Wheels: Classic Cars

Wednesday, July 6, 2005

Shows/events • Weekly Cruise Nights

BY BRIAN BEAULIEU
Journal Staff Writer

Bruno Buldrigini of Cumberland wasn't deterred by the fact that this Rambler convertible was in hundreds of pieces when he bought it a few years ago. It took him two years, but he put it all back together.

Now he has a rare muscle car, with a 327-cubic inch V8. And yes, that's a stock American Motors engine under the hood.

AMC muscle usually means Javelins, AMXs and Rebels, but many people forget that the company was stuffing big V8s into Ramblers as early as 1957. The plain-Jane six-cylinder models were more popular, but the bigger Ambassadors could really move.

This one has an automatic transmission, power steering and brakes, and a power top. Most everything is stock, including the wire wheel covers, except for the aftermarket radio that sits atop the console. And the paint isn't a factory color, at least not a Kenosha, Wis., factory color. It's a GM red.

Buldrigini, a retired union carpenter, got so many parts when he bought this package that he could have built another Rambler if he had a chassis - or rather, a unibody. And, in fact, he has another Rambler at his winter home in Florida.

But he's not an AMC devotee. He has four other old cars: a '62 Olds Cutlass convertible, a '66 Thunderbird convertible, a '56 Olds 98 four-door, and a '68 Mustang. ``They're all my favorites,'' he says.

The Ambassador isn't perfect, but it's perfectly fine for going to cruise nights and shows, and Buldrigini is out several nights a week with it.

ENGINE/TRANSMISSION: 327 cubic-inch V8; three-speed automatic.

COLOR:GM Red.

MILEAGE:57,800.

PLATE: Antique 9972.

CAN BE SEEN: Tuesdays at Slater Park, Pawtucket; Wednesdays on Main Street, Woonsocket; Thursdays at Scrambler's, Woonsocket; and Fridays at McDonald's, Cumberland.

CONDITION: Solid 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.

SHOWS/EVENTS

Tomorrow -- Elm Street at Mason Field, North Attleboro, 6-10.

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

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

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

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

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

Sunday, 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 14 -- Inside Scoop, 1105 Scituate Ave., Cranston, 5:30-dusk.

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

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

July 16 -- Market Place Plaza, 1160 Stafford Rd., Tiverton, 4-dusk.

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, 4-7.

July 17 -- Quinsigamond Community College, 670 West Boylston St., Worcester, 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 20 -- American Legion post, Route 79, south of Route 140, Berkley, Mass., 5-dusk.

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

July 24 -- Hot Air Balloon Festival, URI athletic fields, Route 138, Kingston, antiques, Corvettes (9-noon), 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 Rd., Warwick.

July 31 -- Triumph day, Museum of Transportation, Newton Street, Brookline, Mass., 10-3.

Aug. 5 -- Mattapoisett wharf, Mattapoisett, Mass., 5-9.

Aug. 6 -- Ford Falcon show, Quality Inn, Route 83, Vernon, Conn., 8-3.

Aug. 7 -- Charlestown Seafood Festival, Ninigret Park, off Route 1, 11-3.

Aug. 7 -- Cumberland Festival, Diamond Hill Park, Route 114, Cumberland, 9-3.

Aug. 7 -- UMass. campus, Dartmouth, Mass., 8-3.

Aug. 7 -- Mazda Miata day, Museum of Transportation, Newton Street, Brookline, Mass., 10-3.

Aug. 21 -- Medway VFW, 126 Holliston Rd., Medway, Mass. 8-3.

Aug. 21 -- MG/Rover day, Museum of Transportation, Newton Street, Brookline, Mass., 10-3.

Aug. 27, 28 -- Military vehicle show, Quonset Air Museum, North Kingstown, 10-4.

Aug. 28 -- Vintage Ford day, includes Lincolns and Mercurys, pre-1970, Museum of Transportation, Newton Street, Brookline, Mass., 10-3.

Sam's Club, Route 6, Seekonk, 5-dusk.

Big River Inn, 809 Nooseneck Hill Rd., Route 3, West Greenwich, 5-8.

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

Seekonk Speedway, Route 6, Seekonk, 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.

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.

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.

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

Mohegan Sun, roof of Riverview garage, Uncasville, Conn., 6-9. Begins tonight.

Scrambler's diner, off Route 122, Woonsocket, 5-9.

Star Drive-In, exit 10 off Route 140, Taunton, 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.

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, 5:30-7:30.

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 [at] projo.com, phone (401) 277-7179, fax (401) 277-8175 or write to Brian Beaulieu, Journal Features Department, 75 Fountain St., Providence, RI 02902.