Mass Cruisers Auto Club
Remembering Sarojit Malik
We’re on the Web
Celebrating 25 years of Cruisin’ April 2016
Volume 26 Issue 34
www.masscruisers.com And Facebook
MONTHLY CRUISIN
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Contact us by snail mail: P.O. Box 217, Wrentham, MA 02093 Or by email: HO350@comcast.net
We’re on the Web! www.masscruisers.com
Our clubhouse is located at 124 Main Street, Norfolk, behind the Dunkin Donuts shop and across the street from the police station. For more information please call: 781 551-0520. Visitors, guests and those interested in joining the
Mass Cruisers Auto Club are welcome to attend one of our monthly meetings held on the third Tuesday of each month in Norfolk. Directory
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Presidential Emissions
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Mass Cruisers in Newport by Diane Thornton Mass Cruisers in Newport (continued)
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Club Officers President– John Buchanan Vice President—Diane Thornton Secretary—Patrick Touhey Treasurer—Wayne Lestan
Junkyard Junket: Winkel Auto Milford, NH
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Junkyard Junket: Winkel Auto Milford, NH(cont.)
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Newsletter Editor—Paul Saulnier
MAAC Quarterly Meeting
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Facebook Admin. – Patrick Touhey
Run to the Finish Line in 2016
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April Cruising in Massachusetts
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----------------Auto Shows & Events Page
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Advertising Rates Business card space…….$25.00/yr
To advertise in the Monthly Cruiser, please send a business card and a check for $25.00 to
Mass Cruisers Newsletter P.O. Box 217, Wrentham, MA.
Webmaster—Steve Vining
New Member Liaison—Don Cole Sgts. at Arms—Rick Lawlor & John Sturniolo Charity Coordination – Frank Bryant By-Laws – Roy Rossman MAAC Representative— John Buchanan
Special Events Cruise Night—Steve Huntington Car Show—Rich Armando Club Events Calendar – (open)
Monthly Cruisin
Presidental Emissions
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It was at our July 14, 2011 Bass Pro Shops cruise at Patriot Place in Foxborough, MA; I was walking the aisles looking for different cars to take pictures of when I spotted an early 1950’s Bentley with a Massachusetts vanity number plate sporting a familiar local area surname above the car’s front bumper, “MALIKS”. Moving closer to take pictures, I could hear one of Elvis Pressley’s songs coming from behind the Bentley. As I walked around back, the Bentley’s trunk lid was folded down and a picnic basket filled with wine bottles and glasses was beautifully displayed with a round faced man, obviously from India, sitting in a folding chair enjoying the warm afternoon sun listening to one of Elvis’s classic songs. It was an image I would never forget and one that became his trademark at all of the car events he would attend. We introduced ourselves, striking up a conversation about his favorite Elvis songs and his love of Bentley’s. In October 2011 Sarojit Malik joined the Massachusetts Cruisers Auto Club.
Over the next four and one half years we became good friends and, as an active Mass Cruiser, one of our more popular club members because of the passion and enthusiasm he had for the automotive hobby. He and his lovely wife Kumkum also hosted one our monthly winter socials at their Norfolk, MA home in 2013 and Sarojit also hosted an outside BBQ at the Norfolk Auto Body shop yard last September where they were preparing to ship the first containers filled with needy 1930’s era Cadillacs and 50’s era Bentley’s to Sarojit’s brother in India for restoration. What set Sarojit apart from most everyone I knew in our hobby was his dreams and vision for transforming his hobby into unique entrepreneurial enterprises. This interest was also fired by his brother’s lifelong love of restoring of classic cars back in their country of origin, India. The two brothers, together, were primed to turned 87 octane gasoline into a high octane nitrous mixture that fueled their passions. Sarojit was always ahead of the curve when it came to picking a venture worth exploring as he was doing with building turn-key Factory Five Mark IV roadsters. He finished building project roadster #1, at his brother farm in Chattarpur, New Delhi, this past winter; a right hand drive version, with a crate Ford Coyote V8 and Tremec 5 speed transmission that he purchased from Forte’s Parts Connection in Framingham. He planned returning to his Norfolk home on March 10 and was going to share his three month winter Mark IV roadster project build experience with us at our March 15 monthly meeting. However, life’s plans and dreams can come quickly to an abrupt halt when least expected. Rest in peace, my brother. You have earned your place in God’s eternal rest. Photo slide show memory: https://vimeo.com/157574732
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Mass Cruisers in Newport
By Diane Thornton
Picture this…a few guys with a classic car cruise idea who tote a few safety cones and a couple of enter and exit signs to an agreeable restaurant’s parking lot. Add many trips to other area car events with their cruise flyer info…yes, distributing the flyers in or on those cars. The Mass Cruisers Auto Club was starting. Picture the years going by and hear the music of recent generations playing in the background…those generations are beginning to realize THEY are becoming “classics”. Some more guys joined in with those beginning idea guys. More good ideas grew with support from a larger base of enthusiasts. More safety cones and more signs were needed. A larger parking lot was sought. Then an even larger one. Many of you reading this piece already know the “rest of the story”. Mass Cruisers Auto Club now coordinates and hosts what is said to be the largest cruise night on the East Coast! Aligning with Bass Pro Shops and Patriot Place, the biweekly cruise nights host well over 1,000 classic cars at each event! They run out of parking spaces at times. Undeniably, the club had a lot to celebrate this past March 26 when current Cruisers (Mass Auto Club members and guests) met in Newport, RI for a specially planned event. A visit to the Audrain car museum and full course fare at Sardella’s restaurant brought 67 people together who were there to commemorate the 25 years of the success of the Mass Cruisers Auto Club. (Other members were with us in their thoughts, as not every member could attend.) A surprise guest was Junior D’Amato of Auto Doctor fame. Junior was the first guest speaker at a newly formed Mass Cruisers meeting night – 25 years ago. Junior spoke after the wonderful Italian dinner and fittingly chatted about the changes in the automobile industry between then and now. Good and bad changes. Unbelievable changes (who woulda thought…self-parking)! He also took questions and was a very gracious guy. Car enthusiasts love to be with other car enthusiasts! Great job everyone! An even better surprise was thanking original members, Lou Valentine and Don Cole, with trophies and jackets. “Thanks for 25 Years of High Octane Performance” was the fun, accurate accolade on the trophies. The jackets (that are similar to the original Cruiser jackets) call out the distinction that only Lou and Don will ever have…Founding Members.
Lou and Don posing with their trophies and Don is holding up the jacket. John is in the middle.
Monthly Cruisin
Mass Cruiser in Newport
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(continued) The 25th Anniversary Celebration was a wonderful, single night to come together and enjoy the company of each other. Not much was mentioned during the event about the growth of the club or how it started. I didn’t hear anything mentioned about the success or the notoriety that Mass Cruisers are now known for. There were no speeches; no talk of our charitable giving; or of our club owning a trailer and a golf cart and many more safety cones than ever before. The real celebration, in my opinion, was the acknowledgement of Lou and Don as founding members and all the work they have done over the years. A very tangible moment – well deserved and a long time coming. The intangible, and possibly the most interesting part of the evening, was the camaraderie and fondness that Cruisers exhibit when they are together. It was a night to meet some new members, remember some old members, and miss some members who’ve passed. It was a superb evening with many smiles, laughs, handshakes and hugs. 25 years. A quarter of a century. The Mass Cruisers Auto Club is 25 years old. There’s so much more ahead. We know this from our own lives. We can all look forward to a great year!
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Monthly Cruisin
March 16, 2016 Junkyard Junket Winkel Auto Milford, NH. The puddle may have been iced up and the ground still frozen over, but the March 19 sun was bright and warming for an early spring Junkyard Junket to Gary LaPlant’s Winkel Auto in Milford. NH. Known for the largest treasure trove of Mopar iron in New England, club members found a few hidden gems and surprises. For instance, Bob Hines couldn’t resist the lure of a complete 1969 Torino GT with the 351 Windsor V8 that turned over. It needs some work but the price was right. Although not quite fully smitten, John Ricker couldn’t stop hanging around a 1955 Dodge Sierra Station Wagon that had a clean looking Red Ram Polyspherical Head V8 that runs. We’ll have to wait and see if John’s up to taking on this project. Then there was the hidden gem, a 1954 Packard convertible tucked away in a trailer ready to be delivered to a customer. Meanwhile, I picked up another piece of wall art, a DODGE RAM tailgate, for the garage wall where “Diamond Lil” is parked. “Lil” has a modified Dodge Ramcharger 360 V8 under her hood. After getting our fill of Mopar iron, half our crew stopped at Cliff’s Café in Townshend for a late breakfast or early lunch and discussed other possible Junk Yard Junkets down in Route 146 MA/RI area.
Monthly Cruisin
Wrench’n
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Coffee
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Robert’s Automotive
The Saturday March 12 Wrenchin’ n’ Coffee session at Robert’s Automotive in Attleboro experienced beautiful springlike weather that brought out club member’s rides to get those oil changes, tune ups and other pre-season work out of the way. Frank Bryant had his 1940 Ford in for an oil and filter change as did John Guravage with his 1967 Chevelle while V. P. Diane Thornton went for a full tune-up on her 1966 Mustang including new plugs, plug wires, rotor, points and distributor cap in addition the oil & filter change. Mike Rabbitt attempted an on-car rear tire nail repair unsuccessfully and had to finally remove the wheel to plug the nail hole on-ground. John Buchanan had his ’61 Impala up on the lift so John Nunez could test the speedometer cable with a power drill, only to discover that the speedometer module itself wasn’t functioning properly. Other on-ground projects included Rich Armando bringing all four of his project 1955 Ford F1 wheels, which were losing air, to remove the tires and clean up the rim bead seal areas to get them to seal. Don Cole brought in his project Volvo 1800ES lower control arms to install new bushings using the shop’s arbor press. John Nunez won the Robert’s Automotive drawing this month, a bucket of auto detailing supplies. The FINAL Wrenchin’ n’ Coffee session of the spring season, until it starts up again in November, is Saturday April 1, 8 am until noon.
1961 Impala underneath – John Nunez rotating the speedometer cable at the tranny with a power drill
1966 Mustang tune up – V. P. Diane Thornton replacing plug wires with an assist from Bob Hines Godson John Hebert
1940 Ford Tudor Sedan – Frank Bryant operating the lift for an oil change Robert’s Automotive supplied Bucket of Cleaning Supplies drawing - winner John Nunez
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Monthly Cruisin
MAAC Quarterly Meeting A lot has happened this past year in the world of the Massachusetts Association of Auto Clubs (MAAC). While Trump vows to make America great again, MAAC is also working hard to make itself great again. Of the more than 5,000 bills submitted by our Senators and Representative at the beginning of the 189th General Court in 2015, MAAC identified 17 bills of interest to the more than 300 car clubs and the more than 100,000 auto enthusiasts in Massachusetts. Now, one would think, with all this Horse Power under the hood, there would be a lot more interest from the 300 and 100,000. The sad fact is, unless the sky is falling, thoughts of completing that last winter project or succumbing to the smell of the latest Mother’s wax-of-themonth seems to take priority as spring auto flea markets and cruise nights start popping up all over New England. For those of you who aren’t aware of MAAC, here’s a little background; MAAC is your organization that brought Agreed Value Insurance to Massachusetts and Year of Manufacturing plates to be used on antique vehicles through the use of its lobbyist, who also happens to be an auto enthusiast. MAAC also successfully fought repeated attempts to ban the sale of after-market exhaust systems that were championed by those with a mistaken belief that banning sales would curb loud exhaust noise from road yahoos. Then there was the botched (my words) Kit Car Street Rod & Custom Car legislation that was passed and implemented in 2012. MAAC doesn’t take any credit, or blame for that matter, for this one. This legislation was also driven by the mistaken belief that this very needed and simple Chapter 90 change would get done cleanly through the Power of the SEMA Action Network without the aid of a skilled and knowledgeable registered lobbyist, just like they had done successfully in many other states. They were wrong. The Massachusetts legislative process can be frustrating for even the most connected and skilled politicians and that particular legislation, while helping the kit car owners get their cars through an inspection and titling process, has been a thorn in the street rod and custom car owner community. In 2013 and 2014 MAAC fought against an attempt to issue a certificate of rejection for vehicles with date coded tires older than 6 years, including its full sized spare. These examples point to a constant need to be vigilant with each Legislative General Court and MAAC is the only organization that is dedicated to the special interests of Massachusetts auto hobbyists.
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Run To The Finish Line in 2016 I first learned about MAAC, back in the days when they were soliciting financial support from car clubs to help pay for their lobbyist to help get the insurance laws changed that would allow Agreed Value Insurers to sell their policies to Massachusetts antique car owners. It worked. And I, like most of you, have benefited each year when we get our annual insurance bills. Well, there has been another major financial inequity since 2009 for those of us that have purchased a project or antique vehicle via private sale. In August 1, 2009 (Title IX Chapter 64I Section 4) the new determination rule for calculating sales tax for Non-Dealer Sales (a.k.a. private sale) is that the actual amount paid by the purchaser to the seller for the motor vehicle or the clean trade-in value of the motor vehicle, whichever is greater, regardless of the actual condition of the vehicle will be considered the Book Value for use tax purposes. What this means is, if you haul a rusted derelict 1955 Chevy Nomad out of the woods that you paid the former owner $500 for and hauled it home to Massachusetts with visions of someday restoring it to its former glory, or just to get it road worthy, be prepared to pay a sales tax based upon the black book value of $55,000, or there about, according to the 2009 Title IX law change when you attempt to get your title. In 2015 House Bill 3782 was submitted by Rep. Pignatelli to correct this onerous tax situation and it is now stuck in Ways and Means and is in need of an assist by all interested MAAC members including the professional services of its registered lobbyist. This House Bill 3782 and several others bills that were recently heard and approved by the Joint Transportation Committee will be discussed at the upcoming April 7 quarterly MAAC meeting being held at 7:00 PM in the Bass Pro Shops Conservation Room in Foxborough. MAAC would like to see all MAAC car club representatives and other interested auto enthusiasts attend this meeting. MAAC’s lobbyist Jack Bartley from the Beacon Hill Consulting Group, an avid auto enthusiast, will be there to answer questions about the importance of lobbying efforts in Massachusetts. I can definitely say from my own experience over the past 10 years of actively fighting both for and against legislation on Beacon Hill, there are times when bringing your lobbyist on board is the only way that will ensure needed legislation has a chance of being passed, and this is one of those times. John Buchanan
Monthly Cruisin
April 2016 Cruisin’ Massachusetts
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Monthly Cruisin
Auto Shows & Events Page
Monthly Cruisin
April 2016
Last Page
Member meetings are held the 3rd Tuesday of each month at the Norfolk MA clubhouse.
Traffic enforcement: the early days. Citation issued for speeding, driving without a license, driving an unregistered and uninsured wagon and failure to clean up after the horses.
P.O. Box 217 Wrentham, MA 02093