Clarkaiser Custom Shop

Ron Clark and Bob Kaiser of working on Tony Volpe's 1951 Ford. Ron is working on the door, while Bob is welding the trunk

Les and Adle Volpe's 1948 Mercury

Chuck Ninowski's 1948 Mercury Coupe was restyled by Clarkaiser. Photo from The Fred Thomas Photo Collection.

Alan Reason's 1950 Ford - Utopia

John Cassaubon's 1950 Ford

Tony Volpe's 1951 Ford Convertible

Stan Lendzon's 1952 Buick

Larry Ernst's 1952 Ford Convertible of Toledo, Ohio. Restyled by Clarkaiser Custom Shop, the first version of the car, named "Pharaoh's Pacer", was completed in 1955. Larry was a Roman Catholic priest who later became a monsignor. Owning a radical and famous custom car put him at some odds with senior members of the church, so he showed the car under the fake name Grant Macklin.

Frank and Charles Gilardone's 1953 Ford

Bob Palmer's 1955 Ford Thunderbird, The Golden Bird, was restyled by Clarkaiser in 1955.

Bobby Darrin's Dream Car was a total ground-up custom car by Ron and Bob for Andy DiDia.

A Clarkaiser business card from Dick Dean's files. According to Dean's son Keith, his dad would contract out to different shops when he was low on money. "Clarkaiser was one, the other was the Alexander Brothers." This was during the time between 1956 and 1959. Photo courtesy of Keith Dean.

The Clarkaiser Custom Shop consisted of two legendary postwar customizers named Ron Clark and Bob Kaiser. Clarkaiser Custom Shop was located in Detroit, Michigan.

Dick Dean

In the mid-1950 Dick Dean opened up a custom shop in Wyandotte, Michigan called South End Kustoms. When he was low on money, he would contract out to different shops. "Clarkaiser was one, the other was the Alexander Brothers," Dick's son Keith Dean told Sondre Kvipt of Kustomrama in 2021. This was during the time between 1956 and 1959.

Custom Cars by Clarkaiser Custom Shop

Chuck Ninowski's 1948 Mercury Coupe
Les and Adle Volpe's 1948 Mercury
Alan Reason's 1950 Ford - Utopia
John Cassaubon's 1950 Ford Club Coupe
Tony Volpe's 1951 Ford Convertible
Larry Ernst's 1952 Ford Convertible - Pharaoh's Pacer
Stan Lendzon's 1952 Buick
Frank and Charles Gilardone's 1953 Ford
Bob Palmer's 1955 Ford Thunderbird - The Golden Bird

Bobby Darrin's Dream Car