Mass Cruisers Auto Club Crusin’ at the speed of fun
Inside, Diane Thornton takes us back to our youth with a visit to the Model & Diecast Show in Taunton; Weekly Cruisin Schedule is back (winter is over); Paul Saulnier writes about owning a classic from new and warns of the dangers of distracted driving. We’re on the Web
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April 2017
Celebrating 25 Years of Cruisin Volume 27
April 2017
Issue 4
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.
Club Officers
Directory
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Former Presidential Emissions Cruise Night Schedule
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Model Car fun for All By Diane Thornton
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Vice President—Diane Thornton
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Secretary—Patrick Touhey Asst. Lesley Corda
Model Car fun for All (continued)
President– Ed Beatty
Model Car fun for All (continued)
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Treasurer—Wayne Lestan Asst. Kevin Rushlow
On Owning a Classic Car From New By Paul Saulnier
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Webmaster—Steve Vining
April Shows & Events
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Support our Advertisers
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Systemic Driving Behaviors By Paul Saulnier
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----------------April Cruis‟n Northeast
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contact the newseditor@masscruicers.com for information about newsletter advertising options
Newsletter Editor—Paul Saulnier Facebook Admin. – Patrick Touhey New Member Liaison—Don Cole SSgts. at Arms—Rick Lawlor & John Sturniolo Charity Coordination – Frank Bryant By-Laws – Roy Rossman MAAC Rep — John Buchanan
Special Events Cruise Night—Steve Huntington Car Show—Rich Armando Club Events Calendar – (open)
Monthly Cruisin
Former Presidential Emissions
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April kicks off with the 43rd Annual World of Wheels Autorama at the Seaport World Trade Center in Boston followed quickly by our own season opening Bass Pro Shops cruise season at Patriot Place in Foxborough on Thursday the 13th along with some of the other popular local area cruises; CJ’s Northside Grill in Framingham on the 15th, the A&W cruise on US Rte. 44 in Smithfield, RI on the 18th, Hebert’s Candy Mansion Cruise in Shrewsbury on the 20th, the Wheels of Time cruise at Raynham Park on Rte. 138 also on the 20 th and the Old Koots cruise at the Downtown Café on Rte. 123 in Norton on the 25 th. The weekend spring breakdown or dust off cruise and car show events start up in April. These also give us an opportunity to blow out the carbon and get the oil lubricating the moving parts. Our club’s annual breakdown cruise to the 45th Annual Ford V-8 Club’s Flea Market & Car Show at the Fitchburg Airport takes place on Sunday April 23. This gives car clubs an opportunity to pass out their 2017 event flyers. We call it our breakdown cruise because we have experienced an occasional breakdown on the road to Fitchburg which is why we like to cruise together; just in case. Be sure to tank up with fresh gasoline for this one. Use our Mass Cruisers CRUIZN Massachusetts and EVENTS pages in the monthly newsletter to get a heads up on the different shows and cruises in our immediate area or, for a longer term and wider New England events season long events, log onto the Maynard Area Auto Club’s website, scroll down to the bottom and click on their EVENTS LIST for the BIG PICTURE http://clubs.hemmings.com/maynardaac/events.html. Remember, you lose if you don’t cruise. Still CRUIZN at the Speed of Fun in my ’31 & ’61. John Buchanan
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Model Car Fun For All
by Diane Thornton
About a dozen Mass Cruisers met at the RTS Annual Model Kit & Die-Cast Exhibition at the Holiday Inn in Taunton on Sunday, March 19, 2017. The flyer for this event had a catchy theme to it: “bring and display as many of your model cars, trucks and dioramas as you can carry!” Imagine!? My curiosity quotient was set – what was this going to be like? Having worked at Hobby Town way back in the day, I was familiar (I thought) with what plastic model cars and trucks (and ships, boats, engines, skeletons, etc.) look like. Meeting the rest of the Cruisers in the lobby, I could see a large room FULL of vendors with familiar looking boxes and such ready to sell their model kits and parts. Down the hall, though, was THE DISPLAY ROOM, which often had a long line to get in. And it was worth the wait to see the models and admire the craftsmanship of the builders. Steve Huntington was the photographer for the day and he captured quite a few models that caught his eye.
The winner of the Mass Cruisers’ Choice Award went to Barry Fadden who built this amazing 1940 Delivery Van. Our club was presenting a trophy to the builder of our choice model. Lou Valentine provided us with paper, pens and instructions on picking our favorite. We reconvened a while later to overwhelmingly vote for a beautiful model of a 1940 Ford Delivery Van built by Barry Fadden. Unfortunately, we did not get to meet Barry because he was at lunch when the trophy was being awarded. His model had to have taken a long time to build. The little details were just so perfect. Right down to the little dog resting outside the van. His display also showed the underside of the van using a mirror – pretty sweet ride!
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Model Car Fun For All (continued) A few more of the displays used mirrors to display the undersides of the models. Amazing to see the transmissions and U-joints and oil pans – all in perfect tiny detail. THEN, I had to chuckle at the 1970-era van on a small “astro turf” turntable. A small flashlight was provided to light up and showcase the shag carpet and mirrors on the ceiling above the platform bed in the back of the van! Cool, man! One level of artistry that I was particularly impressed with were two models of fire equipment. Both of these models were built FROM SCRATCH. The builder had pictures next to his models of a few steps he had taken in the build. He took a teeny, tiny piece of off a metal tube and made it into the rim around a headlight – with an additional turn signal honed into the rim also! And he did this multiple times for all the lights on these models. Just beautiful. Some of our members will be displaying at the exhibition next year – at least that is what I am assuming because there were some purchases made in the vendor area – Frank Bryant found a 1940 Ford (but I didn‟t see any Viper Red paint in the box). Ralph Chadsey purchased a 1957 Ford T-bird. Paul Worsley purchased a 1/18 scale Street Rod kit. Richie Armando had a box with a 1954 Ford Pickup under his arm on his way out of the building! Looking forward to seeing these models next year, guys!
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Monthly Cruisin
Model Car Fun For All (continued) A treat for the kids – and for all of us – was a Johnny Lightning Race Track! YES! Those Matchbox, Hot Wheels or Johnny Lightning cars were flying down this track that had to be 30 feet long. Four lanes of familiar orange-colored track looked slicker than any ice we‟ve seen this winter! The winner of a race was determined by an electronic gizmo that lit up for the car that went through first! Genius! Richie was inquiring if the Johnny Lightning Race Club would like to visit one of our cruise nights – and I think they said YES! Stay tuned for that news!
On a side note the RTS Model Club will be at AutoFest in August, displaying some models and presenting snap kits to the children to build for competition.
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On Owning a Classic From New By Paul Saulnier I read an article in one of several car magazines that are delivered to my door every month by USPS that featured seven cars that are still in the hands of their original owners. Most were classics but even the not-so-classics were interesting because they were good enough to be kept in the family. I must admit that I was a little jealous. I don‟t still own a car that I bought new. But then why would I? The first car that I bought new as a 1981 Ford Escort wagon for my wife, Nancy (I was in a family situation). That was the first year they were made so she was often asked about it at the market or the playground. And she liked to answer questions about it. I did buy a one-owner 1928 Oldsmobile with 16,000 miles on it. I‟m old but not old enough to buy that one new. Reading about the seven cars, their owners and their pride of ownership made me realize that there‟s a car out there for every taste, every enthusiast, every backyard mechanic. The Mass Cruisers epitomize that attitude by welcoming anyone who has an interest in cars, no matter what make or model, even foreign. I remember the first show I went to in Medway. I brought my Austin Mini van and parked it in a line of muscle cars, street rods and „50s cruisers. My son developed an interest in Minis and I wanted to encourage him so I bought one to work on with him. Unfortunately my street rod past got the better of me and I modified it too much for his liking. So he worked on his New Zealand Mini while I worked on my Wales Mimi. He helped me with mine and I helped him with his. There is nothing more satisfying than passing on the car gene. I no longer own a street rod, muscle car or hot rod, but I‟m still a member of the Cruisers and they still let me by the editor of the newsletter. I wish I could say that I own a classic that I bought new. That‟s never going to happen but I‟ll bet there‟s a Cruiser who can make that claim. They are a silent group when it comes to talking about themselves. I‟ll bet there is a story in the club to rival the seven I just read about. Let‟s hear from you.
IF DAISIES ARE YOUR FAVORITE FLOWER KEEP PUSHIN' UP THOSE MILES-PER-HOUR BURMA-SHAVE
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Monthly Cruisin
April Shows & Events
Monthly Cruisin
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Support Our Advertisers
Monthly Cruisin
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Systemic Driving Behaviors By Paul Saulnier According to AutoGuide.com "...there are five systemic driving behaviors that neutralize our ability to enhance the driving experience for ourselves and for everyone else on the road:" 1. Being Unaware of Your Surroundings. Observe the number of drivers who look up only to discover a car carrier, garbage truck, bus, etc. that magically appeared. 2. Improper Braking. The poorer your grasp of the horizon, the poorer and more erratic your braking and the greater the likelihood that not only will another driver rear end you, but that they will push your car into the car ahead of you. Brake smoothly and with moderation. 3. Not Using Turn Signals. The use of turn signals are, perhaps, our greatest automotive example of mutual reciprocity; infinitely simple, an action that is universally recognized as charitable, prudent and infinitely safer. 4. Bad Turn Signal Courtesy. Once again, you are telegraphing your intentions to your fellow man who may or may not be paying attention. Give them as much advance notice as possible and, therefore, mitigate the need for those drivers behind you to feel compelled to risk changing lanes or lurch into an unpredictable brake skid. 5. Not Turning Into Your Correct Lane. Perhaps nothing impedes the flow of traffic more at an intersection than people who do not turn into the correct lane. To watch two automobiles, each from opposing directions, harmoniously turn into their correct lane is a thing of breathtaking beauty. It is automotive ballet. The conclusion is clear. The more we aspire and commit to being disciplined drivers, the more we make driving safer and more pleasurable for everyone. These folks volunteered to demonstrate these points: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r6CYYntRgjs
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Monthly Cruisin
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Member meetings are held the 3rd Tuesday of each month at the Norfolk MA clubhouse.
An elderly man was stopped by the police around 2 AM and was asked where he was going at that time of night. The man replied, "I'm on my way to a lecture about alcohol abuse and the effects it has on the human body, as well as smoking and staying out late." The officer then asked, "Really? Who's giving that lecture at this time of night?" The man replied, "That would be my wife."
P.O. Box 217 Wrentham, MA 02093