John Cola

My father's 41 Olds Phaeton will be worked on this Summer and be out on the road in 2022. I'm looking forward to Old Westbury Gardens and The Garden City Easter Parade..

I guess they had a class for a Straight 8 with a Hydramatic. Was there a passenger?

My father was NAOC member #6, I think. Started by Hank Pickney and his brother in CT. I remember the first meeting at their house. 1971-ish?? Bob Hellstrom from CT was there. Guys like Al Sandy, Don Spieldenner, Russ Yoder...we always had someone from out of state visit the house for dinner as they passed through NY. Spieldenner had a big trailer with his and his wife's name on it. Mike Fusick and my father got along great. I think my Dad would send him parts to use as a mold to reproduce, and give him a few free for doing it. Dad got me a 62 Starfire HT for my first car in 1978. 2 years later he got my brother a 62 Starfire Conv. Then he got another Conv and gave it to my brother and I got the first conv. Then he bought Tommy a 71 442 Convertible that he beat the hell out of. Hey, it was 1981.

This is the car on Merrick Rd in the lot!!!!!! We passed by it several times a week. He thought it was too far gone to restore (you should have seen the basket cases he restored years later!). My dad had a few 1941's at the time and told his friend Bob Hellstrom about it. Bob bought it, took it to CT, and did some work to it. I don't know what condition it was in when he sold it to Jim Harnsant in Michigan. He had it for many years. I believe he worked for Oldsmobile. That car was recently put up for sale. Dusty Gray with a red interior, Tan top. I still have my father's 1941 Phaeton which is Dusty Grey, red interior with a Gray top. It's in Amityville. You may remember my father, Carlo Cola, from the AACA. We did the Garden City Easter Parade every year, many shows at Salisbury/Eisenhower Park.

Don and his wife Sarah were Olds people all the way! They became friends of my parents.