Fallbrook Vintage Car Club (FVCC) member Lynn Burch loves to drive her 1972 Buick Centurion Convertible around the village of Fallbrook with her top down, convertible top that is. Years ago, things started going wrong with the convertible top; the mechanism, the material, the motor. So, rather than fight it, she decided to just keep the top down all the time.

Her ’72 Centurion has a 455-cubic inch engine, and is one of 10,000 produced. It has a lot of special features such as lights on the side of the car that turned on if the car turned, and headlight light indicators above the headlights to show the driver the headlights were working.

Burch loves her Buick, which was originally painted GM Stock Red. That was before the accident.

She vividly remembers the accident.

"It occurred in 2008, on September 12, at 11:35 in the morning," she explained. "The insurance company said to ‘total’ it, but I said, ‘No, I want this car!’"

Burch said the agent responded, "You can get a better car." Lynn emphatically replied, "I don’t care, I want this car!"

The repairs were finally completed on Monday, August 23 of this year. It took help from many people to repair. Luckily, a "parts car" was found in Fresno. It was also a 1972 Centurion.

Jim and Mike Mroz, of Lone Wolf Garage in Fallbrook, fellow FVCC club members, rebuilt and repainted the Buick for much less than the going rate. It was a labor of love, to get Burch back to cruising around town in Advertisement

[ Chatton and Associates ] that red convertible (now painted Vintage Red).

Burch said she just wants to be back cruising in town because everyone always says, "Aren’t you the lady with the red car?"

A real car buff, when asked how she got involved with the FVCC, Burch said Tom Long saw her and the convertible, and kept after her to join. Then she found a FVCC flyer tucked under her windshield wiper. She finally signed up.

According to Burch, "The day of the FVCC Annual Car Show, on Memorial Day weekend, is the best day of the year. I am always impatient for the next one to come along!"

Lynn Burch met Ron, her husband of 35 years, because he was a friend of her brother.

"He had a 1947 Indian Chief motorcycle, and a 1957 Jaguar, which was really an attraction," she admitted.

Being from ‘The Valley,’ their wedding was catered by Tommy’s Hamburgers.

They moved to Fallbrook so Ron could work with his father building custom homes.

Their two children were three-and six-years old at the time. They liked the Rock Mountain area where their five acres are located because it was a wonderful place for the kids to grow up.

Lynn Burch believes the best part of FVCC is the fact that the club does so much for the community. Giving to the kids in the community is the best part of being involved, she said.

The Fallbrook Vintage Car Club (FVCC) is always open to guests and new members. For more information, email President@

Fallbrookvintagecarclub.com.