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Raise your hand if you drove at least one old Buick this weekend


JohnD1956

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Today was the first outing with a group we're trying to put together called the Harwood Motors Road Masters--a group of pre-1970 cars with owners who like to drive. Our first event this year was supposed to be a weekend drive to circumnavigate Lake Erie, but with Coronavirus, well, that obviously isn't happening. Instead, we just had a nice 30-mile drive to lunch at a friend's restaurant. He's struggling so we thought this would help him out a bit. Beautiful setting and we got about 20 nice old cars that all made the drive without incident.

 

Roadmasters3.thumb.jpg.de9793c7acddae1ddd5522567a9a0134.jpg  Roadmasters4.thumb.jpg.8efc8b6bc26d516f442c27b5e8c759c0.jpg

 

We're hoping to make the Harwood Motors Road Masters into a challenging tour group--people who really want to drive their cars. Like 250 miles a day, not a little drive up the street to a craft shop and ice cream. 3-4 day tours so they don't kill a week for working people. Affordable stops so that anyone can go. And 100% kid friendly with kid-specific events and groups so they can hang out together, too. We didn't get to make it start the way we wanted this year, but we have big plans for the future and really driving the cars will be a big part of it. We're still hashing out the requirements, but right now it's simply any car built before 1970. I wanted to make it pre-war only, but that would guarantee very few participants and/or a lot of hot rods, so we settled on 1970 simply because I can't conceive of cars built after I was born as "old." We're not sure about hot rods or modifications, but I don't want to be militant about it. We'll work it out after we see who shows up for future events.

 

Today we had a great variety. Melanie led with her '56 Chrysler and I was bringing up the tail with the Limited. In between there was a '38 Packard Super 8 convertible sedan, a '49 Packard sedan, a 1954 Cadillac sedan, a '54 Jaguar XK120, three early Corvettes, a pair of Corvairs, a 1946 Cadillac convertible, a '63 Buick Wildcat, a '56 Chevy convertible, and a '63 Ford pickup owned by the grandson of the original owner. My shop manager, Michael and his wife drove a '64 Bonneville from our inventory. 

 

Roadmasters1.thumb.jpg.71557a5c36ddf7d50590010738d936fe.jpg  Roadmasters5.thumb.jpg.e4e24b2e0625305e89d5d0e68a05d42c.jpg

 

Everything went smoothly and we all enjoyed a nice box lunch by the lake. Storm clouds started to move in so everyone disbanded quickly, but for this group, rain just can't be an issue. If you're afraid of getting your car wet or dirty, then this isn't the group for you.

 

If you're going to drive, you drive, weather be damned...

 

Roadmasters6.thumb.jpg.54e3aef90a32a77253b5f2a995d84e7f.jpg

Hey, even my wipers work!

 

 

 

Edited by Matt Harwood (see edit history)
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On 8/16/2020 at 3:16 PM, Matt Harwood said:

Today was the first outing with a group we're trying to put together called the Harwood Motors Road Masters--a group of pre-1970 cars with owners who like to drive. Our first event this year was supposed to be a weekend drive to circumnavigate Lake Erie, but with Coronavirus, well, that obviously isn't happening. Instead, we just had a nice 30-mile drive to lunch at a friend's restaurant. He's struggling so we thought this would help him out a bit. Beautiful setting and we got about 20 nice old cars that all made the drive without incident.

 

Roadmasters3.thumb.jpg.de9793c7acddae1ddd5522567a9a0134.jpg  Roadmasters4.thumb.jpg.8efc8b6bc26d516f442c27b5e8c759c0.jpg

 

We're hoping to make the Harwood Motors Road Masters into a challenging tour group--people who really want to drive their cars. Like 250 miles a day, not a little drive up the street to a craft shop and ice cream. 3-4 day tours so they don't kill a week for working people. Affordable stops so that anyone can go. And 100% kid friendly with kid-specific events and groups so they can hang out together, too. We didn't get to make it start the way we wanted this year, but we have big plans for the future and really driving the cars will be a big part of it. We're still hashing out the requirements, but right now it's simply any car built before 1970. I wanted to make it pre-war only, but that would guarantee very few participants and/or a lot of hot rods, so we settled on 1970 simply because I can't conceive of cars built after I was born as "old." We're not sure about hot rods or modifications, but I don't want to be militant about it. We'll work it out after we see who shows up for future events.

 

Today we had a great variety. Melanie led with her '56 Chrysler and I was bringing up the tail with the Limited. In between there was a '38 Packard Super 8 convertible sedan, a '49 Packard sedan, a 1954 Cadillac sedan, a '54 Jaguar XK120, three early Corvettes, a pair of Corvairs, a 1946 Cadillac convertible, a '63 Buick Wildcat, a '56 Chevy convertible, and a '63 Ford pickup owned by the grandson of the original owner. My shop manager, Michael and his wife drove a '64 Bonneville from our inventory. 

 

Roadmasters1.thumb.jpg.71557a5c36ddf7d50590010738d936fe.jpg  Roadmasters5.thumb.jpg.e4e24b2e0625305e89d5d0e68a05d42c.jpg

 

Everything went smoothly and we all enjoyed a nice box lunch by the lake. Storm clouds started to move in so everyone disbanded quickly, but for this group, rain just can't be an issue. If you're afraid of getting your car wet or dirty, then this isn't the group for you.

 

If you're going to drive, you drive, weather be damned...

 

Roadmasters6.thumb.jpg.54e3aef90a32a77253b5f2a995d84e7f.jpg

Hey, even my wipers work!

 

 

 

That looks like my kinda group! If the border opens up I'll meet you on the west end of Lake Erie at Detroit and cruise you thru some nice Canadian back roads on the North side of the "Big E"

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After six weeks of sitting untouched, I finally located my lost keys for this '37 Roadmaster, primed the carburetor, and it cranked right up and ran great. I drove it hime this evening, 17 miles at 60 mph--did fine. This old gem loves the open road. Still trying to find a replacement grille, front bumper, bumper braces (Roadmaster or LImited only--not even Dave Tachney has those), and I need the windshield wiper stands, arms, & wiper transmissions. Special and Century are too small. 

This is the car that fell out of the barn in New Hampshire last year--a great car, way too nice to part out or give up on!

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That sounds like fun, Matt! Hope we get a better year in '21. I'm actually going to be doing my first tour next week, but not a Buick Club one. Will be nice to have some driving time in a vintage, for a purpose.

 I take the others out for a spin, but though I love to drive, I get a bit, sorta bored with being aimless? If I'm making any sense to anyone.

Keith

 

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took the 73 to a cruise tonight heard about it last minute, finally got the air conditioning  fixed on the 73 and on the 90 GS plus rear strut's  getting the 73 to closer to driving  to Concord,           these  Buick money pits getting expensive

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19 hours ago, Ben Bruce aka First Born said:

 

 As Mack Davis sang " I value my own company."  I know some folks don't like solitude. I do. A drive in the country, windows down, NO RADIO, is my idea of "fun", I guess.

 

  Ben

I'm an only child and an engineer. That combination of personality traits doesn't produce someone who needs to socialize. In fact, I'd go so far as to say that I'm not a "socialist."

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Another hot weekend in New England. Saturday took a 93 mile cruise to Connecticut in the model 71C, from Putnam to Scotland and Canterbury to Brooklyn before stopping in Foster, RI. Stopped for a photo opportunity in the front of the Hampton Congregational Church. A very pretty town with several old colonial homes.

 

Today, Sunday, we took out the model 41 for a ride with the dog. It was really to hot for us all. The air conditioning was not working and my sneakers felt like they were melting.  It was a short 43 mile drive through Foster and Glocester. We did pick up pizza for lunch. 

 

I did not see any other antique Buicks on the road this weekend. :( 

 

 

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 We had the Electra out for about a 25-30 mile run Friday evening, the first time it has been out in about a month. Warm, in the low 80's, the A/C was working, but we drove without it. Not too much sun so it was very comfortable with the windows down driving around the country roads at about 50 MPH.

I stopped by this old building in a tiny town near us to take a quick picture of it.

Keith

 

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The Wife and I spent all day Saturday making a Buick day of it. Morning was spent running errands and doing brunch in our 91 Reatta vert. No pics though

Then we ended up taking the Pace Car with some chapter members after 4pm to a real nice low key cruise spot. Great day with friends and cars and of course my wife.

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Well it is not officially the weekend yet, but we needed to go out for ice cream tonight. Beautiful and pleasant temperature to ride in the evening at 73 degrees. Yes, Bubba managed to get some ice cream and cone too!  We got home under darkness.

 

 

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Magnifique journée, hermoso dia, belo dia, bella giornata, or in English, beautiful day! Bright blue skies with a light breese and temperature of 75 degrees! It was so nice, I drove both Buick's today.

Stayed in RI today. Took the Roadmaster to Coventry, West Greenwich, West Warwick, Scituate and finally to Foster to check out the progress on my brothers project. Went home and had lunch and packed up the Special with Bubba. He really wanted a ride today. We just drove around with no real purpose through Foster and Glocester.  As with my tours, we did not see another antique car on the road! I should be close to 1K on the Roadmaster since spring.

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