Wheels: Classic Cars

Wednesday, July 20, 2005

Shows/events • Weekly Cruise Nights

BY BRIAN BEAULIEU
Journal Staff Writer

When Manny Correia of Providence bought this beauty five years ago, the seller had a question: How old was he? "When I told him I was 60 he said he would sell to me," Correia says.

The Meriden, Conn., seller, in his 70s, bought the car new and gave it a body-off restoration from 1988 to 1991. Then he stored if for eight years, and he didn't want a young buyer chopping it up for a hot rod. The Olds wound up in the right hands.

"I'm having a great time with it," says Correia, who goes to as many cruise nights as he can. He's been rewarded with a host of trophies and a group of friends who share his hobby.

The Oldsmobile is rare because it's a four-door, and most of them were family cars that wound up being crushed. And it's an eye-catcher with its two-tone green and black paint, abundance of chrome and styling touches such as the jet hood ornament and ornate wheel covers.

Although the car doesn't have power steering, brakes or windows, it has a signal-seeking radio with a floor switch, and an Autronic Eye headlight dimmer. And it has a couple of firsts for Oldsmobile -- the first year of the 12-volt electrical system, and the "new and improved" overhead valve version of the famed Rocket 88 engine, which develops 165 hp.

Correia, who had the front rechromed and the roof repainted, says he is still restoring the car as needed. He points out that all the glass is original, and that the undercarriage is painted to match the roof. He owned another classic, a '56 Continental, but he's having more fun now. "I'm lost in the '50s," he says. "When I saw the lines, and all that chrome, I just had to have it."

ENGINE/TRANSMISSION: 303-cubic-inch V8, Hydramatic.

COLOR: Fern green, lacquer black.

MILEAGE: 4,200 on restoration.

PLATE: Antique 4576.

CAN BE SEEN: Tuesdays at Oakland Beach, Warwick Mall on Wednesdays, Firestone tire store, Warwick, on Fridays.

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

A couple of changes are on the cruise night schedule this week as the Crescent Park carousel Saturday night cruise in the Riverside section of East Providence takes the week off. It will return next week for the rest of the season, except for Aug. 13.

The new cruise at Appetites Restaurant on Tiogue Avenue in Coventry has been changed from Thursday nights to Mondays.

The Mustang Club of New England will hold a roundup for all cars in the Ford family, including Lincolns, Mercurys and anything powered by Ford, including Shelbys and Sunbeam Alpine Tigers. It will be Sunday at Rodman Ford, across from Gillette Stadium in Foxboro. The Mustang Club is planning a similar show in Warwick this fall.

Hot rods and motorcycles will be on display at the annual show at Ocean State Harley Davidson in Warwick on Saturday. On Sunday, White's of Westport will hold a car show from 4-7 with a sock hop afterward.

Cruise nights that are not held weekly are listed by date just below.

July 20 -- American Legion post, Route 79, south of Route 140, Berkley, Mass., 5-dusk.

July 21 -- Regional High School, Route 106, South Easton, Mass., 6-9.

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

July 24 -- Hot Air Balloon Festival, URI athletic fields, Route 138, Kingston, antiques, Corvettes (9-noon), British cars, motorcycles, 5:30 a.m.-dusk.

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

July 26 -- Brooks Pharmacy plaza, Washington Street, Canton, Mass., 5-dusk.

July 28 -- Inside Scoop, 1105 Scituate Ave., Cranston, 5:30-dusk.

July 29-31 -- Autos of the World, show, auction and swap meet, Goddard State Park, 345 Ives Road, Warwick.

July 30 -- Cruise, rod and car show and swap meet, Old Colony and Fall River Railroad Museum, opposite Battleship Cove, 10-4.

July 31 -- Green Room, 145 Clifford St., Providence, 1964 and older cars only, 8-on.

July 31 -- Cars, trucks, motorcycles, Livesey Park, Fairhaven, Mass., 8-3.

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

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

Aug. 6 -- Ford show, Tasca Ford, Route 37 at Pontiac Avenue, Cranston, 9-3.

Aug. 6 -- Market Place Plaza, 1160 Stafford Rd., Tiverton, 4-dusk.

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 State Park, Route 114, Cumberland, 9-3.

Aug. 7 -- Corvette show, Marina Park, Salt Pond Road, off Route 1, South Kingstown, 8:30-3.

Aug. 7 -- Car show and flea market, UMass. campus, Dartmouth, Mass., 9-3.

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

Aug. 12 -- St. Mary's Church, Dartmouth Street, Dartmouth, Mass., 5-9.

Aug. 16 -- West Greenwich Plaza, 780 Victory Highway, West Greenwich, 6-dusk 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 -- Show and flea market, Somerset Middle School, 1141 Brayton Ave., Somerset, 10-5.

Aug. 28 -- Plainfield School, Route 14A, Plainfield, Conn., 8-4.

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.

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

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. .

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.