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.
​

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)
​

The trip began Thursday, the 19th, 2018 at 6:00 AM at the Dunkin Donuts in Mystic.
4 cars included Tom link and Jim Varas in the 1948 Plymouth, Don Oster and Dave Peterson in the 1937 Ford, Sonny Goodness in his 1952 Chevy and Dave Calabrese in the 1960 Buick.
We drove to the show via route 2 to the Mass Turnpike, continuing to the NY Thruway.  At the first rest stop we met Skippy Madden from Massachusetts in his late model Camaro.  He was going to room with Sonny, but prefers the 75 MPH speed over our 55 to 65 MPH, so we met him later at the host hotel.
We arrived at the host Hotel around 1 PM, picked up our tickets to the show, and had lunch at the outside grill set up by Right Coast, the show sponsors. 
We proceeded to our hotel, the Ramada Inn at Carrier Circle.
​

After checking in we set up our chairs along the roadway to the hotels beyond us, and spent the rest of the day watching the show cars drive up and down the street.  We stopped to have dinner at Grimaldi’s Luna Park.  Very Good Italian.
On Friday Morning we had breakfast at 6:00 AM and on the road to the New York State Fair Grounds by 6:30.  Tom’s good friend Tom Rooney saved us a spot near our usual area and we parked, set up the tent, and prepared for a day of walking to look at the 8000 odd cars that would attend throughout the weekend.
Don has a bunch of photos of the show and of the group sitting on the side of the road during the 3 days.  My photos are only of a custom built 1953 Chevrolet Nomad Wagon (never built by Chevrolet) and a mid-engine Chevrolet pickup.
​

We returned to our roadside observatory by 3:30 PM and again had dinner at Grimaldi’s.
Saturday AM we left at the same time to assure our parking area was still available.  Tom Rooney again was there really early and saved our spot.
We spent most of this day looking at the flea market and the Rat Rods along with the rest of the show cars.  Tom Link is always amazed at the creativity of the custom and Rat Rod builders.  I believe we all feel the same. 
After another long day, we were back at the roadside by 4:00 PM.  We had Pizza delivered from Nicks Pizza and enjoyed it by the roadside.  Skippy opted for 3 Burger King burgers and French fries.​
Sunday we checked out at around 6:30 AM and headed south to our next stop, The Northeast Classic Car Museum in Norwich NY.  We had a very scenic drive over local state roads and arrived at the museum around 9:30 AM. We spent the next few hours looking through the Staley collection, Pre-war Collection, Auburns, Packards, Cords, Duesenberg and the Franklin Exhibit, along with about 40 plus motorcycles.  We took a break for lunch at Nina’s in town, and had a really fabulous and filling lunch.
After lunch we returned to the museum and went through 2 more buildings including the Post War Collection, Muscle Cars, and cars made in New York.  Another building brought us to Trucks at work, including 20’s thru 40’s trucks, followed by a room of WWI and WWII airplane engines, some project vehicles found in barns, and a tribute to Bennet-Ireland Manufacturers.
We finally left the museum around 4:00 PM.  We had looked at over 170 cars plus the other exhibits.  It was a thoroughly rewarding day, all for $9.00 each.  Of note is that each vehicle had a description and pertinent history, which have been provided in the photos.
I have provided quite a few photos of the cars that interested me, including a tag along camper, made in NY that my wife Pat told me her family had when she was young.

We arrived at Fred’s Inn and Motel around 5:00 PM, checked in and crashed on the front porch of the motel.  Dinner ranged from a few light meals at the inn, to ice cream and a left over half sandwich from lunch.  We dodged rain all day, and even as we sat on the porch.  Everyone in bed by 9:00 PM
On Monday, we got back on the road by 6:30 AM.  Our first stop was at Hoppies in Oxford for a most entertaining Breakfast.  Our waitress Theresa was most entertaining as were all the regular customers.  We sang Happy Birthday to one lady and met a donor of the museum.  The coffee was cold because she forgot to turn on the coffee maker.  But she made up with plenty of hot once she got it going, and the food was excellent.
Next stop was for gas about 5 miles down the road.  Our first car related issue occurred here.  Sonny’s belt was squealing and further investigation showed the alternator bracket had come loose.  A short trip to NAPA for a bolt, and Tom Link at the helm, and we were back on the road in less than a half hour for only $1.43. 
We followed Route 12, south and picked up route 17 down to I-84 east.  Then we went through Waterbury to I-691 to Route 9 and I-95 home.  The rest of the trip went flawlessly. 
I am sure the trip was enjoyed by all and it looks like a repeat for next year.  Applications will be taken to participate and we do review each applicant thoroughly. So there are no guarantees of an invitation. We just have too much fun.
​

I have trouble starting a new project. The problem is that whenever I start something new there are already 4 or 5 other projects left behind in an unfinished state. I have a tendency to begin things and then move on. I always intend to come back to complete a job but it just takes so long to return. Something that should take 2 weeks ends up stretching out to 2 years before it is finished.
 
That’s the way it has always been with the Buick. A lot has been accomplished; but, most of it is unseen improvements. Brakes, pumps, suspension, fuel delivery; they have all been improved or upgraded. Now I am looking at gauges that don’t work and wiring that is in such bad shape that on a couple of occasions I have experienced shorts and burnt wires. I have decided to upgrade the wiring, dashboard appearance, and whatever else crops up.

What’s needed here? Working gauges, new instrument panels, floor insulation and mats, steering wheel restoration, new door and kick panels, and restoration of the woodgrain.
​

I began a couple years ago by replacing the glove box door with a much nicer one that I bought many years ago. That replacement door came along with an instrument panel that was also much nicer than the one in my car. I never installed it. The reason of course is the difficulty of removing the old panel. It is held on by 5 long studs and nuts. The instruments are attached to the gauge panel by an additional 8 nuts, speedometer cable, oil pressure sensor tubing, and temperature sensor cable. Then there are all the wires going to the gauges; wires that often have their original cloth insulation frayed or missing entirely.
 
I finally decided to begin the project because so many things were going wrong. The ammeter does not work. A close inspection reveals that the plastic panel it is mounted to is warped to the point that it prevents needle movement. The water temperature gauge does nothing and so I have no chance of being warned of an overheating problem. The sensor is broken off at the block and part of it remains in the block. The speedometer works OK up to about 55 mph. Then it begins to bounce all over the place. According to my speedometer I have cruised down route 95 at over 100 mph (not so). Likewise the odometer has been stuck on 80,241 miles since I bought the car 16 years ago and the trip odometer has also been stuck and does nothing.
​

Step one was removing the front seat. Otherwise there is no way to contort my old body so I can fit under the dash and still walk away
​

The radio and an ashtray came out first. The radio went to my shop bench to await restoration. It works, but poorly. I then removed the starter switch, which was in my way. Buicks don’t have a starter switch. Mine does because someone bypassed the vacuum switch on the carburetor. I have since put in a new carburetor with a good throttle/vacuum switch. I will have to connect it now. The handle that operates the fresh air vent was not in my way but now I could clearly see the linkage that I need to remove in order to install a new gasket under the vent. I was only able to do that job after consulting the AACA pre-war Buick forum and asking for help. I also had to remove the knurled knob that controlled the trip odometer. It would not come off even after I removed its center screw and hex nut. Back to the AACA board where I got advice to hold the shaft tight with pliers and pull real hard. That did it. Not only did the knob pop off but now the trip odometer worked! I promptly reset it to 000000 miles.
​

Finally on to the studs that hold the instrument panel on. They are long so I had to invest in some nut drivers that had hollow shafts that would allow them to get to the nut. There is almost no room under that dash to get at the studs, especially from straight on. It took me days to free it. I used a combination of open and closed wrenches, nut drivers, and socket wrench with and without swivel end. Sometimes I just used the socket by hand since there was no room for a wrench. Each removed nut was then attached to the corresponding stud on a spare instrument panel so I could keep track of my progress. When I hit the number five I attempted to pry away the panel. It would not budge! Finally I looked under the dash again and noticed that there was one more nut where I had supposedly already removed one. How did that get there? Well, I removed that last nut and then pried away the panel using screwdrivers and a specialized seam opening tool that I used to use on Macintosh computers. Meanwhile I replaced the fresh air vent gasket (remember that). I’m not too happy with that result. I don’t get along well with adhesives.
 
Finally the instruments were all revealed! Now it is on to stage II, replacing the faulty gauges, sensors, and speedometer cable. If I get carried away I will probably buy a new wiring harness and install that. I also plan to practice wood graining, steering wheel restoration, and other stuff. One thing leads to another.  I think I see a visit from the Gaslight Boys in my future.
​

WPRAACA Website Introduction
 
Where is our Website?   http://www.wpraaca.com  or just plain wpraaca.com . Type this into the “Address / Search” bar at the top of your browser page. Address is always case insensitive
 
Bookmark the address and never type it in again.
a.     Edge / Explorer browser:  Click on the star -> Chose ‘Favorites’ => Favorites Bar
b.    Google Chrome browser: Click on the star => Select Bookmarks bar => Click on ‘Done’
 
Explore the Home Page – announcements, Google Calendar, etc. Blue text means links
 Explore the Drop-Down Menus: Home/About/Calendar/Newsletter/Galleries/Links/For Sale/Contact Us/Members/Blog. Click on everything to see what is there.
 
Send a link to someone: Use the SHARE arrow OR right click address to highlight / Copy / enter Mail , Paste and Send
 
How to make a Comment on a Blog entry: Click on “Comments” button in blue. May indicate some number or zero. OR Click on title of blog and comment box will appear at end of text.

 Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ's)
Q.      How do I renew my national and local dues?
A.      Members => Applications .  Everything you need to know is in the gray box. The WPRAACA button is for new members or for renewals. There are 3 ways to renew national membership. Please do not give national dues ($40/yr) to Dave. Dave gets local dues ($15).
 
Q.      How do I find the telephone number or address of a fellow member?
A.      Members =>Members List=>Login (password)=>Click on photo
 
Q.      How do I contact the webmaster?
A.      Contact Us=>Complete the form and click on “Submit”
 
Q.      How do I see photos of a recent event?
A.      Galleries=>Trips, Shows & Parties …. Click on the event you are interested in
 
Q.      How do I find dates for upcoming local and regional events?
A.      Links=>Shows, Cruises, & Clubs  .  Links to other sites by brown buttons. Shows and cruises listed below by month. Or click on the Calendar menu or check the Google Calendar.
 
Q.      How do I write my own blog?
A.      Type it up on a computer or write it on paper and deliver or email to Ken. Print or digital photos accepted. Indicate public or members only blog.
Automotive Resources on the Internet
 
Vendors:
Hemmings :                                              
Bob’s Automobilia :                                 
Retro Radio Restoration :                       
Narragansett Reproductions:
Lang’s Old Car Parts
Dennis Carpenter                 
 
Museums:
AACA Museum                              
Audrain Auto Museum:                          
Saratoga Auto Museum:                        
Newport Car Museum :                          
Owls Head Transportation Museum:    
Heritage Museums and Gardens           
 
Forums:
AACA Forums                                          
Second Chance Garage                           
Fossil Cars                                       
 
News Articles:
WPRAACA in the News                
Auto Week
AACA Speedster
Fossil Cars Blog
 
Literature, Audio and Photo Research Sources:
The Internet Archive
·       The Shadow  
·       Duffy’s Tavern  
·       Two Ford Freedom
 
Old Car Manual Project                          
 
Vintage Photos on Flickr:
·       Steve Given       
·       ’41 Buick Gallery: Ken Carr            
·       Dave Gelinas
 
Antique Car Dealers
Dick Shappy Classic Cars Providence, RI
Soucy Cars, Cumberland, RI
Classics on Autotrader, all of USA
F40 Motorsports, Portland, CT
Goldenrod Garage, Freeport, ME
CTC Auto Ranch, N. Denton, TX
Riviera Imports, Fort Wayne, IN
Laferriere Classics, Smithfield, RI
 
YouTube Video Channels
Cold War Motors: 1957 Studebaker Champion
 
What can we do with a Digital Projector?
 
·       Make a PowerPoint Presentation – example “Automotive History” presentation we made to Westerly         Historical Assoc.
·       Show a Movie – example “Christine: opening sequence”
·       Show a Slide Show of an Event – A Calabrese Cook Out or Hershey 2017 video
·       Display a PDF document such as an original car manual or brochure or paint chip page, etc. –
        Examples: 1942 Buick Shop Manual
·       Have a Popcorn and Vintage Commercials Night
        1956 Chrysler
       Montage of ‘50’s and ‘60’s New Cars
       Classic Car Commercials
·       Club-Produced How-To Videos
        How to Remove Emergency Brake Cable
       How to Restore a Cracked Steering Wheel
·       Backdrop for an Event

 
Club Members SUBMIT  !!

• Submit notices of upcoming events
• Tell us about print or web articles of local interest
• Submit old family photos or slides that feature people and automobiles
• Participate by commenting on web posts
• Take digital photos at events and submit
• Make a photo history of you next car repair and write a narration; great blog material
• Make a movie of a restoration or repair project
•  Submit one great photo of each of your old cars

 
Some Sample Photos of old cars either I or family members once owned. Click on photos for enlarged view and captions.

Are you one of those guys or gals who gives your old car a workout every year? You don't hesitate to drive to local car shows. You are a fixture at some of the best cruise nights New England has to offer. You even show up behind the wheel of a 75-year old relic when you meet the guys for coffee and bagels on a weekday.  It sounds like you and your antique automobile are prime candidates for the AACA Mileage Award Program (M.A.P.).

How do you participate? it's a three-step procedure:

1. ​Register your car for the program with AACA National Headquarters by completing the form "Copy 1, AACA National Headquarters" and sending it with a check for $25. The address is: AACA Mileage Award Program, c/o Pat Buckley, 501 W. Governor Rd., Hershey,PA 17033. You will receive a badge which has sections for indicating each achievement.
2. ​When you achieve 2,000 miles, 5,000 miles, or any subsequent 5,000 miles you send a copy of the form "Copy 2 Record Keeping" to Sherm Carey, Mileage Award Program, 133 Boulder Drive, Lincolnton, NC 28092-8807. Record keeping begins on January 1 of the first year you enter the award program. If you joined now (April, 2018) you would count all mileage since January, 2018.
3. ​Awards will be mailed to you from National Headquarters after Mr. Carey submits his approval of your submissions.

Complete instructions and forms are provided in the link below. Download and print everything so you can get started. What a great incentive to get that pesky odometer working again!
​Our thanks go to Dave Calabrese for working out all the details about this award!

Club members Charlie Nash and  Michele Nash, Vickie VanHorn, Ken Carr, Bob DeGousey, Dennis DeGrave, and Bob Sundman went on an outing Saturday, January 13, to the Vintage Radio and Communications Museum of Connecticut.  We all gathered at the Rte.184 restaurant meeting place “Somewhere in Time” at 9:00 AM. We took three cars on an hour and a half ride through the countryside to the Radio Museum in South Windsor, Ct. Great morning for a little jaunt and the weather cooperated.  
 
We arrived at the museum at 9:30 and amazingly no one got lost. Our tour guide, Bob Allison, greeted us. Our guide proceeded to bring us through a “tour of yesteryear.”  He started the tour with the introduction – “Can you imagine the world without radio, television, or computers. Our world would be completely different than it is today. Here we show visitors the history of electric communications and how it has changed our lives.  We’re a hands-on museum. You can tune 80 years old radios … talk over candlestick telephones… listen to 100 year old records… tap out your name in Morse Code… See what early television looked like in the 1940s.  It’s all here at the museum.”
 
The museum has fantastic displays of radios, TVs, motion picture projection equipment, phonographs, tape recorders, typewriters, teletypes, and telephones. Also, there was a small video viewing theater, a library, and a sound effects room. Bob Sundman took pictures of items of interest and also got lots of ideas for school science projects for his eleven grandchildren.
 
They have a large storage area with radios and related equipment that is either waiting for restoration or is for sale. Charley Nash purchased a 1930’s vintage tombstone Crosley Radio. After three hours of touring the museum we were getting hungry, so Charlie Nash made a restaurant recommendation--Union Street Tavern. So off we went to an absolutely great lunch.
 
The Vintage Radio and Communications Museum was an informative, fun, and exciting place to visit. John Ellsworth, the museum Founder and President, invited our Club back to stage an event on the lawn this summer.
 
Bottom line – We all had a great time and several of us want to return to check out the sale items in the storage area.
 
Bob Sundman
                                                         Click on any photo to enlarge it.
                                    Use the arrows to move to the previous or next image.
​         To leave a comment, click on article title & then scroll down to comment form.
​

​Folks,
​
Well, 2017 was a typically busy year for the Westerly Pawcatuck Region AACA. The numbers demonstrate that we are a pretty active club. We attended 14 major events/car shows and 4 of those were multi day trips out of state. One of those trips was to a new venue in Orchard beach, Maine which collected favorable reviews from the attendees. We attended other day trip events that included car shows, swap meets, repair garages, nursing homes, parades and festivals. Members frequented cruise nights and regularly took home trophies. Remarkably, with all that traveling, we experienced virtually no major mechanical breakdowns.

A major change for the club this year was to move our meeting site from North Stonington to the Westerly Senior Center. Everyone seems to love the Westerly location because it is much bigger, more centrally located and more accommodating. A special thanks goes out to Jim and Peggy Varas for co-ordinating the move.

2017 was  a  club election year which saw myself and Dave Calabrese continue in our positions and newly elected Charlie Nash as VP and Ken Carr as secretary. Ken will also continue in his role as our award winning webmaster. Welcome aboard Charlie and Ken! We also acknowledge the contributions of outgoing officers Bill Ricker and Vickie Van Horn. They admirably served when duty called. Don Oster will continue his good deeds as the trip co-ordinator, Barbara Coon provides the sunshine, Gerry Lynn scribes the newsletter and Tom Link oversees the Gaslight crew. Thanks go out to all of you for your continuing service to the club. Lastly, but certainly not least, much appreciation goes to John Leite for co-ordinating yet another wonderful Christmas dinner at the Richmond Country Club. It highlighted another great year for the club.

Surprisingly 2017 brought a record number of new members to the club. The following members signed on:
-John and Sue Curtiss
-Andy and Chant Clapham
-Jim and Michele Clapham
-Carl Carlson
-Dennis and Susan DeGrave
-Kimberly Leite-Morris
-Christopher and Genvieve Muller
-Thomas and Ellen Regan
-Corey and Nicole St. Peter
-Jeff and Diane Smith

Welcome new members! This brings our membership total to 57 households which, I believe, is the most people we've ever had in the club. Let's make a concerted effort to get everyone out on the road in 2018.

We must also sadly report the loss of three club members this year. Earl Wilson passed in August and we lost Bob Wydler and Jim Pattison in the fall. Three fine people. We will miss their ideas, their good nature,  their wit and humanity. Our heartfelt condolences go out to their families.

2018 is shaping up to be another busy year. In addition to our regular trip schedule we're discussing several (new to us) events to add to the schedule. We'll also try to bring in interesting speakers, engage in humorous and informative conversations and there will always be plenty of desserts! For those who have never attended Fall Hershey you should consider it while the rest of us are still young enough to bring you! Together let's make 2018 a year to remember!

Ken Carr has once again outdone himself with a very detailed, humorous account of our 2017 trip to the Hershey swap meet. His story includes many great photos and a video of the twirling lady from Lowes Home Center, a first for Hershey. Check out all the fun on the WPRAACA blog.


I'd like to briefly comment about something a bit different with Hershey; the reason we all enjoy going and returning year after year. If you're a vintage car person and have enjoyed local cruise nights, car shows and swap meets you haven't come close to experiencing the ultimate event that the hobby has to offer. The size and scope of Hershey is well,  frankly astounding. There are hundreds of vending spaces covering five football field sized parking lots. From our vantage point in Red field we can see hundreds of cars, vendor tents and displays encompassing thousands of car parts, tools, automobilia and auto-related items. It's so massive that you're essentially required to purchase the show program ($5) to sort it all out. The program describes the event, provides field maps and vendor locations and contains an index of specific vehicle makes or parts you may be looking for. If you find an item but aren't quite ready to buy you'll need the program to re-locate the vendor again. Every spot Is coded with a number that can be found in the program maps. The better advice though is to not hesitate buying the item because it may be gone when you return.  If you're looking for specific parts you're more likely to find them at Hershey then at any other event. This is especially true for the earlier pre-1950 parts. If you're just browsing with no specific goal you'll certainly be amazed by the volume and variety of " old stuff" and will likely find something to buy. Seeing all the old stuff brings you down memory lane to revisit your early nostalgic years and helps you revisit those fond early experiences. 


I like Hershey because it always provides an opportunity to learn more about vintage products and technology. Conversations with other vendors and people who come by our both  are enlightening and entertaining. For example, this year, I had the opportunity to talk with an analytical chemist from Ohio who spent his entire career at Lubrizol Corp. developing additives for various lubricants. He spent 45 minutes schooling me about oil chemistry, pretty cool! In turn we often teach our customers about items we're selling. A lot of learning takes place amid all the wise cracks and fun. We also see a significant number of foreign visitors, especially Scandinavian folks who love American cars. Negotiating prices in two (or more) languages is very entertaining. 

​
Hershey is not just a swap meet. The car corral displays hundreds of quality and sometimes rare vehicles for sale. There is always a demonstration of vintage race cars roaring in the stadium on Friday. Many of the well know vintage car dealers are also on hand to showcase their best vehicles. The AACA museum is a simple shuttle bus ride away and offers free admission with your AACA membership card. On Saturday the AACA car show is held next to the vendor lots and features several hundred great cars including makes and models you seldom see.​

Every year on the first day we set up I have to admit my pulse quickens and somewhat youthful excitement heightens when the Hershey complex comes into view. We scurry like mice to set up the booth and settle in to soak up the event; to buy, to sell, to laugh and be amazed.  The bottom line on Hershey is that it is a must-attend bucket list item for any vintage car person.  It's the Olympics, World Series and Super Bowl of the car hobby all wrapped up into one event.​

You gotta go!

​(Note from webmaster: Click above on blue 'comment' to right of title to write your response.)