Mass Cruisers February 2021 Newsletter

Monthly Crusin

Cruisin’ at the speed of fun

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Mass Cruisers Auto Club February 2021

Two Cruisers Move COVID-19 Project pgs. 10 & 11

“Climb to the Clouds” Covid-19 Project pages 7 & 8

Mike Rabbitt caught exhibiting some dumpster regret.

2017 record run of 5 min. 44:72 sec by Travis Pastrana, WITHOUT a co-driver in a Subaru WRX STI; 90 mph ave. over the 7.4 mile course.

Return of the AutoFest pages 5 & 6

2015 Route 66 CRUIZN Memories page 4

ALSO INSIDE: YOUR BOARD MUSINGS EVENT CALENDAR (such as it is) We’re on the Web

Celebrating 30 Years of Cruisin’ Volume 30 Issue

www.masscruisers.com And Facebook

Cruisin’ at the speed of fun

Monthly Crusin Contact us by snail mail: P.O. Box 217, Wrentham, MA 02093 Or by email: HO350@comcast.net

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www.masscruisers.com

Monthly Business meetings will be held in the Bass Pro Shops Conservation Room for both February and March under COVID-19 Phase 3 guidelines limiting in-person attendance to just 10 members.

Notify any of your club Board members if you have an agenda item or want to attend in person. All of our 2021 cruise and car show events have been verified and updates will be posted on the website.

DIRECTORY

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BOARD MUSING

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2021 EVENTS PAGE

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2015 ROUTE 66 CRUIZN

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2021 NEWPORT CAR MUSEUM AUTOFEST REGISTRATION FLYER

Pages 5 &6

“CLIMB TO THE CLOUDS” COVID-19 PROJECT

Page 7 &8

SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS

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COVID-19 PROJECT TWO MEMBER MOVE

Pages 10 & 11

2021 Board Members Rich Armando (Chair) Larry Nyborn Steve Huntington John Buchanan Diane Thornton John Sturniolo Kevin Rushlow Secretary: Lesley Corda-Majeski Asst. Secretary: Diane Thornton Treasurer: Kevin Rushlow Asst. Treasurer: Rich Armando

Special Assignments Webmaster: Scott Beer Asst: Steve Vining Club Events: Rich Armando Managing Editor: John Buchanan News Editor: Open Digital Graphics Editor: Open Facebook: Patrick Touhey FB Admin: John Buchanan FB Admin: Sean Sullivan

New Members: Lou Valentine Sgts. at Arms: Rick Lawlor John Sturniolo Charity Coordinator: Open Food Pantry: Steve Fernald Bob Okerholm By-Laws: Wayne Lestan MAAC Rep: John Buchanan MAAC Alt.: Glenn Brayman Cruise Director: Steve Huntington Asst. Cruise Director OPEN Sponsors: John Buchanan Fred Tierney Photographer: Steve Vining

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CHANGES!

By Larry Nyborn

A Year Filled With Hope and Promise!

After having stepped down from the office of president for the 4 th time in over 20+ years, I can’t help but reflect upon changes I’ve observed. Both within the car culture and within the club. As the club gets older, so do its members. There is always some loss of members where age is a factor. This is why it is very important to continue to push for new members, especially younger ones. There has been a disturbing trend of declining help and participation in club functions/events. Remember, everyone has some role to play no matter how small. With increasing age comes decreasing physical ability...sometimes we just can’t do what we used to do…another reason for adding some younger members. Also, older drivers are turning more toward easier driving/handling/maintenance vehicles…hence the increase in restomods. The clutch pedal on that bone-crusher Muncie 4-speed gets harder to push down.

Our club’s decision making has been stacked at the top end (officer positions) with little trickle down to the main membership. With older members just plain getting tired and with younger members busy with all of their family responsibilities, it has become increasingly difficult over the past few years to recruit members to fill the officer positions. So, as John Buchanan noted in the last newsletter, the club now has a seven-member Board of Directors running the club. This has the advantage of spreading the decision making…filling a board position will be a lot less daunting than having someone accept the role of Pres/VP. Any input that any of the club members have for the Board of Directors would be appreciated. In their new role, the seven-member Board will have to get a feel for how to operate. Since this is a new way operating, we will see how it goes.

Your new 2021 Board of Directors

ED NOTE: Your Board of Directors, challenged with running the Mass Cruisers with less than a quarter tank of gas, held its first business meeting of 2021 on Tuesday 1/19/2021 and, with a mandated number of no more than 10 members in the Bass Pro Shops Conservation meeting room wearing face masks and properly social distanced, we are looking ahead for a year filled with hope and promise. Hope that the COVID-19 pandemic will finally be brought under control with an unprecedented world-wide vaccination program and the promise that we, along with all of our fellow car clubs and event site sponsors, will finally get to enjoy this hobby again without the encumbrances our government has mandated to achieve herd immunity

Monthly Crusin

Cruisin’ at the speed of fun CRUIZN EVENTS CALENDAR

By John Buchanan

2015 ROUTE 66 CRUIZN MEMORIES ROADKILL CAFÉ IN SELIGMAN ARIZONA

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Monthly Crusin

Cruisin’ at the speed of fun 2021 HERE WE ARE???

By John Buchanan

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Modernizing My 1966 MUSTANG

By Rich Armando

My with accepting payment with a personal check and let me take the engine right on the spot.

Continued on Page 7

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“CLIMB TO THE CLOUDS” COVID-19 PROJECT

by John Buchanan

Club members are accustomed to seeing John Ricker’s red 1986 Porsche Turbo 944 at club events like the annual U.S. Route 6 Provincetown cruise weekend pictured here parked at MacMillan Pier.

What many may not be aware of is that John also has another 1986 Porsche Turbo 944 that he purchased three years ago to initially road rally race then modified it last year to participate in New England Hillclimb Association (NEHA) sponsored events. He had also planned to compete in the Mount Washington “Climb to the Clouds” auto hill climb, a New Hampshire Sports Car Club sponsored event that is the oldest hill climb event in North America that was originally scheduled for July 10-12, 2020. Enter COVID-19 and this once-every-three year event was postponed to July 8-11, 2021 mostly due to the travel restrictions being imposed affecting the International participants selected for the 75-80 car field. Entrants selected to compete for this prestigious event included John with his COVID-19 era prepped ‘86 Porsche Turbo 944.

Modifications to the 944 during the COVID shut down included installing a full rally roll cage, replacing the sun roof with solid sheet metal, removing the a/c & fab a replacement mounting bracket for the alternator, replace the stock bucket seat with a Sparco PRO ADV lightweight racing seat, 6 point racing harness, quick release steering wheel, heavy duty brakes and Koni shocks. Work remaining is replacing the stock open rear differential with a factory limited slip unit, paint & graphics. Continued on Page 8

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“CLIMB TO THE CLOUDS” COVID-19 PROJECT CONTINUED FROM Page 6

If you were wondering how John made it through the strict selection process from all the applicants that were submitted for the 2020 hill climb, he is no novice rally racer. John competed in SCCA open class rally racing events from 1975 through 1990 in Maine, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Ohio, Washington state as well as New Brunswick & Nova Scotia in Canada campaigning a RWD Dodge Colt powered with a full race prepared 1600 cc 150 HP Mitsubishi 4G3 & 5 speed tranny. When not rally racing, he would also volunteer as a national race course safety steward at the off-road course events as well at the Mount Washington ’Climb to the Clouds” races when they were reinstated in 1990’s.

I’ve marked my calendar for the July 8-11, 2021 weekend and booked a room in Gorham to attend the Saturday practice qualification runs and Sunday’s “Climb to the Clouds” race. Any other club members out there interested in supporting John during his inaugural COVID-19 bucket list “Climb to the Clouds” adventure?

And, for fellow long haul Cruisers thinking about experiencing a Rocky Mountain high, mark your “Bucket List” calendar for the last weekend of June 2022. That’s when John is hoping to bring the Porsche out to the 100th running of the Pike’s Peak International Hill Climb “Racing to the Clouds” event. I’m putting it on my 2022 CRUIZN Bucket List.

Race readied for the Mt. Washington “Climb to the Clouds

https://mt-washington.com/climb-to-the-clouds/general-info/spectator-info-tickets

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Cruisin’ at the speed of fun

Support Our Advertisers

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COVID-19 PROJECT:TWO MEMBER MOVE

by Diane Thornton

Mike and Lorna Rabbitt Mass Cruisers, Michael and Lorna Rabbitt, began their dialogue of moving to a new home before Covid-19 was even imagined. Corona was still a beer. A pandemic was a scourge from ancient times. Face masks were used by bank robbers. Toilet paper was not a valuable commodity And that was only back in September of 2019.

The start about moving was a simple conversation. Lorna calls it an “If’n talk”.

If’n you could live in your dream home, what would it have? One floor? Stairs? New construction or existing? Garage? How many bays?

If’n you did move, where would you go? How far away would you relocate yourself from important landmarks of your current life (Patriot Place for the Bass Pro Shops Cruise Nights; the barn where Lorna’s horse lives; Beverly, MA for Michael’s work; Wellesley for Lorna’s work; Kentucky where their daughter lives)?

It was one of those talks we’ve all had at one time or another, a little dreamin’ n’ wishful thinkin’.

Time goes by because there are more talks, weighing options, making lists, perusing real estate listings, but then, the decision gets made and the fun begins.

Because the Rabbitt homestead in West Newton had been the residence of four generations of Rabbitt's, a primary topic was where to go? It really wasn’t this simple, but it sounds simple: Michael took a map of Eastern Massachusetts and drew circles on the map estimating a 30-35 mile radius.

The center of one circle was Grafton where Lorna keeps her horse. The center of the other circle was Patriot Place. The intersecting, overlapping area (the lens, aka: the sweet spot) became a primary focus for their dream home search. Unfortunately, the search coordinated with the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic – March 2020. They persevered utilizing Covid safety regulations and made an offer on a brand new, under-construction property in Uxbridge, MA that advertised that it would be ready in May! Fast forward through finding a buyer for their generational homestead and beginning to pack for the big move! Besides other friends and family, Mike and Lorna had the help of several Mass Cruisers members: Bob Hines, Rick Lawlor, Diane and Dave Thornton and Steve Huntington. Hot summer days, packing, cleaning and organizing with face masks in place…

Before they knew it, on June 19th, the Rabbitts bought their new home! But with the closing on West Newton now looming just a week away, there was little time to celebrate! The focus during the final week was on maximizing the hauling capacity of the last dumpster (#4, to be exact). Adding to the juggle, Covid-19 rules and regulations had closed the local recycle center, thus household hazard waste (chemicals, oil base paint, varnish, waste oils, etc.) were packed and included with the move out to Uxbridge, not the dumpster!

When the final dumpster was removed from the West Newton driveway with only 2 days left to move out, the “eleventh hour” had arrived. The dumpster blocked the use of the driveway, so now Mike’s resident Imperial convertible could be transported to Uxbridge (the 1968 Imperial hardtop was already in storage in Norfolk). Access to a truck and car trailer from key Club members had been an option, but the days of packing and moving were still only 24 hours long and a finalized game plan was stymied. A flatbed A well packed dumpster carrier was scheduled that could fill the needs of transport and the Bring on the next one…... convertible was shipped out from West Newton. .

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COVID-19 PROJECT:TWO MEMBER MOVE CONTINUED FROM Page 10

Lorna, their cats Will & Grace, were at the new home to take receipt of the convertible when it arrived.

The Imperial convertible is spending the winter in Uxbridge.

The Imperial hardtop is testing out a possible new Uxbridge garage location before returning to its winter storage space

Mike remained back in West Newton (supported by Bob Hines and his trailer) identifying, packing, and hauling the last items. It was quite an exhausting final 48 hours! Many, many boxes were prepped and taken on the journey from West Newton to Uxbridge. As well as all their household stuff and many tools, two daily drivers, their two classic cars, two cats, and more! No small feat! But accomplished successfully, safely, and healthily!

Diane Thornton Maybe it was something about all the fun she was having packing and helping the Rabbitt’s with their move, but sometime in late May 2020, Mass Cruiser member, Diane Thornton, decided to sell her Walpole home for the past 6 years.

Prepping the house for sale meant yard work and elbow grease. Thankfully, by July, Covid safety concerns had become a set of common protocols, so showing her house was less stressful than what the Rabbits had gone through just a couple of months earlier. By Fourth of July weekend, Diane’s house was on the market and sold in one day…just 6 days after the Rabbits had moved into their new home!

Diane did not have to draw circles on a map in order to decide where to land for her next home. That decision was made simpler by moving to her hubby Dave’s home and setting up house with him in Foxboro…even finding space in the garage for her Mustang to safely reside!

With tons of help from her family, Dave, and other Mass Cruiser members: Mike and Lorna Rabbitt and Bob and Ann Hines, the process of moving went smoothly. And there was an added bonus from the Rabbitt’s move…Mike and Lorna shared their empty boxes with her! Score!

Lock, stock and ’66 Mustang are all in Foxboro now! Coincidentally, Foxboro being the town where New England’s Premier Cruise Night is based!

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P.O. Box 217 Wrentham, MA 02093

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