Look who's car made it to the La Roadster Show,straight from the Peterson Musuem,good for Richie,I heard the car drew a crowed all weekend.
Good for Richie. I spoke to him about the car going to Peterson's last fall at the Gathering if the Faithful. He was so psyched but so modest in his low key demeanor. It couldn't happen to a nicer guy. And it's no wonder there was a crowd around it all weekend...
The detail on that car is so remarkable I could fill up a memory stick taking pictures for Tommy But what else would you expect from Richie, the man has the patience of a saint! Me on the other hand - I'm putting things together before the paints dry.
That is one great looking car, still haven't had the chance to see it in person. Is it on loan to the Peterson or part of the collection now?
Street Rodder had a feature on the car a couple years ago and did a Garage Scene of his shop.That's a museum in itself!.Here's a couple pics I took at the Ty-Rods show several years ago. Richie is one of THE most talented rod builders on ANY coast;he just happens to be from the right coast.I met him when I was going to high school and he was working at Mac's Motorcycle Shop in Everett MA.He is also one hell of a motorcycle mechanic and one of the few people I know who can lace a wire wheel and do it right.He used to do a lot of 16" Harley rims to English(Triumph) hubs. He's probably forgotten more cars that he built than most people will ever build.When I first met him,he had a beautiful red Deuce 5 window with an Olds engine.The car still exists.He built a landau style limousine from the back of a Deuce four door and the front of a Deuce roadster and it was right hand drive.He built a tall T coupe with a V-6 in it,a narrowed 27 roadster with a 2000cc Pinto and 1/4 elliptics.He currently has a Model A phaeton(if he hasn't sold it).
Richie showed me some photos of the build at Hershey one year, I remember him saying there were parts from nine different manufactures in the rear setup, including Land Rover.
I remember him telling me there was something like 43 individually detailed parts in each of the four shock assemblies......
Well it turns out that Richie also made it to the Roadster Show,his very first time,After the motorhome he was driving shit the bed,or I think it was the tranny,but atleast he made it there.Also,there's pictures of a crashed 32 roadster,it on Hamb,well Roy Idemen towed that thing home,I wish I went.I heard because the tub is so damb long,and doesn't run,it had to be put on a ramptruck,was to long for a trailer,Richie is a real craftsmen.
As I recall,the basis was a Franklin q/c with a Columbia 2-speed,Lincoln backing plates with Buick drums and I think the rest of it was mostly hand fabbed.I also think he made the wire wheels(19"). The biggest problem now is the Winfield carbs.I don't think anyone knows how to set them up. Here's a couple pics of other cars Richie built.The first is his 32 limo and the second is an A that was originally yellow and had a flathead in it.Bill Besarick bought it from Richie and put a SBC(265)in it then sold it to Steve Hitchcock who did it over completely.
So where do I send this color copy? Must be good, it was from the Winfield dealer in Boston. Yes, I do want a test ride when it is running properly!
Ray, Didn't he do a '34 Town Car too - rented it out for weddings and stuff. Don't forget his red full fendered T touring with Jag suspension that he took to the SRN's in Detroit '72.
It would be VERY hard for me to forget that car;it almost landed my ex-wife in jail on assault and battery charges! It was set up at the Suffolk Downs show one year with the B.A.R. display along with my cousin's 32(now owned by Larry Hook).I was off striping a car on the other side of the building and most of the club had gone to dinner.She was keeping an eye on the cars and a couple of guys came along,pushed into the ropes to tap on the touring to see if it was steel or glass. She had had a couple glasses of wine and was starting to get a bit of a buzz.Did I mention she was half Irish and half Sicilian? I learned early on to keep her away from sharp objects when she was drinking.Remind me to tell you about my near murder some time..... Anyway she spied these guys and went ballistic! I could hear her screaming at them on the other side of the building. I went back post haste and she's about ready to deck this one guy who's giving her a bunch of shit.I try and calm things down and this asshole makes this smart remark:"Hey buddy you ought to learn how to control your wife better!" I thought she was going to have a stroke!She broke free of my grip and grabbed a large wrench out of Dick's trunk and was going to bash this guy's skull in.It took me and the guy I was painting for to keep her off him. I told him,"Buddy;if you want to stay alive I suggest you get the fuck outta here because I don't know how much longer I can hold her!" I think they saw the look in her eyes and they beat feet. When Richie and Dick got back and heard the story they were laughing and she still wanted to track these guys down and kick their asses. All this and she was about 5 foot 4 and weighed about 110 lbs.(with her pockets full of rocks).One scary lady. As an aside,Don Burley also drove to the Street Rod Nationals in 72 with Richie's old red 32.He had his wife and two kids with him(the kids rode in the rumble seat)and had a car top carrier bolted to the roof. Vito and Sally Venuti flew out,bought a 33 Plymouth sedan and drove it back with them. Vito sent me a video he made up awhile ago from old 8mm movies he took through the years starting around 71.The Northeast Rod Run in Kingston NY,Sturbridge in the 70's,Sears Shopping Center in Saugus,the drags at Epping,and the first cruises I ever went to at that seafood place on the Lynnway by Revere Beach. Really strange to see pics of me weighing about 140 lbs.(I think my stomach weighs that now!). Lots of good memories.Here's a pic of Vito's Plymouth.He had it less than a year so this has to be 72;in fact I think it was August because it was the fierce softball game between the Boston AreaRoadsters and the Mass Street Rod Assn. at Salem Willows.
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