Mass Cruisers Auto Club Crusin’ at the speed of fun
The Emperor may have no clothes but the Cruisers are lookin’ fine
We’re on the Web
Celebrating 25 years of Cruisin’ January 2017 Volume 27 Issue 1
www.masscruisers.com And Facebook
MONTHLY CRUISIN
Page 2
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
2
Presidential Emissions Driving the Mrs.
3
Lend a Hand, Bring a Can By Wayne Lestan
4
Lend a Hand, Bring a Can (continued)
5
N.S.M.E..S. Show at Charles River Museum By John Buchanan
6
N.S.M.E..S. Show at Charles River Museum (continued)
7
February Shows & Events
8
Support our Advertisers
9
MAAC Quartery Meeting By John Buchanan
10
----------------Len Caroll Speaks at February Meeting
Club Officers President– Ed Beatty Vice President—Diane Thornton Secretary—Patrick Touhey Asst. Lesley Corda Treasurer—Wayne Lestan Asst. Kevin Rushlow Webmaster—Steve Vining Newsletter Editor—Paul Saulnier Facebook Admin. – Patrick Touhey New Member Liaison—Don Cole
Sgts. at Arms—Rick Lawlor & - - - - - - - - John Sturniolo
11
contact the newseditor@masscruicers.com for information about newsletter advertising options
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
Presidental Emissions
Page 3
I want to thank Len Caroll for speaking at the meeting. It was very interesting traveling the backwoods of Maine and Northern New England. Got me looking a little more around driveways in backyard. The next day I was driving around Norton; saw a Lotus, a DeLorean, 64 & 65 Mustang bodies - coupes not fast backs – all within 2 miles of my home, all sitting in backyards. Traveling down to Savannah this weekend, spotted first generation Camaros all types for sale off I-95. The problem was how to get off the highway to find that car again – know of a smart phone app that does this?. The March meeting speaker, fellow club member Daz Alberty, travels the extra miles to other states for cruise nights and shows. I hope everybody can make the meeting to hear Daz share one of his latest travels. Some of us have been talking about doing some of these runs to other states. Some will be hitting the road in August for the NSRA Nationals in Louisville and then there is the annual Right Coast Syracuse Nationals, Lake George Adirondack Nationals and the ever-popular Old Orchard Beach Cruise Weekend. Some of us have been speaking to a company that does car wraps I would like to know if the members would be interested in hearing that or see a demonstration for the April meeting. You can email me with a yes or no. Plus, we’re going to be sending out an email on what the club members would like to see if we move the club house to a different location. For example, 24-hour seven days a week access for every member, a Bay for demonstrations & media center?
Driving the Mrs. You can tell how long a couple has been married just by watching them driving in the car: If he’s driving and she’s cuddled up close, they’re newlyweds. They also have an old car to be able to sit that close. If she’s driving and he’s cuddle up close, they’ve been married for a few years and he’s in trouble. If he’s driving and she’s sitting as far away as possible, then they’ve been married for at least five years and he’s forced her to leave the mall before she was ready. If he’s driving and she’s speaking heatedly at him and pointing out directions with her hands, they’ve been married for ten years. If he’s driving and she’s not speaking to him at all, then they have been married for eleven years. If she’s driving and he’s walking, they’re divorced. From Red Green’s Duct Tape is Not Enough
Page 4 Monthly Cruisin
Lend A Hand, Bring a Can by Wayne Lestan
T
he Mass Cruisers Auto Club has for over twenty-five years been fulfilling its charter by conducting various automotive hobby events and social gatherings for its members to display their collector vehicles, exchange ideas and make acquaintances with other auto enthusiasts.
Our most recognized effort over the past eight years are the Thursday bi-weekly Bass Pro Shops cruise nights held at Patriot Place in Foxborough from April through October. It is not unusual to see as many as two thousand classic, antique and custom vehicles parade in and out of what is believed to be the largest cruise night on the east coast. In addition, monthly club meetings are held at our Norfolk clubhouse and an annual car show is held each August at the Wrentham Crackerbarrel Fairgrounds where some of the finest driving machines in the area compete for awards. These events along with numerous social gatherings aimed at just plain old enjoyment of the automotive hobby, make the “Mass Cruisers” a great organization.
On the behalf of the “Mass Cruiser’s” Ralph Chadsey presents a check for $900 to Rev. Peter Hoglund for the Norfolk Food Bank
On the behalf of the “Mass Cruiser’s” Treasurer Wayne Lestan presents a check for $900 to Janet Fasanello and her co-workers at the Walpole Community Food Pantry.
Page 5 Monthly Cruisin
Lend A Hand, Bring a Can (continued) We are not charted to be a philanthropic organization but we recognize that our events provide a great opportunity for local charities to communicate their missions and share our good fortune. Last year, I am proud to say, our events have generated more than fifteen thousand dollars in cash to local charities and three tons of nonperishable food items to area food banks. Nonperishable food and cash donations, which are part of the Thursday cruise night “Lend a Hand – Bring a Can” drive organized by club member and Norfolk resident Ralph Chadsey, were distributed to food banks in Attleboro, Foxboro, Norfolk, Walpole and Wrentham. The cash donations to other charities, which are coordinated by club member and Norton resident Frank Bryant, were also made to Rodman Ride for Kids, Care Packs For Troops, the Rhode Island Veterans’ Home, Stoughton Amvets/Brockton Veterans Hospital, The Arc of Bristol County, Epiphany School, Pan Mass Challenge, Mass Hospital School for Children, Boy Scouts Troup 32 and others. For more information about the Mass Cruisers Auto Club visit their website: www.masscruisers.com or check us out on Facebook.
Above left. “Mass Cruiser’s” Ralph Chadsey presents a check for $900 Holly Hix for the Hebron Food Bank in Attleboro. Above right. “Mass Cruiser’s” Ralph Chadsey presents a check for $900 to Frank Peppin for the Wrentham Food Pantry. Right. “Mass Cruiser’s” Ralph Chadsey presents a check for $900 to Valerie Addison for the Foxboro Food Bank
Page 6
Monthly Cruisin
N.S.M.E.S. Show at the Charles River Museum of Industrial Innovation By John Buchanan
A
tradition of mine and Don Cole’s is attending the annual New England Model Engineering Society (N.E.M.E.S.) show every February. Except for a couple of years when it was held in Lowell, the Charles River Museum of Industry and Innovation in Waltham has been the host venue. This year John Nunez joined me for his first ever visit after stopping for breakfast at the I-Hop in Norwood where we ran into Mike Rabbit, Rich Armando & Bob Lepore enjoying their monthly breakfast get-together with some of their former fellow Bay State Antique Auto Club buddies. At breakfast John showed us pamphlets from another museum trip he took that Friday to the New England Air Museum at Bradley Airport. That one really looks like it can be a great cruise event for club members to take some Sunday when we get our cars back on the road in the spring. The N.E.M.E.S. show is a great event to bring kids who can not only see how New England Industry operated in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s, there are some hands on exhibits and volunteers that can explain what the exhibits are. Exhibits consist of everything from Waltham watch making to Orient bicycles and automobiles. Combined with the N.E.M.E.S. hobbyists displaying their mechanisms and models that showcase their metal and wood working skills , this is a great way to help kids awaken their mechanical curiosity and perhaps one day take Arthur Nichols’ Custom Built 1925 Front wheel Drive Sports up the hobby themselves. There is one observation that I find troubling. Most model building Roadster today is done using kits with instructions and not built from scratch using fabrication trade skills that are fast becoming lost arts. I did see one ray of sunshine, a teen displaying with his dad who was an enthusiastic builder of a functional people sized scale model river steamboat, but most N.E.M.E.S. members on hand were older retirees. One interesting museum exhibit this year was in the W.H. Nichols display area on the ground floor. Young Boston Tech High School senior Arthur Nichols built what must have been one of the earliest and coolest looking custom sports roadsters back in 1925 called “The Bug”.. It had a Model T four cylinder engine with a front wheel drive transaxle of his own design that he later used for his thesis at M.I.T. He also used Chevrolet head lights, Marmon Racer bucket seats and an International Harvester windshield, all in true Hot Rodder tradition. Also on display is the miniature live steam locomotive train that Arthur’s father built that was used for years to give kids rides around their W.H. Nichols Company property. https:// www.charlesrivermuseum.org/the-wh-nichols-family-company/
Monthly Cruisin
Page 7
N.S.M.E.S. Show at the Charles River Museum of Industrial Innovation Other exhibits in the museum of interest included watching all the machines being driven using leather belt & pulleys off a single electric motor, the 1871 steam fire engine and the Waltham built Orient bicycles and car in addition to all the precision Waltham watch making machinery and parts. The N.E.M.E.S. show is posted every year on our January and February Events page, so keep it in mind for next year or just go and visit this hidden gem of a museum whenever you can. Photo captions: Above left: John Nunez entering the Charles River Museum entrance Left center: NEMES member Gene Martha explains how he solved a 3600 rpm bearing vibration problem. Bottom left: 1871 Amoskeag Mfg. Co Waltham Fire Steam Engine Number 1
Page 8
Monthly Cruisin
March Shows & Events
Monthly Cruisin
Page 9
Support Our Advertisers
Monthly Cruisin
Page 10
MAAC 2017 Quarterly Meeting
By John Buchanan
The Massachusetts Association of Auto Clubs 2017 Quarterly Meeting is scheduled for April 13 at 7:00 PM which is coincident with our opening Bass Pro Shops cruise night at Patriot Place. MAAC will also have a presence at the March 31 to April 2 World of Wheels at the Seaport World Trade Center in Boston as well as at the June 22 Bass Pro Shops cruise at Patriot Place. On the docket, in addition to voting for the current slate of officers for 2017, will be a review of new legislative bills submitted to the 190th General Court that could affect our hobby interests. Bills of special interest on the docket from the 20 that have been identified so far are that will be addressed at the MAAC meeting are: An Act relative to allowing restoration of Year of Manufacture (YOM) plates An Act allowing vehicle notarized bills of sale to be used in non-dealer private sales for determining sales tax An Act that uses actual vehicle cost for determining automobile excise tax An act establishing a primary seat belt law. An Act to further regulate motorcycle exhaust sound levels MAAC has also been actively using the Freedom of Information Act to obtain records of antique vehicle registrations to gauge the numbers and the health of our hobby in Massachusetts. This data becomes useful when testifying before the Joint Committees on Transportation and Revenue for legislative bills scheduled for public hearings. One of MAAC’s biggest challenges though is visibility to the 300 or more Massachusetts car clubs and making auto enthusiasts aware that MAAC is there to protect our future interests in furthering the enjoyment of our antique and special interest vehicles and to also vigorously defend our against misguided attempts by government agencies and special interest groups that would restrict our enjoyment and free use on the highways. You as an individual or as a club can join MAAC in this constant and never ending battle to preserve this great hobby of ours. Log onto www.massautoclubs.org and click on the number plate “BROCHURE” to download an information sheet and member application form. Membership is only $20 per year for you or your car club to continue to help and strengthen our presence on Beacon Hill.
Page 11
Monthly Cruisin
Len Caroll Speaks at Members February Meeting
Our
guest speaker for the Feb. 21 Meeting was Lou Valentine’s friend and now retired Maine neighbor Len Caroll, the former Norwood Airport Operations Manager. Len entertained us with his photo collection of shooting Maine roadside derelict and abandoned cars and trucks with his camera without being shot by their protective land owners or bitten by their dogs. He also included some guess-what-year & make car shots as well and a montage of the antique WW-II planes that visited Norwood Airport during his tenure there. We want to thank Len for sharing his passion and photos with us. Although we struggled a bit getting the computer, projector gear and screen set up for Len’s CD presentation, our chief projectionist Patrick Touhey took advantage of the opportunity to also display some of his own photo collection of past club events dating back to 2009. Next month’s guest speaker will be our own Daz Alberty who will be sharing his Ocean City Maryland Cruise experience with us.
Monthly Cruisin
March 2017
Last Page
Member meetings are held the 3rd Tuesday of each month at the Norfolk MA clubhouse.
Retired Fuller Brush salesaman’s car
P.O. Box 217 Wrentham, MA 02093