Wheels: Classic Cars

Wednesday, June 29, 2005

Shows/events • Weekly Cruise Nights

BY BRIAN BEAULIEU
Journal Staff Writer

This snazzy red Thunderbird has been around Rhode Island a while, but you don't see it that much any more. That's because owner Rich McCormack usually has it housed in his climate-controlled garage.

"My garage has a dehumidifier," McCormack explains. "Keeping the moisture out of the air is the most important thing in preserving an older car." He lives in Riverside, where the air can really get moist.

McCormack, who owns a Providence pub bearing his name, isn't one of those hands-on guys who does everything himself. He bought the car in the shape that it's in -- perfect -- from the pair who restored it from the ground up: cartoonist Don Bousquet, a well-known Ford enthusiast, and fellow South County car guy Bob Amey. They completed the project in 1992, and McCormack took possession seven years go.

The 1955 model was the first year for the T-Bird, meant to be Ford's answer to the Corvette. Styling cues like the taillights and hooded headlights were taken from bigger Fords, but other pieces, like the door handles and twin exhausts through the rear bumper, belonged to the Bird.

This T-Bird is fully powered: steering, seats, windows, etc., and has an automatic transmission hooked up to the V8. It has a hardtop, but it's off for summer cruising. And although the wire wheels have the Thunderbird name in the center cap, they are aftermarket add-ons that set off this red beauty nicely.

McCormack can usually be seen at cruise nights with his other roadster, a black 1999 Corvette remade to resemble a 1953 model, one of two in Rhode Island. He's a car guy, but he doesn't favor a particular brand. The T-Bird is for nostalgia.

"I owned a '55 in 1957," he says. "I've had a lot of cars, a Mercedes, a Prowler -- some I regret getting rid of."

So even though the Thunderbird doesn't get a lot of use, he's holding onto it, and taking it out every so often, for old-times sake.

ENGINE/TRANSMISSION: 292 cubic-inch V8; three-speed automatic.

COLOR: Torch Red.

MILEAGE: 8,000 on rebuild.

PLATE: Antique 3340.

CAN BE SEEN: Some Tuesdays at Oakland Beach.

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

As cruise nights gain in popularity, new ones keep cropping up, including three in the West Bay area, two of them on Route 3. On Sunday evenings, the Big River Inn at 809 Nooseneck Hill Rd., West Greenwich, began a new event a couple of weeks ago. And on Mondays, the Middle of Nowhere diner, 223 Nooseneck Hill Rd., Exeter, is hosting cars and motorcycles.

Appetites Family Restaurant on Lake Tiogue in Coventry has begun a new event running every Thursday night through September. General manager Rick Choquette says it's the result of many requests through the years.

Also new every other Thursday is the cruise at the Inside Scoop, 1105 Scituate Ave., Cranston.

In North Providence, on Wednesday nights, Club Raymond, the site of the former Charles Pub on Charles Street, began last week. And the Green Room, on Clifford Street in Providence, has begun a twice-a-month cruise for cars up to 1964. The street is blocked off, so space limits the number of vehicles to customs and hot rods from the era. Some people dress up in the fashions of the '50s.

Returning tonight is the weekly Wednesday Night Market cruise in downtown Attleboro, at the corner of Park Street. The event, in its 10th year, is from 5 to 8:30 and runs through Aug. 17.

Cruise nights that are not held weekly are listed by date in our shows/events listing.

JUNE

June 30 - Inside Scoop, 1105 Scituate Ave., Cranston, 5:30-dusk.

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 6 -- American Legion post, Route 79, south of Route 140, Berkley, Mass., 5-dusk.

July 7 -- Elm Street at Mason Field, North Attleboro, Mass., 6-10.

July 7 -- Regional High School, Route 106, South Easton, Mass., 6-9.

July 8 -- St. Mary's Church, Dartmouth Street, Dartmouth, Mass., 5-9.

July 9 -- McDonald's, Route 6, Swansea, 11:30-1:30.

July 9 -- Drive-in movie, Mendon Drive-in, 16 Milford Rd., Mendon, Mass., 6-on.

July 9 -- Micro and mini car day, Museum of Transportation, Newton Street, Brookline, Mass., 1.

July 10 -- Rotary Club show and corral, Glen Park, off Route 138, Portsmouth, 10-4.

July 12 -- Brooks Pharmacy plaza, Washington Street, Canton, Mass., 5-dusk.

July 15 -- Shawmut Diner, Hathaway Road, Exit 3 off Route 140, New Bedford, Mass., 5-9.

July 16 -- Motorcycles and Hot Rods, Ocean State Harley Davidson, 5 Albany Rd., Warwick, exit 15 off Route 95, 10-5.

July 17 -- Green Room, 145 Clifford St., Providence, 1964 and older cars only, 8-on.

July 17 -- White's of Westport, 66 State Rd., Westport, Mass., 4-7.

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 19 -- West Greenwich Plaza, 780 Victory Highway, West Greenwich, 6-dusk.

July 23 -- Hopkins Field, Route 6, Scituate, 8-3.

July 24 -- Hot Air Balloon Festival, URI athletic fields, Route 138, Kingston, antiques, Corvettes, British cars, motorcyles, 5:30 a.m.-dusk.

July 24 -- Hot Rods, Museum of Transportation, Newton Street, Brookline, Mass., 10-3.

July 29-31 -- Autos of the World, show, auction 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.

Mondays

Burger King-Krispy Kreme lot, Sockanosset Road and Pontiac Avenue, Cranston, 6-9.

Seekonk Speedway, Route 6, Seekonk, Mass., 6-dusk.

Middle of Nowhere diner, 223 Nooseneck Hill Rd., Route 3, Exeter, cars and motorcycles, 5-8:30.

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.

Jukebox Diner, Route 6, Somerset, 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.

Denny's, Exit 7 off Route 95, Coventry, 6-9.

Main Street, Woonsocket, 5:30-8:30.

Club Raymond, 1084 Charles St., North Providence, 5-9.

Downtown Attleboro, 5-8:30, begins tonight.

Florentina restaurant, Route 140, Franklin, Mass., 6-9.

Mohegan Sun, roof of Riverview garage, 6-9. Begins July 6.

Thursdays

Scrambler's 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. .

Appetites Restaurant, 473 Tiogue Ave., Coventry, 5-8.

Paddy's Bayside, 159 Atlantic Ave. Misquamicut Beach, Westerly, 5:30-dusk.

Fridays

McDonald's, Stop & Shop plaza, Route 122, Cumberland, 6-9.

Firestone tire store, Post Road, Route 1, Warwick, 6-9.

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.

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.