Hello, I am Christopher Paul and quite simply I love Oldsmobiles. They were brought into my family and thus into a special place in my soul. The first car I owned was a blue 1968 Cutlass Supreme. I learned to drive at about seven and my Grandfather Paul had found me a red 1969 Cutlass S Convertible in 1979, at the ripe age of ten. My oldest brother had several Olds: a 1970 442 W-30 coupe, a 1969 442 Hurst/Olds coupe #128 and the blue 1968 Cutlass Supreme.
When I was young I was mechanically inclined and took every toy I had apart. I was interested in what made things work: from the Slinky & Merlins to Rubik’s Cube. This followed through at age 16, when I got that first ’68 Olds Cutlass with 156,000 miles and things were aging a bit. In order to keep it running, get to high school, the Texaco gas station where I worked and put gas in that super economy car meant learning how to make repairs. This was everything from carburetors to ignition systems, ball joints, bushings, windshields, door locks, air duct venting, dash repair, starters, solenoids, belts, hoses, shocks, exhaust, you name it. Oh yes, including the electrical ghosts and goblins. My oldest brother, being a Professional Electrical Engineer, stepped in to show me a methodology to the madness and the correct way to solve problems.
After getting my Mechanical Engineering degree, I went to work as a Product Engineer for AMP Inc. (now Tyco Electronics, Inc.). They are a Tier 2 supplier of automotive electrical connectors to the automakers GM, Ford, Chrysler, Toyota and Nissan, etc. I was responsible for controlling selected connectors being designed, manufactured and shipped around the world. I also worked as a Development Engineer and spent approximately 12 years with the company. I traveled often to OEM Assembly plants where new cars were being produced. Some of this time was spent solving on-line assembly issues. I gained more knowledge working with experienced Senior AMP Engineers, the Automotive OEM and Engineering Staff. We worked to get products designed correctly, priced reasonably and most importantly, dependable and reliable.
I had an ambition tugging strongly at me that started when I was young. In 1984, that red ’69 Cutlass S Convertible was severely damaged in a home garage fire. The entire paint, tires, interior, top and engine bay were destroyed. A decision was needed, crush the car or rebuild? With only 32,000 original miles on the car I could not bear sending her to the boneyard. So with my father’s helping wallet, some of my money, my skills, many boneyard trips and much labor of love, she was stripped and reborn by 1988. I used my time outside of school and work fixing her. That fall, she got her first trophy of Sponsor’s Choice in a local car show.
In 1999 I started a second level of restoration on her and did so in phases. Again, working nights and weekends. Since then she has had many things done to her to make her like new again, garnering 31 trophies (mostly AACA). Her latest crown of First Place Junior from the Grand National AACA in Dover, DE., June 2006.
ROAR was born! I wanted to offer my abilities and services to repair and restore Oldsmobiles to others who might not have the time or physical place to do it themselves, but just as much love and passion for their Oldsmobile. Over time I have amassed original Factory Shop Service Manuals from 1964-72 and GM Assembly Line Manuals from 1965-72. I have learned much more about the subtleties regarding the workings of the Olds A-body vehicle.
My education, automotive experience and corporate training have shown and taught me the right way to solve problems. In the quest to find that root cause, using fish-bone diagrams, the five-why’s, root cause analysis steps and getting down to where a real solution can be devised and put in place.
That's what ROAR is all about: getting your Olds repaired, doctored up and ready for the road, for your driving pleasure! Contact us at ROAR!
