Ernie Geisler's 1956 Chevrolet

Ernie bought the Chevrolet when it was brand new. "He took it to Monego's Auto Body. They extended the quarter panels with 1958 Buick Limited taillights. Removed the door handles, added scoops in the quarters, and a homemade grille from round lucite and chrome metal tips," Ray Soff told Kustomrama. This photo of the car was taken about a mile from where Ray lives. Photo from The Ray Soff Photo Collection.

In 1981 Harry Bradley told Ray that Pete Monego did a great job restyling the car. "The car was as nearly perfect as any car I've ever seen with lots of glorious detailing," he wrote in a letter to Ray. A magazine did an article showing how they built the grille on the car. Photo from The Ray Soff Photo Collection.

A photo of the all-chrome Buick engine that Ernie installed in the Chevy. Harry Bradley told Ray Soff that he remembered the Drivin Deuces displaying the engine at one of their shows in Teaneck, New Jersey. The engine featured loads of chromed parts. Photo from The Ray Soff Photo Collection.

The floor shifter from the Chevy that Ernie made in trade school. It looks like a knight sword, and later owner Robert Punky gave it to Bob Linter. Later on, Bob gave the shifter to Ray Soff for his custom car collection. Photo from The Ray Soff Photo Collection.

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1956 Chevrolet Convertible owned by Drivin Deuces of Carlstadt member Ernie Geisler of Lynhurst, New Jersey. The car was also known as "The Black Knight."

Chromed Frame and Engine Block

In February of 2020 Ray Soff told Sondre Kvipt of Kustomrama that Ernie bought the car when it was brand new. "He took it to Monego's Auto Body. They extended the quarter panels with 1958 Buick Limited taillights. Removed the door handles, added scoops in the quarters, and a homemade grille from round lucite and chrome metal tips." As time went by, Ernie kept adding new things to the car. "He put a chrome Buick motor in it," Ray add. Ernie also chromed the a-frames and the rear end housing on the car. According to Ray, it was a show car, not a cruiser. In 1981 Harry Bradley told Ray that Pete Monego did a great job restyling the car. "The car was as nearly perfect as any car I've ever seen with lots of glorious detailing," he wrote in a letter to Ray.

Harry Bradley Redesign

In the early 1960s Ernie met Harry Bradley. Bradley drew some design proposals for a more radical iteration of the car. Ray saw the drawings, and he remembers the car going to be chopped and fitted with 1958 Lincoln headlights. "Ernie decided to do it. He had a garage on a busy street. On that street, his garage extended out where you have to bear to your left not to hit the garage. One night a drunk tan into the side of the garage. The right side got damaged. He decided to sell the car." Harry Bradley believed the accident happened about June of 1962. "I graduated from Design College (Pratt Institute in Brooklyn) and moved to Detroit where I started work at GM design staff. Many years later I heard some motorist plowed through an intersection and into the garage where this car was located, virtually totaling it."

Parted Out

Years ago, Ray met a guy named Bill Pelkey, who bought the car from Ernie. "He got it without the front end, and the interior was gone." Tony, a friend of Ray bought the interior. Bill rented a garage where he was going to work on the car. Then, one day the landlord sold the property, giving Bill two months to get rid of the car. "Bill took all the chrome off the motor. He sold parts off of it." When Ray met Bob, he still had the chrome manifold and chrome carbs."The floor shifter that Ernie had made in trade school, he gave to Bob Linter. Later on, he gave the shifter to Ray for his collection. According to Ray, the rest of the car went to a junkyard.