Phil Carpenter
Blast From The Past
Boise, ID

Julia Davis park shots: The '49 Chevy convert was my first attempt at customizing. Paid $300 for it stone stock from Roy C. Davidson's used car lot. Tight budget since I was a Junior at BHS in '56 and made a buck an hour after school and weekends sorting rotten fruit at Pacific Fruit and Produce on Broadway St. 

I added a Nicson dual 97 carb intake, then split exhaust running through Smithy’s, got many tickets for loud pipes. Body work included Frenching in '53 Lincoln taillight lenses, Nosing, decking, using lead, mild lowering, '54 sombrero caps and blue and white Naugahyde interior. Exterior was sky blue.

The dash was striped by some guy called the Mad Striper who came through town and held an impromptu striping night at the Round House opposite what was then Boise Jr. College. My dad wasn't all that crazy about the reclining naked lady on the dash, but it was a hit with all the teenage boys.

Mercury Photo: I had the Chevy up until just before graduation in '57 but then my barber, Revere Dick, took a shine to it and wanted to trade me for his '52 Mercury hardtop. I liked his black nosed and decked lead sled with a white top, electric doors and trunk, but it had a flathead with Ford-O-matic trans and took forever to get off the line. It didn't do so well at the un-sanctioned night drags on the old highway behind Gowen Field. I finally agreed to the trade with Revere. 

We became close friends and started playing gigs together at places like the Blue Note in Garden City and the Mirmar Ballroom on Fairview Ave. We cut our first demo tape to send to the record companies in the basement sound studio of KGEM radio where I worked as a night DJ. Of course the management never knew. They fired me later when they found out. I guess I should have kept the Chevy, upgraded it like my current retro-rodded '51 (color photo) but I also should have kept the Mercury so I could have told people in the 60's I had Paul Revere's first custom. 

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