Two years ago.....

[electra225]

....today, my friend and mentor, Art Wright, passed away from complications of lung cancer. Art named my auto restoration shop, and I took a part of that name and incorporated it into the name for this forum. I miss ol' Art. He could be hard-headed and was pretty much a "my way or the highway" type, but he taught me a lot and was a valued friend. Not a day goes by when I don't remember or think of something he would say. Some of his famous sayings:

"If a UAW worker can build it, I can fix it".

"This ain't Mooch Motors".

"Don't be afraid".

"Anybody can do the first 95%. It's the last 5% that they overlook that makes the difference between an okay restoration and an award-winning restoration".

"Put some of yourself into the project". "Use your imagination".

"If you can't lay ten grand on my desk, you are too weak in the knees to restore a car".

"Figure what a restoration will cost, double that, then add $1000. That will get you pretty close".

Like I mentioned at Art's memorial, God drives a '57 Roadmaster convertible, Garnet Red over Raven Black with Kelsey-Hayes wires. It needed some attention, so he called the best man for the job. Rest in peace, Art....

[William]

Refresh my memory, Greg. Did I meet Art?

Bill

[electra225]

You did. He was just finishing Rich's 1963 Bonne station wagon you like so well. He was all wadded up under the dash of a '56 Olds convertible when we pulled up to his shop. When I met Art, he wouldn't touch anything but a Cadillac or a Buick. He finally ended up doing all GM except Chevy, plus Packard. Don't even stop if you had a Ford or a Chrysler. He felt like there was no challenge in restoring a Chevy, since you could buy a new Chevy in parts. "Another credit card restoration" was his saying about many redone Chevys. Art liked digging thru a junkyard and tinkering with the parts to make them work. He would sit at his desk and repair a clock out of a car that had been in a junkyard for 40 years.

[Firedome]

Sorry your friend has passed, cherish those memories. That's a beautiful '55, any more pics of it? one of my favorite years for Buick.

[electra225]

I have pics of that '55 around here somewhere. I have tens of thousands of car pictures on two hard drives. I'll have to look. I had the engine out of that car three times. There is a story to that.....

That car is dark blue over white with blue and white leather interior and a black top. Art wanted a white top, the owner would have none of it. It rode the Art Wright signature Kelsey-Hayes wire wheels "KH wires" with maypops. No middle-1950's Buick left Art's restoration shop without KH wires on it.

KH wires were not technically correct, nor were they factory options on Buick past the 1956 models. Art found reference to the wheels in correlation to the new-for-1957 aluminum brake drums, again mentioned in 1958 and even 1959. So he put wire wheels on nearly every Buick of that vintage that he restored. He had a similar requirement for Cadillacs. It broke Art's heart to have to pound hubcaps on a Buick or Cadillac. He didn't like working with low-optioned cars. We would search on each prospect for options. I had a guy who worked with me who was a genius at getting power windows and power seat regulators to work. Art would even put air conditioning on cars that could have air. Buick started offering air conditioning in convertibles in 1956.

[TC Chris]

It's always nice to remember influential people by name and by their lessons for us.

Chris Campbell

[walyfd]

I remember Bernie Boback from my area. He was a shop teacher and worked at a GM dealer in Wilkes-Barre. He had a 56 century sedan in blue and gray and took it EVERYWHERE. He liked parking next to my 57 cdv to show the difference and similarly between the 2 divisions and the change GM started in 57. He was such a gentleman. Class all the way.

I'm working more on my 62 Fleetwood and lost a friend a couple years back who had the same car and love of the car. How I wish he were around to talk to...

Cars are so much more when you share a passion and appreciation. Sadly, we're losing these people who knew them new and were "hooked" when they were young.

I remember my dad telling me " please don't buy a 59 cadillac. They were ugly new."

[electra225]

Art restored one of those fancy '59 Cadillacs with the Pinafarina(sp?) bodies. Eldorado Brougham, I think it was. A four door hardtop with the little quarter windows that slid back into the C pillar. The rear end was styled similarly to the production 1960 Cadillacs. The rear fins on it weren't as high as the regular '59 Cadillacs. That car almost got his goat. Swore he'd never do another one, particularly one that had been in a junkyard for 40 years. There was a little piece of model-specific trim that he had to have recreated. That took almost a year to get it done. It was quite the car when it was done. Kind of a light grayish green color, very subtle, very elegant. There were no options on those cars if I understood him correctly.

When Art died, Buick restoration around here came to a screeching halt. You can't even get one worked on. I have no idea what we are going to do as far as GM restoration, outside of Chevy and Pontiac muscle cars, since he passed. If I was ten years younger, I'd open my shop back up. I'm almost positive I could stay busy. I know several guys with non-muscle-car GM cars that are having trouble getting them worked on. All the shops around here want to work on muscle cars, or trash the carburetor and put on Holly fuel injection. I don't want that stuff on my old Buick. You are right, the older guys are all going. LS6's are replacing nailheads at a dizzying rate.

https://www.hagerty.com/media/opinion/k ... one-of-99/

[walyfd]

There were only, on average, 100 Eldorado Broughams in 1959 and 1960. One year was 99, the other 101 and the difference basically was the grille and one car had a lighted fin and the other didn't. There were no options as the car was fully loaded, however, the goodies were far less tan the original Detroit cars...

The 59/60 cars were shipped to Italy for bodies, shipped back and Fleetwood had to rework the lead in the bodies. It was a ridiculous waste of time and money...

Anyway... even this reminds me of conversations with friends I met when they were my age now and I hung on almost every word they said about cars. Dunno what happened but I blinked and now I'm the old man with the 91 that I could have bought new at 23 years old. Is a 91 an old car? Well, in 1991 a 32 year old car was a 59.

But I also remember that other drivers respected an old car. Today, they try to race or push you off the road...

[electra225]

I've noticed that as well. Those big trucks with big tires that throw rocks are the worst. They drive them like they stole it. I find a hole, stay in it, leave myself plenty of room and let 'em go and act stupid. I drive like I'm driving a loaded dump truck. I know I can't stop as quickly as a little car with four-wheel disc brakes. I'll admit I also get lots of thumbs up and polite and positive comments. I stay out of rush hour traffic as well.

[TC Chris]

Here in the midwest we are more polite, I guess. I get lots of thumbs-up and big smiles and waves, and no bad behavior. The '60 Rambler American station wagon made people smile. And when an old car has a problem, people always stop to help.

Chris Campbell

[William]

Thanks, Greg, I remembered correctly that the Bonneville was Art. I loved that car, it was gorgeous.

I agree, Chris, here in Michigan people seem to appreciate classic cars a lot, even the younger generation. A 1960 Nash Metropolitan gets lots of looks, thumbs up, and the question, "what is it".

Bill

[Firedome]

Actually there are folks in the Phoenix area that do restore and work on classics, I'd be surprised if you weren't aware of Bo Malefors at:
copperstateclassics.com

I've known Bo since the '80s, being that his 1st love is ForwardLook cars, as is mine. He particularly loves any late '50s hemi 331/354/392 Mopars. I came close several times to buying a '57 Dodge like my Grampa's from him. Bo moved from Sweden to AZ in the early '80s and was one of the first who started exporting vintage US cars out of AZ junkyards to Europe, Cadillacs being the most numerous probably.

The Swedes are probably the most active vintage US car enthusiasts in the world, and their "Big Power Meet" in Vaster Sweden is the biggest US car show in the world, truly mind blowing in scale. They drive their cars too they don't tend to have show queens there. Bo is a good guy and expert at what he does and he's restored many GM cars, some in unbelievably horrible state, particularly '50s Cads, also some Olds and Buicks. He loves them all. You can see a few under "Past Restorations" on the website.

He's a "no BS" kind of guy and isn't interested in Pebble Beach level of work as a general rule but does do things correctly and can do whatever customers require and can afford. With the cost of restorations nowadays not many can afford that quality. I used to live near Al Prueitt and sons in PA who did many Pebble Beach cars, including a Duesenberg Town Car Al showed me that had brocade seats with cloth custom loomed in Belgium that cost $1000 a yard (this was in 1988!) It's no wonder the "patina" look is in now, few can afford a total restoration. Having just done a complete engine re-build and repaint on my already rust-free '69, I can certainly vouch for the "ouch".
A stop at Bo's will be mandatory on our next visit to AZ, we haven't been there for a very long time.

[electra225]

I know Bo. My understanding is that he is not doing cars anymore, but I don't know that.

[Dr. Radio]

Sorry to hear of your friend Greg.

He'll live on with the words of wisdom he gave you and others.