The '55 Oldsmobile with its pillarless side windows. Pictures / Jacqui Madelin
The '55 Oldsmobile with its pillarless side windows. Pictures / Jacqui Madelin
This '55 Oldsmobile is an everyday working car, writes Jacqui Madelin
Unlike most classic car owners I meet, Malcolm Bayley doesn't have a new vehicle that he uses during the week.
His work vehicle is a 1981 Toyota Landcruiser first owned from new by his dad, his bikes are all pre-1987 and include a 1952 Harley-Davidson Panhead, a 1987 Suzuki Cavalcade Tourer he tows a trailer with, and a recently-purchased 1965 Panhead Harley.
"Never leave a man alone in an office with a credit card and eBay," he jokes.
But his everyday car is this 1955 Oldsmobile, powered by the famous 5.3-litre "Rocket" V8.
The engine's long life began in 1949, and when it bowed out in 1990, it was the last carburetted V8 passenger engine in production.
It's an eye-catching car, with its two-tone scheme and the open glasshouse imparted by the B-pillarless design, which brought with it the model tag, "Holiday".
Malcolm's had it nine years now, following the 1964 Ford F100 he had for 17 years before that.
"I don't like new, I like the classic body styling, they've got character to them. I can fix that on the side of the road, I can rebuild the motor, but these modern things leave me for dead."
He'd sold his Ford and thought he could manage without a classic.
"That lasted about a week," he says.
He claims he wasn't interested in the car when he first heard about it.
"I wanted a two-door coupe and it's a four-door hardtop, the first year they made them, but then I saw it at Pukekohe swap meet, and that's how we ended up with it."
Malcolm Bayley and his 1955 Oldsmobile - not quite the two-door coupe he was originally looking for. Pictures / Jacqui Madelin
Malcolm's done a bit of work on it, springs and steering.
"I replaced the bushes, all the steering and knuckles, they're all new. And stuff you can't see."
He also painted it, replacing the original, paler Bermuda Blue with a 1971 Ford colour.
"The paint, tyres and wipers aren't original, and there's a new alternator in it. Everything else I've fixed up, but kept it as original."
Malcolm's been to the Beach Hop in the car, though he may go to this year's event - at Whangamata from March 25 to 30 - on the Harley.
The '55 Oldsmobile with its pillarless side windows. Pictures / Jacqui Madelin
"And though the Landcruiser's for work I'll use the Oldsmobile when it's off the road, chuck all my tools in and use that as well. It's not unusual to find a couple of 20-litre drums of diesel in the boot, and builder levels. And I had a knee replacement last year and the Landcruiser's manual, so the Olds got used for three months."
It's an auto - three-speed plus overdrive - with electric windows and seat adjust, an electric aerial, power brakes and steering, though no radio. And the cabin's pretty tidy, except for the missing door liners.
The front seat's worn out, though the back seat's like new."
It's certainly easy to drive, that big steering wheel effortless, though it does tend to understeer - "I forgot about that," says Malcolm, now so used to adjusting his driving to suit.
The '55 Oldsmobile with its pillarless side windows. Pictures / Jacqui Madelin
The suspension's plush but unexpectedly well controlled - clearly Malcolm knew what he was doing - and I can see why he likes it. It's awash with character yet easy to live with, and imparts an olde-worlde charm to even an ordinary errand.
Then there's the engaging way the nose lifts when you put your foot down.
"It's absolutely smooth, just quietly picks up speed and cruises at 100km/h easily."
"A guy in Tauranga brought it in, put the seatbelts in and got a VIN. I'm the third owner here."
I was startled to hear he's selling the Cavalcade and most likely the Olds in preparation for a trip down America's fabled Route 66 with his wife. To fund their tour? Errr ... "When I'm there I'll be looking for a '32 or '34 Ford pickup, but you never know until you own it what you're going to buy."
Malcolm says he's often collared by greenies about the cost of fuel.
"But it's 59 years old, that'd normally be, what, five cars built, bought, driven and melted down? The extra resources that would require would far outweigh the fuel this car uses, so I reckon I should actually get some carbon credits and probably a little handshake from the Government for helping us meet emission targets."
