1941 Cadillac Series 62 Convertible, Dave and Carol’s Driver

Dave and Carol Schaub’s 1941 Cadillac Series 62 convertible coupe is a special car with a special name; Ruby May. Dave, owner of Schaub’s Meat, Fish and Poultry in Palo Alto, CA bought the car after Carol had seen one at an event. She asked “What is that? It’s gorgeous!” she said upon her first gaze. Her wish came true when Dave scored a clean original survivor off eBay which was based about as far from Los Altos, California as you could get – New York!

It was all original but tired. “It ran but it didn’t steer very well,” Dave said. He got it home but prior to Ruby’s arrival he had to thin the herd to make room for the crazy big Caddy. He sold off a ’34 Ford cabriolet which he says hurt but Ruby May eased that pain.

After Ruby took up permanent residence in the Schaub family garage, Dave was beyond delighted when his friend Dennis Dobeck offered to help rebuild her. They pulled the body off the 1941 Cadillac series 62 and sent the chassis to Jim Meyer Racing Products up in Lincoln City, Oregon. “At that time, nobody offered what we needed for a chassis so Jim designed an all-new frame off the original with Mustang II style IFS (with beefier A-arms and ball joints), a Ford 9-inch housing and more. One of the essential items added was a 1990s Ford Thunderbird power steering rack which helps maneuverability tenfold. Coilover shocks in front and leaf springs out back along with disc brakes on all four corners got Ruby up to contemporary handling and performance. “It rides like a go kart on mountain roads” Dave laughed. “It really does.”

With all that curb weight, the 346cid, 150hp original V8 was yanked leaving a cavernous void. Dave dialed up Street & Performance in Mena, Arkansas and ordered a fully dressed LS3 which fit Ruby like a glove. To hide those ugly coil packs, he picked up a CTS V engine cover making for a modern spin on an old classic. A 4L70E transmission was bolted to the LS making for butter-smooth shifts.

Inside the convertible cabin is a comfortable, road-trip worthy interior. The luxurious leather is all factory. Dave’s friend Sid Chavers replaced the seat springs and made some new carpets but other than that it’s factory. The radio delete is a signature feature as scant few were offered that way.

Ruby’s ravishing red hue was applied by the previous owner and was in great shape but it needed some freshening. Painter Paul Camilleri removed all of the factory trim and moldings, gave Ruby’s red a new lease on life and buttoned her back up for the road.

One thing you should know about Dave and Carol Schaub. They drive their hot rods and collector cars everywhere. They don’t do trailers. In fact, it was Dave who pulled off the heroic “49 in 9” roadster run in 2009. Armed with nothing but his Brizio deuce roadster and some beef jerky, Dave traversed all lower 48 states then journeyed through British Columbia to hit the tip of Alaska in the span of 9 days! The trip benefitted the Ronald McDonald House charities. He then upped the ante even further and did it again a few years later in just 7 days!

Ruby has been on the road for eight years now playing a starring role in many Christmas parades, community events, car shows and Sunday drives. Ruby is truly the “Queen of the road!”

Dave’s Christmas Car!

When we were shooting Ruby, Dave surprised us when he opened the trunk. Inside was his latest “Christmas Car.” Each year, Dave builds something super cool and unique for a Secret Santa gift in connection with his car club – the Bay Area Roadsters.

Dave drew John Gard’s name this year. Gard, a career hot rodder, came from Ohio where he began a successful career as a design engineer. So for this year’s gift, Dave wanted to do something that played off Gard’s Ohio roots. He found a genuine 1930s brass fire extinguisher manufactured in Ohio. It would serve as the car’s foundation. While on eBay, he came across a company called “Ohio Art” who made toy toaster ovens which looked similar to a vintage travel trailer. Sold! From there, Dave began the project which included making the suspension by hand (radius rods etc) and painting the toy sized baby buggy wheels. The driver’s canopy is a VW turn signal while the engine was salvaged from a model airplane. Dave also made the exhaust.

For the toaster, the “Prova Design” graphic (Gard’s company name) was hand painted and the fake toast is actually glazed cardboard. Dave’s friend Tony down at YAK Graphics did the lettering. As you can see – it turned out incredibly bitchin’. It is the latest in a long series of Christmas cars Dave has made by hand for his Bay Area Roadster brethren.

We had a great afternoon with Mr Schaub and his cool cars. You won’t find a more interesting hot rodder, butcher and tinkerer. He also plays a mean guitar! Some guys have all the skills (and toys)!