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!

Cadillac & Lincoln Mutual Admiration Society

Well some people just don't learn, up late again last night. Car stuff this time, a friend dropped by with his new 1978 Lincoln Town Coupe with ultra rare fixed glass moonroof. I have only seen one of these cars in person before. Resplendent in metallic grey with unmarked grey velour, gorgeous.

I had a chance to show off the 59 Cadillac convertible and the 1971 Stutz Blackhawk, oh it kills me to have to think about ever having to sell one of these beautiful cars....sigh.

We took the 59 out for a quick cruise, top down, lovely warm night, full moon, running along Lakeshore Road with the light from Niagara Falls in the distance and the moon reflecting brightly on the water it could have been the Malecon in old Havana or the Corniche in Monaco. (I have actually driven along one of these roads in real life!)

Yes, I changed the oil and washed the dust of the 59 on the weekend, she is running well and looks like a million bucks IMHO. Last year for the canister style oil filter by the way.

Stopped off at my mother's house to show the 72 Lincoln Mark IV.

Then I had a turn being chauffeured in the Town Coupe, which I really enjoyed. Compared to last night's Cadillac and Lincoln fest it is sad to contemplate the sorry state of automotive design today.

Corvette to work this morning another glorious day, took some roads I don't normally use and was rewarded with some great scenery, oh I had seen it before but just not from that perspective.

Ok I will try and preserve this automotive high throughout my work day.

Lincoln Mark IV Super Jump

Since I am in a Mark sort of mood this week.

You will believe a Mark IV can fly, well kinda:

http://www.racevideoforums.com/forums/other/4194-video-1976-1-mile-car-jump-gone-wrong-lincoln-jet-car.html

Apparently the stunt was originally designed by the "Mad Canadian" Ken Carter but he was replaced by American driver Kenny Powers at the last minute. Needless to say things did not end well. However, kudos for using a Lincoln Mark IV, to paraphrase Dr. Brown from Back to the Future, if you're gonna build a jet powered car to jump the St.Lawrence River, why not do it with some style?

Full story here:

http://crudelyinterrupted.wordpress.com/2010/02/10/rocket-man/

Praise the Lowered

The 1976 Lincoln Mark IV finally had its custom made Eaton Detroit coil springs installed. The suspension work was done by Rob Neely for an article in Canadian Hot Rods magazine. Thanks to Mike at Eaton the Lincoln has left nose bleed territory and is now much closer to terra firma. The Mark IVs always rode too high in stock mode giving the impression of roller skate wheels. The 20 inch KMC SS mags now look like they truly belong on this Continental.

Two compliments yesterday while washing the almost non existent paint in the driveway yesterday, one from a real estate agent and the other from someone who looked a little more gangsta. Praise from such divergent demographics, I am quite chuffed.

http://www.eatonsprings.com/

Top Goes Down / Top Goes Up

A new 370 Z Roadster, I know not Toro XS's usual ride...it's a press car.

I am a Detroit loyalist (die hard, insurgent?) but this has been fun. I have a soft spot for the original 240Z and even considered buying one...kinda small though.

Sorry no technical ramblings just gut feel, speeding along with the top down on the back country roads I take to and from work was bordering on joyous. Perhaps it was just the blue sky, the promise of summer and new tunes on the ipod....but some part of me has to give credit to the 370.

Despite it being a cool morning I still put the top down and I was snug as a bug with the heater blowing in my face and the heated seats warming the rest. Fast too, pity I have to give her back.

A red roadster is however a bit of a chick car, women seem to really like the 370. Bottom line, everyone should own a convertible at least once in their life.

Summer's Here and the Time is Right....

A great photo of a prototype 1959 Eldorado convertible at the GM design center. GM always shot their prototypes in this private walled yard, in some photos you can see the car is sitting on a sunken turn table.

Think I stole this from http://www.deansgarage.com/ check it out a great automotive design site.

I think I am posting this an encouragement to myself and anyone else out there who has yet to get their pride and joy out of winter storage. My 59 series 62 has been gathering dust and is in need of some tinkering. Time to clean out the garage and belatedly celebrate earth day by running its high compression 10.5 -1, tri-powered 390 cubic inch V8.

May the biggest carbon footprint win!

Corvette vs Tesla

The 79 L82 Corvette received a new dual Magnaflow system a few weeks ago and she sounds great.

Yesterday evening I had to return a Tesla press car, actually very impressed. The best thing in electric cars since my Strombecker slot car track, but I am not here to sing the praises of electric cars.

When dropping off the Tesla I had to park my Corvette on the street in snobby Yorkville. I know the area well as I used to work at Bay and Bloor in a previous life and often took clients to lunch at one of the many expensive restaurants in Yorkville.

The street would invariable be lined with exotic cars, Bentleys, Ferraris and 911s. No different last night, even spotted a Lotus Exige (a close relation to the Tesla). The Corvette looked totally incongruous but cool amongst the euro trash. I am also proud to report that it got more than its share of attention. While I stood with the hood open, to let the engine cool off after a high speed highway run then stuck in a traffic jam on Bay St, I had strangers come and compliment the car or take photos.

Even driving up Bay in heavy traffic pedestrians pointed out the Corvette and seemingly ignored the new Tesla, worth about ten times more than the Corvette.

To be fair if one could time travel back to 1979 the Corvette would be the perfect poser car for Yorkville but age and timeless styling....plus that great sounding exhaust has served to make her the last word in cool....at least for a few minutes last night.

Back

No I didn't go missing in Detroit....great show by the way. I even wrote an article on the Autorama for the magazine World of Wheels, gotta find out if it has gone to print yet.

Despite my absence from the blog, I have been busy in the driveway. The 76 Lincoln became a daily driver for almost two weeks until I could not stand the annoying OEM radio and vacuum leaks from the headlight system.

I did manage to rebuild the passenger side power window motor successfully and even made my own aluminium 'barrels". See link to see what I am talking about.

http://www.rodneydickman.com/FordMotors.html

If you have a seventies or even eighties Ford product with power windows you will immediately know what I am on about.

The dash is currently apart awaiting locating replacement original radio and auto dimmer head light switch. I managed to correct most of the leaks but the head light doors still only stay down for about 45 min. Shop manual says they should last 18 hours...like my 72 Mark IV but that is a post for another day.

Detroit Bound

Off to Detroit (center of the universe...well at one time it was) for the Autorama. So I have included a Cadillac design from one of my favorite designers Harry Bentley Bradley.

Read more at Andrew's cool blog:

http://cardesignart.blogspot.com/2008/09/career-spotlight-harry-bentley-bradley.html

Float Like a Butterfly

The Eldo is off for brake line and exhaust repairs, updates as they happen!

Listening to Elder Roma Wilson: http://reverendfrost.blogspot.com/

Looking for a little divine automotive intervention today.

Brand New Cadillac

Brand new Cadillac, I wish...

In anticipation of a big car day tomorrow, 1975 Eldorado finally goes in for brake line and exhaust repairs, with safety and license plates hopefully soon to follow. Fingers crossed no other hidden problems reveal themselves.

A photo to celebrate, 51 Coupe De Ville and a 61 limo from the Royal car collection in Monaco.

Read about the museum here, worth a visit if you are ever in the Principality:

http://www.palais.mc/monaco/x-net/internet-palais-princier/english/museums-et-culture/private-collection-of-antique-cars/private-collection-of-antique-cars.589.html

You can also find Vince Taylor's original recording of Brand New Cadillac here:

http://elvismarineteam.blogspot.com/2010/02/vince-taylor-jet-black-leather-machine.html

Mrs. Todd's Short Cut

Hunting for something to read, instead of a shop manual, I pulled down a copy of Stephen King’s collection of short stories, Skeleton Crew, and turned to my favorite, Mrs. Todd’s Short Cut.

http://singular--points.blogspot.com/2008/04/mrs-todds-shortcut.html

King might not be a grease under the nails sort of car “guy” but he has a love for automobiles that surpasses that of the public, heck he wrote a whole novel about an evil Plymouth. (As far as I know none of my cars are evil, some have ADD and some are just bad tempered).

This is a great car or better yet driving story that had always stuck with me. The story is about finding a short cut through the back roads of Maine. Things take a turn for the weird when the short cuts are less than the distance between towns as the crow flies. It is also hinted that the short cuts take the driver and passenger to alternate worlds or timelines.

The title itself is evocative, the name Todd summons up images of Wind in the Willows, Mr. Toads’ Wild Ride and tod is also German for death. Oh and Mrs. Todd drives a Mercedes roadster. King pegs the car as a mid sixties model, making it a Pagoda but I think he meant to make it a 300SL as he describes its torpedo shape near the end of the story.

This story is always in the back of my mind as my current drive to work is primarily through the countryside and there are at least two dozen different routes. I quickly worked out the fastest and least radar infested of them and have stuck to it for years….perhaps it is time to do a little exploring.

The photos are taken at a rest stop on The Highway of the Sun, on my own wild ride from Stuttgart to the Mediterranean in a SL55 AMG.

Shape of Things to Come...

I often wondered what seventies era cars would have looked like if the fuel shortage of 73 never happened. These designs courtesy of Dean's Garage http://www.deansgarage.com gives us a good idea. The neo-classic elements that were clearly on display in the entire 71 GM big car line up would have blossomed into a new golden age of "classic" motoring.

The first photo is of a Toronado, I have also seen Cadillac mock ups with these separate blade fenders and side pipes. The second even features a version of the Toro XS rear window but is clearly an Eldorado. In fact both designs have elements that found there way into the 75-78 Eldos.

Some at GM were not true believers in Mitchell's glorious vision of the future and dubbed the Toro prototype the Four-Fendered Farkle....

Mitchell apparently wanted to build one of these for his retirement, GM brass declined, so you can see why the company is such as mess today. Zombie Bill Mitchell only you can save us now!

Love the futuristic computer font of the Advanced Design sign in the top right hand corner of the Eldo photo, shades of SPACE 1999.

Hidden Charms

We visited family friends in Coburg, about an hour and half out of Toronto, while the women chatted, Peter and I a visited an old and unmarked wreckers yard. It was in a beautiful park like setting with the only access being a bridge across a waterfall.

Cars ranged from mid thirties to late seventies, most is a very poor state of decomposition. Found a couple of Lincoln Mark III's, one Mark IV (I have a 72 and a 76 Mark IV) and three Mark V's.

Many long gone marks, Packard, Studebaker, Rambler, some English and German Ford products likely brought to Canada by RCAF personnel from Trenton, a local military airbase.

Hope to return in the spring as the Mark IV had some parts I wanted. The 78 Eldorado is the last photo was in terrible shape and didn't yield any parts for my 75.

Nope no Toronados...

Groundhog Day

Wow, two posts in one day!

Punxsutawney Phil predicts 6 more weeks of winter.....think of it this way, more time to get your ride ready for spring.

Or maybe watch Goundhog Day again, it's a great movie and even has a small scene with a 1974 Eldorado convertible (a fwd favourite here at Toronado XS)....it comes to a bad end. Was it actually destroyed in the movie or does it survive? Bonus shot of an 83 Eldorado from the movie.

Sweet Sweet Schadenfreude

Good essay on Toyota’s free ride in the media…until now that is. Check out Autoextremist for the latest and best take on industry news:

http://www.autoextremist.com/

Even more than the Schadenfreude at Toyota’s expense, it is the mainstream media that really pisses me off. Years and years of attacking GM (plus Ford and Chrysler) finally their attention is turned to the Japanese once they almost destroyed the domestic car industry.

above pictured automobile does not feature plastic accelerator pedal or linkage

Magnum Force

Many moons ago a Suburban totalled my 70 Riviera GS (sigh, what a sweet car). The Riviera was almost replaced by a 79 Magnum GT, black with red interior and the 360 cop motor. Very cool car especially with the rough cast mag wheels. A forgotten late model MOPAR executive "muscle car". Home renovations swallowed the insurance check.

I am looking forward to checking out another 79 Magnum, a silver and black XE this time. Back in 1978 Car Craft even built a Magnum magazine project car, yes I have that issue.

Belated Birthday to Elvis

January 8th, Friday was the King's 75th. Did he own a Toronado XS, well certainly not a 78 since he had passed on/gone into hiding by then, but possibly a 77, seriously the guy had a lot of cars. I know he had a 66 Toronado.

And there is certainly proof he purchased an example of another one of my cars, a 1975 Eldorado. Interestingly enough he seems to eschewed convertibles....privacy concerns perhaps.

In 1975 Elvis made some salesman's day at Madison Cadillac when be purchased fourteen Cadillacs including this Eldorado coupe for a Mrs Mennie L. Person of of 1868 Meadowhill, Memphis. She had been admiring the King's Caddy limo when Elvis asked her if she liked it. He said "That one's mine but I'll buy you one." She chose a gold and white Eldorado costing $11,500. He also bought her a new wardrobe.

I looked up the address on Google Earth but the Eldo was not parked in the driveway.

Photos courtesy of Elvis's Cadillacs a great site from a cool cat in Australia:

http://elviscadillacs.tripod.com./

Twilight Time

The Toronado is vexing me today with the failure of its dash and driving lights, a problem I had before but which had mysteriously corrected itself.

Spent my lunch under the dash of the Toro, no fuses blown. The light switch will not override the sentinel, headlights and hi-beams function as does stop, turn signal and back up lights.

I located the sentinel control box by feel but cannot see where to disconnect (hidden by lower dash cover) lots of work to remove. As a temp fix I ran a wire from the headlight switch feed to the rear harness and sentinel to the fuse box, this gives me driving lights when the ignition is on.

Better spend some more quality time with the 78 Olds shop manual and wiring diagram this evening.

Obligatory Toronado beauty shot.

The Sincerest Form of Flattery

The 77-78 Toronado XS and the 77-79 Chevrolet Impala coupe were a showcase for the hot wire bent glass technology that allowed windshields to be curved at right angles.

Although this new look did not catch on as a styling trend in the seventies it did get peoples attention and also the attention of other automotive designers.

Bob Marcks, a Chrysler designer liked the look of the Toronado XS and applied the unique rear glass to an Imperial, looks like be borrowed some of the fenders as well.

I also received some flattery today, from the traffic cop who was admiring my Toronado while he was giving me a speeding ticket!

This Ain't a Drag Strip

It is hard to be a car guy (or gal) in this weather and I was suffering withdrawal symptoms. So I decided that darn the sub zero weather I am going to change the oil in the Jaguar, I had been putting this job off for some time as you have to crawl right under the car to remove the filter. The car has to be jacked up very high as it sits so low (a Ford Cortina once fell on my father…he survived). Well if you can’t cheat death on the first day of the new year, heck what is the point. Made sure the hydraulic jack was supported by two jack stands and had the oil change done in no time. Longest part was pouring in the cold synthetic 10w30. Quick couple of test laps around the neighborhood, finally annoyed the neighbors after 12 years of car shenanigans, “turn that thing off before I call the cops, this ain't a drag strip!” I guess someone had too much to drink the night before ;)

If you took the picture today the Jag would be buried in snow!

Full disclosure, the above XJS has an LT1 and is kinda loud.