Event Coverage Kustom Kings of New Hampshire

Hi, Larry ~ Linda here, Rick's wife. I was just checking out his pictures and saw your comment ~ we really DID have a wonderful weekend...I got to meet lots of really nice new people (I have only been to one other KK event this year), and everyone was so friendly. Best of all was the amazing generosity of Sandy and Steve, hosting the cook-out for us all, and even hiring a live band that played very cool tunes ~ Joannne was really rockin' out !! Rick is lucky to have discovered a group that loves cars as much as he does

 

Been playing out on my wood lot with the Ford AA doodlebug I just bought from club member Dickie Edwards. 2014 Burlington VT
2014 Hot rod Reunion.. Dickie Edwards Merc

 

"Cherrybombs" 99 oak st Dover, nh.


Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!

 

Great thread. Stumbled upon it today doing some searches for Rockingham County Rod's & Customs. Ran across my old club shirt ( the classic Back & Gold one "Auntie" Rose made) and club plaque recently and wondered what ever happened to the club. Brought back some great memories of Al "Captain Chrome" Berry and the Guys. Wonder if the 275 gallon oil tank wood stove/furnace Al made to keep warm is still in use. It got so hot you could work in a tee shirt & skivvies in February but took for ever to go out so you could lay on some pain paint. Tim

 

Tim, did you own a 57 Wagon? If so I have a pic of you , Nugget and a few others running an obstacle course with me on a stretcher at the Rochester Mixed Nationals. I live in Fremont and drive by Allen's old shop. The garage is no longer standing. I got quite an education as a teenager in that garage. John

 

taking a ride in 1 kool bee

 

Early in this thread you mentioned Tom Patch. Tom was a member of the '57Fordsforever forum. His son Tim inherited the '57, and unfortunaltly also passed away early this year. Tim's wife Sheila has logged on and is going to keep in touch when their young son, who's name I have forgotten, needs some help and guidance in the caretaking of Tom's car.
On another note...a long shot, but do any of you NH rodders know a guy by the name of Bob Wright? Bob was into rodding most his life and was a neighbor/mentor to me in Mass. when I was a teenager trying to keep my cars running. He had a son name Bobbie who was also into rods. Bobbie would be about 65 now (I'm 68). Last time I saw Bob sr. was at my Mom's funeral about 10 years ago. Tall, eye patch, bald, with a cane, he'd be in his late 80's. He had just aquired a barn find 40 coupe, and lived somewhere in southern NH.
Rich

 

I remember Tom , his wife and the boys well. Before the 57 Ford he was working on Mercury. In the 80s he would drive down from VT to the Kittery ME cruise..quite a hike !

 

Joe bought another one...

 

Don and Maureen run a great spot. It's located in the former Oak St. Armory building, just after Oak St. crosses Rte 4, as you head SE toward Eliot, ME. Two doors down from the Paintworks shop.

 

Paul's garage
Paul Jr, Franky, Leo, & Joe M
Paul & his 56 convert in progress

 

Joe picked this shoebox this winter and fixed some small leaks ......all set for spring weather

 

Great to hear from you John. Guilty. Yeah I had the red & white 57 wagon. Great times at Al's. Old tunes and quite an education. Sold the 57 in '91. Damned if it didn't show up last year on Craigslist in Maine. Talked with the seller the only change was Trips were gone and so were the smoothies and wide whites. Car looked like the day it came out of Al's shop. He really did quality work. No one had touched anything and the $50 283 was still purring like a cat. Got a '29 now I'm trying to figure out what to do with. Looks like maybe a full fender 40's build. Hope all's well & that I'll see you around. Tim

 

Speaking of the Kustom Kings, have you noticed the advertisement cards for the 3rd Hot Rod Reunion this August at New England Dragway? Dick's Mercury is featured on the card. Very cool. Had lunch with him last Friday and he showed me. That is such a great Merc, that House of Kolor paint is 25 years old, laid on by Dick in his garage and still looks great!! For those who don't know Dick , the car is powered by a 401 Buick through a five speed back to a Corvette independent rear.

 

I remember that line up !

 

Came across some early 80s photos from Don Blanchard (past member who owned "Speedo" a 1954 custom Chevy. Moscoffians 57 Ford , can't place the name of the Buick's owner but Dickie or John will.

 

In the mid 80's Don took "Speedo" and I took the "Eggmobile" to Sledscene East VA beach

 

Don and I also took the cars to Lead East in 1984...those last 30 years flew by fast

 

Joe's latest Mercury is up for sale

 

July 2015 Metting

 

Fall cruise to Shaker Village

 

The fall in New Hampshire is beautiful with all the great colors.
Looks like some very special cars showed up for this event.
Is Hearts Turkey Farm still in business on route 116? What a great place to stop and have some great food.

Jimbo

 

Joe picked up a new shoebox to drive this fall and resell..

 

Can't leave this thread without an Alan Berry story.
In 1975 Alan was in his green 47 Chevy period.
Cruising the evening campground at the Memphis Nats
with my 47 Ford, Alan sitting on the right fender.
Alan waves frantically and points down the hill to
the right. A 47 Chevy on the next road. Hey, down the
hill we bounce, thru the bushes into these poor devil's
camp site. Alan jumps off the fender and starts kissing
the front bumper of the Chevy. Young couple were a bit
taken aback as we jumped in my Ford and continued
cruising. True story. You can't make this up.
Do you have an Alan story? Denny Kerin

 

The white Mercury with the flames you mentioned at the last meeting belonged to Rick Pollard from Maine who left the Kustom Kings in the early to mid 80s . After the success of the cruise at the Kittery Trading Post he formed his own club here in Maine.. The Kruise Knights.

 

Alan Berry...his father 'Blackie' told of the time when a fella spotted a guy in a restaurant who owed him some money,
so the fella drives thru the front window of the 'White Tower Lunch' on Elm St in Manchester.
He got his money.
Then there was Alan's 29 A roadster...which rec'd a new 435 HP BBC from Dobles Chev.
On rte. 101 at 60 mph he'd punch it and light-up the rear tires. Boooo-waaah, gone.

 

Alan Berry

 

Hi Rick, what a blast from the past! We bought the coupe in MN back in late 70s, was black at the time. Had a Tempest front end bolted into it, some of the holes from the tempest lined up with holes in the '48 frame! Powered by a 235" six and a Saginaw four speed, '55 Chevy rear. We flat towed it from MN when I got the job at Seabrook. The six had two carbs and split exhaust and somebody said you have to go to Raymond and meet Al Berry, he loves Chevy sixes. That's how I met Al, Dick and all the rest of you guys. Later we put a four bolt main 350 in it, Muncie four speed, and we at one point ran my Man-A-Fre on it. Great story there, we are on the on ramp to the Mass Pike in Worcester, going to some show, wife and kids in the car. Liquid began spraying out the louvers in the hood on teh pass side. The car had one of those in vogue glass see through fuel filters that screws together internally with pot metal shaft. Quickly pulled over to the side of the road and we all bailed out. Only by the grace of God that car didn't go up in flames.
This picture was taken on Swazey Parkway in Exeter after Brad's auto body painted it Caddy crimson. Similar shot ran in Street Scene that year as I remember. Great car, don't know what happened to it. I sold it to Bruce Philbrick's brother Donny and it disappeared after that. My bride looks great, we just celebrated 50 years of marriage this summer, her love of cars, and me, made that happen. Thanks for a nice trip down memory lane this morning.
John

 

Fall cruise