November 2018 Mass Cruisers Newsletter

Mass Cruisers Auto Club Cruisin’ at the speed of fun

November 2018 Sep 27 Cruise Winner: 1950 Ford F100, Page 4

Thompson Speedway: Page 6

New England Wireless 7 Steam Museum: Page 5

Provincetown Cruise: Page 7

INSIDE: Presidential Emissions CRUIZN Around Upcoming Car Events 2018 MAC Meeting We’re on the Web

Celebrating 27 Years of Cruisin’ Volume 27 Issue 11

November 2018

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 Dunkin Donuts and across the street from the Police Station. Visitors, guests and those interested in joining the Mass Cruisers Auto Club are welcome to attend one of our monthly meetings DIRECTORY

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PRESIDENTIAL EMISSIONS

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CRUISE WINNER 1950 Ford F100

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N.E. WIRELESS & STEAM MUSEUM

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THOMPSON SPEEDWAY

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PROVINCETOWN CRUISE WEEKEND

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CUZ’S CAR SHOW

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SUPPORT OUR ADVERTISERS AUTO SHOWS & EVENTS 2018 MAAC Meeting

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Club Officers President – Ed Beatty

Vice President – Diane Thornton Secretary – Patrick Touhey Asst. Secretary – OPEN Treasurer – Wayne Lestan Asst. Treasurer – Kevin Rushlow At Large Board Member: Steve Huntington

Special Assignments Webmaster – Steve Vining Managing Editor – John Buchanan Newsletter Editor – John Guravage

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Facebook – Patrick Touhey New Member Liaison – Don Cole SSgts. at Arms – Rick Lawlor & John Sturniolo Charity Coord. – Frank Bryant Food Pantry - Ralph Chadsey

By-Laws – Wayne Lestan MAAC Rep — John Buchanan Cruise Nights – Steve Huntington Sponsors – John Buchanan & Fred Tierney Club Events – Rich Armando Photographs – Steve Vining, John Buchanan, Steve Mirabile

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Presidential Emissions President Ed Beatty

At our October 9 Board Meeting I announced that I would be taking a leave of absence in October and November to address ongoing health issues, And, as has been our family’s practice, we spend the December holidays with Maria’s family in Sweden, so I have not been actively involved with club activities as in the past. Fortunately, our Vice President Diane Thornton has been able to step up and capably handle the role of acting President in my absence.

On that note, I want to remind club members that the November meeting will be when we take nominations for the 2019 slate of officers to be voted at the December monthly meeting. There has already been active interest in filling the President and Vice President positions and the transfer of Wayne Lestan’s Treasurer’s role to Assistant, Kevin Rushlow seems right on track as well while Wayne moving to take over Roy Rossman’s administration of the club’s By-Laws. The major position looking for a candidate is for club secretary which Patrick Touhey has been handling admirably since 2015. I want to thank everyone for the support that our Bass Pro Shops cruises have been given by our members under the direction of Steve Huntington. We were fortunate to only experience one canceled cruise due to rain, the October 11 Halloween cruise which was postponed to the 25th,. Everyone from the front entrance greeting, parking, set-up, HQ tent tee shirt sales, 50-50, food pantry collections and clean-up has garnered our cruise operations with recognition and praise from cruise car owners and spectators.

In conjunction with the election of the officers for 2019 is the renewal of 2019 club memberships which should start in November will be culminating no later than December 31. Please help us with this by mailing your dues to the club’s P.O. Box 217 Wrentham, MA 02093 address if you cannot attend either of the November or December Board or member meetings.

On a final note I want to recognize the recent passing of one of the Mass Cruisers founding members this past October, Fred Nagle. I’ve known Fred for the more than 20 years I’ve been in the club and always enjoyed our conversations about motors, cars and his love to go cruising. Fred was the club’s first Vice President while his cousin Rocco Guarnagia was President back in 1991. Fred also served as Car Show Chairman, Videographer and Cruise Director over the years in addition to assisting in creating the club’s original black satin jacket and logo, the prototype of which he left hanging on the clubhouse wall when he retired and moved to North Carolina. Rest in peace my brother.

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September 27 Cruise Winner

By John Buchanan

Chris Cerce of Chris Cerce Customs in Taunton debuted his shop’s custom 1950 Ford F100 pickup truck fresh off a two-year build at our September 27 cruise before delivering it to his customer David Bartlett on Nantucket Island. Although the beautiful black paint and custom stance provided by the Total Cost Involved chassis fitted with Air Ride suspension and custom Shott wheels, 20 inch up front and 22 inch at the rear, caught my eye as it drove into the cruise, the euphonious familiar sound I was expecting from a gorgeous custom resto-rod creation was missing and what whizzed past was the unusual yet unmistakable sound of a 4 cylinder Cummins turbo diesel. The 300 HP (600 ft. Lb.) Cummins is backed by a Tremec T-56 tranny and what else, a 9-inch Ford rear with 3.70 gearing.

The interior includes custom upholstered Tea’s bucket seats and Classic gages in the dash. And to finish off any show room quality truck build, fished oak planking with stainless steel strips make this worthy of taking home the Vintage Motorsports sponsored plank along with gift certificates for entrees for 2 from the Blue Fin Lounge, and Uncle Buck’s Fudge Shop sampler, a frozen yogurt cake from Menchie’s @ Patriot Place and two adult Patriot Place PLAY ACTION PASSES.

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New England Wireless & Steam Museum

By Zeke & Rose Sawayer

Our club attended the New England Wireless & Steam Museum’s annual 2018 old fashioned Yankee Steam Up event on September 29 in East Greenwich, R.I.. https://newsm.org/steamup/ Despite a little confusion on arrival – they were expecting a line of antique vehicles - we were parked as a club in the exhibit area. In the antique area there were several steam driven automobiles and a couple of Stanley Steamers, there were even a couple of steam driven boats.

The event was just beginning when we arrived with the smell of wood burning in the boilers that were generating the steam. Steam was everywhere; in some areas you couldn’t see anything. Several buildings housed all the machinery, some filled with manufacturing mill type equipment others filled with wireless communication equipment dating back to WW1. Hanging on the walls of the buildings were brass type gauges, old pictures of inside manufacturing plants, coal chutes and shovels. The machinery was all steam driven. Some were fitted with sheaves over 15 feet in diameter that were used to drive several other types of equipment at the same time. As steam was applied Models of steam turbines, pumps, engines, and electric generators for lighting. to the machinery these large Wooden structure in the forefront is a ceramic propane fired steam boiler. wheels began to move without making a sound. Amazing that the size and power of this equipment could be so quiet. Oil filled glass jars lubricated the bearings and couplings using a drip system. Prior to each piece of equipment being started a staff member from the museum would provide a brief seminar about the piece of equipment and its operation.

It turns out that steam generators, turbines, engines, etc. have become a very large hobby. Several vendors and exhibitors were showing off their steam engines, pumps, and generators. Does anyone know how a “hit and miss engine” operates? Some of the display engines were amazing and hypnotizing to watch; speaking to the owners was an experience and an education. They even had a popcorn maker that operated on wood that generated steam.

After the event Frank Bryant suggested that we all travel to Chelo’s Waterfront Bar & Grill in Warwick, RI on Greenwich Bay for a late lunch. It turned out to be an excellent suggestion.

John and Sue, Rose and myself, Bob and Johanna, Fred Tierney, John Ricker and of course Frank sat outside and had a wonderful lunch while we all admired a rodded-out golf cart. Later Rosie and I went to Frank Bryant’s boat where we took a stationary cruise on Narragansett Bay.

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Thompson Speedway

By Mark Crichton

I represented the Mass Cruisers at the October 14, 2018 Sunoco World Series 150 event held at Thompson Speedway. The Blue Hills Regional and Norfolk Agriculture Schools engine-build student teams were treated to a V.I.P. day of racing.

The event was hosted by New England Sunoco Racing Fuels and President John Holland, and was coordinated by MESH New England Magazine Technical Editor Mark Hurwitz.

I was expecting to stay for the morning but found the excitement surrounding NASCAR’s Whelen Modified Tour Sunoco World Series 150 race, with Justin Bonsignore taking the win along with the 2018 series championship, so much fun that I didn’t leave until well after 6:30 PM. The student team members enjoyed unrestricted pit passes, buffet breakfasts, and lunch in the Sunoco hospitality tent The students also attended the prerace instructional meeting with drivers and crew chiefs, informal interview & autograph session with the drivers & crew chiefs, participating in the race tire changing competition, green flagging the start of a qualifying race and being included in the photo op with Justin and his pit crew during the championship award ceremonies. It was a great experience that I hope will continue in future years. This is all about generating student participation in education and exposure to exciting opportunities in the automotive hobby. Congratulations to John Holland and his New England Sunoco Racing Fuels organization for being 100% supportive of this event.

World Series 150 championship series winner Justin Bonsignore

Engine build team members with NASCAR Driver Doug Colby (center with sunglasses)

Thompson Garage

Student flagging race start

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Provincetown Cruise Weekend

By John Buchanan

The threat of rain for the Saturday Oct. 13 Historic U.S. Route 6 cruise weekend to Provincetown kept many at home with mainly regulars showing up that had previously booked overnight accommodations at the host beachfront Surfside Inn on Commercial St. The rain held off for the long haul cruisers from Seekonk until reaching the Factory Five Racing (F5R) Rally Point coffee break & pit stop in Wareham. At F5R owner Dave Smith led the factory tour including an extensive visit in their R & D shop where both future product development models and a special build for NASCAR driver Joey Logano was being engineered using their new ‘35 hot rod truck kit.

On to the West Barnstable R.R. Station & Museum for the arrival of the 11:25 scenic coastal excursion train. After the train leaves the station, it’s off to the Cape Cod Visitor Center in Centerville where D.J. Johnny “Angel” Remedis is playing oldies and V.P. Patti Lloyd had coffee, water and those complimentary mouth-watering Cape Cod Potato Chips to snack on.

The rain continued intermittently all the way to the Province Lands Visitor Center parking lot in Provincetown where Cuz’s Car Club President Bob Bramwell had set up cruise H.Q. with his camper. The rain made the afternoon cruise rendezvous a bust, but the skies began to clear and the rest of the Saturday, Sunday and into Monday part of the weekend at the beach front Surfside Inn and outside fire ring in the evening plus free parking on MacMillan Pier for PTown excursions, along with all the great sunset and sunrise photo opportunities a fantastic weekend. With complimentary breakfasts at the Surfside, great early bird specials at Fanizzi’s waterfront restaurant next door and the East Side Market deli a short walk from the hotel, we could break out the wine and stay put for all our dining needs as well as watching the Patriots taking down the undefeated KC Chiefs. It was another great P-Town weekend and the Surfside beach front rooms got a thumbs way up from everyone.

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CRUIZN Around, Cuz’s Car Show

By John Buchanan

Bob Bramwell, President & Founding Member of the Cuz’s Car Club out of Westport, MA has been conducting weekly and, more recently for 2018, once monthly cruise nights at the Coldstone Creamery/I-Hop parking lot plaza across from the Dartmouth Mall for the past several years. Bob, you may remember, is our co-host organizer for the annual Historic U.S. Route 6 Provincetown cruise weekend. Well, Bob has been hankering to run a car show and, despite the dire warnings that everyone with car show experience he consulted with before making this decision, he went ahead and did it because he wanted to do something different. Somebody donated a bunch of trophies to Bob some time back and this may have been the tipping point. Storing then moving the trophy stash around for the past few years got to be a pain and he thought a car show would be a great way to free up some valuable garage space. He also liked raising money for The Coalition for Animals of Greater New Bedford that was promoting their Seniors for Seniors Pet Adoption Program that subsidizes the adoption fee for an over 55 senior to adopt a 5 year and older animal from one of the local participating shelters.

Bob’s concept for this new show was to limit the show entries to 1959 and older cars and trucks and recognize owner built vehicles with some more unusual awards like Best Lowered Tail Dragger, Coolest Custom, Wildest Gasser, Best Primer, Best Pinstriping in addition to the usual Best of Show, Best Paint, Best Engine , etc. and finally 102 year old “Fast” Eddie Bouliet’s Favorite. In addition to Bob being the Host and D.J. playing music from is collection of oldies, there was live music performances by the youth Showstoppers Entertainment singing troupe from Mattapoisett.

There was only one minor problem, Bob picked a date for his first show on the same date as the annual “Gathering of the Faithful” car show in Middleborough, 20 miles North on Rte. 105, a show that many of the local hot rodders attend each year, including “Fast” Eddie. As a result there was a small turnout for this first show, but the Showstoppers entertainment was superb and everyone with a 1959 and older vehicle went home with a trophy.

Bob said he’s not deterred and will do it again next year, only on a non-conflicting date with the “Gathering”.

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2018 MAAC Meeting

By John Buchanan

The Fall 2018 MAAC meeting was held Thursday at 7 PM in the Conservation Room of the Bass Pro Shops in Foxboro. The agenda was primarily focused to review the status of the 20 House and Senate Bills that MAAC has been following as the 190th General Court of 2017-2018 ended its formal sessions. Although we continue to work on the remaining non-controversial bills that have not yet been voted into law, efforts at the state house are impacted dramatically by the mid-term elections in November. In this group of bills is the Year of Manufacture (YOM) plate restoration bill sponsored by Rep. Keiko Orrall (see attached picture) who is now running for State Treasurer’s position. MAAC President William Ellis and Vice President Dean Zwicker met recently with the Registrar Erin Deveney to go over the details of what the restoration bill is all about and reviewed all the investigative work that both William and Dean have done to establish appropriate color code standards for the different year plates, maroon, green, black, white & blue along with examples problems and conflicts resulting with RMV clerks having to make qualifying judgements on whether or not plates are acceptable.

The preferred approach would be for the RMV to create a Commonwealth of Massachusetts Regulation (CMR) rather than attempting to clarify the existing vague wording in the Chapter 90 Law which outlaws modification of plates. They reported the Registrar was receptive to this approach, however there was no definite commitment at this point to create the CMR. So, much of the discussion at the meeting was centered on how to proceed. One suggestion from the floor was to write directly to the Registrar requesting support for a CMR to be created for restoration of YOM plates. This will be followed up.

As a wrap up, there was additional conversation about problems encountered with the new safety inspection procedures followed by setting the dates for the 2019 meeting schedule to present the slate of officers for the next spring meeting which will be on Thursday April 11 at the Bass Pro Shops Conservation Room. This is the same date for the Mass Cruisers season opening cruise night. Also, the Fall 2018 MAAC newsletter, which would normally have been available ahead of the October meeting, will be put together and sent out within the next month or so.

November 2018

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Member meetings are held the 3rd Tuesday of each month.

P.O. Box 217 Wrentham, MA 02093

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