Update

Checking in to say hello. Quick update, the Toro has been sidelined with a terrible sunroof leak, of course right before winter.

I gutted the interior and have finally made some progress. Pictures to follow next week. As I was getting tired driving around with only one seat and no interior to speak of I switched over to the 72 Mark IV.

The Mark's carb started to act up so after many hours of cursing I finally shipped it off for a professional rebuild. It should be installed soon and then go into storage.

Looks like I was running out of cars, the 76 Mark (severely paint challenged) was drafted next but needed expensive trans surgery. She is feeling much better now and should return improved gas mileage with a 302 torque converter.

Here she is at a Lincoln/Ford factory. Is there something phallic about this image?

Can’t Go Back to Memphis

As it is August 16, it would be appropriate for an Elvis post. I do remember the day he died. I was still a kid and not yet a fan but I knew that something important had transpired. I saw the funeral on TV in England. I was just starting to get interested in cars (especially) Cadillacs and music so naturally Elvis and I would be spending a lot of time together in the future.

A few years ago I attended the first ever Stutz (the seventies ones) meet in Memphis where we were allowed to drive our cars through the gates of Graceland and park right in front of the big house. Considering the last photo ever of Elvis is of him driving his Stutz Blackhawk through the music gates it was an amazing experience.

I have since sold my 76 Blackhawk and am restoring an even rarer 71 Blackhawk, just like Elvis first Stutz.

Check out my photos at Peter’s Madle’s (the dean of Stutz) great site, careful you could spend all day there, or develop an incurable desire to own one….it has happened before.

http://www.madle.org/

http://www.madle.org/epicadrian.htm

PS. Title of the post is a song on a rather forgotten Stray Cats album; see the photo from my last post for the title.

80’s Nostalgia

The Corvette is sidelined while I prepare to have the LH trailing arm assembly rebuilt. The 1972 Lincoln Mark IV has assumed the role of daily driver. So far the 38 year old socialite has performed very well indeed including a number of out of town business trips. Road and Track called the 72 Mark IV the best car to have parked in your driveway the year of its introduction.

Driving through the countryside on a cool early morning with all the windows open and the huge sunroof all the way back is a sublime automotive experience that makes me feel grateful for the chance to own such a beautiful car. Not a vehicle for arriving anywhere un-noticed.

The old AM/FM Philco died, well the FM stopped working. After a day with only AM I was ready to pull the radio. I had been using an FM modulator to play my iPod through the factory radio, no FM no good music.

I successfully installed an old twin post digital Alpine head unit I had picked up in the spring. Great sound which makes me think the original owner had new speakers installed.

The radio transplant was successfully accomplished over a Friday evening and Saturday morning. The radio came out much easier than the 76 Mark IV as it was smaller and required less under dash “stuff” to be moved out of the way.

I have been using a Panasonic tape adapter I stole from my spouses Chrysler Town & Country to play the iPod very quiet and good sound. However as I have to give it back I bought another adapter…crap…noisy little gears inside (Panasonic one seems to be a different design) and dreadful sound transfer. Needless to say I returned it and am looking for a better quality unit.

So with no iPod I dug out an old box of cassettes, this is the eighties nostalgia part of the post. See it does pay to never throw anything away. On my way to work I have been working my way through the tapes, mostly rockabilly so they are pretty timeless but it still brings back a lot of memories. Thought I had some tapes of my old radio show at university, “Solid Gold Cadillac” but they seem to be missing…perhaps that is a good thing.

Chryslers at Carlisle

Yes I have a soft spot for MOPARS along with my Cadillac and Lincoln addiction. I do have a project 75 Imperial Crown coupe stashed away. Business took me to Chryslers at Carlisle, my first visit to the gathering of the Pentastar faithful.

The Super Cuda is coming to your town, that is if your town is Carlisle Pennsylvania and it is last week.

The Cuda has been on display at SEMA in Las Vegas and the Detroit Autorama and now what has to be the biggest MOPAR gathering on the planet, Chryslers at Carlisle.

The Cuda was a big hit and we had the DCG television segments running all day on a big screen TV. Thanks to all who dropped by to see the car and to say hi.

Jessie and I survived the un-air conditioned hall where we shared space with Gary and Pam the King and Queen of phantom Dodge muscle cars (more about them later) and the Green Hornet’s Black Beauty…a 66 Imperial.

A great show and a new record for attendance was set, great job Ed! I braved the scorching PA sun to bring you some of my favorites from the show field. The two I wanted to bring home, the 76 Town & Country wagon with the 75 Imperial front end and a 426 Hemi and of course the one of none 71 Dodge Daytona wing car.

Cadillacs in Southern Ontario

The C.I.S.O. is a new on line Cadillac club started last year by my friend Mike. You can find them at:
http://cadillacinsouthernontario.com/

I had to be at Steve Plunkett's great Fleetwood Cruise last Saturday on business so why not drive one of my "classic" cars well actually I don't own any new cars.

The 59 has slumbered for a few years with only limited use. So the drive to London was its longest trip in a decade. I had changed the oil the week before, washed her, checked tires and all other fluids. A quick test run showed her to be in fine form so I committed to bring the Caddy to Mike's display at the show.

The Caddy ran fine to London, I was even followed by a CTS-V most of the way. Quite a line up to get in but I quickly spotted the C.I.S.O. guys and gals, great display by the way!

The run home was more intense with the top down and my ghetto sound system set to 11, that is an ipod playing through a boom box powered by an inverter connected to one of the 59's four cigarette lighters.

The trip back highlighted some nagging problems I still have not cured, brakes pull to the left (alignment?) and s slight vibration at 30 mph. Nevertheless the Cad performed like a trooper and it never rained.

Also Kudos to my friend Bill who brought Amanda, his beautiful 60 Dodge Polara coupe, perhaps he will send me a photo for this blog as I shamefully forgot to snap one.

Met lots of great people including the prior owner of my 78 Toronado XS...small word indeed.

Ghosts of Future Lincolns

Enjoyed a 2010 Lincoln MKT for the week. I am not much of a fan of crossovers but the MKT at least has some sense of design, I especially like its hearse like shape, so I would order one in black. I think a sedan delivery custom job is in order too.

The intelligent cruise control (shades of Packard's radar brakes) worked very well and was a definite driving aid not an intrusion like I feared.

The 365 HP Ecoboost (lame name for an engine) is as smooth and powerful as it is in the new SHO. I wish it ignited with a little more fire and brimstone when you compress the go pedal.

High marks from spouse who enjoyed the Sirius 80's channel and reliving her misspent musical youth.

So when can we have a true successor to the Mark VIII based on the Mustang platform, don't forget the opera windows and Continental hump.

1978 Town Coupe with Fixed Glass Moonroof

I was reminded I did not include a photo of Chris' Town Coupe.

Also a shot from the brochure. There fixed!