A red convertible he couldn't get off his mind

Vintage Oldsmobiles were out in force earlier this month and the place to catch them all was at the Marriott Resort in Lincolnshire, site of the Quad States Car Show.

This Olds festival featured vehicles from four different chapters of the Oldsmobile Club of America, coming from four different states: Illinois, Minnesota, Iowa and Wisconsin. More than 100 gleaming vehicles were on hand and of particular note were the scores of 442s displayed.

The show celebrated the 50th anniversary of this muscle-bound model, and one longtime admirer is Mike Klumb. The West Bend, Wisconsin, resident inherited his love of Oldsmobiles from his father, a 30-year mechanic for the GM brand.

“I can still hear him say, 'There's no finer car than an Olds,' ” Klumb said. He took those echoing words to heart and as a high school student purchased a red 1965 442 coupe.

“Dad found the vehicle at the Oldsmobile dealership he was working at,” Klumb said. After graduating in 1968, the lead-foot youngster swung by the showroom to check out the latest — and even more potent — 442s. “I really wanted a new red convertible. I just couldn't afford the insurance.”

That burning desire was temporally put on hold until, nearly 40 years later, he came across this 1969 drop top in 2004. It belonged to the husband of his wife's niece, and he had driven it during his high school years.

“It lost oil pressure and he pulled the engine out right before he went to (serve in) Desert Storm,” Klumb said. After sitting for about 10 years, “His dad was tired of storing the engine in his garage and, with several young kids at home, he needed the money.”

While Klumb had the makings for his dream machine, he faced quite an upward battle getting it back on the road. “The car was a total mess. At one point it had been wrecked; the whole right side had been replaced. I began to wonder if I could ever get it right.”

But, the determined enthusiast stuck with it, and with the aid of his spouse, a grandson, a brother and a friend, he performed a seven-year restoration. The rusty original frame was swapped for one from an Arizona junkyard. New floor pans and rear quarter panels were welded in. A total transformation occurred on the interior, too. New carpet was installed and the dash was painted.

Klumb and his wife, Renee, recovered the seats, converting the once black upholstery to red. The powertrain was reworked and, to make the muscle-machine more drivable, Klumb installed power brakes and cruise control.

In the few years since his Crimson Red ride has been completed, he's driven it to such places as Des Moines, Iowa, and downstate Springfield.

“I had to wait awhile for my red convertible 442,” Klumb said, “but all told, it was totally worth it.”