

 Car Collecting Today High RPMs

 Classic Rides Speaking on Olds matters: barn in a sealed box since pur-
Let me note the passing in April chased. When I opened the
 Reports From the Field
of a true Oldsmobile legend, Joe box and unrolled the carpet a
 Oldsmobile (1897-2004)
Mondello. When it came to dust cloud rose up! I did know
Olds performance, Joe had the there was chewing gum embed-
 Cadillac (1902- ) ability to wring out every ounce ded in the carpet that would
of horsepower in a Rocket V-8. need to be removed. Once that
 Allanté (1987-1993) He truly earned the title “Dr. was taken care of, I thoroughly
Oldsmobile.” Of equal note vacuumed the carpet.
 Corvair (1960-1969)
was his willingness to share his
knowledge, educate others and It was now ready for the pres-
stand ready to help without sure washer treatment. I am
having to be asked twice. Sim- here to tell you that rivers of
ply put, Joe made owning an brown, dirty water flowed from
the carpet. I hit it repeatedly to
Olds even better! get out as much dirt as possible.
Last fall I purchased a used I then scrubbed the carpet with
IN THIS ISSUE: Oldsmobile door mat, for lack carpet cleaner. It too turned
of a better term. It is approxi- brown! Continual spraying with
mately 4’ x 6’, red in color, with the pressure washer finally got
the rocket logo and the word it to the point that the dripping
“Oldsmobile” in black. It has a water was clear, instead of cannot fathom how, otherwise, it
High RPMs 1 rubber backing. My intent is to brown or grey, and one could would have gotten so filthy. At any
display it alongside SAVED 62 actually tell the color of the rate, it is now getting to the point of
at shows. carpet is bright red. being presentable and soon ready to
again greet Olds fans! I shall first
GDYNets 1 With the first really warm WI When this mat was in use at subject it to blasts of compressed air
On the Web day (84º on 10 Apr) I decided it an Oldsmobile dealership, I can to try and get out the particles of
was time to inspect the mat, only conclude it must have been sand/dirt that still seem to be oozing
which had been sitting in the car outside, at the front door. I
from the freshly cleaned fibers?
I’ll Take One of 2
Each, Thank You!

GDYNets® on the Web

Kiwi Olds - 4
Followup
Find GDYNets on the web: SAVED 62: A website devoted DAVE’S DEN: A website de-
to our 1962 Oldsmobile Dy- voted to a myriad of interests.
CCC® -THE FORUM namic 88 convertible. The site Foremost is extensive informa-
Coming Next 4
also has a lot of information on tion on the “Steel City” of Gary,
Issue [Link]
Oldsmobiles and its founder, IN. There are also offerings on
Car Collector Chronicles-scribd Ransom Eli Olds. steel making, U.S. Steel-Gary
Photos 5 Saved 62 - 1962 Olds web site Works, U.S. Marine Corps, M14
THE GRAY LADY: This web-
[Link] assault rifle, of course Oldsmo-
site features our 1955 Cadillac
jeandaveyaros bile, and the tragic story of the
Coupé de Ville and Caddy in-
The Gray Lady - 1955 Cadillac murder of Gary, IN Police Lt.
formation.
CCC® Forum Coupé de Ville web site George Yaros.
EMail:
OldsD88@[Link]
Car Collector Chronicles Page 2

I’LL TAKE ONE OF EACH, THANK YOU!

This one boggles the mind. We all know someone obsessed with a
particular marque, for whatever reason. In fact, we all may be guilty of
such, to some degree. That being said, none of us can even begin to
hold a candle to an “Iowa farmer,” named Dennis Albaugh. His fascina-
tion is with Chevrolet. Not just any Chevy however, but particularly
Chevrolet convertibles.

What do I mean by obsessed? Would you believe he owns at least 1

each of every Chevy convertible ever manufactured, including Vettes?
His collection of over 110 cars starts with the 1912 model year, and
goes through 1975. The 1912 is actually a Little, manufactured under
the watchful eye of William Durant and later brought into the Chevy fold.
“… [H]e owns
The only year not represented is 1939. Why? He doesn’t have a ‘39
at least 1 each because Chevy did not make a convertible in the 1939 model year.
of every Chevy Why does the collection stop at 1975? Because that is the last year GM
offered convertible models. Every convertible Chevrolet ever made
convertible does specifically include the Corvette models from 1953 through 1975.
ever
Readers need to know that this is a private collection. One may not
manufactured, just drive over to Iowa and check them out. Occasionally, Albaugh
including holds a charity event revolving around his cars, but it is strictly his call as
to if and when he does so. The best we mere peons can do is view his
Vettes.” cars online. Here are some links: [Link] and http://
[Link]/deanvp/automobile/dennis-albaughs-che/. Your search engine of
choice will also garner plenty of hits on the term “Albaugh and Chevro-
let.”

So who is this guy? What is his story? I referenced him as an “Iowa

farmer.” That is sort of true. Along with his brother, he worked the fam-
ily farm. It became apparent this endeavor could not generate enough
income to support the both of them. Denny, being a nice guy, let his
brother take over the operation. For his part, he went into agrichemical
delivery. The initial efforts did not fare well, to say the least. He rented
a truck and tank to deliver 1,500 gals. of weed killer to a customer. Un-
beknownst to Dennis, the rented tank had a leak. By the time he got to
the farm to make his delivery, the tank was empty! Dennis did manage
to overcome this financial disaster, and the rest his history, as they say.

Dennis progressed from agrichemical delivery to agrichemical manu-

facture. One item he manufactures is the key chemical used in formu-
lating Roundup™. He has plants in MO, Argentina and Brazil. He is
also working on a deal to open yet another plant in Mexico.
Car Collector Chronicles Page 3

I’LL TAKE ONE OF EACH, THANK YOU! -Cont’d.

While Denny still maintains his Iowa roots, his legal residence is in
Marco Island, FL. He lives in FL, but not just for the weather. FL has
no personal income tax. That is significant when one realizes that Al-
baugh is high on the Forbes Magazine® annual listing of the well-
heeled. His current estimated worth is a mere $1.5 Billion!

The pad he maintains in his hometown of Ankeny, IA, encompasses

10,000 sq. ft. and includes a 19-hole golf course on the grounds. Not
bad for a part-time residence! “His current

In his spare time, when he is not working or playing with his beloved estimated
Chevys, Dennis is into horse breeding and racing. He is joined in this worth is a
activity with his son-in-law, who introduced him to the avocation. To-
gether they own 10 race horses. He is also dabbling in real estate, con- mere $1.5
structing a 3,500 home subdivision near his IA home. Billion!”

Here is a shot of just some of his Chevys:

Who maintains these rides, and at what annual cost, I wonder? What
I do know is, Jay Leno, you definitely have competition among the most
moneyed car collectors!
Car Collector Chronicles Page 4;;

KIWI OLDS - Followup

I do not know what it is about these Oldsmobiles that go to New Zealand, but they do
seem to be cursed? You may recall the horror stories of the ‘62 Dynamic 88 convertible
that was shipped to NZ, only to be found unroadworthy, not able to be licensed, and af-
ter many, many months and dollars, returned to the U.S. (Jul ‘10 issue of CCC®)?

Today (26 Apr 2011), I received the second email from the latest New Zealander to
have purchased an Olds; covered in last month’s issue. An earlier email confirmed the
presence of the 2 bbl. carb, and was singing the praises of the car. He described how
great it looked after being cleaned, polished and waxed. Between the lines, one could
see the smile on his face.

His latest email began: “The Good, The Bad, The Ugly!!!” My heart sank as I read on.
For the first time, he got underneath the car and took a look at the undercarriage. What
he discovered is not nice. In fact, he has been advised the frame is so bad that it needs
to be replaced!

Let him say it in his own words:

Firstly, I would like to say that I don't class myself as naive or one that does not understand the possible
dangers. But, I felt that I had taken the correct steps.

I jacked the car up to start working on the brakes. As I had not been able to get underneath until now I
was unaware of the hidden rot. There are holes in the frame chassis big enough to put your finger
through. When you start poking around with a screw driver it soon becomes evident. I have had a Car
Certifier have a look. He said that it is beyond repair, and would require a new chassis. Also, there is evi-
dence of a ding in the rear and patches in the trunk and rear chassis. All in all, not good news.

What can be said, that was not already said in my “For Want of a Nail” article? Let’s
hope he can get these discrepancies satisfactorily resolved, one way or another!

Ok, I’ve had my say for the month. Now its your turn! I invite/encourage submission
of your comments, 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@[Link].

Now that you have finished reading this month’s issue of our pub, 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:
 Car Barn Activity
 Allanté Maintenance
 TBD
Car Collector Chronicles Page 5;

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