MAY 2012 Long Roof

Tom Cummings sent me a PM asking me to post a story for Long Roof of the Month. As of May first, I have owned my 1992 Custom Cruiser for all of 50 days. I will do the easy part first, list all the mods:
1. I have replaced the black roof rack with two chrome/aluminum ones from a Buick Roadmaster. Actually I may take the rear one off.
2. Bought some grey floor mats from NAPA to keep my original carpeted Olds mats as nice as possible. It rains a bit on the Oregon coast.
3. In the back I installed a rubber mat with ½ padding and a Great Dane barrier to keep Sugar off the seats and the excellent cargo area carpet.
That is it on the Mods. It is a 52,000 mile car and we are the third registered owners. We love the car and have already posted a few photos. Below is a look at our new West Coast Cruiser. Later I will explain “How I got here.”



We have literally driven old cars as daily drivers for our entire married life (37 years). When I met Judy in 1974 my only car was a 1929 Model A Tudor sedan. Could it be called a long roof? I was attending college in her home town of Gunnison, CO after six years in the Army. When I got back from Vietnam, and wife # 1 left, I traded my two year old Fiat 124 Spyder (purchased in Germany) for the Model A Ford. Judy and I went on our honeymoon in the A. Here are pictures of both. We moved from Gunnison to Colorado Springs after we got married. Also pictured is the Ford and a loaded 1954 Chevrolet truck with everything we owned.





I will show the cars that I took pictures of over the years but the dates are not listed because I cannot remember precisely. As I said, We drove every one of these daily. I will tell you I was not originally looking to buy a GM Longroof until two months ago. But that story will come later. I grew up in Carlsbad, California and always drew cars. I surfed, so of course I drew woodys with boards out back.

My first car was a 1955 Olds 4 door sedan.

While we were in Colorado Springs we bought a 1951 Nash Statesman. It was white and really lived up to the nick name of bath tub. It had a small flat 6 and was under powered in the mountains. Overheated!




We sold the Nash and the 1954 Truck sometime around 1976 and bought a 1950 Chevrolet truck in better shape than the 54. We decided to head west and look for a small town to live in, but not Judy’s home town of Gunnison. GUNNISON LIKE. The next photos are of that truck with a homemade camper.



We thought we would settle in Oregon near the coast. It was not to be yet. We ended up driving to the coast, then back as far as Montana, then west again though Idaho, Washington, Oregon (again) and South on 101 all the way to San Diego. From San Francisco to SD the three speed on the tree, slipped out of third. I had to hold it down with a bungee. One Photo below is me changing a tire in Oregon not too far from where we live now. The third split rim on the trip.

My new bride and I parked in my folks perfect concrete drive way until the oil slick from the truck became apparent. Also I was no longer the clean cut Army guy. Some would say I was a late bloomin' hippy!

I worked for my uncle at a Chevron station for about six months. I had worked for him in High School so it seemed a bit of a step back. After all I had been an Infantry Captain in combat only four years earlier. Our 1950 truck needed a transmission. I went to work at a Vintage car sales place, selling old cars. The next car we bought for daily use was a 1950 Mercury 2 door sedan. We sold the truck. I got a job selling vintage cars in Leucadia CA.



We added a 1959 Fiat 500 next. It was scary on the Interstate. The driver’s window was down the whole year we owned it. I think the cable and pulley system for raising it was designed by Leonardo DaVinci. When I sold it the guy wanted the window working. I fixed it with no guarantee.



Here is Judy, her sister Susie (Blonde) and I in Tiajuana.



During the time in San Diego with Judy, I did not want a telephone and did not wear a watch. I became a bit reclusive and self-medicated my combat stress. Therefore, after 3 years in So Cal we sold the Fiat and the Mercury and bought a 1950 Chevrolet School Bus from Joe Boom, in Gunnison CO. We drove to Texas to see my sister and stayed in Arkansas a couple months. We were going to paint signs and live on the road. The Boom bus is below.



Most counties were dry in Arkansas so you may have to drive 100 miles to buy beer. Not good in my mental state. After going through our life savings ($1,500) we went back to Gunnison. The 216 cu six gave up the ghost and was parked for a while. I bought a 1964 Chevrolet ½ ton from Bill and JoAnne Stone, my employers. They sold it to me for $400 on time. I learned the plumbing trade from them. I never took a picture of the pickup. We replaced the Bus engine with a 235 cu six that actually had insert main bearings and an oil pump. After about three we headed to Sandpoint, Idaho. My friend Colin, the owner of the vintage car place, had bought an old 1900 Hotel converted into apartments.
I helped Colin do plumbing and other restorations on the Superior Apartments for about six months then got hired at Schweitzer Ski Area. I drove the Bus to the bottom of the mountain and hitch hiked up to work that winter. I think that was 1980-81.


We really did need a car. We had used the bus as out only vehicle for a year. I found the coolest 1952 Hudson Hornet. A guy I worked with got a loan from a local Bank for a 1956 Harley Davidson. I figured if they loaned him money for it, I needed to talk to them. I convinced them it was a good buy at $2,000. I got the loan and remained with that bank 20 years. Below is the Hudson. We drove it for about 12 years. We sold the Boom Bus. I could only find one photo of the 52 Hudson much later with the 1946 Hudson truck.



One car was now not enough and the guy with the ’52 Hudson had a 1954. We got another loan and bought it. In 1985 after a break in service of 11 years I joined the Idaho Army National Guard. Was working for the City Parks Department for the summer and I hated it. After all, hadn’t I been an officer? What was I doing mowing lawns and cleaning restrooms at 38 years old? I went in the Guard as a Captain. I had been an Infantryman and joined an Engineer unit. So we put the 1952 Hudson in storage and drove from Idaho to Ft. Belvoir, VA in the 1954 Hudson. We were a spectacle at Belvoir. I was 10 years older than my peers on active duty and drove a Hudson. They drove BMWs. This photo was in Maryland. I think?



I traded Crossed Rifles for Engineer Castle Brass. I did not know how to spell engineer now I was one. We sold the Hudson because we felt lucky to have made one trip cross country in it. It was an oil burner and serious leaker. We flew home after the six month Engineer School.

We got the ’52 Hudson out of storage and bought a very nice 1950 Chevrolet pickup. It was our third fifties Chevrolet truck. We drove it for a couple years. We moved out of town and the winter finally got to us. We bought our first new car. A Nissan pick-up four wheel drive. We kept it about a year and traded it for a Jeep Grand Wagoneer. I never photographed either of those cars.
We had two Chevrolet trucks in that time. Here are both.




We bought this 1954 Chevrolet 210 Wagon and drove it for a year. A GM Longroof! We sold it to a guy in Washington State. We drove it from Idaho to Seattle in the rain. Vacuum Wipers not good! Especially if it is raining. I usually replaced them in every 50s car.



As I draft this I am getting fuzzy on the times and overlap of cars. I sure it does not matter to my readers. It’s all true. Driving old cars was our life style. We were known for as the couple with the old “Hudsons” or “Cadillacs” or “Chevy trucks”. I could also write a book on the mechanics I have used or my poor aptitude for turning wrenches. I fear I have bored you enough so I will move along.

We bought this Suburban sometime in this time frame. It was about 9 years old in good shape.





I got a small windfall when Grandma died and bought my 1946 Hudson truck.
We drove it one summer when the engine started smoking real badly. It could have been converted to a mosquito sprayer. Originally it had a 212 cu flat six. I had a ’52Hudson parts car with a 308 motor. I had it built thirty over with a hotter 1955 cam from Clifford. It had a 454:1 rear end and was screaming at 55 mph until we fixed the OD. It was sweet. Later I had it painted. Here is the vehicle I regret selling the rest in my life.




I needed the money so the Hudson when bye bye. Later we bought our first 1955 Cadillac. A red Coupe DeVille. Paint and interior was weak but it was a real bodacious ride. Judy drove it to deliver her artwork.



We moved to Boise after 21 years, for my Army National Guard job. We hauled the trailer and drove a 20 foot U-haul with a 1971 VW Bug convertible I forgot to mention. Those were our daily drivers for the next year. Can’t find photo of the Bug.

In the spring of 2001 we bought the 1958 Cadillac Sedan DeVille. It had a rebuilt engine and original clear plastic covers over the seats. The ’55 was sold.



On September 12, 2001 the engine blew up. I light of what happened the day before in NYC we took it ok. We decided to replace it with a 5.7 L Vortec from a 1998 Tahoe that had about 18,000 miles on it. We backed it up with a 350 Turbo tranny. We drove the ’58 from 2002 to 2012 logging about additional 90,000 miles.




We bought a1974 VW bus for Judy’s art business but later sold it and bought a 1958 Oldsmobile 88. She likes V8s.



We sold the Olds because it was too hard to get paintings in the back seat of a four door post sedan. That is when we bought the yellow 1955 Coupe Deville. Now that was a trunk. It would hold a 10’ x10’ tent, two four foot tables, propane heater, chairs and boxes of cars. The back seat held all the art for shows.



Then we sold it when she quit doing art shows and bought the 1965 VW. Below are some before and after photos. We hauled the Bug behind a 26’ U-Haul when we moved to the Oregon coast last October. Judy pulled my 1900 Yamaha Roadliner on a trailer behind the Caddy.





Thanks for enduring all the narrative to this point. We arrived in Lincoln City with the two cars, two dogs and two cats. Our trusted mechanic did not move with us. The engine on the Cad was still running strong but at 64 years old, I had gotten tired of talking about cars. I did not do car shows (except with the Hudson truck) but every one talked about the one they used to own.
The seat was getting uncomfortable and we wanted more comfort. Heater quit working. Back window motors were weak, etc. So we decided to sell both cars and buy a 2005-2008 Dodge Magnum wagon. We figured the 5.7 Hemi would pull the ’22 ft Airstream ok.

We sold the Cadillac but could not sell the bug for enough. We needed about $18,000 for a V8 magnum with under 70,000 miles. I obsessed about the Red one I found for two months. I drove one at a dealership with too many miles but liked the comfort, style and power. But, when I measure the interior and rear opening I discovered it was only 39” wide. The painting I am working on is 48” x 60”. The Dodge was a “NO-GO”.
That is when we started looking for an alternative Long Roof car. That is it. We found our OCC with only 51,323 miles. We got it delivered on March 12, 2012. At this writing it has 53,xxx miles.
Here is the new to us 1992 Olds wagon as we saw the advertisement on ebay. It was a Texas car with two registered owners. I bought it from a collector/dealer in NC.



Pictures in Oregon of our LONGROOF Oldsmobile Custom Coastal Cruiser.








The car is perfect for us. I found a Class III hitch and had it installed. The dogs are getting used to the routine of being in the back. Over the years our dogs preferred big sedans. Then they could get in the driver’s seat when we parked.
The OCC has a tow pac with 3.23:1 limited slip rear end. The car is a bit bouncy for my taste. I will for sure install an Airlift 1000 kit for the rear. New shocks are in order I think too. I hope I did not bore you all to tears.

QUESTIONS? COMENTS WELCOME.

Awesome. Just awesome. I envy your automotive experience.

What a great story. My life is boring!!!!!

Tim,
I doubt your life is boring but I have taken many roads in old cars. I have broken down over 50 times. Maybe 100? Way before cell phones means hitch hike for help.

It would be great if I had them all now. Unfortunately I have had to get by and sell them to live and pay bills. I am fortunate that I made the decision in 1985 to go back in the military as a National Guardsman. It provided me with some stucture, oportunities, and now health care and pension from the Army.

I still work as a contractor for Department of Defense in a program called Yellow Ribbon Reintegration Program. I work from home and live where we vacationed for over thirty years.
The YRRP is helping our Reserve Components after their deployments get back to their lives. Some have a harder time than others.

I am getting my wiring to tow the Airstream installed this week and will add photos soon of the pair.
Dick

Opps. Sorry about the duplicate photos. Operator error!!

Dick,

Thank you for your service!

Looking forward to more pictures. I wish you were a little closer, it would be fun to chat.

Tim

Great story Dick. Nice cars. My favorites are the '58 Olds, '55 and '58 Caddys.

Now that's going to be a hard story to beat. My favorite is the Hudson pickup, never knew such an animal existed. I understand why you regret selling that.

Great tale, thanks!

Tom

Thanks for the opportunity Tom. I will add a few things over the month that I forgot or did not have photos scanned. Also I will have the OCC ready to pull the Airstream "Flying Cloud" soon.

BigBlackBeaSSt wrote:

Dick,

Thank you for your service!

Looking forward to more pictures. I wish you were a little closer, it would be fun to chat.

Tim

Thanks Tim. It was indeed an honor to serve. Your thanks is appreciated as it was not common when I returned from Vietnam. Thank every Veteran you meet, young and old. It may be their first Thank you. Last month I met a man who spent 7 years as a POW in North Vietnam. He was released in 1973 the same day as John McCain.

Dick Deam
Colonel (US Army, Retired)

What a tale!!!

you definitely are invited to the campfire, for story time,.
excellent,.

What has motivated you to shun newer vehicles??

Nick

BEST... POST...EVAR!!!

Wow, what a great story. The fact I drive 20 year old cars seems so weak now, lol.

Fantastic run of cars. Most of us have all sold the 'one' we shouldn't have, but then there is the adventure of the next one.

Fabulous looking 92 OCC, I love it.

Deffinately NOT a borring story!!

First off,thank you very much for your service to this great country.Coming to terms with vietnam will always be a challenge in your life.Your choice of transportation is truly unique and I am envious.Sounds like your wife is truly your soulmate and best friend as well.You need to keep a pen and paper close by to record these memories whenever they pop into your head and then share them with us as you see fit.There are 2 very talented artist in your family so please continue to show us all you have to offer.Thank you for finding this forum.
Jim

jayoldschool wrote:

BEST... POST...EVAR!!!

Yes!!!!

Awesome story and pics.. thank you for sharing this with us!!

Chris

phantom 309 wrote:

you definitely are invited to the campfire, for story time,.
excellent,.

What has motivated you to shun newer vehicles??

Nick

Nick,
There are new cars I would buy if money was not an issue. A Cadillac CTS-V comes to mind. I think what I paid for my OCC, I could not do better for my cash as a daily driver.

Money has usually been an issue. I did buy the Fiat Spyder new in Stutagart West Germany. I was stationed in Berlin and took the train to pick it up. I was a 2LT and was followed on the highway across East Germany (the only road American Service Members were allowed to travel) for 110 miles by a USSR scout vechicle. That was in 1970.

I also bought new 1972 VW super beetle in Colorado Springs. I rolled it one year later. 2 many Marquritas. That is when I owned the Model A. When I went to college after the Army the A was my only car.

When I was young my dad took the family down on my birthday, 15 OCT to see the new cars when they took the paper off the windows at the dealers. He was in the body and paint business until he died in 1961. He painted cars for movie stars and knew George Barris and his older brother Sam. Sam died young too.

In 1985 I started painting vintage cars in oil. Mostly 30s, 40s and 50s cars and trucks.
Later in the month I could post some if anyone is interested. They are all sold paintings so I am not trying to make any money.

Dick

Why wait to post those paintings?The sooner the better!
Jim

Jim,
I am watching Dancing with the Stars. Look for first installment tomorrow.
I have to post the images to photo bucket first then back to the forum. I need more concentration.
Dick

The collector/dealer in NC,. anyone we know??

Are you actively painting automobile portraits these days?

Do people commission you for a specific subject, or do you choose your own subject?

Nick

wow nice write up and dam that olds is saweeeeet

phantom 309 wrote:

The collector/dealer in NC,. anyone we know??

Are you actively painting automobile portraits these days?

Do people commission you for a specific subject, or do you choose your own subject?

Nick

Nick,
The guy I bought the OCC from is named Ken Jackson. I do not know if he is in the Forum or goes to events. He is from Stanley NC. He is a substitute high school teacher and sells vintage toy trains on eBay. He bought my car from a guy in Texas that he sold some other Olds to and used it for last summer and fall hauling packages to the P.O. He never registered it in NC; probably used Dealer Plates. The title was from Texas from the second owner.

I am painting now, but now full time. I have done several commissions in the past. Usually of restored cars. My favorites are deralicts in the field however. I am going to post some more photos of my work beginning today. I just move to the Oregon coast and no one seems to want to look at them in galleries. They want boats and costal stuff. I can paint anything but as a life long car guy the automobile have held my interest.

I am working as a contractor for Sec of Defense for Reserve Affairs right now but will retire in a year. Then I will have to disicipline myself and get more productive with my painting.
Dick

Flasheroo wrote:

Why wait to post those paintings?The sooner the better!
Jim

Jim,
As requested, here are some examples of my oil paintings. I will post more later too.

Pterodactyl '57 Desoto

Out in the Sticks '35 Ford

Super Eight '50 Buick

Red Riding Hood '56 Ford PU

Dick
1992 OCC

Dick,you have a gift and thats the only way I can describe it!I have a 91 OCC that I would love to
have a painting of.Just paint yours but with the light adriatic blue paint job!
Thank You for Posting these beautys!
Jim

Wow! Great story, great OCC & great paintings!

Superb paintings!

Thanks everyone. Here are a few more.

The Champion aks Coulda Been a Contender (Oil 36"x48")

M3A1 Armored Scout Car White Motor Car Company 1943(Oil 36"x48")
Jimmy 1938 GMC(Oil 36"x48")

Ask the Man Who Owned One 1952 Packard (Oil 36"x48")

Dick

OPPS Here is the M3A1

Having trouble with this picture.

Wow. I really can't say much else... just... wow.

Great story and really great paintings! I hope you're selling them somewhere!

Thanks Mike. I have only posted sold paintings I am happy to say. I began selling them years ago at $1,500 and most recently $3,500.

I will post more for the fun of it if Y'all want.
Dick

Please do!

Those look amazing.

Purple Sage 1925 International

Red's Tire and Battery

Fantastic work, those are beautiful

Simply amazing!
Jim

My favorite is the Hudson pickup...I love those things!!!

Great story, great cars, great paintings!
Thanks for sharing and for your service, Dick.

Thanks for the rest of the story.

It's always interesting to hear about the how and where people come from.

Fellow GM Longroofers. I post these pictures in an attempt to get aquianted. I am new to the forum and many of you have known each other for a while. As you see from my LROM story, prematurely released before May 1st, I am a lifetime, die hard car nut.
While new to the forum, I am not new to the love of all kinds of automobiles. I hope one day to make it back east with our OCC and Flying Cloud.

Below is a photo of a whizzer I restored about 1975. Below that is my first pedal car and my dad's Harley. Below that is a photo of me and my wife, Judy on a ride last summer. The bike is a 2006 Yamaha Roadmaster, 1854 cc.

We are looking forward to some consistantly dry weather on the coast this summer.




Another old truck painting Rural Fire Protection 1947 Ford

I thought you may want to see that for some strange reason my hair changed color from the earlier photos.

COL

The next four paintings are something other than old rusty cars and trucks.

Historic HOT ROD was a 36" x 48" painting of the first Hot Rod Magazine published in January 1948. The Original was a black and white photo by Robert Petersen, who started Hot Rod Mag. I spoke with the driver on the cover Ed Hulse who gave me the color details.

I got permission from Petersen to make limited edition prints if he could get the number one print. I got a half page article in HRM when I presented him the first Artist Proof.


Dan's Dicey Deuce was a comission painting for a friend's husband for Christmas. 1932 Ford of course.


"Flying A" a clasicc Model A body on Deuce rails, 32 rad shell



Another classic.

I'm late to saying this, but man, you've got some talent in painting and a great taste in cars.

COL wrote:

The Champion aks Coulda Been a Contender (Oil 36"x48")

I've got to imagine painting those headlights is not easy, and man, you made it look like the real thing.

Don't worry about boring us, we love pictures, and reading these stories is fun to a lot of us.

~Jeff

Subject: Re: MAY 2012 Long Roof Today at 3:34

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I'm late to saying this, but man, you've got some talent in painting and a great taste in cars.

COL wrote:

The Champion aks Coulda Been a Contender (Oil 36"x48")



I've got to imagine painting those headlights is not easy, and man, you made it look like the real thing.

Don't worry about boring us, we love pictures, and reading these stories is fun to a lot of us.

~Jeff

Ok...You talked me into it. Here are more paintings.
"Cockeyed Dodge"(Oil 36"x48")
(Oil 36"x48")
"Retired" 1936 Chevrolet truck(Oil 36"x48")

"Roadmaster"(Oil 36"x48")

"Summer Showers" I drove my friend Steve's 1937 Ford down in this meadow to photograph because of the lupines. I got stuck trying to get up to the hyway when it started to rain, in August. I walked up to my house to get a tow rope and flaged down someone to help get me out. The next week I laid out the painting. By the way each painting takes from 80 to 120 hours, start to finish.


"Cool DeVille" This 1954 Cadillac Sedan deVille was parked in a carport just down the alley. I have photographed cars everywhere in the west we have traveled for future paintings.

Nice stuff,.

So,. you being the true life style artist etc,.
got any paintings of hot nude women??
huh?? nudge nudge wink wink,. know what i mean??

Nick

i do know what you mean,. nick,.wink. this body is kinda sexy,. don,cha think??

Nah,. its got a flat arse,.

The gifted new Lincoln City resident has truly brought some great and unique talent to this place.

It's hard to choose a favorite from all of those great, "man art" paintings.

That Flying A is topping my chart. Wicked!

I like the snow covered roadmaster. It looks like it's teeth are chattering!!!