Mustangs Unlimited 26 April 2015

[Realmongo]

Shelby, Cobra, Mustang, and Ford Power Meet 2015
Brought to you by Shelby American Automobile Club New England & Mustangs Unlimited
Sunday, April 26, 2015 (Rain Date: Sunday, May 3, 2015)
Registration: 9AM-11AM
Judging: 12 Noon – 2PM
Awards: 3PM

[Hissing Cobra]

I can't wait for this one! As we get closer to the date, I'll put up my yearly itinerary for the cruise that we do every year.

EDIT: Here's the itinerary for the cruise.


Itinerary For The Cruise:

(From Northern NH)
6:50am - 7:00 am departure - Rockingham park (Salem NH) FIRST MEET
7:15 departure - Lowell connector rest stop
7:45 am departure - Westboro Rest Area on the Mass Pike between Exits 11A and 11
8:30 am - Sturbridge Rest Area - FIRST Rest Area on Route 84 after merging onto Route 84 from the Mass Pike
9:00 am - Arrive at Mustangs Unlimited

(From Southeastern MA)
6:00 am - Friendly's parking lot at the Middleboro, Ma rotary (Exit 5 or 6 off of Route 495).
7:00 am - Home Depot Parking Lot off of Exit 18 on Route 495
7:45 am - Westboro Rest Area on the Mass Pike between Exits 11A and 11
8:30 am - Sturbridge Rest Area - FIRST Rest Area on Route 84 after merging onto Route 84 from the Mass Pike
9:00 am - Arrive at Mustangs Unlimited

[smitty54]

If my car is ready, I'm in.

[Her5.0]

I would like to get to this one this year and do Pete's cruise!!!

[Hissing Cobra]

We'd love to have you! Last year with the rainy weather, ruined it for you guys from the north. Hopefully it'll be good this year!

[86ragtop]

Love to do this again this year.Even though I only caught up to you guys on the last leg of the cruise ,still had a blast.

[JTurbo]

I'm in for this show. Can't wait!

[Hissing Cobra]

Sweet!

[Quikk86]

Fingers crossed for good weather!

How does the judging work at these shows now? I haven't attended since the popular vote days...

Pete - Can you share some details on the cruise that you organize to this show?

[mustang4life1985]

I am in for this as well and can't wait. Spring can't be here soon enough after the weather we have been having lately.

[85GT-79FJ40]

I am in for this as well and can't wait. Spring can't be here soon enough after the weather we have been having lately.

I should be in as well. This snow has been crazy!! Another 5-8" coming Thursday and supposedly another one next week.... Please let it be spring already.

[FoxChassis]

This event has been added to the FEP Calendar: Mustangs Unlimted (Connecticut): Power Meet 2015

If you want a reminder for this even, click HERE. Choose when to send a reminder (from 1 hour to three days) and click the "Add Reminder" button.

[Quikk86]

FoxChassis,

How did you create the reminder link? I'd like to post one for the Hemmings event in May at Lebanon Valle Dragway in NY.

[FoxChassis]

Go to the event you want a reminder for. At the bottom right of that event on the calendar you will see "Request Reminder for This Event". Click that link and it will take you to the reminder screen. Copy the URL from the address bar at the top of your browser.

[Quikk86]

Thank you sir!

[EJSVO]

I'm in -

Will bring the SVO up for the Third time - Look forward to seeing everyone again !

[FuturaGuy]

Pete - Can you share some details on the cruise that you organize to this show?

Pete's cruise starts with cars from New Hampshire and southeast Massachusetts meeting at a stop on the Mass Pike. Then there is another mini-cruise with guys from western MA and northwest Connecticut meeting a my house in Windsor, then going down I-91 and I-291 to Mustangs Unlimited.

[Quikk86]

Pete's cruise starts with cars from New Hampshire and southeast Massachusetts meeting at a stop on the Mass Pike. Then there is another min-cruise with guys from western MA and northwest Connecticut meeting a my house in Windsor, then going down I-91 and I-291 to Mustangs Unlimited.

Thanks.

If I have my car ready for this show, maybe I can meet the caravan at your house in Windsor or possibly even the Mass Pike location. I have a buddy who lives off RT. 75, about a mile off exit 38.

[Hissing Cobra]

Mark,

I first made this cruise as a passenger in my twin brother Paul's '85 GT way back in either the late '90's or the early 2000's. It was just the two of us and we had a great time. I swore to myself that when I got my Cobra finished, that we'd make the cruise together with both of our cars and we did that for the first time in April of 2004. On that trip, we also brought my cousin along with his beautiful Red '84 SVO. It was at that time that I took this picture.



As usual, we had a blast and we all agreed that we needed to do this every spring to kick off our season. In '05, we invited a few others from our area that had really nice Mustangs and they took us up on the invite. It was even more fun! Sometime around 2007 or 2008, I realized that we were having such a blast that I decided to put the invite up on foureyedpride, corral, stangnet, new England motorsports, and other websites (including facebook). The response has been FANTASTIC and it's all of the participants that make this happen - not me! These days I just put it up on this website and facebook as I don't have the time to devote to all of the other websites. I will say that a few years ago, I wasn't "feeling" the car show thing and money was a little tight so I decided not to go. Jeff, (Capriman86) took the reigns and did a great job with it. I was kicking myself that whole day for not going and wished that I had gone. I don't think I'll do that again!

For the most part, I usually lead the cruise but I'd be completely fine if someone else wanted to lead the pack for awhile. Staying single file on the highway isn't too much fun, as I like to see all of the Mustangs myself. Thus, I prefer to see them in the front, on the sides, or in the rearview mirror. This is much more fun for everyone involved. I think sometimes people assume that I should be the leader and they don't want to pass me and I noticed this a few times when I purposely slowed down to let others pass and it seemed like the whole pack would slow as well, creating a log jam at times. I'm fine with being anywhere in the pack! We like to cruise around 70 mph but sometimes they'll get up to 75 mph or so. On occasion, when someone's feeling feisty, they'll blow by the whole caravan at 85 mph or more. LOL! I don't advocate that but I don't criticize it either. Everyone is responsible for themselves! I think as long as we're not driving like idiots and calling attention to our crew of cars/people in a negative way, we're o.k.

As for the stops, they're pretty much etched in stone these days. I've tried adding a few other stops but with the amount of cars present, it creates problems getting that many people/cars in and out of the respective stops at the same time. Thus, I've narrowed it down to the stops that work! We also have a little bit of time at each stop so if people have to get gas, get a snack, or use the restrooms, they can. The only thing I ask is that everybody be on time. With that many cars and people, it's very difficult to keep them all waiting and get to the show on time because someone is late. You should see us going through the toll booth on the Mass Pike when we have to pay our tolls. It's like a rolling Mustang show!

A couple of years ago, the guys from New Hampshire decided to create their own cruise down there and they all decided to meet up with us on the Mass Pike. It was AWESOME! Their schedule was put together and the times work for them to all meet at various locations and then meet up with us. A couple of years ago we had something like 56 cars with us! Last year would have squashed that number but it was raining in New Hampshire and I believe nobody was able to make it down (I don't blame them, we spend a lot of money and put a lot of time into our cars to make them look beautiful and nobody wants mother nature to ruin our hard work!) Still, even with the crappy weather, I think we still managed 32 cars or so.

If the weather is good, I believe it'll be a great time!

[gettingitfirst]

Maybe I can bring my mustang out. I just got it right before winter so I haven't even driven it yet. It's a 1986 GT Convertible pretty much stock.

[Hissing Cobra]

We'd love to have you bring it!

[306gt]

I am in for this as usual. It is always a great time hanging with the Mustang guys. We even have some laughs from time to time. Like the year the dead Deer was laying in the middle of RTE 495. All you could smell was cooked venison at the Mass Pike rest stop. lol. Anyone with a Mustang or any Ford is always welcome to join the cruise. It is all about having fun!

[Quikk86]

Pete - Thanks for the very vivid description of the cruise, it sounds like a great time and my interest is certainly peaked! I appreciate the detail and you could be a "car cruise salesman" if there ever was such a thing! Heck, you're President/CEO of this driving event whether you like it or not Does this cruise have a formal name?

I haven't been to the April SAAC show in a long time, but seems like it should be called the "Shelby, Cobra, Mustang, and FEP Power Meet 2015" with the attendance that it brings from those on this site and others, hahaha!

[JTurbo]

We used to try to arrange for group photos at the end of the show, I think our group is getting too big....

[Hissing Cobra]

Mark,

Thanks! It truly is a good time. There's no formal name but I've heard others describe it as a Stampede of Mustangs. The good news is that EVERYBODY is welcome, whether you have a true show car, street/strip car like mine, a work in progress, a brand new one, or a classic. As long as it's a Ford with Ford power, it's welcome. That goes for the Mercury's as well. Chris (Varn82) and Jeff (Capriman86) have brought their awesome Capri's many times and last year I saw my first ever Black Magic Capri in person - and it was awesome! A lot of the members here are also members on other sites so usually this thread will get copy/pasted to those other sites and we'll draw some people in that way as well. To any of you who "spread the word" about the cruise, I truly must thank you. It makes my day seeing more and more cars every year!

The only issue we really have concerns the classics. With the lack of overdrives in the older Mustangs, they have a hard time keeping up. Even at 70-75 mph, it's sometimes too much for them. Two or three years ago there was an awesome '69 fastback with us that was puking anti-freeze at the rest area on the Mass Pike due to the high rpms that were needed to keep up. I wish there was a way to address this but I've been scratching my head for a long time on trying to come up with a solution. I think if we drove at 55-60, it might create problems on the highway for not only us, but other people as well.