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WHEELS Friday, August 9,1985 Section C Where are the cars?^ Auto transporters' strike hurting dealers By Steve Metsch Herald staff writer Local car dealers think major-league baseball set a good example with its cool, calm and quick conclusion to the players' two-day strike. Whether the auto transport workers were listening is the question. Those workers, the ones who drive the large trucks and deliver new cars to car dealerships, have quietly been on strike for several weeks. Unable to receive cars by ordinary means, dealers find themselves becoming delivery men in efforts to keep their rapidly-depleting lots from being emptied completely. "It hasn't hit us right away. It if continues for 10 more days, it will affect us tremendously," said John Mitchell, who's been selling Buicks, Oldsmobiles and Lincoln Mercurys in McHenry since 1969. "We run (sell) 100 new cars a month here (at the Buick- Olds). The Lincoln Mercury runs 60 a month, and we run 50 a month in Marengo," Mitchell said. He received notice Wednesday that cars are available to be picked up at the Janesville Auto Transport in Southern Wiscon­ sin. The only problem is, dealers have to find enough people who can take the time needed to hop on a bus, head north, and drive a new car back to the Mitchell's lots. "Yes, it's a tremendous cost. It costs $200 a unit to bring it in," Mitchell said. "We have 90 to 100 units here now. That won't last long, when we move 100 a month." Ormsby Motors in downtown Crystal Lake is down to about half its normal inventory of 90 cars. "It's not good, not good. There's not much we can do. I haven't heard anything on TV, nothing about the strike. Janes­ ville Auto Transport is releasing the cars, but we have to cross pickets to get then). We have 32 '85s coming in and we don't hww If well gul Unmi|" Mrtfruwnci1 PltK OmiSUj. If the strike continues, Ormsby's biggest concert Bltow fiFr be able to make 1985 models as attractive to prospecive buyers as the 1986 models, which are scheduled to be shipped from the factories on Sept. 26. Orsmby hasn't made the trip to Janesville. "I send the kids up there," he said. But he pays the $50 in transport fees to bring each car back to Crystal Lake. Ormsby also "rescues" Pontiacs and General Motors trucks from Chicago Heights for $88 per unit. Bill Parent, director of operations at Janesville, is like most of the dealers: He hasn't heard any news about the strike or its negotiations. "We have no comment on the strike," a spokesperson for Teamsters Local 710 in Chicago said Thursday morning. "The media has been real low-key. For a national strike, that's very unusual," Parent said. In the meantime, he's up to his neck in new cars. "Yes, it sure is crowded. We generally receive 1,400 or 1,500 a day and ship them out by rail," Parent said. The General Motors plant there produces Cavaliers, Cadillac Cimmarons and light-duty pickup trucks. Pickets have been organized by the union, and so far there have been no major problems. "Not bad, not bad at all. The dealers have had little prob­ lems, mostly catcalls and name-calling, but nothing of any consequence," Parent said. With Janesville's parking lot rapidly filling up, Parent had to find other accommodations for new cars. "We're taking them to the airport. The lot is filled, although we move them in and out on rail each day. We have 10,000 units in the yard right now. We rented airport property so we can store them there. I don't know their exact capacity, it might be 20 or 30,000, so we can keep the plant operating," Parent said. Conlon-Coliins Ford in Crystal Lake visited the Torrance Ave. plant in Chicago to pick up 15 new units Thursday. That's the closest plant to the dealership. "There's the Kansas City plant or the one in Detroit -- there's no way we're going to go out there and get them. It wouldn't be worthwhile for one or two cars," Tim Conlon said. "We're down to about 40 percent of our normal stock. If it (the strike) doesn't end in 14 days, I see problems everyone we'll have to endure. Then we'll have to supplement with used cars, that type of thing," Conlon said. "The general public has an^^^^^^thbi^ar^Uoo bad^ye?' P ^ "It's been a good summer (for sales). We're fortunate we can pick up the cars. We've been able to do that because we haven't had any interference so far. Of course, I don't know what will happen once the teamsters* read this. "Write about the baseball strike, don't write about this one," he said. Sorry, the baseball strike is over and the Cubs and Sox will be playing this weekend. But anxious car dealers are still waiting to hear auto transporters holler "Play Ball." "Siu-mrm vfct̂ 111 MiTruri HO* llgUS AT MITCHELL 9UICK-0LDSM0BILE-GMC TRUCK IN McHENRY MITCHELL CLEAR-OUT PRICE >8995* 198SGMCS-1S PICK-UP STOCK #10563 Includes: •1500 LB. PAYLOAD CAP. •V-6 ENGINE •AUTOMATIC TRANS WITH OVERDRIVE •20GAL. FUEL TANK •AM/FM RADIO •HIGH SIERRA EQUIPMENT WE'VE GOT THE NEW CAR OR TRUCK YOU'RE LOOKING FOR 1985 OLDS FIRENZA CRUISER STOCK #10526 INCLUDES... •AIRCOND. •POWER STEERING •POWER BRAKES •AUTOMATIC TRANS •AM/FM STEREO •MUCH MORE... MITCHELL CLEAR-OUT PRICE *9700* 1985 BUICK SKYHAWK 2 DOOR INCLUDES... •AIRCOND. •POWER STEERING Pil) •POWER BRAKES CLEAR-OUT PRICE •AUTOMATIC TRANS. •AM/FM STEREO •MUCH MORE STOCK #10478 MITCHELL >9450 MITCHELL 903 N. FRONT |RT. 31) McHENRY >15-385-7200 Mon-Fri 8-9 Sat S-S •PRICE DOES NOT INCLUDE STATE SALES TAX. ON LICENSE FEES. ALL VEHICLES SUBJECT TO PNIOR SALE. BUICK-OLDSMOBILE-GMC TRUCK Due to the tremendous success this past weekend, Chrysler Corporation has once again allowed -- Clifford Chrysler Plymouth of Crystal Lake 61 N. Main Street Crystal Lake, III. 60014 to be designated as an official Chrysler Corporation Sale clearance site for the McHenry County area. Over 100 -1985 Chrysler end Plymouth cars and vans - wi!! be ,.i i : -s\ ,.\~- D -• KJ i i c < r r u a » o a i c | ' i i 5 . r i i v c t ̂ will be marked on the windshield on the day of the sale as per Chrysler Corporation. These prices will not be offered again this year. The sale will begin at 11 a.m. sharp, on Saturday, August 10th, 1985 - and end at 5 p.m. sharp. Used car buyers from IIIinois and Wisconsin will be on site, to assure you of the highest possible trade-in allowance. On site financing will be available, with the lowest possible bank rates, and Chrysler Credit 8.8% APR will be available on preselected cars, with up to 60 months available - with approved credit. Bank Rates will be as low at 9.9. APR - on all models with approved credit. Chrysler Corporations 5 Yr./50,000 mile warranty will be standard on all models. Please have with you - your trade title or payment book, license transfer card, and checkbook or C3 s h YOU MUST HAVE THIS ADVERTISEMENT WITH YOU TO BE ADMITTED TO THE SALE.