The Vern LaCoursiere Photo Collection

A photo og Vern's firs car, a 1949 Ford coupe that he restyled in 1957. Vern was 19 years old at the time, and he did all the work himself. Modifications included custom side trim, a two-tone paint job, shaved door handles, lakes pipes, Oldsmobile Fiesta hubcaps, dual spotlights and a custom upholstery. Photo courtesy of Vern LaCoursiere, provided by Tom Tufte.

A photo of Vern and a girlfriend in front of Vern's second car, a chopped and lowered 1950 Ford convertible. All work was performed by Vern in 1959, when he was 21 years old. Modifications included finned rear quarter panels and shaved door handles. Custom accessories included Oldsmobile Fiesta type hubcaps and a spotlight on the driver side. Photo courtesy of Vern LaCoursiere, provided by Tom Tufte.

Another shot of Photo from Vern's 1950 Ford. Photo courtesy of Vern LaCoursiere, provided by Tom Tufte.

A photo of Vern's third car, a 1953 Mercury. Dressed up with an all-white Mexico Upholstery, Vern gave the car a Candy Purple Panel Paint Job in 1960 when he was 23 years old. Photo courtesy of Vern LaCoursiere, provided by Tom Tufte.

Vern LaCoursiere is a member of the legendary Tacoma Toppers car club of Tacoma, Washington. Vern rode the bus to school during high school, and he couldn't wait to buy his first car after graduation so he could join the Toppers; "I had so much respect for the Toppers, they were THE club." You had to work hard to get in the club. They had strict rules and regulations, and your car had to have three modifications custom-wise to get in. In addition you also had to be a pretty nice guy. Some guys had the car, but their reputation wasn’t quite there." Tom Tufte has scanned and shared some of Vern's old photo with Kustomrama, so that we can share these on this page.