Hardcore rodding has evolved to an amazing point in the past decade where the amount of creativity infused into primered hot rods has paved the way for many of those cars to even reach final paint and interior if the owner so pleases. It's common to see the dropped jaws of many passing viewers who stop to check out just what the young kid has come up with from the pile of parts that everybody else had passed over.
For the fifth year in a row, the Alter Boys once again circulated information on their event by distributing handbills and running small advertisements in little 'zines that cater to the hardcore and traditional rodding scene. By doing this, they were able to ensure that the lots would fill up fast with wicked gow jobs and cool customs, since anything laden with billet would have to park outside the inner sanctum. Held in one of the grittier parts of an old factory-driven town, the Alter Boys revel in the fact that the site of Ralph's Diner in Worcester, Massachusetts, so closely resembles a past world where crumbled streets and aged brick factories make for a perfect backdrop for one of the neatest end-of-season hardcore bashes on the East Coast. Ralph's Diner, the cornerstone of the event, has been a fixture in the Worcester area since the 1920s, and it was relocated to its present location sometime in the '80s. One of the neat facts about the diner is that it's now attached to a building that used to house a horse-and-buggy-equipped firehouse-how neat is that? Keeper-of-the-keys Vincent Hemmeter has maintained the diner full of nostalgia, and he still serves up some of the best burgers in town. The second floor of the building is more roadhouse than anything, since it regularly has atomic-fueled live bands vibrating the plaster off of the ceiling.
As in the past, this is a strictly lifestyle-fueled event and the Alter Boys set the pace just right by starting the event at 2 p.m., since it will be past midnight when it all winds down. It's one of those rare times where you can actually sleep in and look forward to a stoke afternoon of checking out some of the hottest soup jobs in town. Take, for instance, John Durfee's Hilborn-fed, Nailhead-equipped '29 Ford sedan accented by plenty of reet customs like Squirm's slick gray suede shoebox.
If you dig catching up with old friends while having a bite to eat, checking out loads of cool swag for sale by Mark Lewis, and gearing up to the sounds of countless bands that rev up like a vintage rail leaving the line laced with nitro, then this event is for you! There's nothing better than seeing the old-timers who made this hobby what it is today hanging out with young visionary rodders who will be turning wrenches for decades to come. Once again, the Alter Boys wrapped up the year with a killer bash that left everyone full of excitement as they fired up and tore off into the night well past midnight, grabbin' gears with quick-changes wailing in the distance.
If you were dropped into the picture from a long sleep, you'd swear you were back in the '50s thanks to countless traditional rods mixed with a restored vintage diner that was fueled by plenty of scorching rockabilly. | 
Laced with evil, Jim Derzius' '35 Ford pickup was hammered hard, channeled to death, dipped in red oxide, and given a '57 354-inch Hemi to settle the score. That '38 Ford grille is just too cool. | 
Starting with a retired cab from a '38 Chevy fire truck, Barry and Alexa Corson built this rambunctious hauler Gasser-style with a straight front axle, American Racing wheels, and plenty of 327 Chevy-urged power. |
Alter Boys member Jared Brouillette's '27 Ford roadster was well on its way to being hopped up with plenty of gennie speed parts. Go-power is from a '49 Flathead industrial block topped with Edelbrock heads sucking air through an Edmunds two-pot, while spark is courtesy of Harman Collins. Wicked! | 
They don't come much nicer than Mike Treveloni's Deuce pickup. This hauler had the perfect stance, mirror-straight bodywork coated with just enough cherry red vibe, and American five-rollers to complete the package. | 
There's nothings neater than a perfectly proportioned '51 Merc, and we're here to tell you that Steve Cyr's sled was right-on with its stoke chop, subtle color combo, and Caddy caps. |