Cadillac Chronicle

                                    Newsletter of

 

                                               

March 2006

Hi Cadillac Enthusiasts,

    Well, for those CLCC Members on the Lower and Mid Island regions, it was a real unique experience. The morning showed a slight skiff of snow but by the time we prepared for the tour, it was all gone and great weather prevailed. After the tour and lunch at the Ocean Sciences complex, the sky stayed clear for a comfortable ride home. The evening was another story! After dinner, what reminded me of a good old prairie thunder-boomer shook our houses. It was a good thing that lightening preceded the thunder otherwise we may have mistaken it for the start of the "Big One". According to the weather channel, this unique phenomenon seemed to come from nowhere, go over the Saanich Peninsula and headed northwest to the Duncan area. The lightening strikes cut power in a few places for a few hours but no other damage has been reported. The whole episode, except for the snow and hail that accompanied it, was gone by 10:30 PM, and we awoke Saturday morning to ½" of the white leftovers. Ruth and I feel that that was enough winter so we are headed to warmer climes on the 18^Th. If there is anything that must be tended to between the 17^Th. of March and the 12^Th. of April, please contact your Vice President – Wayne McCallum at 250-652-7895.

Tour of the Pacific Geoscience Center

    The tour of the center was well set up by our Events Coordinator – Roger Barrie and very much enjoyed by the 14 members in attendance. We were greeted and introduced to the center by the very knowledgeable Commissionaire (and Town Crier) Ken Podmore. He gave us an overview of its purpose and programs. The many models of ships, both Coast Guard and Geoscience, as well as the huge table model of the Island and surrounding areas were impeccable in detail and a real treat to the eyes of this modeler. From my point of view, the many hours and taxpayers $$ were well spent on these exhibits. I would encourage anyone that hasn’t been there to go and learn about this lovely Island that keeps us up out of the Pacific Ocean. On completion of a short walk along this corridor of artwork, we were introduced to a most informed guide – Alison Bird, who showed and narrated a very informative tour of the Geoscience center. In layman’s terms she explained about earthquakes, the damage that they can do, the tracking and wide spread affects of them and the potential tsunami damage that can ensue in the coastal areas. A "snippet" of information – if an earthquake is eminent, stay away from the Empress Hotel, as it was constructed on a part of the inner harbour that has been filled in. The "liquefaction of the soil below could present a potential disaster. If you are caught in the Bengal Room, hold on to that beverage as the table may move considerably.

    The lunch followed in the cafeteria with a choice of many Epicurean delights. We can highly recommend the shrimp wraps and cream of vegetable soup. The burgers looked great and were enjoyed by many as well.

    Many thanks to Alison and Ken for the very educational tour and assistance with our questions.

CLCC Windshield Decals

    The Logo at the top of this newsletter is an example of the new windshield Decals that has been proposed for our club. Estimates have ranged from $4.00 each for 50 to as low as $1.10 each for 100. We are waiting for verification from the lower priced estimate before we order them. These would be approx. 3"X3 ½" in size and would be either on the inside or a waterproof decal for the outside of the glass. To this point, response has been very favorable to this idea so we will proceed when the estimates are completed.

Grease From the Squeaky Wheel

DON’T SLAM THE DOOR!!!

    How many times have you heard that or said it and to no avail! This problem holds true for the trunk lid and hood as well. The trunk lid if slammed on most Cadillacs from 1968 onward will suffer a very expensive malfunction. The pull down switch on the newer vehicles that shuts the lid automatically will be damaged and will cease to function and GM will make some more money. In the older models, with the mechanical pull down, it will also meet its demise and then it will mean mechanical parts will have to be replaced. On the hood end of things, if it is slammed too often, your headlights will have to be replaced, as the filaments will be shaken adrift. What is your choice, be tough or be gentle? It’s your nickel.

    Another no-no is over-tightening the oil pan plug when you change your oil. With very little effort you can strip the threads and it is hard to hold oil in if that happens. Should this happen at a service station and you are charged for another oil pan plug, tell them where to put the dipstick. You can’t strip the threads while undoing the plug. If you have done it yourself, there are self-tapping plugs available for ham fisted mechanics. Enjoy!!!

The Squeaky Wheel

Additions to the newsletter

If anyone has anything they would like to see in the up-coming newsletters, please don’t be afraid to tell me or send me your ideas and articles. It is nice to have input from all members. I have eliminated the for sale items as that is well taken care of on our website. Also gone are the advertisers, as we seem to be rather self sufficient at the moment. I only have one more article left in my files for the next newsletter so start writing, Please! Let’s see what we can come up with.

Have a great month and we hope to have another tour (garage tour) in either late April or early May. More on that later. All the best,

Lorne Scott

Cadillac of the Month - 1914 Cadillac 7 Passenger Touring Car.

Model 30-4050 Type 51.

    One very sunny, summer afternoon as we were gassing up our "Rice Rocket" on our way home and a rather large red behemoth cruised in to the pumps behind us. The first embellishment to catch my eye was the very stately radiator cap bearing the Cadillac insignia. There was an immediate request for my camera in case I was never to see this astounding machine again. We were in a rush to cover the next 90 miles and meet another appointment so preliminary info was exchanged and our trip continued. A check of the e-mail later revealed a letter from the owners, Jim and Melanie Morley of Nanaimo. The history of this car on Vancouver Island dates back to the ‘50s where it was brought from the Yukon for restoration, untouched for many years then purchased by Jim and Melanie as a retirement project some years in the future. The restoration of this very high point show car took some 5 years and was completed in 2002. It has been driven to and won many top awards at judged events.

    The following are some interesting statistics on this re-incarnation.

    Of the 14002 of all Cadillac models that were produced in 1914, there are as high as possibly twelve left still road-able. The up-draught carburetion system doesn’t have a fuel pump; fuel is fed by infusing pressure into the tank with a hand air pump.(1914 Fuel Injection) It is also equipped with what is known as a "Fat Man Steering Wheel". With the removal of the lock, the steering wheel collapses to allow the driver to exit through the small right-hand door. (a primitive Tilt Steering) The date of manufacture is still found on the frame and with the help of the build sheet, it has been found to be a very early edition. It is a 4 cylinder and the later models were produced with V/8 engines.