Frank Nicodemus, Jr. – (NY-CT Two Rivers Cadillac & LaSalle Club Region)

The Director of the 1959 & 1960 Cadillac Chapter, Frank’s been around classic Cadillacs since he could push a broom. A Lifetime CLC member, Frank volunteers to serve as a Judge for Grand National Meets and was recently elected to serve on the Clubs Board of Directors. He’s pictured here in his 1959 S62 convertible with his nephew Alexander and owns several 1959 & 1960 Cadillacs.

Joe O’Connell (Connecticut)

I joined CLC about 15 years ago and, for my wife and I, it’s our favorite car club. The reason for this is simple: while the cars are great it’s really about the people. We’ve made wonderful friends and we wish every Grand National could be close to home. I started my very modest collection with American Classics and my first collector car was a ’76 Eldorado convertible. I learned a lot about Cadillacs while bringing this car up to show level and several other Cadillacs have followed me home over the years including an 85 Brougham Coupe, a ’90 Fleetwood Brougham and even a deVille Protection Series car. I currently have a ’60 Eldorado Convertible in Lucerne Blue that has literally every option available for an Eldorado convertible in 1960 including bucket seats, A/C, and Guide-Matic. I’ve been working on this car literally for over a decade and it’s a great example of how a restoration is never truly completed. Along the way it’s won the James Milton Memorial Cup in 1993 (prior to my ownership), Best Cadillac at the 2014 Greenwich Concours d’Elegance, First in Class at the New England Concours d’Elegance and Best American Car at the Scarsdale Concours d’Elegance. It’s also been featured on the covers of Antique Automobile and Old Cars Weekly. I’m hoping that my 59-60 colleagues can help guide me with some of the finer details as I continue to restore this car. As we know the Authenticity Manual is one of the most detailed Manuals in CLC and it was an honor to help review an early draft of this. I’m still looking for that Holy Grail NOS 3 way rear-view mirror.

Jim Jordan – (Oklahoma) I have been a CLC member since 1986, when I attended my first Grand National and am a newly elected board member. I’m a past director of the now closed Cadil-Ikes Chapter and own 14 Cadillacs from a 1955 Series 62 Sedan to a 2002 Eldorado Collectors Series. I also have a few Buicks and Oldsmobiles. I’ve been employed in the limousine/livery industry for over 25 years. I have had 3 1959s, a Brenton Blue 4 window Series 62 Sedan, an Ebony 4 window Sedan de Ville and Rose, my current 1959 Fleetwood Sixty Special in Persian Sand. In addition, I have a 1960 Inverness Green 6 window Sedan de Ville. If you’re in the Oklahoma City area and need limo/livery services, reach out to Jim at Kings Worldwide Transportation

Ken Furrer – (New Jersey)

I have always loved Cadillacs my grandfather and my father owned several.  In 1981, my grandmother gave me my grandfather’s like-new 35,000 mi. 1960 Sedan Deville. Shortly after I started looking for a 1960 convertible. Most that I looked at needed more work than I was capable of doing or were poorly restored. Then, a friend heard about one, and it was just what I was looking for. I didn’t like the color but the car was in decent condition.

I bought it in September of 1982, did the body work myself and a friend painted it for me. I’ve had it almost 42 years now and have grown to love the color.

Marty Smith (Utah)
I have been a member of the CLC since 2005. I joined after purchasing my first Cadillac, a 1955 Coupe DeVille from the late John Washburn. After spending a short time with him at his compound in Colorado and viewing his beautiful collection as well as closing the deal on the 55, I returned home hooked on Cadillacs. I now own 9, which include, a 1959 Fleetwood, 1960 Series 62 Coupe and a 1960 Sedan Deville 4 window (Flattop).

    I purchased the 59 Fleetwood from another club member here in SLC in 2015. I have made a few improvements over the years, restoring the AC and I currently have the front bumper being re-chromed.

   Much to my chagrin I had to join “Facebook” to contact the seller of my 1960 Coupe, I had been searching for a nice example in Persian Sand for quite some time and found mine listed in Oklahoma City. I bought the car sight unseen after speaking with the owner at length and learning that between he and his father they had owned the car for 40 years. He had the car repainted in 2014 and it still looks great. I installed new carpet, package tray, dash cap and door seals. I had the seats reupholstered in the correct Persian Sand Cloth and Vinyl. To finish the car, I had the bumpers re-chromed last year.

   I found my 60 Flattop in 2016 in the town of Lehi Utah (made famous in the movie Footloose). It had been bought new and was owned by a farmer, it was stored in a garage and hadn’t been driven or started in over 25 years. It had the usual rust in the lower fenders and looked like someone had driven over a boulder, but the chrome and trim looked great and was all there. The interior was extremely dirty but in decent shape. I had patch panels welded in and the car painted in its original “Palomino” but added the darker roof. I refurbished the AC and had the seats reupholstered in the Fawn Chadwick cloth.

I spent my 20’s as a mechanic and the last 30 plus years as a machinist, this of course comes in handy when taking care of the upkeep on these cars, between that and cruise nights and weekend car shows I stay pretty busy.

Rick Jablonski (Ohio)
I purchased my 1960 Flat Top in 2012 from a dealer in Long Island NY. I had seen it on the internet and found that it was headed to Florida for the Mecum Auction, the title was already there. I asked the dealer to hold it and my wife and I flew out to NY to see and inspect the car. Although it was a little rough on the inside and had some flaws mechanically, the paint had recently been done, the body was straight and solid, and the chrome and stainless were respectable. 1960 is my birth year and after owning a 1965 CDV for 19 years it was time for a change. The decision was easy; buy it and ship it home to Ohio for some TLC where I soon had the mechanicals fixed and the interior re-done.

There have been other tweaks over the last 12 years, radial tires, aluminum exhaust, a back-up electric fuel pump to deal with the nasty vapor lock issues and most recently an extensive detailing of the paint, chrome, and windows.

The car turns heads wherever I go and has won two second place awards at two previous Grand Nationals; Louisville and Chicago. It handles the open road well and enjoys a lot of gasoline. We are looking forward to driving it to Gettysburg in a few weeks.

Dave Martin (Michigan)
I developed a love (obsession?) for ’59 Cadillacs at an early age. My grandfather died in 1961, and he was placed in a ’59 hearse during his funeral in Grand Rapids. One of my earliest memories is a 5-year-old me mesmerized by fins and taillights taller than me (or so they surely seemed). I would own such an amazing car one day!

After graduating college and buying a house in Columbus Ohio (with a barely-large-enough garage), the search was on. I found my car in the local want ads, and had to take out a loan to obtain the $2500 asking price; the year was 1980. and I am the third owner. I knew little about evaluating old cars, but I could tell it was a complete and original car, and despite typical Midwestern rust and worn interior seating surfaces, it would be “an easy restore”.

After moving back to Michigan and having a few nickels to rub together, it was time to start restoration. I stripped the car down at home and it was trailered to a restoration shop. The nightmares during that 2.5 year “easy restore” include the police finding my transmission intact in a scrap yard after the storage barn at the transmission shop was looted. The thieves wanted aluminum, but the housing on a ’59 is cast iron, otherwise it would have been destroyed! Knowing it was a special transmission, the police called around and I was thankfully reunited with the Hydramatic. There are enough restoration fiascoes to fill a book, but I will spare you!

The restoration was finally finished in 1988,

I have made nearly every Harvey Cadillac Show (25 or more), once arriving about 2 hours after my windshield had been blown back into my face, in an accident that would have surely decapitated me in a lesser automobile. Again, I will spare you……

Other than that, I personally rebuilt the engine and many other mechanical needs, vigilantly protecting originality, except for the ’68 Cadillac dual master cylinder. The interior is totally factory untouched except for new old stock fabric on the seating surfaces and the carpet (oh, and the windshield…). The chrome has not been touched except for polishing, and the factory-style lacquer re-paint is the original color of Breton Blue; a one-year-only and rare option. I prefer informal cruise-ins such as Wednesday evenings at Gilmore Museum 35 miles from my house, and love to have young people happen upon the towering fins unexpectedly and watch their eyes light up. I’m not a “don’t touch” guy, and I invite admirers to open the doors and pose for photos inside. I created a business card that details many of the car’s stats and history to hand out, which helps folks to feel even more connected.

I enjoy my rolling history lesson that may someday result in a young person having a lifelong memory of tailfins that are taller than themselves. It is my privilege to be caretaker of this gem for 40+ years and counting, and appreciate all other caretakers of our motoring heritage.

Brett Baird (UT)
I joined the Cadillac & LaSalle club in 1971 when I got my driver’s license and began driving my dad’s 1941 Cadillac 60S that I still own.  While the ‘41 has very special meaning for me, I have always loved the 1959 Cadillacs.  While still a senior in high school I came across a one owner ’59 Series 6029 Fleetwood 60 Special, and purchased it for use as a daily driver.  At some point I made the mistake of selling that beautiful car, and suffered with sellers’ remorse for over 30 years.

14 years ago, a friend and fellow CLC member who was aware of my love for 59’s and of my regrets for selling my Fleetwood informed me about a series 6339 Sedan De Ville that another local CLC member was selling.  The only cure for sellers’ remorse is to replace the item you shouldn’t have sold, right?  Fortunately for me, my wife instructed me, “You’ve wanted one of those since I met you, I think you should buy it”.  I assure you that I have never had buyer’s remorse for the purchase, not once.

My  ’59 is not a concours show car, but it’s a pretty nice ’59 that draws a lot of attention wherever I drive it.  It’s also my own personal time machine that makes me very happy each time I get behind the wheel.

Recently I was asked to bring my ’59 to an invitation only car show for an event at my alma matter.  After the show I drove through the public park that I frequented while growing up.   Although the park has changed over the years, I staged my “flat top” in nearly the same position as I had photographed my Fleetwood some 52 years ago and snapped a photo.