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The Great Gatsby


Bruce Nunnally

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The Duke SS-100 received an invitation to be part of a costume for a Great Gatsby Party. Unfortunately it would involve a 20 min drive up the expressway for a 1hour appearance, and I reluctantly declined.

F Scott Fitzgerald placed the events of his novel in 1922, based on similar parties he had attended. The character of Gatsby loved all things English, and although the novel does not state, conventional guesses are he would have driven a 1922 Rolls Royce Silver Ghost, in a cream or yellow tint. The characters in the book descibe it differently, as people might do. Redford drove a 1928 RR Phaetom in the 1974 movie, so close if anachronistic. The latest remake features a 1929 Dusenberg Model J, so wrong on two counts if right in spirit.

When compared to the 22 RR Silver Ghost the Duke does appear from later in the same era, but the SS100 was a more low slung sports car in my eye.

The Duke appears to have a run down battery so I will pickup a new one and have ordered a battery tender for next long sit.

Bruce

2023 Cadillac CT4-V Blackwing

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I'm leary about those battery tenders - especially the ones from China Freight - I mean Harbor Freight... So many bad reviews of them boiling the electrolyte out of the battery (ruining it along with the mounting tray) or something internal to the tender shorting out and draining the battery. I often wonder if the more expensive ones are just as lousy?

I just disconnect the negative battery cable and charge up the battery once per month.

Kevin
'93 Fleetwood Brougham
'05 Deville
'04 Deville
2013 Silverado Z71

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I dug out my schauer 10 amp battery charger in the mean time and am charging the battery out of the Duke now. The battery tender I ordered was this one so we'll see: http://www.amazon.com/Battery-Tender-021-0156-Charger-Model/dp/B000NCOKQK

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Bruce

2023 Cadillac CT4-V Blackwing

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Bruce that battery tender gets good reports on the xlr forum!

Oh good then. I charged the Duke battery for a few hours and it turned over but too late to fiddle with tonight. Good it was just a battery charge issue.

Bruce

2023 Cadillac CT4-V Blackwing

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Almost warm enough to get the Roadster out. Got it out and around the block tonight to start getting ready for warm weather.

Left the battery tender overnight and it went green by this morning, so the battery is 'saved' after being drained over the winter.

Bruce

2023 Cadillac CT4-V Blackwing

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Got the Duke out this afternoon and around the block. It likes to be driven, and does progressively better as it gets driven more.

Bruce

2023 Cadillac CT4-V Blackwing

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  • 2 weeks later...

Yes, the old cars do need to be driven once in a while. I was fortunate to be able to drive my Jag around quite a bit during our time at home in November and December. It's buttoned up tight in our garage now awaiting our return in May, and good thing considering all the snow the Denver area is getting. In the mean time, I have been following the Chevette activity on the Facebook group and am somewhat intrigued by the mods folks are doing to their Chevettes (which is the donor for my Duke). The most interesting is putting in a later GM Ecotec fwd engine with 5-speed rwd tranny and a more conventional and heavier duty rear axle. But all that would be a few $ more than the carburetor I need. Other than that, I feel pretty confident to drive my Jag anywhere reasonable. I have driven it across town on I-25 and C-470, but much over 65 mph feels a bit much, and being between 18-wheelers at that speed is kind of sobering. The best is running up and down canyon roads in the mountains.

I wasn't sure if you still had your Duke Bruce, but glad to see it still goes for you.

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Top up motoring when the temps drop below 40F. I hadn't had the top on in months since the Duke SS-100 doesn't normally go out in cold or weather. But i wanted to get it out and warm it up a bit and I was promised warm weather today, so I kept my Sunday plans even though the weather forecast didn't deliver.

Bruce

2023 Cadillac CT4-V Blackwing

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