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Spinning My Tires   is one man's view of the world of cars. Random thoughts, ideas and comments pop up here, all of them related to owning, driving and restoring cars. I've been doing this car thing as long as I can remember, and have enjoyed a great many car-related experiences, some of which I hope to share with you here. And I always have an opinion one way or another. Enjoy.

E-mails are welcomed--if you have thoughts of your own to share, please send them.

Additional Spinning My Tires editorials can be found on the Archives page.

1/1/04

2003: The Year in Review

Yes, I'm still here! My new job has kept me away from the Buick for longer than I would like because of a lot of traveling, but that should improve now that show season has ended. I hope I haven't lost all my readers!

At any rate, I wanted to get back to writing my monthly column and talking about what I love most: cars! Since 2003 was a very eventful year, both for me and for the industry, I'd like to go over the highlights of the past year and maybe reconnect with some friends who I may have lost touch with over the past few months. I was inspired to write this particular column by one of my favorite automotive writers and the most savvy of all industry critics, Peter M. DeLorenzo. Mr. DeLorenzo's web site, www.autoextremist.com, is my #1 must-read every week. Sharp, incisive and origin of many of my thoughts and opinions on the industry today. I guarantee you'll love the read.

Anyway, let's move on, shall we?

January:

It was cold, but that didn't stop me from plunging head-first into dismantling the Buick. I'd spent the last week of December working on the car every day, and I finally was able to get started on actually restoring some components. You may also recall my experiments with Rusteco and Greasemaster, which I won't recount here except to say that it was way too much money spent for too little result (and a healthy dose of bad attitude from their CEO!). I also started powdercoating some parts for the first time, which turns out to be an easy and safe procedure that almost anybody can do at home. I've been absolutely thrilled with the results so far, and plan to continue using the super-tough coating on every component that I can find.

In the real world, the automakers were in their post-holiday slump, and rebates and 0% financing were rampant. You could buy a lot of car for not a lot of money—as long as it was a domestic car. The imports continued their onslaught, especially Nissan, who was about to introduce a full-sized pickup truck to compete with Ford, Chevrolet and Dodge on equal footing. The Detroit Auto Show (actually, the North American International Auto Show or NAIAS) had some big introductions, including the spectacular Cadillac Sixteen, which really stole the thunder from Daimler-Benz's new Maybach and the new Rolls-Royce Phantom. Ford introduced a Mustang show car that forecast what the 2005 Mustang production car would look like, as well as a few views of the new F-150, upon which Ford had invested its future as a company. And don't forget Dodge, who introduced the Tomahawk, um, motorcycle, powered by a V10 Viper engine. It was like rolling sculpture!

February:

In February, I visited my friends and fellow Buick enthusiasts, Doug and Nick Seybold at their shop so they could help me disassemble the kingpins on the Buick's front suspension (after I BENT my new hydraulic press trying to accomplish this feat). I also spent the afternoon crawling in and under all of Doug's beautiful cars, gathering information and photos for my own records. This February, I plan to take my dashboards and window moldings out to Doug to have him refinish them—his work is like art!

On the Buick itself, I gutted the interior, wrestled with a few troublesome bolts, and continued on the quest to get the car disassembled in time for the warm weather. But because my garage was not heated at the time, it was less than comfortable working out there, thick clothing notwithstanding.

The biggest auto industry snafu in February had to be the introduction of the abortion called the Porsche Cayenne. I mean, what the hell is that thing, anyway? 5500 pounds, twin turbos, 450 horsepower, all-wheel-drive and a 911 front end kind of grafted onto a shoebox. All for only $90,000+. To me, it is the very definition of irony that Porsche, one of the great racing brands of all time and a company that built its reputation on racing cars actually quit racing in order to divert more funds into the development of a truck! Who the heck thought this was a good idea, anyway? I thought Germans were rational, analytical people, but apparently, even they are not immune to the money-grab now taking place in the luxury SUV market. My prediction was (and continues to be) that this would probably make Porsche ripe for a takeover or even an outright purchase by some larger company, probably VW, with whom they have shared hardware and technology (the fact that the VW Touraeg—named for a slave-trading tribe in North Africa, by the way—is a better vehicle in most ways than its brother the Cayenne, for tens of thousands less). Boxters are piling up on dealer's lots (talk about DISCOUNTS!), and Bentley is winning LeMans for the first time in 73 years with Porsche MIA. And now that sales of the Cayenne are clearly slumping, the geniuses at Porsche have decided that an entry-level Cayenne is the answer. Good luck getting any kind of performance out of a 5500-pound 220 horsepower V6-powered vehicle. Sayonara, Porsche, it sure was nice knowing you...

March:

March was frustrating for me in many ways. The weather in Cleveland is not the least of it; it will tease you with a beautiful spring day with temperatures in the 50s, then bury you with another 10 inches of snow and sub-30 degree temperatures for the following week. Again, I tried to stay busy when temperatures permitted, and managed to strip most of the Buick to a body, frame and engine. I agonized over colors and gloss levels on all the parts in the engine compartment, trying to make the Century as exact as I could. I still want to win a National First with it, that's the plan anyway, and I'm glad I was able to sort things out in a scientific way with "The Great Gloss Debate." An old car broker stole some of my writing, then kindly gave it back when I asked, launching me on a campaign to insure that none of my photos, text or diagrams were used inappropriately on my website. I think I've cleared permissions with everyone involved, but if not, PLEASE contact me and we'll fix things up! I take this very seriously! Jerry Burger also joined the Dual-Carb Registry (#03-008) with his beautiful Rainier Blue Century 4-door, along with Vince Creisler (#03-009) and his Super convertible coupe under restoration. By the way, Vince is now looking for a '41 Special Woody (hey, one project at a time, Vince!), in any condition. Help him out, readers!

Also in March, Toyota announced that the Camry was now the best selling car in the US, displacing the Ford Taurus and Honda Accord. When confronted with this information, a Ford executive put it bluntly: "The Camry is a better car than the Taurus." Um, ouch. Watch Toyota in the coming years—it won't be long before they're the #2, or even the #1, automaker in the world. They've openly admitted that it is their goal, and no other company, not even the once-mighty GM, has the product or the cash to get in their way. GM, my favorite—but not only—whipping boy, is going to bear the brunt of this, as Toyota is slicing neat pieces of the General away at a phenomenal rate. Who says marketing is all you need to sell cars?

April:

This month I got a big dose of inspiration hanging out with my new Buick pals, Jerry and Spider from our local Buick club. Jerry is restoring Spider's '41 Super convertible, so they've been a wealth of knowledge and inspiration. I also got deeper into cleaning and powdercoating Buick suspension parts, and started to actually feel like I was restoring a car instead of just taking it apart. I published the first edition of the printed Dual-Carb Registry Member's Directory, complete with color photos, and sent it out to the handful of members I had at the time. Richard Merritt sent me pictures of his sleek, black Special Sedanette and sold me a pair of fender skirts at a great price. I haven't yet decided if I want skirts on my car, but it sure is nice to have that option. My first Canadian member joined the Registry; Earle Peterson registered his '41 Super convertible coupe that was about done with its restoration. Hey, Earle, if you're reading this, send me some pictures! I can't wait to see it!

April 2003 is what I have come to regard as the "Month of the Stupids." First, Ford announces that it is killing the recently reborn Thunderbird—again. Apparently not enough people want one, or those who do were put off by the dealers charging $20,000 over sticker when they were hot. This always turns people off, and the quick buck with the "first-on-the-block-to-have-one" guys never pays off in the long run. Didn't they learn anything from the PT Cruiser, the New Beetle or the Cadillac Escalade? Adding insult to injury, it turns out that Ford won't be able to meet the 25% improvement in fuel economy for their trucks, promised by Bill Ford himself just a few months earlier. Duh. Where was that magic extra mileage going to come from, exactly? Smaller motors (and get eaten by the competition)? Smaller trucks (heck no—even Nissan's getting into the big-truck act now)? Exotic materials (who can afford it?)? Double duh, Ford.

Next, Hummer H2 customers prove, in writing, that they are truly the worst kind of idiots. Aside from the fact that they're driving vehicles that look and act like mobile homes, many owners reported to J.D. Power (you know, the quality report guys) that their #1 complaint about the H2 was its horrible gas mileage. What kind of bonehead is surprised that a 6000-pound truck with a 6.0 liter, 380 horsepower V8 and the aerodynamics of a stack of LEGO blocks will get crappy mileage? Apparently idiots with a lot of money to burn. Fortunately, it seems that these idiots already have their quota of Hummers, because last I heard they were stacking up on dealer lots, just like, um, LEGOs. Triple-dog-DUH!

Last week I had the opportunity to bump into a Hummer owner as he was getting into his truck, which was parked too close to my car to allow me to enter. I don't think he understood what I was saying when I commented to him, "Sorry about your penis."

May:

This was a big, big month for me. I broke the Mustang out of storage for the first time in two years and recalled why, exactly why I owned it. What a party to drive! It still gets looks, even though the body design is nearly 25 years old. I missed you, old friend. We won't be apart that long again.

I also cleared a major marker in the restoration of the Buick—the driveline. With the help of my father and friends Andy Straka and John Bukowski, the engine and transmission were liberated from the car for the first time in 62 years. It was dirty work, but without those steps, the restoration could not have continued. I can't wait to reinstall them, fresh and new and ready to run again! People can't believe the size of that engine sitting on the stand when I show it to them.

Interestingly, I don't think anything the auto industry did in May caught my attention—at least nothing that I wrote down or commented on at the time. Nice job, guys!

June:

My one year anniversary with the Buick. I wasn't as far along in the process as I wanted to be, but a lot of restoration, even if you're doing it yourself, is about $$$. And in June, I was busily giving my wife a new bathroom and kitchen, hardly the time for big expenditures. Old car or old house—pick one. If you pick both, like I did, you'll be forever broke.

I did, however, make some strides in disassembly by removing both doors and gutting them, storing all the tiny pieces in individual Zip-Lock baggies. I think I have a pretty good grip on how things fit back together, but it was like the inside of a watch in there, and a little intimidating at the time.

For fun, I broke out the carpenter's tools and built a body dolly in anticipation of removing the body from the frame of the Buick. I was planning that until a wise friend pointed out that I should do all my floorpan patching before I move the body to ensure that everything lines up correctly. That same person also recommended bracing the door and trunk openings, just in case. Without a welder, however, I wasn't ready to do any of that. I ordered one, but it didn't show up in June. Or July. Or August. Or September. Now that I have it, however, I'm more than pleased. It was definitely worth the wait.

I also welcomed Phil Naimi and his '41 Roadmaster sedan to the Dual-Carb Registry. Phil, I'm still waiting on some photos—get 'em out!

June was also Ford Motor Company's 100th birthday, and from what I heard, they put on one hell of a party up in Dearborn. Happy birthday, Ford!

July:

For me and about 40,000 other enthusiasts, the 100th Anniversary of Buick was a great even. Julia and I spent a few days immersing ourselves in Buicks and had a great time. The weather was cooperative and I saw and learned a lot about my project. I reconnected with some old friends including Dick Michel, who is unofficially credited with giving my father the "old car fever." Flint was kind of depressing, but all that shining sheetmetal and chrome sure dressed the place up!

I finished yanking off a few last items from the Buick and bought myself a new tool, a pressure washer. It made short work of the accumulated grime on many of the undercarriage parts I removed from the Buick, including the transmission. I don't ever want to be without a pressure washer again.

July was also the month that I realized that General Motors is in deep, deep trouble. I hope most of you saw these ads and realized what they meant to GM and the domestic auto industry. I'm talking about those "Road to Redemption" ads where GM comes out and admits to their quality issues and asks consumers to (pretty please!) come back and try again. If you weren't stunned like I was, then you've never worked in Corporate America; companies just don't admit to inferiority, especially the biggest company in the world. To me, it was just adding insult to injury to the bad taste I had in my mouth comparing my father's new Buick Century to my own. Holy crap is GM in a hole! And they're admitting it! And saying that they don't really have any idea how they got there or how they'll get out! And... well, you get the picture. I mean...wow! Just, wow!

August:

This was the first month where I really felt things were getting done with the Buick. I had the car stripped pretty much to a shell and I could start the bodywork. I sanded a door down to bare metal and did some rustproofing and was able to get a better feel for what will be involved in the stripping process. The metal itself is in great condition, and I expect the rest of the car to be just as good. This was the point where I think it became clear to everyone around me that I was serious about the project. It went from, "What's that?" to "What a neat old car this will be when it's done."

This was also the first time in history that Toyota surpassed Daimler-Chrysler in sales to become the #3 automaker. In fact, Toyota has its sights set a little higher, meaning to become #1 within the next decade. Ford better be looking over its shoulder for the next few years. The Big Three are dead! Long live the Big Three! This is ominous news, indeed.

September:

This month I felt like a true restorer. I had completed a project: the heater and defroster systems. It was more than disassembly, more than sandblasting and powdercoating, I had actually finished two complete assemblies that were ready to be bolted back into the finished car, good as new. There was something extremely satisfying about putting these components on the shelf—I had added something to the car that had value.

My quest for perfection also got me in trouble with the transmission and a simple detailing project blossomed into a complete transmission rebuild. It was occasionally frustrating, but it also felt good to put another major component on the shelf, ready to be installed. 3-speed manual transmissions are wonderfully simple gearboxes, but they have as many little parts as a watch, so you have to be careful that you've got all the bearings and snap rings reinstalled properly. It took me three tries, but eventually everything was in place and ready to go. A good feeling.

I also added Mark McArdle's '41 Century Sedan (#03-013) to the Dual-Carb Registry. The thing that makes this entry so neat is the original paperwork that Mark shared with me. Amazing to see that the original owner paid less than $900 for a brand new Buick Century!

September is also when the new models come out. There were a few that I really like, including (in no particular order): Chrysler Pacifica (a not-a-minivan minivan—I like how it looks), the Dodge Magnum Hemi wagon (you can bet I'll be test driving one of the first ones to show up in a showroom), the Ford GT (yes, it's a factory-built replica, but it's the nicest damned replica of a damned amazing car I've ever seen), the Lamborghini Gallardo (how much less than the Murcielago, and it's just as fast?), the Cadillac CTS-V (a domestic sports sedan with 400 HP, rear-wheel-drive, a 6-speed manual transmission, 18" wheels and it's a Cadillac—a Cadillac for God's sake!), and the Lotus Elise (it's about time!). There are also cars that peg my "what the...?" meter: The VW Phaeton ($70,000+ for a Volkswagen? Isn't that the Audi A8's address?),  Jaguar X-Type (Yes, we all know it's a Ford Contour. No we don't care if it has real wood trim inside.), and the Mercedes-Benz  SLR supercar (holy cats is that thing ugly—that isn't what they promised us four years ago!). In all, I think 2004 should be quite a year for new car models, if not for profits.

October:

In October, I finished reassembling my transmission. That's it. Then I got a new job. My old company did some house-cleaning that made me nervous, so I bailed out and joined Mustang Dynamometer just down the street. It was a big promotion, a big raise and an industry with which I was pretty familiar. I had a lot to offer them, and they are definitely a company going someplace fast. The downside? Travel. I did three trade shows in my first ten weeks on the job, including SEMA and the Performance Racing Industry show in Indy. Amazing shows, amazing equipment and an amazing appetite for my time. Not only did I spend a week at each show setting up and tearing down the booth, but preparation before each show often kept me at work late. I'm not complaining—I like the job a lot—but it did put a damper on the Buick project for a while. But show season has ended (except for one in March that I may or may not attend personally), and I should have more time to dedicate to my project.

I also added Matt Nethercutt's '41 Special sedan (#03-014) to the Registry. Matt is in the military and is going to restore his Special to be an Army Staff Car replica. Too cool!

November:

I attended the SEMA show. It was everything you've heard and more. The hardware is unbelievable, the amount of money spent on booths, models and more hardware is stunning. And Las Vegas is, well, Las Vegas. But after 8 days there, I was ready to leave. Love the show, and I'll be back next year. We'll be staying at the Luxor if anyone is looking for me. Stop by the Mustang Dynamometer booth and ask for me.

December:

The holidays were good to me, as I hope they were to you and your families. I got some new tools, including a paint gun and a buffer that will really put the bodywork phase into high gear. I can't wait for the warmer weather so I can get busy with the body. I miss the week off between Christmas and New Year's that my old company gave me, because that was full-time Buick work, but I can't complain. My weekends should be my own again shortly and I'll have more projects and more Log Entries for you as I progress.

Oh, one other thing—if you like what I'm writing and doing with my car, check the pages of Cars & Parts Magazine in the coming months—I've been asked to write a regular column on amateur restoration for them and I'm very excited by the idea. I can't wait to get started!

Best wishes for a great 2004!

See you next month.

E-mail me at toolman8@sbcglobal.net

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Last modified on 02/06/2005

Thanks, Fidget!