The Hot Rods Of New England- The New England Hot Rod Scene: II

Steve Pierce, at One-Off Technologies, Inc. in Gilford, New Hampshire, has 30 years in the industry, and has become known throughout the country for his ability to create some of the most exquisite interiors for hot rods and customs, as well as building Ridler and concours-level award-winning cars. Steve's latest creation (above right) is his new all-weather Deuce nicknamed the Quad-Rod, and looking at the car you'd never imagine it's all-wheel drive! Stay tuned for an upcoming Garage Scene outlining the chassis development in more detail.

Throughout the years, Steve has created some of the most well- received interiors, including the Khougaz roadster, Dick Metz's Deuce roadster and Ken Gross' impeccable Deuce, featuring one of Steve's signature new-generation Carson tops and interiors. (Ken's Car received the Bruce Meyer Preservation Award at the Grand National Roadster Show in '99).

There are always interesting projects in the build process at Steve's shop, and one of the cars destined for the 2009 show season was powered by this early '90s-era BMW V-12 engine that sports a Hilborn 12-port EFI system.

Steve's abilities to design a custom-fabricated chassis to doing complete builds allows the owner opportunity to have something truly unique.

Located in the New Hampshire town of Tilton, Lowrey's Auto Restoration is beautifully situated on an expansive six-acre lot that was originally a dairy farm. With a grand restored farmhouse serving as Jim's residence, it is joined to a three-level barn that serves as a perfect space for storing customer's vintage steel, as well as an extensive parts collection. Just completed is a new 5,000 sq.ft. building for final assembly, which is joined by a 3,000 sq.ft. fabrication shop and a 4,000 sq.ft. body and paint shop.

Inside the newly completed assembly wing there is room for up to eight cars to undergo the final phase of their individual builds. With plenty of bright light, antiseptic cleanliness, and ample space, the new work area has allowed the team at Lowrey's everything they needed to bring their final creativity to some of the most traditional hot rods in the East to life.

In the body shop a couple of early Ford woodies are undergoing the final phase before heading over to the paint shop. From hot rods to Pebble Beach-level restorations, Lowrey's has you covered.

Hot rods designed and built at Lowrey's have a signature look and here you can check out Stuart Peterson's '34 Ford roadster as well as a Brookville Deuce roadster ready for a new customer to decide its powertrain and color combinations.

Jim Lowrey has been an active part of the hot rod community for decades having taken over the business from his father Jim Lowrey Sr. back in '87. There have been numerous noteworthy hot rods restored and built at Lowrey's over the years, including the Schaeneman Deuce roadster, Ray Brown's 99C Deuce roadster, and most recently Dave Gazaway's '33 Ford roadster that graced the cover of Street Rodder last year.

Shop owner Todd Lewis has been in business for over 20 years and still manages to be a hands-on guy who is still equally at home working in the shop or taking on a multitude of other tasks. Together with his talented team, he's able to turn out plenty of hot rods, customs, Pro Touring cars, and restorations.

One of the larger multi-line shops in the area is Xtreme Restorations in Slatersville, Rhode Island, which is owned and operated by Todd Lewis. Specializing in full custom builds as well as stock restorations, the shop has made its mark with many of its innovative designs and attention to detail.

We were lucky enough to catch the build up of this '59 Cadillac that is destined to be a mild custom for owner Lou Querusio. Set to debut at the Detroit Autorama in '09, it will be running its original three-deuce-fed V-8 as well as have countless subtle body mods.

Entering the main shop is a sight to behold with a dramatic combination of cars in every step of the build process. Everything from a completed '36 Ford roadster with Hemi power to a subtle '49 Plymouth custom, lines of muscle cars on rotisseries awaiting a fresh start, and loads of vintage tin in mid-resurrection make it easy to see the scope of all the builds.

This is one of the few shops that has its own in-house engine-building shop. It's tended by Richard Desautels, whose knowledge of many engines allows him to cover everything from stock restorations to supercharged big-block V-8s.

It's said if the cars you build have a distinct style, the mere sight will let you know just what stable it rolled out from. Such is the case at Back Bay Customs in the seaside community of Portland, Maine. Known as Extreme HCR for years, they've recently changed their name to Back Bay Customs, but they still build full-blown customs that sit great, have subtle yet dramatic lines, and plenty of cutting edge technology. Their recent addition of both drag and circle track racing chassis fabrication has allowed them to expand even further.

Under the hood of the Olds is plenty of hardedge horsepower! Paul contacted Carroll Shelby to order up one of the killer combinations that usually resides in his Series 1 sports cars: a Vortech-urged Olds Aurora V-8 linked to a torque tube that's coupled to a Pantera six-speed trans in back.

For shop owner Paul White, the creation of his '49 Olds convertible will infuse every bit of attitude into the mix. Taking on such a radical design brought Alan Berry to create a chassis that would give the car its stance and a suspension that would let the car handle like it was on rails. The custom spine incorporates Corvette C4 spindles all around as well as an Air Ride Technologies system. With the body in its final stages, it has received a 4-inch chop as well as additional sculpting including some major sectioning, pancaking, and a close shave.

The talented team at Back Bay Customs was assembled by shop owner Paul White and includes many talented craftsmen. Pictured from left to right are Boyan Ilinov, Adam Clayman, co-owner Jonathan White, Alan Berry, and Alan Tardiff. Tim Richards and Steven White were unable to be in the photo.

Back Bay is also a full line shop that is capable of taking on any part of a restoration, custom metal fabrication, chassis engineering, and final body and paintwork.

Walking through the doors into Planet Hot Rod in Branford, Connecticut is like walking into an adult fantasy land. With an interior that is awash with concrete and corrugated steel, it gives the workshop area a much-welcomed mechanical feel for the extensive lineup of roadsters in different stages of assembly. Shop owner Kevin Care is a fixture on the East Coast scene, known for his extensive fabrication skills as a builder.

One corner of the shop is dedicated to building chassis, and it just so happens to be Kevin's personal altar. This particular Deuce chassis sports a custom-fabricated chrome-moly X-member and is being set up to accept a 427ci Ford V-8 linked to a Tremec five-speed. Out back a Winters Champ rearend will handle the abuse. The chassis is destined for an upcoming Dearborn Deuce roadster project.

One of the Dearborn Deuces nearing delivery belong to Mike Katz, who just so happens to be a former Mr. Universe and Mr. World contender. Coated in a glamorous jet-black finish, it was packed with plenty of muscle thanks to a 350ci small-block topped with a 6-71 huffer from the Blower Shop catching its breath through a custom-designed Hilborn injection setup.

The latest rod under construction at Planet Hot Rod is owned by Jim Savalle, and it started life as a '48 Ford COE. In its current form, it features a one-off custom polished stainless chassis, which braces an over-the-top 460ci Ford topped with one of Kevin's signature mile-high induction systems, which includes a 4-inch intercooler, a 4-inch Inglese box, 8-71 blower, and a quartet of Weber 48 IDA carbs.

It only seemed fitting that the very first Hot Rods & Horsepower-built Dearborn Deuce greets you as you enter the building. Still looking as fresh as the day it was built, it serves as a great testament to the workmanship Kevin and his team strive for with each of the turn-key Dearborn Deuces and ASC Speed33 roadsters his company assembles.

Mark Coppola and Derrick Pesko (left to right) started Allstar Hot Rods in Berlin, Connecticut, as a part-time gig in the early '90s before officially opening their doors full time in 2000, and it's been a blur for this talented pair ever since. While honing their skills since their early teens, they have turned out countless notable hot rods, customs, muscle cars, and classic trucks under the Allstar banner. Most recently they received industry accolades for a Dearborn Deuce they created in conjunction with Hot Rods & Horsepower for a debut at last year's SEMA Show.

Derrick's latest personal project is this '29 Ford roadster pick-up that's awash with custom fabrication, including a one-off chassis, stretched and leaned-back cab, shortened and leaned-back bed, a 4-71 huffed 327 V-8 linked to a five-speed, and Halibrand rollers.

In another corner of the shop we found this cool pair of hot rods under construction: a '29 Ford sedan powered by a vintage 283ci small-block waiting to get chopped, and a rare '36 Buick coupe owned by Benny Gagliardi in for the full-on Allstar treatment.

At 6,500 sq.ft., the shop is big enough to handle every facet of a number of build-ups at any time. From design and fabrication to final paint and assembly it's easy to see whey this shop is always packed to the brim with cool builds. Check out Steve Van Blarcom's heavily modified '55 Chevy that sits on an Art Morrison chassis while Bob Gagliardi's '59 Ford pick-up awaits its final detailing before being released to terrorize local streets.

When it came time to expand their shop, Mark and Derrick bought a defunct old pool hall that was left for dead and transformed it into their new place. Easily one of the coolest places that you'd want to hang out at, the showroom is filled with an array of vintage memorabilia and speed parts combined with classic comfortable furniture and wide screen TVs, making a short visit impossible!