Retired with a Roadmaster

HOPKINTON, R.I. — Ken Carr got himself a present when he retired from teaching high school in Coventry and Warwick: a two-tone green 1941 Buick Roadmaster Model 71 touring sedan.

"It was a little bit of a gift to myself for working so long," said the 65-year-old, who also taught machine shop and sold medical software after retiring as a science teacher. He said he bought the car in 2002 in Connecticut as "all original," adding that the previous owner told him the car had come from "out West."

The old four-door, six-passenger Buick was Carr's first collector car, and he readily admits that he is not a mechanic and leaves most of the heavy work to others who know what they're doing. "I was going to school and not playing with cars," he said of his youth. "Someone can do it. I don't have the experience or knowledge."

That said, Carr has had a tremendous amount of work done on the Buick — new front floors welded, brake cylinders on all four wheels replaced, horn switch repaired, gas tank cleaned inside and out, new glove box installed. Even "all mouse droppings and nests [have been] removed from seats," according to a flyer attached to the car at shows.

"I was looking for something with a bit of style from the '30s or '40s," he said of his Buick with its Mermaid Green top and Ludington Green bottom. He looked at a 1941 Cadillac before the Buick caught his fancy. "I liked [the Buick] but there was a problem with the gears," he said. But the seller dropped the price and they had a deal.

He said a plate in the engine well indicates the car was originally black, but the subtle two-tone green, which extends down the hood, is very stylish: as are many of the design details, such as the fin-like shapes over the headlights that light up with the directionals and are visible from the cabin, the bulbous front fenders, wide radiator and classic Art Deco rear light fixtures.

The Art Deco theme continues in the cabin with the instrument lettering and its copper and cream background. The knobs are cream Bakelite.

The finish of the Damascus steel with its wooden look has worn off the lintel of the doors and dashboard, but the squared-off switches are all original, as is the unusual knob that turns the antenna 180 degrees from its downward position along the seam of the split windshield to a raked position over the roof.

At the same time, Carr said the "original radio does not work well." In addition, some of the instruments are questionable. "The speedometer works, but I don't trust the fuel gauge," he said. Other dials provide the oil pressure, battery charge and engine temperature.

The backseat is comfortable with a foot rest and rope rail for hanging a blanket for when it gets cold. Vents in back windows provide a flow of air, especially welcome in the summer.

The hood opens to either side or can be taken completely off to reveal the famed 165-horsepower Buick Straight-8 Fireball engine. And the front fenders are marked by the "VentiPorts" that distinguish Buicks — five working ones that help cool the engine.

Carr said he doesn't drive the Buick that much.

"I might ride around in it, go out once in a while to cruises," said Carr.

That's when he carves out time from his other passion — revealed by the tall mast in his back garden. On his ham radio, Carr, who's married with two children and three grandchildren, regularly talks to a circle of fellow amateur radio operators all over the world.

— pelswort@providencejournal.com

(401) 277-7403

On Twitter: @peterelsworth