I vote that the Frenz and double-aught mack take over both the KOA and the KKOA and give some leadership to the custom movement for the next century... Seriously, thanks to both of you for all the custom posts lately... you are both a treasure trove of info. Brian
chopolds posted this pic into the other thread and I thought it would be nice to include it in here 'cause it really is a great one...
Hurrah - A Custom Thread Revival! I realized that nobody had posted pics of the Fabian Continental. Here is the cover and story from Custom Craft magazine April 1960. I remember seeing photos of the car in an earlier (and less gorpy) version. I'll have to dig for those. More pics can be found in the Andy Southard & Tony Thacker book, Custom Cars of the 1950s (Andy did the striping) Here 'tis:
That car is near completion to its original configuration exept for the awesome chopped top done in 1970 . Gary Disco is the man making it happen.
Greetings from Long Branch,N.J..Americas first seashore resort. Back in the late 50's early sixties I had the pleasure of meeting guys like Jerry Cove,Johnny Paszik,when he had his green 54 Merc,Billy Nemecek,with his first Candy Girl 55 Chevies and many more on the old Al Hayward car show circuit....in fact Al helped me out in an emergency when the I.S.C.A'S George Stone was serving our country and couidn't judge our Long Branch Armory show....Al came down the shore and judged the show....even New Yorks Bob Calandra with his T-Bucket and his dad went home happy. I will never forget how excited i got when Jerry Cove's chopped blue GTO turned onto Ocean Avenue and pulled up to the Armory on a hot summer afternoon for,at that time, a 3 day Fri-Sat-Sunday indoor car show. The old National Guard Armory is gone now....its a high dollar beach club....but 13 years ago with the idea of bringing rods and customs back to the city and with the help of Terry Browning,and John Lampmann and at the beginning the Haulin Gent's car club assisting I started the Cruise to the Jersey Shore Car Show at the boardwalk. Over the years we've had some individuals from the city try to tell us how to run and change the show....butt out...thanks to car guys like you we are regaining control. Kind of went off a bit....back to Cove Kustoms....00MACK thanks for posting the original query...brought back a lot of memories. RODS AND KUSTOMS FOREVER. LEE
Just a quick reply to uncleo...your efforts are appreciated. From a show spectator's point of view, JSCS is a neat, laid-back show with plenty of great cars year after year. All the best.
hi guys i,m just looking at all the great things mark and anthony posted les did some great complete cars but he also did a lot of small jobs for guys like nose and deck a 55 chevy for guy from irvington i rember see manny merc in the shop when it was cut in half wow i would ride my bike there every time i could to see it and yes mark the RENEGADES OF N.J. are #1 mark how about a thread with the cars from the club i know we all love to see some of them old cars agian i,m still new to this as i get better i have some old pictures i like post hank,s stu with the ford roof, his chop 58 plym ,my 57 chevy convt ,
Great idea Teddy! I'd love to see a thread of Renegades cars. The sister car to Johnny's Merc is still in Metuchen, and it's a clean machine! I forget the fellas name, but he pulled into the Metuchen cruise last summer, and when i complimented him on the car he kinda shook it off until i pointed out the 55 Chevy headlights. Then we started talking and realized we knew a bunch of the same guys. Cool stuff.
yes joe his name is frankie p he and john show at a lot of shows in the late 50,s there were 2 more merc,s in union that were on the same a black one and a orange and white one i think spike did them too but after johns but so many guys were in the renegades from the fonz to mark [chopolds] its a old mostly kustoms club with great cars people and history i think a lot of guys would get a kick out of
Hey, I'm out here listening! I haven't checked in this weekend, til now...we had a top choppin' party...Ken's 54 Plymouth! Been VERY busy, will post pics on it later. Yeah, I'll have to run though my archives and do a post about the old Renegades...1st charter NJ club in KKOA. ALL the Kustom guys wanted to be Renegades in the early 80's til the upstart Kustom Knights were formed. I've got lots of pics!
Hey Zerk thanks for the positive comments on the oceanfront show....greatly appreciated....its #13 this coming June....and like you said its an easy going family type thing with free entertainment and a show where the car people get a chance to mingle with the spectators and the other owners and friends and at the same time enjoy a day at the shore....by the boardwalk and the beach....see you at the show....or maybe West End cruise night. 00MACK,thanks again for the original post. Right now my 51 merc is stock....gonna try to start working on it over the winter....if I need help I certanly know who and where to ask. Besides the few local guys that I knew that were into rods and customs it was the Union- Essex-Middlesex county guys that I met and made friends with in the 50'S and early 60,s that really got me going. Couldn't drive yet when my dad took my brother and I and our buddy Cliff who had a 50 merc to Boro Motors on 27 in Metuchen to a SLO POKES of Avenel show. To my surprise dad knew one of the guys in the show....George D'esposito with his 40 Buick....so I got to know Des and the rest of the Haulin Gents....and I was like a kid in candyland. Who can forget Leo Barnaby's '60 button tufted merc. In the rain outside of the building when were leaving there was a candy green 55 chevy from New York that made the cover of Car Speed and Style or Custom Rodder....in the rain....couldn.t believe it out in the pouring rain....but thats what you did... as they used to say"used and abused'daily. Thanks again for that original thread ....Bring on the RENEGADES. LEE.
Sorry guys I know Leo's merc was '59 ...Must be getting sleepy from doing the overnight at RAT RADIO LEE.
I think Manny has it at one of those consignment places.Im sure the exposure might be reason enough fo them to wanna bring it out.
anthony,,you are right,,,it was on ebay several times,, and now one of those consignment places has it,,really surprised it hasn't sold yet,,,,a TON of work done to that car,,,i cant remember how much he wanted,,but i remember thinking it was pretty reasonable for all the work that was done
He wanted telephone numbers at first, but now I think he's down in the 30s. 34K I think it is. So much history in that car but the consignment place doesn't push it. They had it advertised as a streetrod for some time.
Future CLassics in Lakewood is the consignment dealer, IIRC. Kinda shady dudes, but this is ONE car that is the real deal.
thinkin about it now... that has to definatly be one of my favorite mercs. The best thing is that it is pretty radical, but its still really tasteful. I love the tail light treatment...
FWIW I think Les Cove is finally gone. Sold it to someone way back when but my last trip up from Killside back to Union I didn't even notice the sign. I have to go back that way today, I'll keep an eye out.