Wheels: Classic Cars

Wednesday, August 17, 2005

Shows/events • Weekly Cruise Nights

BY BRIAN BEAULIEU
Journal Staff Writer

This handsome pickup is part of David Tikoian's past, if only in an image from an old photo that ties it to the grandfather he never knew.

"It's parked in front of his store, Tikoian's market, in Providence, and it's the same color," says Tikoian. More than likely this isn't the same pickup, but when he found it 13 years ago in Chepachet, he knew it was a Rhode Island truck, and that was close enough.

Enough to eventually spur him to his first restoration which, with the help of family and friends, went so well that the Ford is probably in better shape now than when it left the factory in Somerville, Mass. The frame-off restoration, started in 2003, took two years.

"I had been driving it as is, but it was a little rusty, leaked oil, the paint was faded and the fenders and running boards had minor rot," Tikoian says. "I wanted to take it to cruise nights, but was embarrassed about its condition."

But it was original, and Tikoian, a state police officer out of the Scituate barracks, wanted to keep it that way. With inspiration from John Cece and help from his brother, Gary, friends Joe Molis, Rick Forgue and the folks at Smithfield Diesel pitching in, the results are stunning. Consider the beautiful oak bed, which is seldom, if ever, used.

There are virtually no options on the F-1, renamed the F-100 in 1953. The doors are metal on the inside, too, because this was a workhorse truck.

But now it's strictly for show and Tikoian, of Greenville, and his fiancée, Debbie, are proud to take it to various events, where it always draws a crowd.

ENGINE/TRANSMISSION: 215-cubic-inch inline 6; three-speed manual.

COLOR: Meadow green.

MILEAGE: 800 on rebuild.

PLATE: 1952

CAN BE SEEN: Tuesdays at the A&W, Smithfield.

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

IN THE SPOTLIGHT

The cruise night scene is changing this week, with two downtown sites closing up shop after tonight. The Woonsocket Main Street cruise night and the Attleboro downtown marketplace cruise are calling it another season, so this is your last chance.

Tomorrow night (Thursday), a special cruise night will be held at South County Commons, the shopping and living complex on Route 1 in South Kingstown. Classics and antiques will be on display between 6 and 8.

It's cars all day and evening in Tiverton on Saturday with two car shows, the annual Tiverton Firefighters show at the Patriots Club during the day and the twice-monthly cruise at Market Place Plaza from 4 p.m. to dusk. And on Sunday in Medway, Mass., off Route 109, is the annual Mass. Cruisers show at the Medway VFW.

AUGUST

Aug. 17 -- American Legion post, Route 79, south of Route 140, Berkley, Mass., 5-dusk.

Aug. 18 -- Regional High School, Route 106, South Easton, Mass., 6-9.

Aug. 18 -- Cruise night, South County Commons, Route 1, South Kingstown, 6-8.

Aug. 19 -- Shawmut Diner, Hathaway Road, Exit 3 off Route 140, New Bedford, 5-9.

Aug. 20 -- Patriots Club, 70 Shove St., Tiverton, 10-4.

Aug. 20 -- Market Place Plaza, 1160 Stafford Rd., Tiverton, 4-dusk.

Aug. 21 -- American Legion Hall,, Church Street, Northbridge, Mass., 9-3.

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

Aug. 27 -- Clement's Market, Route 138, Portsmouth, 11-3.

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

Aug. 27, 28 -- Mopar show and swap meet, Golf Land, Route 83, Vernon, Conn. Saturday 9-3, Sunday 8-4.

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 -- Buick show, Quality Inn, Route 20, Vernon, Conn., 8-3.

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

SEPTEMBER

Sept. 2 -- Mattapoisett wharf, Mattapoisett, Mass., 5-9.

Sept. 2-5 -- Vintage Festival, Lime Rock Park, 497 Lime Rock Rd., Lakeville, Conn., 9-6 each day.

Sept. 4 -- All-makes show, St. Angelo Buick-Pontiac-GMC, 500 Taunton Ave., East Providence, 8-4. Postponed from May 15.

Sept. 4 -- Fort Getty, Jamestown, 9-3.

Sept. 5 -- Labor Day show, Lodge of Elks, Attleboro, 9:30-3.

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

Sept. 10 -- Mustang show, Tasca Ford, 1300 Pontiac Ave., Cranston, 10-4.

Sept. 10 -- Porsche day, Museum of Transportation, Newton Street, Brookline, Mass., 10-3.

Sept. 11 -- Lions Club show, LaSalette Shrine, Attleboro, 8-3.

Sept. 11 -- Green Room, 145 Clifford St., Providence, 1964 and older cars only, 8-on.

Sept. 11 -- Mercedes-Benz day, Museum of Transportation, Newton Street, Brookline, Mass., 10-3.

Sept. 11 -- Invitation only, Prowse Farm, off Routes 128 and 138, Canton, Mass., 10-3.

Sept. 17 -- Middletown Rotary show, Fort Adams State Park, Newport, 10-3. Sept. 17 -- Heritage Invitational, Heritage Museum, 67 Grove St., Sandwich, Mass., 10-2.

Sept. 18 -- Cars and motorcycles, Dexter Street, Central Falls, 9-6.

Sept. 20 -- West Greenwich Plaza, 780 Victory Highway, West Greenwich, 6-dusk.

Sept. 24 -- Glen Park, Route 138, Portsmouth, 9-3.

Sept. 24 -- Briarcliff Manor, 49 Old Pocasset Rd., Johnston, 11-3.

Sept. 24 -- Pontiac GTO day, Museum of Transportation, Newton Street, Brookline, Mass., 10-3.

Sept. 25 -- Antique equipment, trucks and cars, Boro Sand & Stone, 192 Plain St., North Attleboro, 8-4.

Sept. 25 -- Corvette show, Heritage Museum, 67 Grove St., Sandwich, Mass., 10-2.

Sept. 25 -- Volkswagen Van day, 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.

Brooks Pharmacy plaza, Washington Street, Canton, Mass., 5:30-dusk.

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.

CAP auto store, Fortune Boulevard, Milford, Mass., 6-dusk.

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.

Bangma's dairy bar, West Hartford Street, Uxbridge, Mass., 6-9.

Carousel at Crescent Park Drive, Riverside, 5-8. Gold cruise, Gold's gym, 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.