Mass Cruisers Auto Club Crusin’ at the speed of fun On the cover, George Barris signed John Buchanan’s copy of Beach Boys album “Little Deuce Coupe” at the Big Block Show in Fitchburg in 2002. Inside Diane Thornton dances with the cars at Larz Anderson Museum, new members Don and Neiva Brabants are profiled and we fix our rides at Roberts Automotive.
We’re on the Web
Celebrating 25 years of Cruisin’ March 2016
Volume 26 Issue 3
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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Dancing with the cars at Larz Anderson Auto museum by Diane Thornton Dancing with the cars @ Larz Anderson Auto Museum (continued)
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Club Officers President– John Buchanan Vice President—Diane Thornton Secretary—Patrick Touhey Treasurer—Wayne Lestan
Wrench’n & Coffee at Robert’s Automotive by John Buchanan
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Wrench’n & Coffee at Robert’s Automotive (cont.)
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Newsletter Editor—Paul Saulnier
Meet new members Don and Nieva Brabants
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Facebook Admin. – Patrick Touhey
Meet new members Don and Nieva Brabants (continued)
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-Auto Shows & Events Page
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----------------Guest Speaker Mike Gilmore
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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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Tell the EPA to Withdraw Its Proposal to Prohibit the Conversion of Vehicles Into Racecars
The American love affair with automobiles includes watching and participating in motorsports. For decades Americans have converted their street vehicles into racecars, from pre-World War II classics to modern era performance cars. It has brought joy and jobs to millions. However, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has issued a proposed rule that would do away with this time honored tradition. It would outlaw the conversion of any type of emissions-certified vehicle into a racecar, and make it illegal to sell any emissions-related parts for those cars. The Clean Air Act prohibits the EPA from regulating racecars. Tell EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy to remove this provision from the Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Fuel Efficiency Standards for Medium& Heavy-Duty Engines-Phase 2" rule.
Add your name to the PETITION by clicking here https://petitions.whitehouse.gov/petition/tell-epa-withdraw-its-proposal-prohibit-conversion-vehicles-racecars-0
There has been a strong push by the SEMA Action Network SAN to support signing the racecar conversion petition. There has also been some pushback from race car owners stating the EPA can’t enforce these changes if they pass and signing the petition is a waste of time. They are half right. The EPA can’t enforce these rule changes, but what they can do is apply pressure on state environmental agency’s to demonstrate they have programs in place to meet the clean air act requirements by applying EPA recommended rules. Pressure, in the form of auto emissions compliance programs, is applied in states like Massachusetts along the Eastern seaboard and is a favorite EPA target. We experienced that pressure back in 2009 with the infamous Kit Car Legislation that SEMA supported and which backfired, so to speak, when the Massachusetts DOT modified the wording that put restrictions more stringent than for antique vehicles, not only on the kit cars, but also dragging hot rods and customs along for that ride. I understand current EPA race modified vehicle rule wording is ambiguous to the point where it is not enforceable and this change clarifies it to the point where enforcement may not be far behind.
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Dancing With the Cars at Larz Anderson Auto Museum
By Diane Thornton
The night was cold, but the music was hot! Classic rock and roll along with a venue full of cars, motorcycles and good friends created a unique atmosphere for lots of laughs and fun! The classic rock and roll band, the Diane Thornton and The Leeds lead vocalist Kevin Leeds, were rocking the hall Trundley with songs that brought back wonderful memories of the 60s and 70s. Crazy good music! It seemed like the museum had moved it’s current display of motorcycles to the side in order to clear the hall for the dancing. Other displays were available to walk through if you were tired of dancing! More motorcycles in the far end of the hall and a whole floor of some of the oldest cars assembled in one place were below. Fascinating.
From 1913 to 1961
The evening was also supporting a charity called Dressing for Success. Clothes were collected to help those involved with the charity present themselves for job interviews in proper attire. Closets were definitely cleaned out by the attendees at this museum event!
The garage of the Museum
Monthly Cruisin
Dancing With the Cars at Larz Anderson Auto Museum
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See Neringa’s video: https://youtu.be/ywIMEuSTcNE Many of our members are familiar with the lawn events at Larz Anderson during the Frank Bryant possibly reminiscing about his first car warmer months. The museum offers this once a month event, Dancing with the Cars, during the snowier months. There are two more scheduled. Alternative Rock is the theme for March 11. Country music will be offered on April 8. March will be supporting Cradles to Crayons. April will be collecting for Operation Troop Support. More information is available at www.larzanderson.org. John Ricker and Sue start the dancing in the Great Hall
Was this a minivan of its day?
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Monthly Cruisin
Wrench’n
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Coffee
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Robert’s Automotive
The Saturday February 13 monthly Wrenchin n’ Coffee session at Robert’s Automotive in Attleboro was mostly a front end brake replacement morning session with club member daily drivers. Wayne Lestan brought in his Ford F150 4 x 4 to replace the front disc brakes and rotors; Don Cole brought his Ford Ranger pickup back in to turn down the front rotors that started to thump following last month’s new front disc pad replacement and John Sturniolo brought in his latest project, a 1999 GMC 1500 Suburban, to replace the front wheel bearings. The fourth shop lift was filled with Mike Rabbits’ Honda Odyssey for an oil and filter change. Don Cole’s front rotor turning project provided him with the opportunity to run the rotor turning lathe after Bob Hines set up his shop’s dual lathe machine. John Nunez then operated the machine initially to let everyone see how to clean the rotor faces and true the surface. John Sturniolo also did a similar tutorial for his front wheel bearing replacement and Wayne Lestan discovered that replacement of the new front disc brake pads and rotors on his truck isn’t as simple today as was years ago. The question comes up, do you replace pads and leave the rotors alone if they look O.K., turn or true the rotors at the same time the you replace the pads or replace the rotors with new ones at the same time new pads are replaced. We asked Bob Hines to weigh in on this topic with all the front disc brake jobs that have been done by club members on their daily drivers this winter. We’ve experienced all three approaches taken by club members. From Bob: The way the rotors and pads wear today is very different with the brake pads being almost as hard as the rotors. The way we drive and the stuff that is put on the roads in winter and the metal used in today’s pads & rotors is not all that good.
(Club Treasurer Wayne Lestan removing the rotors from Ford F-150 ).
Some brake rotors may look good but you have to check the thickness using a micrometer and run a dial indicator across them to determine if they are good or need to be replaced. As for the surface of the rotor, it gets so hard from heat and dirt you should at the very least machine the surface to clean them when replacing the pads. The car will stop much better with the face of the rotors clean. Installing pads today is difficult as Wayne was finding out. He was having a hard time fitting the new pads into the bracket after he first cleaned them. We had to take them apart and glass bead the brackets clean and lube them to do the job correctly. Cars and light trucks today are not like the older ones.
Monthly Cruisin
Wrench’n
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Coffee
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Robert’s Automotive
(continued)
This is an example of what happens The drawing for this month’s Robert’s Automotive donated buck- with today’s overheated rotors that of car cleaning and detailing products was won by Don Cole. are turned down too thin.
et
The bottom line is today’s rotors have less material thickness and the pad material hardness is closer to the rotor which generates more heat when stopping resulting in wear performance that results in having to potentially replace both or at the very least resurface and true the rotor at the same time pads are replaced. I’ll have to add from my own past experience with Toyota Tundra’s; after-market brake pads and rotors do not perform as well as the OEM originals. Bob says that while that was true a few years ago a couple of the after -market manufacturers now have their act together and are producing better matched rotor and pads for Toyota brakes. The disc brake pad replacement world of the early 1960’s is no longer the same 50 years later.
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Meet New Members Don & Neiva Brabants I am new member of Mass Cruisers (Nov 2015) and I am currently and have been for 4 years a member of the Pioneer Valley GTO club. Unfortunately the GTO club has all its meetings and events out in far western Mass and I am only able to attend a few events during the year. I have made a few good friends and contacts that have shared technical info and opinions during my 3 year restoration process. I have been attending Mass Cruisers events at Bass pro shops and other places for years with friends that are also car enthusiast. My Wife Neiva (a Brasilian, from Rio De Janeiro) is not much interested in any cars other then her new Mercedes but supports my hobby completely. While living in Rio during the 1980's I purchased an original 66 AC Cobra / 427 aluminum body for $37,000 US which was a bundle of money in Cruzerios back then (about 37million Cruzerios ). It had been slightly modified, beet up and needed an engine rebuild, carburetors and many other parts. Unfortunately in 1989 I sold it for under $30,000 US as I was in the process of selling my home and leaving Brasil. Wish I had sent it home in a real big suitcase! Since those days I have had a Ferrari 308GTSI, Porsche 911 Turbo and a few other foreign exotics. After my 4th child's birth I gave up the cars and moved on to a Jeep Wagoneer, a mini-van and a Lincoln Mk6. Four years ago ( now with 7 children) that were either finished or just finishing college and I was just finishing the payments that go with them I decided to jump back in to the hobby / sports car scene as an indulgence during my later 60's midlife crisis. In 1972 at the age of 21, I had a 69 GTO Convertible that was my favorite ride of all time. Sold that too (needed the $$$). After looking on EBAY, online classic car websites and others I came across Mecum in Kissimee that had a few 69 GTO' conv on consignment for the January auction in Florida. I have attended that Kissimee auction every year since with friends and my grandsons. It is a great take. The rest is history and many, many, many receipts for parts, machine shop work etc. I bought it for pleasure only and as a gift to myself. I am still not sure how much the gift actually cost and don't really care! The triple black real GTO (not a judge) has been driven by me (and my oldest son) over 4500 miles since the restoration and is a fun and dependable cruiser that I look forward in good weather to driving her daily. I had a great time working on it at home in my garage with my sons, grandson and good friends for over 2 years. With a Reid Automotive (Jimmy Reid in Whitman) top notch rebuild, Comp Hyd Roller Cam, Edelbrock aluminum heads, manifold, water pump and more and dyno testing showed the motor is a monster. I also installed a Tremec TKO500 5 speed that looks just like the original 4 speed console and all. The gears are the original 3:55 Safe T Trac. The car looks pretty stock but has a few modification in the engine, trans, and 3" stainless steel exhaust system. I am planning a complete body/sheetmetal restoration and new paint in original Starlite Black very soon. I just need to find the right shop to do it. Any suggestions? My longest trip to date is to Longmeadow Mass to attend the PVGTO show event. I am planning a much longer trip in June 2017 with my 2 grandsons, going from Illinois to California on old Route 66. When finished I will ship it by carrier back to Easton from CA.
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Meet New Members Don & Neiva Brabants
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Auto Shows & Events Page
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Monthly Cruisin
February 16th Guest SpeakerMike Gilmore It all began when Hal Marshman, V.P. of the LugNuts Car Club, overheard two ladies in conversation saying they didn’t have enough donations to fill the CarePacks care packages they planned to send to troops in March. Hal hadn’t heard of this South Weymouth volunteer nonprofit effort that was founded in 2004 http://www.carepacks.org/ so he questioned them about what they were doing. After learning that their volunteer group have been periodically filling CarePacks packages every few months with necessary supplies to our deployed troops to help improve their quality of life away from home as well as their morale and mental health, he felt that was something his LugNuts Car Club could help them with. CarePacks’ care packages contain high-calorie food products, undergarments, personal care items, books, magazines, and more. Each package also contains at least one letter or card from a child so that the soldier who receives the package has a personal connection to someone back in the United States. CarePacks coordinates its efforts with local schools, Cub Scout packs, Boy and Girl Scout troops, churches, and other organizations to involve the community in the support process and to inform them about the needs of US military personnel. (Mike Gilmore going over the list ) Hal promised he would get his LugNuts car club behind their efforts and organized a drive to get donations for the planned March delivery. The LugNuts also made arrangements with the Whitman American Legion Post 22 to set up a collection event for Saturday February 20 to collect donations from other car clubs and fellow club member Mike Gilmore, who has two sons deployed overseas, posted the announcement about this event on Bob Knight’s Facebook cruise pages where I and other clubs picked up on it. Because the N.E.M.E.S. annual New England Model Engine Show at the Charles River Museum in Waltham was another great event I and other club members attend is also held on Feb. 20, Mike Gilmore agreed to come to our monthly member meeting in Norfolk on the 16th to pick up any donations we had for the drive. Treasurer Wayne Lestan gave Mike a $200 check that the club voted to donate at the previous week’s business meeting as well as 59 left over 2015 Bass Pro Shops cruise tee shirts. The money, by the way is used to pay shipping costs as well as fill out the care packages with useful items. Other club members brought donated items and checks to the meeting for Mike to bring back to the Whitman Legion Post for Saturday’s drive. As it turns out, there were also club members that wanted to go to the Whitman Legion on Saturday to help out. Mike says that if this drive is successful, the LugNuts will probably continue to help the CarePacks organization with future donation drives. We also offered to allow the LugNuts to set up a table or tailgate at our Bass Pro Shops cruise should they want to collect items for the CarePacks care packages for our deployed troops over the spring through fall cruising season.
Monthly Cruisin
March 2016
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Member meetings are held the 3rd Tuesday of each month at the Norfolk MA clubhouse.
P.O. Box 217 Wrentham, MA 02093