Korky's Kustom Shop

Billy Smith's 1949 Mercury convertible. According to the text on the back of the photo, this was Korky's first chop. He was about 21 when it was completed, making it 1956.

Richard Korkes' 1954 Ford Convertible of Whippany, New Jersey. This was Korky's own car, and he started to restyle it at age 19. The car became known as The Parisienne.

Andy Belusko's 1954 Ford of Whippany, New Jersey was restyled by Korky in the mid 1950s.

A 1950 Ford that Korky restyled for an unknown owner in the 1950s. Modifications included a shaved hood, removed door handles, frenched headlights, 1954 Oldsmobile side trim and a 1954 Chevrolet grille bar. The photo was taken outside the old Whippany School building, right down the street from Korky's house on Highland Avenue. Photo from the Richard Korkes Photo Collection.

A 1947 Mercury convertible that Korky restyled for an unknown owner in the 1950s. Photo from The Richard Korkes Photo Collection.

George Pillion's 1955 Chevrolet Convertible of Whippany, New Jersey was restyled by Korky around 1957/1958. The car was known as The Sportsman.

The first version of John Nadzon's 1954 Mercury of Parsippany, New Jersey was restyled by Korky's Kustom Shop in 1957.

Maximilian King's 1940 Mercury convertible of Morristown, New Jersey was first restyled by Meekers Body Shop in 1946. In 1959 Korky's Kustom Shop restyled the car further for current owner Ray Henyon.

Korky chopped the top on Robert Ansetta's 1951 Ford 5 inches in 1959. The b-pillars on the car were slanted during the chop. Photo courtesy of Fred Ritter.

The receipt from Korky's Kustom Shop for the chop on Robert Ansetta's 1951 Ford. Dated December 12, 1959, Robert paid 450 dollars for the job. He had to make several downpayments in order to afford it. Photo courtesy of Fred Ritter.

The second version of John Nadzon's 1954 Mercury of Parsippany, New Jersey was restyled by Korky's Kustom Shop. The car, named The Mysterian, made its debut February 17, 1960 at the Hartford Autorama.

Korky had four customs at display at the 1960 Hartford Autorama. Two of these, Robert Giblock's 1951 Ford and John Nadzon's 1954 Mercury, made its debut at the show. This is an ad Korky ran in the souvenir program for the show, underneath a presentation of the four cars. His shop at the time was located at 14 Highland Avenue, a two-car wood frame garage behind his parent's house in Whippany.

Art Guglielmi's 1955 Ford Victoria

Bobby Freedman's 1962 Jaguar XK-E

Korky's Kustom Shop was a custom body shop in Whippany, New Jersey. The shop was owned and operated by Richard "Korky" Korkes.

The souvenir program for the 1960 Hartford Autorama contains an ad for Korky's Kustom Shop. At the time, the shop was located at 14 Highland Avenue, a two-car wood frame garage behind his parent's house in Whippany. In 2019 Thomas Casserly told Sondre Kvipt of Kustomrama that he used to watch Korky build many of his customs in the early to mid-1960s;"Korky’s Parisienne was built in my back yard, the house where I grew up had a back yard that backed up to Korky’s. When we were small kids we would go down and look in the windows to see what he was working on. Little did we know that we were watching history. There were times when the Barris show made the rounds to the East Coast and all the cars, the Batmobile, Bat Cycle, and Sonny and Cher’s cars were all in Korky’s parent's driveway. Unbelievable when I think back."

1960 Hartford Autorama

Korky had four custom cars on display at the 1960 Hartford Autorama, two of these, Robert Giblock's 1951 Ford and John Nadzon's 1954 Mercury, made its debut at the show. Korky ran an ad in the Souvenir Pictorial for the show advertising his business. In the ad, he advertised for custom-built bodies, interiors & engines and custom made taillights and parking lights in lucite.

After building a bubble-topped 1962 Jaguar for Bobby Freeman, George Barris asked Korky if he wanted to come to California and work for Barris Kustoms. Korky took the offer and went across the country. Thomas Casserly, an old neighbor of Korky, believes Korky did some work at Whippany Auto Body on route 10 for a short while before he headed West. At Barris Kustoms Korky went on to become the shop foreman.

Employees

Richard King

Cars Restyled by Korky's Kustom Shop

Maximilian King's 1940 Mercury Convertible
Billy Smith's 1949 Mercury Convertible
Robert Ansetta's 1951 Ford Crestliner
Robert Giblock's 1951 Ford
Richard Korkes' 1952 Mercury Convertible
J. P. Hanusocky's 1953 Oldsmobile 98
Andy Belusko's 1954 Ford
Richard Korkes' 1954 Ford Convertible - The Parisienne
John Nadzon's 1954 Mercury - The Mysterian
George Pillion's 1955 Chevrolet Convertible - The Sportsman
Art Guglielmi's 1955 Ford Victoria
Bobby Freedman's 1962 Jaguar XK-E