​The AAA driver brought a flatbed but before loading the Buick he tried some banging and clanking and the engine started.  Wow that was luck and for the rest of the ride home the engine had to stay running.  We drove through many small towns that made for a much cooler ride than the highway would have on a hot day. Luckily the ’57 had a good ride except for the pesky wasp I had to swat while driving. Now it was becoming close to dinner. So, I stopped for us to rest and while keeping the Buick engine running we had ice cream for dinner LOL! After driving through a few more towns we finally arrived home at 5:00PM. The Buick has an appointment for a new starter and the new cables just arrived…after all, the old ones were only about 55 years old. We hope you will try the Waterbury, VT car show next year and we plan not to need any jumper cables!

NOTE: A few sample photos of cars that attended the event are displayed above. Below you will find a complete gallery of photos provided by John.

With spirits boosted after seeing excellent compression numbers, I resumed removing, cleaning, & refurbishing engine components.
 
A leaking crankshaft oil seal in the the timing chain cover was fixed first. Generally not a difficult operation but all hoses and the radiator had to come off first. Complicating matters was the worn shaft on the harmonic balancer where the oil seal rides. Because of that, simply installing a new oil seal would have done little to cure the leak. Fortunately I found a NOS harmonic balancer on Ebay for $70. After a nice coat of paint, she found a warm home on the front of my engine.
​

​I also found a NOS timing chain for $39 however it proved to be slightly too long to be any improvement, so I reinstalled the serviceable original timing chain.
 
Next removed was the dirty, greasy 6v generator. It was fully disassembled, cleaned, the bearings packed, and the armature shined up with fine sandpaper. The brushes were good so it was put back together and painted gloss black.
 
The exhaust/intake manifold was back from the machine shop after being resurfaced back to true. It was warped quite badly but there was enough material to make it better than factory specs. We left the assembly bolted together since it was risky to try to separate them just for a gasket that seemed okay anyway. Also, the shop welded a new plate into an area of the heat riser that blew out due to excessive heat from the stuck riser.  This is all cast iron and not easy to weld but the shop’s welder was well qualified.
 
After a new bi-metal coil spring was installed, she was given a new paint job, regular enamel for the intake and high temp enamel for the exhaust side.

​I reinstalled the manifold using  high tech flexible graphite exhaust gasket from a company called Remflex in Washington state. They withstand high temps and have 50% crush built in, won’t shrink or harden. We’ll see ! Originally these Buick straight 8s had no exhaust gaskets, just some graphite/kero concoction they slapped on at the factory.

​Of course my engine temp gauge stopped working so I managed to find a temporary universal replacement from a local NAPA (Never Any Parts Available :-) store for $24.00. I couldn’t believe the sensor bulb and fitting fit perfectly into the original hole in the cylinder head. Someday I’ll send my original out to be restored.
 
Having had enough fun poking around inside the engine bay, I turned my attention to the braking system. Thinking  I might as well have the car stop, not just go forward, I decided to undertake a full brake system rebuild.
 
Debating between a dual/power assist modern arrangement versus a stock original single master cylinder design, I decided on the latter. With minimal fabricating skills and my desire to stay original, I went with a simple replacement of original components. I installed a new reproduction master and wheel cylinders, all new steel brake lines pre-formed from factory patterns (In-Line Tube, Shelby Township, MI), new shoe linings and drums turned by Palmer Spring Co, Providence, RI.
 
Most importantly, I replaced ALL inner and outer axle bearing seals, and front wheel ease seals. Almost every one of these seals had varying degrees of failure, resulting in grease reaching the brake linings. It was not obvious at first but upon close examination, the grease had worked its way onto the lining surface.
 
This was a very dangerous condition that probably was very hard to detect by the previous owner as it occurred slowly over years of infrequent driving.
 
Seal replacement was not an easy job. The rear axles had to come out, which means removing internal parts of the rear differential and then grinding off the inner bearing races from the axle shaft in order to press on new races. Luckily, all the new oil / grease seals are fairly easy to find. Knowing which way the seals go in is very important as well.

Also obtained were 2 original radio static suppressors thanks to the generosity of one Bob Degoursey, our in-house oddball parts collector. These ingenious devices live inside the front wheel dust caps and help eliminate stray IR radio interference on the AM band. I’ve heard they also ward off evil spirits.
If anyone wants to learn more how these things work, reach out to member Ken Carr. He’ll set you straight.
​

Finally I bled the entire brake system of air, adjusted the shoes, and took her out for her first road test.
​

​She stopped great but the engine died after about a mile. It turned out the carburetor had  flooded. Managing to restart it, I limped home and later removed the carb. Again, after a quick disassembly, we noticed some whitish particles inside and blocking the float chamber valve.
 
Curiosity caused me to split open the new fuel filter I installed last winter. Sure enough, a piece of internal plastic had broken off and had come to rest clogging the float bowl. Beware of cheap foreign made fuel filters ! This week I bought and installed a traditional glass bowl type filter. She now runs fine and looks more like a 50s car to boot.

​Another heart stopping moment on this ill fated road test was the clattering of the hydraulic lifters. Darn infernal modern things !
 
I didn’t panic and start tearing the engine apart but reached out to a few seasoned car club members.  Their consensus was to add some Marvel Mystery Oil® down the push rods and a quart to the crankcase oil. After about 20 minutes of fast idling, she quieted right down. Perhaps the MMO broke up some dislodged crud and made the lifters happy once again. It made me happy anyway.
 
 I celebrated by taking a swig of MMO for myself. That’s my story and I’m “sticking” to it !
 
By the way, she performed well on the 2nd road test, especially after I released the parking brake about a 1/4 mile into the drive (oops).  Man, she took off like a F-14 Tomcat after that !
 
Afterburner backup lights???  What a great idea !

It's almost done! 
The project that started in the fall of 2018 is finally almost done.  A few details, final touches and road checks are all that remain to be done.

Starting with Photo 17 thru 23, with the first test drive Video, #18, the final 2 months are documented.
Special thanks to Ralph DeCaprio for all his wood working skills in making the WOODY a reality.
​
Yes, Tom and I are still speaking to each other, and both have had a great time building this Beach Limo.  We are actually talking about the next project.  Take a gander at the photos and video, and hopefully we will see you at cruise nights and shows with the Limo.
 
Dave Calabrese

THE TEST DRIVE

​It was late summer 2018, and my neighbor’s daughter came running over to tell me that the neighbor down the street was selling his limousine golf cart.  I had always liked it when I saw it driving around the neighborhood, and Pat thought it would be great for going to the beach.  I drove down the street in my 1969 Harley golf cart and stopped to look at the limo cart on their front yard.  The owner, Al had always been interested in my car projects, so I asked if he was in town.  The family was packing up the house as it had been sold.  Al had suffered a minor injury and was still in NY, but his daughter and I were able to work out an amicable agreement, and a half hour later I was driving the cart home.
It needed a little mechanical work and I proceeded to do the necessary repairs to make it a good driver.  At the WPRAACA Car Club picnic, Tom Link was surveying the Limo Golf Cart, and suggested that what it really needed was a VW chassis underneath instead of the Club Car drive train.  Tom and I were talking casually about building a Rat Rod over the winter, and so we decided that merging a VW Beetle with the Limo would be a good undertaking. 
We took a lot of measurements and looked up all the dimensions on a Beetle.  It appeared that the 2 vehicles were close enough that we could pursue finding an air cooled VW Bug. 
Limo golf cart dimensions VS VW Bug
 
Golf cart                                                     VW Bug
 
Rear Width – 65 inches                            60.5 inches
Rear WB – 39 inches                                approximate 50.5 inches
Wheelbase Length – 105 inches             94.5 inches
Front WB – 33 inches                               approximate 50.5 inches
Vehicle OAL – 150 inches                        160 inches
 
And so the search began for a suitable VW donor car.  We wanted something that had a good pan.  We were not overly concerned about the body condition, as we were not going to need the shell.  We looked at a few on line and even made a full day trip to Vermont to look at a Type II station wagon.  Tom, Dave Peterson and I towed my car trailer up and finally found the car.  We found that the car was not as presented, and had to pass on the purchase and drive home with an empty trailer.
We located a BAHA project that someone had started, and wanted to sell, just before we went to Hershey.  Over the week, I communicated with the seller and was able to set up an appointment to look at it when we returned.  Tom & I inspected the 1967 Beetle and found the condition to be more than acceptable for the price.  We brought it home, and the restoration work began.

​The engine was out of the vehicle and a second core of an engine was provided.  Research indicated that the partial engine was probably the original 1967 engine, and the complete engine was a 1963.   The engine would not turn over when we started, so we went about slowly using all Tom’s Techniques to slowly get the engine to turn over.  We were able to do a compression check, and three of the cylinders were pretty good, but the fourth only showed 20#.  We purchased a bracket to start the engine on the bench, a new starter and proceeded to get the engine ready to start.

​On the day we started the engine, it fired up fairly quickly, and we were sprayed with all the bedding material the mice had been using while living in the engine.  Surprisingly, once all the stuff blew out the engine began to run pretty smoothly.  We redid the compression check, and now all the cylinders were around 120#.  After a few more trial runs, we decided the engine would be ok to run and started to tear it down, clean and repaint.  We adjusted the valves, but did not remove the heads.  New gaskets, clutch, and alternator were the final major components and the engine was ready. 

​The next project was to remove the body and inspect the pan. We were pleasantly surprised to find that the pan was in better condition than we thought and only had a few pin hole rust spots in the Battery area. The rest of the pan was very solid, and we were able to sand, wire brush and paint the chassis and transaxle fairly easily.
At this point I started taking videos of the progress and the photos and videos that are included in this blog are pretty self-explanatory. The videos will show the progress I have described and the last few months of merging the vehicles together.

You can watch the entire video (20 minutes) by clicking on the first screen below. You can also watch just part of it and return later and pick up at any point by dragging the red button that appears on the video. If you want to view it full screen just click on the little TV screen icon in the lower right of the video.

It quickly became obvious to me that just because a car has low original mileage, doesn’t mean most of its systems don’t need refreshing. The following narrative bears this out.
    
In keeping with my goal of ending up with a dependable driver while retaining originality, I now began to inspect, disassemble, and repair all engine components. The straight 8, 263 cu.in engine so far has been fairly easy to work on, thanks to its large engine bay. No stripped bolts, no broken off studs, no lacerated fingers. So far anyway.
 
Firstly, a nearly severed fuel line was replaced before anything bad happened. A local auto parts store provided the needed hose and connectors. The introductory photo shows the new flexible portion of the fuel line as seen from the floor looking up.

Second was the reinstallation of the engine crankcase breather components previously removed, cleaned, and painted. Both the Buick and I can now breathe easier.
Next I decided to drain all coolant preparatory to inspect the cooling system. The coolant came out fairly clean but belied what I later found, moderate to severe corrosion and blockage in various areas. Here’s a picture of the thermostat as it came out, stuck fast in the open position. A once pretty brass baffle affair, it was probably original. A new ugly but functioning 160 degree thermostat is now in place.​

I jumped next to the stressful project of removing the intake/exhaust/heat riser manifold assembly without cracking it. Should it happen, I’d be looking at an expensive replacement ($700.00). It would be a real lonely Buick then :(
 
At the risk of incurring the wrath of one of our venerable club members (he’ll remain nameless but I think he has a ’48 Plymouth or something) I disregarded his advice to “leave the darn thing alone and just drive the car”.
​However, since it had a a frozen heat riser and failing, leaking gaskets I decided to pull it off.
 Providence was with me. I gingerly loosened each bolt a little at a time until she gently broke loose. Because I work alone I rigged up in advance my shop crane in a manner that evenly supported the manifold.
 

She had severe warping and a cracked heater box, not critical, but will be welded back by a competent welder at the shop.
 
Before it left, a friend and I managed to break free the frozen heat riser valve that was unmovable even after a month of squirting daily with penetrant.
 
I tried one last time heating the valve body with a propane torch while the shaft was beaten on by my Bosch hammer drill while being doused with penetrant. ​

That did it ! It freed up and after repeated turning, it actually worked. Simulating a running engine, the torch heat allowed the old rusty coil thermostat to expand and contract as the torch was held close then removed to permit cooling.

Next came the job of replacing a leaking engine block freeze plug. Technically it’s a casting plug, a term used when engine blocks are forged and workers need a way to remove the sand when the process is over. The plug apparently has no role in freeze protection contrary to popular belief.
​Good luck was with me as my retired master mechanic neighbor happened to wander over as he often likes to “supervise” my work. Seeing that I was having no luck banging on the plug with hammers, screwdrivers, chisels to remove the plug he suggested I stop before I destroy the block while he thought about a solution.
​

He went home and returned with his MIG welder in a golf cart. After handing me a fire extinguisher, he ran a bead around the plug’s rim. Immediately quenching it with water the cooling effect caused the plug to shrink away from the block. It then easily and almost magically was pried out without very little force. (and no damage).
By the way, the fire extinguisher, he later explained, was in case his hair caught fire, not the barn. 

Drunk with success, we went on to remove all large plugs on that side. A good thing too. Two were rusted paper thin and ready to fail sooner than later.

 I purchased an installation tool that insured they went in even without
distortion. A little Aviation sealant was applied to the mating surfaces first.
 Nothing like a magnet to extract those loose pieces of scale…
​

 
The above projects took me most of January. It was not all fun especially in a partially heated barn. The monthly highlight was in the engine cylinder compression test numbers.​ The shop manual calls for 118 psi per cylinder with a 10-15% acceptable variation between cylinders.
 Here’s my readings. They exceed OEM. A head modification in the ’51 production year or gauge discrepancies, methodology, I don’t know, but I’m leaving this one alone !!

​She first saw it arrayed on the computer screen from a dealer’s website in nearby Massachusetts—Shown alongside the overtly slick models of pretty much every sports car and barely street legal muscle car that lures the imagination of most antique car enthusiasts these days- the Buick’s age, color, price and condition (though really quite good)  made her a ‘standout’ for those reasons against all the other more flashy and expensive cars....a dreamy looking big ol’ gal looking for the right dreamer to come along to share some more fun memories with her again.
 
The Buick's story was an all too familiar one but one that never fails to pull at one’s heartstrings.  A cherished car from an elderly owner that reluctantly had to part with it due to declining health, declining use, and increased cost of ‘admission’ to an assisted living facility.  Her son had the sad job of finding a new owner for his Mother’s car—a situation that is also all too familiar to most of us.
 
“Awwww, look.......”   
And so they found each other and we found ourselves driving to Massachusetts to the dealership.
 
After just recently having completed an engine rebuild -along with the many other “rebuilds” to my 1932 Chevy Confederate, I was in no mindset to take on any additional large- and thus largely expensive- repair projects to this car if we acquired her.  
 
But I had laid down some rules with my wife and I was at least going to try to stick with them.  If the Buick looked in any way like it would need an expensive rebuild on ANYTHING we would not be falling for her tempting looks. 
 
At the dealership, other than some of the usual issues with a car that has been sitting idle, and some that I had already been made aware of,  I saw nothing major to turn us away.  Her price was definitely fair and I saw no reason why we should not purchase her.

   So here we are. I am merely the mechanic and maintenance person. While her interest in these cars certainly surprised me, who am I to question the acquisition of anything old and rusty ?!?
 

​In advance of any engine diagnosis, my first priority was the replacement of all fluids since the car sat for many years. The above photo shows what the oil pan looked like. I’m sure it was never off the car.
 
And of course the Dynaflow transmission pan was just as foul but check out the almost unidentifiable filter screen. It took 2 days of soaking in a carburetor cleaner to actually see the brass filter element. The poor Dynaflow was not getting any flow- or very little.

This above view of the transmission is from below looking up.

This is how the transmission appeared after hours of cleaning.

​With these 2 projects done, I moved onto degreasing the front end. Unless I could see everything, most importantly the numerous grease fittings, no real inspection could be made. This effort was taxing, lying on a cold concrete floor for 2 weeks while destroying a few shirts and pants in the process.
Fortunately, there was very little rust with most components looking solid and tight. In keeping with original factory look, many parts were not painted so I used clear lacquer to prevent rust.

​So that’s it for now. Next on the agenda is some light engine work and start-up diagnosis.

Car Fans: Check out the photo below. These are assorted parts that I removed from the Buick.  How many of these can you identify? Meet the challenge and put your answers in the 'Comments' area.
​Thanks!

Very few club members share with our group the story of how they acquired their old car(s).
Even fewer (I would venture none) have written a poem that expresses their pleasure in riding through town and putting smiles on the faces of pedestrians and other motorists.
We are fortunate that Barbara Coon has shared her memories with us in the following article. The story is told in the first person from the point of view of the 1937 Ford that we all know so well.
                                               Editor
​

------- Lost in the woods at Saranac Lake, New York until George found me. Hoisted me up on a tow truck and took me to my new home in Connecticut.
 
Oh my - he stripped me down, overhauled me, oiled and greased my parts while putting me back together. I looked so darn good I received several trophies at the car shows.
 
I had fun flirting with other cars and owners. My master has given me lots of loving care. I might be old but my rings and bearings still work and all my joints are well greased. My surface is well dusted and polished to a brilliant shine.
 
 Actually I'm in better shape than Barb and George! I might be old at the age of 81 but still traveling along the highways and byways.
 
Signed,  Old ‘37
​

​Driving to church one sunny summer morning in the antique car we were getting horns and hand signals and voices yelling at us ;  “Like that car!!” I got inspired and wrote my one and only poem! ~ Titled - The Antique Car.
 

The Antique Car
 A pair of antiques in an antique car
Cruising along having fun so far.
Hi there, hello there
From the antique car
You wish you were where we are
just cruising along in the antique car.

If you read part I of this story you would know that my overall goal is to make my Buick safer and better looking. It is getting there, slowly. I will try to make this episode a bit shorter than usual because as one friend has said “You use too many words”. He is right.
​
 After removing the instrument panel I just let all the gauges suspend by their very substantial wires while I addressed various issues.  The ammeter was removed with the intention of replacing it with a NOS unit that came with the car (box and all). I found that the needle on the old meter was fused to the meter face where the face had warped. Rather than mess with repairing that I decided to just put in the new one. While removing the gauges I had the battery disconnected. Each time I wanted to test something I reconnected the battery for the duration of the test only. I installed the new ammeter, again attached the battery ground lead, and tested the ammeter. It worked great! When I started the car the meter moved to the plus side indicating that it was charging. Then it slowly returned to center position as the battery was fully charged. After the test I turned off the engine and began to remove the temperature gauge. Unfortunately I forgot to disconnect the battery. As soon as I moved the instrument panel sparks flew all over the place from the area of the ammeter. I was startled so badly that my hands immediately flew upward and in the process I knocked the needle right off the new ammeter. After hours of trying to solder or glue the needle back on I gave up. I got out the old meter and pried its needle away from the face so it could move freely and then reinstalled it. At least it looked better. To my surprise I found that the old meter now worked showing a little charging on startup and quickly going back to center.
​

The speedometer was next. The old cable unscrewed easily from behind the speedometer head. Unfortunately this was not the case for the end attached to the transmission. I could not even see it, never mind remove it. As I slid under the left side of the car to get at the transmission I quickly became wedged in place before getting close to my goal. I had to jack up the car and crawl under again. I used 3 heavy duty stands and blocks under the front left wheel. This time I traced the cable with my hand and found it attached high up on the left side. ​

I put the instrument panel back in place. Rather than putting the nuts back on the studs of the panel I used small grommets. They hold it pretty good for now and will just pop off when I am ready to continue. Before putting back the radio I installed the fresh air vent and gasket. Unfortunately  I made a mess of the gasket. Bob Degoursey helped me remove the old gasket. He properly prepared and glued everything in place and used blue masking tape to hold the vent down while the seal cured. He did a great job! It is so good to have friends who know what they are doing around a car. There are plenty of them in this club!

What about the “One Thing Leads To Another” part? Well I broke one pushbutton on the radio while reinstalling it. A complete set of new knobs will cost $100 unless I can find some nice used ones. The heater hose under the dash fell apart when I moved it. I need to order that since it is a specialty item (not at your local NAPA store). Now that the instruments (except the clock) are sorted out I needed a new wiring harness.  I ordered the harness from RI Wire and received it in about 3 weeks time.  I have not installed it, though. Why? My engine compartment is looking a little messy with all that green paint worn away. The plan is to mask the engine parts and spray paint the firewall and other areas in the engine bay. That means I have to get some paint mixed and put in rattle cans (there is an auto paint shop in Coventry that will do this) and apply it in the springtime when it gets warm again. The usual morning temperature when I started this project was about 75°. Now it is 25° F.
 
I have labeled the wiring harness and have a good idea where everything goes. Springtime is going to be very busy.
 
Too many words? Oh well.
​

This was year number three at Hershey for me. I was excited to get going and at the same time there was some underlying tension.  All weather predictions indicated that most days would present the possibility of rain and at least one or two might be wipeouts.  The predictions were only partly accurate. Most days were cloudy but reasonably warm. Only Thursday was an absolute horror show. The drenching rain reminded me of my days of camping with Troop I Coventry … bad weather and camping always seemed to go together. At least we had a warm motel room to sleep in. The Days Inn of Lebanon, PA was warm, dry, cheap, and reasonably clean. That’s enough for me. ​

One of the best features of our motel was the gazebo. Each night, weather permitting, the crew of eight would gather at the gazebo in the center of our courtyard. We lounged on wicker and plastic chairs, some with cushions, under sparkling Christmas Tree lights. Our conversation was just loud enough to enable all to hear over the nearby lighted fountain that ran all day. Seasonal pumpkins and orange flowers decorated the walkways. Each morning we feasted on breakfast creations some of which were dispensed by a variety of mechanized marvels:
·         Juices, coffee, and milk from pull-the-lever dispensers
·         Raisin bread and folded cold scrambled eggs from the cold cabinet (eggs go in the microwave)
·         Oatmeal, sometimes thick and sometimes thin, from the big pot (add granola and/or raisins)
·         Cereal found in little one-serving boxes
·         Pancakes or waffles : these take two machines, one to dispense batter and one to cook and flip
·         Fresh fruit
​

Our days were spent sitting, selling, and for those interested, walking around the miles and miles of flea market stalls and the car corral. Two guys managed to trudge through the Thursday rain so they could pick up a bus ride to the AACA Museum. Although they were both thoroughly soaked, the museum was worth the trip. Our gallery section shows off photos of several of the displays. The Tucker installation remains as one of the most amazing museum shows anywhere. Its only competition was downstairs where they keep all the busses. What beautiful machines they have! Anything from one of the original Yellowstone Park coaches to the exact bus that carried Sandra Bullock and Keanu Reeves in the movie Speed was available for our close inspection. A somewhat more elegant bus was the one that had a bit part in Forrest Gump. Tom Hanks rode in it during a scene after a war protest rally. Of course one of my favorite scenes from the film is when Forrest gets on a school bus and meets Jenny for the first time.

​Of course we made a couple of videos of ourselves too. The most interesting ones were produced during the Thursday deluge. We were reminded of the difference between new, tight tents compared with old ones that tend to stretch and sag. All that water has to go somewhere. I remember a rather healthy stream that came straight down into my undershirt. That night most of us took showers before dinner rather than after.

​

​(Click on above arrow to see the video)

So, did the guys sell any parts? They sure did. The most successful are the ones who bring the most stuff and/or are the most creative. I don’t fit either of those categories. Enough said about my balance sheet.
 
If you are looking to have a good time with friends, eat out every night (the Quentin restaurant was my favorite), and browse miles of cars and parts, begin preparing now for next year. Everyone should go at least once!
​

Preferred Restaurant List:

A & M Pizza:  Good selection, huge portions. My favorite was the veal parmesan . The one we went to was right across from our hotel. Remember to stay on the cross walk!

Quentin Tavern: Great food, the best service, and everybody in town wants to get in at the same time.

​Gin Mill Restaurant and Tavern: Excellent selection, always crowded, great décor. Parking may be difficult but worth the effort.

56 Diner Restaurant : Just take exit 56 off route 95 in Branford, CT. This place is awesome! Great food at even better prices. The portions are large, the deserts are amazing. I had the prime rib special that included soup or salad and desert, all for $15.00. Thank Tom Link for this one!

​


​

Tom Regan visited me recently so I might do a photo shoot of his 2000 Camaro. The first surprising thing I learned about the car is that it is not his car. The car belongs to his wife, Ellen. Tom is just the nice guy who negotiated the purchase and gave the car to his wife.
 
For most of her life Ellen had never ridden in a convertible. She had no idea what the experience was like. Then one day she had an opportunity to ride in a friend’s convertible and that opened a whole new automotive window for her. She loved the car. That was all Tom needed to hear. He began looking for a really nice convertible that they would both like.  The 2000 Chevrolet Camaro Z28 that he discovered was owned by a young couple who had a growing family and the Camaro was not a good fit for small children. They were asking a very reasonable price that Tom was more than willing to pay. Of course Tom had to ask them what their bottom line was. No true car guy would overlook the opportunity to leave a little more cash in the family bank account. The couple consulted privately and to Tom’s surprise they came back with a price that was about $1,000 lower, a significant discount. The deal was done.
​

The Camaro Z28 has the Corvette LS1 V8 engine that puts out over 300 HP and accelerates like a bullet. Tom had very little to do to get the car to like new condition. The top needed replacing and so did the rug due to a leak that had got some mold and surface rust started in the carpet area. The top and back window was professionally replaced with new components that look great. The carpet was removed, cleaned, and dried and then put back in. It looks like new now and all the mold and rust are gone.
 
The Camaro has the automatic transmission, an option for 2000. If Tom had ordered the car new for himself he would have gone with the 6-speed manual. But this car was meant for Ellen and an automatic is just what she needed. The paint looks very good with just minor dings (hail damage) and a bit of age. Tom will be getting a repaint soon. If you are considering a paint job you might want to check with Tom first because the painter he deals with gives a great deal.
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This isn’t the first special interest car that the Regan’s have owned. Not too long ago Tom was perusing an online auction site when he noticed a really nice authentic 1973 Caprice. The 4-door car had an appealing light yellow exterior and a green interior plus a vinyl top. He put in a relatively low bid of $2500 on the Georgia car and then promptly forgot about it. Sometime later his wife approached him with a bill that said he owed someone in Georgia $2,500.00 and she wanted to know what that was all about. It took Tom a little thinking and he finally recalled the car that he had no expectation to win. Tom drove down to Georgia with his big 24 foot enclosed trailer and picked up the Chevy. When he found it the car had been stored for many years and had not been started in a long time. The outside was covered in white mold but the interior was like new. Once the car arrived home in Westerly a local detailer restored the outside paint and top to new condition. The 454 cubic inch big block with only 64,000 miles on it had not turned over in many years and Tom did not want to mess it up. He decided to call on the aid of a friend. His friend removed the distributor and the valve covers. He then was able to turn the oil pump through the distributor shaft. He kept doing this until he saw oil spurting out the ports in the head. They then drained the radiator and had it tested and cleaned. The automatic transmission was dropped (Tom had the use of a special transmission jack) and delivered to The Transmission Shop in Coventry where all necessary maintenance was done for a total of $70! The men also replaced two freeze plugs that were only accessible after removing the transmission. After all was reassembled and the old ignition was replaced with an electronic upgrade a liberal supply of Marvel Mystery oil was added to the fuel and the engine oil. Spark plugs and cables were replaced. Now it was time to turn it over. The car fired right up. It sounded a little rough at first but soon it was as smooth as new!
Tom enjoyed driving the Caprice for several years until he decided to sell it. One morning a local man knocked on his door and announced that he wanted to buy the car. He said he would return at 5:00 PM with the full price. He returned at the appointed time with the cash. Tom insisted that the buyer take back $500 since Tom expected some haggling. The nice elderly gent refused to take the discount. Tom refused to sell the car to him unless he accepted the $500. The deal was done. The buyer never once drove the car or even opened the doors to look inside. He also passed up the opportunity to drive it home while Tom would drive the buyer’s car. So, Tom drove the Caprice the mile or so to its final home. That’s when things got really interesting. The nice old man offered to show Tom around the place. The first stop was the garage which featured an original Shelby Cobra Mustang sitting up on a lift. It had about 8 miles on the odometer! The gentleman had originally bought the car new for his oldest son who unfortunately was killed in Vietnam and thus never took possession of the car. The Shelby is now destined to go to the younger son when dad passes.
 
And the story is not quite over. The elderly man insisted on showing Tom what he had in his basement. Down they went to the train room. Thousands of train sets, all in good working order, were on display. Racks of engines and cars lined the room. 10 complete train sets are in motion at all times. Every so many months the 10 sets are taken down, given preventative maintenance, and then returned to ‘display status’ while 10 more different sets are then put in motion. Tom was absolutely amazed by the collection.
 
I am sure Tom has many more stories to tell and I hope we hear more of them in the not too distant future. He plans to spend more time with club activities as he gets a little closer to retirement age.  Did you know he is on the lookout for a 1970-1971 Barracuda? But that’s another story. Ask Tom about it when you see him.
​                                           (Click on the photos for an enlarged view)
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