Wheels: Classic Cars

Wednesday, August 31, 2005

Shows/events • Weekly Cruise Nights

BY BRIAN BEAULIEU
Journal Staff Writer

Back in the day, Buick was considered a doctor's car, and this one is just what the doctor ordered for Donald Bottai of Pawtucket.

"Just look at the lines, those beautiful headlights," he says. "You don't find that on cars today."

Bottai, retired after 54 years with American Insulated Wire Co., has owned the car for 12 years. He bought it from a collector, Lou Read of Pawtucket, and it has only 43,000 miles on the odometer, having been stored for many years. But Bottai has been driving it -- to Massachusetts and New Hampshire, in fact, when he first got it.

"It's a heavy, good-riding car," he says, noting that it weighs in at 4,500 pounds.

The engine is big, too, a 320-cubic-inch overhead valve straight 8 that develops 130 horsepower. A floor shift handles the three-speed manual transmission.

This is basically a survivor, with one repaint seven years ago in a tan color that's as close to the original as possible. It could use new seat covers and a parking light lens, but Bottai isn't in a rush to make the Buick perfect. One of the few things he did was a valve job to allow the big 8 to run on unleaded gas.

Bottai is partial to cars from the 1930s.

"In the early '60s, I bought a '37 from Bill's Junkyard in Cumberland. But we had five children and a mortgage, and I didn't have enough income to keep it. I sold it for what I paid, $200. I vowed that I would get another one."

And this one is a keeper.

ENGINE/TRANSMISSION: 320-cubic-inch inline 8; three-speed manual.

COLOR: Tan.

MILEAGE: 43,000.

PLATE: Antique 3737

CAN BE SEEN: Tuesdays at Slater Park, Pawtucket, Fridays at McDonald's in Cumberland.

CONDITION: Mostly original, one repaint.

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

AUGUST

Aug. 31 -- American Legion post, Route 79, south of Route 140, Berkley, Mass., 5-dusk.

SEPTEMBER

Sept. 1 -- Regional High School, Route 106, South Easton, Mass., 6-9.

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

Sept. 3 -- Plainridge Race Course, Route 1 at Route 495, Plainville, Mass., 7 p.m.-10.

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

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. 10 -- Wal-Mart lot, Route 6, Seekonk, 5-8.

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 -- Cars and motorcycles, Fort Tabor, West Romney French Boulevard, New Bedford, 9-4.

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. 11 -- Car show and flea market, Brooklyn Fairgrounds, Route 169, Brooklyn, Conn., 9:30-noon.

Sept. 12 -- Corvettes, Mason Lodge, 75 Division St., East Greenwich, 6-9.

Sept. 16 -- Shawmut Diner, Hathaway Road, Exit 3 off Route 140, New Bedford, 5-9.

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. 17 -- Heritage Invitational, Heritage Museum, 67 Grove St., Sandwich, Mass., 10-2.

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

Sept. 18 -- Brockton Fair grounds, Route 123, Brockton, Mass., 9-3.

Sept. 18 -- All-GM show, Mass. Bay Community College, 250 Eliot St., Ashland, Mass., 9-4.

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 -- DeSantis Chevrolet, all makes show, Route 28, Brockton, Mass.,m 9-4.

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.

Rendezvous Leather, 690 Quaker Highway, Route 116, Uxbridge, Mass., 6:30-9.

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.

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.

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.