Classic Chassis Car Clubs of Texas

CCCC San Antonio – Club BBQ at Vinny’s Sat. May 26th 2PM

Vinny — Sun, 20 May 2012 17:57:28 +0000

San Antonio Classic Chassis BBQ and Pot Luck at Vinny’s house Saturday May 26th at 2PM.

Please RSVP via E-Mail with the dish you are bringing and to get directions.

Vinny – Fajitas, Guacamole, Tortillas, Tea.
Bubba – Cornbread, Dip
Bobby – Chile

CCCC Austin – In Salado for the Lincoln All Texas Meet April 21st

paul — Wed, 02 May 2012 15:57:01 +0000

CCCC Dallas – Golden Girls 2012

Bryan Howell - Dallas — Wed, 02 May 2012 14:42:12 +0000

The Dallas Chapter of CCCC Texas would like to invite each of you to participate in this years Golden Girls Event which will be held in Fort Worth, TX from November 8th to the 11th.

This years theme is “Classic Cars, Cowboys and Culture”. Fort Worth offers a wide range of activities and attractions, and the organizing committee is planning on highlighting as many of these as we can fit into a long weekend.

Our official hotel is the Residence Inn by Marriott which is located in the heart of Fort Worth’s cultural district, and literally across the river from downtown. You will have the opportunity to experience Fort Worth’s world-class museums, downtown’s Sundance Square, as well as the historic Fort Worth Stockyards.

We will be conducting our annual Car Show along the banks of the Trinity River in Trinity Park, and have reserved a wonderful gazebo in the heart of the park for this event.

We will be posting additional information regarding hotel reservations and an outline of events in the coming days.

Until then, please mark your calendar for November 8th to the 11th and plan to join us for what should be a wonderful weekend!

CCCC Dallas – May Newsletter

Bryan Howell - Dallas — Wed, 02 May 2012 14:26:37 +0000

Click on the link below to view the May 2012 Newsletter. Please be patient…this file will take a moment to download to your computer.

2012 MAY ONLINE

CCCC Dallas – The story behind “Dagmars”

Bryan Howell - Dallas — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 18:38:56 +0000

Dagmar bumpers, also known simply as Dagmars (dag-mar), is a slang term for the
artillery shell shaped styling elements found on the front bumper/grille
assemblies on several makes of cars produced in the 1950s, an era recognized for
its flamboyant designs and prominent use of chrome details.

The term was coined by customizers in direct reference to Dagmar,[1] an early
1950s television personality well known for her pronounced cleavage on Broadway
Open House. Dagmar’s physical attributes were further enhanced by low-cut gowns
and the shape of her bra cups, which were somewhat conical. She was amused by
the tribute.

Evolution

As originally conceived by Harley Earl[2], GM Vice President of Design, the
bumper guard elements would mimick exaggerated artillery shells and were placed
at either end of the front bumpers of Cadillacs. Their presence was both as a
styling element indicating speed (as in the speeding bullet or projectile) and
as bumper guards.

However as the 1950s wore on, the element on the Cadillac grew more pronounced,
and in 1957 the Cadillac Eldorado Brougham gained black rubber tips, which were
referred to in slang terms as pasties[2].

As the 1959 model year designs approached, American car designs were beginning
to shed both their rear fins and the missile shaped grille elements. In 1960 the
era of the Dagmar bumper ended when Lincoln dropped the element from its 1961
Lincoln Continental.

Dagmars as a massive grille or bumper decoration competed against not only
“spinners,” as on the 1949 Ford and 1950 Studebaker, but also against a similar
decorative element, which had a concave tip. Buick had these in a circular form
both before and after the firm’s stint with dagmars. Oldsmobile had these in an
oval form and never used dagmars.

Vehicles sporting Dagmar bumpers

Postwar Cadillacs began sporting missile pointed bumper elements with their 1946
models. Beginning with the 1951 models, stylists began lifting these bumper
guards up into the grille work, however by 1953 their shape and detail began to
take on a bullet motif with the tips of the element being scored in the manner
in which a bullet casing is shaped. In 1957 black rubber tips were placed on the
element which was now placed at the top of the grille, approximately ten inches
above the lower bumper. The element continued to become more pronounced in size
through 1958, but were eliminated in the 1959 Cadillac redesign.

Mercury sprouted prominent Dagmars in 1953 and continued the look through the
1956 model year. Lincoln added Dagmars to its 1960 Lincoln and Continentals. The
design took a different approach than GM, with the use of a black rubber ring
separating the body of the element from the chrome tip.

CCCC San Antonio – Fiesta Frenzy April 21 5:30-8:00PM at Sparky’s

Vinny — Fri, 20 Apr 2012 11:00:22 +0000

Classic Chassis Car Club of San Antonio is having its Fiesta Frenzy April 21, 2012 5:30PM to 8:00PM at Sparky’s.

CCCC Dallas – Australian Journey

Bryan Howell - Dallas — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 19:14:48 +0000

On our recent journey to Australia and New Zealand it was interesting to see all the different automobiles on the road that have a familiar look yet are different. Name plates no longer seen in the U.S. are still alive and well down under. When was the last time you saw a 2008 Ford Fairmont? These were built in Australia from 1965 to 2008. Have you seen a Ford Maverick that is a SUV type vehicle and not the economy car of the 1970’s? Or a Nissan Skyline that is the Infiniti G35 in the U.S.?

One of the popular type of cars available in Australia is the Ute, which is Australian slang for utility vehicle. They are the equivalent of the Chevrolet El Camino or Ford Ranchero. They are manufactured for the Australian market by Holden (GM Australia), Ford and other foreign manufacturers. The Holden cars are really good looking and sound very impressive with their V-8 engines.

I can only wonder if Holden had planned to build these Utes as Pontiacs like the G8 and GTO and how they would have been received in the U.S. Who knows? They could still appear as a Chevrolet El Camino.

We were also curious to see how much cars cost here in Sydney and were able to purchase some of the local car trade magazines. We are fortunate that cars are so affordable in the U.S. compared our Australian counterparts. In Australia, a used 2011 Chevrolet Camaro SS convertible is selling for $115,000 (Aus) or $119,000 (U.S.) and a 2005 Ford Mustang GT convertible is selling for $70,000 (Aus) or $72,500 (U.S.). This includes shipping and any modifications such as right-hand drive conversions and all kinds of import taxes. And with gas prices running at $8.35 per gallon. We are so lucky!

G’Day Mate – David Bacalzo

CCCC Austin – My 1990 Coupe deVille – by Scott Vinson

paul — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 19:04:38 +0000

I don’t know what it is about the body style on the 1990 Coupe deVille, but when I had seen one several months prior to to my purchasing this one, I became hooked and started my search. It reminded me of the Coupe deVilles of the mid to late 1970′s, but of course, smaller and more updated. I knew I wanted a 1990, and it had to be in Antelope Beige.

I began my search through Auto Trader, where I quickly found one… at a dealership in Mesa, Arizona. Well, that one sold before I could even get out there to look at it. A few months later, I came across this one which was located much closer to San Diego (where I was living)… up in La Costa California, back in June of 2000. She had 98,000 miles on her, and I still have the Auto Trader ad where I first saw her picture.

I am the 3rd owner, and from what the previous owner told me, she was originally owned by an elderly woman in Arizona. The first owner did some strange “improvements” to the car, the worst being the push-button / keyless entry lock system they had installed on the drivers side door. I remember just randomly pushing buttons, and the trunk would pop open! I had that un-installed shortly thereafter. Another was having the “Twilight Sentinel” feature disconnected. It’s never worked since I’ve owned the car. There was originally a “continental kit” on the back of this car, that I had removed within the first week of buying her. They just don’t look good on modern cars, and it was a bit too “Pimp My Ride” for my taste!

Twelve years later… at 22 years old, and 215,000 miles, she is still my daily driver. I love the classic Cadillac styling on this car, and still find her as beautiful today as that first day I saw her. She may not be the biggest or most glamorous, but to me she is the beginning of the end of that era for Cadillac, when they still had whitewall tires, wire wheels, vinyl roofs, opera lamps, big chrome grills, and the long vertical taillights. All the styling trademarks that Cadillac had for years.

I had a 1972 Coupe deVille for 7 years before I got my 1990, that I had called Norma Jean… so I christened my 1990 the NJ2000. She is the last of the Coupe deVilles. Part of an automotive era that is gone, that lasted from 1948-1993. I am honored to be able to drive the last of that great namesake - the Cadillac Coupe deVille.

CCCC Austin – Salado, Texas Buick Meet April 14, 2012

paul — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 18:53:47 +0000

CCCC Dallas – Treasure Hunting

Nathan Blasingame — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 01:08:12 +0000

I love junkyards. Never understood why. I’m not particularly fond of dirt or dirty cars, but something just draws me to these parking lots of mystery. I remember as a child, we would pass by a very full, overgrown junkyard on the way to/from town. I would look as quickly as possible to see what cars I could identify before my mom blistered by at 55mph in her powder blue 1978 Ford LTD II. It matched her eye shade. More than once, I asked to stop and take a look, but never got a positive response. I needed a new plan. Grandpa, who also drove a powder blue Ford (this time a 1980 Pinto) was a preacher man. I could not believe my ears when I learned that one of Grandpa’s congregants owned a junkyard. What a blessed and fortunate man, to have the best job in the world! I was taken to visit this place and nearly passed out when I learned that Grandpa was buying me a car from this lot. It would not be a running car (I was only about 7 or 8 years old) but one to towed to my grandparent’s pasture so that I could play with it. A 1974 Vega 2 door, blue with white interior, was my playhouse for the next 5 years or so. It was sold back to the junkyard from wince it came after I had used and abused it to the point it was ready for scrapping.

Only within the past few years have I started visiting junkyards on a regular basis. I’ve tried to figure out the allure that has ahold of me, but I sure can spend hours going from car to car, row to row just looking, picking and learning. Sure it is fun to find an elusive part for one of my cars or one for a friend, but that only takes me so far. On my last trip, I really thought about why I enjoyed them so much. Is it the variety, the volume, the hunt for the rare and unusual? Is it the tragedy of the once highly prized luxury liner ending up on the bottom of the ocean, a la Titanic? Our people do like a good tragedy. You know, there is always one car that gets the “This Should Not Be Here” award. It usually goes to a vehicle that obviously belonged to MeeMaw as her last and greatest ride, only to be parked in the garage after she couldn’t drive anymore, then it sits for 10 years and finally ends up as a grandchild’s first ride. Of course, everyone is shocked when the HT4100 in MeeMaw’s 1982 Cadillac blows a piston through the hood because junior though he could drive it like he does his mom’s minivan when she isn’t around. The engine rebuild costs more than another used car, so the Caddy heads to the Pick-N-Pull for $300. This is when you find a car that has near perfect interior, a spotless trunk, shiny paint (except for the uh-oh’s MeeMaw did to all four corners of the car in the Piggly Wiggly parking lot) and my scratching my head, saying “Why is this car here?”

The spotting of several such cars in a Pick-N-Pull lot in Rancho Cordova, CA a couple of weeks ago finally gave me my answer about the roots of my joy among the smashed metal and rotting upholstery. One was a 1985 Seville with 68K miles, one was a 1978 Coupe Deville with 54K miles, and the other was a 1983 Town and Country wagon with mileage in the 50k range. All were near perfect, all had obviously low mileage and had been cared for in the recent past. I felt like I was at a car show for a few minutes, but then something magical happened. I opened the doors, sat down and began to admire the vehicles, got out, opened the hood, opened the trunk and then got to take some parts with me! It was the the one thing that we never get to do at car shows or while looking through eBay and Craigslist: touch the cars without upsetting the car owner or messing something up. Okay, some people let you sit in their cars and look around, but they sure don’t let you pry the emblem off of the C pillar to take home with you. So, for a $2 admission price to Pick-N-Pull, you can look, touch and select the parts you want to take home. Sure makes for a nice day.