Wednesday, June 8, 2005
1931 Chevrolet Sports Roadster
Shows/events • Weekly Cruise Nights
BY BRIAN BEAULIEU
Journal Staff Writer
Until you get up close to this blue beauty you might mistake it for a Ford
Model A. Many people do. But it's bigger, and more rare, because only about
24,000 were made.
It's also more powerful, although the six-cylinder engine, with 26.3 horsepower,
is paltry by today's standards. Still, it cruises at 40 to 45 mph.
Jim Torres of Rehoboth, Mass., who has owned the car for six years, proudly
points out that it has 19,500 original miles, benefitting from being part of
a collection, and stored for 25 years. But it still needed a ground-up restoration,
which took him a year and half.
He had help from Biron Auto of Rehoboth in keeping the Chevy as original as
possible. About the only nod to modern times is the conversion of the running
lights on the cowl to directional signals. The paint -- Boatswain Blue with
black fenders -- was a factory color, and the yellow wire wheels, which carry
19-inch whitewalls, were first offered by Chevy in 1931.
The restoration required carpentry skills. "The frame is wood," says
Torres, "and there is wood in the doors and other places. Carpenter ants
did in many cars of this vintage."
Roadster is another word for convertible, and the sports designation is because
of the rumble seat, which puts passenger capacity at four. Other features include
an outboard-mounted horn, a hand crank, and a luggage rack meant to hold a
leather trunk.
Torres, who owns a muffler shop in North Providence, discovered some original-equipment
tools under the front seat, which lifts out to reveal a hidden storage area.
It was a pleasant surprise, sort of like finding out that this spiffy chariot
is a Chevy, not a Ford.
Engine/transmission: 194-cubic-inch, 26.3 hp six cylinder; 3-speed manual.
Color: Boatswain Blue.
Mileage: 19,500 original..
Plate: (Mass. 1931 vintage) 2486
Can be seen: Some Sundays at Sam's Club, Seekonk.
Condition: Pristine restoration.
If you have a classic car you wish to be considered
for this feature, please e-mail bbeaulie@projo.com with
details.
Shows/events • Weekly Cruise
Nights
The Main Street, Woonsocket, cruise kicks in tonight at 5:30 and will be held
every week until Aug. 17. Tomorrow night begins a new cruise night at Inside
Scoop on Scituate Avenue, Cranston, an event that will be held every other
Thursday. Pontiac fans will gather Sunday at Fiore Pontiac on Route 2, West
Warwick, for the 13th annual show sponsored by the Little Rhody Chapter of
the Pontiac-Oakland Club of America.
Cruise nights that are not held weekly are listed by date
in our shows/events listing.
JUNE
June 9 -- Regional High School, Route 106, South Easton, Mass., 6-9.
June 10 -- St. Mary's Church, Dartmouth Street, Dartmouth, Mass., 5-9.
June 12 -- July Fourth committee show, Guiteras School, Route 114, Bristol,
9-3.
June 12 -- Corvette day, Museum of Transportation, Newton Street, Brookline,
Mass., 9-3.
June 14 -- Brooks Pharmacy plaza, Washington Street, Canton, Mass., 5-dusk.
June 15 -- American Legion post, Route 79, south of Route 140, Berkley, Mass.,
5-dusk.
June 16 -- Inside Scoop, 1105 Scituate Ave., Cranston, 5:30-dusk.
June 17 -- British car rally, leaves from Gazebo at the Village Green, Route
116, North Scituate, to mystery location, 6-6:30
June 17 -- Shawmut Diner, Hathaway Road, Exit 3 off Route 140, New Bedford,
Mass., 5-9.
June 18 -- British cars, Heritage Gardens, 67 Grove St., Sandwich, Mass.,
10-2.
June 18 -- Camaro-Firebird day, Museum of Transportation, Newton Street, Brookline,
Mass., 9-3.
June 18 -- Military show and flea market, Hebron Fair grounds, Route 85, Hebron,
Conn., 8-3.
June 19 -- Corvette show, New England Institute of Technology, off Jefferson
Boulevard, Warwick, 9-3.
June 19 -- Rotary Club show, Portsmouth Abbey, Cory's Lane, off Route 114,
Portsmouth, 10-3.
June 19 -- Massachusetts Horticultural Society, Elm Bank, 900 Washington St.,
Route 16, Wellesley, Mass., 10-3.
June 19 -- German car day, Museum of Transportation, Newton Street, Brookline,
Mass., 9-3.
June 21 -- West Greenwich Plaza, 780 Victory Highway, West Greenwich, 6-dusk.
June 25 -- Orphan car day (Packards, Studebakers, etc.) Museum of Transportation,
Newton Street, Brookline, Mass., 9-3.
June 26 -- Forever Ford show, Goddard State Park, 345 Ives Rd., Warwick, 8
a.m.-2:30 p.m.
June 26 -- Smith's Castle, 55 Richard Smith Drive, off Route 1, North Kingstown,
10-3.
June 26 -- All-Chevy show, Diamond Hill State Park, Route 114, Cumberland,
9-3.
June 26 -- Oddballs Sports Bar/Hi-Way Bowl, 105 Chases Lane, Middletown, Route
114, Home Depot plaza, noon-dusk.
June 26 -- British car day, Museum of Transportation, Newton Street, Brookline,
Mass., 9-3
JULY
July 1 -- Mattapoisett wharf, Mattapoisett, Mass., 5-9.
July 2 -- Market Place Plaza, 1160 Stafford Rd., Tiverton, 4-dusk.
July 2,3 -- Uncas Ballroom, Convention Center, Mohegan Sun, Uncasville, Conn.,
10-6 Saturday, 10-5 Sunday. Limited to 250 cars. To register, call (508) 428-8055.
July 7 -- Elm Street at Mason Field, North Attleboro, Mass., 6-10.
July 9 -- Drive-in movie, Mendon Drive-in, 16 Milford Rd., Mendon, Mass.,
6 p.m.-on.
July 9 -- Micro and mini car day, Museum of Transportation, Newton Street,
Brookline, Mass., 1 p.m.
July 10 -- Rotary Club show and corral, Glen Park, off Route 138, Portsmouth,
10-4.
July 16 -- Motorcycles and hot rods, Ocean State Harley Davidson, 5 Albany
Rd., Warwick, exit 15 off Route 95, 10-5.
July 17 -- Quinsigamond Community College, 670 West Boylston St., Worcester,
Mass., 8-4.
July 17 -- American muscle cars, Museum of Transportation, Newton Street,
Brookline, Mass., 10-3.
July 23 -- Hopkins Field, Route 6, Scituate, 8-3.
July 24 -- Hot rods, Museum of Transportation, Newton Street, Brookline, Mass.,
10-3.
July 29-31 -- Autos of the World, show and swap meet, Goddard State Park,
345 Ives Road, Warwick,
July 31 -- Triumph day, Museum of Transportation, Newton Street, Brookline,
Mass., 10-3.
WEEKLY CRUISE NIGHTS
Sundays
Sam's Club, Route 6, Seekonk, Mass., 5-dusk.
Big River Inn, 809 Nooseneck Hill Rd., Route 3, West Greenwich, 5-8, begins
June 19.
Mondays
Burger King-Krispy Creme lot, Sockanosset and Pontiac Avenue, Cranston, 6-9,
begins May 16.
Seekonk Speedway, Route 6, Seekonk, Mass., 6-dusk.
Towne Pizza, Plum Corner, off Route 105, Rochester, Mass., 5-9.
Motorcycles, Chan's Restaurant, 267 Main St., Woonsocket, 5:30-8:30.
Tuesdays
A&W, Route 44, Smithfield, 6-9.
Oakland Beach, Warwick, 5-9, begins May 24.
Jukebox Diner, Route 6, Somerset, Mass., 5-9.
Slater Park, Pawtucket, 5-9.
Patriot's Bar and Grille, Routes 140 and 126, Bellingham, Mass., 6-9.
Motorcycles, Suzy Q's Place, 208 Plainfield Pike, Scituate, 5-9.
Wednesdays
Warwick Mall, food court entrance, Route 2, Warwick, 6-9, begins May 18.
Denny's, Exit 7 off Route 95, Coventry, 6-9.
Main Street, Woonsocket, 5:30-8:30, begins June 1.
Mohegan Sun, Riverview garage roof, 6-9. Begins July 6.
Thursdays
Scramblers diner, off Route 122, Woonsocket, 5-9.
Star Drive-In, exit 10 off Route 140, Taunton, Mass. 5-9.
TGI Fridays, Routes 117 and 2, Warwick, 5-dusk.
Paddy's Bayside, 159 Atlantic Ave. Misquamicut Beach, Westerly, 5:30-dusk,
begins May 26.
Fridays
McDonald's, Stop & Shop plaza, Route 122, Cumberland, 6-9.
Firestone tire store, Post Road, Route 1, Warwick, 6-9, begins May 20.
Gazebo at the Village Green, Route 116, North Scituate, 5-dusk. British cars
and others.
Milk Bottle restaurant, Route 138, Raynham, Mass., 5:30-7:30.
Saturdays
Carousel at Crescent Park Drive, Riverside, 5-8.
Cliquot cruise, Route 109, Millis, Mass. 6-9.
Gillette Corner, behind MacDonald's, Routes 10 and 202 Southwick, Mass., 6-9.
To list an event, e-mail information to Bbeaulie@projo.com, phone
(401) 277-7179, fax (401) 277-8175 or write to Brian Beaulieu, Journal Features
Department,
75 Fountain St., Providence, RI 02902.
