The man who was probably the second biggest influence on me when i was younger to get into cars and start working on them was one of my fathers best friends, Don Nardoza. Hes is the president of the American crusiers car club in bergen county NJ and is a big part of mine and some of my very close friends and familys lives. He has had some of the coolist custom cars around and started putting them together in 50s and 60s. He currently owns a beautiful 50 merc unchopped full custom and a stunning chooped 40 merc convertible. Hes recently added another car to the collection, a chopped 52 caddy. After getting the car and bringing to the American Crusiers garage he had Bob Mishko ( aka P.A. Bob) start on the car doing the metal work it needed. Rockers, custom skirts, nose, and welding the quarter seems. Bob has most the metal work squared away and the car was comming along nicely. Donnie asked me to give Bob a hand doing the body work on the car at night after work, been at it a few weeks now and the car is comming along pretty well. Donnie wants it in black laquer so we have been spending alot of time with our long boards and extra long AFS sanders haha. thought i would post a few pictures of Donnies current rides and the caddy so far so here ya go.
hi russ donnie is a great guy and has some of the nicest cars around with you and bob working on it i sure it will be in the same cl*** as his others
Thanks Teddy, im sure it will, Bob has done some real nice metal work on it, its blocking out pretty nice.
i will be sure to keep this one updated, things may move a little slow as i said bob and i are working on the car a few hours a night after work wich for him is a long 10 hour day and for me a long day of welding and blocking on customers cars befor i get to the garage and do some more blocking on this one haha. but i will you updated for sure.
Bob and i got the back window in and fitted up in the caddy. Bob performed some mayjor surgery to the roof it was pretty messed up and got it looking realy nice and the window fitting real nice as well. He sprayed the roof and quarters with the black lacquer that the car will eventualy be. we moved onto the doors the other night, we both found a buncha bumpy lumpy body work going on so we smoothed it out and befor we left bob hit it with a coat of the lacquer prime. thats all for now hopefuly be able to put some more hours on it this comming week. its been an intersting job to do along side Bob as hes been a body man for 30+ years and swares by using lacquer. me on the other hand have never delt with anything lacquer except for sanding it off something so its been interesting to learn to body working process that he usse while using the lacquer paint.
The Jalopy Journal
