Joe Carloni ~ The Fonze pics...

A lot of people knew him.But other then the guys in Monmouth County,no one really knew him like we did.

 

You're right, you're somehting. You're the infamous voice of reason on this thread who is slowly finding his way. A classic role.

Is there a way to upload a VHS onto your computer and maybe Youtube it? I can borrow the video of him building the black merc by himself in the snow in his driveway but I'd like to be able to share it with all.

 

OK guys, let's try to not get this thread locked.

I've never met Joe, he passed before I got involved in custom cars. I'd think that Joe would have been proud of me and of guys like myself, for no other reason than carrying on the tradition that he held so near and dear to his heart. Before there was OSR and "kustomz", there was Joe Carloni. Before punk rock had it's influence on custom cars, there was Joe Carloni. Before rat rodding was it's own sub genre, there was Joe Carloni and I'd venture to say that Joe Carloni was "The Fonz" before the Henry Winkler character ever existed. Happy Days merely gave Joe the name that would stick with him. He is the OG rat rodder, not some reject from the punk or goth scene that uses his car as a fashion accessory like a belt buckle. Had Joe lived long enough to see rat rods become mainstream, I think he'd be OK with people calling him a rat rodder. I'd imagine that when you've been living the life for so long, you can't just change when what you've done your whole life becomes trendy.

Joe's contribution to this hobby can't be measured. He's been a tremendous influence to a lot of guys, many HAMBers too. The stories of his vehicular exploits are second only to the accounts of his kindness, especially to young people that showed an interest in this hobby. Joe made a great ambassador for what we do because his passion for it was contagious.

He's a legend in our parts (and apparently overseas too), and if you couldn't tell, sometimes us NJ people get defensive when people who don't understand try to tear him down. All you're doing is showing your ignorance. Just because newbs haven't heard of him, or you won't find his name in a custom car text book doesn't detract from the legacy he leave behind. The void his passing has left in NJ has yet to be filled. RIP

 

Joe,you are absofuckinlutely right.Joe would have been proud of all you young guns.See when I met Joe,I was your age.Thats why he took a liking to me because there wasn't too many of us.But he would have loved to see the scene now.

 

BTW,are you in NJ?I might go down Marks'today

 

you nailed it joe , i have to admit this thread has left me with the need to know a lot more ..

 

Joe's Mercs werent finished like a magazine car,but he didnt care.They ran and looked cool as shit going down the road.As long as the radio played and there were 50's tunes coming out of the grille he was happy

 

The only thing Joe wanted to do was have fun in his Merc.Thats just what he did.

 

For the new guys on here, who all talk about "traditional", I dare y'all to start a new thread entitled ....."I actually didn't know what a Merc was 10 years ago"........ and HONESTLY put your name to it......then find out when 'Fonz' died!

Thats why his ORIGINATOR, less than "90s magazine-finished" cars are still relevant today.....and your COPIES will NOT be.

And Yes...put me No 1 on that thread (I only had my 52 PickUp back then).

 

i have been wanting one for years just never came across one i could afford , theres not a lot of them around my parts , i did find one in mint condition about 6 years ago that this old man bought new , he only wanted 12Gs for the car and i was hot for the deal unfortunatley i went to his house in my POS 55 chevy and he took one look at my car and asked me "your gonna cut her up arent you?" i quess the look on my face doomed the deal cause he wouldnt sell me the car .. anyway maybe one day .. i have never heard of Joe Carloni before this thread started but from what i have seen i want to see and know a lot more if its possible and pics if some of his rides still exist ..

 

The first Lead East after Joe had passed away,just wasnt a partying weekend.I have one of his memorial t shirts,never wore it.

 

Could you educate the youngins here when that was?What year?

 

It was around '97 or '98

 

This is the way it should be. Yes, some of Joe's rides still exist. CHOPMERC's shoebox was chopped by Joe when he was 16 (?). The "great balls of fire" merc is still around too. 00Mack is the man to answer your question definitely, though.

I have a set of tri-bar side view mirrors that Joe gave a friend of mine years ago for his Crown Victoria. My buddy ended up not using them and kept them, then passed them along to me.

 

I believe this is Fonz:

01-03-1938 ~ 03-26-1999

RIP Joe- the kustom world misses you greatly and Jersey treasures you.

 

WQ,I believe you might be correct.Joe

 

Lead East - 1995

 

The most important fact I cant repeat enough is that his first chopped Merc which I photographed and someone posted them above,was a car that was the absolute best he could build.Thats the one he wrecked. The car was a back yard ex 4 door version of a Richard Zocchi masterpeice. The car was wicked and before he rolled the pans and put the Lincoln taillights in it,The car had an absolutely killer set of butted ,6 rib 54 Merc taillights.The way they were done made an over done mod look the best it ever had.Thats the way I remember Joey!ANOTHER LITTLE KNOWN FACT!!!,He had the most killer candy red 56 Ford hardtop in the early 80s that I ever saw!It was only after the accident in the Merc when things got out of hand with the mud work and over the top sculpturing!But I loved it anyway because Joe was my friend and I wanted to be just like him one day .....I fell short though.

 

Like 57Joe, I never met Joe either. I had only heard tell of him since the minute I got into this hobby. Part of my "education" was the video of him at Lead East all those years and him building the black Merc in his driveway. My favorite interview with him was at Lead East when the guy asked him if there was metal underneath the paint on the black merc. He replied with "There's metal under there somewhere, I'll break the bondo out and show you if you like." He just didn't care. Joe you said it right, all he wanted to do was have fun in his Merc.

He's like Rebel John, (who I have met a few times) someone you always here stories about and tell with your friends at least once a year. Everytime the stories get better and better, and everytime we tell them, it reminds me of how its sposed to be.

 

Thanx for the pics Mark! As soon as Im done uploading pics for a car I have on ebay, Ill put those on here. I never knew he even owned a 49/50 Merc! I thought they were all 51s!

 

Anthony,do you have pics of Joey's 56 Ford?Joe

 

This is great.Most of Jersey guys are online

 

Joe you arent lyin! I have to get to finishing our spare bedroom later, and all I wanna do is sit on teh HAMB!

 

Chris,I hear ya.I have shit to do but wanna check out the HAMB

 

If I think of more Fonz stories,will post them.

 

Hey Joe! I dont have pics of the 56 but Debbie or Donna might!I know this because I remember Joe had a rear driers sice shot of the car.

 

Never met the guy in person but he was a legend to us Shifters in the early 90's. Joe and i talked on the phone a couple of times and he even sent me video's that showed himself chopping & customizing a car out in the snow !

If any of you ever read Continental Restyling back in the early - mid 90's there's an article about Joe the Fonze that is priceless ! It talks about him getting harrassed at a stop light by Puerto Ricans in NYC, and when these guys started shaking his car back & forth from the rear of it Joe hit the flame throwers then took off.

He was the real deal !

 

The snow video car was a 49 Buick 4 door that he did after he moved outta Jersey!

 

One more quick story.Years ago there was cruise night on Rts.9&33 circle.The name of the place is the Jersey Freeze.Well,The Fonz and the Jersey Torch and most of the custom guys used to go every week,yours truly included.making the trip from Staten Island.One night Joe and Jimmy would have a flame thrower contest,this was before all that shit would become high tech.Just raw,natural gas and hand choke.So this one Sat.nite they were going at it,and me not knowing any better told Joey his flames were bigger.Nothin was said that night.But a few days later the 2 of them were talkin and it was mentioned what I had said.Jimmy's blood pressure must went sky high and boy did he get mad at me.Joe had called my Dad,like he often did at 6 AM.and mentioned this to him,so naturally I was asked when I got home.Joey had said Jimmy is mad at your son.When I saw Jimmy the following week,his answer was"the student never know more than the teacher".Ever since then we became good friends.

 

Well written, Joe did see the Rat Rod movement though (15 years ago ~ when it meant something different) and wrote me about it. He loved it !