Wheels: Classic Cars

Wednesday, Sept. 28, 2005

Shows/events • Weekly Cruise Nights

BY BRIAN BEAULIEU
Journal Staff Writer

This car is a legend, known across the country as a striking example of what can be done with a little imagination and a lot of hard work. Two years ago at Chryslers at Carlisle, the giant meet in Pennsylvania, it occupied a premier spot in the show tent.

It's a Charger convertible, the car that Dodge never made but Pete Christensen of Pawtucket did, vaulting him into star status among Mopar fans. (Mopar is car-speak for cars and parts made by Chrysler). He is considered one of the country's premier classic Mopar builders, and it's not even his full-time job.

Christensen, a maintenance supervisor at the ACI, became a Charger fan because his parents owned one. He had one in high school -- and that car is still in his stable of projects.

The droptop started life as a 1968 Plymouth Satellite convertible. Christensen found a donor Charger body and got out his welding gear to blend the two. And it wasn't an easy fit in many spots. He kept slicing away at the rear deck as a friend held it in place, and the trunk is two pieces welded together. This made more sense than cutting off a hardtop, because convertibles need a stiffer frame and the body would have buckled.

If it's not a numbers-matching restoration, Christensen likes to have some fun, so he equipped the Charger with a three-pronged Hurst shifter, a giant black hood scoop over the 440 V8, and Dodge Challenger exhaust pipes coming out of the side.

He found the seat covers at Legendary, the top interior provider for classic cars, and the orange and black decor dictated the car's paint, Vitamin C Orange, one of Mopar's high-impact colors from the '70s.

Christensen drives it when he can, but he has a whole host of projects ahead of him, including a 1970 Challenger convertible his wife has requested. He just bought a 510-hp crate Hemi for his high school Charger, and he has a winged Daytona and a Lil' Red Express truck awaiting restoration. But first, he's building a garage to house his fleet.

ENGINE/TRANSMISSION: 440-cubic-inch V8; Torqueflite automatic with Hurst shifter.

COLOR: Vitamin C Orange.

MILEAGE: 90,000 on odometer.

PLATE: Antique 3114

CAN BE SEEN: Sundays at Sam's Club in Seekonk.

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 Mustang Club of New England, some 300 members strong, will hold its first Rhode Island car show in several years Sunday at New England Institute of Technology, Warwick. The club, which has been around since 1982, will host all Ford family cars.

At the Foster Fairgrounds truck show and tractor pull on Sunday, spectators are asked to bring a nonperishable food item for the Rhode Island Community Food Bank. Cars and trucks will be on display Saturday at the Warwick Rotary Club show at Oak Harbour Village in Exeter.

Also on Saturday, the A&W drive-in on Route 44, Greenville, will wind up its season with a farewell cruise from noon to 4. The A&W hosts a popular Tuesday night cruise throughout the season. And British car buffs will find their way to Edaville Railroad in Carver, Mass. for a family fun day on Saturday.

The Middletown Rotary Club show, postponed from Sept. 17, will try again Sunday at Fort Adams State Park, Newport.

OCTOBER

Oct. 1 -- Cars and trucks, Oak Harbour Village, Route 2, South County Trail, Exeter, 10-2.

Oct. 1 -- A&W, Route 44, Smithfield, noon-4.

Oct. 1 -- British car day, Edaville Railroad, Carver, Mass., 10-4.

Oct. 1 -- Japanese car day, Museum of Transportation, Newton Street, Brookline, Mass., 10-3.

Oct. 2 -- Middletown Rotary show, Fort Adams State Park, Newport, 10-3. (Postponed from Sept. 17).

Oct. 2 -- Mustangs and Fords, Lincolns, Mercurys, New England Institute of Technology, Access Road, off Jefferson Boulevard, Warwick, 9-4. Rain date Oct. 9.

Oct. 2 -- Toys for Tots motorcycle run, leaving Lincoln Park at 1 p.m., ending at Russo's Trucking, Providence.

Oct. 2 -- Truck show and tractor pull, Foster Fairgrounds, Route 94 off Route 6, 8-3.

Oct. 9 -- Fun run, Memorial Park, Route 6, Johnston, 9-3. Admission is two canned goods, plus toy for Toys for Tots.

Oct. 16 -- Knights of Columbus, 304 Highland Ave., Attleboro, 9-4.

Oct. 16 -- Swedish car day, Museum of Transportation, Newton Street, Brookline, Mass., 10-3.

Oct. 23 -- Studebaker day, Museum of Transportation, Newton Street, Brookline, Mass., 10-3.

Sundays

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

Mondays

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

Towne Pizza, Plum Corner, off Route 105, Rochester, Mass., 5-9.

Tuesdays

Jukebox Diner, Route 6, Somerset, 5-9.

Slater Park, Pawtucket, 5-9.

Motorcycles, Suzy Q's Place, 208 Plainfield Pike, Scituate, 5-9.

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

Wednesdays

Market Square, Woonsocket, 5-8:30. Ends tonight.

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

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

Thursdays

Star Drive-In, exit 10 off Route 140, Taunton, 5-9.

TGI Fridays, Routes 117 and 2, Warwick, 5-dusk.

Fridays

McDonald's, Stop & Shop plaza, Route 122, Cumberland, 6-9. Ends Sept. 30.

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. Ends Sept. 30.

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

Saturdays

Carousel at Crescent Park Drive, Riverside, 5-8. Ends Oct. 1.

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.